AP Forums Tabletop Gaming Thread: ROLLIN' DICE AND PLAYIN' NICE

[Huschel]

My favourite character - and the one I have played the longest - is an Arcane Trickster Rogue that I created for Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. Throughout the campaign she was constantly traumatized by a villain who mind controlled her and had her kill people. But hey, eventually that guy got executed, so she's all better now. Right?

Rogues are super fun to play, but my favourite class is probably Cleric. I'm rolling up a Knowledge Cleric for our next campaign which will start next week. A Lizardfolk who is convinced that most of life is predestined and immutable. But he wants to use his knowledge of the past and present to predict the future, so he can prepare for the unpreventable hardships.

And then there's my favourite backstory I've written for a one-shot. A low intelligence Ancestral Guardian Barbarian who was sent by his mom to pay his respects at his father's grave. The mother may or may not have tried to get rid of him for a little while because he kept interfering in her dating life. Anyway, he left the map behind because he was convinced that he wouldn't need it. Eventually, he did arrive at the tomb, but he realized that it was overrun by goblins, so he purged them all. For some reason, goblins kept attacking though and the barbarian stayed to defend his father's resting place. One day, a surprisingly smart goblin wanted to negotiate with the barbarian, but he was far too heroic to listen and slayed the monster. He found a Headband of Intellect that he put on which made him super intelligent. At that point he understood that he had gotten lost and had actually been defending some sort of sacred goblin gravesite for years. He was pretty ashamed so he didn't want to go back home. Instead he decided to travel the land and become an adventuring cartographer. And whenever he summons his ancients' spirits in battle, there might be one or two goblins among the apparitions, as well.

[Kirbycide]

Hahaaa, I love all of those character ideas!

Always wanted to play a rogue, bard, cleric, or fighter. So far, I've only played a sorcerer, a warlock, and a paladin. The paladin has been the most fun mechanics-wise, because I love the hack-n-slash feel, and it's nice to have a spell or two on hand when you're in a pinch. Been playing the paladin on my friend's homebrew campaign that runs Tuesday/Thursday. He's thinking of starting another campaign soon, and I thought that the wild soul barbarian would be fun to try out, but I might make a bard or a cleric if the party seems like it'll need extra healing.

The barbarian backstory is hilarious, Huschel. I might have to draw some inspiration from it!

[Huschel]

The revised one from Tasha's, right? The Wild Magic rage looks super fun. I enjoy some randomness like that for sure where you have to make whatever you get work for you. And the lvl 6 feature that lets you help allies speaks to me, as well.

Rogues are fun because they get something cool almost every single level. I played a Bard once in a one-shot and I quickly found out that you have to be quite careful with the spells you pick and how you use them. Clerics can just be and do whatever the heck you want them to. And prepared casters don't come with analysis paralysis. There's some cool Fighter subclasses for sure, but I think I'll try a lot of other stuff first before going Fighter. I just can't shake the vanilla feeling of it all, sorry. XD

[Jabberwok]

I think my caution in approaching the Wild Magic Barbarian comes from that most of its abilities don't really get stronger, they just get more control over them. And most of those bonus action abilities are inferior to a simple Polearm Master bonus action attack. So I'd be pretty worried about your effectiveness dropping off at higher levels, but if you're not concerned you should go for it just to try something new!

--- Update From New Post Merge ---

Character I've been playing longest is an LG Half-Orc Ancients Paladin quietly rebelling against the theocratic empire of the same faith. He's a big sweet tank desperately anchoring the party and I love him dearly.

The next character I want to play is an interplanar War Wizard pirate who's backstory is your standard genasi parent quest that's been drastically derailed by the Dread Pirate Githyanki. I definitely want to play a less morally upstanding full spellcaster and interplanar pirates just sounds like so much fun.

Alternatively, I've always wanted to play a Wild Magic Sorcerer and I think I'd have a lot of fun playing a poorly trained fairy godmother.

[Huschel]

I think my caution in approaching the Wild Magic Barbarian comes from that most of its abilities don't really get stronger, they just get more control over them. And most of those bonus action abilities are inferior to a simple Polearm Master bonus action attack. So I'd be pretty worried about your effectiveness dropping off at higher levels, but if you're not concerned you should go for it just to try something new!

I feel like that's the general problem with barbarians. The capstone is fantastic but nobody ever gets there. And on the way there the only remarkable feature after level 5 is Relentless Rage. The class is pretty dependent on sweet magic gear at later levels.

Alternatively, I've always wanted to play a Wild Magic Sorcerer and I think I'd have a lot of fun playing a poorly trained fairy godmother.

This is wonderful!

[Kirbycide]

Wait, but isn’t the bonus action attack from PAM only a d4? The bonus actions from wild soul rage definitely seem better and more versatile than that. And I like the idea of handing out free spell slots to allies once per long rest. I’m thinking that if I build Mage Slayer and Magic Initiate into it then the flavor will be perfect and the versatility will be pretty respectable, too.

The pally sounds cool, Jab. Mine is a Conqueror that has some decent fear options already, with Sentinel, and soon PAM as well. The stickiest tank in the land!

[Jabberwok]

The spell slot recovery ability is definitely pretty neat. I appreciate how they've limited it so it won't be too ridiculous (it's still strong early on though!)

As far as the PAM bonus action goes, it's a d4 that still benefits from your strength bonus, rage bonus, and any magic bonuses to the weapon. That's anywhere from 6 to 18 damage per turn, plus 10 for Great Weapon Master if you're really power gaming. Stuff like exploding flumphs, throwable greataxes, and magical retribution, while undoubtedly more entertaining, don't really provide the same mechanical boost.

It's an issue shared with Wild Magic Sorcerer, but the Sorcerer has much bigger benefits they can gain, which makes their later ability to choose between Surge results more impactful. This Barbarian seems more like it'll be spamming a lot of minor effects trying to get one that actually helps a little.

Our party has a cleric, a bard, and a druid but none of them like healing very much. So I'm there casting Aura of Vitality each combat and left topping everyone off once the blasting has ended. But I've got a magical throwing shield, so that's fun!

[Kirbycide]

As far as the PAM bonus action goes, it's a d4 that still benefits from your strength bonus, rage bonus, and any magic bonuses to the weapon. That's anywhere from 6 to 18 damage per turn, plus 10 for Great Weapon Master if you're really power gaming. Stuff like exploding flumphs, throwable greataxes, and magical retribution, while undoubtedly more entertaining, don't really provide the same mechanical boost.

