expecto patronum

YESSSSSS

TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE CHARACTERS WITH TAILS (FOR BOTH FANFIC WRITERS AND ORIGINAL CONTENT WRITERS)

1. Only make a tail if it’s strictly necessary (your character’s tail has to serve a purpose)

Unlike what you may think, tails are very, very tricky to write about if you’re putting them on humans, which I assume is what @dollyjean911 is asking about. There’s something about them that makes it incredibly difficult to describe them without making it seem silly. (Unless your character is a mermaid / has a tail that’s used for swimming; in that case, it’s reasonable, which is exactly what you want- for it to be reasonable).

If your fantasy species/character has a tail, make sure that it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, because otherwise you risk your readers finding it ridiculous, especially if the tail is just used for comic relief like annoying other characters (I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take out the tail if it’s used for comic relief, I’m just saying if that’s the only thing that the tail does, you might want to reconsider giving your character one). 

Things that your character’s tail can be used for:

Balance

Battle

Holding things

It’s relevant to the creature that your character is (aka a dragon or something)

Portraying emotion

Swimming

2. Know That There Are Many Kinds Of Tails and They All Serve a Different Purpose

We seem to be one of the few animals that lack a tail. All animals have it, and therefore that means there are plenty of kinds of tails for you to choose from, both real and imaginary. Here’s a list:

Bird

Bovine (Cow / Ox / Wildebeest / etc.)

Canine (Wolf / Dog / Dingo / etc.)

Cervine (Deer / Elk / Caribou / etc.)

Equine (Horse / Pony)

Feline (Housecat / Tiger / Lion / etc.)

Mermaid/man

Monkey

Rat / Mouse

Reptilian (Dragon / Iguana / etc.)

Plus many more!

3. Unless it’s Magic, Your Character’s Tail Has Limits; DO RESEARCH

Unless specified, your character’s tail can’t do loop-de-loops and stretch to crazy lengths or whatnot.

Some tails are powerful and muscular, capable of doing some hefty destruction (aka Reptilian and Mermaid) and others are dainty and delicate, more of a nuisance in battle than an actual weapon (Feline).

Like I said, tails have different jobs, and if you have a dog tail doing a monkey tail’s job, you’re gonna have some serious backlash from the readers, who will either critique harshly or simply stop reading altogether, and that’s the LAST thing you want.

If after this you don’t heed my warning and DO YOUR RESEARCH PLEASE!, I can guarantee that your readers will not be a fan of your character’s tail, even if you think you know everything there is to know about it.

3. Unless It’s a Mermaid, the Tail Shouldn’t Be the Only Trait That Your Character Has If They’re a Part of a Fictional Species

“Oh yeah, I’m a dragon but the only thing I have is this tail.”

“Lit.”

“Yeah, just like your home with your family in it rn.”

If you’re writing about a fictional species, as a reader I am begging you not to just put the tail as a defining feature. Otherwise, your creature is gonna feel pretty lame.

Dragon?

Add horns and/ or wings! (See my incredibly popular post about writing characters with wings here)

Perhaps maybe scales on the backs of the hands/ cheekbones / down the spine!

Werewolf?

Add fangs or fur in various places!

Werecat?

What about various fur patterns like stripes or spots on parts of the body?

(See my popular post about shape-shifters here)

Monkey creature?

How about fur on parts of the body like with the werewolf?

And so on. It’s not necessary, but it’s recommended if your character with a tail is a part of a species, just to spice it up a bit!

4. Please Be Professional

This is just for the people writing professionally, as well as for people who want to write serious fanfiction.

Like I said, tails are risky business. One wrong move and your story can seem like a nine-year-old’s first furry yaoi fanfic, and unless that’s what you’re going for, I suggest you listen to what I’m about to tell you:

!!!!!****SHOW, DO NOT TELL*****!!!!!

Yes, I know you hear this all the time;

The writing advice community shoves it in your face whenever they possibly can, but with tails, this is a necessity. It will make or break your novel/fic/story/etc.

