Archetypes of the Realms: Savagery & Shadow By Jeremy Forbing Contents How to Use This Book ...................................................................................... 2
Chapter 3: Lycanthropes of (aerun ................................................................ '
)ife as a Were'east .............................................................................................. 2 )"canthrope 9d-enturers ......................................................................... 2 /assin( the !urse ........................................................................................... 2
Chapter 1: The Realmslore of Lycanthropes, Shifters, and Their Kin ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Shifters and the Weretouched ................................................................. 4
6ew $ownti&e 9cti-it"5 < ndurin( )"canthrop" .............. .............. 2; Were'east Societ" ......................................................................................... 2; )e(ends of the )"canthropes ........................................................................ 87 !reation #"tholo(" ..................................................................................... 87 The !urse of the #oon............................................................................... 87 Were'ad(ers ............................................................................................................ 81 6ew #onster5 Were'ad(er ....................................................................... 82 Were'ears ................................................................................................................. 88 Were'oars ................................................................................................................ 84 Wererats .................................................................................................................... 84
Weretouched Homelands ...........................................................................................
Baldur’s Gate ................................................................................................................4 The Wood of Sharp Teeth ........................................................................... 4 Vehlarr !it" of the #oon ........................................................................... 4 The $alelands ..............................................................................................................% $a&'rath ........................................................................................................................% $urpar .............................................................................................................................% $urpar and the Shinin( Shinin( )ands.............. ............... ................ ................ ........ * The Great $ale............................................................................................................* )uskan ...............................................................................................................................* #oonshae +sles ...........................................................................................................* ,ashe&en .......................................................................................................................* Se&'ia ...............................................................................................................................* Sil-er"&oon ................................................................................................................. The /eople of the Black Blood ................................................................ The South #oonsea ................................................................................................. 0lraphon ,e'orn ............................................................................................... Teth"r ..............................................................................................................................
Werera-ens .............................................................................................................. 8% Wereti(er .................................................................................................................. 8* Werewol-es.............................................................................................................. 8 6ew #onster5 Wereserpent ..................................................................... 8 Chapter : !e" Class /rchetypes ..................................................................... 30
/ath of the la&ewarden ................................................................................ 8; !olle(e of the ates ........................................................................................... 47 Huntin( $o&ain....................................................................................................... 41 !ircle of the Solstice........................................................................................ 42 Tha"an ni(ht ......................................................................................................... 48
!e" #ac$%round: ............................................................................................................. &
Weretouched infolk ............................................................................................. What is "our ho&e re(ion3 ........................................................................... eature5 infolk 6etwork .......................................................................... 17 Su((ested !haracteristics ........................................................................ 17
6ew !antrips ..................................................................................................... 44 !hallen(er’s #ark ......................................................................................... 44
Chapter ': !e" Races and (eats ......................................................................... 11 Shade ................................................................................................................................... 11
Shade !lasses ................ ................ ................ ............... ................ ................ ..... 18 Shade Traits.............................................................................................................. 14 +ndependent Shade ................ ................ ............... ................ ................ .......... 14 6ew !antrip5 Shiftin( Shadow ............... ............... ................ ............... ... 14 6etherese Shade.............. ................ ................ ................ ............... ................ 14 )ife 9&on( the Shado-ar........................................................................... 1%
9'=urant !ha&pion .............................................................................................. 4 $ark&oon Theur(e............................................................................................... 4; The Beni(hted !it" ............................................................................................... %7 /act of the Gloo& ............................................................................................... %1 /act of the Scar ................................................................................................... %1 9u(&entin( with Blood of Great )inea(e .............. ................ ........... %2 6ew
Shifter ............................................................................................................................... 1)
Shifter 6a&es ............... ................ ............... ................ ................ ................ ..... 1* Shifters and the Gods .................................................................................. 1 Shifter Traits .......................................................................................................... 1 Beasthide.............................................................................................................. 1 !liffwalk ............................................................................................................. 1 $rea&si(ht .......................................................................................................... 1 Gore'rute ........................................................................................................... 1 )on(stride ........................................................................................................... 1 )on(tooth ........................................................................................................... 1 ,a:orclaw ........................................................................................................... Swiftwin( ............................................................................................................. Truedi-e ................................................................................................................ Wildhunt ..............................................................................................................
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, la!er"s #and$oo%, onster an'al, D'ngeon aster"s G'ide, D&D Ad(ent'rers )eag'e, all other Wizards of the Coast prod'*t names, and their respe*ti(e logos are trademar%s of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other *o'ntries+ All *hara*ters and their distin*ti(e li%enesses are propert! of Wizards of the Coast+ his material is prote*ted 'nder the *op!right la-s of the United States of Ameri*a+ An! reprod'*tion or 'na'thorized 'se of the material or art-or% *ontained herein is prohi$ited -itho't the e.press -ritten permission of Wizards of the Coast+ /0123 Wizards of the Coast ))C, O 4o. 515, Renton, WA 6718591515, USA+ an'fa*t'red $! #as$ro SA, R'e Emile94o:*hat ;2, 0711 Del:mont, C#+ Represented $! #as$ro E'rope, < he S='are, Sto*%le! ar%, U.$ridge, iddlese., U422 2E, U>+
1 1; 1; 1;
!e" *lf Su+races: ....................................................................................................... '
Beast !ohort !ohort.............. ................ ................ ................ ............... ................ ........ 28 !ontrolled )"canthrop" )"canthrop" ............... ............... ................ ................ ............. 28 !o&petitor ......................................................................................................... 2% Greensi(ht .......................................................................................................... 2% actotu& .............................................................................................................. 2% Thousand aces ................................................................................................ 2*
1
Archetypes of the Realms: Savagery & Shadow By Jeremy Forbing Contents How to Use This Book ...................................................................................... 2
Chapter 3: Lycanthropes of (aerun ................................................................ '
)ife as a Were'east .............................................................................................. 2 )"canthrope 9d-enturers ......................................................................... 2 /assin( the !urse ........................................................................................... 2
Chapter 1: The Realmslore of Lycanthropes, Shifters, and Their Kin ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Shifters and the Weretouched ................................................................. 4
6ew $ownti&e 9cti-it"5 < ndurin( )"canthrop" .............. .............. 2; Were'east Societ" ......................................................................................... 2; )e(ends of the )"canthropes ........................................................................ 87 !reation #"tholo(" ..................................................................................... 87 The !urse of the #oon............................................................................... 87 Were'ad(ers ............................................................................................................ 81 6ew #onster5 Were'ad(er ....................................................................... 82 Were'ears ................................................................................................................. 88 Were'oars ................................................................................................................ 84 Wererats .................................................................................................................... 84
Weretouched Homelands ...........................................................................................
Baldur’s Gate ................................................................................................................4 The Wood of Sharp Teeth ........................................................................... 4 Vehlarr !it" of the #oon ........................................................................... 4 The $alelands ..............................................................................................................% $a&'rath ........................................................................................................................% $urpar .............................................................................................................................% $urpar and the Shinin( Shinin( )ands.............. ............... ................ ................ ........ * The Great $ale............................................................................................................* )uskan ...............................................................................................................................* #oonshae +sles ...........................................................................................................* ,ashe&en .......................................................................................................................* Se&'ia ...............................................................................................................................* Sil-er"&oon ................................................................................................................. The /eople of the Black Blood ................................................................ The South #oonsea ................................................................................................. 0lraphon ,e'orn ............................................................................................... Teth"r ..............................................................................................................................
Werera-ens .............................................................................................................. 8% Wereti(er .................................................................................................................. 8* Werewol-es.............................................................................................................. 8 6ew #onster5 Wereserpent ..................................................................... 8 Chapter : !e" Class /rchetypes ..................................................................... 30
/ath of the la&ewarden ................................................................................ 8; !olle(e of the ates ........................................................................................... 47 Huntin( $o&ain....................................................................................................... 41 !ircle of the Solstice........................................................................................ 42 Tha"an ni(ht ......................................................................................................... 48
!e" #ac$%round: ............................................................................................................. &
Weretouched infolk ............................................................................................. What is "our ho&e re(ion3 ........................................................................... eature5 infolk 6etwork .......................................................................... 17 Su((ested !haracteristics ........................................................................ 17
6ew !antrips ..................................................................................................... 44 !hallen(er’s #ark ......................................................................................... 44
Chapter ': !e" Races and (eats ......................................................................... 11 Shade ................................................................................................................................... 11
Shade !lasses ................ ................ ................ ............... ................ ................ ..... 18 Shade Traits.............................................................................................................. 14 +ndependent Shade ................ ................ ............... ................ ................ .......... 14 6ew !antrip5 Shiftin( Shadow ............... ............... ................ ............... ... 14 6etherese Shade.............. ................ ................ ................ ............... ................ 14 )ife 9&on( the Shado-ar........................................................................... 1%
9'=urant !ha&pion .............................................................................................. 4 $ark&oon Theur(e............................................................................................... 4; The Beni(hted !it" ............................................................................................... %7 /act of the Gloo& ............................................................................................... %1 /act of the Scar ................................................................................................... %1 9u(&entin( with Blood of Great )inea(e .............. ................ ........... %2 6ew
Shifter ............................................................................................................................... 1)
Shifter 6a&es ............... ................ ............... ................ ................ ................ ..... 1* Shifters and the Gods .................................................................................. 1 Shifter Traits .......................................................................................................... 1 Beasthide.............................................................................................................. 1 !liffwalk ............................................................................................................. 1 $rea&si(ht .......................................................................................................... 1 Gore'rute ........................................................................................................... 1 )on(stride ........................................................................................................... 1 )on(tooth ........................................................................................................... 1 ,a:orclaw ........................................................................................................... Swiftwin( ............................................................................................................. Truedi-e ................................................................................................................ Wildhunt ..............................................................................................................
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, la!er"s #and$oo%, onster an'al, D'ngeon aster"s G'ide, D&D Ad(ent'rers )eag'e, all other Wizards of the Coast prod'*t names, and their respe*ti(e logos are trademar%s of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other *o'ntries+ All *hara*ters and their distin*ti(e li%enesses are propert! of Wizards of the Coast+ his material is prote*ted 'nder the *op!right la-s of the United States of Ameri*a+ An! reprod'*tion or 'na'thorized 'se of the material or art-or% *ontained herein is prohi$ited -itho't the e.press -ritten permission of Wizards of the Coast+ /0123 Wizards of the Coast ))C, O 4o. 515, Renton, WA 6718591515, USA+ an'fa*t'red $! #as$ro SA, R'e Emile94o:*hat ;2, 0711 Del:mont, C#+ Represented $! #as$ro E'rope, < he S='are, Sto*%le! ar%, U.$ridge, iddlese., U422 2E, U>+
1 1; 1; 1;
!e" *lf Su+races: ....................................................................................................... '
Beast !ohort !ohort.............. ................ ................ ................ ............... ................ ........ 28 !ontrolled )"canthrop" )"canthrop" ............... ............... ................ ................ ............. 28 !o&petitor ......................................................................................................... 2% Greensi(ht .......................................................................................................... 2% actotu& .............................................................................................................. 2% Thousand aces ................................................................................................ 2*
1
as two new elf subraces and new archetypes for e*isting character roles. 'ather than merely m erely providing rules, however, this document goes into e*tensive detail on how these character types fit into the worlds of --, though most specific details are given for the &orgotten 'ealms. 1pells and cantrips marked with asterisks A Note on Spells: Spells: 1pells should be noted as follows( fo llows( 23$his is a new spell described in this document. 223$his spell appears in the Elemental Evil Player's
The pulse quickens. Breath comes fast and heavy. Vision sharpens. The body reacts before the mind comprehends. In the long moments of the chase, hunter and hunted share the same spirit. No matter ho learned or civil, both become beasts. But one mouth slavers hile the other becomes dry. Both run toard life, but at chase!s end, only one still breathes. >>#atthew Sernett ?Born Under a Violent #oon@ $ra(on #a(a:ine +ssue 8;%
Companion. $his work contains material that is copyright 4izards of the Coast and5or other authors. 1uch material is used with permission under the Community Content #greement for -ungeon Masters 6uild. #ll other original material in this work is copyright 789: by ;eremy &orbing and published published under the Community Content #greement for -ungeon Masters 6uild Cover #rt by ;oyce Mauriera #rt on page < Copyright 7899 =eter 1zabo 6abor and "astern 'aider 6ames, used by permission 4erewolf image on page 9 by >arim > arim Malik 1ome art /pages , 7<, <9, ?9, ?70 from =ublisher@s Choice Auality 1tock #rt /C0 'ick >ershey 5 &at 6oblin 6ames ther art by =atrick ". =ullen, Bob Martin, #aron ee, Christof 6robelski, and ;oyce Maureira Most interior art pieces /as well as our cover0 come via 1ine Domine =ublishing, who rendered a great service to small publishers everywhere by releasing all the art paid p aid for by the t he kickstarters for their games Godbound, Scarlet Heroes, Silent Legions, Spears of the Dawn , and The House of Bone and Amber into into the public domain as a free resource. If you appreciate publishers who take the time to contribute to the industry as a whole, please check out their stuffE 4ith additional art from the t he public domain, or as provided by 4izards of the Coast for -M@s 6uild use with permission.
In every mortal, the unreasoning and monstrous m onstrous nature of a beast strains against morality, virtue, and civilization. Most control the darkness by clinging to religion, philosophy, or a moral code. Under certain circumstances, such as when under great strain or terrible pressure, p ressure, the anger breaks free and only violence can sate the t he beast. Civilization provides a harbor for those seeking to escape the world of hunger and want. Behind steep walls, on streets watched by constables, and when tucked in warm b eds, mortals tell themselves the darkness dar kness is out there, somewhere, held at bay by enlightenments advance. !et evil casts a long shadow. It never remains content with the gains it makes, and it seeks to creep across the landscape, spreading ruin, death, despair, and suffering to anything it touches. "vil goads the beast. It weakens the chains. It defeats reason. #nd when it takes hold, the monster breaks free and tragedy follows. $he tension between worlds%% between the rustic and urban worlds, or the world of day and the world of night is key part of stories set in the &orgotten 'ealms, and dangers aplenty abound in both. &rom the mythical dragons soaring through fire%scorched clouds to the glistening horrors bubbling up from the Underdarks depths, most evils reveal themselves in their horrific or terrifying visages. !et some evils reflect the darkness within mortals. $hese evils might even hide behind human masks, m asks, moving unseen through those havens where mortals think t hink themselves safe. $hese dreadful threats are, perhaps, the most insidious of all because they can be anyone, anywhere, at any time. $hey are the hidden threat and the menace stalking the streets. $hey are the shapechangers( lycanthropes, shifters, shades, and others. Most possess unremarkable appearances and can pass for any man or woman, though they might also show some roughness around the edges. $hey might hold )obs and raise families, )ust as any other contributor to their communities. But they all carry a terrible secret that would see them e*iled at best and destroyed at worst if the secret is e*posed. $he forms they wear are masks that conceal the savage truth of their nature+ —
How to Use This Book $his document goes beyond the Monster Manual and and other th "dition -- sources to e*plore shapeshifters /such as lycanthropes0, and creatures of shadow from t he players perspective. -etails on the shifter and shade races in the &orgotten 'ealms setting appear here, along with details on lycanthropes /including new, more detailed rules on how to play one, with an eye towards balance between lycanthrope player characters and others unafflicted by the curse0, as well 2
Chapter 1: The Realmslore of Lycanthropes, Shifters, and Their Kin Though lycanthropes can pass for humans or another common race while in their humanoid forms, they a re not the same. Even those werebeasts who temper their appetites for flesh and live a mong humans or another peacefully reveal their true heritage in their offspring. While a mated pair of two lycanthropes almost always produces lycanthropic children, when heritages are mixed, the result is usually a shifter. If the lycanthrope or shifter blood ancestry is more distant, the result is more often weretouched kinfolk, member of another race whose beastly nature is buried more deeply. So many shifters exist in the ealms that they have bbecome a true race, of their own, much like half!elves and half!orcs. They form into tribes based a round distinct subraces such as the ra"orclaws and longtooths. Shifter tribes often form around a lycanthrope leader or their strongest descendants, and typically include weretouched kinfolk as well. Such tribes tend to fa vor places steeped in primal magic. #ow werecreatures, shifters, and the weretouched fit into the larger ealms depends on th eir animalistic natures, and the extent of their inner beasts hold on them. $ost lycanthropes crave human flesh, and thus their tribes are drawn to the edges of places where humans congregate. Wererats, for example, infiltrate human cities and claim the sewers and a bandoned buildings. They use such places to mount raids rai ds into the city, stealing riches and lives in e%ual numbers until the militia or a band of adventurers roots them out. &thers lurk out on the fringes of civili"ation, where they can trouble the lonely roads and the isolated farmsteads with impunity. &nly when food becomes scarce do these werecreatures dare attack larger and better protected targets. Such a ttacks last only until they have eaten their fill or are driven back to the wilderness once more. 'eadership of many of these tribal ga therings is simply determined by who is the strongest in the group. Werewolves and their kin almost always c ollect in large packs led by a lord who holds the position until a younger, stronger lycanthrope can take it. $ost clans do not mingle with those who spring from another lycanthropic bloodline. They might share a 8
$he forest is a maze of tangled undergrowth and towering duskwood trees, many of which can be seen from the passing caravan route. Done of citizenry of Baldurs 6ate dare fell these valuable treasures, because anyone who has tried has found death at the hands of the beings, both intelligent int elligent and non%intelligent, that dwell among them. $he 4ood of 1harp $eeth is home to a number of intelligent humanoid species. It is also known that many clans of lycanthropes still call the 4ood of 1harp $eeth home. $he most numerous of these are a population of werewolves that has lived here for millennia. 1hifters are also found here in large numbers, as are satyrs and their t heir reported counterparts, the dryads.
common heritage, yet they regard other breeds as competition for resources already scarce. (ot all lycanthropes seek out their kind. ) few, such as the werebear, prefer isolation.
Shifters and the Weretouched #s defined by sages, all descendants of unions between lycanthropes and non%lycanthropes who show some sign of this ancestry are weretouched. $herefore, technically, shifters are a form of weretouched, and they are referred to as such in some sources. In the &orgotten 'ealms, however, ho wever, humans and members of other races who have lycanthrope blood gather around lycanthropes and shifters in significant numbers in many places, and a term for such people often becomes necessary. $he term weretouched kin or kinfolk /and sometimes shortened )ust to weretouched0, is used to refer to these humanoid relatives of shifters and werebeasts in &aerFn.
Vehlarr !it" of the #oon 'umors hold that a ruined city stands forgotten somewhere in the forests depth, a city from which a most remarkable werewolf one who had a talent both for sorcery and for organizing his otherwise chaotic and independent kind under a single banner had intended to conGuer the t he surrounding area and establish a kingdom where his kind would rule supreme. >is dreams of empire crumbled when a mighty wizard some say "lminster #umer laid waste to the city. $his werewolf, Hehlarr, gave his name to the city. # natural lycanthrope and highlye accomplished sor cerer, this werewolf was a favored servant of both Malar the Beast ord and 1ehanine the unar ady. 4ith the support and aid of these otherwise antagonistic entities, Hehlarr started to organize the werewolf packs of the 4ood of ong $eeth into a coherent nation, even building a fortified city deep within the forest. Hehlarr had grown increasingly disturbed by the t he number of lycanthropes that were falling victim to the magical lure that the would%be destroyer of the 1hoon "mpire, 1yri Mhaal, had placed upon Myth harast. $he deities, too, resented 1yri Mhaals actions, particularly 1ehanine, who felt 1yri Mhaal had corrupted a city that was built partly in her honor. In the year 97, with hundreds of o f werewolf packs and their associated tribes of shifters and human kin organized around him, safely within the city that came to bear his name /for 1ehanine blessed the area so it was protected from the Myth harasts magical draw0, Hehlarr started drafting plans to strike at 1yri Mhaal. Hehlarr knew that he could not attack Myth harast without falling victim to the citys unholy charm effects. Instead, he endeavored to construct a gate that would allow him and his loyal soldiers to enter Myth harast directly from Hehlarrs city. $hrough secrets revealed to him by 1ehanine, he built his gate so it was keyed to the other citys mythal. $he gate, called the Circle of Hehlarr, was completed in 78, and Hehlarr launched his assault in a coordinated attack with the Cowled Con)urers who also sought to stop 1yri Mhaal. 1omething, however, went wrong. $he combined might of the werewolves and the Cowled Con)urers Co n)urers proved not to be a match for 1yri Mhaals forces. #s they were on the brink of defeat, the patience of 1elFne, the other goddess to whom Myth harast had originally been dedicated, came to an end. 1he blasted the city from the face of the 'ealms, killing almost all the combatants in the process. Magical energies surged through the Circle of Hehlarr and shattered much of the surrounding city. 4ithout their leader, the werewolves who dwelled there scattered to the four winds rather than attempt to rebuild it. — —
—
Weretouched Homelands The following regions of *aer+n are known to have si"eable communities of shifters, and likely their lycanthrope relatives, as well as ki kin n of other races who are neither shifter nor werecreature, yet still carry their shared heritage. onsulting these descriptions will allow you to create a lycanthrope, shifter, or other werebeast!kin character who is well!grounded in the lore and history of the *orgotten ealms. In addition, information is given for creating members of other races who come from lycanthropic bloodlines. $uch of this lore is included in a new background, weretouched kin, which appears a fter the regional descriptions.
—
Baldur’s ate -aldurs /ate bustles with lively trade, and its people go about their daily lives w ith the self!satisfied expressions expressions of contented citi"ens. -ut a threat lurks in the shadows of a nearby forest. &nce, beasts and blood ran in the -aldurs /ate streets, and the city c ity came within a whisker of being ruled by the mooncursed. Some years ago, /rand 0uke 1alarken attempted a coup, backed by the werewolves of the -and of the ed $oon, but his defeat sent them all back to the Werewoods. (o one knows the 0ukes final fate, but the other local werebeats and their kin are certain the -and of the ed $oon still exists, and has its own grand designs on the -aldurs /ate and the surrounding region.
The Wood of Sharp Teeth $he vast e*panse of forest located l ocated south of 1cornubel and Baldurs 6ate is called the 4ood of 1harp $eeth. It is an unconGuered wilderness that derives its name from the abundance of creatures here that are unfriendly to humankind. $he only encroachment of civilization has taken place on the forests southern edge, where an eccentric dwarf built what is now known k nown as -urlags $ower. $he dwarf has long since passed on, and the tower has passed through several masters over the decades, many of whom were unable to withstand the onslaught of residents from the 4ood of 1harp $eeth. 4
—
>owever, a persistent legend has arisen among the werewolf packs of the 4ood of ong $eeth Hehlarr lives still, e*isting on another plane where Myth harast still e*ists. "veryone there is un%aging e*cept for the nights of the full moon when the city returns to the 4erewood and can still be accessed through the Circle of Hehlarr. Unfortunately, no one who has attempted to locate the lost ruins of Hehlarrs city has ever returned to verify whether there is truth to the story or not.
