D&D 5E 5th Edition and Cormyr: Flexing My Idea Muscle and Thinking Out Loud

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Bringing Life to the Faiths of the Realms

So there's this topic that's run 17 pages the last time I looked. It's called Wanting players to take in-game religion more seriously.

In my experience at the gaming table this is a worthy goal for a Realms DM to have, regardless of a particular group's level of interest in things divine.

How to do it? Let's crack open Elminster's Forgotten Realms and pair it with my own gaming experience, and see what comes to mind.

1. The deities of the Realms are many and varied, but you only ever need a handful to bring the concept of divine influence and faith-driven actions into a campaign. What's good about places like Cormyr is that you have the basic set of neutral, good and lawful deities that are openly worshiped, as well as a few evil deities that are worshiped as well (yes, some evil deities are tolerated in Cormyr). This design tenant is far older than 5th Edition D&D, but it follows what I consider to be the very best core concept of 5th Edition: Keep It Simple.

2. In other words, don't throw all the deities of the Realms at your players at once. Stick to one region for a few adventures and let the players see for themselves over time what the followers of the gods are up to.

3. It's good to remember that the numerous churches in the Realms all have secular goals. They don't just follow some divine creed and call it a day. Followers of Beshaba don't work misfortunes on others because the Maid of Misfortune commands it, for example. They do it to enrich themselves and their temples through schemes to start wars and topple thrones, and in so doing find wealth unguarded that can be seized.

4. What I like to do is include encounters between regular adventures that put the PCs in the middle of someone else's conflict. The followers of Beshaba are good at getting two individuals or groups to be at each other's throats--especially the local populace against law enforcement, the local militia, whatever/whoever is in charge--so here's one avenue for a DM to change up downtime or at least show the players that the time between adventures isn't always one of peaceful rest and recuperation.

5. Another form of divine conflict that PCs can witness (and so become embroiled in) is inter-faith conflict. Here's something that is not limited to evil deities, since all faiths suffer from it. Followers of the church of Deneir are just as good as the Zhentarim at blackmailing, and they engage in it regularly. And since we're talking about Deneir we know the deity's follower's have a huge store of written information (read: secrets) to draw on.

6. But not all followers of the Lord of All Glyphs do this, or believe it's right to do it. Where disagreements arise and stay unresolved, conflict ensues. A DM can easily have an important Glyphscribe of Deneir hire the PCs to steal records from a fellow Glyphscribe who plans to blackmail someone important in Cormyr--perhaps a highly placed courtier.

7. The creeds of the deities change over time, but you're almost certain to find at least one admonishment for the faithful to travel once a year, or otherwise get out and about in the world to work deeds in line with the faith.

8. For the faithful of Deneir this means getting out in the world three months out of the year to hunt for lost records. This is a serious business--deadly serious, when the faithful plumb the depths of old tombs or search for the graves of dead mages who felt the need to be buried with all their tomes.

9. Cue up the player characters, who may have among them a follower of Deneir, or may be in between adventurers and ready to be hired by the church to assist in records recovery somewhere dangerous.

10. Dangerous may include places where records were hidden away on purpose, as well as records whose owners don't wish to share them with anyone. This last could include everyone from Kings to paupers.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Spell Baldrics; Magic Item Ideas

A new job working swing shift means I spend my favorite time of the day for writing by driving a company vehicle in the night, so I am glad to have a chance to get back to this thread on my day off.

Updates will come once a week at most.

Your patience Dear Reader is, as always, appreciated.

Let's start with another post I recovered after the database crash here at EN World.

********

My imagination hit me with a few more spell ideas involving Spell Mantles and Spell Baldrics. (I thought Spell Mantle was one word, but it's two words.)

So, let's take a pause on building an adventure within the Sundered Tomb so I can get these ideas down while they are relatively fresh in my head.

Here we go!

1. The difference between Mantles and Baldrics is that Mantles are primarily defensive in nature, while Baldrics are offensive. This makes sense, since a baldric is a belt for a sword, while a mantle is like a cloak or covering.

