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Singing Edge

Singing Edge, dagger, very rare The blade of this +1 dagger is inscribed with musical patterns. When holding this dagger, if you make a roll using a bardic inspiration die, Singing Edge becomes a +3 dagger that deals extra thunder damage equal to the bardic inspiration die you used until the end of your turn.

A good weapon if you got a Rogue and a Bard in your party or a bard that likes to get up close and personal!

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Hello everyone, a recent google security update required me to approve manually everyone that requested to view the BoBH, so I had to delete the old folder and make a new one with updated permissions. Long story short, here is the new link to access it: HERE

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I Wand

Working for a new project with the people of MistFactor now. I’m pretty tired and my brains doesn’t work right. So I Just had the most  wonderfully stupid idea for a magical item idea and wanted to share. Please don't judge me.

I Wand Wondrous item, uncommon

While holding this wand, you can use an action to cast the sending spell with it, however, your message can only be 20 words long as the 5 last words will always be "Sent from my I Wand". The wand can't be used this way again until the next dawn.

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Common Occupations in the Middle Ages

Almoners: ensured the poor received alms.

Atilliator: skilled castle worker who made crossbows.

Baliff: in charge of allotting jobs to the peasants, building repair, and repair of tools used by the peasants.

Barber: someone who cut hair. Also served as dentists, surgeons and blood-letters.

Blacksmith: forged and sharpened tools and weapons, beat out dents in armor, made hinges for doors, and window grills. Also referred to as Smiths.

Bottler: in charge of the buttery or bottlery.

Butler: cared for the cellar and was in charge of large butts and little butts (bottles) of wine and beer. Under him a staff of people might consist of brewers, tapsters, cellarers, dispensers, cupbearers and dapifer.

Carder: someone who brushed cloth during its manufacture.

Carpenter: built flooring, roofing, siege engines, furniture, panelling for rooms, and scaffoling for building.

Carters: workmen who brought wood and stone to the site of a castle under construction.

Castellan: resident owner or person in charge of a castle (custodian).

Chamberlain: responsible for the great chamber and for the personal finances of the castellan.

Chaplain: provided spirtual welfare for laborers and the castle garrison. The duties might also include supervising building operations, clerk, and keeping accounts. He also tended to the chapel.

Clerk: a person who checked material costs, wages, and kept accounts.

Constable: a person who took care (the governor or warden) of a castle in the absence of the owner. This was sometimes bestowed upon a great baron as an honor and some royal castles had hereditary constables.

Cook: roasted, broiled, and baked food in the fireplaces and ovens.

Cottars: the lowest of the peasantry. Worked as swine-herds, prison guards, and did odd jobs.

Ditcher: worker who dug moats, vaults, foundations and mines.

Dyer: someone who dyed cloth in huge heated vats during its manufacture.

Ewerer: worker who brought and heated water for the nobles.

Falconer: highly skilled expert responsible for the care and training of hawks for the sport of falconry.

Fuller: worker who shrinks & thickens cloth fibers through wetting & beating the material.

Glaziers: a person who cut and shaped glass.

Gong Farmer: a latrine pit emptier.

Hayward:  someone who tended the hedges.

Herald: knights assistant and an expert advisor on heraldry.

Keeper of the Wardrobe: in charge of the tailors and laundress.

Knight: a professional soldier. This was achieved only after long and arduous training which began in infancy.

Laird: minor baron or small landlord.

Marshal: officer in charge of a household’s horses, carts, wagons, and containers. His staff included farriers, grooms, carters, smiths and clerks. He also oversaw the transporting of goods.

Master Mason: responsible for the designing and overseeing the building of a structure.

Messengers: servants of the lord who carried receipts, letters, and commodities.

Miner: skilled professional who dug tunnels for the purpose of undermining a castle.

Minstrels: part of of the castle staff who provided entertainment in the form of singing and playing musical instruments.

Porter: took care of the doors (janitor), particularly the main entrance. Responsible for the guardrooms. The person also insured that no one entered or left the castle withour permission. Also known as the door-ward.

Reeve: supervised the work on lord’s property. He checked that everyone began and stopped work on time, and insured nothing was stolen. Senior officer of a borough.

