#5e variant rules

[undefeatednils]

Thank god for folks who put stuff onto Archive.org

[indie-ttrpg-of-the-week]

Slayers is fun, simple, and quick to play. It's set in an endless city full of monsters, strange people and places, and bizarre world building. The game focuses on modding, toolkits for homebrew are available for free, and there's tons of homebrew by fans and by the creator, meaning that while the base game has 4 (6 technically) jobs, you can simply look around the tags for this game to find tons of fun classes and variant rules to customize your trawl through the bizarre city! Slayers is quick to learn, fun, and easy to mod, I honestly have pitched it as "what WOTC wants you to think 5e is" and i don't think that's entirely wrong, its fun go play it

[rukafais]

@wingedarrows #wait ruka what do you MEAN nat 1 being a crit fail is just a very popular house rule HUH?#i learned something today

Yeah, explosive failure nat 1s aren't really.....part of the base rules in DnD?

Even 3.5, which was hugely swingy and very popular, only has 'fumbles' for nat 1s:

VARIANT: CRITICAL MISSES (FUMBLES) If you want to model a chance that in combat a character could fumble his weapon, then when a player rolls a 1 on his attack roll, have him make a DC10 Dexterity check. If he fails, his character fumbles. You neeed to decided what it means to fumble, but in general, that character should lose a turn of activity as he regains his balance, picks up a dropped weapon, clears his head, steadies himself, or whatever. Fumbles are not appropiate to all games. They can add excitement or interest to combat, but they can also detract from the fun. They certainly add more randomness to combat. Add this variant rule only after careful consideration.

which is very different from the super explosive super catastrophic nat 1s people are used to hearing, and it's a variant rule, so it's not in there from base.

In 5e there are a few things that happen for nat 1s:

On attack rolls , the phb says "If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC."

For death saving throws: Rolling 1 or 20. When you make a death saving throw and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures.

Ability checks and saving throws do not have a critical failure state by default.

There's also a variant rule:

Critical Success or Failure, DMG pg 242 Rolling a 20 or a 1 on an ability check or a saving throw doesn't normally have any special effect. However, you can choose to take such an exceptional roll into account when adjudicating the outcome. It's up to you to determine how this manifests in the game. An easy approach is to increase the impact of the success or failure. [...]

But again, it's not the baseline expectation. It's an optional variant rule.

Which basically means one of the most notorious parts of DnD is just a very enthusiastically used variant rule LMAO you don't have to have it!

[theoutcastrogue]

Rogues in fantasy TTRPGs that aren't Dungeons & Dragons

Sometimes it's called Rogue, sometimes it's called Thief. It can be a class, or a template, or a sample build for a classless system. It can be pigeonholed to a couple of roles and specialties, or wide open to interpretations and extensive customisation.

But any self-respecting fantasy game, chock-full as it may be with mighty warriors and powerful wizards, needs a disreputable little shit: the rogue, the thief, the scoundrel, the one who strays. And it's a truly universal archetype. The people in the margins are the salt of the earth, and a setting without them is just… unseasoned.

"The thief gives us a chance to play someone closer to heart, someone who's not strong or possessed of magical talents, someone who has to rely on wit and stealth to survive. Someone, we can imagine, who might very well be just like us. And in being more like us, it's clear that the thief is not just a column of percentile chances to pick locks and disarm traps; she is blessed with as many different skills and appearances as there are crimes to be committed. And that's quite a lot." [x]

So here's a sneak peek at the Thief/Rogue in:

Shadowdark (2023) - gridmark and rules-light dungeoncrawl

Tales of the Valiant (2024) - a D&D 5e variant

Rolemaster Unified (2022) - famously crunchy and customisable

GURPS 4e Dungeon Fantasy (2007) - classic classless system

Ars Magica 5th Edition (2004) - the historically grounded one (in Europe 1200 AD), very customisable

Four Against Darkness (2017) - solo dungeoncrawl

Blades in the Dark (2017) - where everyone's a rogue!

Pathfinder 2e (2024) - a million rules and it's all 3.5's fault

Lankhmar: City of Thieves (2015) - the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser setting, with the Savage Worlds system

[dungeonmalcontent]

I fixed alignment!

Link to the document in question if you don't care to hear the tale of it.

That's a really ambitious thing to declare. I even already went to the trouble of making this because I've been planning on announcing like this.

But, yeah.

Maybe I didn't fix it, per se. At worst, you can call this an alternative system to traditional alignment. And it all started because people were getting a little too complicated talking about the "nuance" of the standard alignment system and things like the MTG mana color system.

And my response was going to be "what ya'll are trying to get at is a spider graph." But that extended response post got annihilated because I didn't save it as a draft before switching tabs. So I started writing it up as its own post. And that lead to me making some demonstration graphs, and that lead to me going ahead and just writing up a whole essay. And then I adapted that essay into a variant rules module for 5e d&d.

So. Yeah. That's how I ended up making Re:Alignment. (get it, it's like a pun, because "re:" is the default header for a reply email and I'm responding to the trash state of alignment in 5e, but it's also read as "realignment" like repairing a misalignment.. it's clever, just trust me)

The document is 11 pages and can be read in its entirety as a preview on DMsGuild if you follow the link to it (easier to do on desktop). The doc outline how this approach to alignment changes how alignment works, the actual alignment system itself, and describes what I have essentially replaced good, evil, lawful, chaotic, and neutral with. I also included a print friendly PDF sheet to fit into a character sheet where you can track your spider graph alignment and other important alignment based RP information. Also also, there's a standalone graph jpg that you can slap onto a modified character sheet or other RP tool of your choice.

The doc is priced as "pay what you want", so if you want a downloaded copy or one you can print (though hopefully not the last page, because I make those all black) you can get it for free. If you want to throw a little money my way or if you really like the system, you can pay however much money you want. It was like 48 hours of work, so a decent amount of effort went into this.

If you're wondering "what did this moron replace the alignments with?" I'll answer that right now. I replaced alignment with this:

If you want to figure out what that means and how it works, read the doc. It's not that long and it describes it pretty thoroughly.

[theaggressivewriter]

Pf2e Boss Monster Design

The tight math of Pf2e allows for encounters to be built swiftly and without worry, and the same goes for homebrew monster creation. One problem with the system, however, is the boss monster. Creatures with high level stats against a group of players can feel like a slog if the players are unable to reduce the creature's AC or saves enough for damage/cc to go through. It normally takes a lot of items and tactics for a normal group to take a creature down that's 4 levels higher than the party's level (or a +4 monster), and even creature's 3 levels higher (or +3) can still feel like a slog depending on their stat block. If you're designing a boss fight, consider this one trick I've learned over the past 2 years of GMing with the system:

Lie to your players.

For different systems this could mean a lot of things, DND 5e famously is known for its GMs secretly increasing the hp of a given monster behind the screens. But for Pf2e it's less a blatant lie and more of a performance. Rather than throwing a +4 or +5 monster, you could instead throw a +1 to +3 monster and accompany them with either other creatures or traps that you present to your players as that monsters abilities. Let's make an example.

Is your monster a fire breathing mutant bear that is killing other wildlife in the area?

(Art by Deftspex)

Easy. Let's make it an Elite Black Bear (making it L3), then add a Fire Mephit (L1) to the initiative, making the combat a Severe encounter for 4 level 1 players. What does this do, and how can we make this convey what we want?

Mechanically, the Black Bear acts as the base monster that the players can target and kill and the Fire Mephit acts on its own initiative, but what you do is tell your players that it's the bear doing what the Fire Mephit is doing. The bear is the one moving and its base health is the health your party is trying to take down to 0, but the "Fire Mephit" acts on its turn as if attached to the bear. It still takes damage if hit by an aoe, but must otherwise be specifically targeted by an attack rather than the Bear itself (you should give your players some sort of heads up or a description of something that can be targeted in order to remove the ability from initiative, like pointing out that breaking its jaws would remove them on a successful recall knowledge).

What this does is a multitude of things, your solo boss monster technically has more action economy without breaking the math, your players have more tactical choices to make between getting rid of the Bear's fire related abilities, and it should make your players shit their pants from seeing a fire breathing bear.

I have a lot of other tips and tricks for boss monster design for pf2e, due to my notorious one shots being considered "Dark Souls" by many approving players. I'd like to one day turn my knowledge into a published book alongside templates, some homebrew monster designs, and some variant rules, but due to legal concerns will need to wait until I have a lawyer to assist me in understanding what I'm getting into.

