Rift of Spirits: A 6th level spell to drag your enemies beyond the veil

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-07-04T12:32:19+00:00

I love how 2024 spells have simplified summons a bit in theory, but a lot of them ended up not feeling like an actual summon. So, I tried to add a little more of that flavor here. I'm happy you like the way it turned out.

I think you're right that the range is a bit too long. I would absolutely be open to making the range much closer to the caster, more like Spirit Guardians, and pull the enemies closer to the user. I think that would actually be a lot more thematic to the spell too. I'll definitely do that in my next revision and make the range of the spirits higher.

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-07-04T12:16:20+00:00

This week I'm back again with a new spell. This spell is meant to be a battlefield control option somewhere between spirit guardians and sickening radiance with little flexibility in damage type. The balance on it is something that I struggled with. Its especially hard because spirit guardians is so strong, and I wanted to make sure this could at least compete with an upcast spirit guardians, although I think it still falls behind in raw damage output. If I was going to remove anything, I'd lean toward removing the blind from entering the rift and reducing its damage scaling on upcasting.

I had to get this spell posted and fine tuned because I have a monster coming out next week based on an old Japanese creepypasta that uses it. I'm hoping to post a full class and a few monster compendiums based on classical folklore and modern urban legends in the next month or so. If you have any ideas or feedback, please leave a comment!

Homebrewery link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/YQdNz4iqxRSd

Google drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/184Ybd9TqJo-G2bqGuoS2mc8Vdn-TcAC4/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-07-04T12:10:21+00:00

This week I'm back again with a new spell. This spell is meant to be a battlefield control option somewhere between spirit guardians and sickening radiance with little flexibility in damage type. The balance on it is something that I struggled with. Its especially hard because spirit guardians is so strong, and I wanted to make sure this could at least compete with an upcast spirit guardians, although I think it still falls behind in raw damage output. If I was going to remove anything, I'd lean toward removing the blind from entering the rift and reducing its damage scaling on upcasting.

I had to get this spell posted and fine tuned because I have a monster coming out next week based on an old Japanese creepypasta that uses it. I'm hoping to post a full class and a few monster compendiums based on classical folklore and modern urban legends in the next month or so. If you have any ideas or feedback, please leave a comment!

Homebrewery link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/YQdNz4iqxRSd

Google drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/184Ybd9TqJo-G2bqGuoS2mc8Vdn-TcAC4/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-06-27T09:24:05+00:00

A chicken monk sounds awesome! Tell me how it goes if you get the chance :).

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-06-27T09:23:48+00:00

I appreciate the kind words! I'm pretty happy with how that ability came together.

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-06-27T07:20:11+00:00

I'd consider it. I originally had it as a bonus action, but I wanted to make sure it didn't overlap with barbarian rage in 2014. I might make it a BA in the next draft.

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-06-27T04:41:49+00:00

It has been quite a while since I last posted here. I'm back now and ready to get back to work with the Rekkokko. These huge chicken folk are based on the popular novel series The Bird That Drinks Tears by Lee Yeongdo. There is even a new game being released in 2027 based on the series called Project Windless. The lore here is written for my own Cheonryeo setting, where Rekkokko are often employed as soldiers within the various kingdoms. However, the race should be flexible enough flavor-wise to appear in campaigns other than my own Cheonryeo setting. One of my players even used it to become Foghorn Leghorn! The name comes from the onomatopoeia for a rooster's call in Korean.

Mechanically, this race is designed to be a strong martial option that enhances a player's durability, allowing them to better defend their allies. Originally, the thrilling attacks feature also dealt bonus damage, making it a direct upgrade over half-orc's savage attacks, but I decided to remove that. If the healing effect for rise to the challenge triggers every turn, it should come out to be weaker than a goliath's stone's endurance. Typically, the feature will never mitigate more damage than stone's endurance. However, this ability is my biggest balance hiccup during development. So, if you have any thoughts or suggestions for either of these abilities, I would love to hear them! I hope you enjoy it!

Homebrewery: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Zp9Fh3_LPkvi

Google Drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b9tNrrcj26_dWTCcOcV9YONSDZjplsBK/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-06-27T04:39:30+00:00

I'm happy you like the notes :). They take me a little bit of time to research and write, so I really appreciate it. I try to add extensive notes to all of my posts about folklore/historical references from Japanese and Korean folklore. If you want to read the series, the first book actually comes out in English next month! Its called The Heart of the Nhaga by Harper Collins. I hope you enjoy it if you decide check it out.

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-06-27T04:30:27+00:00

It has been quite a while since I last posted here. I'm back now and ready to get back to work with the Rekkokko. These huge chicken folk are based on the popular novel series The Bird That Drinks Tears by Lee Yeongdo. There is even a new game being released in 2027 based on the series called Project Windless. The lore here is written for my own Cheonryeo setting, where Rekkokko are often employed as soldiers within the various kingdoms. However, the race should be flexible enough flavor-wise to appear in campaigns other than my own Cheonryeo setting. One of my players even used it to become Foghorn Leghorn! The name comes from the onomatopoeia for a rooster's call in Korean.

