New Druid Circle – Circle of the Sky

Hey I just wanted to let you know I’m contributing to Mike Myler’s Book of Exalted Darkness which you can back on Kickstarter right now!

At the beginning of the year I unveiled my plan to make Enora my first fully published world.

With that world comes new monsters, races, subclasses, and more. I’m now adding a druid circle to the flying world – the Circle of the Sky.

Note that what is below is considered playtest material. Please let me know what you think!

Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games

Circle of the Sky

The Circle of the Sky is made up of guardians and warriors who wield the power of lightning and thunder to destroy their enemies from above. These protectors watch from the trees, mountains, and sky, preferring to ambush their prey as a falcon does a mouse. The circles meet at high places, like the peaks of mountains or tops of trees, to exchange reports about the movements of marauding monsters, such as gnolls or orcs, and plan coordinated attacks. Circle of the Sky druids are vigilant and suffer none who would destroy nature for personal gain.

Bonus Cantrip

When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you learn the hurl lightning cantrip.

Cushion of Air

Starting at 2nd level, you can cast the feather fall spell on only yourself without needing to expend any spell slots or material components. You must finish a short rest before you can use this feature again.

Circle Spells

Your mystical connection to the sky infuses you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to druid circle spells connected to the sky as indicated on the Circle of the Sky Spells table.

Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.

Circle of the Sky Spells

Druid Level	Spells
3rd	gust of wind, shatter
5th	lightning bolt, fly
7th	freedom of movement, greater invisibility
9th	cloudkill, telekinesis

Embrace of the Gray Sky

Starting at 6th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to any spell you cast that deals lightning or thunder damage. In addition, when you make an attack in a beast shape while using Wild Shape, that attack deals an extra 1d6 thunder damage.

Limitless Heights

When you reach 10th level, you can cast the levitate spell on yourself at will without expending any spell slots or material components, and you are resistant to thunder and lightning damage.

Skyborn Champion

At 14th level, you can expend two uses of wild shape to transform into an air elemental.

In addition, you can use your action to give yourself and a number of creatures within 30 feet of you that you can see a fly speed equal to their walking speed for 1 hour. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

New Spell: Hurl Lightning

Of course for this new class, we need a new cantrip. Hurl lightning is described below and can be added to any druid’s spell list at the DM’s discretion.

Hurl Lightning

Evocation cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You throw a small bolt of lightning at a creature or object within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. You have advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing metal armor or made of metal. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 lightning damage.

The spell’s damage increased by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, like World Builder Blog on Facebook, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!

Restoration – A New Paladin Oath

Hey I just wanted to let you know I’m contributing to Mike Myler’s Book of Exalted Darkness which you can back on Kickstarter right now!

At the beginning of the year I unveiled my plan to make Enora my first fully published world.

With that world comes new monsters, races, subclasses, and more. I’m now adding a paladin oath to the undead world – restoration.

Note that what is below is considered playtest material. Please let me know what you think!

Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games

Oath of Restoration

The Oath of Restoration binds paladins to the task of rebuilding what once was. Sometimes called rebuilders or restorers, these paladins nurture civilizations, clear monsters from ruins, heal scarred lands, help refugees reclaim their homes, and mend the wounds of the injured. Unlike paladins who swear an Oath of Vengeance, restoration paladins focus on the work of bringing back what is lost rather than making the guilty pay.

Tenets of Restoration

The wording of the tenets of restoration vary from paladin to paladin, but all share the same ideals about rebuilding, nurturing, and protecting others.

Stop Wanton Destruction. Those who destroy for the sake of themselves must be stopped at all costs.

Reclaim Homes. It is never too late to help another reclaim a lost homeland.

Anything Can Be Rebuilt. With enough time, will, and determination, any place, relationship, or life can be reforged.

Civilization for All. Any creature that desires shelter, education, good health, and the trappings of society should have access to such and be accepted.

Rebuild Hope. Optimism is key in inspiring yourself and others to uphold reclaim what once was.

Oath of Restoration Spells

Paladin Level	Spells
3rd	sanctuary, shield
5th	lesser restoration, spike growth
9th	beacon of hope, plant growth
13th	aura of life, fabricate
17th	greater restoration, mass cure wounds

Channel Divinity

When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options.

Greater Mending. As an action you touch a broken object, such as a cracked wagon wheel, two halves of a shield, a torn tapestry, or a leaking dam wall. As long as the break or tear is no larger than 3 feet in any dimension, you mend it, leaving no trace of the former damage. If the item you repair is a magic item, you restore magic to such an object. If the item you repair is a construct, you can repair it, but you cannot restore its magic.

Restore the Fallen. As an action choose one living creature reduced to 0 hit points that you can see within 30 feet of you. That creature regains one-third its hit points (rounded down).

Improved Lay on Hands

Starting at 7th level, with your Lay on Hands healing pool, you can restore a number of hit points equal to your paladin level x 10, and you can use this pool to restore hit points to objects.

At 18th level, you can expend 100 hit points from your healing pool to return a creature to life that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This feature can’t return to life a creature that has died of old age, nor can it restore any missing body parts.

Mutual Destruction

Starting at 15th level, you can rebuke your attackers with holy light. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to cause that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. This saving throw DC equals your paladin spell save DC. On a failed save, that creature takes 2d6 radiant damage.

Aura of Durability

At 20th level, as an action, you can emanate an aura of strength and determination. For 1 minute, you and your allies within 30 feet of you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons and have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, like World Builder Blog on Facebook, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!

Lichtouched – A New Sorcerous Origin

At the beginning of the year I unveiled my plan to make Enora my first fully published world.