[vivi-the-goblin]

Over halfway done with 5e. Not going to let WotC put a permanently unfinished series on my page, so this has turned more into a last walk to get my character ideas and design thoughts out before moving on. Btw I AM still making monsters, they're just going to be part of larger encounter videos like the last one. If you want to see a particular monster used or have some variant of it made, I'm open to suggestions!

Paladins are hard for me just because I HATE what they've done with oaths. What they did was remove alignment from the game, then basically give paladins thier own mini-alignment without any nuance. but with fewer and worse words. "You don't have to be lawful good we swear! you just have to follow this strict set of laws that're usually good or lose your power, and all flavor text will insist you're good!" Oddly enough, that is FAR more rigid than anything they were trying to replace, because you're bound to 3 specific rules instead of the tone of a god you chose. But whatever, WotC's solution to paladin alignment was just haphazardly ripping out random chunks of the problem, who would've guessed. My solution to this is to just make PERSONAL oaths. You make your character, and you make ironclad ideals that they strive for. ones that fit with whatever you've flavored the subclass as of course. and then have THOSE dictate your course. That little bit of nuance is a good compromise if we're going the self-made laws middleground.

Personally I think the paladin needs at least SOME law to follow. They literally get thier power by following a moral code, be it thier own or someone else's, so strongly that they manifest power. Or they operate like a warlock with a less binding contract. But I actually love adding narrative weight to mechanics. It gives the choices MEANING. Here's an example- Once we were stuck, an orcish army approaching but our concerns more focused on the lich nearby. As long as he and his necromancers lived, we lost no matter how the war went. Sadly I had spread bubonic plague through the black market slavers, and in doing so accidentally killed all the DM's info brokers and ways for us to find them. When he offered us someone who could speak to the gods, he mentioned that the closer the god was to this case the more info they'd have. We knew we had to butter him up though. but our group had a paladin, monk, druid, and cleric. this wasn't going to be easy. We made the decision to...ask the paladin to leave. Those of us remaining did something horrific in the eyes of the gods. We tricked people into cannabalism of a diseased corpse of someone they knew, while drunkenly cheering orcus's name. We got the info, but there was a cost. As a druid, I only had to argue partial neutrality. As this action was horrible but ultimately to prevent the collapse of the kingdom, I was able to argue I was not Chaotic Evil, merely neutral evil. The paladin escaped judgement. The monk had to go on a journey of self reflection to regain neutrality.

The cleric had to argue his case before the gods that this was the only way to prevent a greater evil. He eventually was bound in service to the king for repentance, but power restored. For all its faults, THAT is what alignment being bound to a class can do. That wouldn't have had the weight if it was just his standing amongst the local church. He was arguing for his soul and his class levels, narrative and mechanical stakes together. I see the oaths as a half-way point to that, but with far less narrative value and far too rigid in being 3 specific rules for the whole subclass. It's a worst of both worlds. but I think at least picking the rules you're sworn to is a nice patch to all that.

[selfdiagnosedeyemotif]

little thing i've been thinking about as of late:

How could one make the Octopath Travelers II in Dungeons and Dragons?

the rules i've set for myself are as follows:

no variant human. that is boring.

we're going for flavour over optimization but my stupid optimizer brain will nonetheless be the architect behind this all so Watch Out

Unearthed Arcana and things of that sort ARE allowed. UA is my dear wife and to leave her out of my house would be a crime most unforgivable

stats will be calculated using the point buy method, simply because that is much easier than working with the other methods

in a similar vein to the previous, pre-Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse stat increases and abilities for races will be used (my best friend the Air Genasi gets burnt by this but sacrifices must be made)

characters will range from level 10 (agnea) to level 14 (osvald)

this is what the characters would look like at the END of their journeys, so abilities like the One True Magic would be taken into account

i'll link pages describing all of the things i use, all of which will be from my dnd site of choice, the DND 5th Edition Wikidot Site

that being said...

Ochette, the Hunter

Race:

Tabaxi (+2 DEX, +1 CHA)

Class(es):

Revised Ranger - Beastmaster Conclave - Level 8 Paladin - Oath of the Ancients - Level 3

Feats (if any):

N/A

Stats:

STR - 14 (+2) DEX - 19 (+4) CON - 15 (+2) INT - 10 (0) WIS - 8 (-1) CHA - 13 (+1)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Tabaxi - Race: Ochette, while more of a fox than a cat, notably has many animal features similar to cats (namely her claws and ears), so the cat race fits her quite well

Cat's Claws - Tabaxi: ability most akin to Ochette's latent power ability Beastly Claws

Animal Companion - Beastmaster Conclave: this is the space for Akala or Mahina, since the BM is the only class/subclass that lets you have an animal companion in any way, not counting the wizard spell Find Familiar (which just doesn't fit Ochette. she aint a wizard)

Oath of the Ancients Paladin - Class/Subclass: at the end of Ochette's story she is touched by the Flame itself, bestowing upon her the power necessary to continue her immediate mission of Stop That Shadow Beast and ongoing mission of protecting the wilds of Solistia. serving something greater than oneself for a specific purpose (divine or not) is how 5e paladins have been flavoured, and the OotA subclass is explicitly based around being the light for the world, and has a general nature theme (see: green knights)

Castti, the Apothecary

Race:

Water Genasi (+2 CON, +1 WIS)

Class(es):

Artificer - Alchemist Speciality - Level 9 Paladin - Oath of Redemption - Level 4

Feats (if any):

Resilient (Wisdom)

Stats:

STR - 12 (+1) DEX - 9 (-1) CON - 14 (+2) INT - 13 (+1) WIS - 20 (+5) CHA - 12 (+1)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Water Genasi - Race: first off, Castti obviously has a water motif. that's a guarantee. however, i also think that Water Genasi has some good flavour to it because before MMotM, it gave resistance to Acid damage. you know, like trosseau's poison rain. Castti was INSANELY resilient against that shit, and i think it could be fun if that was like. just a thing she did.

Class/Subclass - Alchemist Speciality Artificer: this is the place to go when it comes to apothecaries. i really wanted to make her a warlock of Malaya as well but the best fitting subclasses (Fathomless, Celestial, and Undead) didn't have abilities that fit her very well. regardless, you've gotta be an Alchemist if you wanna be an apothecary

Class/Subclass - Oath of Redemption Paladin: PLEASE go read the tenets of the Oath of Redemption. like yeah its about redeeming yourself but more importantly its about pacifism (that's castti), patience (that's castti), and protecting the weak (that's castti). shes SO Oath of Redemption that it isn't even funny

Experimental Elixir/Restorative Reagent - Alchemist: this is Concoct, to a T. Experimental Elixir allows you to bestow a variety of different effects onto an ally, ranging from healing to haste to defense. just. like. Concoct. also the Restorative Reagent feature that castti would get at level 9 just adds to the healing aspect of EE so like. yeap that tracks.

Lay On Hands - Paladin: Sounds an awful lot like a mix between castti's Healing Hands and Rehabilitate abilities, with a mix of healing damage and disease specifically via touch.

Resilient - Feat: you'll notice that i made Castti's highest stat her Wisdom, which a keen-eyed D&D player might mark as strange, since Artificers are an Intelligence-based class, and Paladins are Charisma-based. well, this in conjunction with Resilient giving her proficiency in Wisdom Saving Throws (basically making her very good at holding on against fear, mind control, and things that affect sanity), are all because of one of my personal favourite Castti moments: she has canonically read the Book of Night and it couldn't do jack SHIT to her. her mind is made of IRON.

Throné, the Thief

Race:

Shadar-Kai (+2 DEX, +1 CON)

Class(es):

Rogue - Assassin Archetype - Level 11 Fighter - No Subclass - Level 2

Feats (if any):

Shadow Touched (spells gained: Invisibility, Silent Image)

Stats:

STR - 11 (0) DEX - 20 (+5) CON - 10 (0) INT - 14 (+2) WIS - 12 (+1) CHA - 14 (+2)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Shadar-Kai - Race: grabbed simply because i think that being a Dark Elf™ fits Throné really well. technically it also gives her teleportation which would be a cool in-universe explanation for Aeber's Reckoning but honestly this one's for the funsies

Inflitration Expert - Assassin Archetype: she straight-up does this in the first chapter. like full stop. that is the thing that this ability does. also i know it's very much not one-to-one but i also think this is how she would use Disguise but that ventures into headcanon territory

Action Surge - Fighter: the SPECIFIC reason that i gave Throné fighter levels. Action Surge allows the user to, once per short rest, USE TWO ACTIONS IN ONE TURN. THAT IS LEAVE NO TRACE. EXACTLY.