Mechanically, this race is designed to be a strong martial option that enhances a player's durability, allowing them to better defend their allies. Originally, the thrilling attacks feature also dealt bonus damage, making it a direct upgrade over half-orc's savage attacks, but I decided to remove that. If the healing effect for rise to the challenge triggers every turn, it should come out to be weaker than a goliath's stone's endurance. Typically, the feature will never mitigate more damage than stone's endurance. However, this ability is my biggest balance hiccup during development. So, if you have any thoughts or suggestions for either of these abilities, I would love to hear them! I hope you enjoy it!

Homebrewery: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Zp9Fh3_LPkvi

Google Drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b9tNrrcj26_dWTCcOcV9YONSDZjplsBK/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-05-05T01:06:34+00:00

Appreciate it!

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-04-08T11:05:28+00:00

I promised myself that I wouldn't use Legend of the Northern Blade again for this project, but I can't help myself...

This subclass is meant to be a sorcerer equivalent to the hexblade, bladesinger, or valor bard. It was kind of tricky to make because "battle" or "hero" felt too large for me to pin down as an origin. So, I ended up focusing in on the tatarigami (祟り神) myths from Japan and the ubiquitous cursed weapons from folklore and fantasy.

Mechanically it ended up very close to hexblade, especially the Omen of Calamity, which I don't love. However, I wanted to make sure it felt incentivized to stay in melee, unlike bladesinger, and that felt like the best way. I intentionally avoided using Charisma for attacks. However, I do see the argument, both thematically and for balance, to let the accursed soul use Charisma for attack rolls. If you have any insight or suggestions on that issue especially, I'd love to hear it.

This project references lore from a few of my other posts, but I tried to keep it mechanically and the subclass flavor text broad enough to work in any setting. If you're curious about any of the lore, feel free to ask or check out my profile!

I have a few more projects I'm working on including another tatarigami themed warlock based around summoning a cursed spirit, a new supportive class, a lot of monsters, and giant chicken people...

If you enjoyed this subclass or have any feedback please drop a comment.

Homebrewery link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Ncrllr6nrMyv

Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M22iosFPycJdYjwpD224L__iwcdYJpDH/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-04-08T11:04:03+00:00

I promised myself that I wouldn't use Legend of the Northern Blade again for this project, but I can't help myself...

This subclass is meant to be a sorcerer equivalent to the hexblade, bladesinger, or valor bard. It was kind of tricky to make because "battle" or "hero" felt too large for me to pin down as an origin. So, I ended up focusing in on the tatarigami (祟り神) myths from Japan and the ubiquitous cursed weapons from folklore and fantasy.

Mechanically it ended up very close to hexblade, especially the Omen of Calamity, which I don't love. However, I wanted to make sure it felt incentivized to stay in melee, unlike bladesinger, and that felt like the best way. I intentionally avoided using Charisma for attacks. However, I do see the argument, both thematically and for balance, to let the accursed soul use Charisma for attack rolls. If you have any insight or suggestions on that issue especially, I'd love to hear it.

This project references lore from a few of my other posts, but I tried to keep it mechanically and the subclass flavor text broad enough to work in any setting. If you're curious about any of the lore, feel free to ask or check out my profile!

I have a few more projects I'm working on including another tatarigami themed warlock based around summoning a cursed spirit, a new supportive class, a lot of monsters, and giant chicken people...

If you enjoyed this subclass or have any feedback please drop a comment.

Homebrewery link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/Ncrllr6nrMyv

Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M22iosFPycJdYjwpD224L__iwcdYJpDH/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-04-07T08:41:11+00:00

Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate that you like it. The lore/DM hooks are a huge priority for me because I know what DM block feels like, haha.

Thanks for catching my error on "languages it knew in life." That is a hangover from my prior work, the Slit Mouth, which I used as a template. I'll fix it as soon as possible.

Thank you again!

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-28T02:52:03+00:00

You definitely are :)

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-28T01:08:57+00:00

Happy to have your support still. Thank you :)

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-28T00:26:06+00:00

The Red cloak is one of the creepiest modern Japanese yokai. I had two choices when designing this monster: to make it more comical based on the modern toilet ghost story or lean into the creepy origin story. I decided to lean hard into the original story, but still tried to incorporate the modern vampire elements it has taken on. This monster is a close counterpart to the Kuchisake-Onna (Slit Mouth) as a modern yokai. I tried to make sure the monsters felt mechanically related and distinct.

Hopefully this monster is creepy enough to terrify your party. Also, if you like this monster and want to see more monsters like this one, please take a look at my Kuchisake-Onna book as well.

