makalawizard

[makalawizard]

This is a time you can either let those shadows swallow you down and keep falling into a hole, or you can use them to your advantage. You can become a champion.

Laura Bailey as Vex'ahlia, Critical Role: Episode 48 (1:32:15)

[makalawizard]

Syrup Spigot

Wondrous item, uncommon 

This cast iron spigot is decorated with woven branches and maple leaves. You can use an action to insert the spigot into any living, non-magical tree to cause the spigot to produce maple syrup. The maximum amount of syrup the spigot can produce depends on the age of the tree that has been tapped. Once the spigot starts producing syrup, it can't be used to tap another tree until the next dawn.

Tree Age (Max Amount)

< 25 (1 gallon)

25 - 50 (2 gallons)

51 - 75 (4 gallons)

76 - 100 (8 gallons)

100+ (12 gallons)

[makalawizard]

Unfermented Cider Box

Wondrous item, uncommon

This small wooden box is decorated with orchard trees and apple patterns, and has a carved bone straw protruding from the top of it. Sloshing sounds can be heard from within the box when it is shaken, even if the box is empty. Speaking the command word (“appy joos”) while grasping the box fills the box with three pints of fresh apple juice. As long as the previous supply of juice has been emptied out, this power can be used again, up to a maximum of three times per day.

One of my players requested a magic apple juice box item for their character to acquire during our campaign. This was the result.

[makalawizard]

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. 

You take the blue d20—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red d20—you stay in Toril, and I show you how deep the goblin hole goes.

Remember: all I'm offering is Dungeons & Dragons. Nothing more.

So I got another set of mini polyhedral dice and was immediately reminded of the classic scene in The Matrix (1999).

[makalawizard]

[Void Card, 2021]

I’m making replica cards from the Deck of Many Things for my local D&D group as gifts. Here is my first card illustration, based on the official deck designed by William O’Connor. I really love the antique, tarot deck style that he used.

Deck of Many Things (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Wondrous Item, legendary

The Void

This black card spells disaster. Your soul is drawn from your body and contained in an object in a place of the DM's choice. One or more powerful beings guard the place. While your soul is trapped in this way, your body is incapacitated. A wish spell can't restore your soul, but the spell reveals the location of the object that holds it. You draw no more cards.

[makalawizard]

Bought some gorgeous new dice a few weeks ago from an online store called The Wizard’s Vault, including my first official metal dice set, ‘Royal Blue’.

The ‘Midnight Sky’ set I bought specifically to use for my Twilight Domain Cleric. Perfect for when she wields her shining longsword against the forces of darkness, or calls down the divine powers of Selûne to protect her allies.

[makalawizard]

To live is to struggle against the void. But it’s those moments of darkness that define the joy of the world around them. Learn from the loss and push forward as a beacon of perseverance, of hope for life after pain.

Matt Mercer, Critical Role: Episode 46 (3:11:12)

[makalawizard]

Hardcover Thesaurus

Thick hardcover volumes, leather-bound tomes, and layers of parchment cover the body of the thesaurus, which defends itself against predators with a knobbed tail that delivers a devastating strike.

Thesauruses are virtual libraries of knowledge and lore. They ask riddles and present puzzles to test the wit of supplicants that come to learn their secrets. Some are willing to bargain with such supplicants for treasure or service.

Hardcover Thesaurus

Huge beast, lawful neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points 68 (8d12 + 16)

Speed 30 ft.

STR       DEX         CON         INT        WIS          CHA 19 (+4)   11 (+0)    15 (+2)     18 (+4)    18 (+4)     17 (+3)

Skills Arcana +12, History +12

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities charmed

Senses passive Perception 11

Languages Common, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)  

Inscrutable. The thesaurus is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, as well as any divination spell that it refuses. Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain the thesaurus's intentions or sincerity have disadvantage.

Innate Spellcasting. The thesaurus’ spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect thoughts, tongues (self only)

1/day each: identify, zone of truth, legend lore

Aversion to Fire. If the thesaurus takes fire damage, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of its next turn.

Actions

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Environment: Library

Stat Block for Dungeon Masters

Stat Block made using The Homebrewery

[makalawizard]

bdigfreakingwooper said:  my players *are* in a library…

I suppose I better get on with posting some of my bookish beasts and creatures for you to throw their way :)

[makalawizard]

Tome of Slaps

*slaps module* this bad boy can fit so mu-

*module slaps back*

The result of a funny conversation in my D&D group chat and 30 seconds of sketching in the Notes app.

[makalawizard]

The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy

Book, uncommon

A volume bearing a few faintly glowing necromantic sigils, with some hand drawn diagrams, and arcane and anatomical notes within. This book contains the details of a few basic spells. It has 3 charges of one of the following 1st level spells: Roll 1d4.

[1] Cause Fear

[2] False Life

[3] Inflict Wounds

[4] Ray of Sickness

To read the book, you must succeed on a DC 11 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Whether or not the spell is on your class’s spell list, if the check succeeds, you can cast its spells without providing any material components. Casting the spells by reading the book requires the spell’s normal casting time. Any spell cast from this book has a save DC of 13 and an attack bonus of +5. If the casting is interrupted, the used charge is not lost. After all of the charges are expended, the greenish glow on the sigils fades.

