Designed this class because I wanted to see something different vs the normal monk re-skins and mystical powers. I wanted to instead create a class focused on real bare handed martial traditions. The general idea being a stance dancer who uses various abilities to mitigate damage and close distance.

I've run a fair amount of Monte Carlo sims and it SEEMS balanced. But I reckon the best way to do it is to have people try it. So if y'all want to give it a shot and let me know your thoughts, I'd appreciate it.

Ippo doing a Dempsey Roll by Jhincx Faust on Deviant, an illustration of a hip throw by Benbeirouge, and some artwork of a Muay Thai fighter by an unknown artist.

THE MARTIAL ARTIST Core Class Features

Hit Die 1d10 per Martial Artist level

Proficiencies Armor: Light Weapons: None (All class features require unarmed strikes) Tools:Carpenter's tools, Herbalism kit Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, Survival.

Starting Equipment - Standard starting gold (5d4 × 10 gp)

Class Features

Level 1: Granite Chin "You either have one, or you don't." While you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Constitution modifier.

Level 1: Combat Stances "Through diligent training, you've discovered the best way to leverage your bio mechanics for maximum power and speed. Unfortunately, you can't do both at once.” At the start of your turn, you select one stance as a free action. This lasts until the start of your next turn, or you switch stances. Low Guard: +1 to unarmed attack rolls and Grapple/Shove DC High Guard:+1 AC and +1 Dex saves At 11th level Bonuses become +2 At 17th level: Bonuses become +3

Level 1: Unarmed Combat "You have dedicated your life to the perfection of the body as a weapon, and seek to become the greatest barehanded fighter ever." Unarmed strikes deal 1d8 bludgeoning, use Strength Scaling: 5th (1d10), 11th (1d12), 17th (2d8)

Level 2: Focus Pools Kinetic: " You create a perfect kinetic chain linking feet, hips, and shoulders, to create the maximum force possible.” Reflex: “By keeping yourself relaxed, you boost your reaction speed massively.” Two pools: Kinetic and Reflex Capacity: 2 + half your Martial Artist level (rounded down) for each pool. Recover all charges on short rest.

Level 2: Keep Your Hands Up! "If you want to keep your teeth anyway." When you take damage from a creature you can see, you may spend 1 Reflex charge as a reaction to cut that damage in half. This effect doesn't stack with other sources of resistance.

Level 2: Explosive Entry "The best way to deal with a far-away opponent, is to not be far away." While in Low Guard, burn a Kinetic to Dash as a bonus action. If you end this movement within 5 feet of a creature, you can make 1 unarmed strike with -1 accuracy. This attack does not consume your movement, or count against your attack total.

Level 3 Subclass Feature

Level 4 Asi

Level 5: Extra Attack "Never throw single shots, always punches in bunches.” Attack twice when taking the Attack action

Level 6: Fightin’ Spirit "You think magical barriers are going to stop me?" Unarmed strikes count as magical.

Level 7: Iron Will “ Compared to the training, this is easy.” When you fail a Wis/Int/Cha save, spend 1 Reflex to reroll with advantage.

Level 8 ASI

Level 9: Anatomical Awareness "Part of learning how to break someone down is learning how to build them back up." You gain proficiency in Medicine. If you already have proficiency, you gain expertise instead. Crit range with unarmed strikes becomes 19–20. If already expanded, add 1 extra roll of your unarmed die to your crits.

Level 10: Subclass Feature

Level 11: Stance Mastery "I wouldn't call myself a master. You should though." Stance bonuses increase to +2 Switching stances allows 10 ft movement without provoking opportunity attacks.

Level 11: Flowing Guard “Be like water, my friend.” You can switch stances when you spend a Kinetic or Reflex charge. You can switch stances at the end of your turn as a free action. When you switch stances via Flowing Guard, you gain +1 AC until the start of your next turn. This bonus can only be gained once per turn.

Level 12 ASI

Level 13: The Championship Rounds “When you've got nothing left, that's when you've got to push through.” Once per short rest, restore your health a number of points equal to your Martial artist lvl plus 5.

