Old News: The Commoner Class

What a dreamboat!

A while back, I wrote about which background you should choose as a player. Well, I also wrote about a Commoner Class that essentially allows you to make your own background. I figured it might be fun to let the players really get into the shoes of the peasantry.

I haven't had a chance to playtest this yet, but it's not too complicated. Here's the link! Let me know if you find typos or have suggestions.

The Commoner Class

More recaps coming soon, I promise! The games should pick again here in a few weeks.

Thanks for reading!

Failed Magic Items: Dungeon Master's Guide Part 4 (D)

+1 Poisoning-Sword-Morning Star-Spear of Meta-Humor...very effective against Dragons apparently.

Greetings! Will here, back in the saddle again for this week's Failed Magic Items.

Y'all know the drill, let's do this!

Note: Demon Armor has been omitted because of its already cursed status.

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Doug's Instant Distress
"Wondrous" item, rare

You can use an action to place this 1-inch metal cube on the ground and speak its command word. The cube then rapidly grows into the object of your greatest fear. You must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened of the object. You can repeat the save at the end of your turn to end the effect. If you pass this save or the effect ends for you, you are not Frightened. The cube becomes inactive after 1d4 hours.

Dagger of Syrup

Weapon (dagger), uncommon

You can use an action to cause thick, brown syrup to coat the blade. The syrup remains for 1 minute or until an attack using this weapon hits a creature. The syrup tastes sweet and perhaps makes any wound it causes to sting a bit, but otherwise doesn't have any additional effects. The dagger can’t be used this way again until the next dawn.

Break-Dancing Sword

Weapon (any sword), very rare (requires attunement)

You can use a bonus action to toss this magic sword into the air and speak the command word. When you do so, the sword clatters to the floor and remains motionless until it is exposed to a jaunty and high-energy tune. The sword then begins to rhythmically spin and gyrate in place at blinding speed. Any creature that comes within 5 feet of the sword is subjected to four melee weapon attacks at +5 to hit. The sword deals damage based on the type of sword it is and has no modifiers to its damage rolls. The sword stops spinning once the music stops and it can then be picked up.

Decanter of Endless Mustard

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

This stoppered flask heavily sloughs around when shaken, as if it contains a viscous sauce. The decanter weighs 2 pounds.

You can use an action to remove the stopper and speak one of three command words, whereupon an amount of mustard pours out of the flask. The mustard stops pouring out at the start of your next turn.

Choose from the following options:

“Yellow” produces 1 cup of regular yellow mustard.
“Dijon” produces 1/2 cup of a spicy Dijon mustard.
“Stone Ground” produces 1/4 cup of gourmet stone-ground mustard

The mustard itself doesn't do anything special, but it could make a nice addition to a meal.

Deck of Delusions

"Wondrous" item, rare

This box contains a set of parchment cards. A full deck has 14 cards. A deck found as treasure is usually missing 1d8-1 cards.

The magic of the deck functions only if cards are drawn at random (you can use an altered deck of playing cards to simulate the deck). You can use an action to draw a card at random from the deck.

The creature that drew the card must make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw or be afflicted with a corresponding delusion from the Delusions Table below. Whether it is true or not (probably not), the creature is utterly convinced it's real even, and especially, in the face of competing evidence.

The delusion lasts for 24 hours. When the delusion ends, the image on its card disappears, and that card can’t be used again.

Delusions Table

• Jack of Hearts: "I'm fabulously wealthy"
• Queen of Hearts: "Everyone loves me and enjoys my company"
• King of Hearts: "I'm immensely popular, everyone recognizes me"
• Ace of Hearts: "I can lift anything, even mountains"
• Jack of Spades: "I can outrun anything, nothing can catch me."
• Queen of Spades: "Everyone is a dullard compared to me"
• King of Spades: "No disease can infect me"
• Ace of Spades: "I can drink anyone under the table"
• Jack of Clubs: "I can jump higher than anything else"
• Queen of Clubs: "I'm tallest among everything here"
• King of Clubs: "I have the face of a Solar, no one can resist my charms"
• Ace of Clubs: "I'm the greatest warrior that has ever lived"
• Jack of Diamonds: "My stomach might as well be a Bag of Holding"
• Queen of Diamonds: "I'm the greatest chef alive"
• King of Diamonds: "I'm impervious to any weapon made by mortal hands"
• Ace of Diamonds: "I'm a Legendary Ancient Dragon in disguise"
• Joker (2): "I died a while ago, my body is merely a spectral projection"

Deck of One Thing

"Wondrous" item, rare

Usually found by itself, not contained in any vessel, this is a card made of somewhat sturdy parchment with a poorly drawn picture of an obscene gesture on one side. When you "draw" this card a Human man in his early 30s appears in front of you. For the next hour the man ceaselessly spouts every reason that this item's counterpart, the Deck of Many Things, is unnecessarily obtuse in its design and admonishes the wizard that conceived it.

The man then disappears. The card can be "drawn" again after 24 hours.

Offender

Weapon (any sword), legendary (requires attunement)

You have the option to gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls with this magic weapon.

However, if you use this bonus on any attack a voice resonates from the sword and brutally insults every creature (including yourself) within 60 feet of it. Every creature in the affected area must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 2d4 Psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. The voice leaves its most cutting insult for you and you take 4d4 Psychic damage if you fail the save.

One-Dimensional Shackles

"Wondrous" item, rare

You can use an action to places these shackles on an Incapacitated creature. The shackles adjust to fit a creature of Small to Large size. In addition to serving as mundane manacles, the shackles reduce the creature to its primary Personality Trait. Any other semblance of depth to the creature's identity is suppressed so long as the shackles remain.

