D&D 5E My Beast World Homebrew

[Libertad]

About a year ago, I wrote a review for a furry-themed campaign setting for 5th Edition, the Delver's Guide to Beast World. It entranced me with its in-depth world and neat ideas, and over time I began thinking of things to add into a potential campaign. After sprucing some of them up, I'm deciding to share them with the world! They're a collection of locations, new mechanics, and integrating material from other products. Enjoy!

Location: the Golden Dungeon

Welcome to the Furry Casino by Ichimoral of Fur Affinity.

Located in the resort city of Pristana, the Golden Dungeon is a casino cashing in on the latest interest in all things delver-related. It was founded by Aria Accardi, a ferret entrepreneur who earned her fortune in the catering business. Sometime after the Invader War, she figured that there’s an interest for people to see the skills and excitement of the delver lifestyle up close and personal…but in a safe and controlled environment, of course!

The Golden Dungeon is a multi-level building, the first floor of which is the only one located above-ground. All of its games are styled around delving: card suites are divided into adventurers and monsters of ascending power, people place bets on wagon races, and cards and chips have built-in “anti-cheat spells” to make loud sounds if someone attempts to cast a spell on them in order to influence the games.

The Golden Dungeon’s most popular and newest attraction is the Daring Delve, a simulation of a dungeon delve utilizing creative obstacle courses designed to be convincing facsimiles of the Dungeon. They range from caverns, aquarium-like chambers, foreboding ruins, and other places spawned from thrilling tales told by delvers. Architects help design and maintain the traps, summoners and rangers bring in the monsters, and off-duty delvers serve as consultants for maintaining a feeling of authenticity to the trials. The obstacle courses are roofless or have transparent ceilings, allowing stadiums of spectators to look on as contestants rush through in real-time, cheering on their favorite teams. Numerous safeguards and staff on standby prevent the pseudo-dungeons from being truly life-threatening, although the prizes for contestants are very real. The prizes are located in stereotypical oversized treasure chests placed at strategic points. Sliding walls, magical illusions, and ample castings of cantrips make for easy cleanup and reconfiguration of obstacle courses to keep things new and interesting.

Delvers have a mixed reaction to the Golden Dungeon: some enjoy the concept as an entertaining make-believe version of their occupation, while others find the whole ordeal disrespectful to the very real dangers they face. The casino encourages actual delvers to come in and compete due to fan demand, but related occupations have taken part such as mercenaries, mages, and professional athletes. There are concerns among some in Littfeld that the more greedy delvers may opt out of the lifestyle in favor of becoming glorified gladiators in Pristana. They’d gained the fame and glory associated with Dungeon-delving, but without using their skills in the wider world where they’re needed most.

Raison D'être: Whilst the idea of a dungeon crawl-themed obstacle course can make for a fun change of pace, many will inevitably ask the question of why PC Delvers in-game would participate when they can experience the real thing. They can still earn gold and loot, but with the added bonus of helping save nearby communities from very real dangers. What is a Dungeon Master to do?

One idea is to take a page from video game RPGs with optional gambling games: have unique items that can only be won in the Golden Dungeon. Aria Accardi is a wealthy and well-connected woman, and other wealthy and well-connected people are eager to show their appreciation for Delvers who help them make money when they bet on their victory. A patron may bestow upon the crew an experimental magitech device from a university’s science department they help fund, or give them an ancient heirloom from their private collection. Just as the real Dungeon contains unique monsters and treasure not found in the Beast World, so too should the top-tier prizes of the Golden Dungeon be unique.

The first time the PCs encounter the Golden Dungeon, The establishment is still relatively new with only a few obstacle courses. More can be added as the campaign progresses and the next time they visit Pristana. Some “dungeon” ideas:

Dark Forest: Environment looking like a sprawling haunted fairytale woodland, with animal and fey-themed summoned monsters. Contestants head into the “true dungeon” that is styled after the inside of a massive tree, with a construct vehicle looking like a giant monster as the “boss” at the lowest level.

