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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" > <channel> <title>jot jot ïota</title> <atom:link href="https://jotjotiota.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://jotjotiota.com</link> <description>Thoughts and ramblings on roleplaying and other assorted geekeries</description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2022 20:36:22 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-GB</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.com/</generator> <image> <url>https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/cropped-img_20200731_124407__01__01.jpg?w=32</url> <title>jot jot ïota</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <cloud domain='jotjotiota.com' port='80' path='/?rsscloud=notify' registerProcedure='' protocol='http-post' /> <atom:link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="https://jotjotiota.com/osd.xml" title="jot jot ïota" /> <atom:link rel='hub' href='https://jotjotiota.com/?pushpress=hub'/> <item> <title>Spicy food made from big cows</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/08/20/spicy-food-made-from-big-cows/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/08/20/spicy-food-made-from-big-cows/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 20 Aug 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[food]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cookbook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dire cow]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[enchilada casserole]]></category> <category><![CDATA[kickstarter]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[saucebook]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4958</guid> <description><![CDATA[I’ve been particularly negligent in my promo duties for MY FIRST KICKSTARTER! I am working on Fantasy Feasting, a cookbook / sourcebook (a saucebook!) for D&D 5e – though we’ll be going with less of their branding later as it’s OGL.I had the pleasure to collaborate on Luis A. Amaya’s recipe for Dire Cow Enchilada … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/08/20/spicy-food-made-from-big-cows/" class="more-link">Continue reading Spicy food made from big cows</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I’ve been particularly negligent in my promo duties for MY FIRST KICKSTARTER! I am <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/youmaytry/fantasy-feasting">working on Fantasy Feasting</a>, a cookbook / sourcebook (a saucebook!) for D&D 5e – though we’ll be going with less of their branding later as it’s OGL. I had the pleasure to collaborate on Luis A. Amaya’s recipe for Dire Cow Enchilada Casserole by designing the stat block for the dire cow itself. It seems that once every year, a tribe of mountain goblins goes hunting for a giant cow and other ingredients to make a hearty feast, and Luis knocked that recipe out of the park. I just hope my stat block for the cow does it justice. Careful now, it’s stompy! Dire Cow Huge Beast (Cattle), Unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 47 (5d12 + 15) Speed 40 ft. STR 18 (+4) DEX 8 (-1) CON 17 (+3) INT 2 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 5 (-3) Saving Throws Str +6, Con +5 Skills Perception +1 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages – Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency +2 Reckless. At the start of its turn, the dire cow can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls it makes during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn. Trampling Charge. If the dire cow moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a Gore attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the dire can make one attack with its Hooves against the target as a bonus action. ACTIONS Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Ground Stomp (Recharge 6). The dire cow rears up and slams down into the ground. Each creature within 10 feet of the dire cow must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. It can then make one attack with its Hooves against a prone creature within 5 feet of it as a bonus action. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/038/113/167/ef492d258ae96608c93abcc7a302e01d_original.png?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=680&fit=max&v=1659114937&gif-q=50&lossless=true&s=b79699c2439f216758b459c59c7551fb" alt="" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fantastic art for the Dire Cow Enchilada Casserole by Yorugami</figcaption></figure> To try the Dire Cow Enchilada Casserole recipe by Luis A. Amaya right now, head on over to <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/youmaytry/fantasy-feasting/posts/3581401">this post on the Kickstarter page for full details</a>. If you’d like to know more about the book, you could check out project leads Isaac and Ashley on America’s Test Kitchen podcast Proof, <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/youmaytry/fantasy-feasting/posts/3580674">linked here from the Kickstarter page</a>. To join the conversation, you could also <a href="https://discord.gg/fGKe96sfa2">head on over to our discord community</a> to talk food, ttrpgs, and anything else. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/08/20/spicy-food-made-from-big-cows/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/038/113/167/ef492d258ae96608c93abcc7a302e01d_original.png?ixlib=rb-4.0.2&w=680&fit=max&v=1659114937&gif-q=50&lossless=true&s=b79699c2439f216758b459c59c7551fb" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Planar goodies!</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/23/planar-goodies/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/23/planar-goodies/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 23 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[planescape]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[multiverse]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sigil]]></category> <category><![CDATA[unearthed arcana]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4945</guid> <description><![CDATA[It’s a great day for me as I write this – it’s Tuesday 19th July here in the past, so not only do I have Journey’s Through the Radiant Citadel to enjoy but I also get treated to Unearthed Arcana’s Wonders of the Multiverse issue. I am very excited!Why? Because Planescape, that’s why! Today I’m … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/23/planar-goodies/" class="more-link">Continue reading Planar goodies!</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ It’s a great day for me as I write this – it’s Tuesday 19th July here in the past, so not only do I have Journey’s Through the Radiant Citadel to enjoy but I also get treated to <a href="https://media.wizards.com/2022/dnd/downloads/UA2022-WondersoftheMultiverse.pdf">Unearthed Arcana’s Wonders of the Multiverse issue</a>. I am very excited! Why? Because Planescape, that’s why! Today I’m going to focus on Unearthed Arcana because I haven’t had a chance to dive into Radiant Citadel yet. That comes after I finish writing my initial impressions. So what is the Wonders of the Multiverse packet? It’s a new race option, a new cleric domain, four new character backgrounds, several new feats (that, like the Dragonlance playtest materials, are used in parts of the above backgrounds), and a few new spells. The new race option – Glitchlings. Now, I’m no expert on Modrons, but this just reads as a Modron to me. If they hadn’t been described as ‘human-like’ and instead boxes with spindly legs, we’d all know what this was. You are a Construct (usually meaning healing magic like cure wounds doesn’t work on you, but you’re special so it does), you have armour plating giving you an unarmoured AC of 14+Dex, vestigial wings that let you fly a little bit but only using your movement, advantage on Wisdom (Insight) rolls and saving throws against charms, and can choose to take 10 on a roll a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier per long rest. That all sounds fun, and I can see how being a Divination Wizard with this would be a lot of fun. Or of course, a Fate Cleric. Which brings us on neatly to the cleric I suppose. First of all, the bonus spells – lots of obvious stuff such as divination and even see invisibility make sense to me, from the point of view of someone tuned in to future and avoiding sad fates – looking at death ward and beacon of hope there. I’m not sure how dissonant whispers and heroism exactly fit in with them, they don’t strike me as entirely flavoured correctly for the domain, but I can see how you could twist them in there. Next up, Omens and Portents means casting augury at level 1. It makes sense for the build, but wow that’s a bold move. It’s nice that it’s capped at once per long rest without a spell slot for this purpose. The other part of the Omens and Portents ability reads poorly – is that all divination spells with a failure chance have it reduced by 25%, or does this only affect the one spell (that spell being the augury)? It seems odd that they’d factor the long rest in but it doesn’t seem to be limited. Ties That Bind is useful for both healing and damage and is a great fit for the subclass and I like how it’s been written. That extra d6 healing or damage could be make-or-break, and literally tying your fate to that of an enemy should make tracking them much easier. I would probably add a house rule that if the target leaves the same plane of existence, whilst they are no longer possible to track, you at least know which plane they went to. The fact that all of the above kicks in at level 1 is amazing. The level 2 channel divinity option to fiddle with fate via advantage and disadvantage is fun, the Insightful Striking ability at level 6 is more of the same, Potent Spellcasting is always fun (toll the dead!) and Visions of the Future gives the foresight spell which makes total sense for what the subclass is doing. It’s a fun build, I’d definitely play it over a life cleric, and probably put it on equal footing with a twilight cleric or light cleric for what kind of cleric I want to play next. Next, we’ll move on to feats. If your background gives you a feat but someone else in the party picks a background that doesn’t give one, they can pick from a list involving the elemental planes, or take the Tough or Skilled feats from the Player’s Handbook for free (just to balance out the power levels of the party). Cool. The backgrounds are Gate Warden, Giant Foundling, Planar Philosopher, and Rune Carver. (Did anyone else notice there’s a lot of giant stuff in recent playtests? Are the giants upsetting the multiverse in the next few years?) The Gate Warden gets proficiency in Persuasion and Survival, gets two fun language picks (advice is to take something planar), and the Scion of the Outer Planes feat. The Giant Foundling gets proficiency in Intimidation and Survival, any two languages, and gets the Strike of the Giants feat. They are also strangely tall for whatever their race is. The Planar Philosopher gets proficiency in Arcana and Persuasion, any two languages, and also gets the Scion of the Outer Planes feat. There’s also