2. The similarity between the two is that both were multi-school spells. For example, Spell Mantle as written under 2nd Edition AD&D (in the Realms sourcebook "Secrets of the Magister", page 93) was a Wizard spell at 6th level of Abjuration, Alteration (a school not in 5E) and Evocation spell.

3. Let's write out a simple Baldric spell and see how it looks.

Basic Spell Baldric
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (one fresh drop of blood each time you cast a spell into the Baldric)
Duration: 24 hours

When you cast this spell, an invisible and incorporeal field of magical energy settles over your shoulders. Immediately after you cast this spell, and at any time within the spell's duration, you may cast a 1st level spell into the Baldric (regardless of the chosen spell's actual range). Any time thereafter, you may spend an action to cast a spell stored in the Baldric as an act of will. This requires only that you be conscious. You need not meet any of the other requirements to cast the spell, such as making Somatic gestures, using additional Material Components, etc.
This Baldric readily accepts any spell you cast, and only spells that you cast. Therefore, you may cast spells into the Baldric from magic items, such as a wand or staff. A Baldric may not be stored in another Baldric. Any time the Baldric is emptied of spells, the spell ends. If you complete a long rest and prepare spells before the duration is complete, this spell ends.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a 2nd level spell slot, then you may store up to two levels worth of spells in the Baldric (i.e., one 2nd level spell or two 1st level spells). A 3rd level spell slot allows for three levels worth of spells, and so on to 9th level. Subtract available spell levels from the Baldric each time you cast a spell into it.

...OK, that seems pretty reasonable. I think it's OK to make this a 1st level spell to start. I'm no expert at min-maxing, so if you see something that's crazy overpowered about this spell, please let me know.


3. How about a more advanced Baldric? Something that you can keep around for longer than 24 hours, but at a price...

Blood Baldric
3rd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a vial of the caster's blood)
Duration: 24 hours + special

This spell functions exactly as the 1st level spell Basic Spell Baldric, with the following exceptions:LIST]
[*]This spell stores a minimum of three levels of spells.
[*]After 24 hours, or after a long rest and immediately before you prepare spells, you may chose to reinforce the Baldric by paying a number of hit points equal to the number of spell levels stored in the Baldric.
[*]Only you may pay the hit point cost. You may not benefit from any effect that prevents damage while you pay the hit point cost. You must pay the entire cost; either the Baldric is reinforced or it is not.
[*]If you choose to reinforce the Baldric and you pay the hit point cost, the Baldric's duration is extended another 24 hours.
[*]Any time the Baldric is subjected to a spell or effect that would destroy it--such as the effect of a Dispell Magic or similar--you may pay a number of hit points equal to the number of spell levels currently stored in the Baldric to reinforce it. If you do so, the Baldric is not destroyed. [/LIST]

...5th Edition is generous with healing, so I might consider increasing the hit point cost.


5. A player could theoretically cast multiples of these two Baldric spells. I don't see a problem with that at low levels, though I suppose a wizard could turn herself into a spell machine gun at higher levels. There might be room here to add another element to the spell such as paying hit points to put spells back into the Baldric. Or to create another version that lets you unleash two spells at once (or even three). Hrm...let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

6. Let's get down to even more of a basic spell mantle (as in more basic then the versions I wrote up HERE).

Let's not even call it a mantle. Instead, we'll call it a spell shield.

Simple Spell Shield
1st-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (1 solid rock per spell placed into the spell shield)
Duration: 24 hours

When you cast this spell, a disc of silver radiance materialize in front of you, and then disappears from view. Immediately after you cast this spell, and at any time within the spell's duration, you may cast a 1st level spell into the Shield (regardless of the chosen spell's actual range). You are unaffected by that spell for the duration of the Shield. You are no longer protected if the Shield is dispelled, or if you choose to dismiss your shield. You may dismiss your shield as a bonus action, or by casting any spell that was previously cast into the shield. The Shield accepts spells that you cast from magic items, and may be dismissed by spells you cast from magic items in the manner just described.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a 2nd level spell slot, then you may cast up to two levels worth of spells into the Shield (i.e., one 2nd level spell or two 1st level spells). A 3rd level spell slot allows for three levels worth of spells, and so on to 9th level. Subtract available spell levels from the Shield each time you cast a spell into it.


