Helm of the Duergar
Opera fans may recognize these magic items….
The Helm of the Duergar – Level 8
This helm, made by dwarves deep beneath the bones of the earth, is a fine coif of silver chain with a shining silver mask that covers the upper face. With it one can take on the shape of any creature of about the wearer’s size.
Item Slot: Head 3.400 gold
Power (Daily; Minor): The wearer can Change Shape (see monster manual p280) to alter its physical form to take on the appearance of another creaure of its size or one size category larger or smaller, including a unique individual (giving a +20 bonus on its Bluff check to impersonate that individual). The new shape lasts until the creature is reduced to 0 hit points or choses to change back. Changing shape in this way does not grant any special powers or abilities.
The Helm of the Duergar King – Level 19
This fabled device, crafted by a greedy dwarven king, is a fine coif of silver chain with a shining silver mask that covers the upper face. With it one can take on the shape of any creature of about the wearer’s size, and even disappear from sight entirely!
Item Slot: Head 105,000 gold
Power (Daily; Illusion; Minor): The wearer can Change Shape (see monster manual p280) to alter its physical form to take on the appearance of another creaure of its size or one size category larger or smaller, including a unique individual (giving a +20 bonus on its Bluff check to impersonate that individual). The new shape lasts until the creature is reduced to 0 hit points or choses to change back. Changing shape in this way does not grant any special powers or abilities.
Power (Daily; Illusion; Standard Action): Become invisible until the end of your next turn.
If you’ve reached at least one milestone today, using this power requires only a minor action.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged equipment: magic helm by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Hobbits
This is a race TSR stole from Tolkien… we’re stealing it back!
In response to halflings being dragged all over creation in the many incarnations of fantasy role playing games, recast as kender, tallfellows, even cannibals in the Dark Sun world, it’s time to take them back. We’re giving them a new name that’s an old name, and giving them back their proper identity.
Hobbits
* +2 Charisma, -2 Strength.
* Small: As a Small creature, a hobbit gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
* Hobbit base land speed is 20 feet.
* +2 racial bonus on Disguise, Gather Information, Listen, and Perform checks.
* +1 racial bonus on all saving throws.
* +1 morale bonus on saving throws against fear: This bonus stacks with the hobbit’s +1 bonus on saving throws in general.
* +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons, slings, and daggers.
* Automatic Languages: Common and two Hobbit languages. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling.
* Favored Class: Bard. A multiclass hobbit’s bard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
Inspired by a justified rant of a blog post and of course the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged race or culture by Stephen Hilderbrand with 1 comment.
Stream Spirit
Yet another creature making its debut in Anointing the Seer, these water elementals present a worthy foe to lower-level characters, and can be summoned by those who have the Summon Elemental power.
These water spirits flow into the mortal world from the elemental chaos. They resemble animate waves about the size of a man, with eyes and mouth visible in their foaming features. Found in streams and rivers, they can calmly babble tunes to the weary or cruelly drown the unwary. They are powerful combatants and can knock their foes down and hold them under.
Stream Spirit: Level 7 Brute
medium elemental magical beast (water) – XP 300
Initiative +15 Senses Perception +2
HP 94; Bloodied 47
AC 19, Fortitude 19, Reflex 19, Will 19
Immunity disease, poison; Resist 5 cold
Speed 5
Powers
Wave Slap – (standard melee; at will)
+10 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage, and push 2.
Drowning Tide – (standard; encounter, close blast 2; recharge 5-6)
+8 vs. Reflex, 3d10 + 5 damage, slide 1, knocked prone, and one target is grabbed.
Water Affinity
As long as the Stream Spirit is within 1 square of water it receives a +1 power bonus to attack rolls and damage.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Primordial
Str 16 (+6) Dex 16 (+7) Wis 9 (+2)
Con 14 (+5) Int 7 (+1) Cha 16 (+6)
Tactics: Stream Spirits tend to lurk in bodies of water where they are impossible to distinguish from the water – it is a DC 25 Perception check to detect them before they raise up out of the water to attack. When they do attack they try to push opponents into the water and drown them by grabbing them and holding them under, or simply bludgeoning them to death.
Stream Spirit Lore
A character knows the following with a successful Arcana check:
DC 15: These elemental spirits are unpredictable and can be very dangerous.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged creature origin: elemental, creature subtype: aquatic, creature: heroic brute by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Dust Devil
Dust Devil: Level 4 Skirmisher
medium elemental magical beast (air) – XP 175
Initiative +7 Senses Perception +1
HP 52; Bloodied 26
AC 18, Fortitude 19, Reflex 21, Will 17
Immunity disease, poison; Resist 5 lightning
Speed 7
Powers
Buffet – (standard melee; at will)
+9 vs. AC; 1d6 + 4 damage, and push 1.
Disarming Winds – (standard; encounter, recharge 4-6)
+7 vs. Reflex, 1d6 + 4 damage, push 1, and make a secondary attack to disarm
Secondary Attack: make an opposed attack roll at +7 to disarm the target
Whirling Leap – (move; encounter, recharge 5-6)
Fly 10
Alignment Unaligned Languages Primordial
Str 10 (+2) Dex 17 (+5) Wis 9 (+1)
Con 12 (+3) Int 5 (-1) Cha 7 (+0)
Tactics: Dust Devils will try to keep moving as they fight, disarming foes one by one.
Dust Devil Lore
A character knows the following with a successful Arcana check:
DC 15: These elemental creatures are swift to anger, and can make brief leaps through the air.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged creature origin: elemental, creature subtype: air, creature: heroic skirmisher by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Sending Stones
Sending Stones allow messages to be transmitted between themselves over large distances on a single plane. The stones must be keyed to one another; two randomly-selected sending stones will likely not be compatible, though with the careful application of a sending spell cal be keyed to the same frequency. When two stones are synced in this manner, they lose their connections to their previously-connected stones.