a mention of factions here… The Rune Carver gets proficiency in History and Perception, can speak Giant and any one other language, and gets the Rune Carver Apprentice feat. Right, feats are more difficult because they branch. The level 1 feats are Rune Carver Apprentice, the Scion feats for each of the Elemental Planes and one for the Outer Planes, and Strike of the Giants. Rune Carver Apprentice works a bit like artificer infusions – you know two runes (out of eight), stick them on a non-magical item during a long rest and suddenly you can cast the spells associated with the runes until the next long rest. Replace known runes when you level up. Spells include chromatic orb, command, speak with animals, and entangle. The Scions of the Elemental Planes have different effects based on the different planes. Elemental Air gives you access to minor illusion (why not gust?) and the same flight ability that the Glitchling has, Elemental Earth gives druidcraft (not mold earth?) and an ability to conjure half cover for yourself or a nearby ally, Elemental Fire gives dancing lights and the produce flame cantrips with the latter useable as a bonus action, and Elemental Water gives thaumaturgy and the ability to waterbend and either push or pull a creature with a wave of water that mysteriously appears and disappears. Scion of the Outer Planes gives access to a cantrip and damage resistance based on the flavour of Outer Plane picked when taking the feat – the Astral Plane gives psychic resistance and the message cantrip, chaotic or evil planes give necrotic resistance and minor illusion or chill touch respectively, lawful or good planes give radiant resistance and guidance or sacred flame respectively, and the Outlands gives psychic resistance and mage hand. (There is no mention of the Ethereal Plane anywhere, so I wonder if they’ll make a Scion feat for it?) Strike of the Giants gives bonus damage and an effect based on the type of giant selected, with the saving throw for the effect being based on Strength or Constitution for a change. Hill Giant gives bonus weapon damage and a Strength save versus being knocked prone, Stone Giant gives bonus force damage and a Strength save versus being pushed back, Frost Giant gives bonus cold damage and a Constitution save versus losing all movement, Fire Giant gives bonus fire damage (that’s it), Cloud Giant gives bonus thunder damage (but not much) and forces a Wisdom save versus the user becoming invisible to the target, and Storm Giant gives bonus lightning damage and a Constitution save versus disadvantage on all attack rolls. The other feats are all available at level 4, and there are fourteen of them! There’s one each for the different Giant styles, one each for the different Outer Planes Scions except Astral, one that’s generic but based on the Outer Planes Scion, one for more Runes, and one for Sorcerers, Wizards and Warlocks called Cartomancer. Cartomancers can use a deck of cards as a spellcasting focus, which means they deal an extra d4 damage a proficiency modifier number of times per long rest, can cast prestidigitation and perform card tricks like a stage magician, and can store a spell they know in one card. It doesn’t mention the spell they know has to be from the sorcerer, warlock or wizard spells, so a multiclass druid or cleric gets interesting. The only other feat I’m going to detail (because wow this section got big fast) is Planar Wanderer, the generic feat stemming from Scion of the Outer Planes. This is very cool in a Planescape game because it allows detection of portals, resistance to a damage type that changes on a long rest, but most importantly portal hacking – you can open portals without portal keys, or even seal them shut for people using the correct keys. That’s amazing! Last section – spells, many of them card-based. Antagonize is a 3rd-level enchantment spell that deals 4d4 psychic damage (plus 1d4 per level) and forces the target to spend its reaction attacking a melee target of your choice or have disadvantage on the next attack if no target is available in range. House of Cards is a 3rd-level conjuration spell that causes a literal house of cards to rise from the ground with the caster at the top. It lasts 24 hours but is pretty fragile. I’m not sure if 3rd-level is the right place for it, given how easy it is to break, but I’m also not sure it should be as low as 2nd-level. Spirit of Death conjures a Reaper Spirit near an enemy creature that aids the caster and their companions to down the foe in combat. It can only ‘haunt’ one creature, and disappears once the creature is reduced to 0 hit points. The spirit deals 1d10 + 3 + spell level (because it can be upcast) melee damage and has a paralyzing 1/day ability. Pretty cool. Spray of Cards is a 2nd-level conjuration spell that can be used to blind or hurt opponents in a 15-foot cone. Upcasting deals additional damage, nothing happens with the blinding effect. Summon Warrior Spirit pulls forth a warrior spirit from the Deck of Many Things, and can be a barbarian, fighter or monk. Like the reaper spirit, the warrior spirit obeys verbal commands, and upcasting the spell increases various parts of the stat block such as armour class, hit points, and damage. Better yet, multiattack works based on casting level rounded down, so a normal cast gives the warrior spirit one attack, but upping it to 4th-level bumps it to 2 and so on. The different types of warrior spirits all have different attacks, and the monk version has a flurry of blows option too. All in all, some very cool spells too. So, I really like the direction the playtest material is going. I’m really excited to see how this turns out, and what exactly the giants are all doing in Sigil that makes them such a big part of recent Unearthed Arcana issues. You can find the pdf file of the Uneearthed Arcana Wonders of the Multiverse <a href="https://media.wizards.com/2022/dnd/downloads/UA2022-WondersoftheMultiverse.pdf">here</a>. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/23/planar-goodies/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>How did it go?</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/16/how-did-it-go/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/16/how-did-it-go/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 16 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[planescape]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[modron]]></category> <category><![CDATA[new beginning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4941</guid> <description><![CDATA[In my last post, I talked about finally stretching my DM muscles for the first time in a long time. How did it go? Short answer is we didn’t get too far, but we did play a bit. The longer version is I had a table of five players, two of whom were veterans of … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/16/how-did-it-go/" class="more-link">Continue reading How did it go?</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ In <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/09/scratching-the-dm-itch/">my last post</a>, I talked about finally stretching my DM muscles for the first time in a long time. How did it go? Short answer is we didn’t get too far, but we did play a bit. The longer version is I had a table of five players, two of whom were veterans of several editions, one knew 5E well enough to quickly build a new 1st level character he’d never tried, and two complete newbies who needed some more guidance and explanation, so we got characters done and to the moment the first combat would start – wolves and a dire wolf! Rachel is playing a dragonborn paladin former executioner, Ellen is playing a half-orc barbarian brewmaster, Sean has opted for a chaotic harengon nature cleric, Jahnavi built a halfling sword-and-board fighter, and Sanch wanted to play a telepathic snake person so we built her an aberrant mind sorcerer. (I’ll actually make a note of character names next time we play, I didn’t need them so much this time.) I’m looking forward to seeing how the party gels in the first fight, and see what people opt to do going forwards when they meet their main questgiver – 312 the modron! ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/16/how-did-it-go/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Scratching the DM itch</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/09/scratching-the-dm-itch/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/09/scratching-the-dm-itch/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 09 Jul 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[planescape]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[spelljammer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dungeon mastering]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dungeons and dragons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4936</guid> <description><![CDATA[Apologies for my lack of regular updates recently, I’ve been a bit all over with time management for a few weeks. I’m staring down a big chunk of empty evenings to fill, so there will be a return to more regular content here soon. I’ve been thinking recently that it’s about time to jump back … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/09/scratching-the-dm-itch/" class="more-link">Continue reading Scratching the DM itch</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ Apologies for my lack of regular updates recently, I’ve been a bit all over with time management for a few weeks. I’m staring down a big chunk of empty evenings to fill, so there will be a return to more regular content here soon. I’ve been thinking recently that it’s about time to jump back into DMing, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I think I’ve narrowed it down pretty well to Planejamming though… I have an idea for building a longer-running arc, but I want to get the prep in first for people who don’t know the multiverse as well. I think I can do that by running a couple of introductory things, but I’m not entirely sure how to link them together easily. First, to get everyone into the multiversal setting after the necessary Session Zero, I’m thinking of <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/173611/A-Boy-and-his-Modron?affiliate_id=76888">A Boy and his Modron</a>. It’s a neat setup, and leaves a way to travel to my favourite home away from home, Sigil. After that, probably <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/252855/Blue-Alley?affiliate_id=76888">Blue Alley</a> or something similar. I might instead do something from Radiant Citadel, but that’s not there for me to read through yet! For Tier 2, I have the start of my <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2021/06/26/notes-from-a-shelved-dd-campaign/">Dinojammer</a> trilogy, which could take us through the rest of the entire tier and beyond. I just need to ensure that everyone is cool with spiders in Session Zero. Other options are again Radiant Citadel content, maybe something from Candlekeep, or I can rerun some of my pirate adventures on the Plane of Water. I don’t want to plan further than that so that I have a nice cushion for anything unexpected (or expected – waiting on a work transfer). ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/07/09/scratching-the-dm-itch/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Drizzt’s Travelogue of Everything (Volume 1) – a review</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/06/11/drizzts-travelogue-of-everything-volume-1-a-review/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/06/11/drizzts-travelogue-of-everything-volume-1-a-review/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 11 Jun 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[book review]]></category> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dmsguild]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[drizzt]]></category> <category><![CDATA[review]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4926</guid> <description><![CDATA[I asked to review this product and got a free copy. I’m using referral links to it below if anyone wants to give me a few cents from their purchase. Recently released on DMsGuild, Drizzt’s Travelogue bills itself as ‘an astonishing account of rules options for the world’s greatest roleplaying game’. Whilst we are presented … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/06/11/drizzts-travelogue-of-everything-volume-1-a-review/" class="more-link">Continue reading Drizzt’s Travelogue of Everything (Volume 1) – a review</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:50%;"> I asked to review this product and got a free copy. I’m using referral links to it below if anyone wants to give me a few cents from their purchase. Recently released on DMsGuild, <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/399285/Drizzts-Travelogue-of-Everything-Volume-1-PDF?affiliate_id=76888">Drizzt’s Travelogue</a> bills itself as ‘an astonishing account of rules options for the world’s greatest roleplaying game’. Whilst we are presented with options here for both players and DMs, the majority of the book is focused on character options (mostly subclasses, more on that below), but the magic items and tools for dungeon masters are also well thought out. Let’s take a dive into some of the options presented. </div> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:50%;"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Fe6K93S.png" alt="" /></figure> </div> </div> First up, the Tactician – a new class all of its own that is a decent remake of the warlord class from 4th Edition: “Masters of the mind and the battlefield, a tactician embodies the idea that one does not need incredible strength or arcane might to achieve greatness, only a sharp wit and an analytical mind.” I really like what the class brings to the game, and the four different subclasses give a great spread of how the class can play. Relying heavily on preparing for fights and skill use for careful play, I know the class won’t suit every table, but it fills a hole at some. I won’t go into details of every different feature the class offers, but I really suggest you take a look at this product if only for the Tactician and its subclasses. A quick overview – <ul><li>d8 hit dice but only get light armour proficiency – a bit squishier than most clerics, </li><li>proficiency in simple weapons plus a couple of extras – longswords, rapiers, and hand crossbows make the class capable up close and at range, </li><li>a couple of open tool proficiencies, Intelligence and Wisdom saving throw proficiencies, and three skills from an Intelligence- and Wisdom-based list – this fits really nicely with the focus for the class as a master tactician,</li><li>Not included in the blurb for abilities but a class abilities at level one – two additional language proficiencies, and add Intelligence modifier to armour class (super useful for this class).</li></ul> The core ability of the Tactician is called Perfect Plan – a pool of d4s that can be used as a reaction to boost rolls of allies. This can be added to attack and ability rolls at level 1 and saving throws at higher levels, and is replenished on a long rest. After reaching level 2, the pool can be used by the Tactician or allies to boost damage, and an ability similar to a wizard’s arcane recovery brings some spent dice back to the pool once between long rests. From level 14, Tactician’s even gain a bonus reaction that can only be used for their Perfect Plan dice. There’s a lot to be gained by high intelligence and Wisdom scores for the class. At higher levels, an enemy can be ‘analysed’ and disclose its armour class after failing an Intelligence save keyed from the Tactician’s own Intelligence, or successful Wisdom saving throws yield zero damage instead of half (very rogue-y but with a twist, I like it). The different subclasses available, called a Strategic Focus here, make the class feel different for the different play styles with just small tweaks. <ul><li>The Grandmaster gains proficiency in multiple gaming tools (of course), can move allies using reactions in place of the Tactician’s own movement (of course), bonus armour class against the target of your analysis, and handy counterattacks.</li><li>The Mentalist gains proficiency in two Charisma-based skills, has a chance to drop an effect on an enemy under analysis that mimics the bane spell, and later they are able to goad enemies to attack the Tactician’s target of choice, or make Intelligence (investigation) checks as a bonus action, and upgrade that bane spell to also deal psychic damage with all successful attacks against the creature.</li><li>The Scholar is the spellcasting variant of the Tactician, in a similar vein to the eldritch knight fighter and arcane trickster rogue. Using the wizard spell list and focussing on divination and transmutation magic, the subclass can use spell damage to trigger some of the base class features, or add extra spell damage, or increase allies’ spell saving throw DCs using the Perfect Plan pool.</li><li>The War Mind is the fighting upgrade for the Tactician. Between access to medium armour and martial weapons, a fighting style, and later an extra attack, this is the style I most associate with the warlord from 4th Edition (whether that’s an accurate assessment or not – this subclass is a warlord!) At higher levels, giving bonuses to saving throws, armour class or damage is the nature of the class.</li></ul> Am I entirely happy with the class? No, not exactly. The capstone ability is ridiculously powerful – advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws, and disadvantage on all attacks made against the Tactician. I’d have made this situational or keyed it off the Perfect Plan pool somehow. Of course, I’m not the person that built or playtested this class, so it might work fantastically with just d4s. A handful of the abilities on offer to the subclasses seems quite powerful too, but even scaling them back in number of uses per long rest would fix them in my eyes – there’s nothing wrong with the abilities themselves! Next up – subclasses for all thirteen of the other official classes in D&D. I won’t go into details on all of these, or even name them all, because there are two or three for each class. That said, my highlights are: <ul><li>The Mechanic artificer because the art of a half-orc riding a motorcycle with glowing wheels is magnificent and I immediately wanted to make one. The class features are pretty nifty too (ramming speed you say?)</li><li>The College of Wordsmiths bard is a lightly disguised battle rapper with a little emphasis on the battle – they get access to all wizard spells of the evocation school.</li><li>The Chaos Domain cleric is a cousin to the wild magic sorcerer and has its own Divine Chaos table to roll on for strange results.</li><li>The Way of Redirection monk has abilities called ‘Anything is a Weapon’ and ‘Parkour’ (sadly no exclamation point) are fun, but proficiency in improvised weapons and eventually every improvised weapon having a ranged attack option is just an interesting use of the rules to me.</li><li>The Oath of the Many paladin has the ability to share skill, weapon, language or tool proficiencies with a willing target for an hour, both borrowing them and giving them.</li><li>The Agitator rogue has improvised weapon proficiency much like the monk above, but also adds the finesse property to those weapons. Which seems… terrifying to me.</li><li>The Fate warlock has some interesting interactions with Tarokka decks, such as giving advantage or disadvantage on attacks, or later casting polymorph or phantasmal killer.</li><li>The Planar Weaving wizard (possibly my favourite subclass of them all, hashtag Planescape for Life) gets passive and active abilities based on the various Planes of Existence noted in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. These passive abilities could be bonus languages (celestial, infernal, aquan etc), telepathy, a fly speed, or something equally interesting. There are options for damage resistances, changing damage type of spells, immediately halting nearby teleportation, or making charm effects you cast more difficult to avoid.</li></ul> Some real gems in the subclasses, I don’t think I’d change much about any of them, and I’m eager to find a DM who will let me try some of them out. We’re done with character options now and move on to Magic Items. Again, I’ll just focus on the highlights. <ul><li> The Backpack of Flying is something I’ve built versions of myself. I really like how it’s been done here – 5 charges that get used on a bonus action, move 50 ft in a straight line in any direction. FUN!</li><li>A Coin of Enhanced Luck can only be attuned to by a halfling or someone with the Lucky feat and gives some bonuses on using lucky abilities once per long rest. I know a lot of people seem to have issues with the various lucky abilities, but this is a solid addition to them.</li><li>What do you call a heavy crossbow that conjures bolts of radiant damage? A Dawnbolter. It’s a +2 weapon too, I like it.</li><li>The Empowering Orb is perhaps my favourite in the section – it’s a hamster ball with a terrifying, glowing-eyed hamster included. You can set the hamster loose, have it run 30 feet and then roll on the Wild Magic Surge table, and it keeps going until the hamster gets tired (determined by a die roll). This item is going in my next treasure hoard.</li><li>The Ghost Robe lets you walk through obstacles as if they were difficult terrain. Those obstacles include people and walls.</li><li>Lenses of Darkness allow the wearer to see through both non-magical and magical darkness, and give advantage on saving throws vs blinding effects. They come with a sunlight sensitivity drawback though.</li><li>The Nascent Forest is a +1 spear that can be tapped on the ground to create saplings that lift the user up 5 feet into the air. They can also be uprooted and turn into +1 javelins. There’s a reason this +1 weapon is very rare!</li><li>The Rear Guard is a +1 longbow that alerts the wielder to the location of ranged attackers when they make an attack. You can also stop an arrow fired from it mid-flight for a range of purposes. It’s a fun idea and one I might steal for a game.</li><li>The Storm Lord’s Charm is also a fun one. Whenever you deal lightning damage to a target, deal an additional 1d8 lightning to a target adjacent to them.