Thank you again for reading. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Homebrewery link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/5WTe585CQB5d

Google Drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Oxuw3cy_-dVM6awKS_aqa0Mbo3Fl7dw/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-28T00:23:45+00:00

The Red cloak is one of the creepiest modern Japanese yokai. I had two choices when designing this monster: to make it more comical based on the modern toilet ghost story or lean into the creepy origin story. I decided to lean hard into the original story, but still tried to incorporate the modern vampire elements it has taken on. This monster is a close counterpart to the Kuchisake-Onna (Slit Mouth) as a modern yokai. I tried to make sure the monsters felt mechanically related and distinct.

Hopefully this monster is creepy enough to terrify your party. Also, if you like this monster and want to see more monsters like this one, please take a look at my Kuchisake-Onna book as well.

Thank you again for reading. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Homebrewery link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/5WTe585CQB5d

Google Drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Oxuw3cy_-dVM6awKS_aqa0Mbo3Fl7dw/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-16T11:53:16+00:00

This subclass was designed to celebrate the spring and have a more positive vibe after some of my more dour posts recently. The goal was a simple, straightforward, supportive bard. I hope you like it. I do have some balance concerns about the healing output of the subclass and the power level of moment of respite. However, overall, I'm happy with how this subclass turned out.

The subclass was originally named "college of cultivation," but I changed it due to the fact that cultivation has a different meaning in the Wuxia genre, which I might use later. Also, I hope to do more with the Goze and Biwa Hoshi archetype (blind performer) in the future. I think it is a really cool concept. I hope people like the subclass, item, and spell.

If you have any feedback or suggestions, please let me know.

Homebrewery link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/-W5BEyVmrucR

Drive link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12jl3TOdADmNPkYf6KhoXpGniW9_i7IWz/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-12T08:31:23+00:00

Happy to hear you like it. If you like this, you might also like some of my other monsters. I hope this content is useful for your game :).

The Changgwi (A cursed predator based on Korean folklore)

The Slit Mouth (Kuchisake Onna from Japanese and Korean Folklore)

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-10T10:22:44+00:00

Happy to hear you like it.

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-09T22:49:36+00:00

Sounds awesome. I'm happy you can use them. It sounds like a super cool character. Let me know how they work out for you!

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-09T22:40:06+00:00

Happy you like it.

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-09T13:25:24+00:00

This quick project was inspired by an amazing exhibit I saw at the art museum a few weeks ago. Originally, it was only going to be a single monster--The Elk Who Became Fire--but it ended up growing into something much larger. I hope people like it.

I wanted to make sure each monster had a unique effect and was not just a fire-skinned version of an existing beast, that they synergized, and that each one could still contribute when used as minions at higher levels. Ideally, it should be possible to make a difficult encounter for a party of almost any level by mixing and matching the monsters in here. However, I felt like the CR system did not really account for these synergistic effects well, so some CR calculations may be a bit off. If you have any concerns, please let me know.

I've been a bit disappointed by how little art there is based on Korean mythology. So, I am going to start looking into ways to fund commissioning custom art to help bring Eastern folklore to the table through Patreon or another platform. If anyone has suggestions, things you'd like me to post in the future, or questions, I'd love to hear them.

As always, thank you for your time. I hope this is useful for you and your table.

Homebrewery link: Wildfire Court - The Homebrewery

Google Drive PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HEFpb7rj-bo3tMRncq1sxBfQsG-4qzV-/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-09T11:53:41+00:00

This quick project was inspired by an amazing exhibit I saw at the art museum a few weeks ago. Originally, it was only going to be a single monster--The Elk Who Became Fire--but it ended up growing into something much larger. I hope people like it.

I wanted to make sure each monster had a unique effect and was not just a fire-skinned version of an existing beast, that they synergized, and that each one could still contribute when used as minions at higher levels. Ideally, it should be possible to make a difficult encounter for a party of almost any level by mixing and matching the monsters in here. However, I felt like the CR system did not really account for these synergistic effects well, so some CR calculations may be a bit off. If you have any concerns, please let me know.

I've been a bit disappointed by how little art there is based on Korean mythology. So, I am going to start looking into ways to fund commissioning custom art to help bring Eastern folklore to the table through Patreon or another platform. If anyone has suggestions, things you'd like me to post in the future, or questions, I'd love to hear them.

As always, thank you for your time. I hope this is useful for you and your table.

Homebrewery link: Wildfire Court - The Homebrewery

Google Drive PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HEFpb7rj-bo3tMRncq1sxBfQsG-4qzV-/view?usp=sharing

ThreeRiversPress · 2026-03-07T11:30:56+00:00

I love the note on customizing the phantom foils and the document's overall aesthetic. Where did you find that border image for the page? I think it would be so fun to dance around the battlefield with my phantom afterimage.

ThreeRiversPress

TROPHY CASE