“Her cat tail fluffed up in surprise”

The above sentence should not exist.

I don’t mean to be harsh, and you may feel bad if you’ve written like this (I admit I’ve written like this myself!), but that sentence sounds very unprofessional, and many readers will close the tab/ the book as soon as they read it.

You need to introduce your character’s tail by means of describing it. Unlike with wings, you can’t just say “cat tail” and be done with it. It doesn’t sound like professional work, which is what you probably want to write.

This is COMPLETELY a matter of opinion, and I’m just saying what I as a reader and a writer believe. Some people have different tastes, and that’s ok!

Here’s how you should introduce your character’s tail:

Instead of:

“Her cat tail fluffed up in surprise.”

It could be:

“Her eyes widened, and he caught a glimpse of movement behind her. Fearing it was one of those creatures from before, his hand flew to his gun, only to find a/n [adjective] tail curling around her leg.”

I know that writing is subjective, but doesn’t that second description sound a whole lot better?

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion I’d rather be presenting my readers with the second description than with the first.

(Granted, I did add a few details, but that’s what has to be the case. Besides, it boosts your word count!)

5. Do Not Ignore Your Character’s Tails!

(Honestly I’m just copying and pasting parts of this section from my wing post because it’s the exact same thing and just as important)

Tails are a 100% real, 24/7 thing! It’s bothersome when writers mention the tail in one chapter and then only bring it up for comic relief or to knock something over and block the bad guys! Most of the time, I forget that the characters even have a tail at all!

Here are some pros of having a tail (these are also things you can use for description)

Bludgeon enemies (if they’re bulky)

Balance

Convey emotion

Use for swimming (mermaid tails)

Intimidation

Knocking things over to block enemies

Cause general havoc (pranks)

There is also the fact that tails have many cons, even more so then they have pros!

They knock things over

They can get stepped on

They can get grabbed in battle

Unless they’re bulky or can grab things like monkey tails, they are useless against enemies

They can get caught in things

They can annoy other characters

Your character’s tail is an extra appendage; it’s a part of your character! You don’t have to spend every second reminding the readers that it’s there, but don’t go long stretches of time without even mentioning it.

6. Tails Can Convey Emotions, Too!

When cats are angry, their tails lash back and forth.

When dogs are happy, their tails wag.

When cats are surprised, their tails fluff up.

Like with the showing and not telling, this tip can boost your word count 100000% and can pack that little extra punch to make your readers more enthusiastic about your writing.

Here are some things your character’s tails can do:

Happy

Curl

Wave

Wag

Nervous

Curl around character’s leg

Fluff up

Fidget

Tuck between the legs

Angry

Lash back and forth

Bristle

Fluff up

Smack

During Battle

Knock people’s feet out from under them

Bludgeon (it probably won’t will but it sure will leave a hell of a bruise if the tail is muscular enough)

Distract enemies

Sexytimes

;)

There are more, but I can’t think of them off the top of my head.

YESSSSSS

TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE CHARACTERS WITH TAILS (FOR BOTH FANFIC WRITERS AND ORIGINAL CONTENT WRITERS)

1. Only make a tail if it’s strictly necessary (your character’s tail has to serve a purpose)

Unlike what you may think, tails are very, very tricky to write about if you’re putting them on humans, which I assume is what @dollyjean911 is asking about. There’s something about them that makes it incredibly difficult to describe them without making it seem silly. (Unless your character is a mermaid / has a tail that’s used for swimming; in that case, it’s reasonable, which is exactly what you want- for it to be reasonable).

If your fantasy species/character has a tail, make sure that it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, because otherwise you risk your readers finding it ridiculous, especially if the tail is just used for comic relief like annoying other characters (I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take out the tail if it’s used for comic relief, I’m just saying if that’s the only thing that the tail does, you might want to reconsider giving your character one). 