It's an issue shared with Wild Magic Sorcerer, but the Sorcerer has much bigger benefits they can gain, which makes their later ability to choose between Surge results more impactful. This Barbarian seems more like it'll be spamming a lot of minor effects trying to get one that actually helps a little.

Ohhhhhhh. I did forget that you can add all those modifiers to the damage. It's actually making me think that it might be a decent option for my pally to use once he gets it, too. Especially if it's an extra chance to land a crit for smites.

Fair points. The sorcerer I played earlier was a wild magic origin, but he never got past level 5, and the DM wasn't very amenable to letting me use tides of chaos and surge as often as possible. With the barbarian, at least you're guaranteed something like a surge every time you rage, but you're definitely right that it's pretty lackluster that you can't add any modifiers to the bonus action damage. Well, it's not like I'm trying to min-max the character anyway. I'll see if any other options pique my interest, but in the meantime I think I'll stick with this subclass. I do really love melee oriented characters, and with d12 hit dice I feel like any other complaints are basically negligible. Wonder if there are any good magic items which could boost the damage potential from the wild soul...

Dude, your pally sounds like Captain America from Winter Soldier. Mine is definitely not the main healer for our party, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't used every single HP from lay on hands in every single encounter.

[Jabberwok]

Ohhhhhhh. I did forget that you can add all those modifiers to the damage. It's actually making me think that it might be a decent option for my pally to use once he gets it, too. Especially if it's an extra chance to land a crit for smites.

Dude, your pally sounds like Captain America from Winter Soldier. Mine is definitely not the main healer for our party, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't used every single HP from lay on hands in every single encounter.

PAM is really good for paladins and especially for Conquest paladins since it can improve their stickiness even further. You'll be a regular roach motel!

My DM likes strong magic items- it's a +1 shield, but the best part is that I can throw it as a reaction to temporarily grant that AC boost to a nearby ally! And then (now that I've had its enchantment modified), call it back as a bonus action. It's only come up a few times but it feels supremely Captain America-ish when I do!

[Kirbycide]

So, for a bit of holiday fun, my friend was hosting a spooky-themed dungeon for our regular DnD group - we all got to make new characters starting at level 15 with some fun magic items to choose from and a free feat each. The intent was for the dungeon to be pretty short, but we ended up taking a solid four sessions to actually get all the way through it. I found it to be a lot of fun, and I took the opportunity to get really into the roleplay, more than I usually would, and even make some pretty questionable roleplay decisions that I would typically never make in any other campaign.

In particular, the character I played ended up being evil, playing as a third party that wanted to defeat the BBEG and the player group, but ultimately allow the BBEG's machinations to come to fruition. He was a crazy, evil, death cleric, but with enough sense to hide his schemes cleverly (while letting some hints slip through before the very end when he went full betrayal mode). The DM was in on it, and was also dropping hints along the way for everyone, especially through interaction with an NPC wizard guide, but he was cool enough to not make those hints too obvious either. The fun part was that (without any prodding from me) most of the players found the NPC more suspicious than my character, and then with a little prodding from me were essentially fooled into focusing on the wizard even while my cleric continued to amass a small army of undead and demonic minions as we progressed.

In the final encounter, because I was able to convince the party to take so many short rests along the way (and to drink many bottles of my cleric's home brewed wine), we ended up facing two really tough demons at once (instead of the originally intended one), and this worked to my cleric's favor, as he was able to let the characters and the bad guys whittle each other down while he waited for the right moment to strike. And then it happened:

The gate to hell was close to being opened, one of the demons was almost dead, the wizard NPC was on the brink, and my cleric still had all of his minions save for one or two skeletons which had gone down in the fray. He uses his action to cast divine word and his bonus action to cast cloudkill, all while cackling, "Now, you will all die, for my lord god Myrkul!" Granted, I made the decision on the spot, and if I had been a little more awake (it was getting quite late), I would have cast cloudkill first so that the divine word would have instakilled more of them. But it's super effective! Within a turn, the toughest demon goes down, the NPC wizard is dead outright, and the rest of the party is shocked and appalled - never before have they witnessed such scum and villainy.

Ultimately, though, karmic justice was swift and unforgiving. The remaining demon is able to charm my cleric before his next turn (DC 21... that was just mean), two of the party members go invisible and run for their lives, everyone else goes down in a struggle with my remaining ghouls. The hell gate is opened, and Asmodeus disintigrates anyone left, including my poor charmed cleric. Catastrophic failure, but for me incredibly fun, nonetheless.

What do you all think about it? My friends seemed to enjoy the twist, for the most part. One of them was a little bit angry with me... but he and I tend to butt heads a lot anyway and I wasn't surprised that he saw the betrayal as me "sucking the fun out" of the game.

Talk to me, DnD nerds! Am I the real villain, here? Or was this all just in good fun? I though it was fun!

[Mr. Hide]

It sounds like most were fine with it, but then again I'm no mind reader. Wouldn't hurt to ask your DM about this. Let him know you're concerned you're doing/did something wrong and you want him/her to ask the players about their sincere feelings.

[Huschel]

Well, gather round children. It's time for a story.

In the first campaign I ever played, we had a typical Warlock who was very clearly getting more and more insane over the sessions. The problem was that most of the group was basically murderhobos (lots of other first-timers) so he didn't stick out too much. And we were a ridiculously large group of people which made in-depth roleplay practically impossible. So I chose to just let the other players do their thing while my Cleric convinced himself that sticking with these people was his best bet to save his kidnapped friend. Because we are a party and we as players should find reasons to stick together. That's why I'm not surprised your companions found the NPC more suspicious than you.

In the end, we killed a dragon in a dungeon and the campaign was over. And then the Warlock decided that his evil patron would take over and somehow manage to make the cavern come down on us. I'm pretty sure the DMs (there were two) just wanted to end things so they let it happen. We tried to flee which didn't really work. The body of my rescued friend got crushed by debris which made my character give up on the spot and he died, too.

Rocks fell and (almost) everybody died. Including the Warlock who didn't care.