Sapper: an unskilled person who dug a mine or approach tunnel.

Scullions: responsible for washing and cleaning in the kitchen.

Shearmen: a person who trimmed the cloth during its manufacture.

Shoemaker: a craftsman who made shoes. Known also as Cordwainers.

Spinster: a name given to a woman who earned her living spinning yarn. Later this was expanded and any unmarried woman was called a spinster.

Steward: took care of the estate and domestic administration. Supervised the household and events in the great hall. Also referred to as a Seneschal.

Squire: attained at the age of 14 while training as a knight. He would be assigned to a knight to carry and care for the weapons and horse.

Watchmen: an official at the castle responsible for security. Assited by lookouts (the garrison).

Weaver: someone who cleaned and compacted cloth, in association with the Walker and Fuller.

Woodworkers: tradesmen called Board-hewers who worked in the forest, producing joists and beams.

Other medieval jobs included:

tanners, soap makers, cask makers, cloth makers, candle makers (chandlers), gold and silver smiths, laundresses, bakers, grooms, pages, huntsmen, doctors, painters, plasterers, and painters, potters, brick and tile makers, glass makers, shipwrights, sailors, butchers, fishmongers, farmers, herdsmen, millers, the clergy, parish priests, members of the monastic orders, innkeepers, roadmenders, woodwards (for the forests). slingers. Other Domestic jobs inside the castle or manor:

Personal atendants- ladies-in-waiting, chamber maids, doctor.

The myriad of people involved in the preparation and serving of meals- brewers, poulterer, fruiterers, slaughterers, dispensers, cooks and the cupbearers.

By Lise Hull READ MORE

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A little while ago I worked on Entromancy, a cyberpunk fantasy rpg with 5e hacked rules. If you got a cyberpunk itch to scratch check out this review of the game: Entromancy: A Review

Also if you like the game you can find it here: DriveThruRPG

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Another update for the long-running Book of Beautiful Horrors is available! This update brings a new subsection on villains themed around a kind of evil (alchemy, fanaticism, Far Realm mutants).

New in version v2.0: PDF

NEW MONSTERS: 13 new monsters

Content page with hyperlinks updated.

Content page by Challenge updated.

Credit page for Artists updated.

Spelling mistakes and format changed here and there. Thanks to everyone for reporting them!

CHANGES TO EXISTING MONSTERS:

(Ghoul) Ghoul Regent: new wording for Foul Regeneration: "The ghoul regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn. If the ghoul is targeted by dispel magic or is in the area of an antimagic field, this trait doesn't function at the start of the ghoul’s next turn. The ghoul is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate."

(Vampire) New Art for Garkain and Katakan.

NEW MONSTERS PER CR:

Flagellant [CR1] in Witch Hunter

Destructive Alchemist [CR3] in Dark Alchemy

Obscuroth [CR4] in Warped Ones

Witch Hunter [CR6] in Witch Hunter

Experimenter [CR9] in Dark Alchemy

Lodestar [CR9] in Warped Ones

Balespell Abomination [CR11] in Warped Ones

Witchfinder General [CR11] in Witch Hunter

Golden Magister [CR14] in Dark Alchemy

Banisher [CR17] in Witch Hunter

Varghulf [CR19] in Vampire

Vozhark [CR23] in Warped Ones

Alkahzir [CR24] in Dark Alchemy

PS: I have tried a new compression method to keep the file size manageable. Please let me know if you find a noticeable change!

Please support me on Patreon if you like what I do!

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Writing A Fictional Town | Tips & Tricks

When we talk about world building, we usually think scifi or fantasy where we have to create languages and build magic systems that somehow explain away why gravity is upside down or why the walls chant an ancient language that you can only decipher at the witching hour. But what if you just want to create a bizarre little town to set the scene for your story? I did it for Truth Weekend!

So here are 3 Steps to creating your own town.

Step 1: Nail Down An Appropriate Name!

Are you an author aiming for premium chaos like “Riverdale” or a deceitfully happy name like “Sunnybrook” when really there’s sinister activity below the surface? Maybe that has something to do with the hero or villain that got to name the town.