Shadow Touched - Feat: flavour for infiltration stuff but also sort of works as an expy for Veil of Darkness. Silent Image can be used to create a fairly large illusion, including but not limited to a quick and easy way to throw enemies off their game in terms of their attacks. Disguise Self was also considered as an option for the spell to take (Invisibility is always given) but i passed on it because she was already getting Infiltration Expert from her subclass.

Osvald, the Scholar

Race:

Goliath (+2 STR, +1 CON)

Class(es):

Wizard - School of Evocation - Level 14

Feats (if any):

N/A

Stats:

STR - 12 (+1) DEX - 10 (0) CON - 16 (+3) INT - 20 (+5) WIS - 14 (+2) CHA - 8 (-1)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Goliath - Race: Professor Osvald V. Vanstein is, amoungst other descriptors, fucking MASSIVE. that man is canonically like 6'7" or something. goliaths, the Biggest race in D&D 5e, are absolutely the best fit for him. as a bonus, they give him resistance to Cold damage, a fun reference to that teeny little stay on Frigit Isle

School of Evocation - Subclass: Osvald is canonically very much an offensive caster. that's clear. the School of Evocation, in D&D, is the one with the easiest access to Spells like Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and Cone of Cold, meaning that Osvald "Fire-Ice-Lightning" V. Vanstein simply MUST be one

Overchannel/Sculpt Spells - School of Evocation: neither of these two abilities, on their own, would equate to anything Osvald-y. Overchannel allows the user to make one damaging spell do max damage (and do it more at an HP cost), and Scupt Spells allows them to exempt certain targets from AoE spells. together, however, they form a decent expy for Concentrate Spells, Osvald's latent power

Prismatic Spray - Spell: this spell is a seventh level evocation spell. level 14 is the first time wizards have access to seventh level spells, and Osvald is an evoker. this spell is also a MASSIVE FUCK-YOU RAINBOW BLAST. i won't go through its actual abilities because they dont line up to the One True Magic very well, but aesthetically they're damn-near identical

Partitio, the Merchant

Race:

Human (+1 to all stats)

Class(es):

Paladin - Oath of Devotion - Level 6 Bard - College of Eloquence - Level 5

Feats (if any):

Inspiring Leader

Stats:

STR - 15 (+2) DEX - 11 (0) CON - 14 (+2) INT - 12 (+1) WIS - 10 (0) CHA - 18 (+4)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Oath of Devotion Paladin - Class/Subclass: mostly based around how Partitio is just. endlessly all about that helping people. you dont need to worship a god to be a paladin, folks, you just need to have a cause that you stand insanely firmly by. that's why they're Charisma-based. anyways Devotion fits Parti best so he gets it

Silver Tongue - College of Eloquence: half of this ability (bonus to Deception) is positively worthless to Partitio because he really doesnt lie much, but the other half (bonus to Persuasion) is DEATHLY important to this build. Partitio is a man built on being extremely good at talking to people, and it really shows in this. also, SILVER Tongue. Oresrush silver. get it? huh? huh?

Inspiring Leader - Feat: genuinely the most Partitio feat ever. it literally has the user make an inspiring speech for a mechanical benefit and if that ain't Partitio i dont know what is

Agnea, the Dancer

Race:

Spring Eladrin (+2 DEX, +1 CHA)

Class(es):

Bard - College of Glamour - Level 10

Feats (if any):

Mobile

Stats:

STR - 8 (-1) DEX - 16 (+3) CON - 12 (+1) INT - 11 (0) WIS - 12 (+1) CHA - 18 (+4)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Eladrin - Race: this is the most whimsical and fun race ever and i love it. spring Eladrin are the joyous and celebratory version of this race, so it fits Agnie pretty damn well. it also offers a teleportation option in the form of Fey Step (the season-themed version of Throné's teleport), which i feel like she would incorporate into her shows

College of Glamour Bard - Class/Subclass: this is the main performer bard for performers that dont use musical instruments, so it simply had to be Agnea

Enthralling Performance - College of Eloquence: this ability is effectively a make-your-performances-better card, which is exactly the kind of thing that Agnea would pull out if she needed to really bedazzle a crowd (see: Agnea chapter five)

Magical Secrets - Bard: this allows the user to gain two spells from any spell list. Agnea's would be Control Winds (Windy Refrain) and Beacon of Hope (Song of Hope). the latter is a much rougher expy than the former, but it's got hope in the name and i am nothing if not predictable. see the links below for what those spells do

Mobile - Feat: this is meant as an expy of the Dancer ability Ever Evasive, and to a degree Agnea's high base Speed and Evasion, since the Mobile feat both makes it more difficult for enemies to land hits on you, and improves your movement speed

Temenos, the Cleric

Race:

Changeling (+2 CHA, +1 WIS), pretends to be Half-Elf

Class(es):

Rogue - Inquisitive Archetype - Level 4 Cleric - Knowledge Domain - Level 9

Feats (if any):

Keen Mind (+1 INT)

Stats:

STR - 8 (-1) DEX - 10 (0) CON - 8 (-1) INT - 18 (+4) WIS - 18 (+4) CHA - 16 (+3)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Changeling - Race: i think it would be really cool because Temenos is such a goddamn liar. im so normal about it. sososo normal about it. i just feel that he would lie persistently about his identity lie that because just. i am hopelessly in love with the aspect of Temenos that he does not let anyone know anything ever

Inquisitive Archetype Rogue - Class/Subclass: one will note that this is the first class listed rather than his actual in-game class of Cleric. this is because i think that before he was a cleric, before he was found by the church, Rogue was a deeply fitting class for him. i think it was his base class, and grew into the Inquisitive subclass AFTER taking Cleric levels

Channel Divinity: Read Thoughts - Knowledge Domain: this is the equivalent of Temenos's Coerce path action; both are obviously magical in nature and involve to a certain (albeit different) degree looking into the target's mind. not a lot to say it's just a very good stand-in for Coerce

Legend Lore - Spell: this is the expy for Temenos's doubt-is-what-i-do mystery solving sections (like when he's in the cathedral with Crick investigating the death of the pontiff). it's not exact since Legend Lore targets an object and Temenos's thing targets a location, but i think it's close enough to be good enough. also it's a free spell you get for being a Knowledge Cleric so i think it's a good fit

Expertise - Rogue: this ability allows you to take two skills and become SUPER good at them. this would be Deception and Insight for Temenos, and i think it was important that i bring it up

Hikari, the Warrior

Race:

High Elf (+2 DEX, +1 INT)

Class(es):

Fighter - Samurai Archetype - Level 11 Sorcerer - Shadow Origin - Level 1

Feats (if any):

N/A

Stats:

STR - 18 (+4) DEX - 16 (+3) CON - 16 (+3) INT - 10 (0) WIS - 10 (0) CHA - 10 (0)

Key Abilities/Explanations:

Shadow Origin Sorcerer - Class/Subclass: homeboy's got the blood of D'arqest in him, so he simply MUST have some kind of spooky class. the other class in the running was Hexblade Warlock, but Shadow Sorcerer ultimately won out mostly for mechanical reasons (SO's Strength of the Grave was considered more flavourful than HB's Hexblade's Curse)

Fighting Spirit/Tireless Spirit - Samurai Archetype: these abilities are about the user powering up by sheer force of will and that's literally the most Hikari thing i have ever heard in my life

Fighting Style: Superior Technique - Fighter: this fighting style allows the user to gain one Battlemaster Fighter maneuver. the one selected for Hikari is Riposte, which serves as an equivalent to Hikari's Vengeful Blade ability (both of them are counterattack options)

Extra Attack 2x - Fighter: fighters are the only class that gain access to more than two attacks per turn, similarly to Hikari's Aggressive Slash ability giving him access to the greatest number of hits out of any class in-game

Links:

Ochette, the Hunter

Tabaxi

Ranger, Revised

Beastmaster Conclave

Paladin

Oath of the Ancients

Castti, the Apothecary

Water Genasi

Artificer

Alchemist Speciality

Paladin

Oath of Redemption

Resilient

Throné, the Thief

Shadar-Kai

Rogue

Assassin Archetype

Fighter

Shadow Touched

Silent Image

Osvald, the Scholar

Goliath

Wizard

School of Evocation

Prismatic Spray

Partitio, the Merchant

Human (yeah im linking that)

Paladin

Oath of Devotion

Bard

College of Eloquence

Inspiring Leader

Agnea, the Dancer

Eladrin

Bard

College of Glamour

Mobile

Control Winds

Beacon of Hope

Temenos, the Cleric

Changeling

Rogue

Inquisitive Archetype

Cleric

Knowledge Domain

Keen Mind

Legend Lore

Hikari, the Warrior

High Elf

Fighter

Samurai Archetype

Sorcerer

Shadow Origin

Riposte Maneuver

[rpgpolls]

Happy Independent TTRPG Month!