The Forge: An environment styled after geothermal Oric smithies, with construct guardians and hammer-wielding “monsters” that are hired muscle. Treasure rooms require pieces obtained from traps and monsters to slide through holes in giant novelty anvils, causing the prize to emerge from the top as “crafted artifacts.”

Living Pinball: A novelty dungeon ideal for dragons and athletic delvers. Contestants must maneuver through a complicated series of platforms, pits, and springboards, having to perform daring acrobatic feats and leaps of faith to get treasure and proceed to other rooms. Failed leaps often lead into more dangerous rooms, with the lowest level being the “garbage shoot.”

Valiant Light: Contestants take on the roles of Dramphinian paladins invading a vampire’s castle. The dungeon is designed in a gothic atmosphere and progress is made by putting glowing objects on pedestals representing “the light shining the way.” PCs who aren’t paladins or have light-based magic have illusionists on standby to cast spells in reaction to their actions as “special effects.”

Adventure Ideas: A real entrance to the Dungeon intrudes into the casino, causing disastrous mishaps when the audience can’t discern the real thing from the show. A businessman unwilling to part with a rare item for gold is willing to give it to the PCs if they can win a Golden Dungeon obstacle course. A contestant is posing as one of the PCs, making money off of their name recognition, and their fans believe that the PC is the imposter.

 

[Libertad]

Location: The Biplanar Friendship Summit​

Edit: Removed AI art image.

The bats of the Astral Sea are newcomers to the Beast World, with both discovering each other last year in 1364. The bats have taken well to exploring this strange new land, with some eager to prove themselves as guests with much to share.

The Biplanar Friendship Summit is a small community in the Astral Shadows, a region in northwestern Allemance where the residual energies of the Astral Sea are strong. It first served as a place for bats to learn the fundamentals of the new plane, given that they’re unused to the ground-bound scarcity of the Beast World. It soon became a spot for delvers and other travelers to meet and trade with bats while learning about all things Astral. Although temporary in nature, the bats make ample use of astralcraft to create devices and objects to reshape surrounding terrain and set up buildings and landscaping projects quickly. Rather than forming things out of astralcraft wholesale like they would do back home, the bats adapted by using their powers as a tool to work with what they have in the environment. They soon took advantage of their relative lack of trade goods back home by setting themselves up as localized construction/craftspeople who could ply their trade in record time. That they could only do so in the Astral Shadows prevented them from performing the same skills elsewhere, at once limiting their reach but also not putting them into competition with Allemagnian workers and undercutting them. It also turned the region into a popular tourist destination, helping its economy despite the rather impermanent nature of things.

The largest building in the Biplanar Friendship Summit is a stadium-like museum located in the geographical center. Here the bats show off their proudest creations and artwork, dedicated not to the past (bats are rather unconcerned about their own history) but to a promising future from contact between two worlds. Some of the most talented bats gather together weekly, using intricate astralcraft blueprints to set up dazzling performances. In six months’ time the Summit already hosted several memorable ones, such as a giant likeness of Pirhoua planting seeds that sprout into facsimiles of beasts. Another popular attraction involves people “wishing upon a star” by commissioning personalized messages and artwork which then explode into colorful skywriting as astral balloons filled with alchemical substances ascend into the air.

Adventure Ideas: An overly-ambitious bat architect causes a huge sinkhole to collapse several buildings, and nearby Delvers are asked to help save the people who fell. A bat showing off an astralcraft construct with devastating combative capabilities is kidnapped by the Ecclesiasts or another villainous faction hoping to use their talents for nefarious purposes. A proposed expansion focusing on Brethren culture is met with opposition from people who regard the fall of the Broken World and Invader Wars to be painful reminders and “scabs not to be picked.”

 

[Libertad]

Builders of Might, Hunters in the Night: Integrating Other Classes Into the Beast World​

The Beast World is home to all manner of specialists, drawing upon the three cosmic powers of Nature, Arcana, and Divinity as well as their own gifted talents. While the setting is broad enough to support a variety of character concepts, some non-core classes have implied features and history that make it worthy to expand upon their place in the world.