That ruined a perfectly fun campaign for me and it ate away at me for a good long while. I recorded a video of myself ranting about it which helped a lot. :P

The thing is, this was an actual campaign. And my first one. And I was playing a character I had been wanting to play for years. So I was very invested. It's different when it's a one-shot (or a 4-of). But I can definitely see where your friend is coming from. It's the classic case of mismatched expectations.

[Kirbycide]

Ahhhhh, but subverted expectations can be fun, right?!

Here's the background that I wrote for my dwarven cleric, Morgran Xothorden, which was shared with everyone before we started:

Morgran hails from the great and ancient Xothorden Clan, which in dwarven roughly translates to mystic knowledge of bones. Among dwarves, the Xothordens are renowned for their extraordinary smithing practice and expertise, in which they use the powdered bones of their ancestors as flux, forging potent holy artifacts, armor, and weapons. Youngest son of the clan elder, Morgran was raised and educated not as a blacksmith, but as the caretaker of the vast caverns in which the sacred remains of his ancestors are kept, the mystical and uncanny Crypt Xothorden. Dark and chasmic are those seemingly endless tunnels and hallowed hollows, where subterranean streams trickle and converge into black torrents, flowing ever deeper into the Underdark.

As caretaker of the crypt, Morgran became well acquainted with the dead and the grave, drinking deep from his own brews of ale and wine as he roamed the still caverns. But, as with many of the deep places of the world, the Crypt Xothorden was not always lifeless. Or, perhaps lifeless is not the right word. Exercising his duties, Morgran became, shall we say, somewhat familiar with the act of exorcism. Many are the times when the young dwarf was forced to deal with forces supernatural, to become acquainted with the evil undead.

More recently, Morgran has spent the last few years training his only son, Brammun, in the ways of the crypt caretaker. Pleased with his boy's aptitude and skill, Morgran has had more time to hone his brewing craft and to commune with his deity. And so, when word came that powerful adventurers were needed to defeat a great evil in the Temple of Anddedu, Morgran was happy to heed the call...

The angry friend sort of logged off quickly as soon as the betrayal occurred. He was playing the barbarian, and he had probably been the one most fooled, since he had also let my multiclassed cleric/eldritch knight weapon bond with his cursed axe. I could have summoned it away with a bonus action, but I didn't!

I'll add that I've already spoken with the other players about everything, and they have made it clear that they were all thoroughly surprised and amused. It's just the one angry friend that I worry about, especially because he is planning to participate in my upcoming homebrew campaign.

I guess that I'll need to mend things with him a bit if we're expected to move forward...

But, I mean, come on. For a onefour-shot, isn't this kind of cool? I thought it was a great idea, but yeah I suppose it was kind of a mean move as well.

[Huschel]

Like I said, I think it's totally fine for a short adventure and I don't take one-shots particularly seriously. They're perfect for whatever silly and out-there concept you may have. So I personally wouldn't have had a problem with your character. But I also personally had a large problem with something similar under different circumstances because I am a complex human being and I don't need to make sense.

I don't think you did anything wrong but it sounds like you nevertheless hurt somebody's feelings (to some extent). So yeah, talk it out, move on, and have fun.

[Kirbycide]

Hey y’all! So, as I mentioned recently, I’m going to be starting my own homebrew campaign soon, and I decided that I would work with my players to create a unique magic item for each of them. Something that fits with their backstory, flavor, and play style... but also that I can use to entice them into following my storylines, since I’ve told them that the items will grow in strength with them as they complete story and character arcs.

Was wondering if I could post the items here to get some feedback from you excellent folks. What say you?

[Huschel]

Sure, why not? My sense of balance isn't as well-honed as it is for Magic cards, but I can probably say if it sounds fun. :)

[Kirbycide]

Alright! Here goes, then. Be forewarned: Some of these descriptions are a little lengthy, but I think that I've tried to keep the mechanics of the items pretty simple so that they don't bog the game down too much. In my setting, the homebrewed pantheon of gods are going to play a major role in how the story unfolds, so I've tried to connect each of the items to a separate god, or at least I intend for them to be connected to one god or another, eventually. My general philosophy behind the items was to make them of slightly better than rare quality - if they are cursed then I made them even stronger, but I tried to make that strength situational or more difficult to use. Ultimately, I'd like for the items to start off pretty balanced, but if they aren't then I'm not too concerned about it since I intend for them to change over time (which I can use to rebalance them).

Item #1: Lionsfang. For the Leonin Battlemaster Fighter who lives for the thrill of combat, and is amused by the antics of the gods and their earnest, but ultimately deluded, mortal champions.

Hidden:

Lionsfang, Greatsword +1, Attunement Required

Can only be attuned to by Braxius of the Ivorymane, however if another creature attempts to attune to the sword, it then breaks Braxius's attunement.

The deadly edge of this exquisitely forged greatsword is imbued with an ancient magic, fueled by the blood of slain foes. Lionsfang adds +1 to all attack and damage rolls made with it, and it counts as a magical weapon against creatures with resistance or immunity to nonmagical attacks. Furthermore, it carries 5 arcane charges which fully regenerate every day at dawn and can be spent on the following feature:

Bestial Bloodlust (1 charge): As a free action, you may enter a frenzy until the start of your next turn. During this time, all creatures gain +2 to any attack rolls made against you. You may also choose any single creature that you can see as the object of your bloodlust, and gain +2 to any attack rolls you make against it with Lionsfang while frenzied. If you successfully hit this creature with an attack from Lionsfang while frenzied, it then becomes overwhelmed with a sense of your predatory instinct, and instead suffers -2 to any attack rolls made against you for the remainder of your frenzy. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until the start of your next turn.

Item #2: Chained Conqueror. For the Dragonborn Paladin of Conquest, sworn to uphold the teachings of the sun goddess of light and justice that personally intervened on behalf of the free peoples of the continent and ended a terrible 100-year war.

Hidden:

Chained Conqueror, Adamantine Chain Mail (AC 16), Attunement Required, Cursed

This gleaming chain mail is forged of pure adamantine and lined with fine, black leather. Emblazoned on the chest is a golden, seven-pointed sun. While equipped, it turns any critical hit against you into a normal hit.

Burning Radiance: As an action, you may cast the Crusader's Mantle spell for its full duration without concentration. For the duration of the spell, in addition to its normal effects, you also gain a +1 bonus to your AC and become a source of bright light out to 15 feet, and dim light for an additional 15 feet. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a long rest while wearing the Chained Conqueror.