#owever, the current city of 1aelan is not the original. The first city to possess the name was overrun nearly 566 years ago. Today, &ld 1aelan is nothing but a series of grassy knolls and scattered piles of stone rubble. -eneath the hills, a huge complex serves as a lair for a si"able population of lycanthropes and undead, answering to a mysterious lord. 7nown only as the Whispering &ne, during the darkest days he demanded living sa crifices from 0urpars chakas. Some of those the merchant cabals sent were humans, and the Whispering &ne saw fit to gift some of them to his servants. &ver the years, a number of orphans have wandered out of the catacombs, resembling humans in their childhoods but displaying the traits of shifters as they enter adolescence. These children pose an ethical %uandary for the highly lawful and moral 0urparians. Surely such shifters and their descendants were born of the Whispering &nes evil, breeding its demanded slaves with the werebeasts serving it, yet the atrocity of their ancestry is no fault of their own. It has become customary to adopt such children into the chakas, but their treatment varies. Some are treated humanely but distantly, like the c hildren of long!time servants, whereas others are treasured and made inheritors of family wealth. The phenomenon has persisted long enough that many of these shifters and other kin to lycanthropes have grown and had children of their own. 0epending on how they are raised, they may be part of 0urparian society, or may need to travel to other lands to seek their place in the world.
—
The !alelands ) shepherd looks to the rising moon and begins to urge his flock home, despite the hours of summer sun that remain in the day. ) farmwife scans the pale dirt road as it winds into the forbidding wood, waiting for someone who will never return. ) man stops dead in his tracks, then heads home at a run after seeing bits of blood and fur on a neighbors doorframe. Such is life in the 0 alelands, particularly in 0aggerdale. Surrounded by hilly forests and rocky, ma"elike canyons, the citi"ens of isolated 0aggerdale live in fear of werecreatures striking their villages in the night. 0aggerdale has never been a place friendly to outsiders, and those known to be weretouched to some degree2 especially shifters2are viewed with particular suspicion. *olk wisdom here holds that any strangers could be lycanthropes in disguise, and the folk of 0 aggerdale have little doubt that shifters run with the monsters that infest the craggy heights of the 0agger #ills.
!am"rath 'ycanthropes have descendants in many places, but if the shifter race has a homeland in the ealms, it might be the dry plains of 0ambrath in the Scarred South. -efore the Spellplague, 0ambrath was a land of barbaric humans enslaved by the rinti, a half!drow elite. 0uring the Spellplague, the humans turned to emergent primal powers and lycanthropes that resembled their old tribal totems t o drive out the rinti. Today, shifters and their kin are common among 0ambraths nomadic tribes, sharing tents and horselines with their human cohorts. Shifters are thought to be blessed by the bestial god $alar.
!urpar )fter the Spellplague, the near!forgotten land of 0urpar suffered in the shadow of horrific neighbors. The lands on 0urpars border had once been the nation of 1eldorn, but since that countrys destruction by giants, they had become the -eastlands, home to various non!human monstrous tribes who were allied in a loose confederation. 0uring the lowest days of 0urpars power, the ruling chaka 3or merchant house4, #ouse 0atharathi came to dominate all other houses, ruling the city of 1aelan with goblin soldiers patrolling the streets. Since the Sundering, the civili"ed and peaceful people of the Shining 'ands have strived to rebuild, and 0urpar again receives and trades in goods from a ll over the world. &nce, it was possible to find a much wider selection of items in the 0urpari capital of 1aelan than virtually anywhere else in *aer+n, and it is said those days have come again. %
Lus#an
$urpar and the Shinin( )ands $he 1hining ands is the collective term used for three countries located in the southeast corner of &aerFn along the northern shore of the 6reat 1ea( -urpar, "stagund, and Har the 6olden. #d)acent to the eastern 1haar, they represent the last civilized region before reaching the mysterious Utter "ast. $hey are sometimes referred to as the ands of the ne because all share the religious philosophy known as the Adama . #ll three share the same way of life because -urpar controlled the other countries for many years. In fact, the term -urparian usually refers to anyone from these three countries, not )ust someone from -urpar. >ot areas t hat possess rich soil, all the 1hining ands are ultimately ruled by the Council of Merchants, composed of the eleven wealthiest business%owners in the lands, as determined yearly by simple arithmetic. &or most of the past century, the Council has been dominated by >ouse -atharathi, who made their own peace with the nearby Beast ands. Many say that -urparian traders are still the greatest in all &aerFn. $hey are certainly highly skilled, able to outfo* most of their counterparts in the 1word Coast and the 1ea of &allen 1tars. >owever, their spiritual belief in the #dama gives them a disdain for all fraudulent or thieving behavior, meaning that such traders are scrupulously honest in their dealings, endlessly conspiring to get the better end of any trade while honoring any contract to the letter. $he 1hining ands are united by the #dama, a shared spiritual philosophy and religion that preaches all gods and, in fact, all things in e*istence are aspects of the #dama, the one unifying divine spirit ofr whom the belief system is named. $hus, the -urpari worship nearly all gods without conflict, believing that virtuous action will lead to your reincarnation as a more enlightened being closer to the #dama in the ne*t life and that crimes against others living things risk reincarnation as an animal or worse. More details on the #dama belief system appear in Chapter 4: New Class Archetypes, under the new monastic tradition, 4ay of the Incarnate #ncestor. Characters from the 1hining ands are most often humans or half%elves, though some might be goblins who have long been woven into Haelan society, halflings whose ancestors migrated from uiren, or dwarves from the Curna Mountains. #mong the humans of the region, the vast ma)ority are of the -urpari ethnicity, though some are Mulan or #rkaiun. In addition, others kinds of monster characters hailing from the Beastlands of Heldorn might have decided to leave the oppression of that region behind for a life of adventuring.
'uskan is described by its inhabitants as the a rmpit of the world, and this truth is well!known to the shifters and weretouched kin who dwell there. Tribes led by wererats live in the sewers beneath the city, dwelling in extended families that function like gangs. If a shifter clan isnt battling Shou pirates or running from undead, its s%uabbling over the meager scraps left by the begga rs and criminals 'uskan calls citi"ens. The shifters and their kin here lead a pitiful existence of foulness and violence, and many who dream of a better life leave for other lands as soon as they are old enough.
"
"
"
"
$oonshae %sles The $oonshae Isles hold many dangers, but few so openly threatening as the island of $oray. /iants make dens in the islands mountains, and a few orc tribes scuffle in the pea ks shadows, but the (orlander villages huddle close to the islands coasts in fear of the lycanthropes who rule much of the interior, known as the -lack -lood Tribe. This tribe was once connected to the ;eople of the -lack -lood 3described under Silverymoon4, but $alars troubles before the Sundering and the tribes great physical separation led to division. (ow, the terror of $orays coasta l villages comes to the rest of the $oonshaes, as the werebeasts and their kin2including many shifters and weretouched humans2 take longships on savage raids to the other islands.
—
—
Rashemen ashemen is a land of stories. 1illage elders draw children close to the fire, not with legends of faraway lands or ancient heroes, but of dark threats tha t lurk under the bridge
—
Sem"ia Seeking a return to normalcy after reclaiming their nation from the Shades of fallen (etheril, Sembians have long focused on maintaining appearances. 0uring the occupation, neighbors turned on each other at any sign of weakness, anti!(etherese sympathies, or impiety towa rds Shar, seeking their own security by reporting others 8subversion9 to their con%uerors. &f course, (etheril kept its own eyes upon the populace as well. To this day, Sembia remains a land bursting with fa=ade and falsehood. The nobles of Selgaunt have more reason to lie than most2before the Spellplague, Selgaunts blue blood ac%uired a lycanthropic taint. umor lays the fault at the feet of the ruling >skevrens, but no noble mentions that suspicion aloud. &ne need only touch finger to nose a nd talk of 8hot blood9 to indicate that a noble son or daughter carries 8the curse.9 Those who can 8pass92whether shifters, full lycanthropes, or merely kin2are trained to
The reat !ale )t the full moon, wolves gather outside the village of -e"entil in the /reat 0ale and howl at the night sky. Soon, travelers through the 0ale are plagued by wolves. #ow can the people 8protected9 by the druids of the ircle of 'eth not suspect what they pay for the privilege: 0o they truly not reali"e the druids themselves paw the earth outside -e"entil:
*
active in regions as disparate as the Chondalwood, the )ungles of Chult, the Cormanthor &orest, and the >igh &orest. #fter the 1pellplague, the sect known as the Black Blood $ribe establshed an enclave on the Moonshae Isle known as Moray. 4hile each tribe has its own mark or symbol /often depicted in scent rather than visually0, each group also tends to use some variant of the symbol that represents the =eople that represents the people to outsiders( an abstract humanoid torso with a large belly and a large clawed hand growing where the head should be. $he ties to Malar@s holy symbol are obvious, and the lower part of the holy symbol may taper to a shape reminiscent of a drop of blood or simply become a spike that can be used to place the symbol upright in the ground. #s an organization, the =eople of the Black Blood do not have a political agenda. ike wild animals, they wish to protect their territory and thrive, which means they attack creatures that approach them. ccasionally they ally themselves with the church of Malar or are hired by evil groups such as the cults of "lemental "vil, but their independent natures mean that such alliances tend to be short%lived. Because they disdain civilization, what minor eGuipment they have is usually ill kept, but most packs have an amazing variety of potions devised by their spellcasting members /since potions can be used by creatures that cannot speak and lack hands0. Most packs consist of only one or two types of lycanthropes and normal or dire animals of the same type. >owever, the Moonwood /later part of larger 6limmerwood0 has boasted the most numerous population for over a century. $oday, 8 or more lycanthropes in that forest lead a much larger number of shifters and other kinfolk. $he whole northern half of the wood is dotted with altars to Malar and small shelters for the =eople. $heir rallying point is the refuge of Claw >ollow.
suppress their instincts and take on their roles as idle socialites or merchant lords. Those who cannot meet varied fates, depending on the kindness, ruthlessness, or desperation of their families.
Sil&erymoon Silverymoon is famed as a safe and welcoming place. Its well!maintained streets accept all who seek respite or a new start in the world, if they hold
The /eople of the Black Blood =resent in many scattered forests across &aerFn, the =eople of the Black Blood are tribes of lycanthropes and their kin mostly shifters who worship Malar in loose assocation with one another. $hey e*ist for the hunt, following the will of the Beast ord and their own animal instincts. $hey hunt normal animals but prefer intelligent prey, often kidnapping victims in humanoid form and releasing them in a wilderness area to be pursued by the entire pack. 1uch hunts usually end in the consumption of the victim. $he group@s membership consists of true and infected lycanthropes, primarily evil, with a scattering of feral unaligned or neutral members. $hey disdain people who live in cities, particularly wererats, and often commit acts of great violence against would%be interlopers on their territory. $he churches of 1ilvanus, Mielikki, and 6waeron 4indstrom often mount searches into the forest to discover and destroy the =eople@s lairs. $heir origins are lost to history, but it is believed the first tribe was organized by Malar himself, in order to track down a particular Guarry. "ach of their tribes functions much like a pack of wolves or other animals, led by the strongest member, an alpha of sorts called the Bloodmaster who must defeat any challengers to retain power. 1ometimes Malar sends an agent to challenge a Bloodmaster whose rule /or usefulness0 is dwindling. verall, the tribes in various places have little contact with each other, and each claim their own territory. Many rangers, barbarians, and druids are counted among the packs. 4hen the ranks grow thin, they infect others with their kind of lycanthropy to gain more followers. Because they can travel incognito and form new bands in other places, it is not known how widespread they are, but groups are known to be —
—
"
The South $oonsea &n the wild frontier
"
-oth groups are branches of the ;eople of the -lack -lood, and a series of skirmishes between the two was ended only recently by a powerful druid from the Sword oast. She claimed to speak for $alar, saying that s%uabbling between his followers here would be cruelly punished. )fter a display of her power, the druid ended the feud2but only their shared reverence and fear for $ala r keeps the two tribes from each others throats. Their bloody conflict is only one incident or misunderstanding away from erupting once more.
'e( Bac#)round: Weretouched Kinfol# Thickly or thinly, the blood of lycanthropes runs in your veins. )ll living things have primal instincts, but whether you are a lycanthrope, a shifter, or merely kin to such creatures, you understand the beast within better than most, and this background works e%ually well for you. There are several regions in the *orgotten ealms where shifters and others with lycanthropic blood are found, and they can appear among members of nearly any race. >se the regions described here, along with the %uestions and suggestions in the background options below, to inspire your characters history and origins. #ow do you feel about your ancestry: Were you raised in wilder places or amid the trappings of civili"ation: 0id you have to negotiate between your warring uni%ue instincts on your own, with no guidance from those w ho understood your internal conflict firsthand: Were their shifters or other beings more in touch with their bestial sides a round you growing up, to mentor you in understanding yourself: What drove you to take up the life of a n adventurer:
0lraphon ,e'orn nce the bustling northernmost port on the -ragon 'each, !lraphon /pronounced I%ra%fon 0 is now a remote dockside town outside the mouth of the 'iver is, on the southern edge of the Moonsea region, )ust north of the Hast. "lves from Myth -rannor built the first city here, which stood for nearly a thousand years before it was overrun by orcs, conGuered by dwarves, and reconGuered by orcs again, before humans finally took over. !et in time, even the last human settlement here was destroyed by the events of the 'age of -ragons, and the nearby swamp known as the &looded &orest e*panded to swallow the ruins. Dow the town rises again, rebuilt into a bustling hive of gold%hungry adventurers, fearless pirates, and powerful merchant houses. $oday, there are three !lraphons. !lraphon proper is the small but thriving dockside settlement inside a recently erected =alisade. 1econd is the ld City, a ramshackle village of refurbished ruins )ust outside the port, where refugees from undone Mulmaster try to forge new lives. $he third is uter !lraphon, which includes all the sprawling layers of ancient rubble and buried necropoli that surround these younger habitations. nly within the wooden walls of the =alisade do the five houses of the Merchant Council and their figurehead mayor hold sway. 'eal power lies with the local adventurers, whose e*ploration and plunder of nearby ruins drives the new economy. $hanks to their influence, !lraphon remains a wild and lawless town on civilizations frontier. "
"
—
—
S#ill *roficiencies: Survival, plus one other skill determined by your home region 3see below4 Tool *roficiencies: &ne type of artisans tools 3or you may choose proficiency with a type of vehicle4 Lan)ua)es: &ne of your choice 3consult your home region for suggestions4 +uipment: ) set of travelers clothes, a small knife, a necklace made from the tooth of a fallen ancestor 3or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in the E%uipment section of the Player’s Handbook 4, a bedroll, a tinderbox, and a belt pouch containing C6 gp
What is your home re)ionWhen creating a character who is weretouched kin, it is is important to determine the region where the relatives who shared your lycanthropic ancestry dwelt. 0etermine your home region from the options below, choosing as you wish, or using the random table below. )lternately, you m ay wish to consult with your 0$ a nd create your own uni%ue origin.
Tethyr The noble Aanors of Ba"esspur hide a terrible secret2 many of them can shed their skins. The family has several wereserpent members, even more shifters, and some ties to yuan!ti. &f course, they keep this shameful knowledge hidden. (one suspect that the sly, lithe, and beautiful Aanor house smiles with poison!tipped fangs. Shifters that result from the wereserpents unions with humans and half!elves are therefore carefully hidden. Without such precautions, many would move to destroy the Aanors2first and foremost the noble familys scaled and sibilant masters.
Weretouched Kin Regional Homelands d12 Home Region 9 -aggerdale /$he -alelands0 7 -ambrath < -urpar ? $he 6limmerwood /1ilverymoon0 $he 6reat -ale : uskan Moray /$he Moonshae Isles0 J 'ashemen K 1elgaunt /1embia0 98 $ethyr 99 Hehlarr /Baldurs 6ate0 97 !lraphon /$he 1outh Moonsea0 Daggerdale (The Dalelands). ?ou are related to the lycanthropes that plague 0aggerdale. ;erhaps you grew to hate the leaders of your kind after witnessing too much wanton slaughter. $aybe you were exiled, lacking your
tribes hunger and rage. &r perhaps you fled the area after seeing one of your kind captured and killed by the people of 0aggerdale. 3 Associated Skill: Intimidate. Suggested Language: Elvish or Sylvan.4 Dambrath. ?ou come from one of 0ambraths famous nomadic tribes. They say 0ambrathans are born ahorse, and your skills with a mount lend proof to the adage. What is your tribes totem: #ow many shifters were part of your tribe: Were there any natural lycanthropes: #ow peac eful or brutal were your people, and why have you ranged so far from them: 3 Associated Skill: )thletics. Suggested Language: Elvish or Sylvan.4 Durpar. ?ou descend from a union between a servant of the Whispering &ne and its human chattel. ;erhaps you grew up in the dungeons beneath &ld 1aelan, and your parent or parents 3whether good or evil4 kept you hidden for as long as they could, shielding you from the dark secrets of the catacombs, but finally they sent you to the surface for your own safety. &r maybe you were born to a shifter who had come up from the dungeons themselves, and the dark ruins of the old city were never your home. Were you raised in a merchant house for some or part of your childhood: #ow were you treated and viewed by your family: 3 Associated Skill: ;ersuasion. Suggested Language: /oblin or >ndercommon.4 The Glimmerwood (Silverymoon). /rowing up among the ;eople of the -lack -lood, there were few moments of your tribes existence not devoted to savagery. Though you came to take some solace in these moments, they were not enough. ?ou simply took no pleasure in such bestial violence or cruelty. Eventually, you sought out the famed hospitality of Silverymoon in the hopes of learning more about another way of life. ?our attempt did not go smoothly, and you found yourself re
the -lack -lood and by the citi"ens of the city. learly, you have to forge your own path. 3 Associated Skill: ;erception or (ature. Suggested Language: 0warvish or Sylvan.4 The Great Dale. ?ou were born into a semi!nomadic tribe of shifters that roams the *orest of 'ethyr. ?our tribe is old, its origin shrouded by the mysteries of the druid cult. ?our people keep to themselves and avoid the elves of the forest. *olk outside the /reat 0a le dont even know your tribe exists. Why did you leave your homeland: Were you exiled for looking too closely into the activities of the druids: 0id you flee after becoming entangled with the forest elves: 0id the ircle of 'eths druids send you on a mission: 3 Associated Skill: (ature. Suggested Language: Elvish or Sylvan.4 Luskan. ?our life began in 'uskans sewers, and for years you followed in the footsteps of the wererats and shifters that made up your extended 8family.9 #owever, no matter how much violence and struggle you endured, nothing good ever came of your kinfolks efforts. In fact, things seemed to get worse every year. ?ou knew you had to get out, but its never easy to leave home behind2especially when youre enmeshed in a criminal underworld. -ut a hard life has taught you hard lessons, and you shared what you learned with whomever got in your way. Wha t was life like for you in 'uskan: 0id you live only in the sewers, or did you find shelter among the surface gangs: ) Shou crime syndicate infiltrates the citys powerful2did you learn your trade from them: ;erhaps you ha ve some exotic skills gained through association with foreign pirates. 3 Associated Skill: Stealth. Suggested Language: 0warvish or >ndercommon.4 Moray (The Moonshae Isles). aised among the (orlander shifters and werebeasts of the island of $oray, you grew up in a tradition of terror, raiding and pillaging your neighbors. ?our kinfolk are hated and fea red by the people of the $oonshae Isles. #ow did you come to be on the continent: ;erhaps you were shipwrecked and helped by someone ignorant of the dangers of $oray. $aybe you stole a ship and sailed to )mn, hoping to escape your violent home. &r you might ha ve been left behind on your first raid, stranded when your allies left or were defeated. 3 Associated Skill: )thletics. Suggested Language: /iant or Sylvan.4 ashemen. /reatly feared in ashemi tales, your people live in secret in the )shenwood among legendary monsters like 0ar!/uran, the troll who can bite off a humans head. ?et you also live with more benign nature spirits that seem to exist in every limpid pool and %uiet copse of trees. Some ashemi see you and other kin to lycanthropes as the troll, while others view you as the spirit. ?our own people often seem unsure which they want to be. ?ou left them to find your own way. 3 Associated Skill: (ature. Suggested Language: Sylvan or 0raconic.4 ;
Selgaunt (Sembia). There are two kinds of weretouched kinfolk among the nobles of Selgaunt. There are those who can hide their heritage entirely, thriving among the grasping merchant nobles, and those whose appearance or behavior betrays their tainted ancestry. The la tter pose a problem. Some are accepted by their fa milies but kept hidden from view. &thers are cast out, fostered to those who owe favors or bargained to those who collect them. Which of these varied fates was yours: 0id you struggle to control your emotions amid finery and strict rules of eti%uette, or did your foster parents put you to work as an agent in their trade: Were you forced to leave Sembia after your heritage was revealed, or were you sent on a trade mission to distant lands to get you out of public view: 3 Associated Skill: 0eception or ;ersuasion. Suggested Language: Elvish or >ndercommon4 Tethyr. -orn in Ba"esspur to the Tethyrian noble family of #ouse Aanor, you bear the heritage of wereserpents, yuan!ti, or both. The familys ties to thse monstrous bloodlines is a secret they must hide for their very survival. #ow do the %ualities of your serpentine heritage show themselves in you: #ow were you hidden from public view: ;erhaps you were trained as an assassin for those who command your family members with seductive whispers. $aybe you were only allowed on the streets at night. 0o you know who controls your familys fate: 0o you want to save your family from itself, or have you made enemies of too many of them: 3 Associated Skill: Stealth. Suggested Language: 0raconic or Sylvan.4 !ehlarr ("aldur#s Gate). The legends of the lost city of 1ehlarr are true. It was never destroyed, but was moved to the *eywild, as was its nemesis city, $yth 'harast. ?ou grew up in 1ehlarr, feeling the erratic i nfluence of both worlds. 1ehlarr appears on *aer+n only under the full moon, existing both in the Werewood and the *eywi ld, forming an unstable bridge between planes. Though centuries have passed since its unmooring in the world, 1ehlarr has felt only D5 years of that time. When you learned of the -and of the ed $oons plans to c on%uer -aldurs /ate, you felt you had to help. ?ou disregarded the warnings of your leaders and left, but you waited too long. 0ue to the disconnected passage of time between your home and the mortal world, by the time you reached -aldurs /ate, the -and of the ed $oons intial attempt at expansion. (ow you cant return home for fear of the welcome youll get from the werewolves and othe lycanthropes who rule there. )nd since the vanishing citys time and yours are out of
on the edge of the *looded *orest, you gave them aid2and earned the ire of your own people. *leeing to escape mistreatment, you found your way to the nearby settlement of ?lraphon, an outpost ruled by a dventurers, and %uickly fell in with a group of dungeon delving mercenaries. #ave you had any further contact with the shifter you saved: 0o you hope to return to your kin one day, or do y ou prefer your new life to your old one: 3 Associated Skill: (ature. Suggested Language: 0warvish or &rc.4
.eature: Kinfol# 'et(or# Those who share your blood don@t always get along, but necessity has made them a sort of informal network that exchanges information about places to hideout and take refuge. If you are in the wild or near a place with a si"eable population of shifters, you can always find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate, whether it is a secluded wilderness location or the home of other kinfolk. This place of rest is secure enough to conceal you from most natural threats. Threats that are supernatural, magical, or a re actively seeking you out might do so with difficulty depending on the nature of the threat 3as determined by the 0$4. #owever, this feature doesnt shield or conceal you from scrying, mental probing, nor from threats that dont necessarily re%uire the five senses to find you.
