Druid Love! (5E Preview)
This 5E druid class customization is a preview from The Gods Have Spoken, a supplement for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons. The work is still in progress, so may change before publication.
Druid: C
ircle of Life
Life is everywhere, and you are connected with all life on a mystical level. When the weave of life is cut, you use your connection to restore it and regenerate life.
Wild Healing
Starting at second level, your healing spells are more effective. Whenever you use a spell at 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a living creature, the creature regains an additional hit points equal to 2 + the spell’s level.
Change Regeneration
Starting at second level, when you use you Wild Shape ability you heal yourself a number of hit points equal to your constitution bonus + your level.
Life Circle Spells
At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels you gain access to spells imbued with your devotion to the web of life.
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 isn’t on the druid spell list, that spell becomes a druid spell for you.
| Druid Level | Circle Spells |
| 3rd | cure wounds, goodberry |
| 5th | lesser restoration, revivify |
| 7th | death ward, locate creature |
| 9th | mass cure wounds, reincarnate |
Protected Healer
Beginning at 6th level, healing spells you cast on others heal you as well. Whenever you use a spell at 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature other than you, you regain hit points equal to 2 + the spell’s level.
Healing
Beast
Beginning at 10th level, you can cast any of your spells that restore hit points to a creature in any shape you take on using Wild Shape. You can perform the somatic and verbal components of a druid spell while in Beast Shape, but you are not able to provide the material components.
Enhanced Regeneration
Beginning at 14th level, you always have regenerate prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. When you cast regenerate, the target regains 4d12 + 20 hit points instead of 4d8 + 15. For the duration of the spell, the target regains 2 hit points per round instead of 1.
When you cast regenerate, you get the spell slot you used back at the end of your next short or long rest.
Ghost Lake Preview
Ghost Lake
Here's a little Gods and Icons preview from Connor Marvin. This and other Unhallowed Places will include sections on using them for both roleplaying and combat settings.
A secluded mountain lake, referred to by locals as “Ghost Lake” due to the number of disappearances, strange lights, and terrifying stories surrounding it, is a day’s hike through rocky mountain terrain. On the surface it appears to be an ordinary lake. Under the lake, however, there is a sunken temple. A spell put on the temple long ago created an invisible bubble surrounding it. Fish still swim through this magic sphere, but once it is entered by air-breathing creatures they fall through to the temple's grounds and are able to breathe as normal.
The temple compound consists of one central building surrounded by statues. The columns of the central temple have spiraling patterns of snake scales carved in them, and the apex of the temple is surmounted by a stylized pinecone. The statues that surround the temple are carved snakes coiled around each-other into double-helixes, with stone bat-wings emerging from the snakes’ backs near the top. Strings of seaweed float from the lake floor as if in water, and sunlight filters from the surface of the lake forty feet above.
13 Rumors About Ghost Lake
- Hell fighter Lord Ikal periodically visits Ghost Lake, and each time, drops in a small, black box.
- Those who sleep in the temple enter the dreams of Aurum Rex, king of the metallic dragons.
- Dwarf King Thorbal's banished daughter, Princess Kori, hides in the temple. She’s been changed.
- A promise made in the temple must be kept, or one's very soul is forfeit.
- Visiting the temple ensures healthy children.
- A ghost dragon guards the lake.
- Infernals cannot enter the blue waters. Or leave them.
- If you swallow even a drop of the lake water, you will be inhabited by ghosts.
- Only the dead can leave the temple.
- Black cats surround the lake during full moons, hissing and spitting at the water.
- The waters heal broken bones.
- Baron Von Vorlatch the vampire necromancer, has cursed the lake.
- Dunking yourself in the lake cures all disorders of the mind.
Art by Sparrow Beurer
You can see more of Sparrow Beurer's art in The Sun Below: Sleeping Lady, on sale now at DriveThruRPG.
Gods and Icons Comes Together
We've got some great playtesting feedback, which really helps. The art is rolling in, the writing is almost done, and editing is underway. Next up: layout!