Curse: Once you don this cursed armor, you can't doff it unless you are targeted by the Remove Curse spell or similar magic. While wearing the Chained Conqueror, you have an irrational paranoia and fear of being out of it. This often manifests as sleeping, bathing, and even going to fancy balls while still in your armor as if something is out there waiting for you to take it off and then strike you down. Even when the armor is successfully removed, you are left with an itching desire to put it back on.

In addition, any attack made against you would be a critical hit on a d20 roll of 19 or higher. If a critical hit is ever rolled against you in combat (regardless of the effect of this adamantine armor), you then feel your mind slip into a temporary, yet unavoidable state of insanity. If you suffer this hit while currently taking your turn, then your turn immediately ends. On your next turn, you must perform the first possible action of the following:

• If there is a creature that you can see that is within range, then move along the shortest path to the nearest creature that you can see, and then take the attack action against this creature without switching weapons.
• If there is a creature that you can see that is not within range, then take the dash action, move along the shortest path to the nearest creature that you can see, and then suffer 1d6 psychic damage.
• If there are no creatures that you can see, then use your action to scream in anguish at the top of your lungs, and then suffer 1d6 psychic damage.

Once you have performed one of the above actions, or if you take damage or your movement is interrupted while attempting to perform one of the above actions (e.g. by triggering a trap), you then regain your sanity and can complete the remainder of your turn as normal.

Item(s) #3: Twin Cleavers of the Tempest. For the Half-orc Barbarian, once a savage pirate but now a sailor in the royal navy of the country which dominates the maritime trade routes of the continent.

Hidden:

Twin Cleavers of the Tempest, Battleaxes, Attunement Required, Cursed

These savage battleaxes are forged from layered steel, finished to the dark gray of a towering thunderhead, just before it unleashes its booming fury. When held individually, each axe appears and behaves identically to any other well made, but otherwise mundane battleaxe. However, when attuned and dual wielded together, the bearer of these twin weapons feels a potent magic resonating between them like electricity. While dual wielded together, the Twin Cleavers of the Tempest gain the following properties:

• Each Cleaver counts as a magical weapon against creatures with resistance or immunity to nonmagical attacks.
• Each Cleaver deals 1d4 lightning damage in addition to the standard battleaxe damage.
• Each Cleaver gains the light and thrown (range 20/60) properties, similar to a mundane handaxe.

Together, the Twin Cleavers of the Tempest share a pool of 2 arcane charges which fully regenerate every day at dawn and can be spent on their additional features.

When one of the Twin Cleavers is thrown, it will either become embedded in its target on a successful hit, or otherwise fall to the ground. At this point, the thrown Cleaver is considered to be unequipped by its wielder, causing both Cleavers to revert to mundane battleaxes in every way, except for the following feature:

Thunderous Recall (1 charge): As a reaction, while holding only one of the Twin Cleavers, you may try to summon its twin into your empty hand. If the twin is on another plane of existence or farther than 60 feet from you, then nothing happens. Otherwise, the Twin Cleavers emit a crackling peal of thunder which can be heard by any creature within 300 feet of either battleaxe. Any creature holding or embedded with one of the Twin Cleavers must then make a DC 13 Constitution save. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d4 thunder damage and is stunned until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't stunned. Immediately after, the recalled Cleaver instantaneously teleports into your empty hand.

Curse: While in possession of one or both of the Twin Cleavers, at all times you believe to hear strange, indistinct, breathy voices. Try as you might, you can never quite make out what they are saying, and this bothers you to no end. While they are near you, you will find it hard to get any rejuvenating sleep. Each time you attempt to take a long rest while one or both of the Cleavers are in your possession, you must make a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If you pass, you are then able to convince the Twins to be quiet enough for you to complete your long rest as normal. Otherwise, you struggle to get any shut-eye, and must make a DC 15 Constitution save or fail to regenerate any hit dice when you have completed your long rest.

Item #4: Periapt of the Somnambulist. For the Human Arcane Trickster Rogue, once a lowly drug dealer who nearly overdosed and died on his own supply, but in his reverie was visited by the goddess of dreams, who spared his life in exchange for his servitude.

Hidden:

Periapt of the Somnambulist, Wondrous Item, Attunement Required, Cursed

This delicate-looking talisman which fits in the palm of your hand appears to be intricately carved from a single piece of flawless, translucent amethyst. The charm, stylized as an evil eye, is attached to a long, fine loop of silver which has no clasp. Once attuned to the Periapt of the Somnambulist, placing the loop around your neck causes the wondrous item to become effectively invisible to other creatures. If worn outside your clothing, a creature can only perceive the item if it has a Passive Perception of 18 or succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check.

While wearing the Periapt of the Somnambulist, your Constitution score is set to 16. This effect is negated if your Constitution score is already 16 or higher.

Third Eye Waking: As a bonus action, you may close your eyes and conjure a third, skyward gazing eye with an iris of blood red on your forehead. To all who can see you, the appearance of this third eye is extremely unnerving. Your third eye lasts until you open your eyes again with a bonus action, or up to a total duration of 10 minutes, whichever comes first. While your third eye exists, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a long rest while wearing the Periapt of the Somnambulist.

Curse: After each use of Third Eye Waking, you must make a DC 13 Constitution save or suffer one level of exhaustion. If the Periapt is unequipped from you while you are using this feature, then your third eye vanishes and you immediately fail the required save.

In addition, each time you attempt to take a long rest while wearing the Periapt, you must make a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check. If you pass, you may then finish your long rest as normal. Otherwise, you suffer a sleepwalking episode lasting for the duration of your long rest, to be used at the DM's discretion, and on waking must make a DC 15 Constitution save or immediately suffer one level of exhaustion. While in this sleepwalking state, your third eye appears as if you were using Third Eye Waking, and it is impossible for the Periapt to be unequipped from you. Furthermore, if you take any damage, or if a creature within 5 feet of you uses its action to shake you, you then immediately wake without any additional exhaustion effects, but your long rest is interrupted.

Item #5: Dulcimer of the Dead. For the Tiefling Bard, who secretly made a pact with an evil spirit in exchange for fame and recognition.

