Spes Magna Games

Merry Christmas!

Over at DriveThruRPG, you can find Santa’s Holiday Bag of PDFs. This bundle includes ten PDFs for 5E D&D that are full of monsters, magic items, character options, maps, and more. The normal cost for all ten PDFs together is almost four bits over $14, but Santa has slashed prices by about 50%, making the bundle’s cost $7. Appropriately, the bundle remains available through all twelve days of Christmas.

And here’s a new magic item!

The Golden Crozier
Staff, very rare (requires attunement by a cleric)

This powerful magic item functions just like a staff of the python, and it has further powers as well.

The crozier has 10 charges for the following properties. It regains 1d6+4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the crozier thereafter functions only as a staff of the python.

Magic Weapon. You can use an action to expend 1 charge, which lets you wield the crozier as a magic quarterstaff that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls. This effect lasts for 1 minute.

Spells. You can use an action to expend 1 or more of the crozier’s charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC: aid (2 charges), control water (4 charges), create food and water (3 charges), create or destroy water (1 charge), dispel evil and good (5 charges), guiding bolt (1 charge), hold person (2 charges), and magic circle (3 charges).

With aid, create or destroy water, guiding bolt, hold person, and magic circle, you can expend more than the requires number of charges. Each additional charge expended for one of those spells count as if you had cast the spell using a higher spell slot.

Tags: 5E D&D, Christmas, magic items

New magic items ought to appear in 5E D&D games. (Well, really, in any version of D&D, not just 5E.) Part of taking the game-as-written and making it my own involves changing, deleting, and adding things that fit my vision of the campaign world I’m sharing the other players. I’ve offered on this site several examples of new monsters, magic items, and spells for different fantasy games. More often than not, some game, movie, book, or picture has inspired these new monsters, magic items, and spells.

Today is no exception. I present below a few magic items for 5E D&D inspired by the 2001 edition of Kenzer and Company’s HackMaster GameMaster’s Guide (HMGMG hereafter). HackMaster is one of many systems which own at least one book for but which I’ve never played. The HMGMG has impressive density. It’s more than 350 pages of two-column rules, commentary, and advice set forth in a too small font. Seriously. The font aspires but fails to reach 10-point.

But I digress, and now move on with 5E D&D versions of my some my favorite HMGMG magic items.

Belt of Diminished Size
Wondrous item, uncommon

While wearing this belt, you may speak the command word and use an action to cast reduce on yourself. For 1 minute, your size is halved in all dimensions, and your weight is reduced to one-eighth of normal. This reduction decreases your size by one category — from Medium to Small, for example. Until the spell ends, you also have disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws. Your weapons also shrink to match your new size. While these weapons are reduced, your attacks with them deal 1d4 less damage (this can’t reduce the damage below 1). You can end the effect early by speaking the command word and using an action.

Boots of High Kicking
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

While you wear these boots, you can use a bonus action to kick a target as an unarmed attack. You gain a +1 bonus on the attack roll, and your kick inflicts 1d4 + Strength modifier points of bludgeoning damage. You also make Charisma (Performance) checks related to dance with advantage.

Longbow of Strumming
Weapon (longbow), rare (requires attunement by an elf, half-elf, or bard)

This elegant longbow has six strings instead of one, resembling a cross between a musical instrument and a weapon of war. While unattuned to the bow, you have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with this magic weapon. When attuned, you can call upon the full powers of the bow. As an action, you can strum one of three chords on the longbow. The effects of the chord last until the end of your next turn.

First Chord. The first chord grants you advantage with the attack you make with the longbow after strumming the chord. Your nonmagical arrows inflicts +3 additional points of piercing damage instead of +1 additional point of piercing damage.

Second Chord. The second chord causes any nonmagical arrow you fire with the longbow to transform into a fiery missile. The arrow inflicts fire damage rather than piercing damage.

Third Chord. The third chord causes any nonmagical arrow you to fire with the longbow to change course in flight as it races to its target. Your target does not get a bonus to AC from half cover or three-quarters cover. Full cover has its normal effects.