I wanted to share this lovely picture of Lady Akuma by Jeshields. People say terrible things about the Lady, but they don't know the half of it. Maybe she's just misunderstood. ;)
We were so lucky to find some great artists for Gods and Icons. Since I both love art and fail at the basics, I'm in awe of what people can turn my art specs into.
And let's not forget Supreme Commander Tyrvek! I'm pretty sure he's not misunderstood. ;)
James did a great job on Tyrvek standing alone, but I wanted to show him as leading an army. So James added the background and I love it!
Now that's it's August, our Christmas in July sale is over, but the savings don't stop! We lowered the price for both The Sun Below: City on the Edge to $2.49 and The Sun Below: Sleeping Lady to $6.49.
Keep on gaming!
John
Icons Icons? Gods and Icons Art Preview
I wanted some graphical symbols to represent my icons in Gods and Icons. You could say they are icon icons, but that way lies madness. I'll call them symbols. Doug Scott, who worked with us on The Sun Below: City on the Edge and The Sun Below: Sleeping Lady is working on the symbols. Here's a few examples of his work in progress:
Thrice Wise Mercurius is the master of arcane magic, whose symbol is a stylized armillary sphere. Thrice Wise Mercurius is constantly searching for new magic and portents. He is a master alchemist and astrologer. When he supplies magic items, they are ornate, and covered in magical sigils. When he supplies information, it often comes in the form of a divination.
“The stars predict trouble ahead. To avoid it, look for the hidden entrance behind the stone fist.”
Hierophant Nephthys (HY-ro-fant NEF-tis) presides over the church of the Bright Gods, the official pantheon of the Espairian Empire. The church is bigger than just the empire, since the gods don’t stop at the border. She oversees a vast church bureaucracy. Temples must be built and maintained. The clergy needs to be trained and focused. The people depend on their church.
Emperor Roland the Unbreakable is a hard working emperor who sits at the top of the imperial apparatus of the Espairian Empire. His honor guard flies griffons into battle. He helps stamp out hell breaches into his lands. He funds the church and promotes trade.
On the other hand, he’s not much of a free thinker, and he’s got his eye on a number of lands outside the empire. He’d rather they joined the empire peacefully, but whatever it takes.
Gods and Icons is all coming together. It's exciting!
Complication Preview
Complications Preview
From Gods and Icons:
When a player rolls a 5 on their icon relationship roll, they get a complication. Sure, the icon will help them out, but something else happens to make the story more interesting.
Here's an example from Gods and Icons. Instead of rolling dice, for this example we'll have you scan the tables and pick a fun complication.
The players are outside the Espairian Empire in the city state of Paxbellum (substitute place names from your own world). The drow paladin in the party rolls a 5 with his positive relationship with Tanadil, High Queen of the Fey (see her preview here, or substitute with an icon from your own world).
You're in town, not a dungeon, so you look at the social complications. You scan down and pick
A local power is opposed to the icon. Embarrass them at an upcoming social event. Sabotage the event.
That sounds fun. Who's opposed to Tanadil? You could pick King Thorbal of the dwarves, but you've been hinting that Emperor Roland wants to take the city state into his empire, so you pick locals working for the emperor.
You can down to the local power table, and pick a member of the ruling council. She's setting up the event to advance the emperor's agenda.
Then down to the event. You scan down this list and hit on a public feast, commoners invited.
So that's your complication, Tanadil wants the PC to disrupt a feast where the commoners are being fed by the largess of the emperor. Make the emperor's toadys look bad. You decide councilwoman Chale calls it the "Friendship Feast" and invites one of the emperor's numerous bastards to speak at it.
Now it's up to the PCs. Who doesn't want to make some lord high muckty-mucks look bad?
Dhampir Preview
Dhampir Preview
Gods and Icons includes a new race for the 13th Age Roleplaying game, the Dhampir.