7. I figure a ritual version of Simple Spell Shield might allow for other casters to place spells into the Shield, but only during the ritual casting activity. I know that ritual casting doesn't allow for the modification of spells--it only prevents the use of a spell slot while also limiting the spell to its lowest level version. Hrm...Ritual Casting should be different or made better. Maybe that's an Arcane Tradition in its own right (and so a Topic For Another Day).

8. So for now you're going to have to come up with a unique spell that allows others to add spells to the shield.

Thus:

Cooperative Spell Shield
3rd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (1 gemstone worth at least 10 gp per spell placed into the spell shield)
Duration: 24 hours

This spell functions exactly as the 1st level spell Basic Spell Shield, with the following exceptions:

• Because this spell is 3rd level, you may cast up to three levels of spells into the shield.
• Any creature may cast a spell into your Shield. For your Shield to accept the spell, you must Ready an action to accept the spell while holding a gemstone of the proper value, and the creature must announce it is casting a spell into your Shield.

9. That's pretty straightforward. I don't think it's a good idea to add any ability to extend this spell beyond 24 hours. Being immune to a spell is pretty powerful.

10. How about a magic item? OK then, borrowing from the concept of Wandlace (as introduced in post #18 in this here thread)...

Wandlace Bracers
Wondrous item, uncommon
These bracers of intricate lace over leather may accept up to two spells of 3rd level or lower cast into them. You may accept a spell into one of your Bracers by casting a spell into them yourself, of by readying an action to accept a spell cast by another creature. In the later case, the creature must announce it is casting a spell of the appropriate level into your Bracers after you ready your action. Any time you are the target of a spell stored in your Bracers, or are in the area of effect of a spell stored in your Bracers, that spell has no effect on you (though it may affect other targets and anything in its area normally) and your Bracers lose the spell that was just prevented. Any time a spell stored in the Bracers is cast into the Bracers a second time, that spell is prevented as though it was dispelled, and the stored spell in the Bracers is lost.


...and I'm spent.

Some good candidates here for my sourcebook. Two months until the next update. Good night, Dear Reader.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

A Wand-Wielding Class? Maybe A Precursor To A True Bladesinger?

Firstly, a slice of the finished map that I had commissioned for my Cormyr sourcebook, along with a hex overlay. The map covers a good portion of the King's Forest, and includes Suzail to the south and Eveningstar to the north.

Hexes are 6 miles. Border bars are in 15 mile increments. Letter and number coordinates on the map borders allow for the identification of individual hexes on the map. Feel free to use this slice of the map for your campaign.



Aint she a beauty?

Now, to the work of generating ideas:

1. All of the material you've come up with in this thread having to do with magical wands and Wandlace seems like it could be borrowed for the creation of a new Class, or better an archetype.

2. Are there archetypes open to multiclassed characters? That is, archetypes that you can only select if your character is multiclassed? Bah, I'm getting ahead of myself by thinking about a Bladesinger archetype. Focus on a wand-wielder instead.

3. So, all of the magic items you've come up with having to do with wands, and some of the spells, could inform an Archetype for Wizards: an arcane spellcaster who focuses not on a school of magic, but on one category of magic items (wands) with the intent of maximizing their skill at using the item while also casting spells, and shaping their use of magic around the item and what it commonly does.

4. I suppose a bladesinger would be similar, except they focus on a weapon over a magic item (swords, though magical swords work great too). This would be the more difficult path, since the sword isn't itself magical to begin with. Oops, there I go again. Must focus on wand-wielders.

5. Looking at the Arcane Traditions (PHB 115-119) I don't see any drawbacks to selecting a tradition. I'd assumed there would be, in the form of negatives associated with whichever schools of magic you didn't select or with schools that might be diametrically opposed to your chosen school.