For example, there’s this neighborhood in sunny sleepy Florida called Champaign Lane that consists of middle middle/ lower middle income young people who just got out of college and are buying their first homes. Though it is in a sketchy part of town, all the little houses are a gorgeous pale pink or turquoise with white roofs and immaculate yards, so while I find the name to be ironic, I also view it as a goal. The residents are hungry and ambitious youth, hustling to make their dreams come true so that they can get to the place in life where they’re popping champagne. This also poses an allegory for living behind a passible facade of having lots of money and happiness when really we don’t. The hidden juxtaposition adds an extra layer to your setting and you didn’t even have to do that much.

Step two: what are all the secrets and sins of the town?

What are the legends of the lake? What streets are for daylight only? Who is the woman in the window you’re told stay away from?

Recently I was reading an idealistic romance set in a fake town in California with a scene in a grocery store where a character looks at a missing child flyer and says “It’s a shame this family can’t catch a break. Her sister literally drowned in Lake Eerie three months ago.” A small moment like that adds so much texture and validity to the scene and suddenly the thing on the page is alive again.

So if you’re looking for a nifty little writing exercise then I’d say write up three myths or legends about the places and people of your town. Bonus points if there’s story about the crooked family on the tallest hill.

Step 3: Define the details of what makes your town so special.

What are the oddities and marvels of this place that are so distinct that you couldn’t set it in a real town or a real neighborhood? I like to separate this stage of planning into three parts: color, aesthetic, & monuments.

For me, a fun way to get the wheels turning when world building is to create a color pallet. In the opening of Truth Weekend, the colors in Skye’s world are quite muted and grungy, but when we meet Rosie there’s a lot of plums, burgundies, wine red, and amber.

As they enter this new world together, the colors change again and there’s a vibrancy to it. It’s not just blue, its cobalt and if its red, its neon. It’s like the saturation is cranked all the way to 100 to reflect the emotional intensity and how uncomfortable, but cathartic this situation is and as their relationship changes the we then get into the lavenders, the magentas, and the concept of yellow which poses a fitting dichotomy in its meaning of rebirth and cowardice. Use color theory to you advantage! The symbolism writes itself.

Next, the Aesthetic

This lets you hone in on your unique style, your voice, your vision while having a touch stone to come back to.

Are we going for a Florida gothic, where we have an orange field on one side of the road and on the other side we have a marble cherub in front of a waffle house? I once saw a motel sign where the tagline read: stay for a while… stay forever. This creep-fest feeds into that well-meaning but unhinged Midwestern gothic of cornfields, dirt roads, and rumors of three eyed blood deer.

Look up some photos and make a list. Here’s an example of if I wanted to write a fun quirktastic town: sunny side up wall paper, the Oasis motel, conspiracy theory diner, rainbow slushies, cannabis cookie shop, a yellow house shaped like a boot, an iguana eating hydrangeas in sunflower fields, crop circle picnics, and a bookstore built for an acid trip.

Don’t be afraid to include wild life, nature, and peculiar architecture within this list, but if your creative genius mind doesn’t jive with aesthetics we still have monuments, which is the best part of this whole thing.

Monuments: What are the key locations that are only in this town?

What are the hot spots of the town? Where do the old people hang out? Is the town covered in graffiti or is it very buttoned up? Maybe it is abnormally homogenous. Is there a mansion next to a trailer park or a prison next to a school?

To get you mind cooking, create 10 unique locations. Why ten? Because it’s a good number, but you can always expand it. Create 10 locations and watch your dream town that is so full of character and foreshadowing unfold in front of you.

Alright guys that’s all that I have for you today. I hope it this got the creative juices rolling. Comment down below and let me know any more hyper-specific topics you want me to hit on. Happy writing!

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I've recently finished another group of villains of the Book of Beautiful Horrors. The hateful Witch Hunters.

Witch Hunter PDF

Inspiration: I took inspiration mainly from the Witcher and Warhammer fantasy on this one. I hope I managed to make them feel part of d&d!