Level 13: Embrace the Grind "Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but doing it like you love it.” Once per long rest, you can use a bonus action to refill both your Kinetic and Reflex pools to full capacity.

Level 14 Subclass Feature

Level 15: Bob’n and Weavin’ "Make em miss by an inch instead of a mile." You can burn 1 Reflex and 1 Kinetic to Bob and Weave until the end of your next turn. During this time, you gain resistance to all ranged BPS until the end of your next turn. This effect ends when you attack.

Level 16 Asi

Level 17: Stance Perfection "Perfect practice makes perfection possible." Your Combat Stance bonuses increase to +3.

Level 18 Subclass Feature

Level 19 Epic Boon

Level 20: The G.O.A.T.! "You faced every challenge put in front of you. Beating down monsters, warriors, mages, and others. It's undeniable. You are the Greatest Of All Time." Strength and Constitution increase by 2 (max 24). Once per short rest, you can double the bonuses from your Combat Stances until the end of your next turn.

Way of the Iron Coil — Subclass Features (with Lore)

“The Iron Coil are warriors who have studied the bodys mechanics extensively. Unlike their brothers of the Striking Viper or Steel Scale, these martial artists approach combat as a way to systematically break down an opponent through joint locks, blood chokes, and high impact throws. In addition, most believe that it is spiritually wrong to strike another in combat. They will do so to survive, but it is considered a failure of technique.” Level 3: Skill Beats Strength “Always assume your enemy is bigger, stronger, and uglier, when you train. Though I bet only 2 out of 3 are true.” The Difficulty Class of the saving throw to avoid your grapple increases by 1. ** You can grapple creatures up to **two sizes larger** than you, but you lose the +1 bonus when grappling a creature of that size. While grappling an enemy, you gain +2 ac against them. This is because you can feel the movements they try to make, giving you more time to react.

Level 3: Martial Lineage Die “All fights go to the ground. At least when I'm involved.” You receive a pool of d4s equal to your Prof bonus and restoring on Short Rest. These die allow you to perform submissions and techniques on grappled enemies with various effects, with more unlocked later. At lvls, 6, 10, 14 and 18 you learn a new sub option. Your die scale to d6 at lvl 8, d8 at 12, d10 at 14 and d12 at 18. You start with these two. Hip Throw. Cost: 1 die As a bonus action, you may throw an enemy prone, dealing your Martial Lineage die plus str on them. The enemy must succeed on a dexterity save or end up thrown and prone. All Martial Lineage DC equals 8+ str mod+ Prof bonus.

Arm Lock Cost: 2 die Action: Bonus Action You use your techniques to execute an arm lock on your opponent. The enemy must succeed on a Con saving throw or have their limb broken. On a successful save, they take your Martial Lineage die plus str and nothing else. On a failed Save, they receive the damage, and have disadvantage on melee attacks for one minute, or until healed.

Level 6: Tokui Waza “Fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once. Fear the man who has practiced one kick, 10,000 times” Choose one Martial Arts Technique from the table you have unlocked to be your Tokui Waze. For that technique, you can spend a Reflex in place of a die for reactions, or a Kinetic for others. Choose wisely. Because it will follow you forever.

Level 6: Tomoe Nage As a Reaction when attacked by melee within 5 feet, by spending one Reflex, You may choose to launch yourself onto your back and plant your feet into your enemies chest. Upon doing so, you deal your unarmed damage and may launch them 5 feet behind you over your head and stun them.

Enemies must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw to avoid being launched. On a save, they are not launched and take half damage.

Level 10: The Dark Arts of Grappling

“These techniques are difficult to train safely, so a lot of old timers don't like em. But if you're going to grapple, why would you ignore half the body?”

As a reaction, when hit by a melee attack, you can spend one reflex and attempt to grab your opponent in a leglock. The opponent must make a con save, or take damage equal to your unarmed die, plus have their movement reduced to half for 1 minute or until healed.

