NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 9715180" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/t9yWO9k.jpeg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 684px" />The final chapter of the book, the Bestiary gives us over 60 new monster/NPC entries and over 100 stat blocks. Although sorted alphabetically, there's no convenient listing by type and/or Challenge Rating. I won't be covering every creature for this post, instead going over in broad strokes sorted by common region/type/theme. I previously detailed the six new dragon broods in Chapter 3, so they won't be covered here.Each of the four major civilizations has stats for specialized warriors and officials. Allaria has mounted Fai Hunters who specialize in fighting feyd creatures and can attempt to shut down teleportation as a reaction, Oathguards are heavily-armored soldiers trained in university-like lodges and can also cast minor defense/buff spells, and Wardens wield glaives while riding qirin. Ellari Dreamshapers are mages who specialize in illusion and debuff spells, with a side of conjuration magic such as Fabricate and Faithful Hound. Qirins look much like the creatures from Chinese mythology, intelligent (albeit nonverbal beings) who make for trusted companions and come in three species in ascending order of power: black, silver, gold. All species share similar stats as fast-moving melee mounts, but can also grant nearby allies advantage on a roll up to three times per day.Tyveria has Blooded Gladiators who can be summed up as barbarians who make use of unarmed and slashing weapons, Bloodclaws are melee combatants who can Multiattack in a flurry of strikes, Magyar are blood-focused mages who can enhance their spells via damaging other creatures, and Vampyrs are weaker varieties of magyar who focus more on natural weapons. Skorpikon are scorpion-like insects large enough to serve as mounts, and their spiked carapace can be used to counterattack. Vespida are giant wasp-like insects who serve as aerial cavalry, and whose droning can impose the Frightened condition on all targets within 30 feet…which would also include its riders. Must be an unintended rules oversight.Nahuac includes the Fándred Monks who follow the Way of the Eight Paths, and are basically NPC versions of that subclass. Ocelinn are tánaid who can shapeshift into jaguars and function similar to lycanthropes in battle, albeit without an infectious bite. Finally, the Xibac Kaabmarked come in four varieties of undead: burned, who died by fire and can draw upon the source of their death in a variety of ways, from self-healing to melee attacks; Drowned, who died underwater and has a poisonous spray; numbed, undead animated without a mind or soul who serve as close-range melee fighters whose breath can form a poisonous aura; and a xibac lich, who is a less powerful version of the namesake monster, but similar in form and function in being a mostly-magical enemy.Ysval is known for its Galadyan Priests, who in addition to having a variety of healing and defensive magic can also generate an aura of damaging light and can turn creatures of Null as though they were undead. Púka are basically CR ⅛ noncombatants. Foghorns are furry mammals who bear long, singular horns, and while most are wild, an order of warriors known as the Order of the Foghorn managed to domesticate them.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/wkzjdfo.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 419px" />Beastfolk is an entirely new creature type in this book, described as being "not strictly Humanoid" yet not Monstrosities due to having a "rich culture and their position as one of the main inhabitants of the continent." Which is a bit superfluous, as Monstrosities in 5th Edition can already incorporate intelligent beings such as harpies and yuan-ti. We begin with the Bendavee lizard-people of Nahuac, who are known for producing magic items made from Source and can be fearsome in battle due to an innate regenerative ability. Next up are the Boaab, humanoid snake-people who once ruled most of Valernia before losing a war against the Altanesi Empire, and are now of the three major societies of the Scourge Triumvirate. They have three different stat blocks, all of which share telepathy and one or more enchantment spells along with mind-affecting special abilities. Bucentaur are basically centaurs but bulls, and live in the steppes of the Westerlands. While many are independent, some have sworn fealty to Allaria and serve that kingdom as mobile warriors. They have three stat blocks, two of which are centaur-like in being fast, bulky melee fighters and the third an archer. Buunkun are wise birdfolk who are allied with the people of Hanuac, and while most like simple lives as villagers, their people are known for producing masters of weaving magic. Ushobai are large crab-like beastfolk who live in Sikaria, and their culture encourages them to become warriors for glory. Lastly, the Uutabai are slothlike beings native to the far north, and not much is known about them due to their hostility to outsiders.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/gDWAcA7.