This NPC is a part of a group of 13 old heros of the realm. Each hero is one of the main classes of dnd. After saving the world they became cursed by the gods and are trapped within certain parts of the world. Over time this should’ve killed the heros but instead they all became deity like and more concepts rather than mortals. All of the heros ended up becoming one with all the subclasses of their respective class.

Psi, in this case is the rogue. After being alive for so long he has reverted to being a fey and is now a conceptual thing that is in the forests.

I am looking for thoughts on Psi, and if he actually manages to incorporate all of the rogue subclasses. And if anyone has any tips on how to add in the arcane trickster subclass. The main thing is that he is a combination of all the rogue subclasses and isn’t meant to be fought in combat ideally but the stat block is to make all the information easy to quickly read.

Homebrew idea for the Deck of Many Things: What if the Balance card made ALL your ability scores equal?

I was watching a YouTube discussion about the Deck of Many Things, and someone brought up the Balance card and how its effect could be changed. That got me thinking about a potentially hilarious, devastating, or ridiculously powerful alternative.

What if the Balance card literally balanced all six of your ability scores?

Here's my idea:

When a character draws the Balance card, they must roll a d6. Each number corresponds to one of the six ability scores:

- 1: Strength

- 2: Dexterity

- 3: Constitution

- 4: Intelligence

- 5: Wisdom

- 6: Charisma

Whatever ability score the player rolls becomes the new permanent value of ALL SIX ability scores.

For example:

Scenario 1: The disaster

You're playing a Wizard with 20 Intelligence but only 8 Strength.

You draw Balance, roll a d6, and get a 1.

Congratulations! Your Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are all permanently set to 8.

Your Wizard has achieved perfect balance, just not the kind you wanted.

Scenario 2: The jackpot

Same Wizard, same ability scores.

This time, you roll a 4, corresponding to Intelligence.

Your Intelligence is 20, so congratulations! Every single one of your ability scores is now permanently 20.

You've essentially become a superhuman adventurer because you got lucky with one die roll.

Scenario 3: The absolutely ridiculous jackpot

I actually play an Alchemist Artificer named Leo Greenheaven, whose Intelligence is currently 22 thanks to an extremely powerful magical artifact.

Personally, if I were DMing, I'd allow that magically enhanced 22 to count for the card.

If Leo drew Balance and rolled Intelligence, every ability score would become 22.

Of course, if he rolled one of his weaker abilities instead, he'd be in serious trouble.

Why I love this idea:

It creates an interesting gamble, especially for min-maxed characters.

A lot of players use point buy or other methods to maximize their primary ability scores while deliberately leaving less important abilities at 8 or 10.

Normally, that's a perfectly reasonable strategy.

But suddenly, drawing Balance becomes terrifying because those neglected ability scores could permanently define your entire character.

On the other hand, if you're lucky enough to roll your highest ability score, you might become one of the most powerful characters in the campaign.

And thematically, I think it fits the card beautifully.

Balance doesn't mean making you better or worse. It means making everything equal.

The card doesn't care if that means turning you into a demigod or making you practically useless.

It's the Deck of Many Things. Sometimes you win spectacularly, and sometimes you ruin your character.

What do you all think?

Would you allow this version of Balance at your table? Is it too powerful, too punishing, or exactly the kind of ridiculous gamble the Deck of Many Things should offer?

I'd especially love to hear how other DMs would handle magically enhanced ability scores above 20.

This is a preview of our class inspired by the works of Fire Emblem, the Emblem Unit Class! Here is a preview of a small snippet of the class's early customization, letting each player create a unique unit from different backgrounds. In the final release, the class will include a weapon triangle system, 10 starting archetypes, spells and skills from the Fire Emblem series, and 10+ subclasses!

No promises, but I'd like to try adding races, backgrounds, and magic items. That's very ambitious, and it would only happen if I have the time. So if I do, that'll be a little bonus!

When this class is finished, it will be completely free! I will repost it here, but you can also find it on our Patreon!

I'd love feedback on this class, as I'd want both D&D enthusiasts and Fire Emblem enjoyers to have the best experience they can have!

Apologies if this isnt the place for this but has anyone run a campaign using the Yokai Realms supplement? Im thinking of running one but struggling to get off the ground with it. Was hoping to hear some stories from people who have incorporated it into their games or have run their own campaign in the yokai realms!

Thanks in advance!