Things that your character’s tail can be used for:

Balance

Battle

Holding things

It’s relevant to the creature that your character is (aka a dragon or something)

Portraying emotion

Swimming

2. Know That There Are Many Kinds Of Tails and They All Serve a Different Purpose

We seem to be one of the few animals that lack a tail. All animals have it, and therefore that means there are plenty of kinds of tails for you to choose from, both real and imaginary. Here’s a list:

Bird

Bovine (Cow / Ox / Wildebeest / etc.)

Canine (Wolf / Dog / Dingo / etc.)

Cervine (Deer / Elk / Caribou / etc.)

Equine (Horse / Pony)

Feline (Housecat / Tiger / Lion / etc.)

Mermaid/man

Monkey

Rat / Mouse

Reptilian (Dragon / Iguana / etc.)

Plus many more!

3. Unless it’s Magic, Your Character’s Tail Has Limits; DO RESEARCH

Unless specified, your character’s tail can’t do loop-de-loops and stretch to crazy lengths or whatnot.

Some tails are powerful and muscular, capable of doing some hefty destruction (aka Reptilian and Mermaid) and others are dainty and delicate, more of a nuisance in battle than an actual weapon (Feline).

Like I said, tails have different jobs, and if you have a dog tail doing a monkey tail’s job, you’re gonna have some serious backlash from the readers, who will either critique harshly or simply stop reading altogether, and that’s the LAST thing you want.

If after this you don’t heed my warning and DO YOUR RESEARCH PLEASE!, I can guarantee that your readers will not be a fan of your character’s tail, even if you think you know everything there is to know about it.

3. Unless It’s a Mermaid, the Tail Shouldn’t Be the Only Trait That Your Character Has If They’re a Part of a Fictional Species

“Oh yeah, I’m a dragon but the only thing I have is this tail.”

“Lit.”

“Yeah, just like your home with your family in it rn.”

If you’re writing about a fictional species, as a reader I am begging you not to just put the tail as a defining feature. Otherwise, your creature is gonna feel pretty lame.

Dragon?

Add horns and/ or wings! (See my incredibly popular post about writing characters with wings here)

Perhaps maybe scales on the backs of the hands/ cheekbones / down the spine!

Werewolf?

Add fangs or fur in various places!

Werecat?

What about various fur patterns like stripes or spots on parts of the body?

(See my popular post about shape-shifters here)

Monkey creature?

How about fur on parts of the body like with the werewolf?

And so on. It’s not necessary, but it’s recommended if your character with a tail is a part of a species, just to spice it up a bit!

4. Please Be Professional

This is just for the people writing professionally, as well as for people who want to write serious fanfiction.

Like I said, tails are risky business. One wrong move and your story can seem like a nine-year-old’s first furry yaoi fanfic, and unless that’s what you’re going for, I suggest you listen to what I’m about to tell you:

!!!!!****SHOW, DO NOT TELL*****!!!!!

Yes, I know you hear this all the time;

The writing advice community shoves it in your face whenever they possibly can, but with tails, this is a necessity. It will make or break your novel/fic/story/etc.

“Her cat tail fluffed up in surprise”

The above sentence should not exist.

I don’t mean to be harsh, and you may feel bad if you’ve written like this (I admit I’ve written like this myself!), but that sentence sounds very unprofessional, and many readers will close the tab/ the book as soon as they read it.

You need to introduce your character’s tail by means of describing it. Unlike with wings, you can’t just say “cat tail” and be done with it. It doesn’t sound like professional work, which is what you probably want to write.

This is COMPLETELY a matter of opinion, and I’m just saying what I as a reader and a writer believe. Some people have different tastes, and that’s ok!

Here’s how you should introduce your character’s tail:

Instead of:

“Her cat tail fluffed up in surprise.”

It could be:

“Her eyes widened, and he caught a glimpse of movement behind her. Fearing it was one of those creatures from before, his hand flew to his gun, only to find a/n [adjective] tail curling around her leg.”

I know that writing is subjective, but doesn’t that second description sound a whole lot better?

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion I’d rather be presenting my readers with the second description than with the first.

(Granted, I did add a few details, but that’s what has to be the case. Besides, it boosts your word count!)