You and any creature you designate when you use the shackles can use an action to remove them. Once every 30 days, the bound creature can make a DC 30 Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, the creature breaks free and destroys the shackles, regaining the rest of their personality.

Fish Scale Mail

Armor (scale mail), very rare (requires attunement)

Fish scale mail is made of the scales of a fish. Sometimes a fish loses its scales by bumping into something while swimming. Other times, fishermen carefully skin and preserve the hide of a dead fish. In either case, fish scale mail is very odd and makes one wonder what madman went through the trouble of making it.

While wearing this armor, you gain a -2 penalty to AC but have advantage on weapon attacks against aquatic creatures.

Additionally, you can focus your senses as an action to magically discern the distance and direction to the closest fish within 30 miles of you. This special action can’t be used again until the next dawn.

Rodent Slayer

Weapon (any sword), rare

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made against rodents with this magic weapon.

When you hit a rodent with this weapon, the rodent takes an extra 10d6 damage of the weapon’s type. For the purpose of this weapon, “rodent” refers creatures like rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, beavers, voles, chinchillas, and capybaras...oh, and also Wererats.

Dust of Dull Appearance

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

Found in a small packet, this powder resembles very fine sand. There is enough of it for one use. When you use an action to throw the dust into the air, you and each creature and object within 10 feet of you become incredibly dull looking for 2d4 minutes. Any armor or clothing transforms into beige linen, weapons become wooden and useless, and the color in the effected area becomes desaturated. The duration is the same for all subjects, and the dust is consumed when its magic takes effect. If a creature affected by the dust attacks or casts a spell, it is done in an incredibly lackluster manner.

Dust of Shyness

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

This small packet contains 1d6+4 pinches of dust. You can use an action to sprinkle a pinch of it over a creature, however in doing so the dust also touches you and you are affected by it. Both you and the creature become debilitatingly shy of one another for 10 minutes. During this time, neither of you can speak, look at, interact, or target the other with an attack or spell of any kind. At most you can make sheepish giggling or whimpering noises at one another.

Dust of Itching and Scratching

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

Found in a small container, this powder resembles very fine sand. There is enough of it for one use.

When you use an action to throw a handful of the dust into the air, you and each creature that has skin within 30 feet of you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become horrifically itchy. A creature affected in this way is Incapacitated and spends its turns hopelessly scratching at its skin. As long as it is conscious, a creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on it on a success. After the first failed save, the creature's scratching begins to cause open wounds, dealing 1d4 Piercing damage on the second failed save. This damage increases by 1d4 for each subsequent failed save after the second. The Lesser Restoration spell can also end the effect on a creature.

Dwarven Plate

Object (plate), rare

This large, ornate, and nigh-indestructible plate can be used to eat off of or perhaps decorate part of a wall. It can be used a shield.

Dwarf Driver

Weapon (warhammer), very rare (requires attunement by any creature other than a dwarf)

This warhammer of exotic construction features a particularly long and thin haft with a bulbous head on one end. Against any creature that is not a dwarf, it behaves as if it were a normal warhammer. However, if you succeed in making a two-handed melee attack against a dwarf, the dwarf must then make a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be launched 30 feet backwards.

If you use a bonus action to speak the command word "Fore!" before making this attack, the distance increases to 60 feet.

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All for now, 'til next time!

Let's Get Crafty

D&D: Arts and Crafts Edition

So, I've been talking a long time about magic item crafting. I wrote a whole series on crafting items from monsters (even included a crafting index!), I've written about using magic conceptually, how it works in my homebrew world, and and the innate power within magical materials.

It's about time I made a guide to actually crafting magic items.

I'm basing the outline of this on the numbers from Xanathar's Guide, pages 128-130. However, I think they missed a big draw of crafting an item: making your own custom gear. Yeah, it's cool that you could save up and craft a Holy Avenger, but let's be honest. You'd rather figure out how to make a Flaming Poisoning Raging Sword of Doom, right?

The Process of Crafting

To craft an item, you need three things: a base item, one or more spells you wish to infuse into that item, and any additional modification resources you wish to apply to the item. All of these will cost gold, and the crafting of the item will cost time.

Additionally, you need to have proficiency in the tools or skills needed to create an item. The base item determines which set of tools you will need. Your crafting bonus determines the amount of skill you have with your tools, and is determined by adding your proficiency bonus (double if you have expertise in that tool) to the default ability modifier for that tool.

For the purposes of crafting, Bards, Rogues, and those who take the Prodigy feat (XGtE pg. 75) may apply their expertise bonus to a set of tools.

The default ability modifiers for each set of tools are as follows:

• Alchemist's Supplies: Wisdom
• Brewer's Supplies: Wisdom
• Calligrapher's Supplies: Dexterity
• Carpenter's Tools: Strength
• Cartographer's Tools: Dexterity
• Cobbler's Tools: Strength
• Cook's Utensils: Wisdom
• Glassblower's Tools: Dexterity
• Jeweler's Tools: Dexterity
• Leatherworker's Tools: Strength
• Mason's Tools: Strength
• Painter's Supplies: Dexterity
• Potter's Tools: Dexterity
• Smith's Tools: Strength
• Tinker's Tools: Dexterity
• Weaver's Tools: Dexterity
• Woodcarver's Tools: Strength
• Disguise Kit: Wisdom
• Forgery Kit: Dexterity
• Gaming Set (any): Wisdom
• Herbalism Kit: Wisdom
• Musical Instrument: Dexterity
• Navigator's Tools: Wisdom
• Poisoner's Kit: Wisdom
• Thieves' Tools: Dexterity
• Vehicles (animal-drawn): Strength
• Vehicles (wind/water borne): Wisdom

Once you have calculated your crafting bonus, you can determine the maximum level of magic item you can create. The total spell level of an item is determined by adding together the spell level of all spells the item is infused with. If an item is listed in the Dungeon Master's Guide, you may craft it only when you are able to craft items of the appropriate rarity, no matter what the spell levels would be needed to craft it.