Hidden:

Dulcimer of the Dead, Wondrous Item, Sentient Instrument, Attunement Required, Cursed

Can only be attuned to by Nightshade, however if another creature attempts to attune to the dulcimer, it then breaks Nightshade's attunement.

This magnificent dulcimer appears to be made of darkest ebony, polished to a mirror finish. The scroll, fingerboard, and soundboard are all intricately inlaid with milky ivory and iridescent mother of pearl, in patterns that give the vaguest impression of grinning, horned skulls. The Dulcimer of the Dead is an exquisite example of its kind, superior to an ordinary instrument in every way. A creature that attempts to play the instrument without being attuned to it must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or suffer 2d6 necrotic damage, as their very life force is siphoned away from them through their fingertips.

Once attuned, you can play the instrument while casting a spell that causes any of its targets to become charmed on a failed saving throw, thereby imposing disadvantage on the save. This effect applies only if the spell has a somatic or material component.

In addition, the Dulcimer of the Dead carries up to 3 arcane charges which can be spent on the following spells, using your spellcasting ability and DC:

Charm Person (1 charge): As an action, you may cast Charm Person.
Invisibility (2 charges): As an action, you may cast Invisibility.
Levitate (2 charges): As an action, you may cast Levitate.
Wind Wall (2 charges): As an action, you may cast Wind Wall.
Fly (3 charges): As an action, you may cast Fly.
Shadow of Moil (3 charges): As an action, you may cast Shadow of Moil.
Stoneskin (3 charges): As an action, you may cast Stoneskin.

Sentience: This wondrous instrument has been inhabited by a powerful, otherworldly, and neutral evil spirit with an Intelligence of 16 (+3), Wisdom of 20 (+5), and Charisma of 24 (+7). It has hearing and darkvision out to 60 feet, and can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet. It comprehends and is able to speak in any language except celestial. At any time, the spirit may choose to speak directly into your mind, usually compelling you to commit atrocities in its name. You may also attempt to speak verbally or telepathically to the spirit, but it is not obligated to respond. While your relationship with the spirit is at least neutral, you may use the features of the Dulcimer of the Dead as normal, but if your relationship becomes strained, the spirit may cause the dulcimer to ignore your commands or even use its features against you.

Curse: Once attuned to the Dulcimer of the Dead, you cannot part with it unless you are targeted by the Remove Curse spell or similar magic. Otherwise, if another creature is in possession of the Dulcimer of the Dead, if you are more than 30 feet away from it, or if you are on a separate plane of existence, you will then begin to suffer a slow, agonizing death. For each hour that you are not in possession of the dulcimer, you must make a DC 15 Wisdom save. On a failed save, you immediately suffer 2d12 necrotic damage and your Constitution score is reduced by 1. On a successful save, you suffer half as much damage and your Constitution score is unaffected. If your Constitution score or hit points are reduced to 0 while suffering from this curse, then you immediately die and can only be returned to life by a True Resurrection or Wish spell. Once the dulcimer is back in your possession, you stop suffering from this curse, and your Constitution score is returned to normal.

Unlike other magic items imbued with arcane charges, the Dulcimer of the Dead does not recharge at dawn. Instead, you gain access to the following cursed feature:

Evil Appetite: If a creature you can see within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, and if the dulcimer is not fully charged, you may then use your reaction in an attempt to steal the creature's soul. If the creature is of good or neutral alignment, or if the creature has no soul, then nothing happens. Otherwise, the creature must make a death saving throw with disadvantage or be instantly killed. A creature killed in this way can only be returned to life by a True Resurrection or Wish spell, and its soul is consumed by the dulcimer, causing the instrument to regain 1 arcane charge. Once you have used this feature 3 times, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.

Welp... that's all of them. Any thoughts? I tried to give them some fun flavor for RP, but also make them exciting to use in combat. They seem pretty reasonably balanced to me, but what do I know?

[Jabberwok]

A couple of quick language notes: the term "free action" doesn't actually appear in the PHB, so you might want to change that first weapon to activate when the character makes an attack roll. You could probably tighten up the language in a few other places too.

Lionsfang is good! It's like a mini Reckless Attack, but to make up for the Battlemaster not having resistance via Rage it can apply a small debuff. This will be especially popular in fights against fewer enemies.

Chained Conqueror is pretty good. It's high risk/high reward, though depending at what level you're awarding it you might want to add a bit higher of an AC bonus to it. I'm also a bit confused about when the critical hit effect is happening, or if the negation part is a lie. In general, it could probably use a small buff.

The Tempest Cleavers are alright. I'd probably add more charges or make the save a bit higher to make them more effective, and I'd probably give them a greater throwing range too. 1d4 damage is strong but the special effects won't be activating often.

Periapt of the Somnambulist seems to have the most minor effects of these. Seeing through magical darkness is very neat and the Con bonus is certainly nice, but most of the other items seem to have more active effects. I assume it's your intention to make the sleepwalking effect easily avoided by simply removing the amulet before going to sleep?

Dulcimer of the Dead is a very neat idea. It's a bit odd to me that spells of different levels have the same number of charges though. I think it could probably do with a higher maximum of charges, and maybe it restores just one charge on a long rest. Otherwise it might be quite difficult to use some of those higher level spells.

[Kirbycide]

Thanks for looking at them, Jabs! You're the best.

A couple of quick language notes: the term "free action" doesn't actually appear in the PHB, so you might want to change that first weapon to activate when the character makes an attack roll. You could probably tighten up the language in a few other places too.

That's a good idea, I'll change the language a bit.

Lionsfang is good! It's like a mini Reckless Attack, but to make up for the Battlemaster not having resistance via Rage it can apply a small debuff. This will be especially popular in fights against fewer enemies.

Are you saying that it should apply a further debuff than the +2 to all attacks made against him? Or you think it's good as is?

Chained Conqueror is pretty good. It's high risk/high reward, though depending at what level you're awarding it you might want to add a bit higher of an AC bonus to it. I'm also a bit confused about when the critical hit effect is happening, or if the negation part is a lie. In general, it could probably use a small buff.

My intention was that it makes it easier to roll a critical hit against the wearer, but in exchange for negating those crits, he effectively redirects that extra crit damage by attacking a nearby creature (or suffers the psychic damage). I suppose I need to clarify that wording a bit, too.