DnD Yip the Artificer by Lizet of Fur Affinity

Artificer (WotC): The Beast World’s open acceptance of magic and incorporation of it into craftsmanship and architecture means that artificers can be found in every culture. Al’ari shipwrights weave sailcloth that self-repairs to sustain heavy storms, Arnerian masons build Feather Fall safety rails on the Causeway to reduce fatalities of travelers, and Littfelders dispense Bags of Holding and lamps of Continual Flame to delvers braving the Dungeon. While many people pick up magical talents to reinforce artisanry, Artificers make this blend their life’s calling above and beyond other magical talents.

Every Artificer subclass is represented among delvers, although the Battle Smiths are the ones most often operating “in the field.” Artillerists frequently find themselves a valuable addition to the offense of wagons with their eldritch cannons, while Armorers are volunteering in increasing numbers on expeditions into the Broken World via being the most suitable to maintain and wear Bubble Armor. Alchemists are the most likely to be found in equal numbers among active delvers and auxiliary professions supplementing their lifestyle in Littfeld.

When it comes to the Three Powers, Artificers draw upon Arcana.

Note: As Artificers have double proficiency on all tool checks, this makes them incredibly skilled when it comes to the wagon-related rules. While this fits thematically with the class, the Beast World sourcebook’s sidebar discusses why the system didn’t call for skill checks: to prevent Bards and Rogues from standing above the other classes in this regard. As Artificers get quite a bit of features that work well with items and vehicles already, it’s suggested to make it so that they cannot add double proficiency to reins and wainwright tool checks.

The Blood Hunter by Linuell of Fur Affinity

Blood Hunter (Critical Role): Monsters could be found in the Beast World even before the Dungeon’s arrival, with undead and vampires among their most infamous quarries. Thus the name “Blood Hunter” became a common reference for those who guard against creatures of the night. Originally a cloistered and socially distant subculture, the Dungeon saw a renaissance in recruitment drives and demands for their talents. Blood Hunters are welcomed by delvers eager for their experience, although many still keep them at arm’s length given their use of rites that come at a price.

The Order of the Ghostslayer is renamed the Order of Dawn’s Vigil, given that ghosts are different in Beast World than standard fantasy settings. Dawn’s Vigil is the organization that comes to mind for most people when they hear about Blood Hunters, as it’s the oldest order. Formed as a martial alliance working to minimize the harm of Veronette’s undead creations, they work tirelessly to ensure that the safe, hopeful light of the sun comes to dispel the night just as it’s darkest.

The Order of the Lycan is a Brethren-exclusive order due to how lycanthropy works in the setting. Formed by survivors of Feral kidnappings and experimentation, they approached a group of Arnerian Blood Hunters in hope of finding a way to control the disease running through their veins. They were successful, learning to turn their weakness into a strength. Even so, many Lycans are fearful of the beast overtaking them, so they often lead lonely lives away from others and are often the first into danger. This mentality makes many seek the delver lifestyle.

The Order of the Mutant arose among biologists at Broadgate University researching theoretical life forms. While few sought to create or alter other beings due to safety issues, the Order’s first members volunteered as willing test subjects. Through literal blood, sweat, and tears, they found consistently-safe means of self-enhancement to give them an edge against monsters. Members of this Order often become delvers to further research the monsters of the Dungeon, and in doing so learn how to improve themselves.

The Order of the Profane Soul are technically warlocks who make pacts with patrons to supplement their powers. They are controversial among other Blood Hunters due to the fact that many patrons aren’t necessarily concerned with keeping willful creatures safe, but the Profane Soul doesn’t shy away from harnessing the power of the strange and unknown if it can be used to positive ends.

The Ghost God has their own unique Rite Focus: you aren’t harmed by the planar features and landscape of the Broken World. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Blood Maledict feature to teleport up to 60 feet to a space which you can see.