• If your crafting bonus is at least +3, you can craft mundane items using your tools. This can be useful for making your own base items for infusing with magic.
• If your crafting bonus is at least +5, you can craft common magic items, or items that have a total spell level of 1 or less.
• If your crafting bonus is at least +9, you can craft uncommon magic items, or items that have a total spell level of 4 or less.
• If your crafting bonus is at least +11, you can craft rare magic items, or items that have a total spell level of 9 or less.
• If your crafting bonus is at least +15, you can craft very rare magic items, or items that have a total spell level of 15 or less.
• If your crafting bonus is at least +17, you can craft legendary magic items, or items that have a total spell level of 21 or less.
• If your crafting bonus is at least +19, you can craft artifacts, and you have no limit on the amount of spell levels you can craft into an object.

Once you have determined the maximum rarity and spell level of the item you can create, you must set about finding the components of the magic item: a Base Item, a Spell, and Modifiers.

Base Items

Make your own plot device!

All magic items start with a base item. These are mundane items that will be enchanted during the creation process. You will need to craft this item, pay the full cost for it, or obtain it over the course of your adventures.

A magic item will usually clearly require a certain type of item. A Longsword +1 will require a longsword. An Elemental Gem will require the appropriate gemstone. Potions merely require water, making them the simplest of the base items to obtain.

The base item determines which set of tools you will need.

• Potions: Herbalism Kit, Poisoner's Kit, or Alchemist's Supplies
• Leather Armor, Boots, Some Cloaks: Leatherworker's Tools
• Metal Armor, Weapons: Smith's Tools
• Robes, Clothing: Weaver's Tools
• Spell Scrolls, Wands: Arcana
• Etc.

Work with your DM to determine which set of tools is appropriate for your item. If you are crafting an Elemental Gem, you may need proficiency in Jeweler's Tools. 

The major exception to this is wizards. A character in the Wizard class may use their Arcana skill in place of a tool proficiency. However, the wizard will only be able to create items associated with their chosen school of magic, and they do not have the option to craft their own base items.

The base item required to create a magic item may not be available in the Player's Handbook. If you are looking to craft a certain item, talk to your DM about what might be used as a base for that item. More powerful items require more difficult to obtain base items. The DM is encouraged to use the Trade Goods table (PHB pg. 157) and the Gemstones and Art Objects tables (DMG pg. 134-5) to determine the value of the item you need to find.

If you find an item that is particularly attuned to becoming a certain magic item (such as many kinds of creature loot), the total gold cost of crafting the item is halved. However, the time required to craft the item remains the same. The DM decides if an item is meant to be crafted into a certain magic item.

The cost of the item can also be halved or affected by the forge, tools, or location it is crafted in. A magic forge might reduce the cost or time required to finish an item.

The base item also determines the attunement requirements of an item. If the item is something that is worn or can be used multiple times, it will likely require attunement. Work with your DM to determine if the item you wish to create will use an attunement slot.

Spells

Seems like a fun place to make a weapon

A magic item is simply an item imbued with one or more spells. A Longsword +3 is simply a longsword with a permanent 6th-level Magic Weapon spell cast upon it.

To imbue an object with a spell, you need a copy of that spell. You can use your spellbook, your known spells, or a spell scroll as reference. You don't need to be able to cast the spell yourself, but you do have to provide all material components for the spell when you craft it.

The most basic magic item is a spell scroll. Essentially, it is just paper with a magical effect. Thus, the cost of a spell scroll is used as the basis for determining the cost and time needed to create your magic item. Here is the list of spell scroll crafting requirements from Xanathar's Guide:

• Cantrip: 1 day, 15 GP (DC 13/+5 to hit)
• 1st level: 1 day, 25 GP (DC 13/+5 to hit)
• 2nd level: 3 days, 250 GP (DC 13/+5 to hit)
• 3rd level: 1 week, 500 GP (DC 15/+7 to hit)
• 4th level: 2 weeks, 2500 GP (DC 15/+7 to hit)
• 5th level: 4 weeks, 5000 GP (DC 17/+9 to hit)
• 6th level: 8 weeks, 15000 GP (DC 17/+9 to hit)
• 7th level: 16 weeks, 25000 GP (DC 18/+10 to hit)
• 8th level: 32 weeks, 50000 GP (DC 18/+10 to hit)
• 9th level: 48 weeks, 250000 GP (DC 19/+11 to hit)

As in Xanathar's Guide, there are 5 workdays in a week. Spending more time per week on a laborious task can incur Constitution saving throws by the DM to avoid becoming exhausted.

If you make an item using the above cost and time, the spell will be cast with the listed Save DC or Spell Attack Bonus. The item will be able to cast the spell or gain its effect once, without requiring material components, and then the object will become nonmagical. This is the equivalent of making a spell scroll or potion.