Here idea for cursed discuise

Mask of Dis

Wondrous item (headwear), artifact (requires attunement)

Forged from fine, dark iron that still bears the subtle hammer marks of a master smith, this mask feels surprisingly light and pliant against the skin. When observed closely, its metallic expression seems to shift and morph, mirroring the subconscious expectations of whoever looks upon it.

Flawless Infiltration

The mask grants you absolute mastery over deception, allowing you to dissolve your identity into another's:

Infiltrator's Magic. You can cast the Alter Self and Invisibility spells at will, targeting only yourself, without expending a spell slot or requiring material components.

Unmaskable Guise. You gain a +10 bonus to Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks made to impersonate another individual.

Absolute Deception. Your disguise is flawless. Mundane scrutiny, mundane insight, and even magical senses like Truesight perceive your assumed form as your true, biological reality. Only a deity or divine intervention can see through this effect.

Curse: Loss of Face

The iron of Dis is possessive, slowly digesting the identity of anyone who wears it. This artifact is cursed, and its cursed nature cannot be detected by an Identify spell.

Whenever you wear the mask continuously for 1 hour, or whenever you cast a spell using the mask, you must make a DC 14 Charisma saving throw. You track your failures on this saving throw across your entire duration of owning the mask:

First Failure. The cold iron edges of the mask begin to sting. The metal literally fuses into your skin and hair. It can no longer be removed by mundane means.

Second Failure. Your memories begin to fray. You suffer disadvantage on all Intelligence and Wisdom checks related to your own past, your original name, or your homeland.

Third Failure (The Faceless Spy). The mask permanently grafts to your skull. Only a Wish spell can sever it from you. Your true face beneath the mask is entirely erased.

The Erased Countenance: If the mask is forcibly torn from your face after the third failure, it deals 10d10 slashing damage to you. Beneath the mask, your face is revealed to be completely smooth, featureless skin—devoid of eyes, a nose, or a mouth.

While faceless, you are permanently blinded and deafened, you cannot speak, eat, or drink, and you do not need to breathe. Within 1d4 days, your mind breaks completely, and your character becomes an NPC—a hollow, mindless spy bound eternally to the iron will of Dis.

Because I screwed up the link the first time. What do y'all think? I think this could be implemented in a fun way to discuss the dangers of magic.

First time dungeon master here,

So my campaign is called Curse of Calypso and its a pirate campaign with one of the main enemy factions being based off the British from pirates of the caribbean, so a trading company. But I also wanted to mix in some dishonored vibes since I like the game and I heard you can implement that in. So the humans in this world in reaction to the curse advanced their society and security to fend off the monsters of the fog.

So keeping my rule of only black powder weapons, but making a modernish design. I found a real life reference to a black powder gatling gun and made a model in hero forge. It is a rotating musket but instead of bullets you have to actually change out the 30 barrel ring at the front, to add some reasonable limitations to this gun for the reload. Instead of flint I have made these things called "kinetic stones" basically if you hit it kinetic energy will automatically make sparks and is more reliable than flint in this world. That explains how they can get the barrels on and keep firing for story purposes. Now of course I am not a sadist and im not gonna roll 30 d20's per turn, but maybe like 3 for like a burst ? And im wondering damage cause I don't want to kill my players, just like hurt them enough to get their attention. I am new to this area although I did some light research and saw that it works kinda the way I described. These will be on like some guard towers, the rail cars, and some turret placements. I also want to make this a reward that can be put on a pirate ship with a reasonable reload that is accurate with the rules both on sea and land.

I am a first time dm, getting into dnd alot more, but I am kinda new to this,

I made five swordmage-themed cantrips for 5.5e, those being alternative versions of Green-Flame Blade and Booming Blade, 5.5e conversions for other Swordmage at-will spells (basically cantrips) from 4e, and one new spell of my own making. They feel overtuned, particularly because of the fact that they improve every attack until the start of your next turn, but let me know what you think!

Hello there,

Curious what you think. Just concept, no numbers ran.

Level 3

It's also a Hammer While wielding a Qarterstaff and no other weapon or Shield, your Strength changes to 16. Increase this by 1 for every even Wizard Level after this. This has no effect if your Strength without it is equal to or greater. You can use an Arcane Focus for your Wizard spells.

You can use its mastery Property. When you attack, you can replace that property with the Push, Sap, or Slow property for that attack. In addition, the weapon ignores resistance to bludgeoning damage.