5. Do Not Ignore Your Character’s Tails!

(Honestly I’m just copying and pasting parts of this section from my wing post because it’s the exact same thing and just as important)

Tails are a 100% real, 24/7 thing! It’s bothersome when writers mention the tail in one chapter and then only bring it up for comic relief or to knock something over and block the bad guys! Most of the time, I forget that the characters even have a tail at all!

Here are some pros of having a tail (these are also things you can use for description)

Bludgeon enemies (if they’re bulky)

Balance

Convey emotion

Use for swimming (mermaid tails)

Intimidation

Knocking things over to block enemies

Cause general havoc (pranks)

There is also the fact that tails have many cons, even more so then they have pros!

They knock things over

They can get stepped on

They can get grabbed in battle

Unless they’re bulky or can grab things like monkey tails, they are useless against enemies

They can get caught in things

They can annoy other characters

Your character’s tail is an extra appendage; it’s a part of your character! You don’t have to spend every second reminding the readers that it’s there, but don’t go long stretches of time without even mentioning it.

6. Tails Can Convey Emotions, Too!

When cats are angry, their tails lash back and forth.

When dogs are happy, their tails wag.

When cats are surprised, their tails fluff up.

Like with the showing and not telling, this tip can boost your word count 100000% and can pack that little extra punch to make your readers more enthusiastic about your writing.

Here are some things your character’s tails can do:

Happy

Curl

Wave

Wag

Nervous

Curl around character’s leg

Fluff up

Fidget

Tuck between the legs

Angry

Lash back and forth

Bristle

Fluff up

Smack

During Battle

Knock people’s feet out from under them

Bludgeon (it probably won’t will but it sure will leave a hell of a bruise if the tail is muscular enough)

Distract enemies

Sexytimes

;)

There are more, but I can’t think of them off the top of my head.

So I’ve been reading a lot of fics lately where people are either

A) Putting wings onto canon characters

B) Making OCs with wings

So I decided that, with the influx of people who are writing winged characters (and therefore the influx of errors that come with writing winged characters), I’d make a little thing to help you slap a pair of wings onto anyone!

This is also a bit personal, too, because the MC in my upcoming novel has wings!

1. Know that there are a lot of types of wings to choose from

Part of being a writer is the desire to take something (whether it be a pre-existing work or an idea in your head) and make it into your own. So, instead of just going with the classic bird wings, why not spice it up a bit? If your character is an angel, you certainly don’t have to stick to the classic depictions of angel wings. Why not give them butterfly wings or dragonfly wings?

Here’s a small list of different types of wings to choose from:

Bat wings

Beetle wings

Bird wings

Butterfly/Moth wings

Dragonfly wings

Note that these wings are for animals who can fly. There are also animals who can “fly” that actually glide, such as sugar gliders and flying squirrels.

Yeah, so the options are pretty limited, but feel free to make up your own kinds of wings that aren’t necessarily based on a pre-existing creature’s wings!

2. Be familiar with the anatomy of your character’s wings and their limits

If your wings are completely unique, draw them out. A diagram or picture is key when it comes to things like description. I’m not gonna tell you what everything does and give you Animal Wing Anatomy 101, that’s for you to research. Know that there are different types of wings and that they have different uses, strengths, and weaknesses.

3. Never use the full extent of your research! 

Surprise, surprise!

“But wait, Maddy!” you cry, writing utensil in hand and poised to stab me. “I thought we were supposed to were supposed to show our research!”

Well, you are. Technically that’s not wrong. But, readers don’t want to know ALL of it. Over-described wings are sometimes worse than under-described wings; what sucks more than not knowing what a character’s wings look like is having to look up wing anatomy in the middle of the chapter!