If you want your item to be able to use its spell more than once, then you must have a base item that will last through multiple castings, meaning a scroll or potion will not suffice. Additionally, you must apply one of the following modifiers:

• To cast the spell 3 times before the object becomes nonmagical, the item will cost 3 times as much and 3 times as long to craft. The same is true for any number of charges.
• To cast the spell once per day, the item will cost 5 times as much and take twice as long to craft. The item regains the ability to cast the spell at a time of day you specify, such as dawn or dusk.
• To cast the spell 3 times per day, the item will cost 10 times as much and take 5 times as long to craft. The item regains the ability to cast the spell at a time of day you specify, such as dawn or dusk.
• For the spell's effect to be constant, at will, or permanent, the item will cost 25 times as much and take 10 times as long to craft.
• If the item can cast spells using charges, you must pay the cost and time for each spell, and the cost and time of each spell is multiplied by 3. Each spell uses up a number of charges equal to its spell level. The item begins with 3 charges, and regains 1d3 charges at the time of day you specify. If you wish for the item to have more charges, use the modifiers below. Finally, it gains the property: If you expend the last charge of this item, roll a d20. On a 1, the item is destroyed.
• 10 charges, regain 1d6+4 per day: The cost and time is multiplied by 5
• 20 charges, regain 2d8+4 per day: The cost and time is multiplied by 10
• 50 charges, regain 4d6+2 per day: The cost and time is multiplied by 25

As long as the effect of the spell is not changed, the spell can be flavored to fit the theme of your item. For example, the Staff of Swarming Insects allows its user to expend 1 charge to cast Fog Cloud, but it appears as a swarm of insects instead of smoke. No other effect of the spell is changed.

Modifiers

Axegun? Axegun.

Finally, you can add materials during the crafting process to modify a magic item.

Some modifiers apply to the overall magic item, others only to the spells the item can cast. More powerful magic requires more material to be infused for a modification to take place. To determine the cost of modifiers, take the highest-level spell you wish to infuse the item with. The cost of the materials needed to affect your item is given below.

• Cantrip: 10 GP
• 1st level: 25 GP
• 2nd level: 25 GP
• 3rd level: 50 GP
• 4th level: 50 GP
• 5th level: 100 GP
• 6th level: 100 GP
• 7th level: 500 GP
• 8th level: 1000 GP
• 9th level: 5000 GP

The materials are listed below, and have the following effects.

• Adamantine: The item cannot be broken. An armor item reinforced with Adamantine becomes Adamantine armor in addition to its other properties. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 500 GP.
• Agate: The item sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The creature holding the item can use a bonus action to shed or extinguish the light. Alternatively, if the item is sentient or contains a soul, 500 GP of agate grants it darkvision within the range of its sight.
• Amber: The item never gets dirty.
• Black Onyx: If the item requires attunement, the attuned creature begins to decay and take on the appearance of an undead zombie. This process is painless as long as the creature remains attuned, but if the attunement ends, the creature immediately takes 1d10 necrotic damage per level of the spell within the item.
• Black Pearl: When the bearer is presented with an opportunity to act in a selfish or malevolent way, the item heightens the bearer's urge to do so.
• Blood: If the casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Poison damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical creature.
• Bone: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Necrotic damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical creature.
• Clay: While underground, the bearer of this item always knows  the item's depth below the surface and the direction to the nearest path leading upwards. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Chrysolite: The item makes no sound when it casts its spell.
• Coal: The item is constantly covered in a thin layer of soot and grime.
• Copper: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Psychic damage. Alternatively, if the item is sentient or contains a soul, 500 GP of copper grants it the ability to speak, read, and understand one or more languages.
• Crystal: The item uses the spell save of its wielder, rather than the save dictated by the spell. The item can only be used by creatures who have the item's spell on their class spell list.
• Diamond: The item is affected as if by the Awaken spell. It cannot move on its own, communicates by transmitting emotions to its wielder, can see and hear out to a distance of 30 feet, and is charmed by its creator as in the spell's description. It gains the ability to withhold its magical properties at will. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 1000 GP.
• Dirt: While underground, the bearer of this item always knows  the item's depth below the surface and the direction to the nearest path leading upwards. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Glass: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Lightning damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Gold: If the item requires attunement, attuning to the item only takes 1 minute.
• Incense: By using a particular scent of incense, the item may be linked to a particular deity during its creation. The deity must approve of any creature that uses or attunes to the item. If a creature opposed to the deity attempts to wield the weapon, it loses its magical properties until it is wielded by a creature the deity approves of.
• Iron: The bearer of the item can use an action to determine which way is north. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Ivory: The item whispers warnings to its bearer, granting a +2 bonus to initiative if the bearer isn't incapacitated. This effect is separate from the item's sentience or soul, if it has one.
• Jacinth: The bearer can speak and understand one language of the creator's choice while the item is on the bearer's person. The language must be one listed in the Player's Handbook.
• Jade: The item produces a fragment of an ancient song when used.
• Lead: If the item is targeted by a Detect Magic or Identify spell, the spell fails and the spell slot is wasted. If at least 500 GP of lead is used in the creation of the item, the item is permanently under the effect of a Nystul's Magic Aura spell, the effects of which are chosen by the creator at the item's creation. If at least 5000 GP of lead is used in the creation of the item, the item and its bearer act as if they are under a Nondetection spell.
• Lodestone: If the item casts a spell that takes more than 1 round to cast, that spell can be cast in half the listed time instead.
• Mercury: If the item casts a spell with a duration longer than instantaneous, the spell lasts twice as long as it normally would, to a maximum of 24 hours.
• Mica: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Thunder damage.
• Mithril: The item weighs half its normal weight, while maintaining its durability. An armor item reinforced with Mithril becomes Mithril armor in addition to its other properties. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 800 GP.
• Opal: The item is imbued with illusion magic, allowing the bearer to alter the item's appearance in minor ways. These changes are entirely cosmetic and don't affect the weapon's properties. It reverts to its true appearance when no one is carrying or wielding it.
• Pearl: When the bearer of the item contemplates or undertakes a malevolent act, the item enhances pangs of conscience.
• Peridot: The bearer of the item can use an action to cause their voice to be heard clearly for up to 300 feet until the end of the bearer's next turn.
• Pitch: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Acid damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Platinum: The item can have a soul stored within it, becoming sentient. The soul cannot move the item on its own, communicates by transmitting emotions to its wielder, and can hear and see within 30 feet of the item. It gains the ability to withhold the magical properties of the item at will. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 5000 GP.
• Quartz: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Cold damage.
• Ruby: The item glows faintly when a certain kind of creature is within 120 feet of it. The kind of creature it detects is chosen by the item's creator.
• Salt: If the item is a potion with a duration of 1 hour, the duration extends to 1d4 hours. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Sand: The item floats on water and other liquids. Its bearer has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Sapphire: If the item is sentient or contains a soul, the range of its hearing and vision increases by 30 feet for each 500 GP of sapphire used in the item's creation, to a maximum of 120 feet. Because of its unique property, any amount of Sapphire can be used in a magic item creation, regardless of the highest level spell associated with the item.
• Silver: A weapon item modified with silver counts as a silvered weapon. Alternatively, if the item is sentient or contains a soul, 5000 GP of silver grants it the ability to communicate telepathically with any creature that carries or wields it.
• Stone: While underground, the bearer of this item always knows the item's depth below the surface and the direction to the nearest path leading upwards. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.
• Sulfer: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Fire damage.
• Sunstone: If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Radiant damage.
• Water: The bearer of the item suffers to harm in temperatures as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or as warm as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location.