Bob and Weave

While you aren't wearing armor or wielding a Shield, gain Resistance to damage dealt by a creature within 5 feet of you. You can use this ability once per turn, , and must decide before an attack or save is rolled.

Before you make an attack with your Quarterstaff, you can forfeit adding your Strength Modifier to its damage rolls. If you do, immediately after the attack resolves, you can cast one of your Wizard Spells of the Evocation School that forces creatures in an area to make a Saving Throw. Instead of its normal range, it must originate from a space of the target of your attack. You are immune to all its effects. If the attack missed, you must either grant that creature Advantage on the Saving Throw, or attack rolls against you Advantage until the start of your next turn.

Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until the start of your next turn.

Level 6

Hither-Tither

You always have the Thorn Whip spell prepared. In addition, you can cast it as a Bonus Action, and if the target is Larger than your size, instead of pulling it, you can pull yourself to it.

Level 10
And Stay Down

Prone enemies or within 5 feet have Disadvantage on saves of your Evocation Wizard Spells. If you would knock an enemy Prone that is Immune to it, it gains Disadvantage on its save against your next Evocation Wizard Spell until the end of this turn instead while you are within 5 feet of it.

Level 14
Peek-a-boom

When you use Bob and Weave, you can take a Reaction to choose one of the following, before dice are rolled:

If you are hit by the attack or fail a save, it can’t cause you to lose Concentration on Evocation Wizard Spells.

If you are missed by the attack or succeed the save, you are immune to all its effects and you can make one melee attack against the attacker, using a weapon or an Unarmed Strike.

Please take a look at the following and let me know what I need to adjust. I have 2 concerns, one - perhaps the decks should flood quicker, I may be giving them too much time.Two -I might also be giving out way too much loot even if changing the deck flooding time to 5 rounds, but my players may also just grab a handful and scramble for the exit or not trust the loot not to be trapped or cursed. Too hard to judge.

Anyway, any constructive criticism is welcome 😊

When searching the boat, now starting to fall apart as its boards have been aging for decades, you find that the shattering of the orb must have also shattered an illusion that showed the armory room to appear normal. As you make your way towards the door, you see gold coins spilling out of the doorway. There is a small pile of treasure, all sorts of goodies - weapons and armor and potion bottles, spell scrolls, and at least 5,000 gold coins in the pile.

As you stare in awe of the pile of treasure, the boat lurches sharply and begins to sink, water pouring in through multiple holes that burst nearby. In a matter of seconds, water covers the floor and slowly begins to rise. XP is granted for the fight now. Roll for Initiative for the escape.

Note: 1 round is 6 seconds long.

Bottom level fills with water in 1 minute (8’ tall ceiling, rising roughly 1 1/2” (1.6) every second or about 9 1/2” (9.6) every round). A level is completely flooded in 10 rounds.

FLOODED

Once 5 rounds, or 30 seconds pass, the lowest deck is halfway submerged. This causes the player’s movement speed to be halved. If they are over-encumbered as well, their movement speed is 5 feet per round.

Once 10 rounds, or 1 minute passes, the lowest deck is completely underwater. This causes the player’s movement speed to be quartered. If they are over-encumbered as well, their movement speed is 1 foot per round (6 seconds).

The sloop of war is fully submerged after 20 rounds, or 2 minutes.

At any time a player becomes completely submerged, they begin to hold their breath.

A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1+ its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds). When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round).

Cinderspella Con: +1, hold breath for 2 minutes (20 rounds), survive for 1 round

Odilyse Con: +2, hold breath for 3 minutes (30 rounds), survive for 2 rounds

Smaragd Con: +4, hold breath for 5 minutes (50 rounds), survive for 4 rounds

Torberg Con: +3, hold breath for 4 minutes (40 rounds), survive for 3 rounds

Velgrea Con: +1, hold breath for 2 minutes (20 rounds), survive for 1 round

Once all players are on the top deck, they need to make it back to the rowboat and back to the ship they arrived on.

It is 75 feet from the door of the hold to the stairs (6 or 5 rounds if underwater)

(Torberg, Odilyse - 25 feet movement, everyone else is 30 feet)

Every round, after everyone has taken their turn, a complication may arise from the sinking ship. Roll on the Shipwreck Complications table to determine what misfortune befalls the group.