When it comes to the Three Powers, Blood Hunters belong to Nature, using rites of the physical world to empower their abilities. However, the Profane Soul subclass is considered Arcana like that of a warlock. As that’s the only subclass which makes use of spell slots, they count as Patron-Granted for the purposes of random effects in the Broken World.

Commision Completed by DrumerDraws of Deviantart

Pugilist (Benjamin Huffman): Even in the otherwise-optimistic lands of the Beast World, there are those who find themselves hanging on the edge throughout life, learning to rely on their own two feet (and fists) in order to get by. From survivors of the Invader War who found everything they knew turned upside down to Aubadian ascetics who brave the elements to push their bodies to their limits, pugilists are those who turn “less is more” into an advantage. By drawing upon sheer Moxie to make up for a lack of fancy spells and high-end gear, many Pugilists find themselves as part of a Delver crew to get a new start, viewing the nomadic lifestyle as ideal in retreating from old debts and grudges. Others find the close-knit bonds and simple practicality of the subculture as more real than conventional society, with the golden rule being “watch my back, I’ll watch yours.”

The various Fight Clubs represent unique subcultures found in the Beast World. Arena Royales come from Arnerian fighters part of the Storied Histories League, while Piss & Vinegar practitioners serve as heels people love to hate. Members of the Squared Circle could also be part of the League, or more general wrestling sports groups.

Hands of Dread often gain their powers from a warlock patron, a deity, or even an extraordinarily powerful willful creature with the ability to instill magic in others. The Seelie Court, Veronette, and even Dread Advisor Laurent are suitable origins. Similarly, the Relentless Revenant subclass is tailor-made to be tied to Veronette.

Pugilists of the Paradox Consortium are Shamans who learned to experiment with curios strongly connected to the Broken World in order to manipulate their own personal flow of time. Rift Hitters likely learned their secrets from bats, jackals, dragons, Shamans, or other groups known for extraplanar origins or travel.

Darkest Dungeon Occultist Commission by harufeng of Deviantart

Occultist (Kibblestasty): Occultists reflect spellcasters who heavily rely upon ghosts from the Netherworld in order to obtain magical powers, making them a kind of witch in the setting. The Vinyotian city of Porta Strega contains the largest conclave of Occultists, and it’s customary for those across the Beast World to visit the metropolis once a year to trade knowledge and broker services between each other. By calling upon the knowledge of long-gone willful creatures, Occultists learn secrets unable to be obtained through careful study or other paths of the Arcana.

The Tradition of the Witch is renamed the Tradition of the Coven to avoid confusion with the Beast World’s existing term. This Tradition reflects an Occultist who calls upon ghosts to materialize as animate items in the Beast World, such as familiars, flying brooms, and short-term possession of other creatures to cast spells through as part of the “Companion Coven” rite. The Hedge Mage represents a self-taught witch who calls upon all sorts of ghosts, being able to borrow a little bit of everything when it comes to the Three Powers of Arcana, Divine, and Nature. The Oracle and Shaman represent Occultists whose called-upon ghosts specialize in unearthing unseen secrets and the power of the elements, respectively.

The Green Knight by GH-Mongo of Fur Affinity.

Warden (Kibblestasty): A Warden is a spellcaster who draws upon the Nature already present in the Beast World. Instead of summoning an elemental as a separate entity, they take elementals into their own bodies in a symbiotic relationship. Given the diversity of Nature, their Bonds (subclasses) can take many forms, representing whatever entity is sharing their body. Elemental Soul is the most classic, representing the four traditional elements. Beasthide can reflect someone calling upon their ancestral animal species from pre-Willful times, their bonded soul a representation of Nature unshackled by civilizing Divinity. Elderhearts take the soul of plants into themselves, while Ironbound and Stonebloods draw from the earth itself. The Suncatchers originated among worshipers of Aubade, reflecting his more warlike aspect and view their elemental bond as a unique expression of Sunblood.

 

[Libertad]

Location: The Menagerie of Dawn

Spire of the Salt Flats by Mark Fonzen of Art Station.

