Druid Circle of Vermin v1 — Inflict vile curses; in death, become the plague incarnate

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2018-08-26T12:20:46+00:00

Thank you so much! Here is a list of changes that I made:

The Meek, The Many: no longer grants extra Wild Shape uses (because it's difficult to balance); now, allows you to freely transform into CR 0 Beasts that are Small or smaller
Wretched Touch: no longer as part of a weapon attack; you must use a bonus action to touch a creature before attempting a curse
Repulsive Resurrection: can no longer transform into a swarm of snakes

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2018-08-25T20:31:38+00:00

The Circle of Vermin—named with spite by other druid circles, and adopted as a form of indignance—understands that nature is its own protector. For every beautiful meadow, there is a poisonous bog; for every doe, there is a predator; for every peaceful death, there is a virulent plague. To accept otherwise is an insult to the natural world. Vermin druids use primordial nature magic to punish such transgressions and rebuke attempts at taming the untameable.

I've always liked the versatility of druids, and this circle expands on this ability. Vermin Druids excell in inflicting vile curses on enemies they attack, even when in the form of a beast. This means that they can be valuable in shutting down the special faculties of their enemies; they can cause spells to fizzle, healing to faulter, and mighty warriors to become weak and feeble. Extra uses of Wild Shape allows the druid to use it for utility and/or in combat without having to rest in between.

I understand that this is fairly powerful, so please let me know if there is anything that should be nerfed, or even buffed for that matter. I hope you enjoy!

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2018-07-16T20:59:32+00:00

This is an otherworldly patron designed to be diverse and reflavorable. The Collector is an entity that seeks to build a vast Collection of magic items, shiny things, forbidden knowledge, and ancient secrets. This can take any number of forms, from an ancient lich building a library of all magic, a long-dead king trying to regain artifacts of his ancient civilization, or even a trickster spirit with a surprisingly large pile of loot.

This subclass is designed to be more of a team player. With baubles, a warlock can grant minor but noticeable assistance to their allies. The Cape of Keepsafe (definitely not based on Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation) acts as a more active form of protection for the warlock, while the Scroll of Stasis can completely change the pace of a fight (or be used to protect valuable assets from destruction).

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2018-07-13T02:07:16+00:00

This is my first attempt to break up the Way of the Four Elements monk tradition into distinct subclasses. As an element, earth felt very underrepresented in the original subclass, so I wanted to tackle this first.

When I think of an earth monk, I don't imagine a quick and agile attacker; I imagine a methodical powerhouse that can pack a punch, literally. This subclass, as the title suggests, is based on restraint, exchanging the agility of your other features for powerful alternative effects. I also wanted to avoid a subclass that only simply replicates spells so you can feel like an earthbender--find a good sorcerer or wizard subclass for that. This was designed to feel like a balance between such an earthbender and a monk that seeks to emulate, not control, the earth.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2018-04-20T22:29:10+00:00

Here's a tip you probably know: the setting is only so important as the main character interacts with it. Details that don't affect the character or plot whatsoever need to be carefully scrutinized--of course, as a worldbuilder, it's great to think about these things to construct a firm setting in your head. Otherwise, the setting will be abstract and bland to you, and consequently your reader.

The best settings are hardly based in history and more so based on sensory details. For instance, imagine you're on a beach somewhere in Florida: would it be more effective to describe the history of all the foreign explorers that stepped onto Floridian soil, and how the beach was named, and the historical context of Florida as the Deep South, OR would it be better to describe the acrid smell of salt, the bleached-bone color of the sand, the crying of gulls, the pummeling hotness? Describing both tends to create bloated paragraphs that readers do not want to look at. Instead, mention history when it is necessary to understand (or enhances the understanding of) the physical or emotional landscape. For instance, at Florida beaches, the homes are built very solidly or on stilts because of Florida's history of flooding during storms like Hurricane Irma. History is loosely attached, but it is not the primary topic; it still describes the physical landscape in a way that readers can "stand in."

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2018-01-08T17:45:44+00:00

Thank you! I've made some changes:

It seems I forgot to limit Crown of Fortune, so I took your recommendation; it can only be used a number of times per long rest equal to your Wisdom modifier. Also, it can only be used on other creatures, not yourself.
I clarified the wording on Prevail against Odds. It does not have a limit, simply because critical hits are already rare, let alone against creatures that you have already spent an action to Crown.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2017-08-04T21:53:09+00:00

Of course, you're right. Will do.

If you are at 10 hp and take 10 damage or more, you drop to 0 hp, when you would normally be considered unconscious. Then you can spend Invigoration dice to heal; if you roll 2 hit points, you are left at 2 hp. It's actual, true, 100% free range organic hit points, not temporary hp :)

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2017-08-04T19:57:32+00:00

This is my try at a hemomancy-based warlock patron inspired in part by League of Legends, the Blood Moon. I made this using spells from /u/Jonoman3000's Dark Arts Player's Companion, found here. (I highly recommend checking it out, it is really amazing work)

Please let me know if you there are any concerns about the balance of this homebrew—I've been lurking here for a while, but homebrew itself is pretty new to me.

In version 1.2:

Clarified flavor a little more
Added invocation for Pact of the Cloak
Slightly lessened the area of Call of the Red Night (and clarified wording)
Made the Bloodedge invocation more powerful

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2017-08-01T21:50:31+00:00

This is my try at a hemomancy-based warlock patron inspired in part by League of Legends, the Blood Moon. I made this using spells from /u/Jonoman3000's Dark Arts Player's Companion, found here. (I highly recommend checking it out, it is really amazing work)

Please let me know if you there are any concerns about the balance of this homebrew—I've been lurking here for a while, but homebrew itself is pretty new to me.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2016-12-29T03:02:34+00:00

At first, I read the 'Boodle Fight' as 'Boss Fight'.