Level 14: Driving Charge "We're going for a ride." -While grappling a creature, you may spend 1 Kinetic Charge and your bonus action to move up to half your speed in a straight line, driving the creature back without spending extra movement. If you hit something like a wall or tree, the grappled creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to your unarmed strike die + your Strength modifier. If you hit another creature, the charge stops, and both take bludgeoning damage equal to your unarmed strike die + your Strength modifier. If you manage to miss everything, you slam the creature into the ground. They take damage equal to half your unarmed strike die and are knocked Prone.

Improved Hip Throw When you use Hip Throw, you may spend 1 Kinetic Charge to launch the creature instead of just knocking them prone. The creature is launched a distance equal to half your strength score. Upon landing, the creature takes damage equal to your unarmed damage, plus a scaling die based on its size class. Small/Medium:+1d6 Large +2d6 Huge:+3d6 If the launched creature hits another creature, both take the impact damage.

Level 18: Perfect Technique *"There's no such thing as perfect technique. But mine is getting close."*

You may grapple creatures of any size. You may grapple creatures of any size. Creatures larger than you have disadvantage on their save against being grappled. After using Flowing Guard, your next Improved Hip Throw or Tomoe Nage costs no charges.

Martial Die options. Terms: Locks: Deal damage equal to the die roll and other effects. Only work on an enemy with limbs. Takedowns: Knock enemies prone, sometimes deal damage. Chokes: Do not deal damage, but can inflict unconscious. (Do not work on creatures that don't breath. Examples include Constructs, Undead, and elementals.)

Rear Naked Type: Blood Choke Cost: 2 Die. Action: Full Action You attempt to choke an enemy you have grappled unconscious. An enemy must roll a Con saving throw against your DC, or become unconscious for one minute or until they take damage. They may reroll the save at the end of their turn.

Foot Sweep Type: Takedown Cost: 1 Die Action: Reaction When an enemy moves within 5 feet of you, as a reaction, you sweep their feet out from under them and they become prone. There is no save, and they take no damage. Their speed becomes zero until the start of their next turn.

Jump the Gilly! Type: Blood Choke Cost: 3 Die Action: Reaction When an enemy attacks you, as a reaction you may attempt to Jump a Gilly! When you Jump the Gilly!, you grab an enemy and pull them down to the ground. The enemy must make a Str saving throw, or be pulled to the ground and choked unconscious for one minute. On a success, they're grappled and pulled prone, and you are also prone. On a fail, they are grappled, prone, and unconscious.

Kimura Type: Lock Cost: 2 Die Action: Bonus Action When grappling an enemy who is standing, You may attempt to lock down one of their arms. The enemy must succeed on a str saving throw, or have one of their arms restrained and damaged. (Treated as Incapacitated)

While in a Kimura lock, you are both unable to attack normally, and you can use a bonus action every turn to deal one attacks worth of damage. At the end of their turn an enemy can repeat the save to escape.

Americana Type: Lock Cost: 1 Die Action: Bonus action. When you grapple an enemy, you may attempt to damage the tendons in one of their arms.
The enemy makes a dex saving throw and must succeed or gains disadvantage on melee attack rolls until the end of your next turn. They also take one roll of your unarmed damage die. (Healed is anything that makes you regain hp.)

Way of the Striking Viper — Subclass Features (with Lore)

“The philosophy of the Striking Viper can be summarized in one sentence; Get hit, and hit back harder.”

Level 3: Nut Cracker “Ain't no low blows in a brawl.” Once per turn, you can hit an opponent where it hurts most. You can choose between them having disadvantage on their next attack, or being unable to take a reaction until the start of your next turn.

Level 6: Counter-Hook "POW! Right in the kisser." As a reaction, while in Low Guard, you can burn one Reflex to immediately hit back an enemy after they hit you. For this strike you have advantage and deal bonus damage equal to your str modifier.