The dangers of the Dungeon are self-evident, from damage to the surrounding environment and monsters getting loose. But what if one incursion of the Dungeon was more targeted, more discriminate in who and what it hunts? The recent disappearances of people bearing rare traits and obscure knowledge came to Littfeld’s attention, and the few escapees’ tales made delvers christen it the Menagerie of Dawn.

The Menagerie is a flat, glass-like plain of shallow water dotted by islands of pearly white sand. Sandstone structures serve as the only buildings of note, ranging from tiny cubicle-like stations to sprawling apartment-style complexes. An artificial sky and sun that never sets keeps the place hot, which combined with the white sand and lack of shade heats the temperature to exhausting levels. The realm is virtually devoid of native life besides clusters of kelplike weeds, with numerous magical workings repairing and maintaining any damage or changes to the environment. The only permanent resident of note is a towering, shadowed figure clad in a gray hood and cloak. Spidery limbs stretch like rubber for it to walk, giving it an uneven gait and a true size that is impossible to tell. Captives and delvers refer to this creature as the Warden, for it oversees the Menagerie’s prisoners. The Warden uses magic to construct monsters out of the water and sand, sending them out into the Beast World. The monsters never take people at random, for they have particular individuals in mind the moment they step out of the Dungeon.

The demographics of Menagerie captives cover all manner of species and walks of life, but the uniting factor is that each one has some unique quality or knowledge that is difficult if not outright impossible for others to replicate. Sometimes these traits are more an apparent novelty with little practical applications, other times they’re vital talents necessary for some function or breakthrough that can make the Beast World (or a small corner of it) a better place. Due to this, many people have a vested interest in tracking down the Menagerie and freeing its captives, and many organizations placed hefty rewards for their safe return.

Campaign Use: The Menagerie of Dawn is the perfect dungeon to place important characters in one’s campaign; the rewards are less material in the form of treasure and more from what can be gained from freeing its prisoners. A simple search and rescue is an easy hook. But for NPCs with particularly valuable or contentious skills and knowledge, they may bring rival factions and saboteurs who want to track them down for the wrong reasons. As for the Warden, its true identity and stats are left vague, to be customized based on the level and needs of the campaign. However, something alien and unfeeling even by Dungeon standards would be quite appropriate, such as stat blocks for a mind flayer, hellfire engine, star spawn, or retriever.

Sample Captives

A priest of Yrttrus who invented his own language that hasn’t been taught to anybody else.

A jackal responsible for overseeing Patrie’s magical infrastructure.

A beast with a rare genetic disorder that causes their fur to frequently calcify and shed.

Patient Zero of the werewolf curse.


Adventure Ideas: A character the PCs grew to like or has something of value for them is kidnapped by the Caretaker. The Thieves’ Army suspect a slaving ring operating in the area due to the missing persons, and while they won’t turn down help from Delvers they have their own way of doing things that can clash with the PCs. The Ferals want to break Patient Zero out, but not for the right reasons. A scholar with little self-preservation wants to be caught, relishing the opportunity of studying a monster of the Dungeon without being killed by it.

 

[Libertad]

Builders of Might, Hunters in the Night Part 2​

The following classes are taken from Anthology of Heroes, a compilation of classes by Taron Pounds. I haven't done a write-up for the Runekeeper, both because it's the most complicated and also because much of its mechanics are very contingent on particular fantasy languages that may not necessarily fit in the Beast World.

The Alchemist by kittyskeleton of FurAfffinity.

Alchemist: The line between the magic and mundane can be thin in regards to alchemy, albeit the distinction is traditionally more of an academic one among the citizens of the Beast World. Those who specialize in the mundane side of chemistry and herbalism are known as Hermeticists, motivated in making creations that can persist in magic-poor areas and can theoretically be learned by anyone regardless of their spellcasting capabilities. For much of history, such a discipline was more an odd curiosity given the abundance of magical artisanship. But with the many unpredictable dangers of the Dungeon combined with the increased expeditions into the Broken World, Hermeticists found a very valuable niche in the delver subculture.