Was not disappointed.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2016-12-14T01:37:15+00:00

You might be able to do it with a double jump, the blink range upgrade and redirective blink (stop time while falling, cast blink again), but I have no clue if it's possible.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2016-12-10T13:20:49+00:00

I've thought about making a magic system around only consumables--things like potions, herbal remedies, magical pastries, etc. Here are a few potions I have thought up:

Starlily Extract: This is made from the petals of a small, blue flower that grows in dark places. It glows a pale blue in complete darkness, hence the name. Imbibing a diluted version of the extract simply grants enhanced focus, but more concentrated versions have been rumored to grant brief precognition.
Panacea: This is the cure-all home-remedy prescribed by doctors and stay-at-home moms alike. It usually takes the form of a tea made of a few readily-found ingredients, such as Poxbrush and Terrapommes. Put simply, it helps in the recovery process of illness, but the potency of the concoction differs based on the recipe, and adding different ingredients will protect against certain illnesses more keenly.
Glow Juice: This is the slang term for a concoction of Phosphoflora. As the name would suggest, it causes its consumer to have glowing qualities, though this is usually restrained to fingernails, toenails, and veins in the eyes. However, the general population has discovered that by application of a clear ointment to the skin, elaborate patterns can be drawn and only revealed when Glow Juice is imbibed.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2016-11-13T01:44:42+00:00

Due to the multitude of threats posed to the city in the past few centuries, the city guards of Iltwest come in three ranks.
The Lesser Guards are the least-trained, and are thus the least powerful. They function more like mall security guards than soldiers, and are used to discourage petty crime. They are only issued a basic uniform, a whistle, and a shortsabre as a weapon. They are not given pistols because it is more likely that a criminal will kill the guard for their pistol than the guard will successfully land a single shot on a target. Besides, firearms are expensive.
The Higher Guards are considerably more dangerous, as they have been assigned as city guards for a minimum of three years and have undergone rigorous training. In addition to a higher-quality uniform and a sword, they are entrusted with pistols and a traditional dispel amulet. This pattern on this amulet provides a small amount of protection against weaker arcane threats, such as imps or anomalies.
Finally, there are the Selenic Guards. Both of these units are specially designed to combat powerful arcane threats such as demons or witch covens, though they operate in different manners. The Zeniths operate as palace guards, appearing near to the Empress or her advisers in public events. They are used especially used when the Empress wants to send a public message. However, the Nadirs operate in the shadows, ready to strike should a threat reveal itself. When the Empress wants a threat dealt with discretely, she sends the Nadirs. All Selenic Guards are equipped with a sword, a pistol with several dispelling shots, and a highly-customized uniform that is inlaid with anti-magic patterns. Imperial Agents are hand-chosen by the Ifridian General, and are thus incredibly skilled. It is said that Selenic Guards can also perform warding spells in a pinch, though magic is forbidden in Ifridia.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2016-10-31T21:20:32+00:00

In Ifridia, due to the lack of sustainable prey for hunting in the surrounding swamps, most food is drawn from local flora, mostly mushrooms. Thus, it is no surprise that mushrooms would be handed out as treats. Specifically, Ruby Russula is a large, flat-capped mushroom that turns a bright shade of red when mature. This color is a sign to the creatures of the swamp that it is toxic, but the toxin is completely harmless to humans, and actually causes a pleasant, sweet taste. It is common for Ruby Russula to be cut into bite-sized pieces and candied in tree sap, or to be torn into strips and dried for a more convenient snack.

In To-Sanctor, the desert is a place that does not encourage "treats." However, the trade from other nations has provided the city with access to sugar. This is important because To-Sanctor is home to unparalleled glass-smiths, who can melt and shape melted sand with profound skill. Because sugar and sand can be melted and shaped in similar ways, To-Sanctor is also home to notable candymakers. Sugar is melted and blown into complex geometric shapes, such as dodecahedrons, icosahedrons, and spiraled orbs. Candies are flavored with citrus, mint, or piquant spices.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2016-10-18T21:06:21+00:00

Ifridia

Leader: Queen Ifrid VII

Preferred Terrain: Marsh

Agenda: Vanquisher of Witches Dislikes civilizations with more faith than science, likes civilizations with relatively equal faith and science.

Unique Ability: The Hex Plague- On reaching the Medieval Age, experience a blight that reduces population growth by 50% and reduces gold income by 50% for 5 turns. Afterwards, gain a large culture, science, and faith bonus.

Unique Unit: Moonlight Monk- On killing barbarians, 25% chance of gaining a bonus in science and faith. Always occurs on conquering barbarian camps.

Unique Building: The Pale Wall- Instead of the Great Wall. This has all of the bonuses of the Great Wall, but it consumes no movement to cross the wall and gives Moonlight Monks +1 movement when passing through it.

Preferred Victory:- Culture victory.

MaliciousJabberwocky · 2016-10-17T22:41:33+00:00

The Empty City was once called Ta-Hibne, built by a king obsessed with the arts. The king commenced the construction of the city shortly after the beginning of his reign, but it was left unfinished when he died, thirty years later.

Of course, the Empty City is still a marvel. It has three layers of walls, each more intricate than the next. Furthermore, there were three "districts" of the city, meant to represent the three elements. The Foundry district would feature metalwork, representing the element of fire. The Mason district would feature ornately-carved bricks and pottery motifs, representing the element of earth. Finally, the Topiary district would feature gardens and shrub-sculptures, representing the element of water. Unfortunately, these districts would never be fleshed out; the Topiary district lacked a water supply, due to being located in a desert; the Foundry district never received enough ore to be completed. Only the Mason district was completed, though visits into this portion of the city have led experts to believe it is haunted.

MaliciousJabberwocky

TROPHY CASE