With that world comes new monsters, races, subclasses, and more. I’m now adding a sorcerous origin to the undead world – lichtouched.

Note that what is below is considered playtest material. Please let me know what you think!

Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games

Lichtouched

Your innate magic comes from some place of dark energy. Your parents may have been cursed by a powerful undead spellcaster. You could have visited a plane of negative energy. Perhaps you were even once an undead creature yourself. The reason you attuned to necromantic magic may never be clear, but what is obvious is that you can wield this power as easily as any lich.

Withering Grasp

When you choose this origin at 1st level, you gain the chill touch cantrip if you don’t already know it. In addition, when you cast and deal damage with chill touch, add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll of the spell.

Flesh of the Dead

Starting at 1st level, your flesh takes on a dull gray or stark white appearance. You are resistant to necrotic damage and have advantage on saving throws against effects that reduce your hit point maximum.

Consume Soul

Starting at 6th level, when a creature you can see dies, you can use your reaction to consume its soul. You regain 2 sorcery points and the creature’s soul is destroyed as a result. You can use this feature twice. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Blood of the Dead

Starting at 14th level, you are immune to disease and poison. In addition, whenever deal necrotic damage to a creature with a spell you cast, that creature cannot regain hit points until the start of your next turn.

Undead Being

Beginning at 18th level, you can channel necrotic energy to become ghostly. As an action, you spend 5 sorcery points to draw on this power. For 1 minute or until you lose concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), you gain a fly speed equal to your walking speed and you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. While in this form, you are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons as well as acid, fire, lightning, and thunder damage.

If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, like World Builder Blog on Facebook, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!

The Husk

As I’ve said before, I’m starting to make some progress in my world of Enora, where undead rule the surface of the planet! There’s just one monster of a problem with this idea: the fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual has a serious Challenge Rating gap when it comes to undead. There’s a handful of Challenge 5 undead and then it jumps to 13 with the vampire. What’s a DM with a taste for rotting flesh to do when hankering for some good mid-level baddies (not to mention during the thinner highest levels of the game)? Time to put on the necromancer hat and make some new fifth edition undead!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be revealing some of my creations and asking for your critiques and feedback. Let me know what you think! These critters are in playtest mode. First up is the husk.

Husks

Husks are the undead shell of a creature, animated skin and muscle of surprising strength that do the bidding of their creators. Many necromancers see these horrid creations as a two-for-one deal that does not waste a corpse’s fleshy parts after animating a skeleton. Husks are loyal to the wielders of dark magic who create them, but sometimes these undead rise of their own accord in places where mass murder occurs. Husks without a master desire only the death of other creatures.

Created by Power. Only the most powerful necromancers and most atrocious acts of murder can create a husk. The creatures require a massive amount of dark energy to move without a skeleton. Having a husk servant is a point of pride for evil spellcasters. The larger the husk, the more dangerous the master.

Insatiable Desire to Kill. Even husks who are bound to masters have a strong desire to murder any living creatures they come across. A husk’s master can feel this desire and only those necromancers with the strongest wills do not give into this temptation themselves. For many dark wizards giving into the temptation is not a problem at all.

Murder Victims Only. Husks can only be created from corpses that were murdered in cold blood. Many necromancers kidnap victims and murder them one at a time when they are learning the ritual required to create a husk. Husks that rise on their own usually do so in groups, and only in places of sorrow after a mass slaying has occurred. Beyond this requirement, any creature with skin and flesh may become a husk.

Size Matters. Most husks of a given size have the same abilities. A husk that was once a human and a husk that was once a panther are statistically the same, but they might move, smell, and sound very different from one another.

Undead Nature. A husk doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Want the Stats?

Here you go. I put them into a nice little PDF for you:

Husks

If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, like World Builder Blog on Facebook, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!

New Druid Circle – Circle of the Sky

It’s time for another fifth edition player option! As I mentioned in some previous posts, I want show off my world of Enora. With that world comes some new player options, one of which I am happy to share now! All of these options are in playtest mode and I am looking for feedback!

Since the world of Deldoroth is six floating cities, it makes sense that druids in these crowded places would be of the Circle of the Sky. Check out the new circle below!

Circle of the Sky

The Circle of the Sky is a sect of druids who move with swift speed and grace to defend the natural world. These druids gather under open skies to hold their meetings, day or night, rain or shine. They wander open plains, traveling within herds of animals, strengthening the local flora so it can grow towards the sun. Circle of the Sky druids often use their magic to aid struggling crop farmers. This order believes clean air is the provider of all life. They abhor beings who unnecessarily pump pollution into the sky.

Speed of the Wind

When you choose this circle at 2nd level, your walking speed increases by 10 feet. This speed bonus applies to your wild shape forms. At 8th level, the bonus applies to your wild shape forms’ flying speeds, if the form you’re in already had a flying speed to begin with.

Stealth Proficiency

At 2nd level, you gain proficiency in the Stealth skill.

Skyward Leap

Starting at 6th level, the distance and height you can jump is double what it would normally be.

In addition, if you begin your turn within the reach of a creature and then jump out of that creature’s reach, that creature has disadvantage on any opportunity attacks it makes against you.

Air Servant

Starting at 10th level, you can summon an air elemental as if you had cast the spell conjure elemental without needing to expend any material components and without needing to maintain concentration. You cannot use this feature again until you complete a long rest.

Wings of the Sky

At 14th level, you have a flying speed equal to your current walking speed whenever you are not underground or indoors.

If you like what you’re reading please follow me on Twitter, like World Builder Blog on Facebook, check out my podcasts, find my products on the DMs Guild, tell your friends about the blog, and/or leave me a comment and let me know you think. Thanks!