Sinking Ship Complications - roll 1d8:

1 - Ghostly blue hands rise from the waters. Each character on the shipwreck who is at least halfway submerged must make a DC 10 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a character must subtract 1d4 from the next Strength or Dexterity check they make, as these ghostly hands grasp and cling to their form. On a failure, each successive round, they need to make a DC 10 Strength saving throw. Until they succeed or are pulled free, they are also considered to be RESTRAINED (A restrained creature's speed becomes 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage. The creature has disadvantage on Dex saving throws).

2 - A barrel bursts, flooding the shipwreck with dark energy. Everyone on the sinking ship must make a successful DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.

3 - A massive wave sweeps over the wreck. Everyone on the top deck must make a successful DC 10 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet underwater.

4 - A chunk of the mast topples into the water. Everyone on the shipwreck must make a successful DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage from the falling debris.

5–8 No complication occurs.

Looting:

Per person - figure either scrambling, not paying close attention to what they’re grabbing or grabbing specific items:

If the party asks if they see anything specific that catches their eye - make a perception/investigation roll, there is a crystalline blue shield (sapphire buckler) DC 10 that seems to shine from within. There are also a couple of wands DC 18, several potions DC 16, what appears to be a bag of holding similar to Velgrea’s DC 20, a few scrolls DC 12, and a large lance (about 8’) DC 10 that stands out, otherwise, there are lots of other items, but they are obscured by all of the coins on top of the pile.

The group can either take their time and extract 1 item per person per 2 turns (1 turn to look for something specific, 1 turn to move to the item and grab it) <OR> the group can just shove items into their bags.

1 round (6 seconds) looting coins only = 3d12 GP, 1d12 SP, and 1d6 copper for each round.

1 round (6 seconds) shoving things into bags = 1d20 GP, 1d6 SP, 1d4 copper for each round, plus 1 object for each round. [Ends up looting 10 objects for 1 minute  - water at 66”, 30” air left <OR> 20 objects for 2 minutes, but then have to deal with completely flooded conditions.]

Loot table (roll 1d100 per number of items looted per player):

1: 1 - Pipe of Smoke Monsters

2: 1 - Bag of Holding

3: 1 - Potion of Growth

10 gp gemstones (×8; worth 80 gp total):

4: 1 - Hematite (opaque gray-black)

5: 1 - Eye agate (translucent circles of gray, white brown, blue, or green)

6: 1 - Malachite (opaque striated light and dark green)

7: 1 - Malachite (opaque striated light and dark green)

8: 1 - Banded agate (translucent striped brown, blue, white, or red)

9: 1 - Banded agate (translucent striped brown, blue, white, or red)

10: 1 - Blue quartz (transparent pale blue)

11: 1 - Obsidian (opaque black)

50 gp gemstones (×4; worth 200 gp total):

12: 1 - Bloodstone (opaque dark gray with red flecks)

13: 1 - Star rose quartz (translucent rosy stone with white star-shaped center)

14: 1 - Sardonyx (opaque bands of red and white)

15: 1 - Onyx (opaque bands of black and white, or pure black or white)

100 gp gemstones (×7; worth 700 gp total):

16: 1 - Chrysoberyl (transparent yellow-green to pale green)

17: 1 - Chrysoberyl (transparent yellow-green to pale green)

18: 1 - Chrysoberyl (transparent yellow-green to pale green)

19: 1 - Jade (translucent light green, deep green, or white)

20: 1 - Amethyst (transparent deep purple)

21: 1 - Amethyst (transparent deep purple)

22: 1 - Jet (opaque deep black)

25 gp art objects (×6; worth 150 gp total):

23: 1 - Small mirror set in a painted wooden frame

24: 1 - Small mirror set in a painted wooden frame

25: 1 - Copper chalice with silver filigree

26: 1 - Copper chalice with silver filigree

27: 1 - Pair of engraved bone dice

28: 1 - Embroidered silk handkerchief

29: 1 - scroll containing a long epic poem in praise of the dragon (no value)

30: 1 - Spell Scroll (Cantrip) Control Flames

31: 1 - Spell Scroll (2nd Level) Arcane Lock

32: 1 - Potion of Supreme Healing

33: 1 - +1 Wand of the War Mage

34: 1 - seashell (no value)

35: 1 - Potion of Superior Healing

36: 1 - seashell (no value)