Only use the most basic of vocabulary when it comes to describing the parts of the wing. Most of the time, you just have to say “bat wing” or “feathery wing” and the readers get the basic idea. (Like seriously, do you think the readers know what a dactylopatagium brevis is????? It’s a part of skin on a bat’s wing btw)

4. Don’t bring your character’s wings up only when they’re needed!!!!

Unless your character’s wings can fade away when they’re not needed, wings are a 100% real, 24/7 thing! It’s bothersome when writers mention the wings in one chapter and then only bring them up when there’s a daring escape that needs to be performed! Most of the time, I forget that the characters even have wings at all!

There is also the fact that wings aren’t all pros and no cons. If they’re functional, they’re probably big, and if they’re muscular, they’re probably bulky. If your character is clumsy, they’ll probably knock things over constantly, and if they’re not clumsy, they’ll still knock things over constantly.

Your wings are two (or four, or five, or six quintillion) extra appendages; they’re a part of your character! You don’t have to spend every second reminding the readers that they’re there, but don’t go long stretches of time without even mentioning them.

5. Your character’s wings can be a good way to indicate their mood or to provide for that little bit of description that you think you make be lacking

Why wouldn’t you want to describe the wings? I mean, you don’t want to describe every minute detail over and over again, but it’ll boost your word count a lot more than you think. They can also be used to convey your character’s feelings without explicitly telling the reader! It’s like a new set of facial expressions!

See? You can tell he’s wary and ready to fight from the movement of his wings! Also he’s crouching next to a dead body but that’s not relevant right now

Here’s a list of wing language (?) that you can incorporate into your story that will not only increase your word count, but will also add to the sustenance of your story!

Nervous

Twitch

Flutter

Ripple

Fold tightly

Fidget

Flap

Angry

Flare

Bristle

Fluff up

Ripple

Beat

Raise up

Snap open

Happy

Flutter

Curl up

Ripple

Wave

Flap

During Battle

Bludgeon

Smack

Bat

Clout

Whack

Kick someone’s legs out from under them

Snap someones neck (only for muscular wings like bat and bird wings)

Problems that may come with having wings

Poke out from under blankets and let all of the cold air in

Stepped on

Get pins and needles from being folded for too long

Squashed on chairs/ in beds/ in crowded hallways

Vulnerable in battle

Molting (for bird wings)

Please refer to this page before sending any asks, please!

I will answer questions about:

Characters

Plotting

POV

Setting

Tropes

Fanfiction

Genres

Getting Started

And more!!!!

I will NOT answer questions about:

Things that are already on this list 

The publishing/editing industry (primarily because I’m unqualified)

Children’s fiction and Nonfiction (Same reason as above)

Hyper-specific details of your WIP; I can’t tell you how to write your own story. 

“Does ____ sound like a good idea?” 

Anything that can be figured out with a quick Google search (i.e. how fast can cheetahs run, how long does it take to get a license, etc.)

Asking me to reblog your post, give you a shout-out, etc. This blog is just for writing content only and will remain ad-free. 

Asking me to read/edit your story for free. I’m a college student with a very busy life who also has her own writing projects to worry about, and cannot put time aside to edit someone’s work for no cost at all. Refer to my commissions page, please!

Sorry, but I am quite rigid about these rules!

This is just a compilation of the questions I get a lot or I think I answered pretty well, so if you need anything else feel free to check out my #answering asks tag!

I’ve also included some posts from other blogs/sources as well because I feel as though they can explain it much better than I ever could!

About Me!

Once Upon A Time (Starting + Improving)

How to Get Inspired to Write and Regain Creativity

How to Write a First Draft

How to Outline

Plotting for Pansters and Pantsing for Plotters

How to Overcome Writer’s Block

How to Write Consistently

How to Improve Your Writing

How to Expand Your Vocabulary and Utilize English Idioms/Figures of Speech

How to Get Into Writing Fiction

Is Your Story Better as a Fanfic or an Original Work?

Structuring

How to Write a Scene (Source: Jerry Jenkins)

How to Write a Sub-Plot

How to Write In Certain Tenses

How to Write a Flashback

How to Make Your Story Longer (Feat. a helpful reblog from @romancingthebook)

How to Write a Final Draft

How to End Your Story (Source: Now Novel)

Substance, Filler, and Pacing

How to Fix Your Filler Scenes

How to Cut back Filler Words (For People Looking to Reduce Their Word Count!)