Nose Ring of Viscid Globs
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This nose ring has 3 charges, and it regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. While wearing the ring, you can use an action to expend 1 of the nose ring’s charges to attack one creature you can see with 60 feet of you. This causes you to expel “a vast quantity of sticky mucus” (HMGMG 230) at your target. The creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes poisoned and restrained for 1 minute. A creature caught in the mucus can use its action to make a DC 15 Strength or Dexterity check (its choice). On a success, it frees itself, ending both conditions.

Potion of Gnome Gibberish
Potion, uncommon

After drinking this potion, you can speak, read, and write Gnomish for 10 minutes.

Curse. After drinking this potion, you must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you can speak, read, and write only Gnomish, but your spoken and written words are jumbled to the point of incomprehensibility. This effect lasts for 10 minutes or until you are targeted by the remove curse spell.

Tags: 5E D&D, magic items

A hodgepodge sort of post today as I wind down my first work week of remote teaching and prepare for the first Saturday d20 Modern game GMed via some sort of videoconferencing thing. First up, two items for 5E D&D.

Cnagaire’s Thunderous Transposition
3rd-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You and another creature teleport, switching spaces. You appear in the creature’s previous space. The creature arrives in your previous space with a thunderous explosion. Choose a creature within 60 feet that you can see. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails the saving throw, you and the creature both teleport, switching spaces. When the creature appears, a wave of thunderous force sweeps out from it in a 15-foot cube originating from the creature. Each creature in the cube, including the creature that teleported must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d8 thunder damage. Creatures that fail the save other than your original target are also pushed 10 feet away from the teleported creature. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t pushed.

In addition, unsecured objects that are completely within the area of effect are automatically pushed 10 feet away from the center of the effect, and the spell emits a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd.

Cnagaire’s Knocker
Wondrous item, rare (attunement required by a sorcerer, warlock, or wizard)

This somewhat grotesque brass door knocker weighs 1 pound. It has 10 charges and regains 1d6+4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the knocker corrodes into powder. With a command word as a bonus action, you can affix the knocker to a door or wall. You can then use an action to knock on the door or wall for one of the following effects.

Door Effects. You cast one of the following spells: unseen servant (1 charge), knock (2 charges), or conjure minor elementals (4 charges).

Wall Effects. You cast one of the following spells: clairvoyance (3 charges), stone shape (4 charges), or passwall (5 charges).

And now that tiny review mentioned in the post title.

This week, I got my print-on-demand copy of Alan Bahr’s Tiny Supers, published by Gallant Knight Games. (Nota Bene: That’s an affiliate link in the previous sentence.) It’s a lovely book. The cover features a quartet of brave heroes unconcerned that they’re surrounded by an army of robots. The first 15 or so pages cover the rules of play. The next 23 or so pages describe how create a hero (or villain), including descriptions of powers (called Power Traits) and traits (called Traits). Character creation starts by selecting an archetype (such as Defender or Gadgeteer). The player then customizes the archetype. It is all very rules-light, which fits the TinyD6 way of doing things. Pages 44-260 of Tiny Supers describe and explain various settings, including stats for several heroes and villains (although, in my opinion, not enough stats for the latter).

I’ve read the sections on game play and character creation, and skimmed the settings material, pausing to read a page or two here and there. Regarding the game play section, I think too much of it is cribbed from Tiny Dungeon, pretty much word for word. This is all perfectly legal, of course. Alan Bahr wrote Tiny Dungeon; it’s his to use and re-use. Still, I found the explanations a bit jarring at time.

For example, the rules for Obstacles in Tiny Supers mention “bartering with shopkeepers”. That’s something that comes up a lot in fantasy games (such as Tiny Dungeons), but, in my experience, that sort of thing never really comes up in a superhero game. I got this same disconnect in the sections that talk about weapons and magic, the latter even talking about how “Spell Readers may find magic scrolls out on their adventures”. Again, this makes all sorts of sense in a fantasy setting, but, in all my years of playing all sorts of superhero games, finding magic scrolls (or treasure of any sort) rarely if ever comes up.