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 432px" />We've got quite a lot of Feyd creatures for those wanting their dragon-riding campaigns to be more fairy tale-friendly. Dream Imps travel through people's dreams and have been known to develop a fondness for the mortal world after befriending children, often resulting in them forgetting their duties to the Fell Courts. Fadrakes are born from fanciful tales that have yet to exist, and while all take dragon-like forms, the rest of their features can run the gamut of imagination. They fight like dragons in combat, but due to their "unreal" nature illusion spells can harm them as though they were real, and they take damage when in antimagic fields and magic circles. Fai Goblins are tasked by the Fell Courts to lure mortals into Dreamspace by any means necessary, and they are stealth-based warriors relying on short-range teleportation and a diverse assortment of spells; some which are rather powerful for a CR 2 creature, such as Dominate Person or Geas. Fataar are tusked bipedal fey who act like bandits, using their great size and strength to bully and rob others. Fell Knights are elite elven warriors of the Fai Woods, their gear made of fai glass. The Knights have some nifty supernatural abilities such as an at-will Counterspell, short-range teleportation, and some enchantment and battlefield control spells. Fell Foxes serve as mounts for them, and the beasts are also skilled ambush predators. Hamanimi and Hamanu are the nymph/satyr equivalents of the setting, the former coming in four varieties based on the environment they live in which reflects the theme of their spells and attacks.Interestingly, we have several Humanoid Subraces, including a few new ones that don't have playable versions. Most have base stat blocks for fractional Challenge Ratings that are akin to ordinary warriors in their society, but a few have higher-CR specialized versions. Beyond the Púka detailed above, there's the Godao gnomes who have a stat block for Guild Enforcers that come equipped with electrified clubs that deal lightning damage and can stun targets. Iko'ob, aka jade gnomes, were a once-hidden civilization whose work in resurfacing Altanesi ruins earned them an alliance with the Altanesi Ascendancy, and their stat block includes various techno-magic abilities such as a rechargeable acid spray and a super-charged Clockwork Haymaker attack. Nwoda dwarves have Spy Captains and Sky Pirates with special weapons such as devices that shoot acidic shards or scimitars that can poison targets. Qillu, aka keen halflings, appear as more animalistic versions of this short race, and their culture encourages the promotion of the written word in all its forms. It's said that they have a secret ledger that has the most accurate records of Valerna's history. Shev, aka shadow halflings, mostly live in Tyveria and are known for fashioning alchemical items from the natural resources of their home marshes. This earned them valued roles as sappers in the imperial military. Sjóda, aka frost dwarves, have skin and hair as hard as stone and crystal, and they travel in mammoth caravans which require a lot of resources and so find few allies in the north. The Gellanor League serves as an exception, where they're valued as long-distance traders.Sikari elves are special enough to merit their own entry. Same for orcs, detailed below. The sikari are renowned scientists who are naturally aquatic, and their civilization is located almost entirely underwater. They make use of a science unknown to the rest of Valerna known as zoethurgy, a discipline that specializes in the creation and modification of life forms via K'aab channelled through personal handheld stones. The sikari experiment for practical purposes as well as for the sake of gathering knowledge. Arrogant racism is common in their culture, as they believe that their technologically-advanced society makes them superior to other civilizations, and thus gives them the "right" to determine the fate and destinies of others. This predictably encourages many sikari to treat their creations as slaves or beasts of burden, while the more "benevolent" elves treat them as children or pets. Statwise they have attacks and spells that deal lightning and thunder damage, and due to personal modifications they have advantage on all Acrobatics, Athletics, and initiative checks.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/lPVDIwf.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 354px" />Orcs are a farflung people who manage to survive and thrive in spite of the curse placed upon them by the Altanesi Empire. The Obakkar are the most well-known clan, but there's also the Ogerron and Orlar orcs. Ogerron are much bigger than the standard orc, being Large size, and most live in Tyveria and serve that nation's military either as conscripts or technically-independent mercenaries. In battle, they can sing songs to honor the dead known as bastuus, which grant nearby allies bonuses on a variety of rolls, and their more advanced stat blocks include special spiked chain and maul wielders who can impose conditions on struck targets. As for the orlar, they are furry nomads of the far north, whose bands are led by covens of witches famed for brewing sacred potions known as oljuu. This substance can empower the drinker with a second wind in the form of temporary hit points.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/wOrN1R1.