July is Independent TTRPG Month and RPGPolls is joining in on the fun in celebrating small press games that are just as if not more fun than the famed Seattle game.

This is a little overdue but I have been exhausted between work, my GM-ly duties, and some projects I have going.

Non D&D focused polls to come but for now enjoy a list of small press games I enjoy under the read more. Happy Indie RPG Month and happy rolling!

Dungeon Crawl Classics (and its variants) - An absolutely gonzo OSR fantasy game and what I currently run at my table. Cannot recommend it enough.

Shadowdark RPG - A wonderful bridge between the OSR school of play and 5e. Don't know how available it is since the kickstarter just finished but I ran Andrew Kolb's Neverland using it and had a blast.

13th Age - A super simple d20 system made by some of the devs who worked on 3.5 and 4e. Plays like a wonderful blend of the two and makes natural rolls more important beyond the usual 1s and 20s. Super fun.

Fantasy AGE (and its variants) - A 3d6 system that's a lot of fun. Popularized by Wil Wheaton's Titansgrave setting/game. I feel like it's magic system is a little lacking but overall its a fast paced and creativity focused game.

The Apocalypse Engine - For the sake of simplicity and brevity, all PbtA games will be counted under here. Requires a lot of player creativity and buy in but overall super fun and versatile. An indie darling to be sure.a

Swords and Wizardry - One of the big three systems that basically started the OSR movement (the other two being OSRIC and Labyrinth Lord). Unfortunately I only played this system briefly and without understanding what it stood for. 5e came out like a month after I started to the campaign was quickly converted. Would love to revisit it.

The Cortex System - Mostly used this to play the Serenity RPG. It's a decent system and good for what it is but the combined die types as stats doesn't work with me.

GURPS - What Fallout was originally going to be based off of, GURPS is a monster of a generic system. If you can think of it, it's probably got a rule for it. Works best when you narrow it down and can be a little complicated. You may have better luck with

Savage Worlds - A more streamlined generic roleplaying game with tons of pre-made settings. The card initiative mechanic is a refreshing take on the mechanic and the bennie system is so much fun. Full props.

Crash Pandas, Honey Heist, Goblin Quest and anything by Grant Howitt - Solid gold, great, light, comedic games that are guaranteed to make for a night of fun. No notes. Goblin Quest in particular is heavily underrated imo.

We Are But Worms - Meets the bare definition of a roleplaying game. Play it constantly with my friends. All we have to do is look at each other, say one word, and the game gets going.

I could go on. There's a metric ton of RPGs that I've played and even more that I haven't but would love to. Fiasco (I can never get anyone to play with), Blades in the Dark, Candela Obscura, Mork Borg, the Black Sword Hack and so many others with more catching my eye every day. So take the remainder of this month (and beyond) to explore the community and play something you haven't - or maybe even never planned to. This hobby has so much more to offer than WotC and Paizo and so much more to offer than just roll high on a d20 in a fantasy game. Get out there and start rolling the bones (or not in some cases!) And have fun!

[swordmaid]

ok so it's not in bg3 or even dnd 5e canon, but paladins can very well be godless! paladin's half-caster magic doesn't come from their gods, but from their dedication to their oath. meaning shri-iia can probably create her own tenents of faith and swear upon those and still be a paladin, even without a god!! it just isn't in the game mechanics though... but a lot of ppl have already made mechanics for a godless paladin variant that mimic dnd 5e rules!

im aware it isn't!! but i like the idea that she thinks it does - or at least, she thinks lolth empowers her because in her mind where else would she get them? in her own self? when she was raised in an environment where she believed she's nothing without lolth? get outta town

[lewis-winters]

please please PLEASE tell us what you think the easy boys' dnd classes would be! i agree with dick being a paladin and nix being a rogue 100% but i'd love to know what your take would be for everyone else!

Caveat: I'm not as well-versed at DND classes just yet (mostly because I haven't actually encountered a lot of them, and I've only ever played in 5E) so these are probably not the most creative of builds but I did my best! Also! These are classes, not DND races! Just assume everyone's a variant human... and also that everyone has the Soldier's background... Also don't come for me about which edition rules or game source I'm going by, we're playing it fast and loose, everyone.

I did say Dick was an Oath of Redemption Paladin-- mostly as a joke, because of the whole healing-Blythe's-combat-blindness thing. But now that I think about it, it doesn't really fit him very well. Something about Dick could drive him to be very vindictive, I think. He's definitely very petty. Story-wise, since he's so young in-show you can explain this away as a young Paladin picking a path and learning the ways and the discipline that comes with it... But he can also very well be Oath of Devotion Paladin, since Dick is very big on honor and duty. I also see him being Oath of Glory, mostly because something about Dick always strives to be the best, and that man has a lot of self-discipline.

You know who else is a Paladin? Ronald Speirs.

Listen. I know people would automatically think: oh, Ronald is a Rogue. And while that's what I think Ron would like to think of himself as (and maybe he multiclasses-- though I have no idea how that'd work), this bitch is a fucking Paladin through and through. Oath of Vengeance? maybe, but not quite. Oath of Conquest? oh, yes, that fits very well. Listen, a Paladin does not garner divine power from their Faith in their god-- that's a cleric. No, no, a Paladin garners divine power from their devotion. Try and look me in the eye and tell me Ronald Fucking Speirs wouldn't have the ability to divine smite someone simply because he has strong opinions about something. You can't. Did ya'll just forget *points at the interrogation scene in episode 10.* GIRL. He can multiclass, of course, but I feel like he's like. Locked the fuck in, ya know?

Or if you really wanna lean into the strange-and-off-putting vibe, we could borrow from Critical Role and he could definitely be a Blood Hunter. Ronald would be the kind to become a Blood Hunter. Order of the Lycan, because he's from DOG company, and I like to think I'm funny, but also that'd play excellently with both the almost animal-like way he moves and thinks + his care for easy as a whole (pack).

Ron could also be a monk. But I like him better when he has a weapon in his hands.

Lewis is a rogue though, and mostly because he's an Intelligence Officer, but also knowing his family background, it fits. I do love the idea of him being an Arcane Trickster, mostly because in my mind he could definitely multiclass as a Shadow Sorcerer (because let's be real, New Jersey would be the type of place to house a Shadow Sorcerer bloodline) because of his Nixon name + Charisma, which he has in spades. But only until like... level 3 or 4 because Lew would be the type to forgo magic-- since it's not something he can precisely control + it's his bloodline, so it's not like he worked for it-- to opt for something he can control and work toward perfecting. But another subclass he could fall under is Inquisitor Rogue. That's literally his job description.

Or Lew could be a College of Whispers Bard! That'd be fun, too, especially since Nix doesn't do much combat, but he would have a ton of Bardic Inspiration.

Wouldn't it be so funny if tiny Harry Welsh was a Path of Wild Magic Barbarian? I think it would be funny. Idk if it would fit, mostly because I think he's a Fighter, but it would be so funny.

David Webster, this bitch would be a College of Lore Bard for sure. But I did think for a bit that he might've been a School of Evocation or Order of Scribes Wizard (who multiclassed Bard), just for the high intelligence, low wisdom joke. It would be so funny if he was School of Evocation though-- can he cast spells? Yes? Gracefully and subtly and with finesse? Oh, gods no. He's a mess.

Web and George Luz are probably the only Bards in the whole company. George could be either College of Eloquence or College of Swords........ but if you want to up the angst potential, how about College of Spirits Bard? Oh, he watched his friends die in front of him? Let's make his survivor's guilt WORSE by making him have the ability to talk to ghosts!!

Shifty Powers, obvious. Ranger, of course, and in numerous subclasses, too. Though I did toy with the idea of him multiclassing as Arcane Archer, but then I figured that's more for Earl McClung, ya know (because, historically, he was a better shot than Shifty-- even Shifty says this)? The class in itself is fairly weak though, so I imagine Earl'd multiclass Arcane Archer (Fighter subclass) with a Ranger, though what kind of subclass is still up in the air for me, too. Truthfully, much like Shifty, he could be any, so take your pick. I'm partial to Horizon Stalker; but Hunter/Monster Hunter would be good, too. Also? Just imagine casting Arcane Shot on a gun instead of a bow-&-arrow. Magnificent.