6. So a Wand Master (let's call it that for now) would generally gain benefits associated with using Wands, and these would have to be dolled out at the same level as the features found in the Arcane Traditions; 2nd level, 6th level, 10th level and 14th level.

7. I figure the 2nd level feature would grant the Wand Master to make somatic gestures while wielding any wand.

8. Other potential features might include:
Maximized charges at sunrise: Any wand you are attuned to gains back the maximum number of charges each day.

• Quick attunement: as the Harmonious minor magic item property, but only for wands.
• 4th attunement: You may attune to a fourth magic item, but only if it is a wand.
• Wand Bond: As the Eldritch Knight's Weapon Bond, but for a specific wand.
• Twin Spells: Once per day when you cast a spell from a wand, you may cast the spell a second time from the wand without using any additional charges.
• Art of the Duel: Some sort of spell parrying ability.

9. The last line on that list has me wondering if the concept of superiority dice ala the Fighter's Battle Master Archetype couldn't be added to a Wand Master. Or heck, wizards in general.

10. For example, if the Wand Master selects the equivalent of Disarming Attack, she can spend a superiority dice anytime she casts a spell with a wand that does damage. Target must make a Strength save or drops an object.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Wizard Archetypes Focusing on Wands

First off, thank you very much to the person that purchased a copy of my Cormyr sourcebook yesterday.

Because of you I worked hard to publish the first ever update to the sourcebook. The update includes the new sub-map of Cormyr, which you will receive for free when you download the updated sourcebook file.

Thanks again!

********

Let's steal a little bit from the Eldritch Knight and the Battle Master, and give these Features to a dual wand wielding wizard. (Say that last part three times fast).

1. Imagine a wizard absent any armor standing in an alley, who is surrounded by a trio of mercenaries intending to chop her to pieces. The narrow walls force the mercenaries to rush her one at a time, and they come at her from both directions.

2. The wizard has the ability to conjure forth a wand in each hand at will. This she does in an instant as a bonus action.

3. The ritual bond she's formed with each of her wands allows for her to produce Somatic gestures while holding a wand. The bond also links her spellcasting through her wands to any Material components she has on her person.

4. Thanks to her special training, anytime her damaging spells strike home while she wields a bonded wand she has the option to perform combat Maneuvers like a Battlemaster. The results she gets are not unlike the wizarding duels in various of the Harry Potter movies (don't cringe; use your imagination).

5. She wins initiative, unleashes one Magic Missile at each mercenary from her bonded wands, and adds one of her four superiority dice (d6s, not d8s) to the damage as she attempts to make one of the mercenaries fall prone with a Trip Attack. The mercenary falls to the ground thanks to a missile to the knee.

6. On the mercenary's turn, the second mercenary is fleet of foot and jumps over his fallen comrade with a lunging attack that is sure to skewer the wizard. She turns the attack aside with one of her bonded wands--in particular the dagger-like field of force that appears over her wand as she bats the mercenary's stabbing sword to the side via a Parry maneuver that costs her Reaction and one superiority die. Behind him, the fallen over mercenary stands up.

7. The wizard can perform Maneuvers with her bonded wands without casting spells through them, provided a foe is within her reach. Her bonded wands count as daggers when she wields them.

8. The third mercenary is to the wizard's back. He makes his attack by trying to disarm the wizard of one of her bonded wands. His strike fails, as the wizard can't be disarmed of any bonded wand she wields.

9. The wizard pays her attackers back in blood by stabbing the third mercenary through the eye with her bonded wand. She spends a superiority die to perform a Sweeping Attack, and the same arms-out-and-whirling attack that felled merc #3 mercenary works just as well on merc #2, and down he goes in howling agony thanks to a bonded wand pushed through one ear and out the other.

11. The wizard has one superiority die left. The now-standing mercenary opts not to flee for his life, but to attack. Unfortunately for him he misses, and so the wizard spends that last die on a Riposte maneuver that sees her stab him in the armpit. Down he goes.

She thinks about how well the fight went. She knows that as she gets more powerful, her bonded wands will be able to produce sword-like fields of force, and not just daggers. Or she may chose one sword and one shield. What choice will she make? Time will tell.