All of the characters are starting at level 5, and while I know that chain mail is pretty low AC for heavy armor... I intend to make this armor better over time.

The Tempest Cleavers are alright. I'd probably add more charges or make the save a bit higher to make them more effective, and I'd probably give them a greater throwing range too. 1d4 damage is strong but the special effects won't be activating often.

I was actually trying to make the thunderous recall dangerous for the wielder, too, since any creature holding/embedded with one of the cleavers must make the save. I'm worried that if I increase the DC, then he'll be failing it a lot, too. I could certainly add more charges, but I don't want him to be throwing these axes all willy-nilly from dawn til dusk.

Periapt of the Somnambulist seems to have the most minor effects of these. Seeing through magical darkness is very neat and the Con bonus is certainly nice, but most of the other items seem to have more active effects. I assume it's your intention to make the sleepwalking effect easily avoided by simply removing the amulet before going to sleep?

Yeah, he only needs to wear it at night if he wants to recharge the third eye. And also wake up with full hp (since putting it on will only change his hp max, not his current hp). I'm struggling to think of ways to power it up more... maybe I can give it charges and an activated ability to go invisible or cast some sort of illusion like blur or mirror image?

Dulcimer of the Dead is a very neat idea. It's a bit odd to me that spells of different levels have the same number of charges though. I think it could probably do with a higher maximum of charges, and maybe it restores just one charge on a long rest. Otherwise it might be quite difficult to use some of those higher level spells.

Yes, I intentionally made some of the spells take less charges to cast than their level, since they are connected to elemental affinities of the evil spirit contained within.

And yeah, it is going to be quite hard to recharge... but I sort of intended for that to be the case since it's probably the best item right now, in my opinion. I'll think about adding a recharge at dawn... maybe 1d4-1 charges or something like that. I did try to balance it by making the recharge have an instakill effect on the targeted creature.

Thanks again!

[Huschel]

Alright! Here goes, then. Be forewarned: Some of these descriptions are a little lengthy, but I think that I've tried to keep the mechanics of the items pretty simple so that they don't bog the game down too much. In my setting, the homebrewed pantheon of gods are going to play a major role in how the story unfolds, so I've tried to connect each of the items to a separate god, or at least I intend for them to be connected to one god or another, eventually. My general philosophy behind the items was to make them of slightly better than rare quality - if they are cursed then I made them even stronger, but I tried to make that strength situational or more difficult to use. Ultimately, I'd like for the items to start off pretty balanced, but if they aren't then I'm not too concerned about it since I intend for them to change over time (which I can use to rebalance them).

Item #1: Lionsfang. For the Leonin Battlemaster Fighter who lives for the thrill of combat, and is amused by the antics of the gods and their earnest, but ultimately deluded, mortal champions.

Hidden:

Lionsfang, Greatsword +1, Attunement Required

Can only be attuned to by Braxius of the Ivorymane, however if another creature attempts to attune to the sword, it then breaks Braxius's attunement.

The deadly edge of this exquisitely forged greatsword is imbued with an ancient magic, fueled by the blood of slain foes. Lionsfang adds +1 to all attack and damage rolls made with it, and it counts as a magical weapon against creatures with resistance or immunity to nonmagical attacks. Furthermore, it carries 5 arcane charges which fully regenerate every day at dawn and can be spent on the following feature:

Bestial Bloodlust (1 charge): As a free action, you may enter a frenzy until the start of your next turn. During this time, all creatures gain +2 to any attack rolls made against you. You may also choose any single creature that you can see as the object of your bloodlust, and gain +2 to any attack rolls you make against it with Lionsfang while frenzied. If you successfully hit this creature with an attack from Lionsfang while frenzied, it then becomes overwhelmed with a sense of your predatory instinct, and instead suffers -2 to any attack rolls made against you for the remainder of your frenzy. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until the start of your next turn.

It's strange that this is the only item without a curse. I like Bestial Bloodlust, but I would be wary giving that ability to the Fighter while there is also a Barbarian in the party. It’s very similar to Reckless Attack and it doesn’t cost a bonus action so the Barbarian might feel bad about it. 5 charges can get you through two fights most of the time, maybe even three, so this is basically always on unless you plan on having more fights per day.

Also, when you say that it’s a free action to enter this frenzy, do you mean that player can then not interact with an object for free this turn? That is what I would classify as the free action, but I don’t think that’s anywhere in the rules. Or do you mean that it doesn’t cost anything at all to do this? Then I would word it similarly to the Fighter’s Action Surge. ‘On your turn, you can enter a frenzy (…). Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until the start of your next turn.’

Or, considering that this weapon can only ever be attuned to Braxius anyway, why not tie it to Action Surge? I’m just spit-balling here: ‘Whenever you use your Action Surge (feature), you can enter a frenzy and mark a creature as the object of your bloodlust. Until that creature is incapacitated or 1 minute has passed, you add 2 to any attack roll you make against that creature, and every other creature adds 2 to attack rolls made against you.’
Or: ‘Whenever you use your Action Surge (feature), you can enter a frenzy and mark a creature as the object of your bloodlust. For 1 minute, you add 2 to any attack roll you make against that creature, and every other creature adds 2 to attack rolls made against you. When the marked creature is incapacitated, you may use a bonus action to mark another creature as long as you are still in a frenzy.’
This means that the Fighter can use this ability once per short rest, so possibly also in most fights. I don’t know. Like I say, I like the concept as long as the Barbarian doesn’t feel stepped on.

Now that I've written all this, I realize that the charges might be used for other abilities in the future...oh well.

Item #2: Chained Conqueror. For the Dragonborn Paladin of Conquest, sworn to uphold the teachings of the sun goddess of light and justice that personally intervened on behalf of the free peoples of the continent and ended a terrible 100-year war.

Hidden:

Chained Conqueror, Adamantine Chain Mail (AC 16), Attunement Required, Cursed

This gleaming chain mail is forged of pure adamantine and lined with fine, black leather. Emblazoned on the chest is a golden, seven-pointed sun. While equipped, it turns any critical hit against you into a normal hit.

Burning Radiance: As an action, you may cast the Crusader's Mantle spell for its full duration without concentration. For the duration of the spell, in addition to its normal effects, you also gain a +1 bonus to your AC and become a source of bright light out to 15 feet, and dim light for an additional 15 feet. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a long rest while wearing the Chained Conqueror.