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 404px" />Hmyr are giants native to the far north, appearing as humanoids standing over 13 feet tall with antlers and hooves. Most live in an expansive forest known as the Fogwood, which is full of traps set up by the giants. Ysvalians steer clear of the forest to avoid intruding on their allies' privacy. Hmyr strongly value the ideals of a "fair fight," and if possible they will declare their intentions to challenge an enemy rather than attacking unexpectedly. Hmyr organize into a variety of clans which have their own magical traditions. The Boar Clan is the largest and most powerful, and are valued for their skill at diplomacy and are responsible for forming the giants' alliance with Ysval. Hmyr have four stat blocks reflective of their clan: all of them are skilled with close-quarters combat and can take a lot of punishment, along with pseudo class-like features such as unarmored defense or an encouraging speech to restore the hit points of an ally.Kadhah are aberrant spirits that inhabit the souls of every maghyr. As long as these vampire-like beings live, their kadhah will be straining to take control and escape. Should they manifest in the world, kadhah appear as web-like masses of dark blood. There are four different stat blocks reflective of their host maghyri's level, but share a variety of common features such as being able to cast any spell known by its maghyr when at less than half health, and melee attacks that can drain the health from struck targets.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/1pcG2vV.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 411px" />Null are aberrations from beyond reality that compete with dragons for being the greatest threat to the world of Rhaava. Their existence is a contradiction, for Null's sole purpose is to unmake everything, and this cosmic force corrupts other beings into itself to take the forms of Null monsters. We have six stat blocks for specific Null creatures and one Null-Touched template that can be added to any living creature. Null beings typically take the form of Lovecraftian, fleshy body horror forms such as shambling masses with tongues emerging from orifices or bloated contorted humanoid bodies that slough off the original creature's identifying features. Null creatures' commonly shared traits include an immunity to a large number of conditions, having blindsight but being blind beyond their sensory radius, the ability to drain Vaala from targets, and attacks that can curse non-Null into becoming a Null monster if not healed within 24 hours.While we don't hear much about the Hollowdepths, Dragonbond's Underdark equivalent, like its subterranean counterparts in other settings it is home to strange life forms and an even stranger society. The Waada are a species that comprises the most powerful civilization beneath the earth, appearing as corpulent amphibians with oversized brains that grant them powerful psychic abilities. With the ability to mentally charm, dominate, and modify memories, they built their society on mind-controlled thralls and the accumulation of information. They can learn what lurks in the minds of others by consuming brains, or via a process where the minds of others can be literally bottled to for later analysis. The Waada have the most intricate, widespread intelligence network in Valerna, along with ties to various organized crime syndicates. Those who know of the waada's existence seek them out to trade valuables for what they know.Thoughts: Itza's Guide to Dragonbonding is certainly not lacking in the new adversaries department. I particularly like how many of the near-humanoid monsters, such as the Beastfolk and Hmyr, are more three-dimensional than being always evil and adversarial, but can still fill an antagonistic role due to the setting's emphasis on warring kingdoms. Additionally, the Null-Touched creature template and variant stat blocks for many humanoid entries help in the variety department. My main criticism of this chapter is that I would've preferred several of the monsters/NPCs (particularly the Waada and the non-playable humanoid subraces) to be given more detail in prior chapters for world-building. For example, we don't learn virtually anything about the setting's Underdark equivalent until the very end of this book.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/XjtZjLr.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="width: 644px" />Correctionary Note: I should point out that I misspoke earlier, believing that the following rules only apply to harvesting from dragons. Well, they can be used on any creature type!The two Appendices at the end of this book provide new crafting rules for turning the body parts of slain foes into equipment. The first appendix, Harvesting & Crafting, can be done by anyone, and is a simplified version of the crafting rules from Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting. A sidebar calls this out, briefly advertising the other book and saying that Dragonbond's crafting rules can be used in conjunction with its crafting rules.Harvesting is a multi-step process making use of various skill and tool checks dependent on a variety of factors. Upon defeating an opponent, the party has the opportunity to Harvest body parts known as Components, with DCs based on the value and difficulty of extraction. Choosing to harvest multiple Components adds their DCs together, but instead of rolling once, a separate Assessment check and Carving check are made, combining the results together. The Assessment check makes use of Medicine, Survival, or one of the various Intelligence-based skills depending on the creature type, while the Carving check is a Dexterity ability check with an added Proficiency Bonus if applicable.