While most of their formulas and talents are firmly rooted in mundane capabilities, their ability to apply scientific principles to natural law means that some Hermeticists can wield magical forces. For formulas derived from magic potions and appropriate subclass features, it can be assumed that they tap into the power of Nature.

Note: Given that the Beast World is a high-magic setting and to avoid confusion with the Artificer subclass of the same name, I renamed this class to Hermeticist for better distinction.

Dancer by 2078 on r/furry subreddit

Dancer: Dancing is a common form of entertainment throughout the Beast World, taking unique forms based on local cultures. From Aubadians inspired by the passing of the sun and moon to Glasrúnish céilí festivals, the physical discipline combined with personal expression resulted in certain groups tapping into a means of self-improvement above and beyond recreational hobbyists. The concept of “flares” is a term referring to such techniques that are distinct from bardic magic yet have a visible impact on the dancer and others. A dancer’s talents are very personal, more of an art than a science, and is just as much shaped by their subjective experiences and emotions as external learning. Ask an Aubadian, and they’ll tell you it’s from the Sun Bull helping realize their truest self. Ask a jackal, and they’ll tell you they are but mimicking the motions witnessed among the Seelie Court. Ask a Vinyotian starlet, and they’ll tell you it comes from that inspiring muse which encourages all willful people to reach for new heights.

The various Choreos (subclasses) are reflections of commonalities found among like-minded dancers, but some bear special mention. The Danse Macabre is a feared discipline, of people who made deals with Veronette for fame and talent eternal, gaining adoring audiences from beyond the grave. Sylvan Mirth is common among jackals and those whose muse comes to them in dreams. Weave Teasers are sorcerers who tap into their magic via dancing, drawing upon Arcana. Although capable of things that other mages cannot do, the lifelong dedication required to master the dance often means that their magical talents don’t grow as much as a dedicated arcanist.

Fox Merchant by SaltyEgg of FurAffinity.

Merchant: Trade is the lifeblood of the Beast World, allowing communities access to goods and services from far-off lands. The traveling merchant has been a fixture ever since the first roads were paved, but the mobile community of Littfeld provides them new opportunities. Along with the security that comes with traveling alongside experienced adventurers, artisans and merchants exchange mutual knowledge with dungeoneers. More than a few Littfeld merchants found themselves quite capable in the arts of battle and magic, with some bold enough to join delving crews!

The Merchant class reflects this particular specialized subculture, journeymen mages of Arcana who picked up various tips and training seminars from delvers so as to more closely work alongside them. Their various Guilds (subclasses) reflect particular fields of interest and favored magic, and just about every such Guild has representation in the Delver community. The Mariners are more common among Al’ari and Vinyotian delvers, and the Vagabonds often began as delvers first and later become merchants rather than the other way around.

Aristocrat by LittleBadWolf of FurAffinity

Sovereign: From regents born into royal orders to self-made celebrities, the Beast World has many kinds of leaders who draw upon both popular sentiment and the structures of the state to make their mark upon the world. The delver lifestyle holds fascination in the minds of more than a few privileged heirs, be it the promise of relative freedom on the road or to make a name for themselves beyond just being born into wealth or merely the newest carrier of a family name. Those who aren’t cut out for the trials often return to their former duties at best, or meet a grisly end on an ill-fated adventure at worst. But for those who view their power and prestige as a responsibility, where defending the land against the Dungeon’s invasions is part of responsible statecraft or ensuring economic prosperity, the Sovereigns shine as the best examples of their kind.

Sovereigns come in many forms and Courts. The Brigand Cryptocracy are often drawn from the Thieves’ Army, who see profit to be made from the Dungeon’s many treasures. Draconic Tyrrany are often dragons and allies of dragons, inspired by the rulers of the Ancestral Homeland and seek to emulate their greatness. The Fey Monarchy Court’s members usually come from the Allemagnian city of Dearmad, which maintains a close relationship with druids and seek environmentally-friendly ways to sustain an agricultural populace. But this subclass can also represent inspirational members of druidic subcultures and those with ties to the fey of the Dreaming. The Warrior Dynasty is reflective of any culture in the Beast World who fielded armies, and after the Invader War there are many respected officers and veterans who exemplify the ideals of this Court.