She realizes that for now she must choose her battles wisely, and use the terrain and her spells to limit the flow of enemies towards her because she can't wear armor.

So...that's a basic idea for a Wizard path that emulates the Fighter, Battlemaster and Eldritch Knight, with a little Harry Potter inspiration thrown into the mix.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Dreaming Up Magic Item Ideas. Working On The Wand Mage Archetype

1. Bag of Sharing
Concept:
A wondrous item, probably of uncommon rarity, that consists of a pair of bags that are magically linked to the same extradimensional space. When one bag is open, the other remains closed. Anyone can reach in the bag to deposit something into it, and then the owner of either bag may open their bag (when the other is closed) to access the object. Storage would be small. When either bag is on a different Plane, neither bag can access the extradimensional space, and both appear as mundane leather bags.

2. Background for the Bag of Sharing
Something to do with powerful spellcasters or creatures either modifying regular bags of holding, or creating these bags in trios and disseminating them to places where adventurers and the curious can find them. The idea being that the mysterious creature holds one of the linked bags, and can steal items from the other bags or deposit items into them for the adventurer to discover, like a Ring of Recall (see below). More mundane uses would be for spies or agents of some group or another who need to sneak in magical objects, or that need to steal small things and make them disappear right away so as not to get caught (an ally with the other bag would open it to take the stolen object out, presumably).

3. Ring of Recall
Concept:
A pair of rings that can be worn or attached to objects of medium size or smaller. One ring is the Primary ring, the other (or all the others) is a secondary ring. Whenever the owner of the Primary ring wills it, she can recall the wearer of the secondary ring/any object attached to the second ring or that the ring is placed inside of (like a treasure chest). This occurs via teleportation.

4. Background lore for the Ring of Recall
Used by powerful kings and queens to summon guards at a moment's notice. Used by thieves or the heads of evil cabals of merchants to steal cargo, or to force anyone shipping their cargo to pay for what they "lost". Shared between loved ones or given to children to wear on necklaces. Used by nefarious bad guys and hungry dragons to summon unwary adventurers who put the rings on. Thieves drop the rings into the coin-filled pouches worn by their marks, then teleport the pouch to themselves when the time is right.

5. Could the Wand Mage archetype have the ability to trade spell slots for Superiority Dice?

6. Figure the Wand Mage starts with two superiority dice, and these are d4s.

7. They can have up to five superiority dice at any one time. To gain more dice, the Wand Mage (Combat Mage?) must cast spells into her bonded wand.

8. 2nd for a d4 superiority die, 3rd for a d6, 4th for a d8, 5th for a d10, 6th for a d12.

9. I figure 1st levels spells could grant a d2, and 7th through 9th only grant a d12.

10. The bonded wand would store the spell energy, and anytime the Combat Mage performs a combat maneuver (either as a spell or as a physical maneuver, see the post above this one) she expends energy from the wand in the form of a superiority dice.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

For D&D, How Many Magic Item Slots Are Required To Make A "Set" ala World of Warcraft? And What Are The Benefits?

Hey you.

Yeah you, the one with the big brain.

If you haven't reached out to Morrus in a while, then please stop reading this post and take a second to send him a private message saying thanks for all he does.

Without him (as well as the efforts of the team he's put together) I wouldn't be able to speak inside your brain right now, and I kind of like it here.

Don't worry, I'll wait.

********

1. Let's say there are magic items that grant one daily use of any one of the maneuvers listed for the Battlemaster on page 74 of the Player's Handbook.

2. The item would magically carry one superiority die (a d8) that you can use when you activate the item as part of taking your attack action, or whenever spending the die is called for. You get the die back the next day, at dawn.

2. All of these particular items require attunement, and one of the quirks of these items is that if you are attuned to any other item in the set, then attuning to a second item does not use up one of your attunement slots. In effect, you are attuned to the set.

3. Oops, "quirk" isn't a good word to use. What you should write is Minor Property. Keep it simple by giving it a simple name: Set Attunement.