Now, to be fair, this is a minor complaint. What I perceive as a disconnect between what’s described and the genre of the game doesn’t take away (or add to) the playability of the game. It just sort of niggles at me a bit.

So, with all that out of the way, here’s the amazing Shaolin Beaver for Tiny Supers.

Shaolin Beaver
Real Name: Edward
Belief: “I wander the land, doing good.”
Weakness: “I must find my people.”

Archetype: Expert
Archetype Trait: Mastery. You may not select more than 1 Power. You must trade out the rest of your Powers for Traits from the Trait list. However, you gain 2 additional Traits.
Stress: 6

Powers: Super Movement – Swimming (Tier 1). You do not have to Test to swim (treat it like normal movement).
Traits: Acrobat, Brawler, Cleave, Detective, Insightful, Martial Artist

Mastered Weapons (3d6): Tail Slap
Proficient Weapons (2d6): Unarmed

Tags: 5E D&D, magic items, spells, superhero games, Tiny Supers

Matt Jackson posts CoronaCon! Maps faster than I can react. Five such maps now grace the interwebz. Out of the three new ones, I’m especially digging Map 4. Click on over and check them out.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha. (1 Samuel 16:13)

Horn of the Hero
Wondrous item, uncommon

This decorated animal’s horn is sealed at its base and has a stopper inserted into its tip. The horn contains oil made from myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, olive oil, and sweet flag, an aromatic flowering plant. The horn and its contents weigh 1 pound.

As an action, one dose of the oil can be poured over the head of a creature, which is then imbued with bravery. For 1 minute, the creature is immune to fear. Furthermore, the creature gains 5 temporary hit points at the start of each of its turns. When the effects of the oil wear off, the target loses any remaining temporary hit points from this item.

The horn hold enough oil to anoint three creatures. It refills with oil daily at dawn, but never holds more than three doses of oil.

Tags: 5E D&D, Catholic, magic items

I’ve not gotten much writing done in the past several weeks. No good reasons why. I did start outlining Commandos & Cultists, a mash-up of The Cthulhu Hack and WWII: Operation WhiteBox. As I’ve written once before, the heroes in ComCul fight against the Thule Society, an occult society that directs much of Nazi Germany’s occult activities, operating through the Heereswaffenamt (HWA) (with its Wissenschaft (HWW) and Okkulte (HWO) divisions) as well as the Ahnenerbe, a Nazi-backed archaeological and occult organization. (Nota Bene: These groups come from the “Mini-Setting: Nazi Occult” section of WWII: Operation WhiteBox.)

The real Thule Society was founded in the early 20th century. It was a bizarre mixture of neopaganism, anti-Semitism, eugenics, pan-nationalism, and occultism. Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel, strove mightily to make his devotion to the racialist occultism of the Thule Society into a sort of state religion for the Reich, envisioning Thule Society beliefs replacing other religions, especially Christianity, which Himmler loathed. An important part of Thule-inspired doctrines involved discovering the undiluted blood of Aryan descendants. Those with pure Aryan blood were destined to rule. Others were fit to serve, except for the lowest of the Untermensch, which had to be exterminated.

To assist with the racial classification and establishment of the race-based caste system, Munich-based Lehmann Publishers, a publisher of eugenics materials, manufactured the Augenfarben-Tafel shown in the picture. The glass eyes show 20 different eye colors used by proponents of Nazi racial ideology to help better classify individuals based on their suitability for various state-granted privileges, such as those related to marriage and children.

A small number of Augenfarben-Tafel possess magical properties. Various high-ranking Nazi officials, especially those assigned to the HWA, own magical Augenfarben-Tafel. A person carrying a magical Augenfarben-Tafel is surprised 1 in 6 times and suffers only a -2 penalty to hit invisible foes. The carrier also enjoys a +1 bonus on saving throws against being blinded. Fully 75% of magical Augenfarben-Tafel enable the user to cast Darkvision (50%), Wizard Eye (25%), or both (25%). Spells cast via a magical Augenfarben-Tafel can be used once per day.

Tags: magic items, The Black Hack, The Cthulhu Hack, WWII: OWB