Magna the Unbroken by FurryRex of FurAffinity.

Vanguard: While everyone recognizes the value of the shield in battle, there are some who seek to make this symbol of defense into their best offense, becoming unstoppable forces of nature breaking enemy formations to push foes away from their allies and into new lines of danger. Vanguards have little need for swords and other conventional tools of war, for they use the sheer weight of worn steel and expansive tower shields to damage enemies through sheer momentum. Oric texts record the first vanguards. As that land’s artisans have access to the best steel and smithing traditions, their armor was without comparison and could let their strongest warriors rush headless into danger as though they feared no foe and felt no pain. It wasn’t long before other cultures created their own Vanguards, and over time Mandates (subclasses) reflecting various origins and styles.

Dreadlords are those who by choice or by force were imbued with fiendish power, using the powers of darkness and curses to wither their foes. Vexators are often members of the Storied Histories League, using the distinctive appearances wrought by their armories to create dramatic personas. The Rimeguards are Oric warriors who patrol their land’s most remote reaches, putting down monsters and threats from the Dungeon before they get the chance to menace communities. Templars are devotees of Dramphine, and while they have not been blessed with the powers of a paladin they are nonetheless inspired by her example to defend all they can from the monstrous and unjust.

As psionics don’t have a detailed place in the Beast World, the Ardent can be reflavored into someone who learned minor Nature magic to “become like the wind:” silent and sightless to divination magic, weightless yet with the power of a hurricane for telekinesis, at once silent and speaking to deliver telepathic messages to others.

 

[Libertad]

Location: The Circle of Paljehu the Builder

The City of Elantris by Robin COSTET on ArtStation

The dragons of the Ancestral Homeland are akin to minor gods, whose respective circles are cosmic clay to be reshaped to their whims. When the Homeland became a solved world and the dragons lost the ability to naturally procreate or influence each other’s circles, some among their number came to view this as a mistake.

Paljehu the Builder is a gold dragon craftsperson par excellence, an engineer of eldritch artifacts and self-sustaining spells that can fabricate the most complicated of structures and concepts. He studied conjuration to the near exclusion of other schools, and reached out to the bats of the Astral Sea to learn of their works. If one were to ask which dragon first came up with the rituals that created the kobolds, Paljehu would loudly boast it was his idea all along, although many of his peers would just as loudly contest this claim. But where some dragons saw kobolds as but tools, the Builder saw the blueprints for another idea. When Paljehu heard reports of kobolds becoming willful upon visiting the Beast World, hatched a plan. If the Ancestral Homeland’s solved state is limiting the power of the dragons, and solved worlds are due to the loss of divinity, then to unsolve the Homelands one would have to bring in a reason for divinity to flourish.

Paljehu the Builder’s plan is to override his plane’s limitations via constructing a “new civilization” with the aid of people from other worlds, using summoning spells to reach out to the Beast World and beyond in encouraging willful creatures to visit the Circle of the Builder. From the delvers of Littfeld to the archmages of Broadgate University, kobold messengers carried runic items of amazing power and promises of a “glorious world where all is clay to reshape.” Paljehu seeks to draw the best and brightest, to test the limits of radical magecraft unseen before in the Beast World.

By supplementing his forces beyond unwillful kobolds and constructs, Paljehu hopes to gain an advantage over the other dragons and undo the plane’s restrictions. It will not be easy, may not even be possible within the strictures of the cosmos, and surely other dragons will seek to undo his plots. But at the very least, he can build something great!