Note that these materials will be used in different ways during the process. A ring that is infused with sapphire doesn't need a sapphire set into it, but might have powdered sapphire added to the metal during the forging process.

Again, the DM is encouraged to use the Trade Goods table (PHB pg. 157) and the Gemstones and Art Objects tables (DMG pg. 134-5) to determine the value of the materials needed for modification.

The Crafting Process

Oh boy, here we go...

When a player wishes to craft a magic item, the first thing they must do is determine the total gold and time cost to create the magic item. They need to pay for the base item, a copy of the spells and their material components, the cost of infusing the spell into the item, and any modifiers the item might use. Remember, if they have a base item that lends itself to magic item creation, the gold cost is halved.

When they have saved up the gold required to create the magic item, they can spend it all at once to begin the creation process. This constitutes them buying all the materials they need to create the item. Because of the necessity of applying different parts of the material components at different times of the crafting process, they must spend all the gold up front.

Then, they need downtime equal to the time required to make an item. They don't need to spend it all at once, but the item will not be completed until they devote enough time to the item. When they spend their last downtime day, the item is completed. As part of the crafting process, they can choose to immediately attune to the item.

Let's take an example.

A character wishes to craft a Hat of Disguise. They found a Couatl Feather that their DM said would be an excellent base item for this endeavor. They already have the hat they wish to use as their base item. The DM determines the item, when crafted, will require attunement. Because this is an uncommon magic item, the character has a weaver's tools bonus of +9, or they are a Wizard specializing in Illusion magic with an Arcana bonus of +9.

The character will need 1 day and 25 gold to infuse the object with a 1st level spell. Since they wish to make the effect at will, these amounts are multiplied by 25. The Disguise Self spell has no material components, but they will need a copy of the spell in order to create the item. Fortunately, they already know the spell.

Let's suppose the character also wishes to use Gold to modify the item, to give it a shorter attunement time. Since the highest spell the item can cast is 1st level, the player must provide 25 GP worth of gold.

The character pays the gold required to make the item. This is the spell's 25 gold cost, multiplied by 25 to make it at will, plus 25 GP for the modification, divided by half because of the Couatl Feather. The total cost is 325 gold.

Then, the character must devote 25 downtime days to the creation of the item. After the last day, the Hat of Disguise is complete, and can be immediately attuned to by the character.

Here's an example of a custom item.

A character wishes to make a cloning machine. They are going to use the Simulacrum spell to do so, which makes the total spell level required 7. The DM determines that they will need a Tinker's Tools or Arcana (Illusion) bonus of +11 or higher, and will have to acquire a large metal container as the base item. Using the Trade goods table (and some googling), the DM determines the container weighs 500 pounds and costs 100 GP to craft. The DM determines this item will not require attunement.

The character will need 16 weeks and 25,000 GP to infuse the object with a 7th-level spell. They want to create 3 clones a day, so they must multiply the gold cost by 10 and the time cost by 5. The Simulacrum spell requires 1,500 GP of material components, which they must provide. Finally, they supply 500 GP of Adamantine to make the machine unbreakable, and 500 GP of Lodestone to cut the 12-hour casting time of the spell in half. The character doesn't know the Simulacrum spell, but found a spell scroll on their journey that they plan to copy it from.

The character pays the gold required to craft the item, totaling 252,500 GP. They must then devote 80 workweeks to the creation of the cloning machine, or approximately 1.5 years in Ahnerian time. After the last day, the machine is functional and can spit out a clone of a creature within it every 6 hours, to a maximum of 3 times per day. At the DM's discretion, the machine may have a maximum number of clones it can have active at a given time.

As a DM, the prospect of a cloning machine may be scary or world-breaking for you. I personally think there are a lot of good reason to do it (such as making the world more fantastic, giving players a goal for their gold, and stocking your magic item shops), but if you disagree, that's okay! There are plenty of points in the process where you can stop this endeavor. Tell them there's no tools sufficient to create such an item, that the base item they need doesn't exist yet, or even just limit their cloning to one clone at a time like in the original spell.

The point of this is to give a crafting process with simple costs and choices, flexibility, and creative effects. Overall, I feel pretty comfortable with the result. The process is also fairly balanced, since we are using the existing spell lists to build our costs.

Thanks for reading!

Monday Recap: A Grave Situation

Such friendly faces

We got together for a little pick-up game this weekend, and just happened to have everyone that was in the game with Kaim'ango the edgelord. So, I figured we could carry on an adventure with these plucky young heroes!

By the way, this dungeon was inspired by this reddit post. When all else fails, use the resources on the internet!