[makalawizard]

Every Book & Tome in D&D 5E

Before I share some of my own bookish homebrew items, let’s take a look at some of the official books and tomes in D&D 5th edition, many of which are from the recently released Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. I guess even the greatest wizard in the history of the multiverse began with studying spellbooks, right?

A-Z of Every Book & Tome in 5th Edition

Arcane Grimoire (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Alchemical Compendium (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Astromancy Archive (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Atlas of Endless Horizons (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Book (Player’s Handbook)

Book of Exalted Deeds (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Book of Shadows (Player’s Handbook)

Book of Vile Darkness (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Crystalline Chronicle (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Demonomicon of Iggwilv (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Duplicitous Manuscript (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Elder Cartographer’s Glossography (Acquisitions Incorporated)

Enduring Spellbook (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything)

Fulminating Treatise (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Grimoire Infinitus (Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount)

Libram of Souls and Flesh (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Manual of Bodily Health (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Manual of Gainful Exercise (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Manual of Golems (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Manual of Quickness of Action (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Planecaller’s Codex (Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything)

Spellbook (Player’s Handbook)

The Codicil of White (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden)

The Incantations of Iriolarthas (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden)

Tome of Clear Thought (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Tome of Leadership and Influence (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Tome of Strahd (Curse of Strahd)

Tome of the Stilled Tongue (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Tome of Understanding (Dungeon Master’s Guide)

I compiled this list at 2:00am, so if I have missed any, please let me know.

BONUS!

Swarm of Books (Waterdeep: Dragon Heist)

Medium swarm of Tiny constructs, unaligned

Armor Class 12

Hit Points 22 (5d8)

Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR       DEX         CON         INT        WIS          CHA

5 (-3)     15 (+2)     10 (+0)     2 (-4)     12 (+1)     4 (-3)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned

Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Passive Perception 11

Languages --

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny book. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage, or 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

Stat Block for Dungeon Masters

Stat Block made using The Homebrewery

[makalawizard]

Candlekeep Mysteries by Clint Cearley

As a DM who has homebrewed a variety of bookish magic items, creatures, and plot hooks in the past.. this latest addition to D&D’s 5th edition has me very excited.

Candlekeep attracts scholars like a flame attracts moths. Historians, sages, and others who crave knowledge flock to this library fortress to peruse its vast collection of books, scribbled into which are the answers to the mysteries that bedevil them. Many of these books contain their own mysteries—each one a doorway to adventure. Dare you cross that threshold?

[makalawizard]

Bought my first official Chessex dice set this week from a gaming store in town.

I like to think they’re reminiscent of the classic Windows BSoD. Perfect for when my D&D brain has a system crash and I’m left scrambling through all my notes.

[makalawizard]

Origami Dragon

Wonderous item, rare (requires attunement)

Upon attunement, you can read the runes on this magic sheet of parchment and choose a dragon type as a command word. After speaking the command word, the parchment magically folds into a tiny paper dragon and takes flight, always remaining within 5 feet of you.

The dragon is an object that has 1 hit point, and an armor class of 13. If the dragon's hit points are reduced to 0 or if it is otherwise immobilized, it unfolds and turns into an inanimate sheet of parchment, regaining its charge on a long rest.

As an action, you can command the origami dragon to exhale destructive energy. Its dragon type determines the damage type of the exhalation (acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison). The dragon exhales energy of the chosen type in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 damage of the chosen type on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. After it uses its breath weapon, it can't use it again until it completes a short or long rest.

Alternatively, the DM can rule that the dragon type be determined randomly: Roll 1d10.

[1] Black (Acid)

[2] Blue (Lightning)

[3] Brass (Fire)

[4] Bronze (Lightning)

[5] Copper (Acid)

[6] Gold (Fire)

[7] Green (Poison)

[8] Red (Fire)

[9] Silver (Cold)

[10] White (Cold)

[makalawizard]

[Tentacles, 2018]

Evard's Black Tentacles (Player’s Handbook)

4th-level conjuration

Squirming, ebony tentacles fill a 20-foot square on ground that you can see within range. For the duration, these tentacles turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain.

When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends. A creature that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage.

A creature restrained by the tentacles can use its action to make a Strength or Dexterity check (its choice) against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself.

[makalawizard]

Swiss Army Bag

Wonderous item, rare

This rugged leather bag has 1 charge and regains the expended charge daily at dawn. Upon opening, the bag expends its charge and reveals one set of random Artisan’s Tools from the table below: Roll 1d20. The Artisan’s Tools last until the charge is regained the next dawn, at which point they vanish.

[1-3] If the roll is between 1 and 3, the Dungeon Master’s may choose which Artisan’s Tools the bag reveals, or they can let the bag remain empty.

[4] Alchemist’s Supplies

[5] Brewer’s Supplies

[6] Calligrapher’s Supplies

[7] Carpenter’s Tools

[8] Cartographer’s Tools

[9] Cobbler’s Tools

[10] Cook’s Utensils

[11] Glassblower’s Tools

[12] Jeweller’s Tools

[13] Leatherworker’s Tools

[14] Mason’s Tools

[15] Painter’s Supplies

[16] Potter’s Tools

[17] Smith’s Tools

[18] Tinker’s Tools

[19] Weaver’s Tools

[20] Woodcarver’s Tools