The Wordrunes​

One prominent aspect of artisanship in Paljehu’s realm are wordrunes, concentric runic circles of rings found in strategic locations from the walls of buildings to the surfaces of tools and objects. Between each ring are letters in the script of magic, and the circles can be turned so that the letters spell out a complete word from the outermost ring down to inner circles, with “blank” spaces to allow for shorter words. Words created this way are known as an “assembled word.” In the wordrune’s center is a tiny circle with three words inside: make, unmake, and change. These three are known as “activating words.” When assembled and activated words are combined together, the wordrunes’ inherent magic creates an effect in line with whatever surface or object with which it is inscribed. For instance, a pipe whose activating and assembled words are “make water” may have a continuous stream of water emerge, while spelling “destroy life” on the floor of a room may cause any creatures or organic matter put inside it to wither away from necrotic energies. The wordrunes are such that one does not have to be a spellcaster to use them, and the variation in their possible uses has been put to great effect by some recent immigrants. But in the limitations of a solved world, the wordrunes cannot be used to create life, willful or otherwise. Any such creatures created are obviously artificial and unintelligent, obvious golems who need instructions from willful creatures. Wordrunes can only affect existing material things within the specific boundaries of the surface it’s written on and cannot interact with metaphysical ideas. For instance, one cannot use it to enhance the intelligence of all bovines across the cosmos. While it can be used to change the mind of a creature’s moral outlook, it cannot alter a paladin’s state to the point that they can ignore the tenets of their oath. Additionally, it takes great time and effort on Paljehu’s part to create wordrunes, so they aren’t yet fully ubiquitous in the circle.

Paljehu’s wordrunes serve several purposes: the first is to extend the powers of creation in his circle beyond himself, yet his mastery over the domain still gives him a privileged position to step in and override orders if necessary. The second is to make any societies built in his circle effectively post-scarcity without the need for constant maintenance on his part nor for the citizenry to be accomplished mages in their own right. When one can raise castles from nothing or transmute lead into gold with but a few spins of a wheel, the complicated processes of building a new civilization can be jump started. Whereas other dragons have but kobolds and constructs aping the motions of a supposed civilization, Paljehu will have the genuine article!

The Ultimate Goal​

Paljehu’s planned great society has an underlying motivation: to build a god, rendering the Ancestral Homeland a Material World. In linking the gods to the presence of willful creatures, Paljehu theorizes that the isolated nature of the plane’s dragons was what brought about the solved state due to the loss of fundamental change. Therefore, rapid, grand, and wondrous changes by outside settlers is needed to undo this.

Whatever society springs from such works will create rules, regulations, social contracts, and even conflict, which in turn should give rise to the personifications of concepts required for the creation of deities. As to why Paljehu the Builder isn’t taking the long direction, he fears that the Ancestral Homelands don’t have enough time. Even in taking into account the ancient nature of dragonkind, a slow development will allow rival dragons time to react and counter his ideas, and the wordrunes can partially delegate the powers of creation reserved to a circle’s dragon ruler. In so doing, he’s been rather lax in managing who is allowed into his realm, allowing more than a few bad actors in. Paljehu is just as fine with a society in turmoil as a glorious utopia, or a god of suffering to spring from his project as a god of mercy. What matters is changing the planar fabric first and foremost.

Adventure Ideas: The wordrunes in a research lab malfunction, flooding a small region with harmful elemental energy. PCs will need to wear special suits or use environmental protection spells to go in and repair the runes in a race against time. An agent of the Thieves’ Army is using a wordrune to create gemstones and precious metals, exporting them into a city in the Beast World that’s been cracking down on the Army in order to wreck their economy. The Ecclesiasts, Ferals, or another villainous group are planning to steal a wordrune in order to build a superweapon. A rival dragon is hiring mercenaries to infiltrate the circle to destroy Paljehu’s planned society and sabotage the wordrunes. A powerful entity appears seemingly out of nowhere, proclaiming themselves to be a god and demanding that Paljehu and all within his circle bow to their divine might. Did the dragon succeed, or is this an opportunistic pretender?

PS: I'd like to give credit where it's due. The wordrune's activating words are inspired by the magic system from Capharnaum: the Tales of the Dragon-Marked RPG. It's a pretty novel fantasy setting strongly inspired by various Middle Eastern and Mediterranean legends.