Su))ested Characteristics >se the tables in the outlander background in the ;layers #andbook as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries as appropriate to suit your r egion of origin. In addition, you have a personality %uirk that is tied to your lycanthropic ancestry. ?ou may not manifest the traits of your kin physically, but in terms of personality, the beast in your blood can never be entirely ta med.
Weretouched Kin Quirks d8 9 7 < ? : J
17
Quirk I’m almost alwas either eating or see!ing food for m ne"t meal# $hen crossed, I often respond with a deep growl or e%en a baring of teeth# I use few words and let m actions spea! for me# I can ne%er rest somewhere until I circle the area a few times, pacing around and loo!ing out for threats# Shin things alwas attract m attention# The bedding in most ci%ili&ed places is far too soft# I much prefer m own bedroll, whether on soil or e%en a hard floor# The slightest mistreatment of animals upsets me as much as 'or more than( abusing people the same wa# ) personalit changes with the phases of Sel*ne, and I am rambunctious and passionate when the moon is full, but +uiet and withdrawn when it is new#
Chapter /: 'e( Races and .eats Shade The Trail of "ive #arknesses is no easy path to follo. $ou say you are ready to take your on %ourney& to see here the trail ends' I can tell you this(( the passage to immortality is unique to the individual. )y e*periences are my on, as are my fears and memories of that fateful time. +nd if you emerge, clinging to the fragile thread that is life, e*pect no comfort and no kinship, for by embarking on this quest you sever ties ith anyone you have ever loved. +re you ready' +re you truly prepared' >>hasus Hi(h $ark of ellwarren )mbitious, ruthless, and paranoid, shades have traded part of their souls for a sliver of dark essence from another plane. It is believed that in most cases this pact is with dark powers in the Shadowfell, sometimes called the ;lane of Shadow, but others make their pac t with beings in the darkest depths of the *ar ealm 3known as 8the *ar Shadow94 or even with deities from outer planar realms with a strong connection to the >nderdark 3such a s 'olth4. Even more so than the sha dowborn natives of these realms of darkness, shades are gloom incarnate. The first shades in the ealms were citi"ens of the ancient wi"ardly empire of (etheril. &ver two thousand years ago, the #igh ;rince who ruled of the (etherese flying city of Thultanthar transported his entire city onto the Shadowfell in order to explore that dim and perilous plane. The (etherese who dwelled in the Sha dowfell became known as the Shadovar. *or thousands of years, Thultanthar2commonly known as the city of Shade2was lost to human knowledge, along with its inhabitants. The #igh ;rince was also the most powerful wi"ard in the city, and he struck upon a ritual means of transforming himself and his most loyal followers into creatures of shadow. 7nown today in scholarly circles as the Trail of Five Darknesses, this arduous ritual is as likely to slay its practitioner outright2obliterating body and soul2as it is to grant the abillty to wield shadow magic. $any of the Shadovar became shades, though far from a ll2in those days, only the #igh ;rince and his children knew the secret of the necessary ritual, a nd they were stingy with their favors, careful to only empower those who were sure to be loyal to them and their causes. ;rospective candidates were stringently tested for ability, loyalty, a nd resourcefulness, and these devoted shades remained in the 11
Shadowfell except when their masters ordered them elsewhere. 0uring the absence of the (etherese, a rare fe w mortals in the ealms deciphered the knowledge of how to become a shade on their own, but hid their nature with their formidable gifts. Thus, even the existence of the race of shades was unknown for millennia. Then, in the year CGDH 0, the city of Thultanthar abruptly returned to *aer+n, and for nearly a century, it soared above the deserts of )nauroch, land that was once a fertile part of the Empire of (etheril. &ver the ensuing century, the (etherese sought the resurrection of their lost empire, con%uering realms such as Sembia and making long war against the humans of the 0alelands and ormyr as well as the elves of another reborn city, $yth 0rannor. *inally, during a great battle in CHD 0 , Thultanthar was brought crashing down on $yth 0rannor, and the resulting cataclysm returned both ancient cities to the ashes of history. (ow, a fair number of shades walk the ealms, most (etherese in origin, but with many either no longer loyal to their fallen nation or having attained the Trail of *ive 0arknesses on their own. (o matter what race, nation, or land one was first born into, ea ch shade undergoes a dark rebirth that transforms them into a creature of stealth and secrecy who is caught between life and death. In taking on the twilight powers granted to shades, they also take on dark thoughts from worlds beyond, creating an even darker disposition. $ost shades began life as humans. )nyone who chooses to become a shade is reborn into shadow through a transformative ritual that ambient magic of shadow present in the world. This ritual is most survivable when performed at places where the boundaries between the *orgotten ealsm and darker realms are the thinnest, such as crossings to the Shadowfell. Shades resemble their original mortal selves, though they sacrifice their native vitality to the ritual that turns them into slender creatures of sha dow. Their darkness!piercing eyes become orbs of dull black, dark gray, or purple. Their coloring takes on subdued hues, with most shades having pale skin and lank, black hair. Shades prefer dark, somber clothing of silk, suede, or supple leather, decorated with brass and iron. Their metal weapons and tools are coated with special oils that dull any sheen of reflection. $ortals cannot survive the Trail of *ive 0arknesses until adulthood There are no such things as young shades, and shades who marry produce normal offspring. The ritual also has a dramatic effect on longevity, doubling a shade@s normal life span. umors abound of shades who eventually attain a level of power that allows them to stop aging altogether. >nbridled ambition and utter desperation are common reasons for a human to undertake the Trail of *ive 0arknesses, since the taint of shadow magic marks a shade as an outcast forever. #owever, a few shades deny these self!serving drives, striving to ensure that the true nature of their souls overcomes the shadowy taint of their chosen path. e
)lmost always drawn to the life of an adventurer, such shades try to earn the trust of a close circle of friends. defending those comrades with the ruthlessness for which their kind is known. #owever, some decry this behavior as
*atient 0m"ition The transformation Shades undergo creates a consistent sense of ambition for which their kind is known. (o matter what
Shado(s on Society’s +d)e The dark nature of their transformation places shades firmly outside the societies they arise from. The most social of their kind distrust all except their closest companions. Truly misanthropic shades embrace their da rkness fully, seeing others as pawns to be exploited in the %uest for power. In the mortal realm, a shade often takes up a life of wandering or lives as a social outcast on the fringes of humanoid society. It is common for shades to mask their true nature with magic or clever disguises, using their shadow powers as a screen against watchful eyes. In many
12
cases, shades re
friends2are precious to them, and those who attempt to harm or steal what is theirs suffer harsh retribution. They defend their goals and their allies with the same extreme pre
Shade !lasses >unger for power is a constant among shades. >owever, a shade@s personal talents and moral bent determine the manner in which that power is pursued, and what he or she will do with it in the end. 1hades can be of any class, but mostly pursue the ones below. Fighters. &ighters of the shade race almost always pursue the battle master martial archetype, following that path for the control and leadership it promises, though most are wise enough to respect the independence of their own close companions. # shade fighter becomes an adventurer to gain personal power, though he or she can undertake any number of lesser goals in pursuit of that power. Roge. 1hade rogues are consummate spies, clinging to the shadows with a competence matched by few members of the common races. Do matter how else they choose to ply their trade, shade rogues uniformly seek to steal information they can use to their advantage. 1uch shades will often )oin a thieves@ guild or similar organization, sometimes for years, )ust to learn their secrets, then vanish to serve only themselves or take their place as the group@s leader !arloc". $he warlock@s path is a tempting one for shades, who take up the pact as a means of augmenting their own intrinsic power. 1uch warlocks see their pact as an e*tension of the $rail of &ive -arknesses, refusing to acknowledge their subservience to an otherworldly master. !i#ar$. 1hade wizards favor necromancy and illusion, the schools of magic closely associated with the power of shadow. $hey may also learn the arcane tradition of nethermancy, an obscure branch of the #rt dedicated to controlling shadow magic itself. 1hade wizards create sanctums in the 1hadowfell once they master the ways of planar travel, using that plane as a base for their acGuisition of more powerful arcane magic.
0 *ath of Their (n >nlike members of most other races, shades choose to become what they are. Some shades seek the Trail of *ive 0arknesses out of pure ambition, seeing that path as a means of gaining power. &thers sacrifice their soul to the shadow only under duress, perhaps to protect or rescue a loved one. *or each shade character, it is important to determine whether this was a path they chose to follow freely, or if they see the shadow as a curse and a burden they must bear. Shades stand between life and death. ) part of each shade@s soul has already moved on to an otherworldly plane, foreshadowing the path all souls must ta ke after death. )lthough shades still live, the shadow that fills them leaves their mortal emotions subdued and held in c heck. They are not given to rash action or sudden changes of plan, and do not rush into any situation where they have the option to first analy"e the potential dangers. The strength of shadow is its ability to conceal, and shades take full adva ntage of their opponents@ lack of awareness to read their weaknesses. &nly when the time is right do they strike, and they do so without warning and without leaving any loose ends. If shades have a unifying ethic, it is the notion of protecting what is theirs. The things each shade c alls their own2their possessions, their knowledge, even their
—
18
Shade Skill. ?ou gain proficiency in your choice of one of the 0eception, Investigation, or Sleight of #and skills. Swi,t as Shadows. ?ou learn the shifting shadow cantrip. If the space you end up in after casting shifting shadow is not in direct sunlight, that space is blurred and concealed by shadow magic, making it heavily obscured until the end of your next turn. Twilight -antrip. Whenever you use your action to cast a cantrip during your turn, you can can ta ke the #ide action as a bonus action that turn.
Shade Traits ?our shade character has a number of traits in common with all other shades. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our 0exterity score increases by J. %ge. ) shade ages at half the speed a normal member of their previous race would. %lignment. $ost shades are 'awful (eutral, (eutral, or 'awful Evil. In general, they undertake the Trail of *ive 0arknesses for power or ambition, and its effects mute their normal mortal emotions even more. #owever, even good!aligned shades must fight to retain their compassion for others against the cold taint of shadow. ) shades dispassion also means that few are of chaotic alignment. Si'e. Shades are usually a bit taller and slimmer than they were in their previous lives. ?our si"e is $edium. Speed. ?our base walking speed is G6 feet. Darkvision. ?ou can see in dim light within K6 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. ?ou cant discern color in da rkness, only shades of gray. ragile Mortality. Whenever you regain #it 0ice at the end of a long rest, you must make a 0 C5 onstitution saving throw. If you fail, you lose a number of #it 0ice e%ual to half your proficiency bonus 3rounded down4, a s if they had already been spent. idden Step. )s a bonus action, you can magically teleport, along with any e%uipment you are wearing or carrying, up to G6 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. -oth the space you are leaving and the space you are entering must be in dim light or darkness. )fter this teleportation, you turn invisible until the start of your next turn, or until you make an attack roll or force someone to make a saving throw. &nce you use this trait, you cant use it again until you finish a short or long rest. *ne with Shadow. ?ou have resistance against necrotic damage. +ra&ti&ed Sneak. ?ou are proficient with the Stea lth skill. Languages. ?ou can speak, read, and write ommon and one other language of your c hoice. Subra&e. Shades from the (etherese city of Thultanthar share certain traits that independent shades do not. hoose one of the described types as your subrace.
6ew !antrip5 hifting hado on-uration cantrip Casting %ime: 9 action Range: 1elf Components: 1 &ration: Instantaneous $oo Guickly for mortal eyes to perceive, you move no further than the reach of your shadow. !our movement doesn@t provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the tu rn, and you instantly move to an empty space within feet.
'etherese Shade The citi"ens of the lost city of Thultanthar lived to serve the #igh ;rince and their fellow Shadovars. $ost of those who became shades grew up as loyal champions of the #igh ;rinces regime. Their personal ag endas seldom conflicted with the purposes of Shades rulers, since they became shades through obedience. (ow that Thultanthar has fallen, the (etherese shades not destroyed in that last battle are set free in the world. $ost seek to find other survivors and figure out a scheme to reclaim their nations greatness, but a few have taken the loss of their masters as an opportunity to walk their own path in the ealms. Instead of shackling their deep ambitions to the cause of their betters, they are now free to advance as they wish. $ost (etherese shades consider themselves superior to all nonshades around them. )fter all, they were raised from birth to believe status as a shade is was the reward given to the most worthy. Such shades a lso find it difficult to trust those who are not Shadovar, but necessity forces them to make new alliances. *or their part, *aer+nians find the attire, customs, speech, and e%uipment of most Sha dovars oddly dated. )fter all, until a century ago their culture was cut off from the rest of the world for over two thousand years. Shadovar adventurers often wear ornate robes or intricately filligreed breastplates, and for weapons they favor similarly!styled staves or halberds. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our Intelligence score increases by C. etherese -antrip. ?ou know one Evocation, Illusion, or (ecromancy cantrip of your choice from the wi"ard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it. Shadovar /du&ation. ?ou are proficient in )rcana. Shar#s "argain. When you cast a cantrip that has a casting time of C action, you can choose to inflict necrotic damage on yourself e%ual to your proficiency bonus to change the casting time to C bonus a ction for this casting. This damage ignores resistance and immunity. &nce you use this trait, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
%ndependent Shade )s a shade who attained the Trail of *i ve 0arknesses on your own, you maintain a determined self!reliance when among your own kind, because you know all too well the greed and duplicity your race is capable of. #owever, shades also believe in strength in numbers. and as such they congregate in settlements close to shadow crossings, both in *aer+n and the worlds beyond. Whether you a re part of such a community or walk among the common races, you develop your innate shadow magic to sharpen your natural gift for stealth to a preternatural level, allowing you to walk unseen nearly whenever you wish. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our harisma score increases by C. 14
Their ambiguous heritage and wild souls kept these descendants of lycanthropes on the fringes of civili"ation for centuries, but the magical events like the Spel lplague and its aftermath threw wilderness and city alike into chaos, confronting the world with their existence. &ther races are often uncomfortable a round shifters due to their predatory natures and va guely bestial appearance. &f course, some grow to a ppreciate individual shifters despite their natural aversion, and halflings in general get along well with them. * or their part, shifters are accustomed to distrust and dont expect better treatment from members of the other races, a lthough some shifters try to earn respect and c ompanionship through acts and deeds. $any believe that shifters have the same savage and nearly uncontrollable violent urges as most lycanthropes. ?et this is not the case. What is true is that the personality and behavior of shifters are influenced by their animal natures.
)ife 9&on( the Shado-ar $he society of the lost city of $hultanthar fit into a strictly controlled hierarchy. $he >igh =rince sat at the top of the hierarchys pyramid, with his sons, the $welve =rinces of 1hade, right below him. Beneath them stood the arcanists /1hadovar sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards0, with the military ne*t down in importance. #t the base of the pyramid, there were four levels of commoners. In descending order, these were the crafters /skilled laborers0, the merchants /those who distributed necessary goods throughout the City of 1hade and imported and e*ported needed materials0, the servants /those who worked as personal servants to people above them0, and the slaves /who did the worst of the societys grunt work0. #t 9< years old, the age of ascension, every citizen was tutored in basic spellcraft and sub)ected to a battery of tests to determine how their skills could best serve the $hultanthar. $hen, at the age of ma)ority /9J years old0 each person embarked upon the )ob for which they were trained. Unless the person suddenly displayed a new aptitude, they worked at their designated career until the day they died. $hose citizens who proved to be especially important and loyal were transformed into shades. $his was one of the greatest honors a 1hadovar can receive. nly a small percentage of 1hadovars were transformed, and commoners and low%ranking military officers were never chosen for transformation. $hose, even these shades were selected for their loyalty and obedience, they were also those who had the ambition to rise to the pinnacle of their society. In $hultanthar, all 1hadovars worshipped 1har as their patron. $he citys Detherese inhabitants worshiped this ancient goddess even before they ventured into the 1hadowfell. nce they made the transition, they learned to rely upon her like no other. #ll other churches or chapels in the City of 1hade were converted over to the worship of 1har. 1till, shade clerics were more loyal to the >igh =rince than to 1har herself. $heir worship of her was a means to an end. It remains to be seen how loyal their faith remains now.
Shifter This isn!t a battle. It!s a hunt. +nd you!re not the hunter. >>Torw"n Uske-ren of Sel(aunt In the *orgotten ealms, shifters descend from the intermingling of true lycanthropes with humans, elves, and their ilk. 0ue to their heritage, shifters often feel the pull of the moon in their blood, ebbing a nd flowing like ocean tides. )lthough they cannot fully change to animal form, they can temporarily take on a nimalistic features through a process they call shifting. Shifters have evolved into a uni%ue race that breeds true. *erocious heirs of the wild, the perfect fusion of civili"ed race and wild beast, they have a distinct culture with its own traditions and identity. *or as long as werebeasts have bred with more civili"ed peoples, examples of this animalistic demihuman people have lived along the frontiers of *a er+n. ?et until a century or so ago, few knew any such race existed. 1%
They are a passionate and temperamental people, sometimes boorish and crude, or %uiet, shifty, and solita ry. )lmost all shifters struggle in some way to control their powerful emotional responses, and culturally they retain a steadfast belief in the virtue of self!reliance, which they associate with personal freedom.
of strength when he enters combat. These shifters tend to be hot!tempered, mercurial, and dramatic, often responding to stress with sudden shifts in mood. Some learn to control their emotions, but it takes a great deal of effort, and those around them can still sense them keeping their bestial instinct for fight or flight in check. I n some cases, they take this to an extreme, suppressing all emotion as a way dealing with their bestial instincts, keeping their voices even and their responses controlled. They remain stoic in the face of any situation, lest their powerful emotions overwhelm them.
Wal#ers on the +d)e Though rare in most civili"ed lands, in certain areas shifters are nearly as common a s humans 3see the Shifters in the .or)etten Realms section for details on homelands suitable for shifter chatracters4. $ost reside in only the wildest regions of humanoid nations, however, eking out livings as hunters and trappers. ) brave few feel compelled to venture forth into the wider world, becoming, guides, trackers, explorers, or scouts. $oving from such rugged self!reliance to the lifestyle of an a dventurer is not a big step. Those who spend time in civili"ation are often seeking to understand their uni%ue heritage and reconcile the contradictions of their ancestry. They may feel alienated from the plains and forests they love, and sometimes take up the adventuring life as a way of escaping the confines of city walls and returning to nature. Some shifters, though, turn to a life of crime, preying on civili"ed folk like the hunters they are. Treatment of shifters depends largely on where they are located. )mong urban populations, shifters might be accepted as
The 2ourney 3et to Come Aust as most lycanthropes are carnivores, shifters have a predatory personality and think of most a ctivities in terms of hunting and prey. They view survival as a challenge, striving to be self!reliant, adaptable, and resourceful. They tend to associate independence with freedom, rather than community. $ost cannot long tolerate rigid law enforcement, tyranny, or those who seek to impose their will or systems of belief on others. Self!reliance has long been the most important virtue in the shifter mind. The greatest heroes of shifter folklore a re often described as remaining constantly ready for surprise encounters and drawing on great reserves of inner strength rather than asking for help. Shifters refer to their c onstant state of readiness as 8 preparing for the
The Beast Within Shifters are basically humanoid in shape, but their bodies are exceptionally lithe. They often move in a crouched posture, springing and leaping along the ground. Their faces have a bestial cast, with wide, flat noses, large eyes and heavy eyebrows, pointed ears, and long sideburns regardless of gender. Their forearms and lower legs grow long hair, and the hair of their heads is thick and worn long. In many populations, shifters are associated with a specific type of lycanthropic bloodline, and their features clearly resemble such werecreatures. *or example, longtooth shifters often claim that werewolves are their ancestors and have canine features, while many ra"orclaw shifters claim weretigers to be their ancestors and display feline features. Shifters have a raw connection to instinct that members of other races seldom understand. *ueled by their ancient legacy, shifters hold within them extremes of emotion that strive to dominate their thoughts and ac tions. This raw inner turmoil comes forth in some shifter warriors as a barbaric rage, enabling the shifter to perform berserk feats
Shifter 'ames Shifters use the same names as humans, but tend to choose ones that are also words with a rustic or naturalistic meaning. Male ames. )sh, -rook, law, liff, *lint, *rost, iver, ock, Storm, Thorn, Tor emale ames. )urora, )utumn, 0awn, #a"el, Iris, 'ily, ain, ose, Summer
1*
1narmed ero&ity. When you take the )ttack action on your turn, you can make an unarmed strike as a bonus action. Languages. ?ou can speak, read, and write ommon and Sylvan. Subra&e. Several subraces of shifter exist, each with its own animalistic features. hoose one of the listed options. Each includes additional ability score modifications, a shifting trait that emerges only when they are shifting, a nd another racial trait they en
Shifters and the Gods &aerFns shifters worship many different gods depending upon their inclinations and situation, but certain deities have a special relationship with their wild souls. Selne. 1hifters who follow 1elFne adhere to her followers view of lycanthropy as a curse. $hey see shifters bestial nature as directly tied to the evil of lycanthropy and emphasize strict emotional control and shifting only when necessary. In some respects, shifters devoted to 1elFne are trying to deny part of their nature, and they are often the most determined foes of lycanthropes among her followers. Silvans. 1ilvanus emphasizes the acceptance of savagery as part of the natural state of the world, which resonates deeply with many shifters. >is teachings present a middle way between 1elFnes emphasis on control of a shifters animal instincts and Malars desire for unfettered ferocity. Many shifters revere 1ilvanus, even those that live in cities. (alar. 1hifters often have a heritage of Malar%worship that e*tends well before the 1pellplague, due to ancestral ties to evil lycanthropes. $hey often worship Malar b ecause their parents did, and see ob)ections to Malars evil as misunderstanding the essential nature of savagery and its necessary role in the world, and in shifters in particular. $hey may help hunters and others who worship or pay homage to Malar by hunting for them during winter in areas where food shortages are a concern. =acks of weretouched who worship Malar will engage in what is called a >igh >unt in which a human is hunted. If the human evades the pack, they are given one boon. If the human is captured, it will be slain, and eaten. Many shifters see Malars emphasis on unleashing the beast within as a rallying cry, fighting the forces of pre)udice against their race. "
Beasthide )s a beasthide shifter, you are especially tough and persistent in battle. -easthide shifters are often blunt and rude, speaking loudly and interrupting others. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our onstitution score increases by J. "easthide Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, you gain a MC bonus to ) and advantage on death saves. esilient Shi,ter. When you take nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage that is not silver or adamantine, you can use your reaction to roll a dK. )dd your onstitution modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. )fter you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
"
Shifter Traits )s a shifter, you have the following racial traits. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our Wisdom score increases by C. Si'e. Shifters are about the same si"e as humans. ?our si"e is $edium. Speed. ?our base walking speed is G6 feet. %thleti& eritage. Whenever you make a Strength 3)thletics4 check to climb or
Cliff(al#
Lon)stride
?our cliffwalk heritage grants you the climbing agility of a mountain goat or arboreal ape. liffwalk shifters tend to be shy and introverted. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our 0exterity score increases by J. -li,,walk Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, you gain a c limb speed of G6 feet, and you add your Wisdom modifier 3minimum C4 to all 0exterity saving throws. +er,e&t "alan&e. ?ou have resistance to falling damage and advantage on all ability checks made to climb or keep your balance.