* For harvesting magical Components, the supernatural qualities rapidly fade, meaning that parties have just enough time to attempt to harvest one corpse, and spells such as Gentle Repose cannot extend or delay the process. We get tables for every creature type and the Components that can be extracted from them by DC, but there's a special Component known as Essence that is required to craft magic items. A creature's Essence is based on its Challenge Rating, which in turn informs the Component DC and magnitude of magic item that can be crafted with it, ranging from Uncommon (CR 3-6) to Artifact (CR 25+).*The book doesn't say when this bonus is supposed to be applied and when it's not.Once Components are harvested, they can be crafted via either Manufacturing, which turns the Components into serviceable items via an appropriate tool check, or Enchanting, which turns a mundane item into a magical one. Manufacturing is pretty straightforward, where the crafter must use materials worth one-third the item's cost, have Auxiliary Equipment necessary for its forging (like a hammer and anvil for smithing), and a listed time and DC to craft the item. The result is a binary success/fail, where success completes the item and failure ruins all progress in crafting the item. Special materials can increase the time, cost, and crafting DC, and we have a table for special materials specific to the setting. But we don't get entries for mithril or adamantine. Crafting doesn't need to be continuous, and we get tables for what item types can be crafted by what tools, as well as tables for determining the cost, DC, time, etc for virtually every piece of equipment from the Player's Handbook to the new equipment in this book.Enchanting follows a similar process, albeit uses an appropriate skill check based on the harvested creature's Essence, and always uses their spellcasting ability modifier instead of the normal ability used with said skill. The DC is dependent on the desired item's Rarity, and the amount of hours required is dependent on whether it's a consumable, non-attuned, or attuned item. Common items can be crafted this way, but require no Essence, and the scaling of time is reasonable up to Rare. By Very Rare, the hours exponentially multiply. For example, a consumable Legendary item requires 320 hours, while a non-attuned Artifact requires 100,000 hours!Dragoncrafting is our second crafting-related appendix, and is much shorter at only a single page. These rules are restricted only to the Dragon Hunter class, where they make use of the unique resource known as Skutte to create their Forma. Basically, harvesting Skutte is done via a DC 10 Survival check, and the amount of Skutte harvested is based on the slain dragon's size category. The size also determines the time required to harvest, although additional characters can aid in shortening the process. Said characters can even be members of other classes, although the group requires a Dragon Hunter of at least 3rd level to supervise the process.Thoughts: The harvesting and crafting rules are at once too lengthy and incomplete. On the one hand, the process requires too many rolls, where failure can ruin all progress, meaning that many gaming groups will find it too cumbersome to be reliable. Additionally, we have tables for various types of Components, from eggs to flesh to eyes, but what you can specifically fashion out of said body parts is abstracted. The only specific Components that matter in this book are for the new magic items, most of which specify the body parts of particular creatures.The main draw for crafting mundane equipment is being able to save gold in making stuff yourself, which is appealing when crafting expensive stuff like heavy armor, but loses its appeal for most other equipment. Enchanting, conversely, is a bit too open-ended, as the only restrictions for what you can craft are that spellcasters need to know the spells for spell scrolls that they create. The book does note that Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting has Quirks and Flaws for degrees of success and failure for the crafting check, which in that book is meant to remove the sting of otherwise not making an item for failing the roll (you get one with flaws instead) which makes me wonder why they didn't incorporate it. The more rolls you require in order to succeed, the greater the chance of failure.The Skutte harvesting is downright simple in comparison. For example, a Tiny-sized dragon gives 1 Skutte, a Medium 4, and a Huge 8, and most Forma can be crafted for less than 6 Skutte. Due to this, Dragon-Hunters won't be starving for resources for their class features unless the DM makes dragons a rare enemy. And at that point, you'd have to ask why they even allowed that class in the first place, much less chose a setting with the word Dragonbonding in its name!Final Thoughts: Itza's Guide to Dragonbonding is a good idea with a poor execution. The dragon-riding hero is a popular fantasy archetype that most D&D settings fail to take advantage of. The most prominent one that does, Dragonlance, is a very divisive one for other reasons. Unfortunately, Dragonbond is brought low by consistently poor organization, inconsistent lore, questionable balance, and very bare-bones worldbuilding that only shows things from the biggest of big pictures. The setting will need to improve a lot on these mistakes in order to be a worthy contender, but as it is now I cannot recommend it.</blockquote>

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