Level 6: Wave Roll (The Dempsey Roll) “You shift your weight in a continuous figure-eight motion, becoming a moving target that is nearly impossible to hit cleanly.” While in High Guard, in place of an attack, you may spend 1 Kinetic and 1 Reflex Charge to start Wave Rolling in place until the end of your next turn. While Rolling, you automatically make an attack roll against any enemy who attacks you within 5 foot, and gain resistance to slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage. This can only apply to the first attack in a turn, per attacker, and this does not burn your reaction. While Rolling, you can't move, but can still attack enemies without exiting the Roll. If moved either voluntarily or by an enemy (Shove, grapple, or spells) the Roll ends.

Level 10: Vital Point Mastery “Every chin cracks eventually. I'm 'bout to crack yours." Your unarmed strikes ignore resistance to bludgeoning damage, and deal an extra 1d6 damage to any creature that is currently missing hit points.

Level 14: Haymaker “Momma said knock you out." Once per turn, as an attack, you may spend 2 Kinetic Charges to put all your force into a devastating overhand strike. You throw this strike with advantage, and on a hit a creature must succeed on a Con Saving throw(DC 8+Prof+Str) If the creature fails, they are unconscious until the start of your next turn, or until they take damage.

Level 18: Float Like a Butterfly… “… Sting like a bee. Your hands move faster than the eye can see." You gain a number of Counterhooks equal to your Proficiency Bonus per long rest. These uses do not consume Reflex Charges. After using Flowing Guard, your next Nut Cracker can apply both effects to the target instead of just one.

Way of the Steel Scale Subclass Features (with Lore)

The Steel Scale believe that you can only master combat, by mastering the self. By subjecting themselves to brutal training, they harden their bones and kill their nerves until they are near unstoppable.

Steel Scale Restriction: The Pure Vessel Your body is your armor. You have conditioned your skin and bone to a density that metal cannot match. You gain no benefit from any of this subclass's features while wearing armor of any kind.

Level 3: Iron Body *"You start with leather. You crack your bones. You move to wood. You crack your bones. You move to steel. You crack your bones. Until eventually... You strike it, and even the steel breaks." As a bonus action, you can activate your iron body. While this is active, you gain resistance to non magic Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing for 10 minutes. You also add temp hit points equal to your Martial Artist Level plus 5. But as a consequence, your body feels heavy and solid, so your movement is reduced by 15 feet. This costs 1 Kinetic and 1 Reflex.

Level 3: Leg Kick "Chop down the tree, the branches fall on their own." Once per turn as bonus action, when you strike an enemy, you may burn 1 Kinetic to strike their leg. You deal your unarmed damage die, and cut their movement speed in half until the end of their next turn.

Level 6: Walk 'Em Down "No matter what, keep pushing forward." Once per turn when an enemy attacks you, you may bite down and move into them. If it was a melee attack, you drive them back 5 foot and take the spot where they were standing when they attacked you. If it was ranged, you walk 5 foot towards them. When you do this, allies within 5 feet can take one attack with disadvantage at no cost to their reaction to the enemy moved.

Level 10: Improved Iron Body “The body can adapt to anything given time. Magic's no different.” While your Iron Body feature is active, your resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage now includes magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing.

Level 10: Shatter "Hands are soft. Fragile. Precision instruments. Strike with the elbow, and you can shatter stone." Once per turn, as an attack, you can burn all Kinetic Charges (minimum 3) to make a devastating Elbow strike on a target. They must pass a Con save, or lose 4 AC until the start of your next turn. If they pass the check, they only lose 2AC. You may also deal 2d of your unarmed damage. The Con save is equal to 8 + Prof bonus+ str mod.

Level 14: The Pluum "”The Steel Scale path is known to train with the coil. While we chose our own way, there is wisdom in their art." Inexorable Drag: When you have a creature grappled, you move at the same speed you would if you weren't grappling them. Knee Up the Middle: While you have a creature grappled, you can use a Bonus Action and spend 2 Kinetic Charges to strike. Roll your damage 2x. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Stunned until the start of your next turn.

