Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 8952672" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/q7AmhsX.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> Chapter 13: Magic Items & SpellsIt wouldn’t be a proper high magic setting without a chapter full of eldritch loot and tricks! This chapter is relatively short at 11 pages, but these pages are packed with 18 magic items and 27 new spells, so you get quite a lot in spite of its brevity.Of the magic items, about 11 require attunement, and two of them can only be used by a limited number of classes. They range from common magical tools used by Delvers and people of the Beast World, to famous legendary items that have their own place in history. 6 of the magic items are legendary rarity, 4 are uncommon, 4 are rare, 3 are very rare, and one’s rarity varies depending upon the level of spell it can absorb (the Self-Teaching Scroll). Odd that we have none which are common…well, besides the Stone of Six Strengths which isn’t technically part of this chapter.Some of the more interesting items include the Blanket of Safekeeping (teleports the attuned character to a bed it is spread across when they take damage), the Carrion Staff (a legendary item of Veronette that can spend charges to create undead beings but can “lie” about how many charges it restores due to the goddess’ spiteful ways), Jyristä the Lightning Blade of Oria (first item made in a covenant forge, +3 longsword that deals bonus lightning damage and can absorb and channel lightning attacks into it to supercharge melee attacks), Lantern of Nature’s Unveiling (undead, fiends, and creatures under their influence have black halos when within its light), Scrolls of Self-Teaching (wielder can spend a reaction to divert a spell cast on them into the spell scroll), Soil of Fecundity (plant-like teapot which can pour out emerald dust that makes farmland super-fertile), and Wiletaper the Contract Candle of Vinyot (candle used to enforce the most important contracts in the Beast World, has two creatures magically bound to an agreement with a variety of contingency-like effects regarding the contract’s enforcement/breach).The spells are a different story: 11 are cantrips, 9 are 1st through 3rd level, and 5 are 6th to 9th level. So we have a bit of high-level magic, but an awful lot of easily-accessible spells. The more interesting spells include Borrow Concentration (4th level, shift the concentration restriction of a spell you’re maintaining to a friendly humanoid), Enthrall (9th level, permanently charm a humanoid and maintain a telepathic link with them), Forecast Harvest (1st level, learn qualities about nearby soil and the state of herd animals), Inflict Empathy (3rd level, target is charmed as long as you and your allies don’t attack it as they reflect on the harm they caused in the past), Mannequin Mage (9th level, friendly targets gains spell slots of a 7th level wizard which they can use to cast spells you prepared for an hour), Moment of Resolve (cantrip cast as bonus action, damage can’t break concentration on a spell until the end of your next turn), Provoke Hiccup (1st level, cast as a reaction and target must make a Charisma save to cast a spell with a verbal component), Stagecraft (cantrip, basically bardic prestidigitation/thaumaturgy that does things such as recording and play ingback a performance you do, or a magical camera transcribing whatever you see onto a sheet of blank paper), and Swift Invisibility (1st level, as Invisibility but cast as a bonus action, duration is one round, and doesn’t require concentration).<img src="https://i.imgur.com/X4FAziF.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> AppendicesThe final pages of our book end in four appendices. Only one appendix is of any notable length, having brief discussions and random tables for why your gaming group’s party of delvers decided to meet up together, along with some sample adventure hooks and common means of how delvers split up loot and magical items. Nothing exactly extraordinary. The remaining appendices include how to make pictos that were discussed way back in Chapter 2, an index of names and terms, and a character sheet for wagons including a pseudo-map for placement of components and the physical makeup of the vehicle.Thoughts So Far: I like how the magic items include a range of unique treasures, ones practical to the adventuring lifestyle, and those more broadly reflective of regular life in a high magic setting. I would have preferred all of the magic items in the book to be located here, as some are spread out in prior chapters such as the Bubble Armor in Cosmology & Religions or the Stone of Six Strengths in Oria.As for the magical spells, there are quite a few that are pretty powerful in being broad, although they have some built-in limitations. Borrow Concentration is pretty potent, but as it ends if you cast the same spell it is used for concentrating again, meaning you can’t do things like give every party member the benefits of Divine Word. Moment of Resolve lets you ignore damage for concentrating on a spell, but as it’s a cantrip with a bonus action you cannot cast any other “real spell” on the turn you cast it which makes it less useful for non-primary mages. It’s cleric-only, so the clerics most likely to use it are going to be warpriest types. Enthrall may seem potent, but as it can only affect Humanoids and even then only one at a time it is rather lacking in comparison to more broad spells of that level such as Shapechange, True Resurrection, and Wish. Swift Invisibility is a useful way to gain advantage on an attack or to quickly hide. And like Forecast Harvest, there are a number of spells that may not be immediately useful to typical adventuring crews but help flesh out the “practical magic” side of life in the Beast World. Overall I like this chapter.Final Thoughts: There are many things to like about the Delver’s Guide to Beast World. It is a fully-imagined setting with a built-in rationale for the adventuring lifestyle, has unique things to set it apart from other settings on the market such as customizable wagons and humans being the exception rather than the norm, manages a good balance between macro-level surveys of realms and regions while having enough of a personal touch in the form of interesting NPCs and their establishments, and the author’s love and respect for the fandom he is part of shows through in his work. The new mechanical options have some unbalanced options here and there, but enough of the material looks steady enough to be usable in most games. It is for these reasons I highly recommend the Delver’s Guide to Beast World, be you a furry or a furless outsider!</blockquote>

Verification