The Dhampir is the child of a vampire and a human. Dhampir's are found in folklore of various Balkan cultures and in Romany culture. The etymology of the word dhampir comes from Albanian where it means "to drink with teeth." I'm not the first one to put them in a roleplaying game, for example you can find them in Pathfinder as a playable race and Nights Black Agents as NPCs.
I chose to add dhampirs in order to highlight one of the new icons in Gods and Icons, Baron von Vorlatch. The baron is a vampire who rules the barony of Borgostnya*, a part of Emperor Roland's Espairian Empire. So, we have the largest human dominated culture including a barony controlled by an undead. Most dhampir player characters will have some icon relationship with the baron.
Gods and Icon's Dhampirs receive two racial powers: Regeneration and Identify Vampire.
* The Borgo part in the name Borgostnya comes from the Borgo Pass, famously used by Bram Stoker in Dracula. Borgo Pass was the Hungarian name. The modern Romanian name is the Tihuţa Pass.
You can stick Borgostnya in your own world in any big human empire or kingdom where want to add a little undead adventure and intrigue.
Holy Sword Preview
Holy sword preview, from Gods and Icons:
Weapon: Holy Sword of St. Cerni
St. Cerni was a martyr to one of the gods the character worships.
Always: Attack and damage when using this weapon: +1 (adventurer); +2 (champion); +3 (epic).
Optional: The saint was also the same race and gender as the character. In fact in tapestries and paintings, the saint looks exactly like the PC. As the campaign goes on, history is uncovered showing the character and the saint had the exact same tastes in food, art, romance, clothes, and anything else that can give a spooky link to the past. Are they the reincarnation of the saint?
The sword does extra damage to devils, demons, and undead. Adventurer: +1d6; Champion: +2d8; Epic: +4d10.
In the hands of a heroic paladin, the sword also has the power of protection:
Recharge 6+: When you make a basic attack with this weapon, gain a +4 bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn (champion: +5; epic: +6).
In the hands of paladins who follow the way of evil bastards, the sword also has the power of being bloodthirsty:
When you crit with a natural 20 using this weapon, you deal crit damage instead of normal damage if you hit with this weapon again during your next turn.
Other saint names: Ali, Cainum, Celia, Deschutes, Gogglebog, Honeybuns, Silverius, Stark, Violet, Xena
Quirk: Laughs like a madman when facing devils, demons, or undead. Just like St. Cerni did just before she became a martyr.
Preview: The Sun Below: Sleeping Lady
Coming soon, The Sun Below: Sleeping Lady, another epic adventure for Numenera.
From the Synopsis
Mor-Klish needs help. He left his team down in the numenera mines, and he asks the characters to bring them out. He waxes poetic about the wonderful new chambers they just unlocked – vast spaces full of numenera and pulsing with energy and perhaps intelligence.
On the way, the PCs encounter a sleep-walking young woman (Storm, manifesting as Sun Storm), and her daughter Lebby. Lebby tells the characters “You really should leave now, or find me another sleeper.” The pair vanish before the party can find out more. As the PCs explore the interior of Orb Mountain, they have more encounters with Storm in her various manifestations, often with her daughter Lebby. Lebby wants to wake Storm and will try and get a character to agree to take her place. What all this means is not immediately clear.
The PCs also find the crow-like murken skulking around and may find a broken automaton who has a story to tell if the characters repair it.
At this point, two forces have been set in motion. First, Orb Mountain is repairing itself and if not stopped, will take flight and become the lost moon Liluna, destroying the slithik town of Bursang. Second, Gothnor is slowly gaining control of the data nodes inside the moon and, if not stopped, will return to the world and put an end to both reality and sanity.
An adventure for all tiers, with new creatures, cyphers, and artifacts.
Art Preview -- The Sun Below: Sleeping Lady
Some people might get the impression there is a horror component to this Numenera adventure. We have no idea what they mean. ;) Artist Doug Scott gives us a little peak into the challenges to be faced in The Sun Below: Sleeping Lady. These are preliminary sketches. The final art will be steeped in even more cosmic horror.