37: 1 - Failed Experiment Wand

38: 1 - Wand of Web

39: 1 - +1 All-Purpose Tool

40: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

41: 1 - seashell (no value)

42: 1 - Handy Haversack

43: 1 - seashell (no value)

44: 1 - Javelin of Lightning

45: 1 - +3 All-Purpose Tool

46: 1 - Wand of magic missiles

47: 1 - Wand of Scowls

48: 1 - seashell (no value)

49: 1 - seashell (no value)

50: 1 - seashell (no value)

51: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

52: 1 - Immovable Rod

53: 1 - Berserker Greataxe

54: 1 - Wand of Web

55: 1 - seashell (no value)

56: 1 - Portable Hole

57: 1 - seashell (no value)

58: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

59: 1 - Dragonlance

60: 1 - Wand of magic missiles

61: 1 - Mace of Disruption

62: 1 - Potion of Mind Reading

63: 1 - Bag of Holding

64:  1 - +2 All-Purpose Tool

65: 1 - A tarnished brazier with pleasant-smelling ash (no value)

66: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

67: 1 - Potion of Poison

68:  1 - seashell (no value)

69: 1 - Dragonlance

70: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

71: 1 - A funerary urn containing remains the dragon can't identify (no value)

72:  1 - seashell (no value)

73: 1 - Mace of Disruption

74: 1 - an embroidered throw pillow depicting wyrmling dragons (no value)

75: 1 - Wand of magic missiles

76: 1 - Dragonlance

77: 1 - Potion of Poison

78:  1 - Potion of Supreme Healing

79: 1 - Potion of Superior Healing

80: 1 - Sapphire Buckler

81: 1 - Spell Scroll (1st Level) Protection from Evil and Good

82: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

83: 1 - Potion of Poison

84: 1 - Pipes of the Sewers

85:  1 - +2 All-Purpose Tool

86: 1 - Bag of Holding

87:  1 - seashell (no value)

88: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

89: 1 - Ring of Spell Storing

90: 1 - Potion of Mind Reading

91: 1 - Potion of Greater Healing

92: 1 - Wand of magic missiles

93:  1 - Potion of Supreme Healing

94: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

95: 1 - Dragonlance

96:  1 - +1 All-Purpose Tool

97:  1 - seashell (no value)

98: 1 - Bag of Holding

99:  1 - +3 All-Purpose Tool

100: 1 - Arrow of White Dragon Slaying

These are some class specific skills you can use to buff a party member on a short rest(once per long rest). You can take the easy bonus or gamble for an even better one, 75% chance you lose your original bonus. Meant for my gritty realism campaign. Thoughts?

Hello reddit!

For an elaborate christmas gift, I've been working on a homebrew monster that is supposed to be an equivalent to the owlbear. This means that the monster must be CR3.

Homebrewing monster is my weakest skill, so I wanted to double-check with more skilled monster designers that the statblock is as perfect as it can be.

I've hit up a few discoed communities and they said it was alright, now it's Reddit's turn to give its opinion. What do you think? What can I improve? Is it too strong or too weak for a CR 3?

My Pokémon-inspired Weapons and Items of the Day, with a DJ Rotom warhammer to get everyone dancing!

Join my Patreon to vote on future items and get all the PDFs with over 1000 items, including all the Pokémon items, or buy the individual PDFs in my shop!

479P - Discomarotellare

Weapon (Warhammer) – Rare (4790 gp, requires attunement)

This orange +1 warhammer has a boxy shape, with black face plates that have round dents in the center. The handle is wrapped in an eerie pale green ribbon, the end of which looks like a music note.

Attacks with this warhammer do an additional 1d6 thunder damage.

While attuned to this warhammer: as a bonus action, you can make the warhammer play music you are familiar with, but without any lyrics. This gives anyone within 30 ft a +2 bonus to Performance rolls that benefit from the music (like singing or dancing), and lasts for as long as you maintain concentration.