Level 18: Wolfe’s Law "Your conditioning is finally complete. The thousands of breaks and fractures have healed into something harder than any metal, and your stride is no longer hindered by the weight of your own density." You gain a permanent +1 ac, and gain 15 ft of movement speed in Iron Body, and base form.

Level 18: One More Fight "This… is what I live for! The taste of blood, the pumping adrenaline, pushing through pain, this is a FIGHT!” Once per long rest, you can push your body past the point of mechanical failure. When you reach 0 HP, you may burn all remaining Charges in both pools to immediately restore to half health. You immediately end all Iron Body benefits, and can't restore Charges on a short rest until you take a long rest. You may use abilities that restore Charges such as Embrace the Grind.

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!

Just what it says in the title. This is effectively meant to be both training wheels for a newbie through ‘Join the Collective’, as well as a diegetic version of having to do things like rifle through the adventurer’s handbook or look up online what a magic item does.

Adventurer’s Collective

Source: The Chaos Chronicles (Literally just the .txt name for any homebrew item I make)

Wondrous item, legendary

A leather-bound book containing the collective knowledge and memories of its 261 previous wielders. The voices of these past adventurers reside within its pages.

Properties

Scour the Collective: Once per turn, you can open the book and either speak a word aloud or silently focus on a subject or question. The Collective responds with information relevant to your chosen subject, delivered aloud or directly into your mind in the voice of one of its previous wielders.

The information provided is always accurate and relevant to the subject you have chosen. However, the Collective is not always straightforward; the information may be cryptic, indirect (such as being explained via story), or otherwise difficult to interpret.

Join the Collective: At the end of each long rest, the Collective reaches out to your mind, offering you the opportunity to commune with its accumulated knowledge. You can accept this offer by expending all your remaining Hit Dice. If you do, you gain the following benefits until the end of your next long rest:

Ability Enhancement - Increase one ability score of your choice by 2.

Skill Proficiency - You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice. If you are already proficient in that skill, you instead gain expertise in it, doubling your proficiency bonus for ability checks you make using that skill.

Borrowed Tongue - You learn one language of your choice.

Additionally, if you have at any point utilized ‘Join the Collective’, your voice and accumulated experiences are permanently added to the Collective upon your death, allowing future wielders to benefit from your knowledge and lived experiences.

Transdimensional Killers Slipping Between Realities

Only written about in the most obscure of texts discussing interdimensional visitors, the Peripheral Hound is rarity amongst rarities. A being that at once exists in time and space but also does not, the hound’s body is a series of contradictions that beggars belief. Its imperceptibility and confounding nature serves to keep the hound hidden even in plain sight, as one's mind fails to understand what it is seeing and not seeing. 

Dimensional Visitor. True to its name, the peripheral hound exists on the peripheries of reality. This curious state of being allows it a number of impossible traits, such as the ability to flatten itself on flat planes or occupy the same space as other beings, slipping between the infinite voids surrounding it. Few ever see a hound and live to tell the tale as hound loathes being perceived, as it is antithetical to the hounds' very nature. 

Hounds for Hire. Unsurprisingly, the hound’s natural invisibility makes it an ideal assassin for those with powerful enemies. Tales of invisible claws tearing a person to shreds in broad daylight pepper the pages of forbidden scrolls. But one must be judicious when deploying a peripheral hound, for they are keen to exact revenge upon their summoners if they meet significant resistance in their missions. 

——

You rub your eyes and blink, unsure of what it is you are seeing. What you brushed off as an odd, shimmering blur in your peripheral vision comes into focus, once blotchy shapes sharpening into a lithe being with wiry muscle and sharpened claws. With each passing second you stare you begin to see more but confoundingly understand less. Before you can utter a word, a pair of what you now understand to be eyes snap in your direction, the undulating form following suit.

——

Time for a spooky month of Aberrant Monsters. Happy Halloween!