Shifty and McClung could also be Circle of Land Druids, but then they wouldn't be as proficient in combat, so we'll stick with Ranger.

Eugene Roe could be a Life Domain Cleric, of course. But I feel like that's a bit too obvious. Grave Domain Cleric, maybe? Way of Mercy Monk sounds more appropriate for his character, since he's easily the kind of character to strive for inner spiritual balance, the way monks do-- let's just pretend he focuses more on healing than he does combat. Though both these classes do have the abilities to go on the offensive.

Ralph Spina strikes me as a non-magic user healer, though, so I think he'd be a Thief Rogue with a focus on the medicine skills + an extensive Healer's Kit, since thief rogues have like... more object interaction (I think?) per turn than anyone else. Though that would also fit Eugene, too, if you want non-magic user!Eugene, since he's often described as having a sixth-sense for when people need him, then appearing outta nowhere + the whole scissors thing. And the looting for supplies.

Carwood Lipton could go like... 3 ways. Fighter, Cleric, or Monk. I'm partial to him being a Light Domain Cleric, though, since that's the first thing that popped into my head. He could multiclass as Bard too, for the Bardic Inspiration, but idk, there are other subclasses that have the Suggestion spell in their back pocket, and he would use that extensively in Bastogne to keep morale up.

Malarkey is a Wild Magic Sorcerer. Mostly for the angst potential. Can you imagine him losing control of his magic when Skip and Penkala die? I know I shouldn't torture this man, but alas, it's just too good.

I also think Joe Liebgott would be a Divine Soul Sorcerer, though. That literally popped into my head first thing the second I saw this ask. He'd have some Healing Word by Level 2, and I think that works best for scenes like the one where Tab gets stabbed and also the one where he's comforting Tipper.

I can't shake the image of Artillerist Artificer Pat Christenson, Skip Muck, and Alex Penkala out of my head. They're on machine guns and the mortar rounds, respectively, so it fits for me.

......... an evil part of me wants Buck to be some sort of Warlock, he just hides it very well? But, again, that's mostly for angst potential. Realistically, he'd be a Fighter and/or a Barbarian. But a Warlock in the Military, though, wouldn't that be something? Of course the military would never allow it, because the Patron would take precedence above all else, but who says he can't hide that by claiming to multiclass as a Wizard? Idk how that would help in any way the plot, but the vibes are immaculate.

Everybody else, though, to me are either Artificers, Fighters, Barbarians, Clerics, or Monks, of course with multiclassing in between!

......... uh. yeah! that's it!

[sabakos]

Not to the OOP's point bit I'm realizing many of my ttrpg experiences have been shaped by playing almost exclusively with physics and CS majors. I think we had more fun than most people do but I understand some people might not enjoy "creative" solutions.

But anyway for people who do prefer this play style, in 5e this sort of thing doesn't even need house rules, just variants. I'd probably interpret this as grapple check to try to strangle the person that's very probably going to fail if your squishy wizard's caster level is low. Or since it's a cantrip maybe make you use your strength modifier (lol). And like any other "crit fishing" attempts I just... wouldn't let you roll for it if only a 20/1 was going to be a success? So this isn't going to break the game. You try to force choke the big bad. They laugh at you and ask you if you find their lack of faith disturbing. One of their henchmen looks down at his shoes and shakes his head. Roll for initiative.

This isn't even a dnd problem though, more rules-lite games are necessarily going to be more driven by creative bullshit and house rules, while something like Pathfinder will have an existing rule in place for it, and either way it's easily resolvable without retricting your players or punishing them / shaming them for creativity.

[theoutcastrogue]

by Mike Shea on 5 August 2024:

Hasbro may be hurling D&D towards a digital future but we already have everything we need to enjoy this game for the rest of our lives. Hasbro is super-excited for a digital D&D future. They're tired of selling us, as Penny Arcade perfectly describes, a single hamburger we can share with our friends every week for thirty years. Hasbro wants subscription revenue from every player every month – not just the single purchase of a book you can keep, share, and use for the rest of your life. Hasbro doesn't want to sell you D&D. They want you to pay rent. Chris Cocks, Hasbro's president and former president of Wizards of the Coast, is pushing hard for a digital future. He already said they're running experiments with artificial intelligence saying "D&D has 50 years of content that we can mine". The new head of Wizards of the Coast, the subsidiary of Hasbro in charge of D&D, is a former Blizzard executive who replaced a former Amazon and Microsoft executive. They posted a new D&D product architect job with a clear focus on digital gaming and a new "monetization designer" which is as close to "professional enshittifier" as I've heard of in a job description. So yeah, Hasbro is really excited to charge monthly fees and microtransactions for D&D and ensure you never stop paying for it. But I have good news for you. It doesn't matter. Here are four reasons why: 1. The three D&D core books are the only D&D books that really matter and they're going to be physical books. 2. With rulesets released into the Creative Commons, anyone can build digital tools, adventures, supplements, and even entire RPGs – all fully compatible with D&D. 3. We have 50 years of previous versions of D&D we can play, multiple competing and compatible 5e variants from other publishers, and hundreds of other RPGs we can enjoy. 4. We have several independent digital platforms we can use to run our games online.

[keep reading]

So Mike Shea's argument here is that no matter what Hasbro does, D&D is enshittification-proof. Personally, I agree that tabletop games (all of them, not just D&D) are to a large extent resistant to that, due to the nature of the game, but digital platforms are another matter. Then again, I have zero interest in digital platforms, so I don't know how they work. Can you incorporate non-SRD material in an independent VTT, for example? Does it matter? No idea!

For traditional D&D, I think it's always had (in its entire history, all editions!) two distinct modes of attracting people:

here is an Official Book of Rules! I should buy it (or borrow it, or pirate it) and use it, because it's an official and authoritative publication

here is a Good Rule! I should incorporate it in my D&D game because I like it, and I don't care where it came from and in what format, official book, third party, homebrew, DMs Guild, hardcover book, piece of paper, pdf, a reddit post, my own noggin.

But last year, they tried an new thing and released a set of 25 monsters for $6 only on D&D Beyond. No physical print, and no pdf. (Previously there had been digital-only releases, mostly short adventures, but in pdf form.) And although I have no way of knowing how sales went, I strongly suspect this will NEVER work. It's just a bunch of "assets", it doesn't register as an Official Publication, there's no incentive to get it as such. So we're left with "is it a good rule?", and there it competes with a million other rules published for fun and/or profit by other people. Why "buy" that one? (You're not quite buying it: if D&D Beyond goes down, poof go the monsters!)

So yeah, I think they'll try to enshittify tabletop D&D, but they'll go about it half-heartedly (to go full in, they'd have to drop the printed books, and there's NO WAY they'll do that), and simply no one will care, D&D doesn't work like that.

[dungeonmalcontent]

New 5e homebrew doc out!

Re:Alignment is a short rules variant doc on the alignment system in 5e. Specifically, the doc is rules for replacing the alignment system with a spider graph system (the kind of polygonal graph they use a lot in anime to show what a character's specialties are).

The original post for this homebrew can be found here.

For anyone interested in the doc, it's free. And you can find it here on DMsGuild.

[universe-in-the-void-in-the-cube]

Hetalia D&D 5e/Pathfinder 1e - Part 9 Asia

I did a thing yesterday. Got on ChatGPT (I know bad mun) and made rough NPCs for my Pathfinder 1e game. And I used every core character from Hetalia. So, I shared with 3 Hetalia fans I follow and was told to share all of them if I did all of them. Which I did. So here we go.

Hong Kong

Race

Human (Variant)

Reason: Hong Kong is depicted as a unique entity with a blend of Chinese and British influences, which can be reflected in the human race's versatility. The variant rules could allow for options that reflect his diverse background.

Classes

Bard (Archaeologist): Level 5

Reason: Hong Kong is often shown as knowledgeable about various cultures, and the Archaeologist archetype allows him to search for hidden knowledge while being capable in combat. This class represents his intelligence and charm, as well as his ability to adapt and pull from various historical and culinary influences.

Rogue (Infiltrator): Level 3

Reason: This class complements the Bard's skills, reflecting Hong Kong’s agility and stealthiness. The Infiltrator archetype allows him to excel in urban environments, showcasing his urban savvy and ability to navigate complex social situations.

Monk (Zen Archer): Level 2

Reason: Hong Kong is often portrayed as calm and collected, reflecting the qualities of a monk. The Zen Archer archetype emphasizes ranged attacks and a disciplined mindset, which can represent his serene but resourceful nature.