'ongstride shifters are fleet and elusive, and in terms of personality, many consider them aloof and prideful. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our 0exterity score increases by J. leet o, oot. ?our base walking speed increases to G5 feet. Longstride Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, you can double your speed until the end of the turn when you move on your turn in combat. &nce you use this trait, you can@t use it again until you move 6 feet on one of your turns. In addition, you add your Wisdom modifier 3minimum C4 to all 0exterity saving throws you make while shifting.
!reamsi)ht
Lon)tooth
?ou are blessed with the spiritual instincts and awareness of a dreamsight shifter, the rarest of the shifter subraces. 0reamsight shifters are usually calm and contemplative relative to other shifters. >nlike the other subraces, whose traits tend to reflect their lycanthropic a ncestry, the abilities associate with dreamsight are a rare shamanic inheritance among all of them. It can occur in any shifter bloodline, regardless of heritage. %bility S&ore In&rease. hoose two of the following ability scoresN Intelligence, Wisdom, or harisma. Increase both the chosen ability scores by C. Dreamsight Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, you have advantage on Wisdom and Intelligence saving throws. In addition, while shifting you can comprehend and communicate with beasts as if under the effects of a s!eak with ani"als spell. Shamani& -antrip. ?ou know one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.
)s a longtooth shifter, you are a ferocious combatant. 'ongtooth shifters are known for having savage and a lmost feral demeanors. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our Strength and Wisdom scores each increase by C. Longtooth Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you can deal piercing damage e%ual to CdK M your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. &nce during your turn, if this attack hits a target that is your si"e or smaller, you can choose for that target to be grappled by you. If you start your turn with half your maximum hit points or fewer, you a dd your proficiency bonus to the damage of the bite attack you gain from this trait until the end of that tur n. Stalwart Shi,ter. When you take nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage that is not silver or adamantine, you can use your reaction to roll a dK. )dd your Strength modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. )fter you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
ore"rute )s a gorebrute shifter, your instinct is charge right at your prey, leaving them vulnerable to subse%uent attacks. /orebrute shifters are more likely to be loud and aggressive, and to threaten violence, than most individuals. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our Strength score increases by J. Go ,or the Throat. &nce per turn, when you hit with a melee attack against a creature who is prone, you can i nflict additional damage with that attack e%ual to your proficiency bonus. Gorebrute Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, if you move at least J6 feet straight towa rds a creature during your turn, you can use your bonus action to make a gore attack against that creature. This is a melee weapon attack with which you are proficient, which uses Strength for its !attack roll and damage bonus and deals CdC6 piercing damage. I f this attack hits a target that is your si"e or smaller, the target must make a Strength saving throw 30 M your Strength modifier M your proficiency bonus4 or be knocked prone. In addition, you have adva ntage on Strength saving throws you make while shifting.
Ra4orcla( )s a ra"orclaw shifter, you make swift, slashing strikes in battle. a"orclaw shifters are said to respect little other than physical power. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our 0exterity and Wisdom scores each increase by C. a'or&law Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, you have sharp claws, allowing you to use y our 0exterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes, which inflict CdH slashing damage instead of the normal bludgeoning damage. )lso, while shifting, your claws give you a climbing speed of J6 feet, and when when you have only half your maximum hit points or fewer, you have advantage on 0exterity saving throws. elentless Strike. &nce per turn, when you hit with melee attack against a creature you have already hit with a melee attack this turn, you can inflict additional damage with that attack e%ual to your proficiency bonus.
1
S(ift(in) ?our ancestry as a swiftwing shifter grants you the ability to fly in short bursts. Swiftwing shifters tend to be twitchy and nervous. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our 0exterity score increases by J. Leaping -harge. ?ou add 5 feet to your long
Truedi&e ?our truedive heritage lets you swim like a creature born to the sea. Truedive shifters are often remote a nd somewhat callous. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our onstitution score increases by J. %mphibious. ?ou can breathe air and water Marine 0inship. ?ou can cast ani"al friendshi! an unlimited number of times with this trait, though you can only use it to target creatures with swimming speeds. Truedive Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, you gain a swim speed of G6 feet and you have resistance to cold damage and falling damage.
Wildhunt ?our wildhunt heritage makes you a consummate tracker and survivor. Wildhunt shifters tend to be suspicious and untrusting. %bility S&ore In&rease. ?our Wisdom and onstitution scores each increase by C. 0een Instin&ts. When you make a Wisdom check that includes your proficiency bonus, you roll with advantage if that check relies on hearing or smell. 2ildhunt Shi,ting Trait. While shifting, you gain advantage on all Wisdom!based checks and saving throws, and you add your Wisdom modifier 3minimum C4 to all 0exterity saving throws.
1;
Individual feyri are usually patient, calculating, and suspicious, but their fiendish blood makes them prone to undeserved acts of cruelty and rage. *eyri society is very close!knit. They are all close relations, and so each feyri has a very good idea how each of his or her family members would react to a situation. ?et they have a subtle loathing for each other, both beca use their elven nature re
'e( +lf Su"races: +lf, .ey’ri *eyri are a planetouched race, created in ancient times when four sun elf noble houses bred with demons in an attempt to strengthen their bloodline. $uch like tieflings, they bred true as their own race, sharing common traits, but remain marked by their fiendish blood. $ost feyri are evil, but a few are able to shrug off the fiendish taints influence on their behavior and emulate some small part of the innate good nature of their elven forebears. In general form they resemble sun elves, though most bear some marks of their demonic heritage, usually large batlike wings and a magical ability to disguise their appearance. Some feyri dont manifest obvious demonic features at birth, and those who look 8normal9 are perhaps the most dangerous of all. Some feyri are born and raised among their elf cousins and do not ev en know the truth of their nature. It inevitably manifests, however2usually violently2when the fledgling feyri comes of age. Thousands of years ago, in what is now the forest of ormanthor, the elder sun elves of # ouse 0lardrageth 3in what is now the forest of ormanthor4 summoned demons 3usually succubi in male or female form4 to beget half!fiend children, some of whom in turn produced lesser demon! touched elves called feyri. T hey believed this would strengthen and perfect their bloodline. Instead, they allowed fiendish taint to corrupt the sun elf %ualities that they pri"ed the most. *eyri are obviously different from normal elves and would %uickly be killed by most other elves if discovered. 'uckily for them, their demonic bloodline gives them several abilities, including the ability to change their shape. Thus they can pass freely among other creatures without causing an alarm. $embers of the race ca n be found the world over, operating alone or in isolated sma ll cells, often manipulating members of 8lesser races9 to do their bidding. Those who speciali"e in disguising themselves as influential members of other races for long periods a re known as 8skin!dancers.9 The feyri burrow into the foundations of mortal soci ety in *aer+n, seeking to sow chaos a nd have their revenge against elvenkind first of all, and a nyone else second. They believe they have been cheated of their birthright, and their elven pride and innate demonic viciousness make them a scourge among the civili"ed realms as they work their subterfuge. $ost feyri live for revenge. They feel wronged by other elves, particularly moon elves, and superior to all other races 3as befits their lineage, which ties them to the ancient elven kingdoms that predate human civili"ation4. While their plans for revenge unfold, they wish to restore the glory of the elven empires with themselves at their head. Individual feyri comply with these goals, knowing that their half!fiend rulers are too powerful to challenge and feeling that they themselves have been punished unfairly by the moon elves with their too!long magical imprisonment. 27
enegade feyri form their own opinions of other races, but such views are colored by familial pre
%bility S&ore In&rease . ?our harisma score increases by C. ey#ri Magi&. ?ou can cast disguise self with this trait, using harisma as your spellcasting ability. &nce you cast this spell twice with this trait, you cant use this trait to do so again until you finish a short or long rest. &nce you reach 5th level, there is no longer any limit on the number of times you can cast disguise self with this trait. Whenever you cast disguise self , it always allows you to hide your wings if you wish. iendish eature. hoose one of the following options for this traitN %byssal Lega&y. ?ou gain the Infernal 'egacy trait of a tiefling. Demoni& 2ings. When you move on your turn in combat, you can fly for up to G6 feet of that movement. &nce you use this trait, you can@t use it again until after the end of your next turn. #owever, once you reach 5th level, this limitation is removed, and you instead gain a flying speed of G6 feet. Demon#s Tongue. ?ou gain the 0evils Tongue variant tiefling trait from Sword -oast %dventurer#s Guide. •
•
•
ires o, the %byss. When you take fire damage, you can use your reaction to roll a dK. )dd your harisma modifier to the number rolled, and reduce the damage by that total. )fter you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest. &nce you reach Kth level, you replace this trait with resistance to fire damage. iendish Language. ?ou can speak, read, and write )byssal.
Histor"5 The e"’ri and $ae&onfe" $he original half%fiends who were the progenitors of the feyri race later became known as the daemonfey. Before they were eventually discovered by their fellow elves and imprisoned in a series of caverns, the sun elves of >ouse -lardrageth and their fiendish offspring allied with three minor noble houses of the elven nation of 1iluvanede in the >igh &orest. $hese nobles bred with demons as well, and acGuired caches of -lardrageth magic items, using these items and their fiendish powers to strike out at their enemies. $hese nobles were defeated and magically imprisoned in the same -lardrageth cache sites where they had acGuired their own eldritch relics. $hree -lardrageth half%fiends were accidentally released when >ellgate Leep was destroyed in 9<:K -'. 4hen they broke through the magical seals on their old armories, they were surprised to find the descendants of their allies from 1iluvanede within. nce freed, the 1iluvanede feyri )oined with their old allies and began to enact their long%awaited plans. >owever, they suffer from unfamiliarity with the changes to the world and are still learning about its current state. $hough they have had the intervening century to ad)ust, many feyri still view this new world as strange and difficult. $o make matters worse for them, the -lardrageth leaders vanished only a few years later when they were at the head of a feyri attack on the fledgling kingdom of Cormanthor, leaving the surviving feyri directionless in a foreign land. $he feyri associated with >ouse -lardrageth originally numbered less than :8. 1ince their release, some o f these feyri have broken from their families, trying to find a place in the world after centuries of magical imprisonment.
e"’ri $e&onic eatures #ll feyri have one or more unusual features reflecting their fiendish heritage. Choose or roll from the following table to determine appropriate traits for a feyri character. Fey’ri Demonic Features d12 9%7 <%? %: %J K%98 99%97
Quirk &iery red eyes &ine scales all over the skin ong pointed tails Batlike ears -eep red skin $he horns of a satyr 21
+lf, Lythari The reclusive lythari, known among the wood elves a s 8silver shadows,9 are true lycanthropesN good!aligned elves capable of changing into lupine form. In wolf form, lythari are beautiful, with pale gray or silver fur and intelligent, blue or brown eyes. Wolf form lythari leave no impression of danger or ferocity, but ra ther seem friendly and companionable. If lythari run with normal wolves in wolf form, they are accepted as pack members and trated with deference, except by evil wolf!like creatures 3such as worgs4. In their elven forms, the lythari a re beautiful and otherworldly beings. They dress in furs, hides, and other natural garb, decorating themselves with feathers, bone
•
•
your unarmed strikes, which inflict CdH slashing damage instead of the normal bludgeoning damage. ?ou gain a bite attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses Strength for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals Cd piercing damage. If this attack hits a target that is your si"e or smaller, the target must ma ke a Strength saving throw 30 M your Strength modifier M your proficiency bonus4 or be knocked prone. ?ou can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.
?ou can remain in your wolf form for up to C hour. If you take a short or long rest while in your wolf form, you extend your wolf forms duration by the length of that rest. ?ou then revert to your n ormal form unless you expend another use of this feature. ?ou can revert to your normal form earlier by using an action on your turn. ?ou automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 6 hit points, or die. ?ou can use this feature a number of times e%ual to your proficiency bonus. ?ou regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Ly&anthrope. ?ou bear the curse of lycanthropy, making you immune to being cursed with it a gain. If you ever take the ontrolled 'ycanthropy feat, your lyca nthropy type is werewolf. ?ou can pass the curse on to a willing elf, in a ritual that takes C hour. )t the end of the ritual, that elf changes its subrace to 'ythari, as if it had been reborn with the reincarnation spell, replacing all the benefits of its former subrace with those of a 'ythari. This ritual cannot be performed on creatures that are not elves. ey Language. ?ou can speak, read, and write Sylvan.
• • •
•
•
22
ptional .eats:
!ontrolled )"canthrop" Prere#uisite: $ust be a natural or afflicted lycanthro!e ?ou carry the curse of lycanthropy, but you have learned to bear it without losing yourself or cha nging your alignment. -y keeping your bloodlust in check, you have learned to master your shapeshifting powers, a ssuming your alternate forms at will. ?ou gain the following benefits and traits from this featN ?ou can use your action to polymorph into an animal form or a humanoid!animal hybrid. The type of a nimal or hybrid you become is determined by your lycanthropy type. #owever, your statistics, other than si"e and ), do not change in your other forms. ?ou cannot speak in your animal form. )ny e%uipment you are wearing or carrying is not transformed. ?ou revert to your true form if you are incapacitated or if you choose to revert as a bonus action. ?ou can use this benefit twice, regaining expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. If you have no uses of your ability to polymorph into hybrid or animal form remaining, you may still do so, but suffer one level of exhaustion when you do so. 'evels of exhaustion gained from this benefit ca nnot be recovered while you are in hybrid or animal form. If you remain in your hybrid or animal form longer than C hour, or if you have one or more levels of exhaustion while in hybrid or animal form, or if you are in hybrid or animal form when it is nighttime and the full moon is visible in the sky 3whether you are able to see it or not4, you must roll a Wisdom save at the beginning of every turn 30 e%uals M your proficiency bonus M your onstitution modifier4. If you fail, you must use your action that turn to attack the nearest creature you can see, using your movement to reach that creature if necessary. If no creature is near enough to move to and attack, you attack an ob
I dream of a tree sometimes. + eirood, like the one in the godsood. It calls to me. The olf dreams are better. I smell things, and sometimes I can taste the blood. >>Geor(e ,.,. #artin + Clash of -ings
Beast !ohort
•
?ou have a long!time pet with whom you maintain a preternatural bond. This animal is extremely loyal to y ou and will fight on your behalf. ?ou gain the following benefitsN hoose a beast no larger than $edium that has a challenge rating of P or lower. ?ou gain one beast of this type as your cohort. The beast obeys your commands as best it can. The beast cohort acts on its own turn, but does not roll initiative. I nstead, when you roll initiative, you determine whether the beast acts
nless you are incapacitated or more than CJ6 feet away 3in which case you have no influence over the beasts actions4, the bonded beast cannot take the )ttack, 0ash, 0isengage, 0odge, or #elp action unless you use your action to order the beast to attack, but it can take other actions as normal. The beast c ohort gains advantage on attacks against creatures within 5 feet of you. The beasts hit point maximum e%uals its normal maximum or four times your level, whichever is higher. The beast cohort remains bonded to you until you choose to release it, but even after that, the beast cohort will always remain friendly to you. ?ou c an never have another beast as a cohort with this ability, unless the previous beast cohort has died and the new beast is a blood relative of the previous one, and you spend hours establishing a new bond. ?ou can never have more tha n one beast cohort at once. )t Grd level, the beast may be 'arge si"e or smaller, provided that it has a hallenge rating of C or lower. )n existing beast cohort can also grow into a beast of such si"e. It is assumed that at lower levels the beast was still maturing, and that the new creature is its adult form 3raising a Wolf into a 0ire Wolf, for example4. )t Hth level, you add your own proficiency bonus to the beasts ), attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. -eginning at Dth level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn@t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the 0ash, 0isengage, 0odge, or #elp action on its turn. Starting at CCth level, your beast companion can make two attacks when you command it to use the )ttack action. -eginning at C5th level, when an attacker tha t you can see hits your beast cohort with an attack, you can call out a warning. If your beast cohort can hear you, it can use its reaction to halve the a ttacks damage against it. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
28
Were'ad(er !our animal form is a giant badger, and your hybrid form is mi* of a giant badger and a your true form. $his lycanthrope type grants you the following benefits. •
•
•
•
•
In your animal and hybrid forms, you gain a bite attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses 1trength for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals 7d: piercing damage. If this attack hits a humanoid target, the target must make a Constitution saving throw /-C J your Constitution modifier your proficiency bonus0 or be cursed with werebadger lycanthropy. Members of non%dwarf races that ar e not native to deep underground tunnels or the Underdark /such as humans, halflings, or most elf subraces0 have advantage on the saving throw against the curse. -warves of any kind take a % penalty on their saving throw. If you have only half your hit points or fewer and have taken damage since the start of your last turn, and you are in your animal or hybrid form, you must make a 4isdom saving throw at the beginning of your turn as if it were a night of the full moon, as described under the basic benefits for this feat. 4hile you half your hit points or fewer, you can use a bonus action to move up to your speed toward a hostile creature you can see. 4hile in hybrid or animal form, you gain a burrow speed of 98 feet and have advantage on 1trength saving throws and Constitution checks.
•
make a 1trength saving throw /-C J your 1trength modifier your proficiency bonus0 or be knocked prone. #t th level, the damage from this effect increases to 7d:. If you take damage that would reduce you to 8 hit points and are not killed outright, you can choose to be reduced to 9 hit point instead. !ou can use this benefit once, regaining e*pended uses when you finish a long rest. #t 99th, you regain use of this benefit when you finish a short rest or long rest. 4hile in hybrid or animal form, you have advantage on 1trength saving throws and Constitution checks.
Wererat !our animal form is a rat, and your hybrid form is mi* of a rat and your true form. $his lycanthrope type grants you the following benefits. •
•
•
In your animal and hybrid forms, you gain a bite attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses your choice of 1trength or -e*terity for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals 9d? piercing damage. #t th level, the damage of this attack increases to 7d?, and at 99th level it increases to
Were'ear
Werera-en
!our animal form is a arge bear, and your hybrid form is a arge%sized combination of a bear and your true form. $his lycanthrope type grants you the following benefits.
!our animal form is a raven, and your hybrid form is mi* of a raven and your true form. $his lycanthrope type grants you the following benefits.
•
•
In your animal and hybrid forms, you gain a bite attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses 1trength for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals 9d98 piercing damage. #t 99th level, the damage of this attack increases to 7d98. If this attack hits a humanoid target, the target must make a Constitution saving throw /-C J your Constitution modifier your proficiency bonus0 or be cursed with werebear lycanthropy. 4hile in hybrid or animal form, you gain a climb speed of <8 feet and have advantage on 1trength saving throws and Constitution checks.
•
•
Were'oar !our animal form is a boar, and your hybrid form is mi* of a boar and your true form. $his lycanthrope type grants you the following benefits. •
•
•
In your animal and hybrid forms, you gain a tusk attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses 1trength for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals 7d: bludgeoning damage. If this attack hits a humanoid target, the target must make a Constitution saving throw /-C J your Constitution modifier your proficiency bonus0 or be cursed with wereboar lycanthropy. 4hile in hybrid or animal form, if you move at least 9 feet straight towards a target during your turn, the ne*t time you hit that target with your tusk attack before the end of your turn, that target takes an e*tra 9d: damage, and must
• •
24
In your animal and hybrid forms, you gain a beak attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses your choice of 1trength or -e*terity for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals 9d? piercing damage. #t th level, the damage of this attack increases to 7d?, and at 99th level it increases to
point to gain advantage on that roll. ?ou regain your expended competition points when you finish a long rest.
Wereti(er !our animal form is a tiger, and your hybrid form is mi* of a tiger and your true form.$his lycanthrope type grants you the following benefits. •
•
•
•
Greensi(ht ?ou have a preternatural bond with nature that grants you special insights, including the ability to foresee future events. This grants you the following benefitsN ?ou can take an action to detect the presence of aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, and undead creatures within G66 feet until the end of your next turn. ?ou can identify the type of creature, but cannot determine the creatures exact location, only the general direction if they are within G66 feet. ?ou learn one of the following druid cantrips of your choiceN druidcraft& guidance& gust& "agic stone& "ending& resistance& shillelagh, or thundercla! . ?ou learn certain spells and gain the ability to innately cast them. ?ou can cast each spell at its lowest level without using a spell slot. &nce you cast a spell in this way, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again. The first spell you learn and cast in this way is beast bond% )t 5th level, you also learn and cast the augury spell with this feat. )t Qth level, you also learn and cast the co""une with nature and scrying spells. ?our spellcasting ability for all spells and c antrips gained from this feat is Wisdom. ?ou cast these spells and cantrips innately without verbal or somatic components, though you must still expend any ma terial components. When you take damage from a n attack during a surprise round, you may take the 0ash, 0isengage, or #ide action as a reaction.