Design: These enemies are obviously best used against a group that includes spellcasters. Most of their abilities depend on the spellcasters' actions. I tried to challenge spellcasters but not make them useless. In a low magic setting or against a group of mainly nonmagic users, these enemies won't be really threatening and be most likely steamrolled by the party.

PS: I always appreciate support on Patreon if you feel charitable!

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Alkahzir, the final villain of the Dark Alchemy section. I've also added an artifact to covet, the Emerald Tablet, for good measure!

Find the full Dark Alchemy section here.

If you can spare a $ or 2, I also always appreciate support on Patreon!

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Hi there! I just need to thank you for your Book of Beautiful and Horrible Things! Not only have you given me so many ideas from the mere second I started looking from it, but the Chort was a fun fight for my players to where their barbarian was cursed by its eye! So, from every inch of my heart, I thank you for your beautifully horrific contribution to the D&D Universe!

Thank you so much! It makes me very happy to read your comment :) I hope it will keep bringing you joy, and tears to your players!

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Resources For Fantasy & Mythology Writers

Designing A World

City and Town Name Generator

How To Create a Believable World

Fantasy Religion Design Guide

Fantasy Map-maker

The Language Construction Kit

Fantasy Name Generator

The Pagan Name Generator

Writing Fantasy: Tools & Techniques

Fractal World Generator

Creating a Magic System

The Middle Ages

A Large List Of Articles On The Middle Ages

Middle Ages Weapons

Medieval Clothing

Medieval Clothing Pages

Medieval Name Archive

The Domesday Book

European Nobility Titles

Mythology

General Folklore

Various Folktales

Heroes

Weather Folklore

Trees in Mythology

Animals in Mythology

Birds in Mythology

Flowers in Mythology

Fruit in Mythology

Plants in Mythology

Folktales from Around the World

Egyptian Mythology

African Mythology

More African Mythology

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Gods of Africa

Even More African Mythology

West African Mythology

All About African Mythology

African Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Aztec Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Inca Mythology

Maya Mythology

Native American Mythology

More Inca Mythology

More Native American Mythology

South American Mythical Creatures

North American Mythical Creatures

Aztec Gods and Goddesses

Chinese Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

More Japanese Mythology

Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures

Indian Mythical Creatures

Chinese Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Korean Gods and Goddesses

Basque Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Etruscan Mythology

Greek Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Mythology

Roman Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Bestiary

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands

Finnish Mythology

Celtic Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Islamic Mythology

Judaic Mythology

Mesopotamian Mythology

Persian Mythology

Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures

Aboriginal Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

More Polynesian Mythology

Mythology of the Polynesian Islands

Melanesian Mythology

Massive Polynesian Mythology Post

Maori Mythical Creatures

Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses

Hawaiian Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses

List of Gods

Encyclopedia Mythica

Mythical Creatures & Beasts

Questions To Ask When Worldbuilding

The World

Physical and Historical Features

Magic and Magicians

Peoples and Customs

Social Organization

Commerce, Trade, and Public Life

Daily Life

Basics

Alternate Earth

Not Earth at All

Climate and Geography

Natural Resources

World History

Specific Country(s) History

Rules of Magic

Wizards

Magic and Technology

Miscellaneous Magic Questions

Customs

Eating

Greeting and Meeting

Gestures

Visits

Language

Ethics and Values

Religion and the Gods

Population

Government

Politics

Crime and the Legal System

Foreign Relations

Waging War

Weapons

Business and Industry

Transportation and Communication

Science and Technology

Medicine

Arts and Entertainment

Architecture

Urban Factors

Rural Factors

Fashion and Dress

Manners

Diet

Education

Calendar

Magic

The Hypertext List of Spells

Gemstone Properties

Gemstone Meanings

Crystal Healing

Fairy & Other Spirits

Elven Phrases

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Dive into forbidden alchemy with the new villains of the Book of Beautiful Horrors...

Find the PDF version here.

Support me on Patreon.

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Cursed Items

Hex Bag, Wondrous Item, Common.