Final Build Summary

Race: Human (Variant)

Class Breakdown:

Bard (Archaeologist) 5

Rogue (Infiltrator) 3

Monk (Zen Archer) 2

Character Level: 10

Example Traits and Abilities

Key Skills: Knowledge (History), Diplomacy, Stealth, Acrobatics.

Special Abilities:

Versatile Performance: Use Perform checks in place of certain skill checks reflecting his charm and charisma as a cultural intermediary.

Evasion: Represents his agility and ability to escape dangerous situations.

Shooting Star: As a Zen Archer, enhancing ranged attack capabilities.

Background Flavor

Hong Kong could be portrayed as a resourceful diplomat and skilled negotiator, often acting as a bridge between cultures. His keen intellect and ability to blend into different environments would make him a valuable asset to any party, whether in combat or social encounters.

India

Race: Human (Standard Human)

Humans are adaptable and versatile, which aligns well with India's character as a diverse and rich cultural entity. Also, as a standard human, India would gain an extra skill point at first level and an additional feat.

Classes:

Bard (3 levels)

Bards are storytellers and performers, embodying India’s rich cultural and musical heritage. They excel at knowledge and social interactions, much like India’s diplomatic and cultural role in Hetalia.

Key Features: Bardic Performance, Spellcasting (helpful for remedies and blessings), and lots of skills.

Cleric (5 levels)

Clerics can reflect India's spiritual diversity, with access to multiple domains that could represent various religions present in India. This class would allow India to heal and provide support in a party, much like the character’s nurturing nature.

Domain Suggestions: Community or Healing would be fitting.

Monk (2 levels)

Monks reflect India's martial traditions, such as historical arts like Kalaripayattu. Incorporating this class embodies the discipline and spiritual side of the character.

Key Features: Flurry of Blows and Ki Pool, which would complement the other classes' support capabilities.

Character Level: 10th Level (3 Bard / 5 Cleric / 2 Monk)

Background and Personality Traits:

Background: India has a rich cultural heritage, embodying diverse traditions, languages, and cuisines. This NPC may have a background as a skilled diplomat or peacekeeper, known for resolving conflicts and bringing people together.

Personality Traits: Warm, hospitable, and deeply spiritual, but also proud and sometimes playful. India enjoys sharing knowledge about culture and history and often has a bright and colorful demeanor.

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Skills: Focus on Diplomacy, Perform, Knowledge (History, Local, Religion), Heal.

Feats:

Skill Focus (Diplomacy)

Brew Potion (Making traditional remedies)

Combat Reflexes (Reflecting India’s martial ability and evasion)

Indonesia

Race:

Human (Variant) - Indonesia can be represented as a Human, highlighting a diverse culture and adaptability, common traits that mirror the nation's rich history and influences.

Classes:

Bard (Inspired Performance)

Represents Indonesia's cultural heritage through music and dance. The Bard class also emphasizes the ability to inspire and charm others, reflecting Indonesia's friendly and welcoming nature.

Ranger (Wilderness Warden)

Emphasizes Indonesia's connection with nature and the environment. The Ranger class can represent the archipelago’s rich biodiversity and Indonesia's role as a protector of its natural resources.

Shaman (Elemental Shaman)

Reflects the spiritual aspects of Indonesian culture, including connections to nature and ancestral spirits. This class can showcase Indonesia’s reliance on the natural and spiritual world.

Level:

Level 6 (2 levels in Bard, 2 levels in Ranger, 2 levels in Shaman)

This multi-class allows for a balance of skills in performance, combat capacity, and spiritual abilities, which suits Indonesia's character and culture.

Statistical Breakdown

Race: Human (Variant)

Racial Traits:

+2 to one ability score of your choice (e.g., Dexterity or Charisma)

Bonus Feat

Skilled: Choose one extra skill rank at first level.

Classes Breakdown

Bard (2 Levels)

Skills: Focus on skills like Perform, Diplomacy, and Knowledge (local).

Bardic Performance: Offers powerful support abilities to inspire allies.

Spells: Access to spells that can enhance social and combat situations.

Ranger (2 Levels)

Combat Style: Choose Archery or Two-Weapon Fighting to reflect versatility.

Favored Enemy: Choose a creature type that reflects local wildlife or threats.

Animal Companion: Select a creature that represents Indonesia's fauna (like an orangutan or exotic bird).

Shaman (2 Levels)

Spirit Guide: Choose a spirit that reflects Indonesian mythology or local deities.

Hexes: Use hexes to enhance combat or support allies (e.g., Fortune or Healing).

Shaman Spells: Include spells that evoke elemental forces or nature.

Character Traits

Personality Traits:

Caring and Nurturing: Always ready to help others, reflecting Indonesia's cultural hospitality.

Adventurous: Loves exploring new places and meeting new people, drawn from the country's rich diversity.

Ideals:

Unity in Diversity: Celebrates the various cultures within Indonesia, promoting understanding and cooperation.

Bonds:

Love for Nature: Deeply connected to the environment and committed to its protection.

Flaws:

Overly Trusting: May be taken advantage of because of a tendency to see the good in everyone.

Equipment

Curved sword (Keris) as a signature weapon.

A variety of musical instruments (like a traditional Balinese gamelan).

Herbalist kit for shamanistic rituals.

Korea

Race: Human (Variant) Description: This variant allows for a slight boost to Ability Scores, which fits Korea’s resourcefulness and adaptability.

Classes:

Bard (3 levels) Role: This class captures Korea's artistic tendencies and love for music, as well as their lively personality.

Bardic Performance: Korea enjoys and embodies the fun and jovial aspects of culture.

Spellcasting: Bards have access to a variety of spells that fit both support and entertainment roles.

Rogue (2 levels) Role: Reflects Korea's cleverness and cunning nature, often seen as playful but capable of being sneaky when necessary.

Sneak Attack: Represents Korea's quick and agile nature in both combat and social situations.

Evasion: Useful for dodging various threats, mimicking their quick reflexes.

Fighter (2 levels) Role: Ties into Korea’s martial aspects, reflecting their competency in a variety of combat skills.

Weapon Training: Korea is culturally linked to martial arts and strategic fighting, so granting them a competency in specific weapons makes sense.

Combat Feats: Choosing feats that enhance their combat effectiveness.

Total Level: 7

Ability Scores:

Strength: 14 (Strong and capable in combat)

Dexterity: 18 (Quick and agile in battle)

Constitution: 14 (Resilient)

Intelligence: 12 (Cunning)

Wisdom: 10 (Average)

Charisma: 18 (Charming, sociable, and artistic)

Skills (based on class skills):

Perform (Dance): Reflects Korea's love for dance and music.

Diplomacy: Useful for negotiating and social interaction.

Stealth: Represents the sneaky aspects of Korea’s behavior.

Acrobatics: Ties to agile movement.

Feats:

Weapon Finesse: Use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack rolls with light weapons.

Combat Reflexes: Take advantage of their quick reflexes in combat.

Persuasive: Gains a bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks.

Background: Korea is portrayed as friendly and outgoing, with a notable cultural identity. Their fondness for the arts and skill in negotiation make them a charismatic character, while their martial prowess represents their capability to defend themselves and their interests. Including aspects of culture, such as traditional clothing and habits, can add further depths to Korea's characterization in your game.

Macau

Name: Macau

Race: Half-Elf (Combines human adaptability and elven heritage, capturing Macau's cosmopolitan nature)

Gender: Male

Alignment: Chaotic Good (reflects a free spirit with a sense of mischief)

Level: 5

Classes:

Bard (3 levels):

Role: A bard represents Macau’s artistic culture, love for the thrill of life, and adaptability. Bards can weave stories and songs, making them excellent at diplomacy and social interaction.

Key Abilities: Focus on the "Gather Information" and "Perform" skills, and emphasize supportive spells and abilities.

Rogue (2 levels):

Role: As a rogue, Macau can embody the cleverness and sly charm that comes with being part of a bustling port city. This captures the elements of business, trade, and intrigue.

Key Abilities: Emphasize skills like Stealth, Deception, and Diplomacy. Utilize class features such as Sneak Attack and Trapfinding.

Statistics:

Hit Points:

Bard 3: (1d8 + Con modifier for 3 levels)

Rogue 2: (1d6 + Con modifier for 2 levels)

Skill Points:

Bards gain 6+Int modifier per level and Rogues gain 8+Int modifier per level. This makes him well-rounded in skills involving social interactions and navigation.