Unfortunately, these stones tend to be found by themselves, as they are rarely kept together (this would undermine their usefulness). However, a locate object spell can help locate the destination stone.
Price: 5,000 gp. Create Wondrous Item; sending.
Posted in Magic Item and tagged sending, stone by Stephen Hilderbrand with 2 comments.
Wildfire
These fire spirits from the Elemental Chaos are capricious pyromaniacs, and when they get loose in the world they delight in setting fire to everything they can.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged creature origin: elemental, creature subtype: fire, creature: heroic skirmisher by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Beastmen
Native to the mountians of Northeast Soralia, the Naahaogo (Na’ah-aogo), known as beast-men by their human neighbors, dwell in the barrier mountains north at the headwaters of the river that flows through the wild woods separating the gnomes and humans. They are thought of as dangerous savages by the humans south of them, and have fought settlers and raiders from the human kingdoms. They live together in small multi-family units and are primarily nomadic gatherers.
RACIAL TRAITS
Average Height: 5´ 2˝–5´ 8˝
Average Weight: 100–180 lb.
Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom and +2 to either Constitution or Dexterity.
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Common, and either Dwarven or Draconic
Skill Bonuses: +1 Endurance, +1 Nature
Mountain Roots: You have a +1 racial bonus to Fortitude.
Shurefooted: You have a +2 bonus to Athletics check to jump or climb.
Mountaintop Shove: You have the mountaintop shove power.
Mountaintop Shove ✦ Naahaogo Racial Power
Lowering your head, you jump and butt your foe.
Encounter, Minor Action, Melee 1
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude
Hit: You push the target 1 and can shift 1.
Naahaogo dwell in the barrier mountains north at the headwaters of the river that flows through the wild woods separating the gnomes and humans. They are thought of as dangerous savages by the humans south of them, and have fought settlers and raiders from the human kingdoms. They are organized into small family units and are primarily nomadic gatherers. Their society tends to value freedom and a life in balance with nature, as do individual Naahaogo. They fight with longbows and spears, though their warriors favor many weapons such as greataxes, greatswords and longspears.
Play a Naahaogo if you want . . .
✦ to be tough, quick and wise.
✦ to play a character that is bestial in appearance.
✦ to be a member of a race that favors the barbarian, druid, ranger, and shaman classes.
Physical Qualities: They have the aspect of muscular men with the head and hind legs of a goat, with a thick pelt of fur across their entire bodies, giving them good resistance to cold weather.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged race or culture by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Lance
One of my only complaints about 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons is the limited selection of weapons and armors. I do like the improving armors with the higher tiers. But as a fantasy and history buff, it just doesn’t feel like D&D unless there are knights in shining armor. And they just seem silly without their lances. So I’ve written up statistics here for lances, balanced 4th edition style, and written to present the weapon in a fresh way that creates interesting tactical possibilities.
Lances can only be used effectively from a mount’s back when it moves, and they are somewhat clumsy, but they are very powerful due to the momentum from using them on a moving mount. So with much fanfare, I present “The Lance“!
This weapon resembles in many ways a longspear, and can only be used to attack from the back of a mount. It may also only be used to attack while charging or immediately following a move of at least 3 squares. It has a heavy counterweight on the butt that balances the weapon and allows it to be used with only one hand. The weapon is a one-handed martial spear type, has a proficiency bonus of +1, deals 1d12+1 points of damage and has reach 2.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged equipment: new weapon by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.
Direction Sense
Divination
Level: Ranger 1, Magic 2, Sor/Wiz 1, Clr 2
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Targets: One touched object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The spell provides the target with a better sense of direction, even underground. The target receives a +5 on all tracking and direction sense checks and all checks to sense spinners and other direction-obfuscating mechanisms both above and below ground.
The arcane material component is a handful of iron filings and a metal rod. The divine component is a metal spinning top. Rangers whistle on the winds as a verbal component and toss a small leaf in the air.
Posted in Spell and tagged cleric spell level 2, sorcerer / wizard spell 1 by Stephen Hilderbrand with no comments yet.
The Way of the Orcish Warrior
Presented here are several new racial feats for orcs. As a highly ferocious and warlike people, many of these feats give orcish characters and villains further martial options.
Orcs traditionally use all kinds of axes in battle, and many of the orc gods, including Grumsh, are armed with some type of spear.
Axe and Spear Specilization (Heroic Tier)
Gain proficiency with Axes and Spears and +2 damage with those weapons
You put your massive physique behind every swing your opponent allows.
Brutal Challenge (Heroic Tier) Fighter only
Add your constitution modifier to attack and damage rolls to attacks granted by combat challenge.
Ferocious orc warriors learn to channel their bloodlust and continue fighting even when their wounds would kill a lesser being.
Orcish Bloodlust (Paragon Tier)
Your healing sure value increases by your constitution modifier.
Your Warriors Surge power does additional damage equal to your con modifier.
Masses of scar tissue from many old wounds make your skin a thick and hide-like.
Orcish Fortitude (Paragon Tier)
Gain +10 hit points and your healing sure value increases by your constitution modifier.
Waaaaaahhhhhhgggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!
Bloodlust Charge (Paragon Tier)
When you charge you can use any at-will power with the weapon keyword in it.
Kill me? You have to do better than that! I kill you!
Never Surrender (Epic Tier)
You can use your Warriors Surge twice per encounter.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged feat by Adam A. Thompson with no comments yet.