In your animal and hybrid forms, you gain a bite attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses 1trength for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals 9d98 piercing damage. #t 99th level, the damage of this attack increases to 7d98. If this attack hits a humanoid target, the target must make a Constitution saving throw /-C J your Constitution modifier your proficiency bonus0 or be cursed with weretiger lycanthropy. 4hile in hybrid or animal form, if you move at least 9 feet straight towards a target during your turn, the ne*t time you hit that target with an unarmed strike before the end of your turn, that target must make a 1trength saving throw /-C J your 1trength modifier your proficiency bonus0 or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, you can make a bite attack against it as a bonus action. 4hile in hybrid or animal form, you have advantage on 1trength saving throws and Constitution checks, and you add your 4isdom modifier /minimum 90 to -e*terity /1tealth0 checks. !ou have darkvision out to range of :8 feet and advantage on 4isdom /=erception0 checks that rely on hearing.
•
•
•
•
Werewolf !our animal form is a wolf, and your hybrid form is mi* of a wolf and your true form. $his lycanthrope type grants you the following benefits. •
•
•
•
In your animal and hybrid forms, you gain a bite attack, which is a melee natural weapon attack with which you are proficient that uses 1trength for its attack roll and damage bonus and deals 9dJ piercing damage. #t 99th level, the damage of this attack increases to 7dJ. If this attack hits a target that is your humanoid, the target must make a Constitution saving throw /-C J your Constitution modifier your proficiency bonus0 or be cursed with lycanthropy. !ou have advantage on 1trength saving throws, and 4isdom /=erception0 checks that rely on hearing. 4hile in hybrid or animal from, you have advantage on Constitution checks and add your 4isdom modifier /minimum 90 to -e*terity /1tealth0 checks
actotu& ?ou are a
•
!o&petitor ?ou are an expert in games, tourneys,
•
•
•
2%
97th 9 |
9 to one ability score, or gain a feat Done 9 to one ability score, unless you gained a feat at 97th level Done 9 to one ability score, or gain a feat Done 9 to one ability score, unless you gained a feat at 9:th level 7 to one ability score, or 9 each to two ability scores, or gain a feat Done
when you don one of these specialty disguises, you may do so as an action. These disguises are generally not based on an individual, but a re invented identities based on a general type 3a homeless vagabond, a veiled dancer, a privileged aristocrat, etc.4. If you wish to create a specialty disguise based on a specific person, you must observe that person for hours. When your proficiency bonus increases, you automatically gain a new specialty disguise. #owever, if you wish to replace one of your existing specialty disguises, doing so takes hours. ?ou can establish a reputation or uni%ue social status for the identity you take on in one of your specialty disguises by spending downtime to Sow umors 3as per the downtime activity described in the Dungeon $aster’s 'uide4.
Thousand aces ?ou are a master of disguise, able to %uickly transform your appearance and maintain a number of cover identities. This grants you the following benefitsN Increase your harisma score by C, to a maximum of J6. ?ou gain proficiency with disguise kits, and double your proficiency when adding it to ability checks made with a disguise kit. ?ou have a number of pre!made specialty disguises e%ual to C M your proficiency bonus. 0ue to hours of practice, • •
•
2*
Chapter 5: Lycanthropes of .aer6n 'ycanthropes stand in three worlds, yet they be long to none. In their humanoid forms, they ca n, though rarely do, live as other humans. In its natural humanoid form, a creature cursed by lycanthropy appears as its normal self, though many lycanthropes ac%uire features suggestive of their animal form over time. They might form communities or adopt human ones, gather in tribes, tend herds, and do all the things one might expect. In their beast forms, they a re little different from the animals they resemble, appearing only as a powerful version of a normal beast. &n close inspection, a lycanthropic beasts eyes show a faint spark of unnatural intelligence and might glow red in the dark. They exist in both forms, yet are not fully comfortable in either. The true form2the form nearly all lyc anthropes prefer2is the form betweenN the perfect melding of human and beast. 'ycanthropy is hereditary, and most werebeasts are born of at least one werebeast parent. (evertheless, far more tavern tales tell of unfortunates cursed to become such monsters merely from the bite of such a creature. $ost of *aer+ns lycanthrope bloodlines run in otherwise human folk, but werebeasts of other races exist, though they are less common. &rc wereboars a nd goblin werewolves sometimes become fearsome champions of their tribes. Elven werewolves known as lythari are a race of natural lycanthropes whose origins go back to the first elven explorations of *aer+n, and the good lythari have lived among the moon elves and wood elves for thousands of years.
Life as a Were"east 'ycanthropes unnatural hunger drives them to hunt under the full moons light, prowling for the blood their unnatural appetite demands. Evil lycanthropes hide among normal folk, emerging in animal form at night to spread terror and bloodshed, especially under a full moon. /ood lycanthropes are reclusive and uncomfortable around other civili"ed creatures, often living alone in wilderness areas far from villages and towns to avoiding harming others when they lose control. ) lycanthrope can either resist its curse or embrace it. -y resisting the curse, a lycanthrope retains its normal alignment and personality while in humanoid form. It lives its life as it always has, burying deep the bestial urges raging inside it. #owever, when the full moon rises, the curse becomes too strong to resist, transforming the individual into its beast form!or into a horrible hybrid form that combines animal and humanoid traits. When the moon wanes, the beast within can be c ontrolled once 2
again. Especially if the cursed creature is unaware of its condition, it might not remember the events of its transformation, though those memories often haunt a lycanthrope as bloody dreams. Some individuals see little point in fighting the curse a nd accept what they are. With time and experience, they learn to master their shapechanging ability and can assume beast form or hybrid form at will. $ost lycanthropes that embrace their bestial natures succumb to bloodlust, becoming evil, opportunistic creatures that prey on the weak. Each werebeast views its condition differently, but some generali"ations can be made. 8True9 or 8natural9 lycanthropes, those born with this condition, rarely have a problem with their lycanthropy. They generally view their 8curse9 as a gift. These folk reali"e that their lycanthropy makes them special, and many of them take up careers as adventurers. If lycanthropy is feared or reviled in th eir humanoid culture, they may feel some shame for being so different from those around them, but they rarely if ever wish to be 8cured9 of their condition. (atural lycanthropes of evil alignment revel in their feral nature, a nd view themselves as stronger and more fit than their normal fellows. Their strength gives them the right to murder, plunder, and terrori"e any who are too weak to defend themselves. )fflicted lycanthropes are often horrified to find that they have contracted the condition. Waking up covered with blood and a convenient case of amnesia is bad enough. To learn that this is a situation that is going to repeat itself three nights every month for the rest of your life can be nearly intolerable. $ost such people try to find a cure as %uickly as possible. &f course, not everyone has the knowledge or resources to use one of the old herbal cures 3which much be administered within an hour to be effective4 or to a high!level spellcaster who can remove the condition.
/assin( the !urse ne of the most ancient and feared of all curses, lycanthropy can transform the most civilized humanoid into a ravening beast. # humanoid creature can be afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope, or if one or both of its parents are lycanthropes. "vil lycanthropes have been known to carelessly spread their curse in o rder to create a pack of followers. f course, if the new lycanthropes are less than thrilled about their affliction, this strategy can easily backfire. 'ules for both methods of infection are described below. The rules for lcanthrop below augment and where necessar replace those of the (onster (anal regarding .laers haracters as Lcanthropes# A))licte$ *ycanthropy. # humanoid hit by an attack that carries the curse of lycanthropy must succeed on a Constitution saving throw /-C J the lycanthropes proficiency bonus the lycanthropes Constitution modifier0 or be cursed. Natral *ycanthropy. 4hether a creature born with lycanthropic ancestry is a lycanthrope, a shifter, or a normal member of their race, is determined by the -M. $he -M may use the Lcanthropic Ancestr Table on the following page to determine how a creatures heritage manifests itself, rolling or simply using the percentages on the table as a guide while deciding what makes the most sense for the campaign. $he curse usually manifests during adolescence, though the -M may choose otherwise. If the creature is a player character, the player decides their characters nature in consultation with the -M, as normal. $he player must still decide if the character embraces or resists the curse /though they likely must choose the later in favor of playability0, even if they begin play with it. Cring *ycanthropy. # remo%e curse spell can rid an afflicted lycanthrope of the curse, but a natural born lycanthrope can be freed of the curse only with a wish# #ny character who bears the curse of lycanthropy must choose to either embrace the curse or resist it. Em+racing the Crse. If a character embraces the curse, their alignment changes to that defined by their lycanthrope type, and they usually become an D=C under the -Ms control until the curse of lycanthropy is removed, and the character gains the appropriate traits listed in the .laer haracters as Lcanthropes sidebar on page 78 of the (onster (anal . Resisting the Crse. Characters who resist the curse may need to spend some time mastering their nature as a werebeast, depending on their level and how the -M chooses to handle it. In campaigns that use the optional feat rule, characters who have the ontrolled Lcanthrop feat /introduced in this document0 handle the curse as described in that feat. $he -M may choose to allow a character to begin play with this feat, or may allow a character who is cursed with lycanthropy during play to acGuire the feat normally, or even award it to them before their ne*t opportunity to gain a feat. If the campaign does not use the optional feat rule, the -M may choose to use it as a guideline to handle lycanthropy afflicting a player character, or may simply use the rules in the .laer haracters as Lcanthropes sidebar on page 78 of the (onster (anal . In any case, a character attempting to resist the curse who does not have the traits described in the
Lycanthrope 0d&enturers $any cursed lycanthropes were adventurers to begin with, since these are the sorts of people most likely to have the kinds of encounters that lead to such troubles. If the lycanthrope wasnt an adventurer before, she is likely to become one now. Entire chapters of an a dventurers saga can be written about her %uest to find some way to have the curse removed, even if the storys protagonist was once a simple commoner who
ontrolled Lcanthrop feat, but who still seeks to resist the curse, handle it as follows(
apparently unharmed and with some fragmented memories of hunting game in the nearby wilderness. If they fail, have them roll percentile dice, then consult the following table(
4hen it is not a night of the full moon, the character retains their statistics unchanged by the curse, and gains no traits, immunities, changes to speed or #C, actions, or shapechanging abilities from their lycanthrope type. n nights of the full moon, once the moon rises, the character gains all the speeds in nonhumanoid form, damage immunities, actions that dont involve eGuipment, and traits of their lycanthrope type. nce the character gains the lycanthrope traits from the rising of the full moon, they must roll a 4isdom saving throw at the beginning of each of their turns. $he -C is eGual to J the characters own proficiency bonus the characters own Constitution modifier, as their very body and instincts are rebelling against them. n a failed roll, they must use their action to polymorph themselves into either hybrid form or their animal form using the 1hapechanger trait of their lycanthrope type. 4hen the character uses their 1hapechanger trait, they become an D=C under the control of the -M until the ne*t sunrise, at which point they regain consciousness in their normal form and lose all traits, immunities, changes to speed or #C, actions, or shapechanging abilities from their lycanthrope type until the ne*t night of the full moon. $he characters actions during these episodes are dictated by the normal alignment of their lycanthrope type. 6ood% aligned creatures seek to avoid settlements or travelers and non%natural environments, seeking out wilderness environs. $hey may hunt the natural prey of their kind, but avoid attacking non%evil intelligent creatures. "vil creatures seek to murder as many intelligent creatures as possible, often killing their own family members and friends. $hey generally seek out places where such victims may b e found. Deutral creatures seek remote areas and avoid contact with civilization, but might attack travelers or other folk abroad in the wilderness out of natural ferocity and hunger, not malice. In any case, the character remembers nothing about the entire episode unless they succeed at a 4isdom check /-C 90 on awaking, in which case they remember scattered images and the basic order of events, and become aware of their lycanthropic condition /if they weren. It is up to the -M to determine how much of this process they wish to roleplay or if circumstances allow for the character to simply travel to a remote location to pass the nights of the full moon. -Ms who wish to handle it outside of play may use the new downtime activity, "nduring ycanthropy, as described below. •
)nduring !ycanthro*y Ta$le +ercentile Dice Roll 89%8
•
•
8:%7
7:%8
•
9%
•
:%988
Result $he curse has advanced. If you are good and the normal alignment for a lycanthrope of your type is evil, or if you are evil and a normal lycanthrope of your type is good, you become neutral. If you are neither good nor evil and your lycanthrope types normal alignment is good or evil, you become good or evil to match t hat alignment. If this effect changes you from neutral to good or evil, you are now treated as embracing the curse, as described in this section. !ou@ve made an enemy who knows you are a lycanthrope. $his person, business, or organization now seeks your death. $he -M determines the party that wishes to kill you. !ou decide how e*actly you earned their ire while running wild in your lycanthropic form. !ou are )ailed for 7d: days at the end of the downtime period on suspicion of violent crimes, un til you manage to talk your way out of it. !ou can pay a fine of 97 gp to avoid )ail time, or you can try to resist arrest. !ou end the downtime period by regaining consciousness in a strange place with no memory of how you got there, and you have been robbed of d?* gp. !ou end the downtime period by regaining consciousness in a remote place not far from where you began the first night of the fu ll moon, but with a bloody wound you have no memory of. 'oll a -C 9 Constitution save or subtract one >it -ie from your total at the beginning of your ne*t adventure.
Were"east Society (atural lycanthropes often come from a family of werecreatures who have passed the 8curse9 down through the generations. They are usually careful to conceal their true nature from people they dont know very well, since there are many non!lycanthropes who believe that the only good lycanthrope is a dead one. hildren of natural lycanthropes sometimes start to change form on the first full moon after their birth, but more often the change does not come until puberty. Whether or not the curse passes to them, those born with werebeast blood in their ancestry may a ppear to be normal members of their race, or they ma y be born as shifters. 3The Lycanthro!ic Ancestry Table included inn this section gives a rough sense of how likely a given child of such heritage is to be born with various traits.4 )fflicted lycanthropes rarely have any kind of society or family to support them. >nless they a re found by the lycanthrope who bestowed the curse on them in the first place, many afflicted lycanthropes never meet another of their own kind. 'ycanthropes age, become adults, and die
6ew $ownti&e 9cti-it"5
)gain, lythari are the exception. 'ythari are almost always friends with each other to begin wi th. They often run in a pack together, and are usually revered by other elves as creatures of powerful magic.
shamans beseeched their totem spirits for aid. The peoples plight moved the spirits. The totems stirred from the spirit world and touched all who served them, awakening in them a beast. )lthough they remained more or less human, they could shed their human forms to become bea sts to escape their foes or rend them with tooth and claw. With these powerful gifts, the clans threw back the invaders a nd secured their lands. What they came to reali"e was that the totem spirits gifts changed them forever, and they had become children of the spirit world2a people forever after bound to the beast. 0ifferences between the clans drove them apart, and they spread across the world, eac h contending with their new natures in their own ways. The wolf clan became ferocious and warlike, while the rat clan infested civili"ation. &f them all, only the werebears reconciled their divided natures and used their power to preserve the wilderness and safeguard from the enemies without, yet they were too few and too scattered to unify the clans once more. )nd thus the skinchangers were born. They have defended natures boundaries, but troubled the wider world, ever since.
Le)ends of the Lycanthropes $any tales attempt to explain the origins of werebeasts. 'ycanthropy appears to have been a plague on *aer+n since its earliest days. Some say that $alar, the -eastlord, created the first lycanthropes from ba rbaric human tribes thousands of years ago in order to infuse the race with the feral cunning and strength of the predatory animals they admired. &thers believe that lycanthropy was a gift of the goddess Sel+ne to human children orphaned in the dangerous wilds, a blessing to help them survive. *rom these ancient humans, old lycanthropic bloodlines have descended through the ages, few i n number but scattered through all the wilderness of *aer+n.
Creation $ytholo)y )ccording to shamans and lorekeepers among the true lycanthropes themselves, the first of their kind were savage barbarians who honored the primal spirits of nature in different aspects2wolf, raven, bear, rat, and others. Their devotion gave their mystics strange powersN the a bility to change shape and adopt the totems they venerated. The more they surrendered themselves to their totems, the greater the spirits hold over them became, until the invaders showed up. Stories disagree about who these invaders were. They might have been settlers from an ancient empire, rampaging orcs, an undead army, or something else. What is known is that the initial forays by these invaders were disastrous to the savage people. )s the dead mounted, the
The Curse of the $oon )nother ancient legend claims to explain the relationship between lycanthropes and the moon. It tells a tale of the goddess of the moon. It is most often told among elves, who name this goddess as Sehanine $oonbow. In other versions, she is named as Sel+ne. In all versions of the tale, this moon goddess tried to aid the conflicted werecreatures and protect the world by charging them with a sacred dutyN to protect the world from a ll threats and preserve it for future generations. *or a time, they performed this duty loyally, and en
*ycanthropic Ancestry %a+le /'oll percentile and modify as described below to determine a creature@s chance of being born a lycanthrope or shifter0 Both parents are afflicted lcanthropes /0 /ne parent is a natural lcanthrope /ne parent is an afflicted lcanthrope /0 /ne grandparent is a natural lcanthrope /ne or more grandparents is an afflicted lcanthrope /ne great1grandparent or more distant ancestor is a lcanthrope of an ! ind2
Percentile roll to +e +orn a lycanthrope a)ter mo$i)iers-
Percentile roll to +e +orn a shi)ter a)ter mo$i)iers-
Percentile roll to +e +orn a normal mem+er o) the parents' race a)ter mo$i)iers-
9%K
K:%KK
988
9%?
?:%
:%988
9%98
99%?
?: or higher
98 or less2
99%?2
?: or higher2
/Special mo$i)ier )or the last row o) the ta+le only. #fter the percentile number is rolled, add to t he number rolled for every generation the creature being rolled for is a way from their last lycanthrope ancestor before consulting the table.
(o$i)iers Shi)ter Parents. If at least one parent is a shifter, after the percentile number is rolled, subtract 98 from the number rolled for each parent who is a shifter. If a lycanthrope results from such a union, they are born a shifter but also have the curse of lycanthropy, though the curse is not revealed until adolescence. Special Natral Rolls. If an 89, KK, or 988 is rolled before modifiers, ignore the modifiers and table, and determine results as follows( 0) a natral 12 is rolle$ on the $ice: $he creature is a lycanthrope, though they appear to be a normal member of their race until the curse reveals itself during adolescence. 0) a natral 33 is rolle$ on the $ice: $he creature is a shifter, though they appear to be a normal member of their race until they develop shifter traits during adolescence. 0 ) a natral 211 or 11 - is rolle$ on the $ice: $he creature is a normal member of their race, but bears a uniGue crescent%shaped birthmark and a natural gift for sorcery. •
" "
" " "
•
" "
" " "
•
" "
" "
" "
" " "
87
drew her eye from the world. She and the other gods needed to safeguard their dominion and their children from a chaotic host of enemies, seeking to undo the very creation of the world. The werebeasts ma de good on their ancient vows and fought against the invader a s they had been taught. ?et the longer the war raged, the moon goddess drifted, and many werecreatures began to believe she had abandoned them altogether. )s the lycanthropes losses in this ongoing war increased, they became fractious, savage, and desperate. In this dark time, a werewolf champion emerged to lead his people in a desperate gambit. Some tales name him as *enris, while others claim he was secretly a n incarnation of the primordial entity 7e"ef the haos # ound. In any case, this champion convinced his clan they could end their goddesss absence via a deceptive g ambit, secretly stealing her greatest pri"e, and then heroically returning it to her as a great gift to bring her back among them once more. )nd so the werewolf champion and his fellows c limbed the highest mountain, and from the peak they leaped from cloud to cloud until they could reach the largest
Were"ad)ers Werebadgers are rage!filled loners who live in deep caves on the fringes of societies. They a re almost always dwarves. Even more so than other lycanthropes, they struggle with their overwhelming rage. >sually encountered in the >nderdark, or sometimes on the outskirts of a bove!ground dwarf communities, they can transform into giant badgers or dwarf!badger hybrids. In humanoid form, they appear to be normal members of their race, ma rked only by a silver stripe in their hair or beards 3which, it should be noted, is not an uncommon feature among non!lycanthropic dwarves4. In hybrid form, werebadgers stand upright but have the features of a badgerN thick fur, enormous claws, and a badgers head. In beast form, the werebadger simply appears to be a giant badger. Transforming into this shape rips apart any clothing the creature wears. The werebadgers claws are so large that they making a clacking noise against each other when not flexed or c lenched. Werebadgers either lair in solitary places underground, or dwell on the fringes of dwa rven communities, above or below ground. They almost never form communities of their own, and are only on rare oc casions found with a mate or young. Thus, shifters and lycanthropic kinfolk of werebadger lineage are relatively rare. 81
6ew #onster5 Were'ad(er
Roleplayin) a Were"ad)er
)edium humanoid 'dwarf, shapechanger(, chaotic e%il
Werebadgers lead an accursed existence. They are never far from the berserker!like fren"y which drives them in battle, during which they froth at the mouth a nd never break off attacking until they@re dead or their opponents are. >nlike many other lycanthropes, the werebadger has claws tha t are more fearsome than their bite, but only the bite can transmit the curse of lycanthropy2an effect which is far more potent when they rage. *or this reason, werebadgers work strenuously to avoid entering their fren"y state, as they have no desire to infect others with their curse. This is also the reason why they fi ght with weapons more often than other lycanthropes, but seek out magical ones, as regular weapons are usually less powerful than their claw s. Even in their humanoid form, their mad fury broods
Armor Class 98 it Points 9< /9:dJ :?0 Spee$ 7 ft., burrow 98 ft. S%R
&E5
C6N
0N%
!0S
CA
9:/<0 99 /80 9K /?0 98 /80 97 /90 J / 90 −
S"ills =erception , 1tealth 7 &amage Resistances poison &amage immnities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons Senses darkvision :8 ft., passive =erception 9 *angages Common, -warvish /cant speak in giant badger form0 Challenge /9,J88 N=0
Shapechanger. $he werebadger can use its action to polymorph into a giant badger, a giant badger%dwarf hybrid, or back into its true form, which is a dwarf. Its statistics, other than its size and #C, are the same in each form. #ny eGuipment it is wearing or carrying isn@t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. &warven Resilience. $he werebadger has advantage on saving throws against poison. 7een Smell. $he werebadger has advantage on 4isdom /=erception0 checks that rely on smell. !ere+a$ger 8erser". #t the beginning of its turn, if the werebadger has taken damage since the start of its last turn, it makes a -C 9? 4isdom saving throw. If it has half its hit points or fewer, it makes this save with disadvantage. If it fails, the werebadger goes berserk. n each of its turns while berserk, the werebadger attacks the nearest creature it can see. 4hile berserk, the werebadger can use a bonus action to move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.. If no creature is near enough to move to and attack, the werebadger attacks an ob)ect, with preference for an ob)ect smaller than itself. $he werebadger remains berserk until it is incapacitated or regains all its hit points.