Class Features:

Bard:

Bardic Performance, Cantrips, Spellcasting (Focus on spells like Charm Person, Invisibility, Cure Light Wounds)

Rogue:

Sneak Attack, Evasion (if the character has a Dexterity bonus), Trapfinding.

Background and Flavor:

Personality Traits: Macau is charming, clever, and has a love of luxury. He enjoys socializing and could have connections with many different NPCs in a campaign—a great way to introduce the players to various factions or lore pieces.

Equipment: Fine clothing, a lute (or similar musical instrument), and a dagger (as a rogue weapon).

Appearance:

Description: Macau has striking features, reflecting his half-elf heritage, with an aura of both charm and mischief. His clothing is adorned with extravagant patterns, showcasing his vibrant personality.

Goals/Motivations:

Macau is keen on making connections, gathering intel, and enjoying life to the fullest. He might be a trader, a performer in the local tavern, or even an informant playing both sides of a conflict.

Encounters:

As an NPC, he could serve as an ally, information broker, or a catalyst for a conflict between other countries in your campaign. His knowledge and connections can lead players to new adventures or provide critical intel for their quests.

Malaysia

Race: Human (Variant) Malaysia's character embodies a mix of cultural traits and adaptability, making the human race a fitting choice.

Class Combination:

Monk (Unchained) 4 Monks are known for their discipline, agility, and martial arts proficiency, which can reflect Malaysia’s composure and adeptness.

Rogue 3 This class showcases the cleverness and resourcefulness often attributed to Malaysia. It also allows for an infusion of stealth and dexterous skills, perfect for subtler tactics.

Bard 3 The Bard class captures Malaysia's vibrant cultural expressions, creativity, and charm, symbolizing the nation's art and music scenes.

Character Details:

Total Level: 10

Attributes:

Strength: Moderate (as a Monk, they likely focus on agility rather than raw strength)

Dexterity: High (due to Monk and Rogue classes)

Constitution: Moderate (giving them resilience)

Intelligence: Average (not overly clever, but wise)

Wisdom: Above Average (reflects spiritual attributes from the Monk class)

Charisma: High (to reflect the bardic abilities and charming personality)

Skills:

Stealth (from Rogue)

Acrobatics (from Monk)

Perform (from Bard)

Diplomacy (from Bard)

Sense Motive (from Monk)

Feats:

Combat Reflexer: Enhances the character's ability to react in combat situations, akin to Malaysia's deftness.

Weapon Finesse: To represent agility in combat using finesse weapons.

Dodge: To bolster defensive capabilities in combat, reflecting adaptability.

Background:

Malaysia is a calm and composed individual who draws strength from both traditional practices and a modern outlook. They are diplomatic and skilled in negotiation, often bridging gaps between cultures. In combat, they utilize a mix of swift martial arts, clever tactics, and charming performances to inspire allies and confuse foes.

Special Abilities:

Ki Pool: Utilize the Monk's ki abilities for agility and faster movements.

Rogue Talents: Gain access to sneak attack when applicable or unique talents such as 'Fast Stealth.'

Bardic Performance: Inspire courage in allies or fascinate foes with compelling performances.

Philippines

Race: Human (Varisian)

Reasoning: Varisians have a rich cultural background, known for their adaptability and travel. The Philippines, as an archipelago, has a diverse culture and heritage that can be mirrored in the Varisian traits, such as their emphasis on storytelling and connection with nature.

Classes:

Bard (College of Lore)

Level: 5

Description: The Bard represents the creative and artistic sides of the Philippines, reflecting the vibrant culture and storytelling aspect. The College of Lore embodies knowledge-sharing and support, showcasing a depth of understanding of local and global stories.

Ranger (Hunter)

Level: 5

Description: As an archipelago, the Philippines has a strong connection to nature. The Ranger class highlights her skills in navigating and thriving in different environments, including jungles, mountains, and coastal areas. The Hunter archetype allows her to be an adept protector of the land and its resources.

Cleric (Domain of Artifice)

Level: 5

Description: The Cleric represents the protective and nurturing side, akin to the role of local deities in Filipino culture. The Domain of Artifice can embody the creativity and innovation inherent in Filipino culture and craftsmanship, focusing on artisanal skills and community support.

NPC Stats Overview

Race Traits:

+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength (adjust based on preference)

Varisian Adaptive: Bonus on Perform checks and Knowledge (local) checks.

Skills:

Focus on Perform, Diplomacy, Survival, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nature).

Feats:

Skill Focus (Perform), Weapon Finesse (for a light weapon style), and any beneficial feats that enhance her character concept (e.g., Multi-attack feats for Ranger).

Equipment:

Instruments for bardic performance (e.g., guitar, flute).

A ranger's kit (including a bow and nature-related gear).

Holy symbol and basic clerical gear.

Personality Traits:

Friendly, nurturing, and resourceful; a balanced character reflecting the cultural richness of the Philippines.

A loves of storytelling, eager to share tales of her homeland’s history and nature.

Strong advocate for community and local resources.

Singapore

Race

Human (Variant): Humans in Pathfinder are versatile and adaptable, making them a fitting representation of Singapore's multicultural society. The variant human allows for an extra feat or skill points, reflecting their diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Classes

Bard (Inspired Performance):

Level: 5

Justification: Bards embody creativity and adaptability. As a society rich in culture and arts, a Bard fits well as they can inspire others and represent Singapore's diverse heritage.

Rogue (Savant):

Level: 3

Justification: With a reputation as a global trade hub, Singapore would have skilled individuals adept at maneuvering through social structures and commerce, aligning well with the Rogue class, specifically the Savant archetype which focuses on knowledge and skills.

Monk (Zen Archer):

Level: 2

Justification: Reflecting Singapore's balance of modernity and tradition, a Monk can represent discipline and mastery in a particular skill. The Zen Archer variant maintains a focus on ranged combat, symbolizing precision and calmness.

NPC Summary

Name: Singapore

Race: Human (Variant)

Classes: Bard (5)/Rogue (3)/Monk (2)

Alignment: Neutral Good (reflecting a balance between cultural unity and pragmatic governance)

Background: As a hub of trade, politics, and culture, Singapore has a vibrant and multifaceted identity. As such, Singapore is not just a storyteller and artist but also possesses cunning skills to navigate social and business interactions.

Abilities: Focus on Charisma for the Bard, Dexterity for the Rogue, and Wisdom for the Monk, reflecting their prowess in storytelling, agility, and mindfulness.

Sample Abilities/Feats

Bard:

Performance (Oratory): Can create inspiring speech for allies.

Spells: Use spells that enhance skills, charm others, or create illusions.

Rogue (Savant):

Skills: High ranks in Diplomacy, Knowledge (Local), and Stealth.

Sneak Attack: Deal extra damage when surprising enemies.

Monk (Zen Archer):

Zen Archer: Utilize ranged combat with precision, high bonus to ranged attacks.

Ki Pool: Use ki points to enhance attacks or skills.

Roleplaying Notes

Singapore can act as a bridge between different realms or cultures in your campaign, acting as a diplomat or mediator for various factions.

Their knowledge of trade routes and local customs can provide valuable information to players during their adventures.

As a cultured individual, they may host gatherings or events that serve as a plot device for the adventurers to gain contacts or information.

Taiwan

Race: Human (Variant)

Taiwan's culture is a blend of Chinese and Japanese influences, making her a Human variant suitable for her diverse background—allowing for flexibility in class choice and skills.

Classes:

Bard (3rd Level)

Role: As a Bard, Taiwan can represent her artistic side and cultural heritage, capable of inspiring allies with her performance and charm. Bards are also skilled in knowledge and diplomacy, traits that suit Taiwan's portrayal as friendly and sociable.

Bardic Performance: This reflects Taiwan’s ability to gather allies and cheer up those around her.

Musical Acumen: Possibly specializing in traditional music or storytelling.

Rogue (3rd Level)

Role: The Rogue class can signify Taiwan's cleverness and adaptability. This class could also bring an aspect of stealth, reflecting her ability to maneuver through challenges.

Skills like Stealth, Diplomacy, and Knowledge (Local) can be emphasized.

Bardic Trickster Archetype could be a great fit, merging performance and roguish charm.

Monk (3rd Level)

Role: Representing her martial spirit and connection to traditional martial arts, the Monk class captures her dedication and discipline. This shows a balance between her artistic side and her warrior spirit.

Flurry of Blows & Improved Unarmed Strike: These features can represent her agile fighting style, integrating cultural martial arts.

Character Traits:

Friendly: Taiwan is portrayed as warm and inviting. A high Charisma would enhance her social interactions.