4. Now if you're already a Battlemaster when you acquire one of these bad boys, the superiority die granted by the magic item is the same as your regular superiority dice. So if you're a badass mothertrucker 15th level Fighter (Battlemaster), that's a d10 you're working with for all of your set items.

EDIT (just had an idea): 4.5. If you acquire and equip at least four items in a set, then all of the superiority dice that come from your set items recharge at the same rate as your regular superiority dice, so after a short or long rest.

5. If you manage to acquire and equip the entire set, then all of your superiority dice--whether from your items or from your Archetype--are jacked up one notch. Therefore, if you equip the whole set at, say, 17th level, your superiority dice are d12s and not d10s. When you level up to 18th, they become d20s!

BOOM goes the hammer/sword/whatever it is you're wielding!

6. Looking for all the pieces would be like hunting for the Paladin's Holy Sword, but WoW style, and so presumably a lot more fun, and without all of the stupid moral conundrums that make Holy Avenger hunting such a drag.

7. You'll need to dig deep and produce good Realmslore if you make this idea part of your Cormyr sourcebook. Maybe Baron Thomdor had a set. Or Duke Bhereu. Or one of the dead noble lords of Esparin (see this post) had some pieces, and now it's inside a Metal Keeper (see this post).

8. There are what, 9 or 10 places where magic items can be worn on the body before things start to overlap? That is, maximum number of items worn without invoking your DM's soul-withering stink eye. And there are 16 maneuvers for the Battlemaster.

9. So maybe you can build two sets of 8 magic items, and each set is built around a theme that all of the maneuvers in the items fit with.

10. No...here's what you do: create 2 new maneuvers for the Battlemaster (so 18 maneuvers available to choose from) and make the actual maneuvers Cormyr-themed in some way--like a Purple Dragon-inspired maneuver that lets you aid another PC's Grapple or Shove: They are considered one size category larger for purposes of adjudicating the results per PHB 195--and then create 3 sets of 6 items each.

Perfect.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

What Is The Aftermath When A Deity Is Split In Two?

For all the deity drama in the Forgotten Realms (of which there has been far, faaaaaaaar too much of, in my not so humble opinion), and given the fact that I like to think I know a thing or two about the Realms as a published setting, you'd think I'd have a better handle on figuring out the aftermath of a deity splitting in two.

Which is to say, before there were Tymora and Beshaba (aka Our Smiling Lady and the Maiden of Misfortune), there was only Tyche.

Now if you ask anyone to explain why Tyche split in two, you're likely to get some blather about the Dawn Cataclysm and bad things happening on the outer planes by way of reply--none of which I give a hoot about and neither should you, Dear Reader.

They might direct you to the AD&D sourcebook Faiths & Avatars, page 44, which is only slightly more helpful, but still not sufficient. For example, there's the bit about the twin deities battling in a civil war that "lasts to this day," but that's basically one factoid entirely devoid of specifics on a struggle that's apparently been raging for several centuries, if not a millennium or more, and then there's the chance you might get drawn into an unending argument about when, exactly, the Dawn Cataclysm happened, since Tyche existed before it but not after it.

And that's a dark alleyway you should avoid at all costs Dear Reader, because its populated by Realms Grognards who lurk in the shadows, just waiting for the chance to lure some unsuspecting and innocent Realms fan who just wants to know when the Dawn Cataclysm happened. The grognards will jump you, each grabbing an arm and to hold you in place while they start arguing back and forth incessantly, there mouths right up against your ears like Steven Tyler of Aerosmith slobbering on his microphone while he shouts "Dream On!" over and over and over, until your head explodes.

So let's keep your head in one peace Dear Reader and consider the question from the mortal point of view, i.e., what happened in **the Realms** when Tyche split in two.

If the twin deities really were at each other's throats upon their birth, does it follow that the temples turned into scenes of slaughter as one priest battled another? Did the wiser, more controlled priests spend temple funds to hire mercenaries, call upon the faithful, and enact a holy war against other temples? Could both deities speak in the minds of fallen Tyche's followers at the same time? Did the deities lure, cajole, or threaten in their faithful's dreams?