This story is part 2 of a series. The campaign was completed.
| Part 1 | Part 2 |

Monday Recap: A Grave Situation

Cast of Characters
Jon: Dungeon Master
Megan: Gemma Ashton, Human Rogue, talks a lot, designs clothes, trying to rebel against her mom
Shannon: Ryn Darkiron, Human Bard, in a band, hair color changes daily, now touring in a tavern near you
Quinn: Chaz Greymoon, Human Barbarian, unaccomplished junkie, selling drugs for kicks
Makayla: Karen Iona, Human Wizard, quiet and awkward, learning magic from the mopiest guy in Garton

We began our story by figuring out what had been going on for the past month in each of the character's lives. Gemma had been begrudgingly taking her lady training, Ryn was now touring around and hoping to invent some sort of huge Sending Stone that could amplify her music (thus causing it to be "rock" music). Chaz had tried to get into running the underworld but found out that it was way herder than he expected, and had resorted to simply selling illegal drugs on the streets.

Karen, however, had begun her training with the guard leader Kaim'Ango, a man for whom the word drama was not nearly dramatic enough. In his forested tower, he spoke briefly of the lack of guards in the city, since they had been drawn away for other missions. He gave Karen a letter, which contained a mission he believed only she and her friends could handle. Karen left the tower, emerging in the middle of the city of Garton.

She decided to gather her friends starting where she knew one would be: Gemma's home in the High District of Garton. Gemma agreed to help on the quest (though they didn't actually know what it was yet), and asked her butler if he could track down Ryn or Chaz. The shifty butler Jared told them that he actually knew Chaz, and could ask to meet up with him that night. After a bit of sleuthing, they found out that Ryn would be playing at the Coldiron Inn that night, and Jared coordinated Chaz to be there as well.

They met again at the Inn that night, where Ryn had set up her band (featuring tons of percussion for extra loudness). Sure enough, Chaz was in the back of the tavern, ready to make a deal with Jared. The girls roped him in, and once Ryn's set was over she joined as well. They all agreed to go on the adventure, and Karen finally opened the letter containing their task.

As it turned out, they were just being asked to kill some rats in a basement. The group was underwhelmed, but apparently there would be payment in gold and alcohol. Gemma insisted they do the job quickly and get it over with, since her mother would probably become suspicious if she were out for more than one night.

Something strange is afoot at the Shining Whale!

They made their way to The Shining Whale, a lovely two-story tavern owned by a grumpy old dwarf named Grador Bottlebringer. His eyesight was going but his hearing was great, and he wanted the group to take care of all the rats in the basement so the noise would stop. His barkeep, a dark-skinned young man named Samuel, seemed nervous about the group. Ryn gave him her information so she could perform here later.

The heroes headed downstairs and started investigating the cellar. It seemed to be a standard wine cellar, with racks of wine bottles and barrels, and a set of torches dimly lighting the place. Karen took down one of the torches and began to swing it beneath the shelving, looking for signs of rats.

What she got instead was a glimpse of a disembodied hand crawling beneath the wines. After shaking off the shock of the scene, Karen reached out to grab the thing with her Mage Hand spell. However, it quickly skittered away before she could catch it.

The hand popped out into the open on the other side of the room, cautiously "looking" at the group. Gemma though it was moving in a slightly cute way, despite its pallid skin and broken fingernails. She and Ryn slowly approached it, whispering words of encouragement. Chaz, on the other hand, decided to just chuck a wine bottle at it.

The bottle hit the little hand and it stopped moving. Gemma rushed over, and fixed it up as best she could with a wrap made from her spare cloth. It seemed grateful, but wary of Chaz. Gemma decided to give it a glove of its own, so it looked fancy despite being just a hand. The hand "thanked" her, then scuttled underneath the wine shelves again.

Karen searched for it again with the torch, but it had seemingly disappeared. Ryn inspected the shelf it had crawled under, and found a single empty wine bottle among the many full ones. she realized it was attached to the shelf, and pulled on it. The entire shelf lifted up and swung easily, and the group revealed a secret passage underneath the cellar! Unfortunately, the crawling hand was nowhere to be seen.

They walked down a short passage and came upon a room filled with crates, with straw littering the floor. Karen noticed the shape of a person behind some of the crates, the top of his head visible by torchlight. She called out to him, and then watched in horror as the head hopped up onto a crate of its own volition, with no body attached to it.

The head introduced itself as Kyle, a zombie who lived down below the tavern. The group was suspicious, but Gemma believed he didn't mean to hurt them. Rather, he seemed to need help: the crates around him contained his other body parts, and he couldn't exactly open them with just his head.

What's up, dude?

Ryn recalled that certain types of undead imbued with Shadowfell magic could be divided up into their parts and still survive. Kyle wasn't too willing to discuss where he came from until he was back together, but he did say he had been packed into crates in order to covertly arrive in the tavern basement. Undead weren't really accepted elsewhere in the city.

Ryn also realized it was odd for an undead to be so talkative and intelligent, and convinced the group to help Kyle so they could get more information about him. Also, he said he could help them with the "rat" noises the tavern owner was complaining about. Chaz seemed interested in Kyle's demeanor, since Kyle seemed like the type of guy who would partake in illegal substances.

The group began to pop open the tops of the crates, finding some limbs, some random items, and plenty of biting insects that disliked their homes being disturbed. The search was eased a bit when Karen had the excellent idea to make Kyle move his limbs around inside the crates, but they managed to find a few more bug nests before finishing the job.

As black tendrils of necromantic energy sewed Kyle back together, he began to explain his situation to them. This basement was a bit of a sanctuary for undead, where they could live and be free from the scrutiny of the living world. The little hand, whose name was revealed to be Alehandro, was such an undead. The "rat noises" were actually coming from a group of skeletons called the Bone Brothers, who loved to roughhouse and make a racket.