Curse: Once you don this cursed armor, you can't doff it unless you are targeted by the Remove Curse spell or similar magic. While wearing the Chained Conqueror, you have an irrational paranoia and fear of being out of it. This often manifests as sleeping, bathing, and even going to fancy balls while still in your armor as if something is out there waiting for you to take it off and then strike you down. Even when the armor is successfully removed, you are left with an itching desire to put it back on.

In addition, any attack made against you would be a critical hit on a d20 roll of 19 or higher. If a critical hit is ever rolled against you in combat (regardless of the effect of this adamantine armor), you then feel your mind slip into a temporary, yet unavoidable state of insanity. If you suffer this hit while currently taking your turn, then your turn immediately ends. On your next turn, you must perform the first possible action of the following:

• If there is a creature that you can see that is within range, then move along the shortest path to the nearest creature that you can see, and then take the attack action against this creature without switching weapons.
• If there is a creature that you can see that is not within range, then take the dash action, move along the shortest path to the nearest creature that you can see, and then suffer 1d6 psychic damage.
• If there are no creatures that you can see, then use your action to scream in anguish at the top of your lungs, and then suffer 1d6 psychic damage.

Once you have performed one of the above actions, or if you take damage or your movement is interrupted while attempting to perform one of the above actions (e.g. by triggering a trap), you then regain your sanity and can complete the remainder of your turn as normal.

The curse seems very harsh, especially because I don’t feel like being able to cast Crusader’s Mantle once per day is all that powerful. I might be wrong. The first part of the curse depends on how you plan on ruling sleeping in heavy armor. It’s usually not that comfortable. Xanathar’s Guide to Everything offers this optional rule: “Sleeping in light armor has no adverse effect on the wearer, but sleeping in medium or heavy armor makes it difficult to recover fully during a long rest. When you finish a long rest during which you slept in medium or heavy armor, you regain only one quarter of your spent Hit Dice (minimum of one die). If you have any levels of exhaustion, the rest doesn’t reduce your exhaustion level."

The other part of the curse just seems way too wordy to me, especially because there will probably me a creature right next to the Paladin that has hit them with a ‘crit’. I would try to make it one streamlined effect. Maybe the first effect from the Confusion spell? On their next turn, roll a d8 and they run in a random direction? I think I would even let them attack first though (or during the move). Otherwise, that’s just a very feel bad moment doing nothing on that turn. I know that’s the point, but I’d try to punish the player another way. This movement opens them up for opportunity attacks which sort of negates the crit-negation of the armor.

Item(s) #3: Twin Cleavers of the Tempest. For the Half-orc Barbarian, once a savage pirate but now a sailor in the royal navy of the country which dominates the maritime trade routes of the continent.

Hidden:

Twin Cleavers of the Tempest, Battleaxes, Attunement Required, Cursed

These savage battleaxes are forged from layered steel, finished to the dark gray of a towering thunderhead, just before it unleashes its booming fury. When held individually, each axe appears and behaves identically to any other well made, but otherwise mundane battleaxe. However, when attuned and dual wielded together, the bearer of these twin weapons feels a potent magic resonating between them like electricity. While dual wielded together, the Twin Cleavers of the Tempest gain the following properties:

• Each Cleaver counts as a magical weapon against creatures with resistance or immunity to nonmagical attacks.
• Each Cleaver deals 1d4 lightning damage in addition to the standard battleaxe damage.
• Each Cleaver gains the light and thrown (range 20/60) properties, similar to a mundane handaxe.

Together, the Twin Cleavers of the Tempest share a pool of 2 arcane charges which fully regenerate every day at dawn and can be spent on their additional features.

When one of the Twin Cleavers is thrown, it will either become embedded in its target on a successful hit, or otherwise fall to the ground. At this point, the thrown Cleaver is considered to be unequipped by its wielder, causing both Cleavers to revert to mundane battleaxes in every way, except for the following feature:

Thunderous Recall (1 charge): As a reaction, while holding only one of the Twin Cleavers, you may try to summon its twin into your empty hand. If the twin is on another plane of existence or farther than 60 feet from you, then nothing happens. Otherwise, the Twin Cleavers emit a crackling peal of thunder which can be heard by any creature within 300 feet of either battleaxe. Any creature holding or embedded with one of the Twin Cleavers must then make a DC 13 Constitution save. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d4 thunder damage and is stunned until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't stunned. Immediately after, the recalled Cleaver instantaneously teleports into your empty hand.

Curse: While in possession of one or both of the Twin Cleavers, at all times you believe to hear strange, indistinct, breathy voices. Try as you might, you can never quite make out what they are saying, and this bothers you to no end. While they are near you, you will find it hard to get any rejuvenating sleep. Each time you attempt to take a long rest while one or both of the Cleavers are in your possession, you must make a DC 10 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If you pass, you are then able to convince the Twins to be quiet enough for you to complete your long rest as normal. Otherwise, you struggle to get any shut-eye, and must make a DC 15 Constitution save or fail to regenerate any hit dice when you have completed your long rest.

I love these. Cool effect and cool visual. Once again, the curse effect
seem harsh to me, but I suppose there is a good chance a Barbarian will pass one of those two checks.

Item #4: Periapt of the Somnambulist. For the Human Arcane Trickster Rogue, once a lowly drug dealer who nearly overdosed and died on his own supply, but in his reverie was visited by the goddess of dreams, who spared his life in exchange for his servitude.

Hidden:

Periapt of the Somnambulist, Wondrous Item, Attunement Required, Cursed

This delicate-looking talisman which fits in the palm of your hand appears to be intricately carved from a single piece of flawless, translucent amethyst. The charm, stylized as an evil eye, is attached to a long, fine loop of silver which has no clasp. Once attuned to the Periapt of the Somnambulist, placing the loop around your neck causes the wondrous item to become effectively invisible to other creatures. If worn outside your clothing, a creature can only perceive the item if it has a Passive Perception of 18 or succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check.

While wearing the Periapt of the Somnambulist, your Constitution score is set to 16. This effect is negated if your Constitution score is already 16 or higher.