#ctions (ltiattac". $he werebadger makes two attacks with its claws or warhammer. If it is berserk, it also makes a bite attack. 8ite 9iant 8a$ger or y+ri$ Form 6nly-. )elee $eapon Attac!3 : to hit, reach ft., one target. Hit3 : /9d: <0 piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw /-C 9?, or 9K if the werebadger is berserk0 or be cursed with werebadger lycanthropy. Members of non%dwarf races that ar e not native to deep underground tunnels or the Underdark /such as humans, halflings, or most elf subraces0 have advantage on the saving throw against the curse. -warves of any kind have disadvantage on their saving throw. Claw 9iant 8a$ger or y+ri$ Form 6nly-. )elee $eapon Attac!3 : to hit, reach ft., one target. Hit3 98 /7d: <0 slashing damage. !arhammer &war) or y+ri$ Form 6nly-. )elee $eapon Attac!3 to hit, reach ft, one target. Hit3 /9dJ <0 bludgeoning damage, or J /9d98 <0 bludgeoning damage if used with two hands.
Were"ad)er Characters >nlike werewolves and many other lycanthropes, werebadgers rage is not driven by a craving for humanoid flesh or any other desire. In fact, it isnt driven by a nything at all. It is simply the essence of rage itself, an all!consuming enhancement the common animal instinct for fight or flight, with the option for flight removed. This makes it impossible for them to live as a part of peaceful society, so adventuring alongside others accustomed to violence and mayhem is one of the few ways they can have companions of any kind. The barbarian class is an obvious calling for those so animated by rage, especially the berserker primal path, but werebadger berserkers need to be wary of letting their rage overpower their reason permanently as they try to channel it strategically. They also do well as fighters or rangers who consider the >nderdark their home terrain. 0warf clerics of $oridin or other dwarf gods who a re afflicted with this 82
form of lycanthropy are particularly pitiable, as they can never again live as a part of the community they felt the calling to serve. Some werebadgers find their transformation gives them a connection to chaos magic, conferring aptitude to become sorcerers with the wild magic sorcerous origin. &thers find themselves living even closer to the edge of madness because the curse opens their mystical senses, ca using them to hear the constant cha tter of primal spiritsL for these werebadgers, the druid class is a means of managing these voices and preserving some measure of sanity.
and all their descendants to protect the world against their fellows wickedness, to secure the wilderness against the despoiler and destroyer, and, above all, to keep alive the old ways of the worlds magic. )lthough many werebears descend from the bear clan, others come by their lycanthropic natures in different ways. angers, paladins of the &ath of the )ncients, and others might receive the gift of lycanthropy after performing a great service for the druids or for a nature spirit. $oon deities such as Selune sometimes reward favored priests with the ability to transform into bears after a demonstration of uncommon devotion. egardless of the transformations cause, werebears do not remain in civili"ed areas. They live alone in unspoiled forests and mountains. They construct crude shelters or settle in caves. )nd the lands and all the creatures living there for miles around fall under their protection. Werebears tend their lands and watch over their charges to ensure the natural processes are left undisturbed. Should anything or anyone threaten the lands they guard, the werebears respond with deadly force and lead the people and the beasts to destroy th eir intruder, fighting until no threat remains. Even though many werebears remain in their chosen lands, some do not settle in one place for long. They come to see the entire world as their responsibility. These werebears are the ones most likely to become adventurers, and they crusade against evil in all its forms. They take up with like!minded adventurers, preferring the company of individuals also connected to the spirit world.
Were"ears Werebears are powerful lycanthropes with the ability to temper their monstrous natures and re
Were"ear Characters Werebears dwell in the wilderness where they can fulfill the sacred duty that their goddess or the primal spirits gave them. They are protectors and cha mpions who roam the world, working to preserve nature as it wa s intended and to safeguard it from those villains who would exploit or despoil it. To better meet their obligations, werebears choose classes that help them not only navigate the wilderness but also draw from its magic. *or these reasons, many werebears become paladins of the &ath of the )ncients, finding in that path the powers and capabilities needed to make good on th eir ancient promise. 'ess!rooted werebears might instead become rangers of the #unter or $oonstalker archetype, since tha t class favors those who take the fight to evil rather than guard against it. )lthough werebears consider the worlds safety a chief concern, it is not the only o ne. $any reali"e much damage has already been done to the world, either from dark magic, alien invasion, or even civili"ations steady expansion. ather than
Roleplayin) a Were"ear The wilderness holds dangers aplenty for the unwary a nd unprepared. Savage humanoids gather in fell places to launch raids against caravans and homestead alike. Twisted monsters lurk in the shadows and deep c aves. &ld ruins harbor the spirits of old kings a nd warriors turned to evil. )s dangerous as these realms can be, certain folk take it upon themselves to protect the world a nd innocents from these threats. *rom the fearless ranger who prowls the old paths to the druid who secures founts of primal magic from exploitation and ruin, such guardians fight on the front lines against the spreading darkness. ?et they do not fight alone. The legendary werebears emerge from their isolation to fight at their sides and uphold the ancient charge placed upon them by natures divine protector. 'egends among werebear claim that as the moon goddesss curse spread through the werebeast clans, she took care to reach out from her heavenly realm and shelter the bear clan. They had ever been among her most devout servants and took no part in the misguided effort to steal the moon from the sky. I n exchange, she commanded them 88
and in their myths $alar, /ruumsh, animal totem spirits, Silvanus, Ilneval, 'uthic, Sel+ne, and -aghtru are often depicted as all being part of one large family group. When a sounder becomes overpopulated, a different instinct kicks in. ?ounger wereboars become even more ill! tempered and combative, impossible to live with, and they soon either depart their home on their own or are driven out. Sometimes they leave in packs, but mostly each sets out on their own, searching out new territories where they can start their own tribes or clans. In the early days, a thriving new community of wereboars will attract other castoffs or loners of their kind in short order. When a lone wereboar settles some place new, their first priority is making it secure and defensible, but their second is gathering others to dwell there. Sometimes this means building a group of outlaws or raiders, but more often they simply seek to start their own fa milies. $any legends tell of wereboars carrying off young men and women from nearby settlements to help populate their homes. In other cases, wereboars are superstitious about who they a dd to their clans, taking in wanderers and outcasts and relying on fate to bring along new members of their communities with certain intangible %ualities they believe they need.
Were"oars Wereboars are ill!tempered and vulgar brutes. )s humanoids, they are stocky and muscular, with short, stiff hair. 0espite bristling with hair, males cannot usually grow full beards. In their humanoid and hybrid forms, they use heavy weapons, while in hybrid or a nimal form, they gain a devastating goring attack through which their curse is spread. ) wereboar infects other creatures indiscriminately, relishing the fact that the more its victims resist the curse, the more savage and bestial they become. Wereboars live in small family groups with shifters and kinfolk in remote forest areas, building ramshackle huts or dwelling in caves. They are suspicious of strangers, but sometimes ally themselves with orcs.
Roleplayin) a Were"oar Stories told among lycanthropes say that at the beginning of time, one of the gods2Silvanus i n most tales2charged the wereboars with rooting out corruption, disease, poison, parasites, and filth that would infect the gods creations. They would purify tainted places a nd lead other lycanthropes on crusades against remote places of hidden foulness. &ver time, their desire for purity and a ttraction to that which festers in the shadows alienated them from other werebeasts, as well as most other races. Today, everyone else avoids them, they avoid everyone else, and no one in the ealms seems to mind that arrangement. Irascibly hot!tempered and stubborn, wereboars tend to be violently opposed to spending time around anyone except their own kin, including shifters and other wereboars. ) groups of such kin is called a sounder% These lycanthropes dislike change, and they will live in the most remote places they can find
Were"oar Characters Since wereboars living on their own instinctively seek new communities to belong to, and civili"ed settlements seldom suit them, mercenary companies a nd adventuring groups are natural homes for them. Their natural instincts and gifts make them formidable warriors, and they find easy camaraderie among those with greedy or violent instincts. The vocations of barbarian and fighter are obviously suited to a wereboar, with their great strength, gift for violence, and ability to take a beating without much complaint. Those who become rogues tend to be thugs or legbreakers rather than skilled thieves. Wereboars instincts for hunting and wilderness survival also make them natural rangers. 'ike most other lycanthropes, they revere primal spirits, and the most spiritual among them become druids.
Wererats Wererats are cunning lycanthropes with sly, avaricious personalities. They are wiry and twitchy in humanoid f orm, with thin hair and darting eyes. In their huma noid and hybrid forms, wererats prefer light weapons and use ambush tactics rather than fighting as a pack. )lthough a wererat can deliver a nasty bite in its rat form, it favors that form for stealthy infiltration and escape rather than combat. ) wererat clan operates much like a thieves@ guild, with wererats transmitting their curse only to creatures they want to induct into the cla n. Wererats that are accidentally cursed or break loose from the clan@s control are %uickly hunted down and killed. lans of wererats and their kin a re found throughout urban civili"ation, often dwelling in cellars and catacombs. These creatures are common in the sewers beneath ma
grounds. ats and giant rats are c ommonly found living among wererats, alongside shifters and their other kin.
better defend themselves against attack. )lso, since most wererats survive by stealing, they sometimes come upon magical lore, and the most cunning among them can learn to decipher the strange writing to become powerful arcane tricksters, warlocks, or wi"ards.
Roleplayin) a Wererat They carry plague. They live in s%ualor and filth. They eat whatever they can, fouling foodstuffs and other supplies with their leavings. )nd they breed at a n alarming rate. *or these reasons, most folk consider rats vermin and its no surprise that rat catchers patrol almost every city, venturing into the sewers and exploring the docks with dog and club to control the rat population. Whispers circulate among those who do this thankless
Werera&ens Wereravens are secretive and extraordinarily cautious lycanthropes that trust one another but are wa ry of
Roleplayin) a Werera&en *eatured in only a few tales, wereravens were seldom heard of in the ealms until recently. umors say a kindness of ravens emerged from the strange mists that for a time settled around the Ruivering *orest near the $oonsea city of ;hlan. &ne #arper bard c laimed to have had contact with them. #e said they were here pursuing an ancient evil that had been freed from a place called the )mber Temple in their distant homeland. In *aer+n, wereravens in humanoid form often dress in garb reminiscent of the /urs, the nomadic people of the highway who travel throughout the Western #eartlands. They also often share that peoples very personal worship of Sel+ne. Their humanoid forms always have sleek black hair, occasionally with a bit of silver. Wereravens like to collect shiny trinkets and precious baubles. They are fond of sharing their wealth with those in need and, in their humanoid forms, modestly give money to charity. They take steps to keep magic items out of evil hands by stashing them in secret hiding places. ) kindness of wereravens tends to center around a tree. Wilder groups make their homes at the heart of a dense
Wererat Characters Wererats re%uire large host populations to sustain their warrens. *or this reason, wererats populate cities, living within or below them where they can steal what they need to survive and carry out various mischievous plans. $ost wererat adventurers take much from the experience inherent in living secretly amid others and apply w hat theyve learned toward their adventuring careers. )s one might expect, wererat rogues are c ommon, and they tend to favor the thief archetype, though a fair number go further and become assassins. Some wererats could instead focus on survival skills and become ra ngers to 8%
forest, where they will live in the hollowed!out body of a great tree. Entrance to such a lair is intentionally possible only from above. uriously, the wereravens are able to keep the tree in which they nest from dying even after they have hollowed it out, so it is difficult to distinguish from the normal trees around it. $ore civili"ed wereravens tend to live in isolated villages, and they never make their homes far from a forested area. They surreptitiously fight off threats to the settlement in which they dwell, such as raiding orcs or kobolds, but take care to do so secretly. They also find ways to warn their neighbors of danger, but always subtly, to avoid attracting attention. *amily businesses that re%uire lots of space and can thrive in relative isolation, such as farms, breweries, or vineyards, are often used as covers for a kindness. They retain their secrets by excelling as spies, saboteurs, and sc outs. They also have a long tradition of using rumors and gossip as weapons, causing problems for those too curious about their true natures a nd deflecting attention elsewhere as necessary.
Werera&en Characters Wereravens who become adventurers tend to be those who tire of doing good in small ways from the shadows, and want to make a larger difference. The leaders of a kindness do everything they can to discourage these would!be heroes from such a path, but if they cannot sway them, they will send them forth into the world before th ey endanger the whole group. &f all lycanthropes, wereravens may be the most likely to become spellcasters. Their natural cunning and strong wills serve them well as ba rds, druids, sorcerers, warlocks, or wi"ards. Sel+ne is the most popular deity for wereraven clerics, but those who do not worship her often have obscure and ancient religious beliefs passed down through their families, beliefs they strive to preserve. $any also become rogues, often mixing their skill at moving unnoticed with their magical talents to become arcane tricksters.
revel. They live and hunt alone or in small family groups with shifters, but generally dwell separately from their less bestial kin, except in situations where they act directly as rulers over them.
Roleplayin) a Wereti)er In the ealms, weretigers are most c ommon in the eastern lands of 7ara!Tur, in the nlike other lycanthropes, weretigers are not likely to be evil, nor are they likely to be good. $ostly, they a re focused on themselves and their own success. T ending towards egocentrism, they often have a natural magnetism and talent for manipulating others. Individuals have differing views on the civili"ed races, with some seeing them as largely irrelevant, while others view them as opportunities for self!aggrandi"ement, with a range of other persepectives in between. They look on shifters favorably, en
Wereti)ers Weretigers are ferocious hunters and warriors with a haughty and fastidious nature. 'ithe and sleekly muscular in humanoid form, they are taller than a verage and meticulously groomed. Weretigers grow to enormous si"e in animal and hybrid form, but they fight in their more refined humanoid form when they can. They don@t like to pass on their curse, because every new weretiger means competition for territory and prey. Weretigers live in
Weretigers often see themselves as aristocratic warriors with an obligation to dominate, rule, or even protect, those around them. Those most devoted to this notion believe they are defenders of the border b etween nature and civili"ation, with a responsibility to guide and protect those they consider lesser beings 3which is
Were(ol&es ) werewolf is a savage predator. In its humanoid form, a werewolf has heightened senses, a fiery temper, and a ten%ency to eat rare meat. Its wolf form is a fearsome predator, but its hybrid form is more terrifying by far!a furred and well!muscled humanoid body topped by a ravening wolf@s head. ) werewolf can wield weapons in hybrid form, though it prefers to tear foes apart with its powerful claws and bite. $ost werewolves flee civili"ed lands not long after becoming afflicted. Those that re
Roleplayin) a Were(olf When people think of lycanthropy, they think of werewolves. (o other lycanthrope evokes the same fear, even if other lycanthropes might be stronger and more dangerous. 'ife on the frontiers puts settlers in contact with wolves and, having watched livestock vanish and havi ng fended off attacks against ravenous wolves, the fears seem nlike most wolves, werewolves hunt humans. They and the wolves they enslave are aggressive, vicious, and unrelenting in their attacks. Werewolf packs a re dangerous, since they can scout out the landscape by day in human form and launch attacks by night. They might be fearless in battle, but they avoid the cities where they face discovery and death. Instead, they keep to the wilderness, where their attacks might go unnoticed. )s with all lycanthropes, being a werewolf is no guarantee of evil. The hunger remains, but a strong will can control it. It is always a struggle, though. &f all werebeasts, werewolves show the most signs of their c urse in their humanoid forms, both mentally and phyisically. They must always fight to keep the beast in check, and sometimes even the best efforts are not enough. Werewolves seeking redemption for or escape from their natures favor the adventurers life since it carries them away from innocents and lets them vent their fury o n more deserving foes.
Wereti)er Characters Whether born to lycanthropy or cursed to adva nce the goals of the one who made them, eventually every weretiger seeks a territory of his own. (ot all feel a need to rule directly over other creatures, but each craves some form of dominance or greatness, and a place of their own in the world. Some fill this need by becoming feared crime lords, hired killers, or even gladia tors without peer, taking
Were(olf Characters &f all lycanthropes, werewolves have the most intense cravings for human blood, and this hunger urges them toward rash and violent action. *or this reason werewolves pursue classes that put them on the battles front lines where they can rip and tear through their opponents. $ost werewolves become barbarians or fighters. Werewolves attuned to nature also find success a s rangers. )ccording to some of their legends, werewolves and their descendants born under darker phases of the moon bear natural magical gifts, and have the potential to become great sorcerers. >nlike other lycanthropes, however, werewolves seem to have little interest in primal spirits and thus do not often become druids. 8
6ew #onster5 Wereserpent Hery little is known of the sinister wereserpents, reptilian lycanthropes that can take on a humanlike form or transform into an oversized snake. $heir hybrid form is a bipedal, scaled humanoid with slender, fle*ible limbs and a long tail. # wereserpent forced into battle prefers its hybrid form, which allows it to use the broadest range of its powers. It bites a dangerous opponent to in)ect its poison, then grabs that foe with its tail as soon as possible. It continues to constrict that creature while fighting others if it must. ike wererats, who secretly live in great numbers in many large cities, wereserpents are often integrated into an unknowing society. $heyre common in or near yuan%ti enclaves, especially in the tropics. Most wereserpents are strangely attractive, easily drawing others to them. #s such, theyre often part of merchant or criminal interests, or both. &or e*ample, in $ethyr, the ;anor family, a noble house, contains a number of wereserpents. $hough rumors persist, they keep this knowledge secret and maintain their wealth by investing in businesses, legal and illicit, up and down the 1word Coast. 1erpentine humanoids in general are Guick to ally with one another. 4ereserpents are found in the company of nagas and yuan%ti, and can easily manipulate nonreptilian beings into serving them as well. 4ereserpents might be found among all sorts of creatures. $hey attract and are attracted to snakes, and often keep serpentine beasts as pets. !uan%ti and other powerful reptilian creatures, such as the ancient sarrukh race of koth, often have wereserpents in their service. !uan%ti and sarrukh still have the knowledge of changing humans and similar humanoids into wereserpents without the bite of a lycanthrope.
'e( $onster: Wereserpent )edium humanoid 'human, shapechanger(, lawful e%il
Armor Class 9< in humanoid form, 9? /natural armor0 in constrictor snake or hybrid form
it Points 98 /78dJ :80 Spee$ <8 ft., swim <8 ft. S%R
&E5
C6N
0N%
!0S
CA
9K/?0 9 /<0 9: /<0 9< /90 98 /80 9? /70
S"ills -eception , =erception <, 1tealth : &amage 0mmnities poisonO bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons Con$ition 0mmnities poisoned Senses blindsight 98 ft., passive =erception 9? *angages Common, -raconic Challenge : /7,<88 N=0
Shapechanger. $he wereserpent can use its action to polymorph into a constrictor snake, a snake%humanoid hybrid, or back into its true form, which is a humanoid. Its statistics, other than its size and #C, are the same in each form. #ny eGuipment it is wearing or carrying isn@t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
#ctions (ltiattac". $he wereserpent makes three attacks, but can only use its bite and constrict attacks once each.
8ite 9iant Serpent or y+ri$ Form 6nly-. )elee $eapon Attac!3 to hit, reach ft., one target. Hit3 K /7d? ?0 piercing damage and the target must make a -C 9? Constitution saving throw, taking 99 /7d980 poison damage on a failure or half as much on a success. If the target is a humanoid, it takes no poison damage on a failed save, but is cursed with wereserpent lycanthropy instead. Claw 9iant Serpent or y+ri$ Form 6nly-. )elee $eapon Attac!3 to hit, reach ft., one target. Hit3 99 /7d: ?0 slashing damage. Constrict 9iant Serpent or y+ri$ Form 6nly-. )elee $eapon Attac!3 to hit, reach ft., one Medium or smaller creature. >it( 99 /7d: ?0 bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled /escape -C 9?0. Until this grapple eneds, the target is restrained, and the wereserpent cannot constrict another target. Scimitar manoi$ or y+ri$ Form 6nly-. )elee $eapon Attac!3 to hit, reach ft., one target. >it( /9d: ?0 slashing damage.
8
.lamecunnin) Stri#e
Chapter 7: 'e( Class 0rchetypes
)t Grd level, as a bonus action, you can choose one creature you can see within G6 feet of you. >ntil the end of this turn, your attacks a gainst that creature ignore its damage resistances, and if you are raging, the next time you hit it on this turn, it takes an additional JdK fire damage.
ew "arbarian +rimal +ath
Li&in) Cruci"le
*ath of the .lame(arden
)t Kth level, the primal fire in your soul protects your body and burns away the ta int of evil. ?ou gain resistance to fire damage and have advantage on saving throws against diseases 3including magical ones such as lycanthropy4. When raging, you automatically succeed on saving throws against contracting lycanthropy.
ereboars in the "looded "orest' /ood, I love killing those. >> Trell Bannon of the ens $any barbarians consider the introduction of lyca nthropy into their tribe to be a blessing that will grant them strength and victory in battle. ?ou are not one of them. ?ou know the curse of lycanthropy for the corruption it is, and you have channeled your barbaric fury into scourging the taint of werebeasts and other evils from lands under your protection. alling upon ancient ties to elemental spirits, you infuse your body with a fierty primal radiance. 7nown as fla"ecunning& this power that enhances your bouts of rage and wreathes your attacks in purifying flame. )s you grow in power, the flamecunning fills and consumes you, keeping your flesh free of lycanthropy and other diseases, while inspiring your allies to greater prodigies of va lor. Eventually, this flame burns so bright that your mere presence becomes a source of burning agony for those who oppose you.
Hunter’s Cry )t C6th level, the purifying flames within you can inflame the hearts of your allies. )s an action, you unleash a howling battle cry. >ntil the end of your next turn, every ally within K6 feet of you gains advantage on attack rolls and saving throws, and all lyca nthropes within K6 feet of you cannot take reactions. &nce you use this feature, you cant use it again until you finish a long rest.
0ura of .ire -eginning at CHth level, the potent force of your rage inspires your allies and instills fear in your foes. When raging, you emanate an aura within a C6!foot radius. The area within your aura is difficult terrain for your enemies and any enemy that ends its turn within your aura takes radiant damage e%ual to your proficiency bonus.
8;
ew "ard -ollege
Read Si)ns )t Kth level, you can attempt to predict another creature@s future using cards, dice, or other ga ming implements. )s an action, make a 0 C5 ability check to use a gaming set with which you are proficient. If you fail, you can try again the following round. If you succ eed, spend a luck point and roll a dJ6, then record the number rolled. >ntil the next time you finish a long rest, whenever the chosen creature makes an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, if you can see or hear them, you can replace the number they roll with the foretelling roll number you recorded. &nce you replace their roll with your foretelling roll, that foretelling roll is used up. When you spend a luck point in this way, your maximum number of luck points is decreased by C until the foretelling roll is used. ?ou may also chose to expend the foretelling roll to no effect at any time, restoring your maximum number of luck points to its normal amount. )ny unused foretelling rolls are lost whe n you finish a long rest. When you use this ability on a creature, you also learn something about them. The 0$ tells you if the creature is your e%ual, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choiceN )n ability score of your choice )rmor lass urrent hit points Total class levels 3if any4 'evels in a particular class 3if any4 )t the 0$s option, you might also reali"e you know a piece of the creatures history or one of its personality traits, if it has any.