And when the poo hit the fan, what did mortal rulers do about it? After all, modern day Cormyr hosts no less than three temples to Tymora--and powerful temples at that. Were these all former temples to Tyche? Was there a covert war among the faithful of Beshaba and Tymora to control these temples? Did Cormyr's rulers have to arrest temple priests and followers? Did they have a hand in the outcomes of any struggles for power in the temples? What about holy relics and artifacts? Who controls them now? Are there battles for control of them? Does either deity wish to subsume the other? Or to destroy the other outright?

Volo's Guide to Cormyr doesn't even list any ruins for Tyche. The only Tyche ruin I've ever come across in Cormyr was in the adventure "The Door to Everywhere" in Dungeon #88 by Roger E. Moore.

Nowadays things seem pretty tame in the Realms when it comes to Tymora and Tyche, but I am not one to believe it's always been this way. I prefer a little strife and struggle between followers of opposing faiths, especially when those faiths are so intertwined as these two are, and I think that strife continues, mostly behind the scenes, to this day.

Not so much ideas tonight, as questions, but that's OK. Ask a good question, get a good answer.

Until next time, Dear Reader, good night.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Magic Item Sets For the Battlemaster: Adding Two Maneuvers; Dividing Up Maneuvers Into Three Groups

First off, lets create two new Battlemaster Maneuvers so we can bring the total to 18 maneuvers available.

1. Limb-Lock Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to forgo rolling damage and instead attempt to grapple the creature with your weapon. Add the superiority die to your attack roll. The result is used in place of your Strength (Athletics) check. While the creature is grappled, you use your Attack Roll in place of a Strength (Athletics) check for all contested rolls involving the grapple.

2. Harrying Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one superiority die to harry your opponent. You add the superiority die to the damage roll. Until the start of your next turn, your opponent is considered to be one size category smaller for the purpose of adjudicating grapples, shoves, or any attack that takes size into consideration that is made by you or your allies. If your opponent is grappled before the start of your next turn, then it is considered to be one size category smaller for all contested rolls to escape the grapple as long as your opponent is within your reach.


And before I forget, here are three important rules for Item Sets:

3. 1) When you equip four items from a set, you may unlock a partial set power. In order to use this power, you must attune to it. This uses one attunement slot.

4. 2) When you equip all six items from a set, you may unlock a full set power. In order to unlock this power, you must attune to it. This uses one attunement slot.

5. 3) Minor Property: Set Exclusion. Whenever a partial or full set power is unlocked, the items in the set all gain this new property. This property causes any item worn or carried by you that belongs to a different magic item set to become dormant and inactive. Such items are considered to have no magical properties while you benefit from another set's partial or full set powers.

This way a character wanting to gain all the benefits from a set must use up all three of her attunement slots, and so the character is only attuned to the full set of items and can't be attuned to anything else. That, and no other items from different sets can be used, so you're either all in with the set, or you fold.

I think fits thematically, and is appropriate from a rules and balance perspective.


So, how to organize the 18 maneuvers into groups of six...?

6. Maneuvers that involve allies:
Commander's Strike, Distracting Strike, Maneuvering Attack, Limb-Lock Attack, Harrying Attack, Rally,

7. Maneuvers that are flashy:
Disarming Attack, Evasive Footwork, Feinting Attack, Lunging Attack, Parry, Riposte,

8. Maneuvers where you still hit someone on the head:
Goading Attack, Menacing Attack, Sweeping Attack, Precision Attack, Pushing Attack, Trip Attack

That works. One group of maneuvers is about being the battle boss on the field. The second is kind of a flashy sort of Three Musketeers type of group. And the last group is all about kick, bite, chop, punch, slash, stab, teabag-with-your-spiked-codpiece-for-damage.


The kicker will be making magic items. It should be easy to write up the magic items, but each item in a set--as well as the set itself--ought to have Realmslore wrapped around it like a nice bow that's just waiting to be untied. This means writing something that appeals to players running Battlemasters as well as to DMs in need of good adventure hooks and good ideas to wrap around a quest to complete an item set.