How to Balance Description and Dialogue

How to Write a Smooth, Rhythmic Narrative

Prologues and Info Dumping

How to Avoid Purple Prose (Source: WikiHow)

POV Tips

How to Choose Which POV to Use (Source @evans-writing)

How to Write First Person POV

How to Write Switching POVs

Genres + Setting

How to Write About Medieval Europe

How to Write About Mid-Nineteenth/Early Twentieth Century America

How to Write About School

How to Write an Apocalypse

How to Write Gangster/Mafia Fiction

How to Write Humor

How to Make Your Story Less Sad

How to Make Your Story Scarier

Plot Points

How to Write Character Death

How to Fake a Character’s Death

How to Write Character’s Planning/An Explanation of an In-Story Plan

How to Write a Fight Scene

How to Write Magic

How to Write Missing Person’s Reports

How to Write Pain

How to Write Regret

Subverting Common Fanfiction AUs and Plot Ideas

Fantasy AU Ideas

Dialogue

How to Write Arguments

How to Write Dialogue

How to Write Humor

Master List of Speech Tags

Characters

Popular Character Tropes and Prompts to Subvert Them

When to Change Your Character’s Name

Ways To Tell if Your Characters are Too Similar (How To Cut Characters)

How to Describe Bodies

How to Describe Clothing

How to Write Characters Who Are Different From You

How to Write Close Platonic Relationships

How to Write Complex Characters

How to Write (Good) Female Characters

How to Write a Good Monarch/Ruler

How to Write a Villain

How to Write a Villain Redemption Arc

Villain Motivations

How to Write Young Children and Babies

How to Write Siblings

How to Write a Drunk Character (For people who can’t/prefer not to drink)

Love Stuff

How to Write Romance

How to Write Falling In Love

How to Write a Love Triangle

How to Write Enemies to Friends to Lovers

How to Write Healthy Relationships

How to Write Long Distance Relationships

How to Write Non-Explicit Sex Scenes

How to Write Teasing in a Romantic Relationship

How to Write Toxic Relationships

Reasons for Divorce

Fantastic Beasts (And How to Write Them)

How to Write Shape-shifters

How to Write Characters With Wings

How to Write Angels (A History of Angelic Lore)

How to Write Characters with Tails

How to Write Zombies

How to Write Gods, Goddesses, and Deities

How to Write Animals in Battle

How to Write a Hive Mind

Diversity

I am a white, neurotypical, cisgender woman and shouldn’t give you any advice but to DEFINITELY include diversity! Here are some great blogs for you to follow!

@writingwithcolor

@yourbookcouldbegayer

@scriptautistic

@actuallyblind

@cripplecharacters

Writing Deaf of Hard of Hearing Characters

Miscellaneous

MASTER LIST OF INSTRUMENTAL PLAYLISTS FOR WRITING (OR FOR STUDYING, MAKING ART, ETC.)

How to Become a Writing Advice Blog

How to Write Constructive Criticism

Books You Should Get As a Writer

check out my #writing memes tag, too!

My Book

I’m currently working on a novel titled Wings of Faith, and often post content such as art, aesthetics, and writing updates!

Summary:

Humans are nothing if not imaginative creatures. They tell tales of being watched over by invisible guardians, of bearing witness to divine messengers descending from the sky in a blaze of fire. Snowy wings, flaming swords, haloes and harps…you know, all the classic bullshit.

“Be not afraid!” they write these creatures saying, since humans like to comfort themselves with the notion that their celestial shepherds are merciful. But mercy, even for such “angels” that are so often painted and prayed about, is a luxury that only those with enough life left in them can afford.

(OR a jaded one-winged angel must team up with a ragtag band of demons to escape from Hell)

Wings of Faith Masterpost

My Art Blog

image credit: Noblecrumpet

The master of master posts for each D&D 5e Class Theme Week I’ve done over the past YEAR. It’s been a lot of work and very rewarding. Let me know if you come across any balancing issues while playing with the content.