Resourceful: Reflecting her adaptability to different situations in a fast-paced environment.

Ability Scores (Suggested):

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 14 (Focus on nimbleness for both Stealth and Monk abilities)

Constitution: 12

Intelligence: 14 (Good for skill points and Bard abilities)

Wisdom: 14 (Important for Monk)

Charisma: 16 (High for Bard abilities)

Equipment:

Weapon: A traditional weapon like a fan or a dual weapon set (e.g., daggers) that she can use in combat.

Armor: Light armor or no armor to reflect her agility and style, perhaps embellished with cultural motifs representing her background.

Thailand

Race: Human (Varisian)

Humans are versatile and adaptive, reflecting the cultural blend seen in Thailand. The Varisian heritage can represent Thailand's rich history and connection to trade.

Classes:

Bard (6th Level)

The Bard class fits Thailand well, considering his charm and creativity, as well as the cultural significance of music in Thai heritage. The Bard's ability to inspire allies and influence others through performance mirrors Thailand's friendly and sociable nature.

Rogue (2nd Level)

Thailand can also reflect elements of cunning and resourcefulness found in the Rogue class. This could represent Thailand's ability to adapt to situations, as well as his connections in trade and negotiation. A few levels in Rogue can give him extra skills and the ability to handle delicate situations gracefully.

Monk (2nd Level)

A few levels in Monk can reflect the martial arts aspects of Thai culture, such as Muay Thai. This class also represents discipline and focus, showcasing Thailand's attributes of calmness and resilience.

Ability Scores (Point Buy system):

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 14 (+2 racial bonus)

Constitution: 14

Intelligence: 12

Wisdom: 14

Charisma: 18

Skills:

Perform (Dance/Sing), Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Craft (Cooking), Stealth, Acrobatics, Knowledge (History), and Knowledge (Local).

Feats:

Sound Striker (Bard feat for extra damage on performance-based spells)

Weapon Finesse (Makes use of Dexterity for Attack rolls)

Combat Reflexes (Allows for more attacks of opportunity, reflecting quick reflexes)

Equipment:

Weapons: A simple weapon like a longsword for martial arts representation, and possibly a flute or some other musical instrument.

Armor: Light armor (such as padded armor or leather armor) to reflect the Monk's flexible mobility.

Adventuring Gear: Traveler's outfit, musical instrument, cooking supplies.

Background: Thailand is a friendly and diplomatic figure, often acting as a mediator within interactions among nations. He represents the richness of Thai culture, including love for food and festivals, and can serve as a patron for adventurers seeking to navigate the complexities of a diverse world.

Vietnam

Race: Human (Standard) Humans gain an extra feat and skill point per level, which can represent Vietnam's adaptability and resourcefulness.

Classes:

Rogue (8 Levels)

Represents her cunning and cleverness, as well as her ability to navigate complex social situations.

Monk (2 Levels)

Reflects her martial arts background and connection to her cultural heritage. This class can also add flavor to her physical capabilities.

Shaman (3 Levels)

Ties into her spiritual beliefs and the connection to nature. The Shaman class can also highlight her ties to tradition and local spirits.

Total Level: 13

Background and Personality Traits:

Vietnam is known for being resilient and resourceful, which fits well with the Rogue class. She often finds strategic ways to approach problems and navigate conflicts.

Her martial arts skills can be represented by taking levels in Monk, allowing her some combat prowess and unarmed fighting style.

Incorporating Shaman reflects her spiritual ties and connection to nature, as well as the aspect of guiding and helping others.

Suggested Attributes (Assuming a Point Buy System):

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 16

Constitution: 14

Intelligence: 14

Wisdom: 16

Charisma: 10

Skills:

Focus on skills like Stealth, Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Local and Nature), and Survival. These represent her agility, cultural knowledge, and resourceful nature.

Feats:

Weapon Finesse (for using her Dexterity with her combat skills)

Combat Reflexes (to leverage her nimble combat style)

Improved Unarmed Strike (to enhance her martial arts abilities)

Gear:

A set of traditional weapons (like a short sword, dagger, or traditional martial arts weapons)

Light armor that allows for mobility (like a modified version of studded leather)

Appearance:

Vietnam can be depicted as wearing traditional attire influenced by her cultural background, perhaps adorned with elements representing nature.

[cyberkevvideo]

Race Conversion - Firbolg (5e to PF1e)

I had actually completely forgotten about this conversion, which I had kind of done on a whim because of an inquiry asking how one would do this. My reasoning was accepted, and the person presented it to their GM. Don't know how it went over, or if it was accepted, but the race wasn't broken by any means. Honestly, given how inexpensive it is, I'd have accepted it for my own home games quite easily.

That being said, it took some finagling and borrowing from 3.5 to get my version of the build to work, but I was quite happy with what I came up with.

Art from the Forgotten Realms Wiki, using the 5e and 3.5e pictures.

As always, if you like what I do, whether it’s monster conversions, adventure path add-ons, or race builds, I have a Ko-Fi page (linked) for those who would like to support me monetarily. There is no pressure or obligation to do so. A like and/or a share would also be appreciated just as much. It lets people know I exist out there.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Now, let's talk stats.

Using the rules from the Pathfinder Race Guide, the best way to go about it is do a custom build. There is no base firbolg that's similar to 5e for PF1e.

Firbolg -Racial Traits- Ability Score Modifiers (Flexible): Str +2, Wis +2 (2 RP) Type: Humanoid (giant) (0 RP) Size: Medium (0 RP) Speed: 30 ft. land speed (0 RP) Spell-like Ability, Lesser: Firbolg Magic--detect magic, disguise self; (1/day each) (2 RP) Spell-like Ability, Lesser: Speech of Beast and Leaf--speak with animals, speak with plants (1/day each) (3 RP) Other: Hidden Step--Once per day, as a bonus action, you can cast invisibility, but it's duration is 1 round. (2 RP) Other: Powerful Build--The physical stature of firbolgs lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a firbolg is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for a Combat Maneuver Bonus or Combat Maneuver Defense (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the firbolg is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A firbolg is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A firbolg can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category. (3 RP)

Total 12 RP

Hidden Step is difficult because there's no PF equivalent to the quick invisibility. In 3.5, there was a variant spell called Swift Invisibility which was a bard 2 spell (revised to bard 1 in Spell Compendium), making it equivalent to 2 RP, which feels fitting but doesn't at the same time, as it only lasts until the start of your turn or when you attack. Even thought it changed for bard, the other classes in Spell Compendium stayed at level 2 (with the exception of the Initiate of Baravar Cloakshadow feat which gives it as a 1st level spell). If you want to go with the Spell Compendium bard 1, that's perfectly reasonable.

There's no real carrying capacity increaser ability in Pathfinder 1e, so instead it'd be better to borrow from other examples and say, "treat your Strength score as 2 higher for the purpose of determining your carrying capacity". Traits like Muscle of the Society or Efficient Packer are worded like this. Probably just worth 1 RP as there are traits that give you this ability, and they're equivalent to half a feat, and specific named feats are only 2 RP. That said, 3.5e and Pathfinder psionics have the half-giants, which has the Powerful Build race feature. Looking over multiple forums, it's argued that it should be 7 or more RP because it's "like Large, but without the drawbacks", while others say it's only worth 2-3 RP because you don't get the increased Str score which gives you a bonus to damage and other benefits. I went with the safe route of 3 RP since a bonus +2 Str is 4 RP.

Speech of Beast and Leaf is another difficult one. You could just have it be "speak with animals 1/day 1 RP, speak with plants 1/day 3 RP", and call it a day, but because the firbolg only communicates, and there's no real time back and forth conversation, reducing this to 2 RP should suffice. As for the "influence" aspect, if you want to add that, you could make it be a +1 or +2 bonus to Diplomacy or Handle Animal. Could also make it so that a firbolg PC can get the spells at-will with a racial feat, not unlike the Race feats we see for drowand other races. Maybe even a feat to give firbolgs Wild Empathy as a druid, and if you take a class that gives Wild Empathy, you gain +2 to your checks. PF1e has a fair number of race feats so it's not out of the realm of possibility. That said, Pathfinder likes to make things pretty clean on how things function, so I went with just giving them the spells. It limits the race somewhat because you can't do it multiple times a day, but still.

Theoretically, a firbolg is around 12 RP, which isn't bad compared to most of the playable races players enjoy. Humans are 9 RP and dwarves are 11 RP. Elves, gnomes, half-elves, and goblins are all 10 RP, while tieflings and common drow are 13 RP.