Colle)e of the .ates The future casts its shadow on the present,
Bonus *roficiencies When you
am"ler8s .ocus )t Grd level, you can use a gaming set as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells. ? our proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make to use a gaming set with which you are proficient. In addition, you learn the guidance cantrip and the bless spell. These spells are considered bard spells for you, but do not count against the numbers of spells you know per the -ard table.
• • •
%nfluence .ate
•
)lso at Grd level, whenever you make an ability check with a gaming set, as a bonus action, you can expend one of your uses of -ardic Inspiration to gain a luck point. >ntil Qth level, you can never have more than G luck points at once. &nce you reach Qth level in your bard class, the maximum number of luck points you can have at once is e%ual to your proficiency bonus. ?ou can spend luck points in the following waysN Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional dJ6. ?ou can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. ?ou choose which of the dJ6s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. ?ou can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. oll a dJ6, and then choose whether the attack uses the attackers roll or yours. When a friendly creature who can see see or hear you misses with a weapon attack, you can spend one luck point as a reaction. That creature can immediately use its reaction to make another weapon a ttack against the same target.
• •
Tilt the dds )t CHth level, you can sometimes go beyond creating good or bad luck, lining up probabilities and coincidences to such an absurd degree that it seems like divine intervention. When an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw is about to be made with either advantage or disadvantage 3but not both4 by a creature you can see or hear, you can spend a luck point to cause three dJ6s to be rolled for that roll, instead of two. ?ou choose which which of the three dJ6s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw. ?ou can use this ability once. ?ou regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. When you reach Cth level, you can use this ability twice instead of
•
•
•
If the drink in your glass starts to sit at an angle that ain0t quite level, or if the... smoke starts to crod in over the cards and fall there, or if plants in the room suddenly start to ilt, or if the air is suddenly dry and hot in your throat, smelling like sun(hot rock, fold out. $ou don0t kno hat you might be buying or selling come the shodon. >>Ti& /owers 1ast Call
If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome of the same roll, the points cancel each other outL no additional dice are rolled. Whenever you spend two or more luck points on the same roll, you risk a backlash from pushing the laws of probability too far. )fter spending two or more luck points on the same roll, the next time you cast a bard spell of Cst!level or higher before you finish a short or long rest, you must roll on the Wild $agic Surge table described under the Wild $agic Sorcerous &rigin to create a random magical effect. 47
%uarryN beasts, and your choice of one of the followingN aberrations, beasts, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oo"es, plants, or undead. )lternatively, you can select two races of humanoids 3such as humans and goblins4 to be your preferred %uarry 3in addition to beasts4. )s a bonus action, you can use your hannel 0ivinity to force all creatures within G6 feet that are your preferred %uarry or the current sub
ew Divine Domain
Huntin) !omain 2un all you like. "or you cannot hide. >> Gar&os Saernclaws /rophet of #alar The #unting domain focuses on the sacred link between hunter and prey, a relationship that ties mortals to nature. The gods of hunting represent far more than the mere pursuit of animals or the skills and e%uipment involved. They signify both the hunt for
Spiritual 0im -eginning at Kth level, you prac tice an intuitive martial techni%ue when aiming ranged weapons 3referred to in some traditions as Ben )rchery4. ?ou can substitute your Wisdom modifier for your 0exterity or Strength modifier when making an attack roll with a ranged or thrown weapon.
$ar#ed 9uarry )t Kth level, creatures that are your preferred %uarry or the current sub
Hunting Domain ,*ells leric !e"el 9st
,*ells detect poison and disease, hunter’s mar! locate animals or plants, mist step haste, plant growth freedom of mo%ement, locate creature hold monster, tree stride
$aster 0rcher Starting at th level, you have a MC bonus to attack rolls on ranged attacks, and you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the )ttac k action on your turn.
Sacred Hunt
Bonus *roficiency
)t th level, whenever you use your hannel 0ivinity, you gain an additional benefitN *or C hour after using it, you can track other creatures while traveling at a fast pace, and you can move stealthily while traveling at a normal pace. When you reach CCth level, you also gain this benefit whenever it is nighttime and the moon is visible in the sky 3even if you are not outdoors yourself to see it4.
When you choose the #unting 0omain at level C, you gain proficiency with all martial ranged weapons, and you become proficient in the Stealth and Survival skills.
0imed Shot *rom Cst level onward, you are a master of ranged weapons, able to maintain near perfect aim in a variety of conditions. ?ou do not suffer disadvantage on your attack roll when you make a ranged weapon attack against a target within 5 feet of you, and when you make a ranged weapon attack against a target within G6 feet of you, that target does not benefit from half cover or three!%uarters cover.
Hunter’s .ocus -eginning at CDth level, when a creature is the sub
Channel !i&inity: *referred 9uarry Starting at Jnd level, your faith grants you sacred aid on the hunt against certain enemies. ?ou have two types of creatures that are you preferred 41
.an) and Cla(
ew Druid -ir&le
Starting at Jnd level, when you choose this archetype, you can roll a dH in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike, and it inflicts your choice of piercing or slashing damage instead of your normal damage. ?ou can use your choice of either Strength or 0exterity for the attack roll and damage bonus of this attack.
Circle of the Solstice It is not a question of hether balance ill be restored, but of hether you ill live to see it. >>+lasera $ruid of the looded orest Shifters are said to have founded this druid circle, which teaches a precise level of control over a druids Wild Shape ability, allowing for brief, partial transformations. )ges ago, two previously opposed orders of druids2one led by longtooth shifters, the other by ra"orclaw shifters2 banded together to combat a powerful alchemist who sought to clear out and con%uer a portion of the Wood of Sharp Teeth with his cadre of golems cut down tree. *ailing to stop this destruction, druids of summer and winter formed an alliance, beginning the ircle of the Solstice, and their ways have been passed down to you. Those of your circle are known to briefly use the features of several different animals in the same fight. ?ou might charge into battle on the speedy hooves of an elk, escape a grapple with the muscular arms of a bear, grow the wings of an eagle to fly over an opponent, and then sink the fangs of a wolf deeply into the flesh of your prey, all within the space of a minute. 0ruids of other ircles often find the Solstice druids esoteric and strangeL some even consider them downright insane. )nd yet, they also recogni"e the wisdom and careful precision they show in the use of their uni%ue gifts. )s a druid of the ircle of the Solstice, you are taught to embrace extremes of passion, growth, and change, pushing the far ends of the natural ba lance. ?our rage in battle should be all!consuming, yet so should your passion in love or your
Shiftin) 0ction Starting at Jnd level, when you choose this archetype, you can call on your tie to a bestial spirit to briefly transform part of your body. If you are not wearing heavy armor, you can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat to gain temporary hit points e%ual to your druid level M your Wisdom modifier. If you wish, when you do so you can expend one spell slot to regain Cd hit points per level of the spell slot expended instead of gaining temporary hit points. Whenever you use your bonus action in this way, you also create one of the following effectsN -harging /lk. >ntil the end of your next turn, if you move at least J6 feet straight towards a 'arge or smaller creature during your turn, the next melee attack you make against it before the end of that same turn is made at advantage and inflicts extra damage e%ual to your Wisdom modifier. In addition, as part of the same bonus action, you may immediately take the 0ash action. /agle3s light. ?our ntil the end of your next turn, if you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can choose one ally within 5 feet of that target. That ally can immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack against the same target. In addition, as part of the same bonus action, you may immediately make an unarmed strike. •
•
•
,olstice Druid Quirks d19%7 <%? %: %J K%98
Quirk 4ou e"press affection with an unending shower of gifts — sometimes including fresh !ills or the fruits of foraging# $hen angr, ou howl and roar li!e an enraged beast# Disco%ering a new food or drin! ou en-o leads ou to see! out more and o%er1indulge in it to t he point of near1 sic!ness# It’s hard to resist bas!ing in bright sunshine, which is usuall followed b a satisfied nap# 4ou are dri%en to find the perfect mate and ha%e as man children with them as possible#
42
•
•
Sinews o, the "ear. >ntil the end of your next turn, you add your Wisdom bonus to Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and add an additional CdH to the damage of melee attacks. In addition, as part of the same bonus action, you may immediately make an unarmed strike. Tiger +oun&e. >ntil the end of your next turn, if you hit a creature with a melee attack, the target is also grappled if it is your si"e or smaller. In addition, as part of the same bonus action, you may immediately make an unarmed strike.
ew ighter Martial %r&hetype
Thayan Kni)ht They called us knights, but e lived by no code of honor. e ere bound to no principle, save one3 that our lives ere orth nothing compared to the safety of our masters. >> 9r:el /hen ,ene(ade Tha"an ni(ht &nce united in allegiance to their masters, the elite soldiers of Thay were divided by a violent uprising. The necromancer S"ass Tam overthrew his fellow Bulkirs to become sole ruler of Thay, forcing those serving his opposition to choose sides. $ost now serve the new regime, but others have
&nce you use your Shifting )ction feature, you cannot do so again until after the end of your next turn.
.eral !ruid )t Kth level, your speed increases by C6 feet, and you gain advantage on Wisdom 3;erception4 checks related to hearing or smell. In addition, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Solstice 0spect )t Kth level, you choose what kind of druid of this circle you are going to be, taking on the seasonal aspect of Summer or Winter. ?ou gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that is not silver, but you also gain vulnerability to silver, and you must choose one of the following two aspects, which grants you further abilities. %spe&t o, Summer. ?ou have resistance to fire damage, and you are considered naturally adapted to warm climates. %spe&t o, 2inter. ?ou have resistance to cold damage, and you are considered naturally adapted to cold climates. •
•
9uic#ened narmed Stri#e -eginning at C6th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the )ttack action on your turn, as long as one of the two attacks is an unarmed strike or an attack with a natural weapon. In addition, when making an unarmed strike, you gain a MC bonus to the melee attack roll and may roll a dK in place of your normal unarmed strike damage.
Smite the nnatural )t CHth level, when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or natural weapon attack, you can expend one druid spell slot to inflict extra da mage. The extra damage e%uals Cd per level of the spell slot expended. The dama ge increases by Cd if the target is a construct or undead. ?ou may choose for this damage to be of the same type as the damage of the attack, or it may be the type of damage to which you gained resistance from your Solstice )spect feature.
Thay’s !efender -y Grd level when you choose this archetype, you have undergone a long and painful tattooing ritual that marked your loyalty to the ed Wi"ards with a tattoo on your back, face, or forehead. When you gain this feature, your own knowledge of magic combines with the tattoos power to grant the following benefitsN Whenever you make a sa ving throw against an effect that would cause you to be charmed or frightened, you have advantage on the sa ving throw unless the source of the effect is a ed Wi"ard of Thay. •
48
•
•
you use your )ction Surge feature, you can choose one creature within K6 feet of you that is allied with you. ;rovided it can hear or see you, that creature can use its reaction to make one melee or ranged weapon attack or to cast a spell that normally has a casting time of C action.
?ou are proficient with the )rcana and Intimidate skills, and when you make an ability check with the Intimidate skill, you add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. ?ou learn your choice of two of the following cantripsN challenger(s "ark& boo"ing blade& echoing blow& frostwind blade& greenfla"e blade& loo"ing shadow& or !unishing strike . &nce you reach Dth level, when a hostile creature provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a cantrip gained from this feature, targeting that creature, rather than making an opportunity attack.
$aster of the Red 0e)is -eginning at Cth level, when you use your )egis of ed Wi"ardry to protect an ally, you can choose up to three creatures to gain its benefits.
6ew !antrips #ll new cantrips here are added to the warlock, sorcerer, and wizard spell lists.
#owever, these benefits come with a priceN ? ou have disadvantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and harisma saving throws against spells cast by ed Wi"a rds of Thay.
!hallen(er’s #ark
5nchantment cantrip Casting Time: 9 action Range: feet Components: H, 1 Duration: 9 round #s part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee weapon attack against one creature within the spell@s range, otherwise the spell fails. n a hit, the target suffers the attack@s normal effects, and you e*change a moment of silent, instinctive communication that e*presses your personal challenge. Before the beginning o f your ne*t turn, the target has disadvantage on the ne*t attack roll it makes that does not target you. #lso, if the target willingly moves more than <8 feet away from you or makes an attack that suffers disadvantage from this spell, it immediately takes 9dJ psychic damage, and the spell ends. $his spell@s damage increases when you reach higher levels. #t th level, the melee attack deals an e*tra 9dJ psychic damage to the target, and the damage the target suffers for moving more than <8 feet away from you increases to 7dJ. Both damage rolls increase by 9dJ at 99th level and 9th level.
0e)is of Red Wi4ardry Starting at Dth level, you can harness arcane power to protect a chosen ally. )s a bonus action, you can grant a red aegis to one allied creature you can see within K6 feet of you. The a egis is a shimmering shield of smoldering crimson energy that binds your own life energy to protec t the target. )ny bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage the target takes is reduced by an amount e%ual to your profiency bonus plus your onstitution modifier 3minimum C4. This effect lasts for C mi nute, until you use it again, or until you are incapacitated. In addition, when a creature you can see within K6 feet of you hits the protected target with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force the attacker to make a harisma saving throw 30 is M your proficiency bonus M your Intelligence modifier or the Intelligence modifier of the protected target, whichever is higher4 or be teleported to an unoccupied space ad
Ab-uration cantrip Casting Time: 9 action Range: <8 feet Components: H, 1 Duration: 9 round #s part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make an unarmed strike or weapon attack against one creature within the spell@s range, otherwise the spell fails. n a hit, the target suffers the attack@s normal effects, and if the target is concentrating on a spell when this attack hits, the attack deals an an e*tra 9d: thunder damage, which creates a loud noise that can be heard up to 988 feet away. In addition, the first time the target you hit with this cantrip makes a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell before the end of your ne*t turn /including against the damage of this cantrip0, you roll 9d: and subtract the number rolled from that saving throw. $his spell@s damage increases when you reach higher levels. #t th level, the melee attack deals an e*tra 9d: thunder damage to the target, and the damage the target suffers if they are concentrating on a spell increases to 7d:. Both damage rolls increase by 9d: at 99th level and 9th level.
.inal Stand )t C6th level, you can inspire your followers or allies to fight through adversity. When you use your Second Wind feature, you can choose up to six creatures within G6 feet that can see or hear you. Each chosen creature gains a number of temporary hit points e%ual to half the number of hit points you regain from your use of Second Wind 3adding your onstitution modifier to that number if they are the sub
;ul#ir’s Champion )t C5th level, you are an expert in fighting alongside spellcasting allies. When you use your action to cast a cantrip that re%uires an attack roll, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action. In addition, when
rostwind Blade
5%ocation cantrip Casting Time: 9 action 44
Range: feet Components: H, 1 Duration: 9 round #s part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee weapon attack against one creature within the spell@s range, otherwise the spell fails. !our weapon leaves a frosty trail as it cuts through the air, striking blows that inflict winter@s wrath. n a hit, the target suffers the attack@s normal effects, and the ne*t time the target makes an attack roll before then, it must either accept disadvantage on the attack roll or take 9d98 cold damage and make the attack roll normally. # creature within feet of you that takes cold damage from this cantrip reduces their speed by half until the end of your ne*t turn. $his spell@s damage increases when you reach higher levels. #t th level, the melee attack deals an e*tra 9d98 cold damage to the target, and the damage the target suffers for not taking disadvantage on their ne*t attack increases to 7d98. Both damage rolls increase by 9d98 at 99th level and 9th level.
ew Monasti& Tradition
Way of the %ncarnate 0ncestor It looks as if you spent a lifetime le arning that technique. I humbly counter(( ith a technique that took a do4en lifetimes to master. >>
)oo&in( Shadow
Illusion cantrip Casting Time: 9 action Range: :8 feet Components: H, 1 Duration: 9 round #s part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a thrown or ranged weapon attack against one creature within the spell@s range, otherwise the spell fails. If the weapon or ammunition hits the target, a shadowy duplicate of it appears, hanging in the air )ust short of where the original struck, and you choose one of your allies within <8 feet of the target. $he first time the target attacks the chosen ally or includes that ally in a harmful area of effect before the end of your ne*t turn, the second weapon or piece of ammunition automatically strikes, inflicting 9d98 psychic damage. $his spell@s damage increases when you reach higher levels. #t th level, the ranged attack deals an e*tra 9d98 psychic damage to the target, and the damage the target suffers for attacking the chosen ally or including them in a harmful area of effect increases to 7d98. Both damage rolls increase by 9d98 at 99th level and 9th level.
0ncestral Techniue When you choose this tradition at Grd level, you gain the ability to call upon the knowledge of your ancestors in both peaceful and warlike pursuits. Whenever you finish a short rest, choose one simple or martial weapon and one skill. ?ou gain proficiency in the chosen weapon a nd the chosen skill until the next time you finish a long rest. ?ou gain certain special benefits with the chosen weapon, as followsN ?ou choose whether to use 0 exterity or Strength for the attack and damage rolls of the weapon. When you use the )ttack action with the chosen weapon on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. If you hit with both an attack with the chosen weapon and an unarmed strike against the sa me target during your turn, you can spend C ki point to force the creature struck to make a Strength saving throw. &n a failed save, the creature takes an extra JdC6 bludgeoning damage, plus an extra CdC6 bludgeoning damage for ea ch additional ki point you spend, and you may push the creature up to C6 feet away from you and knock it prone. The maximum number of ki points you can send on this effect 3including its base ki point cost4 is e%ual to your proficiency bonus. When you reach Kth level, th e damage from this effect becomes magical force damage instead of bludgeoning damage. •
•
/unishin( Strike
6ecromanc cantrip Casting Time: 9 action Range: feet Components: H, 1 Duration: 9 round. #s part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make an unarmed strike or melee weapon attack against one creature within the spell@s range, otherwise the spell fails. n a hit, the target suffers the attack@s normal effects, and also a black web of necrotic energy radiates across its skin from where it was struck until the start of your ne*t turn. If the target willingly takes a reaction before then, it immediately takes 9dJ necrotic damage, and the spell ends. $his spell@s damage increases when you reach higher levels. #t th level, the melee attack deals an e*tra 9dJ necrotic damage to the target, and the damage the target suffers for taking a reaction increases to 7dJ. Both damage rolls increase by 9dJ at 99th level and 9th level.
•
%ncarnate
4%
themselves between you and an enemy. ?ou can spend G ki points to cast s!irit guardians as Grd!level spell without using any material components. ?ou can spend additional ki points to increase the level of this spell when you cast it. The spell@s level increases by C for each additional ki point you spend. The maximum number of ki points you can spend to cast s!irit guardians with this feature 3including its base ki point cost4 is e%ual to your proficiency bonus.
Spiritual uidance )t CCth level, your past lives advice is a constant source of knowledge. ight before you make a n Intelligence or a Wisdom check, you can give yourself a dvantage on the check. ?ou can use this feature three times, and you regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The 9da&a ,eli(ion of the Shinin( )ands $he faith that unites the 1hining ands is the #dama, a spiritual philosophy that is both a religion all its own and a system for understanding all other religions. It preaches the oneness of all things, for the #dama is a a unifying world% spirit that manifests as everything( the gods, the world, and everything in it are merely aspects of this single divine force. Mortal life is a crucible, by which spirits improve themselves to become one with the #dama. #ccording to this philosophy, each soul is incarnated and reincarnated many times on this progress towards enlightenment. ne strives to live righteously, in the hopes of receiving a better reincarnation, for each rebirth reflects the deeds of the previous life. 1ince all is one, a crime against anyone is a danger to ones self, and risks ones ne*t incarnation, since those who do great harm to other parts of the #dama are reincarnated as animals or worse. >ard work and honesty, however, are key to a righteous life. $his results both in the great work ethic among the #damas followers, and in the surprisingly low occurrence of crime all over the 1hining ands. Lilling is frowned upon, even in self%defense. $herefore, most -urparians who use arcane magic specialize in illusions, on the theory that one must believe in the illusion to be harmed by it, which is seen as an act of fate and thus a lesser offense. $he #damas followers worship its aspects, the gods, rather than the spirit itself. Do temples to the #dama e*ist, and religious diversity is great in the 1hining ands. nly gods who demand human sacrifice or other crimes as part of their worship have their faiths suppressed, such as Mask, the god of thieves, Bhaal, god of murder, and Malar, the god of savagery, beasts, and hunting.
appearance or even of a different race. ?ou can spend J ki points to cast alter self .
*ast=Life 0colytes Starting at Kth level, with deep c oncentration, you can cause a ghostly incarnation of one of your past lives to step out of your body and help you perform an ancient ritual. When you gain this feature, choose two Cst!level spells that have the ritual tag from any classs spell list 3the two neednt be from the same list4. The enlightened knowledge of your ancestors allows you to cast the chosen spells as rituals. ?ou cant cast the spells except as rituals, unless youve learned them by some other means. Whenever you gain a monk level, you can choose another ritual spell and add it to the list of those you ca st with this feature. The spells level must be e%ual to or less than half your monk level 3rounded up4.
Resur)ent Ki )t Kth level, spending ki grants allows you to draw reinvigorating energy from your spiritual a ncestors. When you spend a ki point during your turn, you may also choose to regain hit points e%ual to your $artial )rts damage die M your proficiency bonus. ?ou can use this feature three times, regaining all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
0dama uardians )t CCth level, you can summon a small number of translucent spirits out of your body to interpose 4*
ew anger %r&hetype
$ystic Sa&a)ery
$oonstal#er
-eginning at Dth level, as a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of savagery points e%ual to the slot@s level.
I can see my destiny in the face of the moon, and I call to it in greeting. >>!ora +ronheart $warf #oonstalker
nleash the Silent *redator )t Dth level, you can transform yourself into the powerful creature lurking inside you. When you gain this feature, choose a beast whose challenge rating is H or lower. ?ou can spend G savagery points to cast the !oly"or!h spell as a ranger spell without any c omponents, targeting yourself only and polymorphing yourself into any the beast you chose. The casting time is changed to C bonus action for this casting, but the duration is a lso reduced to C minute. The spell is not a concentration spell when cast in this way. While in the form you assumed with the !oly"or!h spell, you gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage that is not silver or adamantine. &therwise it functions
)ll weretouched2whether they are shifters, lycanthropes, or merely their descendants among other races2harbor a bestial nature inside themselves. This innate fierceness in lycanthropic blood reveals itself most often in battle. $any weretouched 3especially shifters4 call upon their legacy when needed, but at some point you learned that you were different, and that the power in your blood was greater than you believed. ?ou take the name moonstalker for the strong tie to your lycanthropic nature you have nurtured in your spirit. ?ou have always had an animalistic side, manifested in your physical features and sometimes through your behavior, and now you have awakened this heritage in yourself to become preternaturally formidable. ?our tactics and behavior have left behind civili"ed methods for the savagery, speed, and frightening fury of an untamed predator.