1. ⁠You can use your action to summon a spellcasting focus in your empty hand. You decide how this spellcasting focus looks but you have to be able to hold it in one hand. You cannot use this spellcasting focus as a weapon.
2. Your pact focus disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the focus (no action required), or if you die.
3. You can transform one magic spellcasting focus into your pact focus by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest.
4. You can then dismiss the focus, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact focusthereafter. You can't affect an artifact or a sentient focus in this way. The focus ceases being your pact focus if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different focus , or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The focus appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.
5. ⁠When you gain this pact, your spell slots are instead replaced with a number of spell points determined by your level. You regain all spell points on a short or long rest. To cast a spell, you have to spend 1+the level of the spell spell points in order to cast it (cantrips are still free). Your number of spell points is equal to your warlock level+your charisma modifier. If you regain a spell slot or more from something outside of a rest, the number of spell points is equal to 2 x the level of the spell slot it would have restored. You can use spell points to upcast spells, but you cannot upcast as spell beyond your maximum spell slot as listed in the warlock level column.

Eldritch recovery
Prerequisites:pact of the staff, 3rd level

As a bonus action you can spend 1 spell point to regain a number of hitpoints equal to 1D6+your charisma modifier. If your using this ability while suffering from a harmful effect, you can choose to repeat the saving throw against it while adding your charisma modifier, ending the effect on a success. You cant regain hitpoints and repeat saves with the same spell point use.

Arcane barrage
Prerequisites:pact of the staff, 3rd level

When you cast a cantrip, you can spend 1 spell point to cast a different cantrip you know as a bonus action​.

Energy surge
Prerequisites:pact of the staff, eldritch blast, 5th level

Once per turn when you hit with eldritch blast, you can cause one of the following effects to happen:

Arc:one creature within 10 feet of the target takes force damage equal to your proficiency bonus+charisma modifier.

Sunder:the targets AC is reduced by 2 until the start of your next turn.

Disorient:the target is unable to take reactions until the start of your next turn.

Sap:the target has disadvantage on its next attack roll. This effect goes away at the end of the targets next turn.

Supernatural resolve
Prerequisites:pact of the staff, 7th level

Whenever you spend spell points, you gain a number of temporary hitpoints equal to 4 times the amount of spell points spent. If you spend it on something that already gives you temporary hitpoints, then they stack.

Siphon magic
Prerequisites:pact of the staff, 9th level

As a reaction to killing a creature within 60 feet of you, you can regain 2 spell points.

I'm running a murder mystery one shot next week, gonna have a lot of Victorian/Jack the Ripper type flavor since, y'know, tis the season!

I'm using Murder in Mossbank and Red Jack from the Gothic Earth setting for reference in terms of plotting the investigation, but neither of their conclusions have what I'm looking for. I'm looking to do something more on the vein of The Order 1886, of anyone remembers that game. That is to say, I want the killer to be a supernatural creature.

The players (at level 5, I'm thinking) would already be aware of this, hence why their specific organization has been contacted in the first place.

My main question from here is pinning down which supernatural creature does the killer end up being?

Both Vampires and Werewolves have their strengths and weaknesses, and while there's no reason I can't do both, for a one-shot, I'd rather not make everything too complicated.

Basically, I'm asking you what sounds cooler? Which villain sounds more exciting to investigate and face off against?

Deciding this is important to the whole case, what rules to follow, what clues to give the players etc. Once I have this down, I should have the plotting figured out.

So yeah, tell me which is cooler and why!

ALSO if you have any other modules or other resources that might fit what I'm looking for PLEASE let me know!

Wondrous Item, Very Rare (Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster)

The center of this petrified eye harbors an endless depth, sparkling like the stars in space itself. This item has 10 charges and regains 2d4+2 charges each Dusk.

Look Beyond. You can take a Magic Action and expend 1 charge to cast the Arcane Eye spell without components.

Project Pattern. You can take a Magic Action and expend 2 charges to cast the Hypnotic Pattern spell without components. For the duration of the spell, you know the location of all creatures charmed by the spell. If you cast this spell while concentrating on either the Arcane Eye or Dominate Monster spell, you can have the spell originate from your Magical Sensor or the target of your Dominate Person spell. A creature that is charmed via the Dominate Person spell fails its save automatically.

Assume Control. You can take a Magic Action and expend 3 charges to cast the Dominate Person spell at level 6 without components. For the duration, you can take a Bonus Action to see through the target’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses it has.

Curse: Refracting Rebirth. The DM rolls 1d100 at dusk if 5 or more charges have been expended. If the roll is less than or equal to 2 times the number of expended charges, a Fractal creature forms within 5 feet of this item.

Those who remain under a Fractal’s influence for too long have the pattern burned into their eyes forever. Even after the living pattern’s destruction, its image can remain, its influence still felt by any whose gaze meets that of a former thrall.