Noblecrumpet’s Class Week Compilation

Barbarian Week

Bard Week

Cleric Week

Druid Week

Fighter Week

Monk Week

Paladin Week

Ranger Week

Rogue Week

Sorcerer Week

Warlock Week

Wizard Week

image credit: Noblecrumpet

Announcements

I promised something big with this post. So here it is:

1) Digital Adventures and Sourcebooks

I’m going to start working to get this into a huge digital PDF with formatting, original art, and bonus content, as well as creating MORE adventures and sourcebooks for D&D 5e. If you’d like to help me fund this and future projects, you can check out my brand new Patreon that I just launched as well! Patrons will have access to exclusive content and sneak peeks at upcoming books including original art! High-tier patrons will also receive PHYSICAL copies of the books as they are created.

2) New Social Media Pages

I wanted to start the new year off right and become more active on social media and communicate more with my followers, so catch me on Twitch every week to answer your D&D questions while I work on either art or just play some games!

I also created a new Facebook Page and updated my Twitter! So follow me on those for updates whenever I make a new blog post!

3) Brand New Look

I’ve made new artwork for my avatar and cover image for all my social media pages to give them that Noblecrumpet touch. I hope you enjoy it!

New Magic Items!

A bundle of new magic items with necromantic magic and undead summoners in mind. Some are just there as items I thought would be neat for a necromancer to wield.

Here’s a link to the Homebrewery page:

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Hybed38k37

Crown of the Dead King

Wondrous item (head), very rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)  You can reassert control over twice as many undead when you cast the Animate Dead or Create Undead spells.

Eyeball of Eyebite

Wondrous item, rare  This wet, preserved eyeball can be used to cast Eyebite, with a spell save DC of 16. When the spell ends, the eye closes shut and cannot be used again until the eye opens again each midnight.

Hand of Glory

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)  A creature attuned to this mummified elf hand can cast the Mage Hand cantrip at will. In addition, the creature can attune to an additional item, as long as it’s a ring placed on one of the fingers of the Hand of Glory.

Hungering Rod

Rod, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)  A rod crafted from a finely carved ghoul bone made to look like a mass of gnashing teeth. While holding the rod, damaging spells you cast of 1st level or higher deal a bonus 1d6 necrotic damage to each creature damaged by the spell. The rod itself hungers for flesh and requires its attuned wielder to deal necrotic damage to a living creature every 24 hours. Every 24 hours that the wielder fails to do so, the rod reduces the wielder’s maximum hit points by 1d6 until they sate the rod’s hunger.

Mace of the Unhallowed

Magic Weapon (mace), very rare (requires attunement) The Mace of the Unhallowed is a +2 Mace. In addition, undead under your control within 60 feet of you gain resistance to magic damage and add your proficiency modifier to their saving throws against spells and magical effects. You can also use the mace to cast Darkness once per day.

Mantle of the Lurking Dead

Wondrous item (shoulders), uncommon (requires attunement)  You can change the appearance of undead controlled by you. To do so, you can use your action to touch an undead controlled by you that is a medium or small creature and humanoid in shape. That creature gains an illusory disguise similar to that of a Disguise Self spell. You choose the appearance of each creature you target. The undead appear to breathe and idle as if they were living beings, but do not hold up to physical scrutiny as the illusion is only visual. The illusion lasts as long as each target remains within 100 feet of you and under your command. There is no limit to the number of targets that can be affected by the mantle.

Rod of Undead Mastery

Rod, very rare (requires attunement)  Undead under your command gain a +1 bonus to AC and can make an extra attack during each of their turns as long as you hold the rod.

Staff of Spectres

Staff, legendary (requires attunement by a spellcaster)  This silver and platinum staff topped with a sculpted skull is wrapped entirely in a grey veil. Tiny motes of pale blue light orbit the staff showing the number of charges it has. The staff has 20 charges and replenishes 2d8+4 charges each day at dusk. You have resistance to necrotic damage while you hold this staff.