The party thanked Kyle, and headed deeper into the basement. Gemma found Alehandro again and he joined her as they walked. They came across a fine dining room, where a gaunt, grey-skinned man was siting before a plate of bones picked clean.

He introduced himself as Reginald (or, as Kyle put it, Reggie), and politely asked if any of the group members would have a hand or foot they would be willing to give up. He was a terribly hungry ghoul, and was hoping to get a taste of living flesh once again. He wasn't completely unreasonable, though, and offered an Amulet of Health in exchange for the limb.

Slightly disturbed but grateful for the politeness of the offer, the party declined and pressed onward. They finally reached a huge bedroom, adorned with dusty furnishings and dark tapestries. A large weapon rack holding several scimitars was set into the wall. Piles of bones lay around the room, which began to tremble and roll together as they entered. Soon, they were face-to-face with eight shambling skeletons!

The skeletons introduced themselves, all of them with frightfully bad pun names. (You, dear reader, I will spare the pain of these names. Just look up some good skeleton puns if you've got an itch to scratch.) They said they were placed in this room by a creature called Kyeran, and were meant to guard something. The party managed to convince them they wouldn't need to resort to violence, but the skeletons seemed a bit disappointed in that. They said they would only stop making noise if Kyeran commanded it, and they would only lead the group to Kyeran if they got to roughhouse a bit with their new guests.

The best one was probably Howard Sternum

The party agreed, and the skeletons drew scimitars, claiming it was no fun if only they were able to lose limbs. The skeletons attacked, startling Ryn and Karen with their ferocity. Chaz downed a vial of buff-up drugs and drove to the front of the party, but the skeletons had already descended on the group. Karen unleashed a powerful Thunderwave spell, sending some of the skeletons flying, but it was too late. Gemma fell unconscious from her wounds, followed by Karen, Ryn, and finally Chaz.

They woke up some time later, with the blank-faced skeletons standing over them. Karen checked her limbs, relieved to find they were still attached. The group sat up, and the skeletons apologized for being so rough. Apparently, unconscious friends were not nearly as fun to play with. The group healed their wounds and asked to see Kyeran.

One of the skeletons opened a secret door behind the nightstand, and the party approached slowly. Inside the dusty chamber were piles of valuables, art, weapons, and a table with a wilting purple rose on it. Sitting next to the table was a white-skinned man wearing armor and wielding a longsword. He looked up as they entered, his eyes merely red pinpricks in the darkness.

He introduced himself as Kyeran, a former servant of the Mage's Guild during the War of Fools. The mages had been using this flower, the Midnight Blossom, to grant undead a level of intelligence and servitude. Kyeran had escaped after the fall of the guild, taking the blossom with him, and started this sanctuary for undead. Samuel helped him ferry the wayward dead into the basement. The Midnight Blossom was waning, however, and Kyeran had ordered Reginald to bring Kyle here to help revive the flower, but it turned out that Kyle had a different set of gardening skills.

The party first made sure that the skeletons wouldn't roughhouse as much, but after that they decided to make sure the midnight blossom was properly taken care of. Gemma said she would even pad the bedroom with cloth so the Bone brothers could have fun once again.

On their way out, Chaz, who was still a bit woozy from the drugs he had taken, decided to let Reginald have one of his hands in exchange for the amulet. The others decided to leave, and go talk to Samuel upstairs.

Samuel was nervous to talk to the party, but they covered for him when it came to confronting Grador about the "rats" in the basement. It turned out, Samuel was actually a poltergeist disguised as a corporeal human. It was only thanks to Grador's poor eyesight that he hadn't caught on yet. The group promised to help Samuel and Kyeran restore the flower, and Samuel expressed his gratitude.

Meanwhile, Chaz woke up a few hours later, down a hand but with a cool prosthetic. Reginald had already finished his meal, and gave up the Amulet of Health as promised. Kyle was there too, and offered Chaz some Shadowfell-infused drugs as thanks for helping the undead refugees. Chaz also happened to wander upstairs just as Grador remembered the gold reward he was supposed to give to the now-absent party, so Chaz happily accepted the hundred gold for himself.

Over the next week, Gemma and Karen researched exactly how to care for a magical plant such as the Midnight Blossom. They went to the Mage's Guild and discovered that magical soil for a plant of that nature would prove very expensive. Fortunately, Ryn had a great idea: a Benefit Concert! (Or Bone-fit concert if you prefer.)

It's time to party!

Ryn, Gemma, and Karen all got started with organizing the concert. Gemma's mother rented out a huge ballroom, Ryn amped up her band, and Karen made sure the city guard would be there to make everything go smoothly. Meanwhile, Chaz got a job at a morgue, stealing extra body parts to help Reginald out. In return, Kyle started supplying him with more magically-infused drugs, which Chaz started selling for good money.

After about a week, the "Benefit Concert for Local Homeless" was prepared, and Gemma had added a bit of a twist: everyone was to wear a costume! She helped sew masks and such for the local population, but the real reason was to allow the undead to join in the fun.

Once the party had gotten underway, Gemma and Karen slipped away to the Shining Whale, where they began to line the basement with fabric to muffle the Bone Brothers' sound. Grador had been invited to the gala, so Samuel let them in.

At the party, Ryn set up her band, and was excited to see the Bone Brothers themselves had arrived the help play drums for the concert. Kyle had also come, and was happily smoking with Chaz backstage. as Ryn kicked off the song, another spirit from the sanctuary flew up through the stage and began to sing. It was quite the show!

The dancing had just kicked off when the party heard a terrible rumbling. They looked up to see the entire roof lifting off the ballroom, and a huge armored giant looking into the room. It said, "Oh, wow! I love parties!"