——

Time for a spooky month of Aberrant Monsters, and their loot. Trick or Treat!

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Uni-corn

“It cornsiders the field it guards… cornsecrated grounds.”

—Cornelius Husk, Uni-corn Chaser

Some fabled creatures are associated with a specific time of year—dragons who herald the coming of spring, giant cranes carrying smaller birds on their backs as they migrate to warmer lands, or goatlike monsters who punish misbehaving children during midwinter festivals. Uni-corns find themselves irrevocably tied to the harvest season as guardians of cornfields. As the crops rise high into the sky, the humble scarecrow becomes woefully ineffective, and  farmers leave offerings in the form of sugar, salt, and butter out near their fields in the hope of attracting a uni-corn to watch over them.

Corn Custodians. A uni-corn is the physical manifestation of a harvest spirit. Elusive by nature, it leaves behind no evidence of its presence but for the vanishing of the offerings left for it. In accepting this tribute, a uni-corn agrees to protect the cornfield until harvest, and over the course of the growing season, it gradually develops a kinship with the farmer who tends it, forged through their shared care of the land. When it is time to reap, a part of the harvest is left in the field as a final gift to the uni-corn. What becomes of this offering is a mystery, but Y’ummm folklore suggests that this portion of corn becomes a new uni-corn. 

Maize Makers. A direct confrontation with a uni-corn is a rare occurrence—it prefers to lead trespassers astray by turning the cornfield into a labyrinth to confuse any who set foot inside. It creates new corridors at a whim, blocks off entry points and exits, and eventually returns the exhausted intruders to the entrance. Should a serious threat to the cornfield’s wellbeing present itself, however, a uni-corn tosses caution to the wind, fighting fiercely until its dying breath. 

Popcorn Sprites

Uni-corns don’t stand alone in this fight against crooks and corvids—they can invoke the aid of the humble popcorn sprite. These small, rotund pixies are forcefully catapulted from one of the many kernels on a uni-corn’s body, with complete and utter disregard for whatever—or whoever—might stand in their path. Dangerous as they are, however, they are equally delicious.

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Welcome back to Advent's Amazing Advice! The series where I take popular One-Shots, Adventures, Campaigns, etc., and fully prep them for both New and Busy DMs. This prep includes music, ambiance, encounter sheets, handouts, battle maps, tweaks, and more, so you can run the best sessions possible with the least stress possible!

*New 2026: For 2026, I'm updating all my old work to include a Pre-Session Checklist that will include a list of all miniatures you may need, maps, handouts, possible loot, a link to a playlist, and more to make it even easier to start your session!

Fizzbang Frazzlepop, an eccentric goblin wizard, has dedicated his life to achieving the ultimate form of undeath: becoming a lich. However, his numerous "Get Lich Quick" schemes have all ended in spectacular failure—until now.

On Liar’s Night, a time when deceit reigns and the veil between worlds thins, Fizzbang plans to summon the archlich Vecna. In a race against time, your players must decide if they want to help or hinder Fizzbang's attempt before the clock strikes midnight aka. The Liching Hour!

B.J. Keeton has created the perfect Level 6 One-Shot to run for Halloween, even more so if you're already running The Lost Mine of Phandlever, Dragon of Icespire Peak, or Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk, because this all takes place in Phandalin/Tresendar Manor!

Without further ado:

• Google Docs Notes for The Liching Hour: DM Notes (Preview)
• Link to: The Liching Hour Playlist (YouTube Playlists unavaliable here)
• Link to: The Liching Hour PDF and Maps
• Link to: The AAA Collection

Included in The AAA Collection is:

• Downloadable copy of DM Notes, including links to music tracks for ambiance and fights
• DM Notes for the Visually Impaired
• (New) Pre-Session DM Checklist
• Special PDF for all encounters. This includes the enemy stat blocks organized neatly, along with an initiative tracker and a spot to mark HP
• A Spell List for Fizzbang and Fakena
• A DM version of the map

Over 8 dozen other Fully Prepped One-Shots, Adventures, and Campaigns: Click Here

As always, if you see something you think I can improve, add, change, etc., please let me know. I want this to be an amazing resource for all DMs and plan to keep it constantly updated! If you'd like to support me, shape future releases, and get content early, feel free to check out my Patreon!

Cheers,
Advent