If you take care of the DM, the players will follow (or something like that).

So, what do I need to figure out still?

9. How rare should items in a set be? An assembled set ought to be right up there with Legendary magic items (or possibly artifacts). On the other hand, it's no fun to have just one or two set items early on and not see another one until several levels later. Maybe that's where your idea for Partial Set Powers comes in: A player can unlock a partial power and enjoy that for the next five levels and find one more set item in that time, and then find the last item around 17th level or so and completing the set/becoming a juggernaut of superiority dice.

10. Should I be giving advice to the DM on how sets affect a campaign? (The closest experience I have is with PC Paladins hunting for Holy Avengers, and I wasn't very nice about it. Oh dear...)

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

Realmslore for Magic Item Sets: Where do sets come from? And who was good as or better than Drizzt?

So, Realmslore. Need it for the three magic item sets being devised on this here thread. Let's start by asking:

1. Who was as good a fighter, or better, than Drizzt Do'Urden? This is a moving target of a question, but it serves our needs.

2. Why? Because magic item sets--as in individual items that confer additional abilities to their user when four or more of them are equipped--are legendary things. They don't just appear out of nowhere.

3. One theory (among sages in the Realms) is that magic items become attuned to users over time. Humans don't normally experience this, given their short lifespans. But elves, dwarves, and humans who've attained the means to extend their lifespans...these are creatures for whom it's possible to develop a unique bond with magic items that extends beyond the simple familiarity that is required for an item to be used.

3.5 Personally, I think Drizzt's magic items are headed in this direction.

4. Rarer still are magic items crafted to be a set. A group of items made to be worn by a specific individual and designed to work harmoniously together. Like what the Armathors (think elf fighter mages of terrible power and sword skill) who guarded the Coronal's Court in Myth Drannor were equipped with. Or any of the generals that commanded Netheril's armies.

5. Another theory is that of magical bleed, and magical overlap.

• In the former, the magic of a single potent worn or held item (like an item that is Very Rare or Legendary) "bleeds" into non-magical items of superior quality and make, and into minor magic items of little individual power. Remember: The DMG states most magic items are "well--preserved antiques." Sometimes that old car springs an oil leak.
• In the later, magic and non-magic items alike become linked when their bearer is the repeated target over time of spells meant to enhance or to protect. The items become receptive to specific spells, and may in time produce the spell's effects on their own.
• Regardless, all of this takes time, and it's rare to happen at all because the art of fighting is really good at killing the people who practice it.

6. Getting back to my first question: Any fighter as mighty as Drizzt is likely to have some or all of the items from a set designed to enhance one's fighting ability. Or they may have "made" their own set without knowing it, through sheer repetitive use.

7. Who are our candidates? Looking back in time in the Realms (which is pretty easy if you look at the mid 1300s) I see there are a few. Though they'll not be found in any official sourcebook, they're official none the less, as they come from Ed Greenwood. Let's exclude fighter/mages (so Methrammar Aerasumé is off the list).

8. In the year 1375 DR, we have:

• Ember Tsartaera
• Sraece Telthorn
• Loaros Hammarandar

9. Of the three sets of maneuvers I made in the post above this one, Ember seems most likely to have mastered maneuvers that involve commanding and moving allies; Skoalam the flashy duelist maneuvers; Loaros the crush your foes and pick their teeth out of your boots maneuvers.

10. These will be the three legendary warriors of old (from the point of view of 1479 DR) for whom a trio of magic item sets were either crafted or produced by dint of use, that I'll hang some Realmslore on.

 

[Jeremy E Grenemyer]

No time to write this evening so here's a free thing.

I ran out of time this evening to generate ideas.

This is because I spent all my time experimenting with the Homebrewery website.

Here's what I came up with (for a future section on adapting PHB Backgrounds to Cormyr):



I hope you find the tables above useful. They were a bear to make at first, but it got easier with repetition.

If my experimenting continues to go well, then I hope to port my whole Cormyr sourcebook over to this format.