This small light pouch, the size of a tea bag, is made of humanoid skin. It contains several spell components of various potency, most coming from fiends or others evil creature’s remains. A Hex Bag hidden on a creature requires a successful DC 20 Investigation check to be found. If the Hex Bag is destroyed, the creature that created it is blinded for 2d12 hours. Curse. This pouch is cursed. While in possession of the hex bag, you have disadvantage on attack rolls against its creator and on saving throws against their spells and special abilities. In addition, any curse affecting you cannot be removed while the Hex Bag is on you.

Ink Blade. Weapon (Rapier), Rare. (requires attunement).   On its natural form this weapon looks like a stylized inkwell shaped like a sword’s hilt, as a bonus action you can open it, forming a blade made of solidified ink, as hard as steel. Using an action you can pierce a nonmagical book with the blade, absorbing its content and leaving the book blank. For 7 days, when making an Intelligence check with a skill assigned to the book (DM’s choice: Arcana, History, Nature or Religion), you gain advantage on the check. You can accurately recall the content of the last book absorbed. When you do so, relevant passages of the book are written in ink on your skin. Curse. While attuned to the blade, when you finish a short or long rest and the Ink Blade has no book absorbed, you wake up remembering nothing from the past 24 hours.

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It has been a shameful 9 month since the last update... but well, better late than never! So here is the 1.9 of the Book of Beautiful Horrors.

There is 2 files in the folder to choose from, low quality at 37mg and HD at 87 mg.

I'll let you check what is new directly in the changelog:

VERSION 1.9

NEW MONSTERS: 12 new monsters

NEW PLAYER RACES: 2 players races option added (Northlander and Waelen)

Content page with hyperlinks updated.

Content page by Challenge updated.

Credit page for Artists updated.

Spelling mistakes and format changed here and there. Thanks to everyone for reporting them!

CHANGES TO EXISTING MONSTERS:

(Wraith) Pesta: Plague Breath two previous effects combined into Pestilential Breath power (action economy), the Pesta gains a new Legendary Action called Flare-Up Diseases.

(Satyr) Bonfire King reworked, Innate Spellcasting spells changed. New Legendary Action added: Consuming Dance

(Rotfiend) New Art for the Scurver, by artist Adrian Bilozor

(Wraith) Shade Host: added damage to Incorporeal Swarm when the shade host moves through a creature. "Each creature it moves through takes 11 (2d10) necrotic damage; no creature can take this damage more than once per turn."

(Warp Touched) Dolgotha, Acid Blood mechanic changed: "Acid Blood. When the dolgotha takes damage of any type but psychic, each creature within 5 feet of the dolgotha takes 10 (3d6) acid damage."

(Warp Touched) Otherwordly Presence wording cleaned up in all statblocks.

(Northlanders) Section sorted by alphabetical order. A few changes were made to the layout to support this.

NEW MONSTERS PER CR:

Islander Levy [CR1/4]

Fianna [CR1]

Woad Reaver [CR1]

Deepgrove Ranger [CR3]

Druid of the Earthmother [CR5]

Woad Whaler [CR5]

Woad Druid [CR6]

Macnia [CR7]

Red Fury [CR8]

Oathbound Noble [CR9]

Leathdhia [CR13]

Antler-King [CR18]

I want to especially thank all of you that helped me balanced the new monsters, items and player races, and the very generous supporters on Patreon!

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A while back some of you asked for a player version of the Northlanders and Waelen, so here they are! You can find their PDF version here.

Check out the rest of my work here and don’t hesitate to support me on Patreon if you like what I do.

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I’m very happy to present the final piece of the Waelen npcs, the Antler-King. I hope it brings some political perspective to this culture and inspires you with some story hooks! I have also designed an artefact that was mentioned through the rest of the npcs lore, the greatsword Solais and the Oathblades. 

You can find the pdf version here, as well as the rest of the Waelen here, and all of my work here.  And if you like what I do consider supporting me on Patreon!

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Are you planning on doing any player classes or player option for some of the non player characters of your isles characters? (Sorry if that is not worded right since I can't truly find how to word it)

Hi there! Actually yes, I will be publishing soonish player options for Waelen and Northlander as variant human race. I’m still working out the details. They will be similar in spirit to what the npcs have in their stat blocks, but not necessarily identical. 

I don’t think I will be doing full classes or archetype though, are these are a lot of work to get them balanced and right.