Third Eye Waking: As a bonus action, you may close your eyes and conjure a third, skyward gazing eye with an iris of blood red on your forehead. To all who can see you, the appearance of this third eye is extremely unnerving. Your third eye lasts until you open your eyes again with a bonus action, or up to a total duration of 10 minutes, whichever comes first. While your third eye exists, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet. Once you have used this feature, you can't use it again until you have finished a long rest while wearing the Periapt of the Somnambulist.

Curse: After each use of Third Eye Waking, you must make a DC 13 Constitution save or suffer one level of exhaustion. If the Periapt is unequipped from you while you are using this feature, then your third eye vanishes and you immediately fail the required save.

In addition, each time you attempt to take a long rest while wearing the Periapt, you must make a DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check. If you pass, you may then finish your long rest as normal. Otherwise, you suffer a sleepwalking episode lasting for the duration of your long rest, to be used at the DM's discretion, and on waking must make a DC 15 Constitution save or immediately suffer one level of exhaustion. While in this sleepwalking state, your third eye appears as if you were using Third Eye Waking, and it is impossible for the Periapt to be unequipped from you. Furthermore, if you take any damage, or if a creature within 5 feet of you uses its action to shake you, you then immediately wake without any additional exhaustion effects, but your long rest is interrupted.

Kind of an odd combination of abilities. I’m not sure where the higher constitution comes from, but alright. The main ability (I would say), is somewhat situational. It’s great when there’s magical darkness, of course. But seeing through natural darkness doesn’t really help all that much when a lot of enemies will have darkvision. Unless this Rogue is a ranged attacker, then he can go more than 60 feet away. In that case, I do like the ability.

I don’t love the Con save afterwards though. Even one level of exhaustion is so crippling to a Rogue who relies a lot on their skill checks (including Stealth for hiding). And then when trying to get the Third Eye ability back, he may get unlucky and get a second level? That’s a lot.

I would have him spend a certain amount of time blinded in order to get the ability back. Or maybe immediately after he’s used it, he is blind for a while and can use it again afterwards (or the next day). Anything that’s not exhaustion please. I have bad memories of my own Arcane Trickster whose cursed weapon also made her pseudo-sleepwalk and wake up exhausted :P

Item #5: Dulcimer of the Dead. For the Tiefling Bard, who secretly made a pact with an evil spirit in exchange for fame and recognition.

Hidden:

Dulcimer of the Dead, Wondrous Item, Sentient Instrument, Attunement Required, Cursed

Can only be attuned to by Nightshade, however if another creature attempts to attune to the dulcimer, it then breaks Nightshade's attunement.

This magnificent dulcimer appears to be made of darkest ebony, polished to a mirror finish. The scroll, fingerboard, and soundboard are all intricately inlaid with milky ivory and iridescent mother of pearl, in patterns that give the vaguest impression of grinning, horned skulls. The Dulcimer of the Dead is an exquisite example of its kind, superior to an ordinary instrument in every way. A creature that attempts to play the instrument without being attuned to it must make a DC 15 Wisdom save or suffer 2d6 necrotic damage, as their very life force is siphoned away from them through their fingertips.

Once attuned, you can play the instrument while casting a spell that causes any of its targets to become charmed on a failed saving throw, thereby imposing disadvantage on the save. This effect applies only if the spell has a somatic or material component.

In addition, the Dulcimer of the Dead carries up to 3 arcane charges which can be spent on the following spells, using your spellcasting ability and DC:

Charm Person (1 charge): As an action, you may cast Charm Person.
Invisibility (2 charges): As an action, you may cast Invisibility.
Levitate (2 charges): As an action, you may cast Levitate.
Wind Wall (2 charges): As an action, you may cast Wind Wall.
Fly (3 charges): As an action, you may cast Fly.
Shadow of Moil (3 charges): As an action, you may cast Shadow of Moil.
Stoneskin (3 charges): As an action, you may cast Stoneskin.

Sentience: This wondrous instrument has been inhabited by a powerful, otherworldly, and neutral evil spirit with an Intelligence of 16 (+3), Wisdom of 20 (+5), and Charisma of 24 (+7). It has hearing and darkvision out to 60 feet, and can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet. It comprehends and is able to speak in any language except celestial. At any time, the spirit may choose to speak directly into your mind, usually compelling you to commit atrocities in its name. You may also attempt to speak verbally or telepathically to the spirit, but it is not obligated to respond. While your relationship with the spirit is at least neutral, you may use the features of the Dulcimer of the Dead as normal, but if your relationship becomes strained, the spirit may cause the dulcimer to ignore your commands or even use its features against you.

Curse: Once attuned to the Dulcimer of the Dead, you cannot part with it unless you are targeted by the Remove Curse spell or similar magic. Otherwise, if another creature is in possession of the Dulcimer of the Dead, if you are more than 30 feet away from it, or if you are on a separate plane of existence, you will then begin to suffer a slow, agonizing death. For each hour that you are not in possession of the dulcimer, you must make a DC 15 Wisdom save. On a failed save, you immediately suffer 2d12 necrotic damage and your Constitution score is reduced by 1. On a successful save, you suffer half as much damage and your Constitution score is unaffected. If your Constitution score or hit points are reduced to 0 while suffering from this curse, then you immediately die and can only be returned to life by a True Resurrection or Wish spell. Once the dulcimer is back in your possession, you stop suffering from this curse, and your Constitution score is returned to normal.

Unlike other magic items imbued with arcane charges, the Dulcimer of the Dead does not recharge at dawn. Instead, you gain access to the following cursed feature:

Evil Appetite: If a creature you can see within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, and if the dulcimer is not fully charged, you may then use your reaction in an attempt to steal the creature's soul. If the creature is of good or neutral alignment, or if the creature has no soul, then nothing happens. Otherwise, the creature must make a death saving throw with disadvantage or be instantly killed. A creature killed in this way can only be returned to life by a True Resurrection or Wish spell, and its soul is consumed by the dulcimer, causing the instrument to regain 1 arcane charge. Once you have used this feature 3 times, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.

This one is just a whole lot of text and abilities. So much more than what the other items have. I would start smaller and add those abilities over time when the weapon levels up. Including the sentience, I think.

Welp... that's all of them. Any thoughts? I tried to give them some fun flavor for RP, but also make them exciting to use in combat. They seem pretty reasonably balanced to me, but what do I know?

Lots of thoughts. Not sure how useful they are though. ;)