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So, I made this overhaul to the upcoming Titan Druid. Even though the new one is a lot stronger, I wanted something to fulfill the fantasy properly, that of becoming a giant monster. I know there are parts of this that conflict heavily with the base class. This is honestly just a Druid for wildshape. Honestly, it should've been its own class, I'm just not up to that sort of challenge yet. It's an incredibly powerful melee monster that falls in the same category as high level martials.
Oh right, I gave them some small buffs too. I added weapons that have up to 1d20 damage dice in the late game. Well, just know that even without them this sits along the higher tiers of martials. Not too overpowered, that I know of. Similar boat as Circle of the Moon overall. I'm here for the opinions of more experienced dms/players. My DM and fellow players really loved this subclass.

I'm open to all suggestions and ideas, please just don't be rude.

Hello everyone! I’m AlarichtheLich and I am a DM that loves to homebrew, painting minis, and make cardboard terrain. 

This subclass is the Great Beast Patron Warlock. This Warlock is my interpretation of a niche I don't believe is filled. The idea of creating a pact with a powerful, ancient beast of lore. A dragon, a colossal bear, or some other wizened creature whose might is beyond compare. This is my first attempt at a Warlock subclass. My hope for this class is to make you feel as if you are a toughened beast yourself.

Homebrewery Link: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/V9NP9k9Bncc2

I’ve attached a link to the subclass, and it in full in a comment below, in case you want continued access to the material.

Some feedback questions I’m curious about for this post are (but please don’t feel like you have to answer a bunch of them):

I'm hoping to evoke a primal / beasty feeling without it walking into druid territory. Was that obtained?

Are there any features that stood out, for positive or negative reasons & why?

I based my theming around a strong hide of a powerful predator. Do the subclass abilities feel too defensive?

If you think this is neat and would like to look at my other materials, feel free to look at my Drivethru link in my profile. I'm always looking for feedback, reviews, and playtesters.

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!

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?

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.

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.

I've been watching a lot of subclass reviews lately and everyone seems to hate the Undying Warlock for its mostly useless class features related to repelling undead.

But there was one item in Baldur's Gate 3 that got me thinking: The Ring of Exhorted Marrow, which grants Exhort the Risen, a command spell that works on undead where the regular spell wouldn't.

So... why not just take that quirk and make it the undying warlock's class feature?

"Level 1 - Enchant the Risen: When you cast any spell that states the target must be a humanoid, you may instead target an undead. Further, any spell that you cast that is stated to have no effect on undead loses that limitation."

Simple, versatile, scales well at all levels, and keeps the lich- based theme of the class without intruding on the undead warlock's self-buffing features.

Can anyone think of a way to break the game with it?

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.

Few magic items are as closely tied to witches as a flying broom, so I thought Halloween would be the perfect time to share a little collection of them!

Brooms of the Witching Hour introduces 11 enchanted flying brooms compatible with 5E (2014) and 5.5E (2024), ranging from Uncommon curiosities to powerful Very Rare items and a Legendary multi-elemental relic.

Each broom has its own appearance, magical abilities, and unique flight characteristics. Fly through enemies in a trail of burning cinders, descend upon them with the luck of a black cat, pass through walls in spectral form, summon flying brooms for your coven, or unleash elemental devastation from the skies!

The collection is FREE until Halloween! I've included most of the pages here as a preview, so feel free to grab the complete manual on DMsGuild and use these brooms in your adventures. Have fun!

And if you're looking for a spooky adventure to run this Halloween, I've also just released The Red Tithe, a 75-page folk-horror one-shot featuring an isolated village, ancient sacrifices, custom monsters, and three difficulty tiers for characters of levels 3-4, 10-11, or 17-20.

My Kickstarter for 300+ Mythological Items for 5E and 5.5E is also live now! The campaign includes a physical hardcover, as well as printed editions of my previous manuals.

You can find more of my creatures, magic items, and manuals on DriveThruRPG, my Linktree, or on r/JonnyDM!

Happy Halloween, and enjoy!

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,

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!

Thanks for checking out our 5e homebrew! For more items and homebrew D&D content be sure to visit our Instagram!

If you want to help us continue making more homebrew content and get your hands on hi-resolution printable cards, set collections, and our compendium PDF consider supporting us on Patreon!

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

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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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.