</li><li>Another one I’ve built in a different edition of D&D – the Torch of Shadows emits a radius of darkness instead of light.</li></ul> The last section deals with Dungeon Master Tools. There’s some fun stuff in here too. The section on creature domestication gives some rules for things that a lot of players already love to do – collect creatures they find on their adventures. From performing monkeys to wolves to mimics, there’s ideas here on how to limit power creep as well as make the domestication an investment of time. I want to test out the rules here myself and see how well they work in play. The section on intrigue and mystery in play gives DMs help and ideas for how to run this type of game, how to dole out clues, how to negotiate istead of run in guns (swords) blazing, and even includes some fantastic random tables for who, what, when, where, why and how statements to build the plots and several to build NPCs. Rolling 6d8 I get the following: a djinn, a betrayal, dawn, a business, greed, in the study with the candlestick. I can build a quick plot off that alright, and think of some ways to misdirect if necessary. Rolling 1d100, 1d20 and another 1d100 I get the following: big jacket, overemphasises ‘s’ sounds, arrogant. OK, so there’s something, let’s see – a arrogant and overbearing noble in business with an unassuming partner gets greedy. He has a djinn kill the business partner in their study with a candlestick – killing them inside a locked room early in the morning. Now it’s up to the adventurers to thwart their large jacketed opponent by negotiating with the djinn when it comes to attck them and keep them off the case. Why the large jacket? The noble is a secret Yuan-ti with extra arms or something! The section on reskinning monsters gives lightweight advise on tweaking monsters that is especially useful to those that don’t build a lot of homebrew creations or are experiencing difficult metagaming players for the first time and want to make some necessary changes. No solid rules here, it’s all advice and it’s all great. The section on revising the shopping and business downtime activities has some interesting ideas that I need to check up on. Changes for buying and selling magic items are written because of easy ways to abuse the economy in downtime activities to buy low and sell high on most magic items (who is spending downtime to do this? I didn’t even know it was a thing!) Changes to the business activity include modifying the results of die rolls based on previous complications, investing into the business for benefit, or using shrewd roleplay decisions to further aid the business downtime activity. Finally, the section on traps as stories and encounters throws the one-skill-check-and-done trap out of the window and adds dynamic events, countermeasures and initiative counts to trap resolution. I really like that they’re set out with suggested tier and party levels to give an idea of the design goals of each trap example, as well as the options for modifying the trap encounter in simple or not so simple ways – the planar trap has options for changing the effect of drawing player characters towards damage-dealing planar rifts to restraining tentacles, fleeing in terror after failing Wisdom saving throws, or gaining blindness and exhaustion conditions after failing Constitution saving throws. All very fun and thematic for the different planes of existence. So, there you have it. I thoroughly recommend you pick this up for some of the great design on show, the DMs Options and plenty of magic items worth using. This is a really well designed book, my wondering about the Tactician aside (I’ll have to just try it in play and see how it works!) <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/399285/Drizzts-Travelogue-of-Everything-Volume-1-PDF?affiliate_id=76888">Drizzt’s Travelogue is on DMsGuild now</a> for just under $20 for the pdf and is also <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/396439/Drizzts-Travelogue-of-Everything-Volume-1?affiliate_id=76888">available in print for $40 in hardcover and $28 softcover</a>. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/06/11/drizzts-travelogue-of-everything-volume-1-a-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://i.imgur.com/Fe6K93S.png" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Uncaged Goddesses – a review</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/28/uncaged-goddesses-a-review/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/28/uncaged-goddesses-a-review/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 28 May 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[book review]]></category> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[adventure]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[high level adventures]]></category> <category><![CDATA[review]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[uncaged]]></category> <category><![CDATA[uncaged goddesses]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4837</guid> <description><![CDATA[I’ve been trying to finish off this review for a few weeks now, seems like I could never find the time. Read below a few reasons you should pick up this product on DMsGuild now! The new installment in the Uncaged series for D&D, Uncaged Goddesses, has been released, and it’s fantastic! The Uncaged series … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/28/uncaged-goddesses-a-review/" class="more-link">Continue reading Uncaged Goddesses – a review</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I’ve been trying to finish off this review for a few weeks now, seems like I could never find the time. Read below a few reasons you should pick up this product on DMsGuild now! <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:50%;"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg"><img width="791" height="1023" data-attachment-id="4911" data-permalink="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/28/uncaged-goddesses-a-review/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett/" data-orig-file="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg" data-orig-size="3825,4950" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=232" data-large-file="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=656" src="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=791" alt="" class="wp-image-4911" srcset="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=791 791w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=1582 1582w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=116 116w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=232 232w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 791px) 100vw, 791px" /></a><figcaption>Uncaged: Goddesses Cover Art: Artist: Gwen Bassett (@gwendybee) Cover Layout: David Markiwsky (@DavidMarkiwsky)</figcaption></figure> </div> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:50%;"> The new installment in the Uncaged series for D&D, <a href="http://dmsguild.com/product/382873/Uncaged-Goddesses?affiliate_id=76888">Uncaged Goddesses</a>, has been released, and it’s fantastic! The Uncaged series began in 2019 with an anthology centered on female monsters and building adventures around the concept that they were misunderstood and not evil. After four volumes of monster, a new project team has released Uncaged Goddesses, which focuses on various deities usually thought of as neutral or evil in alignment. And every adventure is for Tier 4 play, meaning they cover the levels not usually catered for by other published products. I don’t know enough about the high-level games of D&D to write my own adventures in that space. I have ideas but I’ve never been able to flesh them out as I’ve rarely reached past 12th level in any edition I’ve run or played (with the exception of an all barbarian 20th level one-shot Pathfinder game, which was just repeated Conan jokes and I can’t remember if we finished or not). </div> </div> With that in mind, I came at my review of <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/382873/Uncaged-Goddesses?affiliate_id=76888">Uncaged Goddesses</a> as a masterclass in how to build these adventures, and what to do. When I write adventures, I have a habit of going too deep into details and becoming verbose and overly elaborate. These adventures give a solid background and flesh out characters enough that they’re tangible, without being too detailed and not allowing the person running them to shine with their own talents. They taught me how to do better and with some great examples for variation too. Before I outline some of the adventures, I’m going to talk about the part of the product I read first – character options, or at least the character pre-gens to give you something to play if you don’t already have a high-level character. I really enjoyed reading all of the different characters, and seeing how the race and class abilities had been carefully constructed to be fun to play both in and out of combat. A quick rundown of all the options – a stout halfling battle master specializing in polearms, an aasimar grave domain cleric trying to escape their family’s necromantic past, a human arcane trickster who studied at Candlekeep but can’t stand academia, a goliath divination wizard that uses their telekinetic powers to make sure everyone has cocoa, a drow stars druid who can communicate telepathically and is a paid-up member of the cartographer’s guild, a mountain dwarf lore bard that plays a mean ukulele, a half-orc redemption paladin loved by the common folks, and a tabaxi fiend tomelock who is as happy fighting monsters in a dungeon as performing in a theatre troupe. You can probably tell I have a few favourites from the descriptions, but I don’t think there’s a character among them that I wouldn’t want to play. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-4 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:100%;"> <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow"> Now on to the adventures. I realised after reading that a lot of my favourites were the stricter dungeon crawls, but there were one or two that I just loved for their conceptual bravery – traveling through time to meet Lolth before she becomes a spider goddess, infiltrating a party thrown by Loviatar where the characters’ secrets are laid bare, or the Alice in Wonderland walrus making an appearance in the dreams of an elf girl with a connection to the Raven Queen. The maternal instincts of the various goddesses were also a great highlight for several adventures – Auril grieving over a fallen daughter, the beholderspawn of the Great Mother needing guidance out from a plane of eyes and teeth (and more eyes and more teeth, and yet more eyes…), Luthic taking time away from the horrible relationship she has with Gruumsh but at great cost to her orc children, and lobster-headed Blibdoolpoolp trying to help the kuo-toa at any cost to herself (my favourite adventure in the book). There are 21 adventures in the book, with 18 taking place in the Forgotten Realms or planes attached to it, and the remaining 3 in Eberron, Ravenloft, and Theros. Not mentioned above are fixing the Weave and the goddess Mystra, playing elaborate games with the Red Knight, attending a feywild party at the home of the Queen of Air and Darkness, or meeting up with Tiamat in the Hells. </div> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png"><img width="780" height="1023" data-attachment-id="4917" data-permalink="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/28/uncaged-goddesses-a-review/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti/" data-orig-file="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png" data-orig-size="1200,1575" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=229" data-large-file="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=656" src="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=780" alt="" class="wp-image-4917" srcset="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=780 780w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=114 114w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=229 229w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=768 768w, https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></a><figcaption>Uncaged: Goddesses Interior Art: Great Mother (Spot art – beholders) – Artist: Cecilia Nesti (@janedoe2971)</figcaption></figure> </div> </div> </div> </div> <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/382873/Uncaged-Goddesses?affiliate_id=76888">Uncaged Goddesses</a> has only just left the top 10 products on DMsGuild after several months, is available in both digital and print, and most importantly is currently reduced in price as part of the <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/promo.php?filters=0_0_0_0_0_0_0_0_1000008&affiliate_id=76888">Monsters of the Guildverse sale. </a> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/28/uncaged-goddesses-a-review/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_cover_gwenbassett.jpg?w=791" medium="image" /> <media:content url="https://jotjotiota.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/uncagedgoddesses_greatmother_cecilianesti.png?w=780" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Adventure seed – twilight caverns</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/14/adventure-seed-twilight-caverns/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/14/adventure-seed-twilight-caverns/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 14 May 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[fantasy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[twilight]]></category> <category><![CDATA[underground adventure]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4900</guid> <description><![CDATA[I have another idea for an adventure brewing, although currently it’s pretty early days. I was thinking about the caverns in the Elder Scrolls games, and how they’re never entirely pitch black despite being deep underground. There’s always a useful beam of light or small, high gap in a ceiling – never mid the inhabited … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/14/adventure-seed-twilight-caverns/" class="more-link">Continue reading Adventure seed – twilight caverns</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I have another idea for an adventure brewing, although currently it’s pretty early days. I was thinking about the caverns in the Elder Scrolls games, and how they’re never entirely pitch black despite being deep underground. There’s always a useful beam of light or small, high gap in a ceiling – never mid the inhabited caves that have torches and sconces. My idea for the twilight caves is to have them filled with a magical twilight that means creatures can see, but everyone sees in black and white and shades of grey, regardless of darkvision abilities (except warlocks with the Devil’s Sight ability, because warlocks). So far I’m thinking some kind of altar consecrated to twilight, maybe fill the place with shades and shadows, and normal cave creatures like darkmantles and ropers. I might try and develop a twilight dragon but that seems like a lot of work – I might just use some kind of evil or undead creature (or maybe a fey?) some features from the twilight cleric domain. Hopefully having the location be caverns means they can be dropped into multiple settings with little adjustment, and can benefit more groups to make their adventures there. Now I just need some plot hooks to drop in, and maybe a map… ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/14/adventure-seed-twilight-caverns/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>5e creature idea – living weather</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/07/5e-creature-idea-living-weather/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/07/5e-creature-idea-living-weather/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 07 May 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[living breath weapon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[living spell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[living weather]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4893</guid> <description><![CDATA[Eberron has living spells, magical emanations that have somehow gained sentience through some strange arcane twist, and now roam the landscape causing mayhem. I’ve seen suggestions of living breath weapons having the same twist – dragon’s breath that’s gained a will of its own, and now travels about causing mischief. I’ve been watching some old … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/07/5e-creature-idea-living-weather/" class="more-link">Continue reading 5e creature idea – living weather</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ Eberron has living spells, magical emanations that have somehow gained sentience through some strange arcane twist, and now roam the landscape causing mayhem. I’ve seen suggestions of living breath weapons having the same twist – dragon’s breath that’s gained a will of its own, and now travels about causing mischief. I’ve been watching some old episodes of Star Trek recently, and after a particular moment, I was reminded of an idea I shelved a good few months ago – living weather. Someone invariably lands or crashes on a planet/planetoid and somehow sudden weather changes occur all around them, often localized and causing issues only for them (and their compatriots unable to use the transporters to beam them out). It happens across a few episodes, but the one I was particularly watching was from the season2 episode of Star Trek Voyager called Tattoo. Now, yes this weather could be an emanation of a nearby draconic lair or an ability of a powerful elemental, but what if that sudden change to the weather was intelligent somehow? It knows enough to do the things its particular weather pattern would do, but extremely locally. Can it be attacked other than with magic, or is this something that needs to be spoken to and bargained with? I like the idea of a couple of small spinning balls of air harassing adventurers – let’s call them a swarm of gusts, that try to disorient their targets or at least cause a bit of nuisance for the fun of it. At more dangerous levels, there’s a full storm that only takes up a cube 20 feet to a side, but deals bludgeoning damage from debris and lightning damage from sparks of electricity. Snowstorms are just as easy, but can a heatwave be used as living weather though? Is an intense summer day capable of being weaponized to such a degree it becomes an encounter for an adventuring party to deal with? I want to say probably, but it’s going to take a bit more of an effort to build the creatures up and see what they should do. On the plus side, I think I have just the right place to put them once I’ve built them… ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/05/07/5e-creature-idea-living-weather/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Oops accidentally all robots</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/30/oops-accidentally-all-robots/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/30/oops-accidentally-all-robots/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 30 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[b1g113]]></category> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[oops]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[seeker]]></category> <category><![CDATA[star wars]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4887</guid> <description><![CDATA[I’ve mentioned recently that I’m playing a warforged artificer in an Eberron game. I’ve also recently gotten the chance to finally play the Fantasy Flight version of Star Wars. I went in not knowing very much about the game, I’ve only played a couple of sessions and I still don’t really understand the different symbols … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/30/oops-accidentally-all-robots/" class="more-link">Continue reading Oops accidentally all robots</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I’ve mentioned recently that <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/16/seeker-warforged-battle-smith/">I’m playing a warforged artificer in an Eberron game</a>. I’ve also recently gotten the chance to finally play the Fantasy Flight version of Star Wars. I went in not knowing very much about the game, I’ve only played a couple of sessions and I still don’t really understand the different symbols on the dice (why are they all so same-y? Whose idea was that?!), but I’ve also accidentally done something with the game. I’m playing a droid, who happens to be an engineer… And a former soldier, because I liked the B1 droids from the Prequel Trilogy as a model to build from (and I didn’t want to keep saying “beep boop” to everything). So yeah, accidentally made two engineer robots for roleplaying games at about the same time. I think I’ll lean into a soldier/criminal role for B1-G113 (I know, I should have gone B1-LD because he builds things…), whilst Seeker is going magical engineer/priest of a new god I think. They should end up with very different vibes. I’ll give more of a review of Star Wars once I get a better handle on the system and we do more than wander a town on Tattooine bargaining with jawas. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/30/oops-accidentally-all-robots/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>So… Spelljammer confirmed!</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/23/so-spelljammer-confirmed/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/23/so-spelljammer-confirmed/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[spelljammer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4883</guid> <description><![CDATA[I think many people will be aware by now that D&D In Space (TM) is on the way in August. I’m very excited about the prospect. I’ve spoken before about my desire to run a Spelljammer game in 5e for a while and having official rules so I don’t have to hack together and homebrew … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/23/so-spelljammer-confirmed/" class="more-link">Continue reading So… Spelljammer confirmed!</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I think many people will be aware by now that D&D In Space (TM) is on the way in August. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex"> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow"> I’m very excited about the prospect. I’ve spoken before about <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2020/09/22/spelljammer-random-tables/">my desire to run a Spelljammer game in 5e</a> for a while and having official rules so I don’t have to hack together and homebrew stuff will be useful. That said, I’m still unsure about the current iteration, and probably will be until I see the rules myself. The fact it’s a box set of multiple books does appeal to me though, and feels very classic Spelljammer! At the moment, I think I’m most excited to see which parts of Spelljammer and the Radiant Crystal adventure collection work well together, along with what the new races bring to the game (4 arms, they bring viable rules for 4 arms that have been better playtested than any I could come up with. And I’ve been trying!). So yes, very excited for giant space hamsters and spaceship combat (and to a lesser degree, the WizKids models, because they’d help a lot with inter-ship warfare). </div> <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.liveforfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/spelljammer-book.jpeg" alt="" /></figure> </div> </div> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/23/so-spelljammer-confirmed/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://www.liveforfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/spelljammer-book.jpeg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Seeker, warforged battle smith</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/16/seeker-warforged-battle-smith/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/16/seeker-warforged-battle-smith/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[eberron]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[seeker]]></category> <category><![CDATA[warforged]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4877</guid> <description><![CDATA[As I mentioned last week, I’ve finally got to make a warforged character for an Eberron game, and only 18 or so years after buying the original campaign setting book when it arrived in 2004… Anyway, here’s a bit about Seeker. Any tips and recommendations are more than welcome! Seeker, level 3 warforged battlesmith.Chaotic neutral, … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/16/seeker-warforged-battle-smith/" class="more-link">Continue reading Seeker, warforged battle smith</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ As I mentioned last week, I’ve finally got to make a warforged character for an Eberron game, and only 18 or so years after buying the original campaign setting book when it arrived in 2004… Anyway, here’s a bit about Seeker. Any tips and recommendations are more than welcome! Seeker, level 3 warforged battlesmith. Chaotic neutral, they/them AC 18, Spd 30 ft., hitpoints 27 STR 8 (-1) DEX 13 (+1) CON 14 (+2) INT 17 (+3) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 10 (0) Saves: STR -1 DEX +1 CON +4 INT +5 WIS +1 CHA +0 Damage resistances: poison Skills: Arcana +5, Athletics +1, Insight +3, Investigation +5, Perception +3 Proficiencies: Alchemist’s supplies, leatherworker’s tools, smith’s tools, thieve’s tools, tinker’s tools, vehicles (land) Languages: Common, Goblin, TBD Spellbook: Cantrips: booming blade, mending Level 1: heroism, shield, absorb elements, alarm, cure wounds, detect magic, faerie fire, grease, identify, sanctuary, tasha’s caustic breew Infusions: Enhanced defense, enhanced weapon, homonculous servant, repeating shot Attacks: Warhammer (enhanced weapon), melee attack +6, 1d8+3 bludgeoning Light crossbow (repeating shot), ranged attack +6, 1d8+3 piercing Other class features: Magical tinkering, spellcasting, ritual casting, infuse item, the right tool for the right job, battle ready, steel defender Background: Soldier Personality traits: Nothing can shake my optimistic attitude. I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick. Ideals: Freedom. Everyone should be free to pursue their own livelihood. (Chaotic) People. I’m committed to the people I care about, not to ideals. (Neutral) Nation. My people are all that matter. (Any) Bonds: I want to find my mentor, who disappeared on an expedition some time ago. My honor is my life. Flaws: When given the choice of going left or right, I always go left. I often misread emotional cues. Seeker is a towering robot close to seven feet tall, heavy with metal and hardwood. Faint lights in his green glass eyes almost resemble a pupil. He usually travels with the glyph on his forehead partially covered. Pooky, steel defender Medium construct, she/her AC 15, speed 40 ft., hitpoints 20 Saves: DEX +3, CON +4 Skills: Athletics +4, Perception +4 Damage immunities: poison Condition immunities: charmed, exhaustion, poisoned Senses: darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 14 Vigilant: can’t be surprised Actions: Force-empowered Rend, melee attack +3, 1d8+2 force damage. Repair (3/day) restores 2d8+2 hitpoints to itself or another construct within 5 feet. Reactions: Deflect attack, imposes disadvantage on an attack roll of one creature against a creature that isn’t the steel defender. Pooky is a strange hybrid of a baboon and lion. She has no obvious facial features but a large maw of sharp teeth opens in the center of her mane of sensory wires. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/16/seeker-warforged-battle-smith/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Keeping on top of things</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/09/keeping-on-top-of-things/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/09/keeping-on-top-of-things/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[eberron]]></category> <category><![CDATA[missing in action]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4873</guid> <description><![CDATA[In recent months, I’ve been pretty bad at keeping to my regular weekly updates. I’m hoping to get back on track shortly when I have a bit more time, but after heading back to the office at the start of the year, I’ve lost a lot of my free time to commuting! There’s a lot … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/09/keeping-on-top-of-things/" class="more-link">Continue reading Keeping on top of things</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ In recent months, I’ve been pretty bad at keeping to my regular weekly updates. I’m hoping to get back on track shortly when I have a bit more time, but after heading back to the office at the start of the year, I’ve lost a lot of my free time to commuting! There’s a lot of reading and writing happening in the background when I have a bit of time to do it. I’m still working on a handful of different projects and I’ve just signed on to what will be my first Kickstarter, once we get going. We’re still very much in the early planning phase, just testing the waters and getting to know each other on the team whilst we collaborate on where to go for each of our individual bits of writing. The team is fantastic, and when I have a proper thing to set up the announcement, I definitely will. All a bit super-secret at the moment. Very tasty though! I’ll try to post up some actual content next week – I’ve finally got the chance to play an Eberron game, so of course, I’m going all-in on a warforged artificer for my first dip in the setting! ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/04/09/keeping-on-top-of-things/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>End of the Carnival, Start of Something New</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/26/end-of-the-carnival-start-of-something-new/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/26/end-of-the-carnival-start-of-something-new/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 26 Mar 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beyond the witchlight]]></category> <category><![CDATA[character creation issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[character options]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[eberron]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4865</guid> <description><![CDATA[I joined an online game of Wild Beyond the Witchight with players in my locality a few months back. We recently made the switch back to in-person games, and it’s been a little rough. Our DM has decided he wants to take a step back, potentially forever. My harengon archfey tomelock will have to sit … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/26/end-of-the-carnival-start-of-something-new/" class="more-link">Continue reading End of the Carnival, Start of Something New</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I joined an online game of Wild Beyond the Witchight with players in my locality a few months back. We recently made the switch back to in-person games, and it’s been a little rough. Our DM has decided he wants to take a step back, potentially forever. My harengon archfey tomelock will have to sit and wait in Thither until we maybe pick the game back up. Instead, one of the other players has decided it’s her turn to run a game. She’d had plans to busy out Eberron-flavoured goodness once we finished up Witchlight, so she’s not just moving forward a few months early. All I know so far is we’ll be starting out in the Lhazaar Principalities, which I remember from my barely-touched 3rd edition Eberron guide is a coastal area/island group off the coast of Khorvaire. I’m weighing up my options (and I have a while, we won’t be starting for another fortnight). I think I’ll either rebuild my battlesmith/eldritch knight character and make him House Cannith, or… This seems like a great opportunity to play a warforged artificer? In which case either build a pure battlesmith or armourer. I need to reread some rules to figure it all out. I did just learn that Eberron creator Keith Baker says that warforged can definitely manifest aberrant dragonmarks somehow, so maybe I’ll have some fun with that! ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/26/end-of-the-carnival-start-of-something-new/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Unearthed Arcana – Heroes of Krynn</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/12/unearthed-arcana-heroes-of-krynn/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/12/unearthed-arcana-heroes-of-krynn/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dragonlance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[krynn]]></category> <category><![CDATA[player options]]></category> <category><![CDATA[playtest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4851</guid> <description><![CDATA[Apologies for the break last week, I’ve been ill! The Dragonlance novels, and D&D adventures, all took place in the world of Krynn. Now that Wizards is finally addressing this missing setting for 5e (hey, the new novel line is important enough for a public lawsuit, so they’d better get their acts together soon…), it … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/12/unearthed-arcana-heroes-of-krynn/" class="more-link">Continue reading Unearthed Arcana – Heroes of Krynn</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ Apologies for the break last week, I’ve been ill! The Dragonlance novels, and D&D adventures, all took place in the world of Krynn. Now that Wizards is finally addressing this missing setting for 5e (hey, the new novel line is important enough for a public lawsuit, so they’d better get their acts together soon…), it makes sense they’d release <a href="https://media.wizards.com/2022/dnd/downloads/UA2022HeroesofKrynn.pdf">a playtest of some of the material for it</a>. Now, I’m a lot more at home with the <a href="https://media.wizards.com/2021/dnd/downloads/UA2021_TravelersoftheMultiverse.pdf">Multiverse playtest packet</a> they put out last year. That’s my jam. Dragonlance and Krynn aren’t places I’ve ever been too interested in. But I’d like to see what new ideas and rules they bring to the table. The playtest packet includes one race, the Kender, one subclass, the Lunar Sorcerer, two backgrounds, the Knight of Solamnia and the Mage of High Sorcery, and a selection of feats that build off the backgrounds. The Kender are Dragonlance halflings. That’s all I understand them as. Instead of having the luck ability in the same way as a halfling, they are lucky in that they find random items about their person – trinkets, adventuring equipment, a little cash, and so on. They also have a taunt ability that looks fun and is pretty flavourful for how annoying I’ve always understood the race to be – it gives disadvantage to an opponent’s attack rolls, all of them. The Lunar Magic sorcerer sounds like a lot of fun, but I’ve seen a lot of discussion over the last few days that it’s a pretty powerful build. They get sacred flame as a bonus cantrip and the special ability that it can hit two adjacent targets at once instead of just one. This is similar to the Grave Domain cleric getting a special version of toll the dead. They can also switch around to different phases of the moon to get different bonus spells after a long rest – choosing from full moon, crescent moon, and new moon abilities (but not gibbous?). I live the variability of the subclass, and it has a similar flavour to the features of an Eladrin – actually, I’d love to play an Eladrin Lunar Sorcerer and see what kind of different combinations that throws up! Later on, they get the ability to lower sorcery point cost on certain spells depending on school and which phase they’re in or spend sorcery points to switch phases quickly. The backgrounds are also more powerful than those presented in the Player’s Handbook since they give normal-looking background features but also a feat on top. The knight background looks a lot like the noble and the mage looks like the acolyte. To get a better idea of the power difference, we’d need to examine the feats. First of all, the mage feats! Initiate of High Sorcery sees you pick a particular moon and gain bonus spells and cantrips based on that. The choice is between red moon, white moon, or black moon. Following on from that, there are feats to further your arcane studies, based on robe colour – Adept of the Black Robes, Adept of the Red Robes, and Adept of the White Robes. In brief, black gets to spend Hit Dice to increase spell damage in certain scenarios, red gets to treat certain rolls of 9 or less as 10s a limited number of times, and white can create wards to lessen damage taken by allies by expending spell slots. There are alignment restrictions, but it looks like you could be an Initiate of High Sorcery and take the black moon option, then become an Adept of the White or Red Robes, if you really wanted to. Knight feats! Squire of Solamnia gives a character armour and weapon proficiencies they might be missing, advantage to avoid falling from a mount, and a way to give allies advantage on saving throws once per long rest. This feat also opens up three different feats – Knight of the Crown, Knight of the Rose and Knight of the Sword. Knight of the Crown boost Strength or Dexterity by 1 and gives a way to throw allies advantage on attack rolls (that seems to replace a flanking mechanic if it’s in use, or creates it if not in use?), Knight of the Rose gives a boost Constitution or Charisma by 1 and throw temporary hitpoints at allies when initiative is rolled, and Knight of the Sword gives Intelligence or Wisdom or Charisma saving throw proficiency and a way to spend a Hit Die to up a failed save for the character or an ally once per long rest. Bonus divine feats! Divinely Favoured gives a character thaumaturgy and a 1st-level spell based on their alignment. It gives access to Divine Communication, which gives a character access to augury and commune and has a neat 1d4 long rests between free castings of them. So, what’s the main takeaway? Alignment matters in some ways for Krynn at least (which might lead nicely into a Planescape revision for 5e…), backgrounds with access to feats seem fun and feel a bit like the free feats at character creation in 3rd edition, and I want to play a lunar sorcerer. I think I agree with the feeling that this playtest packet at least ups the power level somewhat for low-level characters, but there are some nice flavorful moments packed in as well – lunar sorcerers with eyes that change phases with the moons in the sky, for one. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/03/12/unearthed-arcana-heroes-of-krynn/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>A D&D Reward Chart</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/26/a-dd-reward-chart/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/26/a-dd-reward-chart/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 26 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rewards]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4843</guid> <description><![CDATA[We recently picked up a sticker reward chart for our toddler, hoping that it would help motivate him to tidy up after himself, brush his teeth, and take medicine. So far the allure of shiny Paw Patrol stickers is all we’ve needed to get some more willingness from him for those activities (playing All I … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/26/a-dd-reward-chart/" class="more-link">Continue reading A D&D Reward Chart</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ We recently picked up a sticker reward chart for our toddler, hoping that it would help motivate him to tidy up after himself, brush his teeth, and take medicine. So far the allure of shiny Paw Patrol stickers is all we’ve needed to get some more willingness from him for those activities (playing All I Eat Is Pizza by Koo Koo Kangaroo whilst we tidy is also a must, for some reason). It got me thinking a bit about rewards in D&D. Rewarding good roleplaying or fun ideas has always been important, and with 5e there’s even the Inspiration mechanic to pass definitive rewards out to players. The thing is, it’s not the most specific thing to implement. A lot of the time a good description of an attempt at something might warrant giving advantage on a specific die roll, or instant success. Sometimes banking that inspiration just doesn’t feel right. Plenty of people have talked about group inspiration or multiple tokens, and then it starts to bleed into the FATE system a bit. I have no problem with this, but I wondered if there wasn’t something better to be done with it as a concept. So, what would a D&D reward chart look like? Instead of stickers, hand out inspiration or bonus XP, or a similar reward. We’ll call these ‘cool points’ for want of a better description. They’re earned by making the game cooler by roleplaying, by being a cool player and making the other players laugh, or by some other act that enforces the Rule of Cool in some way. At certain numbers of cool points earned, there needs to be a bigger reward. A critical hit to be banked for later, or a legendary saving throw to be used once (since the description always says ‘can choose to’). Finding a magic item that’s too perfect for the character in the next treasure hoard also works, and wouldn’t be too game-breaking if done right. Similarly, free feats or draconic gifts, signature spells, or epic boons could be on offer. What other rewards would you add to a chart like this? Is it too much admin for a DM? ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/26/a-dd-reward-chart/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Adventurous Locales</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/19/adventurous-locales/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/19/adventurous-locales/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 19 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[discworld]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[edge of forever]]></category> <category><![CDATA[oversigil]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[spelljammer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the fold]]></category> <category><![CDATA[treasure planet]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4826</guid> <description><![CDATA[I’ve been trying to come up with some more interesting places to stick adventures, similar to Sigil in scope though not purpose. My City of Sunsets post sort of inspired this, as did all of my digging into Sigil (such as most recently) and other planar locations. I need to hash out the ideas a … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/19/adventurous-locales/" class="more-link">Continue reading Adventurous Locales</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I’ve been trying to come up with some more interesting places to stick adventures, similar to Sigil in scope though not purpose. My <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2021/09/04/adventurous-locale-the-city-of-sunsets/">City of Sunsets</a> post sort of inspired this, as did all of my digging into Sigil (<a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/12/quirks-of-a-city-at-the-centre-of-the-planes/">such as most recently</a>) and <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2021/04/21/planar-adventuring-a-sigil-for-the-inner-planes/">other planar locations</a>. I need to hash out the ideas a bot, but here are three quick previews: The City on the Edge of Forever: This one is a Spelljammer– and Discworld-influenced idea, but could still be a planar location. Jutting out from the edge of a flat world into the void of Wildspace, the city is made up of old ships lashed together to form a long dock with a sort of Disney’s Treasure Planet vibe to it. Big presence from the Elven Navy, but it’s essentially a freeport. The flat world it’s attached to is empty of life and long since harvested of all its resources, though there’s probably room for dungeons and lots vaults and stuff out in its wastelands too. I liked the idea of the real power behind the place being the last natives of the world, but I haven’t decided who they should be or what’s really going on. The Fold. I think I’d base this one in a Material Plane somewhere. Someone (probably a wizard) has worked out a way to fold a large area into a pocket dimension, leaving behind an empty waste that over time is retaken by nature, or other settlers arriving. Technically, it still exists in the same place, and can be accessed by various means via hidden doors or methods, or more likely by malfunctioning magic items – bags of holding and similar items open into The Fold instead of their usual pockets of item storage. Oversigil. I’ve written previously about <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2021/02/27/touts-guide-to-undersigil/">Undersigil</a>, that place that connects most to the undergrounds of various worlds, but also contains as varied a society as the streets of Sigil too. Unsurprisingly, Oversigil is the idea of streets above the streets, networks of planks crossing alleyways and corridors through abandoned dwellings that in a Material World might serve a group of thieves or a guild of assassins, but in Sigil serve as just another way to get around the street. Like Undersigil, you won’t find folk being carried around in a hired sedan chair, instead everyone walks themselves to where they’re going. Those with the jink to spare can hire a sedan down in the streets, and those with a lot of jink can buy themselves a magic broom, flying carpet or other flying contraption to fly up above Oversigil and avoid all the traffic. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/19/adventurous-locales/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Quirks of a City at the Centre of the Planes</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/12/quirks-of-a-city-at-the-centre-of-the-planes/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/12/quirks-of-a-city-at-the-centre-of-the-planes/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 12 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[planescape]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4823</guid> <description><![CDATA[I’ve been thinking a bit about how being at the centre of everything might affect Sigil, specifically how cosmopolitan it might get. A lot of big cities in the real world have established ethnic communities and imported cuisine, chances for fusion cooking, and unique ways of doing things like architecture, art, customs or even laws … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/12/quirks-of-a-city-at-the-centre-of-the-planes/" class="more-link">Continue reading Quirks of a City at the Centre of the Planes</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I’ve been thinking a bit about how being at the centre of everything might affect Sigil, specifically how cosmopolitan it might get. A lot of big cities in the real world have established ethnic communities and imported cuisine, chances for fusion cooking, and unique ways of doing things like architecture, art, customs or even laws (and in Sigil, as long as the law doesn’t interfere with the Lady, a neighbourhood could use whatever rules it wants). So, I’m sure I’ve spoken before about how I don’t think canon Sigil is big enough – but if it’s a city at the centre of the Planes, why not have a neighbourhood called Little Shou or Little Greyhawk, or Braltown or even a Skullport Street hidden in Undersigil. Not to mention a place to get good City of Brass coffee in a warmer part of town, or good sushi imported straight from the City of Glass to some kind of Sigil waterway (why aren’t there canals everywhere in Sigil?!). So I think if I ever run Planescape again, I’ll have to make a point that the city is really, really huge and really diverse and much bigger and more complicated and messy than official sources have made it previously. Anyway, that’s my current musing this week. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/12/quirks-of-a-city-at-the-centre-of-the-planes/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>Mundane magic item ideas</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/05/mundane-magic-item-ideas/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/05/mundane-magic-item-ideas/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 05 Feb 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4817</guid> <description><![CDATA[I’m writing a product based on the Adventuring Gear table from the Player’s Handbook. The general idea is to write some useful magic items that are based on mundane equipment. Here are a few samples, from a list of 30 or so that I’m working on. Collapsible LadderWondrous item, rareThe collapsible ladder looks like two … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/05/mundane-magic-item-ideas/" class="more-link">Continue reading Mundane magic item ideas</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I’m writing a product based on the Adventuring Gear table from the Player’s Handbook. The general idea is to write some useful magic items that are based on mundane equipment. Here are a few samples, from a list of 30 or so that I’m working on. Collapsible Ladder Wondrous item, rare The collapsible ladder looks like two wooden rods capped with rune-covered steel caps at their ends, linked together by one well-worn rung of similar wood. By speaking a command word, the ladder extends in height until the word is spoken again, up to a maximum of 50 feet. Whilst a creature is climbing the ladder, it remains rooted to the point it was placed and cannot be knocked over. Everburning Torch Wondrous item, uncommon A seemingly normal torch, by speaking a command word, the Everburning Torch lights with a yellow flame, never burning down. Otherwise, it functions as a normal torch. Smokeless Cooking Kettle Wondrous item, uncommon By speaking a command word, runes scratched on this iron pot glow a fiery orange, heating the metal without the need for a cooking fire. The runes contain the heat to the metal pot alone, so if the pot is placed on any flammable material, it will not ignite. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/02/05/mundane-magic-item-ideas/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title>A Feywild Bundle</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/29/a-feywild-bundle/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/29/a-feywild-bundle/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bundle]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[fey]]></category> <category><![CDATA[fey warlock]]></category> <category><![CDATA[feywild]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4803</guid> <description><![CDATA[I haven’t had any time to do any writing this week, for one reason or another: a return to full-time office work after 18 months working from home or on short shifts and a sick toddler mostly. What I do have to report though is that a community bundle that I contributed to has gone … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/29/a-feywild-bundle/" class="more-link">Continue reading A Feywild Bundle</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I haven’t had any time to do any writing this week, for one reason or another: a return to full-time office work after 18 months working from home or on short shifts and a sick toddler mostly. What I do have to report though is that a community bundle that I contributed to has gone live on DMsGuild! <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/911353685425143898/935113578317496320/Into_the_Feywild_1.png" alt="" /><figcaption>The Twitter banner from the bundle</figcaption></figure> The <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/377490/Into-the-Feywild-Adventures-2--BUNDLE">Into the Feywild Adventure Bundle 2</a> features adventures and character options focused on the Fey and the Feywild, and my product <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/371244/Puckish-Patrons">Puckish Patrons</a> is in there among them. The bundle is selling for $30 ish, but that’s a saving of almost 50% on the normal costs of the buying everything separately. I should probably not forget to plug my back catalog too – my <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/379127/Year-1-Bundle-BUNDLE">Year 1 Bundle</a> includes everything I wrote solo in my first year on DMsGuild (including Puckish Patrons) and is available for less than $5, and everything in that bundle is on sale for half price individually until the end of January 2022. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/29/a-feywild-bundle/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/911353685425143898/935113578317496320/Into_the_Feywild_1.png" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Soul-forged blades</title> <link>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/22/soul-forged-blades/</link> <comments>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/22/soul-forged-blades/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 22 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying]]></category> <category><![CDATA[rpg]]></category> <category><![CDATA[writing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e d&d]]></category> <category><![CDATA[5e dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dnd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[psionic weapon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[psionics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplay]]></category> <category><![CDATA[roleplaying games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[soul reaver]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://jotjotiota.com/?p=4797</guid> <description><![CDATA[I’ve been giving some thought to a 5e magic item based on the sword from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, based mostly on the idea of a magic item that’s powered by psionic forces in some way rather than a physical item.Here’s what I’ve come up with so far: Soul-forged BladeWeapon (varies), rare (requires attunement)A … <a href="https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/22/soul-forged-blades/" class="more-link">Continue reading Soul-forged blades</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ I’ve been giving some thought to a 5e magic item based on the sword from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, based mostly on the idea of a magic item that’s powered by psionic forces in some way rather than a physical item. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far: Soul-forged Blade Weapon (varies), rare (requires attunement) A curious ball of floating colourful energy that, once attuned to, becomes a loop of filigree energy around the wrist of the user. As a free action, the user may draw’ the blade and extend it to become a weapon of psychic force. Functions as a +2 dagger, shortsword, longsword or greatsword (chosen by the DM when found), deals two dice of pyschic damage in the size usually used by the weapon – i.e. this is a +2 longsword that deals 2d8 psychic damage. (I’m debating adding an ability that deals some form of extra damage by spending a hit die, but that’s still up in the air.) ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://jotjotiota.com/2022/01/22/soul-forged-blades/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/678a60d42ea1623b54e971850b43db7f0c9c78e40ff669b8d6d99abf276fbfab?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">baphall</media:title> </media:content> </item> </channel> </rss>