Call to the $oon )t CCth level, you can unleash a bloodcurdling howl or roar from your throat, a nnouncing that the hunt has begun. )s an action, you can cause each creature of your choice within G6 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your ranger spell save 0. reatures that are prone or are your favored enemy have disadvantage on this saving throw. ) target takes Gd psychic damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, creatures that fail the save are frightened by you until the end of your next turn. &nce you use this feature, you can@t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
9lternate ,an(ers If youre playing or playtesting an alternate version of the ranger that does not grant the "*tra #ttack feature, add the "*tra #ttack feature to this archetype at th level, as follows( Etra Attac". Beginning at th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the #ttack action on your turn.
Com"at Sa&a)ery )t Grd level, you choose whether to use 0exterity or Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes, and you gain a number of savagery !oints e%ual to your proficiency bonus. When you finish a short or long rest, you lose unused sava gery points and gain a number of savagery points e%ual to your proficiency bonus. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or an attack with a natural weapon or light melee weapon, you can expend C savagery point to inflict extra damage e%ual to your Wisdom bonus on the creature 3increasing this damage by Cd if the creature is prone or your favored enemy4, and to create one of the following effectsN The creature must make a Wi sdom saving throw against your ranger spell save 0 or become frightened of you until your next turn. The creature must make a Strength saving throw against your ranger spell save 0 or fall prone. The next attack roll made against that creature before the end of your next turn is made at advantage. ?ou cannot spend more than C sav agery point on the same attack roll.
*ac# Leader Starting at CCth level, while you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that is prone, you and your allies add your Wisdom modifier to damage rolls against that creature.
Circle the *rey )t C5th level, you instinctively sense the perfect opening to stalk around your prey and inflict a finishing blow. )s a bonus action, choose one creature you ca n see within G6 feet of you. *or C minute, you gain the following benefits when attacking that creature. If the target dies, you regain hit points e%ual to your ranger level M your Wisdom modifier. If you make an attack against the target on your turn, you can move up to C5 feet before making the attack. ?ou gain a bonus to damage rolls against the target. The bonus e%uals your proficiency bonus. Whenever you hit the target with an attack roll, you gain advantage on your next attack roll against the creature before the end of your next turn. &nce you use this feature, you can@t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hunter 0ction )t Grd level, you can use your bonus action to make an unarmed strike or an attack with a natural weapon or light melee weapon, and you can move up to C5 feet before making the attack.
4
sorcerer level. Whenever you take damage, the aegis takes the damage instead. lf this damage reduces the ward to 6 hit points, you take any remaining damage. Whenever you finish a long rest, the aegis is restored to a number of hit points e%ual to your sorcerer level. )t Kth level, you can move your aegis to an ally within G6 feet as a bonus action, granting them its protection until you move it back as a bonus action. While the aegis has 6 hit points, it can@t absorb damage, but whenever you cast an ab
ew Sor&erous *rigin
0">urant Champion hat is magic but another eapon hanging at your side, ready to be dran and ielded hen the need arises' >>!aspian )a#ont of the ni(hts 9scendant ?ou have spent a ma
•
•
•
#$.urant ham*ion /rigins D8 9
7 < ? :
/rigin Before the it of Shade fell, ou were raised among the Shado%ar nobilit of Thultanthar, and for un!nown reasons, the used e%er magical and mundane means at t heir disposal to protect ou f rom all influence of the Shadowfell# 4our birth into a clan of lcanthropic !infol! was predicted b the prophec of our tribal shaman, who placed powerful wards on ou to ensure our destin would be fulfilled# A powerful ab-urer imprisoned ou with their mag ic until ou de%eloped our own magical abilities and escaped# 4ou come from a wealth noble famil, who arranged to guard our person with ab-uration spells from a oung age# Born with a powerful protecti%e rune of un!nown pro%enance on our forehead, ou e%entuall learned to place its warding spells under our direct control# Another ab-urant champion was our me ntor, guardian, or parent, and the protected ou constantl with their magic#
$etama)ic !efense )t Kth level, when you cast an ab
+?tra 0ttac# Starting at Kth level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the )ttack action on your turn.
$artial 0rcanist Starting at CHth level, when you use your action to cast an ab
Bonus *roficiencies
0rcane Boost
)t Cst level, you gain proficiency with shields, simple weapons, and one martial weapon of your c hoice
)t Cth level, you gain the ability to burn arcane energy to empower your martial abilities. ?ou can expend sorcery points for the following effectsN )s a bonus action during your turn, you can expend up to Q sorcery points to gain a bonus on the next attack roll you make during the same turn. The bonus is e%ual to the number of sorcery points spent. If the attack hits, it inflicts additional force damage against one target e%ual to your harisma bonus. When your ab
0">urant Spells
•
?our affinity for defensive magical force gives you the option to learn some non!sorcerer spells that focus on defense. When your Spellcasting feature lets you learn a sorcerer spell of Cst level or higher, you can select the spell from the following list of spells, in addition to the sorcerer spell list. ?ou must otherwise obey all the restrictions for selecting the spell, and it becomes a sorcerer spell for you. Spell Level 2st 0nd ;rd
•
Spells absorb elements**, shield of faith arcane lock, warding bond magic circle, protection from energy
•
0">urant 0e)is Whenever you finish a long rest, you instinctively con
•
4
ew Sor&erous *rigin
•
!ar#moon Theur)e There are things out here, among the stars, that no mortal mind as meant to kno. 5eer into the firmament and let your eyes unfocus until it all becomes a blur. Then you ill see. $ou ill see the darkness beteem, and thus glimpse the poer I command. >>,a-en $ark&oon Binder of ar ,eal& Spirits
?ou speak with a growling, bestial voice that is innately frightening, giving you advantage on harisma 3Intimidate4 checks, but disadvantage on all other harisma checks.
?our weretouched prowess lasts until you end it as a bonus action, you are incapacitated, or you don armor other than a shield.
*rimal *ro(ess -eginning at Kth level, your lyca nthropic heritage can be enhanced with primal sorcery. When you cast a spell while en
The legacy of lycanthropes is strong in your blood, but for you it is mystical as well as physical. 'egends among werebeasts say that those of their offspring born beneath eclipses, new moons, or crescent moons gain a spiritual sense for the worlds beyond, and a tie to the black spaces between stars and the darkness that clouds Sel+nes fa ce. -orn to shamanism and shapeshifting, sorcerers like you give credence to such myths.
• • •
•
Bonus *roficiencies )t Cst level, you gain proficiency with the Survival and (ature skills, and with all simple weapons.
•
Spirit Sense
•
When you gain this feature, choose one of the following creature typesN aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, or undead. ?ou may also choose lycanthropes instead of one of these types. )s an action, you can open your awareness to perceive the chosen type of creature. >ntil the end of your next turn, you can sense whether any creatures of that type are present within C mile of you, but you do not know their location or numbers unless they are within K6 feet of you and are not behind total cover. ?ou can use this feature a number of times e%ual to C M your harisma modifier, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
*iercin) the
+ierce the )thereal 0eil Ta$le ,orcery ,orcerer !e"el +oint ost )therealness Duration Reuired < Until the end of the current turn :th Until the end of your ne*t turn Jth 9 minute 98th K 98 minutes 97th When you reach CGth level, you also learn the etherealness spell as a sorcerer spell, but it does not count against your number of Sorcerer Spells 7nown. *rom that point on, you can either cast the etherealness spell normally or with sorcery points using this feature.
Weretouched *ro(ess ?ou can cause your lycanthropic heritage to reveal itself as increased physical power. Whenver you are not wearing armor, as an action, you can enhance your body with bestial energies. When you do so, y ou gain the following benefitsN ?ou gain a MC bonus to )rmor lass. ?our )rmor lass cannot be lower than CC M your onstitution bonus. ?ou have advantage on Strength checks and on Wisdom 3;erception4 checks related to hearing or smell. ?ou choose whether to use 0exterity or Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or an attack with a natural weapon or light melee weapon, you inflict extra damage e%ual to half your proficiency bonus 3rounded down4. When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with a melee attack, you can make an unarmed strike against them as an opportunity attac k. >narmed strikes made as opportunity attacks in this way do not use your reaction. • •
+thereal !od)e
•
Starting at CHth level, you can enter the -order Ethereal for a brief instant to avoid harm. )s a reaction when you take damage, you can halve that damage against you.
•
•
*rimal Reco&ery When you sustain grievous harm, you can channel the primal energy in your blood to heal your wounds. )s a bonus action when you have less than half of your hit points remaining, you can regain a number of hit points e%ual to half your hit point maximum. &nce you use this feature, you cant use it again until you finish a long rest.
•
4;
and the Shadowfell at the same time. Was Thultanthar or /loomwrought the first such city to awaken, or have these other cities always had their own inscrutable minds, waiting only to find their voice: ould other sites in the ealms2such as Silverymoon, Evereska, or andlekeep, all known to be the sites of mythals, or even Waterdeep, atop the spell!haunted expanse of >ndermountain2be sponsoring otherworldly pacts as well:
ew 2arlo&k *therworldly +atron
The Beni)hted City ome cities may sleep, but none are sane. >>Aossper ,oarin(horn e&issar" of <-erni(ht Thultanthar, also known as the Shade Enclave and the ity of Shade, was a flying city of ancient (etheril, an inverted mountain of floating stone, topped with harsh black spires and foreboding walls. The citys mighty wi"ard prince had his own purposes in transporting his city and its people to the Shadowfell for so many centuries. Similarly, there was also a plan for its return to the ealms after millennia away, and the subse%uent attempt to re!establish the Empire of (etheril. #owever, the fall of that flying city in battle over $yth 0rannor was not part of anyones plan2 nor was the creation of a new and powerful mind. )n ancient mythal, a prodigal feat of wi"ardry that permanently alters the Weave of magic in a certain location, was part of Thultanthar before it entered the Shadowfell, before it was infused with the strange energies of the plane of shadow for centuries, before thousands of its residents underwent the Trail of *ive 0arknesses 3the ritual the makes a mortal into a Shade4 within its eldritch precincts. )mong the few who whisper of such things, it is thought that some combination of these factors may have had something to do with what happened next. -eginning in the year the city returned from the Shadowfell, certain talented young would!be ma ges across *aer+n began to dream they walked the precincts of an ancient (etherese city, its streets shrouded in darkness2 and that those streets s!oke. )gain, these matters are known to a very small group of people, and among them there is disagreement as to the nature of this city. -y its description, it would seem to hav e been Thultanthar itself, but some sources have claimed that another place, the infamous Shadowfell city of /loomwrought is Thultanthars dark reflection, its gloomy twin in the realm of eternal night. If so, it could have been /loomwroughts twilit streets that these chosen few wa lked in restless dreams. Whichever was the case, whether it was the darkened mythal of Thultanthar or its a ncient counterpart /loomwrought, it seems the city now had a conscious will of its own2and that will wished to bargain. Warlocks who accepted the shadowbound city as their patron gained not only insight into darkness, but also a preternatural instinct for the life of cities everywhere. They heard the whispers of elemental spirits i n chimney! smoke and cobblestones, foresaw the ebb and flow of urban commerce like a sailor knows the changing of the tides, and felt the hope a nd despair of multitudes rising like heat from the avenues beneath their feet. Since Thultanthar fell, this voice of this patron has %uieted, but not ceased. )nd other wa rlocks have claimed to make pacts in dreams with other dark cities, fitting the description of other sites in the Shadowfell, such as Evernight 3the umbral twin of (everwinter4 or Ikemmu, a legendary settlement said to exist in both the >nderdark
+?panded Spell List The powerful consciousness of the shadowy city with which youve made your pact lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
enighted ity ,*ells ,*ell !e"el 9st 7nd
,*ells ensnaring stri!e, grease alter self, locate ob-ect lightning arrow, meld into stone locate creature, )orden!ainen’s pri%ate sanctum creation, mislead
Bonus *roficiencies )t Cst level when you choose this &therworldly ;atron, you gain proficiency with all martial ranged weapons.
Shado( !(eller )t Cst level, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of G6 feet. If you are within the confines of a settlement with a population of C66 or more2or within the ruins of a place that once boasted such a population2the distance of this effect is increased to Q6 feet, and you can move through the space of any non!hostile creature that is of your si"e or smaller. In addition, if you are not in direct sunlight and have not taken radiant damage since the end of your last turn, you have advantage on death saving throws.
m"ral 2aunt )t Kth level, you gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to G6 feet 3or K6 feet if you are within a city with a population of C66 more or the ruins of such a city4 to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. When you take damage that is not radiant, you can use your reaction to teleport in the same way, but you may only do so once, regaining expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
Spirit of Shado(, Smo#e, and Stone )t C6th level, you have becomed
!ar# City )t CHth level, you can temporarily exile a foe into the dark city that is your patron. hoose a creature within K6 feet.
%7
They must make a harisma saving throw against your warlock spell save 0. If they fail, they take GdCJ psychic damage and are banished into wander into a demiplane that is a shadowy, empty cityscape where distant voices and furtive lights flicker in the distance. The target remains there for C minute or until they escape. Each round, they may choose to use their action to escape by rolling another harisma save against the same 0 a nd moving at least C5 feet. If they succeed, the effect ends. If they fail, they take GdCJ psychic damage. When the effect ends, they reappear in the same space they left 3or the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied4. &nce you use this feature, you can@t use it again until you finish a long rest.
shadow that appears on your person. When you create this garment, you can choose its style and appearance, which can be in the form of any sort of cloak, cape, long coat, or
ew 2arlo&k +a&t *ptions
*act of the loom The ;act of the /loom allows you to call upon the magical substance of shadow, said to hav e been infused into all things at the beginning of time, from pieces of primordial chaos re
*act of the Scar ?ou have made a dear sacrifice to seal your pact, one of your own flesh and blood, and youre still making such sacrifices for power to this day2though the flesh and blood are not always yours. ?ou gain proficiency in the $edicine skill and double your proficiency bonus on any check made with it. ?ou also gain the -lood for -lood feature, which is fueled by special dice called blood dice% -oth are described below. "lood Di&e. ?ou have two blood dice, which are dKs. ) blood die is expended when you use it. ?ou regain all of your expended blood dice when you finish a long rest. ?ou can also regain a blood die by expending #it 0ice. When you expend #it 0ic e in this way, you do not regain hit points. Instead, for every two #it 0ice you expend for this trait, you regain one blood die. When you reduce a creature to 6 hit points with an attack or spell, you can augment a blood die you have not yet expended. )n augmented blood die becomes a d instead of a dK. When an expended blood die is regained, it is regained as a dK, even if it was augmented before you expended it. "lood ,or "lood. When you use the eldritch blast cantrip or make a weapon attack, you can expend one blood die. ?ou must choose to expend a blood die before making the attack roll. If that attack hits, you add the blood die as extra damage. When you inflict damage with a blood die, you can heal yourself or a creature within 5 feet for a number of hit points e%ual to the blood die roll. If the die was augmented, you can also cure the healed creature of one disease or neutrali"e one poison affecting it.
%1
'e( +ldritch %n&ocations
9u(&entin( with Blood of Great )inea(e 4ith the permission of your -M, when augmenting a blood die you can increase the augmentation if the life you e*tinguish has blood of particular power or great lineage. Most creatures, as well as humanoids of common ancestry such as peasants or warriors, do not offer this ability. >owever, humanoids from certain kingly or powerful bloodlines offer more energy to a warlock with this pact, as do certain noble creatures. Creatures suiting these criteria are divided into two categories( Uncommon ineage and 'are ineage. $he -M reserves the right to decide the potency of the lineage a creatures blood holds. ;ncommon *ineage. # humanoid with an uncommon lineage has a rich heritage, though holds little power. # minor noble, such as a knight or courtier, serve as e*amples of humanoids with an uncommon lineage. In addition, true dragons /not dragon%like lesser creatures such as wyverns or drakes0 are also considered to have uncommon lineage. 4hen you augment a blood die after reducing a creature with uncommon lineage to 8 hit points, the blood die changes into a d98 instead of a dJ. Rare *ineage. # humanoid with a rare lineage, such as a distant heir to a throne or even a member of royalty, bears the potential of great power. In addition, the blood o f celestials bears great lineage, as well as non%humanoid royalty of significant power, such as giant kings or demon princes. 4hen you augment a blood die after reducing a creature with uncommon lineage to 8 hit points, the blood die changes into a d97 instead of a dJ. (reat !ineage )33ects -epending on your warlock level, blood dice augmented with great lineage may have special effects, as follows( 0) yor warloc" level is |
)t Jnd level, a warlock gains the Eldritch Invocations feature. The new eldritch invocation options below are associated with the -enighted ity, though not a ll re%uire that patron.
Blac# $irror Prere#uisite: )*th level& Pact of the To"e feature ?ou can cast either !ro+ect i"age or si"ulacru" once without expending a spell slot. ?ou must finish a long rest before you can use cast a spell with this eldritch invocation again.
•
!estructi&e $essen)er Prere#uisite: *th level& The ,enighted -ity !atron& Pact of the -hain feature ?ou can use a C6!minute ritual to turn your familiar into a nondescript commoner of a race appropriate for the nearby area, dressed in the manner of a local peasant or vagabond. They lose all of their own statistics and use those of a commoner only, but they can speak and have all the normal abilities of a commoner of that race, and you can speak through them as well as using their senses as your familiar. ?ou can return them to their true form as a bonus action. If they are reduced to 6 hit points while in their commoner form, they immediately explode in a shadowy conflagration, forcing anyone within J6 feet to make a 0exterity saving throw against your warlock spell 0. Those who fail take Hd necrotic damage, and those who succeed take half as much.
•
Hidden *ath(ay Prere#uisite: .rd level& Pact of the 'loo" feature ?ou can cast !ass without trace once without expending a spell slot or any material components. ?ou can@t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Shado( Shield Prere#uisite: Pact of the 'loo" feature ?ou learn the shield spell as a warlock spell, but it does not count against your number of spells known. ?ou ca n cast the spell once without expending a spell slot or any material components. ?ou can@t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Smo#in) Bolts Prere#uisite: The ,enighted -ity !atron& Pact of the ,lade feature ?ou can create a hand crossbow using your ;act of the -lade feature. When you load it, you draw a wisp of black smoke out of the air that magically transforms into a black crossbow bolt, which vanishes after C minute. When you fire it at a creature youve made a successful Wisdom 3Insight4 check against within the past JH hours, you have advantage on the attack roll. When you hit a creature with it, you can expend a spell slot to deal an additional Jd necrotic damage to the target per spell level.
Spectral 0munition Prere#uisite: The ,enighted -ity !atron
%2
Each time you make a ranged attack that uses a piece of ammunition, this effect magically replaces it with a similar piece of nonmagical ammunition. )ny piece of ammunition created by this spell dissipates C minute a fter it is created.
defend their art by claiming that the spells are no more evil than a hammer or a knife. The spells are simply tools or weapons, depending on how they are use d2it is the misapplication of any magic that makes it evil. ?et the association between darkness and evil is so strong in the minds of most mortal creatures that nethermancers face mistrust and hostility regardless of their true inclination.
Summon Shado( 0ssassin Prere#uisites: *th level& Pact of the Scar feature ?ou can expend an augmented blood die from your ;act of the Scar feature to summon a n assassin made of pure shadow, which appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within 56 feet. The assassin disappears when it drops to 6 hit points, when its chosen target is dead, or after C hour. The assassin has no other purpose except to kill a single target you choose when you use this eldritch invocation ?ou do not need to see the target when you choose it, but it must be within CJ6 feet. If you do not choose a target when it is summoned, the assassin waits for you to choose one, defending itself from hostile creatures but otherwise taking no actions until its target is chosen. The 0$ has the statistics on the assassin, but those statistics change depending on your level, as followsN /arlock level )0th or lower: Specter /arlock level ))th1)2th: Shadow demon /arlock level )3th or higher: Wraith &nce you use this eldritch invocation, you cant do so again until you finish a 'ong est.
m"ral Si)ht -eginning at Jnd level when you choose this arcane tradition, you can see normally in da rkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of CJ6 feet.
Castin) Shado(s Starting at Jnd level, nearby shadows assist you in concealing your spellcasting and scaring your enemies. When you are in dim light or darkness, spells you cast do not re%uire verbal components, and you have advantage on harisma 3Intimidation4 checks.
Step into !ar#ness )t Kth level, you add the darkness spell to your spellbook if it is not there already. Whenever you cast darkness, for C hour you also gain the ability to step from one shadow into another. When you are in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can teleport up to K6 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. ?ou can take the #ide action as part of the same bonus action.
• • •
9u(&ented Shadow 9ssassins
nra&elin) Shado(s
If the augmented blood die you use to summon the shadow assassin was augmented with blood of great lineage, it adds the augmented blood die to its damage the first time it inflicts damage on its chosen target. In addition, the shadow assassin resembles the creature of great lineage whose powerful blood augmented it.
-eginning at C6th level, you can sense and sometimes direct a silent malevolent awareness in the ma gical currents of shadow magic, a presence that seeks out weakness. When you cast a spell that inflicts necrotic or psychic damage, you can choose one target of that spell. If the target has vulnerability to any damage types, the damage is of those types. If the target has no vulnerabilities, you inflict extra damage on that ta rget e%ual to your Wisdom modifier. ?ou know how much extra damage you inflicted, but you cannot tell what damage types the target is or is not vulnerable to from this effectL the hungry shadows hide what kind of damage they inflict, even from you.
r"an Hunter Prere#uisite: The ,enighted -ity !atron& hex s!ell ?ou replace the he4 spell on the list of spells you know with the hunter’s "ark spell, which is a warlock spell for you. When a creature is the sub
ew 2i'ard %r&ane Tradition
Shado( Summonin)
School of 'ethermancy
Starting at CHth level, you can choose to substitute shadowy apparitions for creatures you would con
#o you fear the dark' $ou should, you kno. The shados hide the most delicious secrets, the dark the most terrible revelations. 1isten6 I can hear them. Can you' >>ora the Shadowwalker ?ou focus your studies on shadow magic, a method for extricating the magical substance of primordial shadow from various environments, then blending it with arcane forces to create magical effects. )mong other manifestations, such spells excite or dull the senses, spin creatures from raw shadow, and punch holes through reality. $any are %uick to distrust a wi"ard who uses the substance of shadow, but shadow magics apologists %8