Summon Undead. You can use your action and expend 2 or more charges to summon an undead in a space adjacent to you that will obey your verbal commands for 1 minute. You can summon a Specter (2 charges) or a Wraith (7 charges).

Spells. While holding this staff, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and spell attack bonus: Cause Fear (XGtE, 1 charge), Fear (3 charges), Enervation (XGtE, 5 charges), or Finger of Death (7 charges).

Summoning Skull

Wondrous Item, rare  A humanoid skull with gems in place of its eyes and teeth. The skull has one large gem in each eye socket and 2d6+4 small gems replacing some of its teeth. A creature can press one or more of the gems using their action to summon an undead that obeys their verbal commands for 1 minute. A gem crumbles to dust once it is used. When the skull has no gems remaining, it too crumbles to dust.

Small Gem. Touching one of the gems in the teeth summons a Zombie.

Large Gem. Touching one of the gems in the eye sockets summons an Ogre Zombie. 

Alternatively, if at least 6 of the gems remain intact, the entire skull can be smashed against a hard surface, destroying it, to summon a Beholder Zombie.

Reaping Blade

Magic Weapon (sickle), rare (requires attunement) The Reaping Blade is a +1 sickle. Whenever you hit a creature with an attack using the weapon, if that creature is not cursed by the weapon they become cursed. A creature cursed this way takes 1d8 additional necrotic damage from attacks made by the Reaping Blade. Only one creature can be cursed in this way at a time.

A creature that dies while cursed by the Reaping Blade has their soul drawn into the weapon. Using an action, you can tap into the life force of such a trapped soul. When you do, you regain 2d4+2 hit points. The soul then departs from the weapon. Only one soul can be stored in the Reaping Blade at a time. A soul stored in the Reaping Blade cannot be resurrected by any means short of a Wish spell until the soul departs from the weapon.

Unhallowed Charm

Wondrous item (neck), rare  An undead creature that wears this necklace has advantage on saving throws against effects that would turn undead or cause it to become charmed or frightened.

Vile Claw, Lesser

Wondrous item, uncommon A Vile Claw is a shriveled ghoul or ghast hand with blackened nails. Using an action, you can force a creature within 90 ft. to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes paralyzed for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature is only paralyzed until the start of your next turn. Each time the claw is used, one of its five fingers clenches closed. Once all five fingers have closed, the Vile Claw loses its magic.

Vile Claw, Greater

Wondrous item, very rare A Vile Claw is a shriveled hand of a powerful undead such as a mummy lord, lich, or vampire. Using an action, you can cast Finger of Death (spell save DC 15). Each time the claw is used, one of its five fingers clenches closed. Once all five fingers have closed, the Vile Claw loses its magic.

Wand of Torture

Wand, very rare  This wand is a serpentine coil of blood vessels that have been magically preserved. It’s point drips a drop of blood every few minutes. The wand has 3 charges that replenish each night at midnight. While wielding the wand, you can use your action and spend a charge to force a living creature you can see within 90 feet to make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes incapacitated as they reel in pain. You can use your action each turn thereafter and maintain concentration (as if concentrating on a spell) to continue the effect.

Withered Heads of Command

New Necromantic Magic Items!

Stuff to help your undead army, to help ease your command and control of undead, stuff to cast more necromancy spells with badass wondrous items.

Here’s a link to the Homebrewery page:

Other commissions💗 ✨

Bust: 35 usd

Half Body: 45 usd

Full Body: 55 usd

+50% extra character

This technicolor pop-star is somehow both over-the-top and highly distinguished. They always put on a dazzling show for their devoted audience.

Live in the

mollusk

hello everyone!!! if you are not following you may not know, but recently i left my parents house for good! i have two jobs now, but materials for college and groceries are rather expensive and i will not be getting my first paychecks for about a month. i would greatly appreciate if anyone could commission me, but if not that is alright too!! reblogs and boosts are still greatly appreciated! ♥︎