The room broke out into chaos.

(Chuckles) I'm in danger.

We stopped there for the week. That last bit was a setup for my next Chaos Quest game, which hopefully will shake up the city of Garton quite a bit. Stay tuned for that recap!

I really like this crew. It's fun to play simple characters solving mysteries or exploring. I hope I can keep that feeling when we start up the exploration campaign I have in mind!

Thanks for reading!

Failed Magic Items: Dungeon Master's Guide Part 3 (C)

Um... you may not want to touch that.

Hello, magic item hunters! It's actually Jon writing to you this week, Will asked me to sub in for a week. This is the next step in the failed magic item series, which really should have an index or something.

Let's dig in!

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Candle of Aggravation

"Wondrous" item, very rare

This slender taper is not dedicated to a deity and nobody wants anything to do with it. The candle's magic is activated when the candle is lit. After burning for 4 hours, the candle is destroyed. You can snuff the candle out early for use at a later time. Deduct the time it burned in increments of 1 minute from the candle's total burn time.

While lit, the candle sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius. Any creature within that light must make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw, which they may choose to fail if they wish. If a creature fails its saving throw, it becomes hostile towards any creature it was indifferent towards, and indifferent towards any creature it was friendly towards. The creature may reroll the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on a success. However, as long as the creature remains within the candle's light, it must make a new saving throw on its turn or be affected once again.

Cap of Air Breathing

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

While wearing this cap in open air, you can speak a command word as an action to create a bubble of water around your head. It allows you to use your gills normally as if you were underwater. This bubble stays with you until you speak the command word again, the cap is removed, or you completely enter the water.

Cape of the Mantleblank

"Wondrous" item, rare

This cape smells faintly of buttermilk. While wearing it, you can use it to cast the dimension door spell as an action. Doing so causes the spell to only target your clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment, including the cape, depositing them 500 feet away in a direction determined by the DM. The clothing leaves behind a cloud of smoke that lightly obscures the space you are in, which dissipates at the end of your next turn. A light or stronger wind disperses the smoke. Once used, this property of the cape can't be used again until the next dawn.

Carpet of Dyeing

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

You can speak the carpet's command word as an action to make this carpet transfer the dye in the stitching to the floor beneath it. This permanently stains the floor beneath the carpet, requiring the use of a Wish spell or Universal Solvent to remove. The carpet's pattern varies, but is usually quite garish and offensive. Once used, the carpet becomes blank and must be dyed before it can be used again.

Censer of Demanding Air Elementals

"Wondrous" item, rare

While incense is burning in this censer, you can use an action to speak the censer’s command word and summon an air elemental, as if you had cast the Conjure Elemental spell. The air elemental has a seemingly unending list of frivolous and often trivial demands that must be completed by you as fast as possible (i.e. holding your breath for a full minute, smelling their farts, etc.). Failure to complete these demands will cause the air elemental to turn hostile toward you and any of your allies. The bowl can’t be used this way again until the next dawn.

This 6-inch-wide, 1-foot-high vessel resembles a chalice with a decorated lid. It weighs 1 pound.

Chime of Closing

"Wondrous" item, rare

This hollow metal tube measures about 1 foot long and weighs 1 pound. You can strike it as an action, pointing it at an object within 120 feet of you that is open, such as a door, lid, or lock. The chime issues a clear tone, and the object closes unless the sound can't reach the object.

The chime can be used ten times. After the tenth time, it cracks and becomes useless.

Circlet of Fasting

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

While wearing this circlet, you do not feel hungry or thirsty. This does not prevent you from dying of thirst or starvation.

Cloak of Black Arachnida

"Wondrous" item, very rare (requires attunement)

This fine garment is made of green silk interwoven with faint silvery threads. If you are attuned to the cloak for the entire duration of an intimate encounter with another humanoid, and you kill and eat that humanoid within 48 hours of the encounter, you gain the following benefits upon the completion of your meal:

• You have resistance to poison damage.
• You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
• You can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free.
• You can't be caught in webs of any sort and can move through webs as if they were difficult terrain.
• You can use an action to cast the Web spell (save DC 13). The web created by the spell fills twice its normal area. Once used, this property of the cloak can't be used again until the next dawn.

These benefits fade after 7 days. You can gain them again by having another intimate encounter and killing and eating your partner.

Cloak of Misplacement

"Wondrous" item, rare

While you wear this cloak, roll a d20 upon the completion of every long rest. You search your person to find the listed item missing. If you do not have an item on your person that would count towards that category, nothing is missing. If the item required attunement, its attunement breaks when it is misplaced.

1. A non-armor article of clothing
2. A trinket or keepsake
3. Any length of rope
4. A candle, torch, or lantern
5. A potion or poison
6. 10 pieces of ammunition
7. A simple weapon
8. Up to 10 days worth of rations
9. A magical scroll
10. A shield
11. A magical Rod or Wand
12. A Tool, Kit, or Instrument
13. A martial weapon
14. A magical staff
15. A magical ring
16. A set of armor
17. A magical weapon
18. A magical set of armor
19. A wondrous item
20. Nothing is missing. Roll a d20. On a 20, you wake from your rest to find a pile of objects containing every item that has misplaced due to the cloak since the last time this outcome was rolled. Your DM may add items to the pile that are not yours, but belonged to a previous owner of the cloak.

Cloak of Elevenkind

"Wondrous" item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While attuned to this cloak, you have eleven fingers and eleven toes, no matter how many you had before.

Cloak of Unvisibility

"Wondrous" item, rare (requires attunement)

While wearing this cloak, people treat you with utter revulsion and do their best to ignore you. They won't allow you to do illegal things or sneak past them, but they will try to resolve the situation as quickly as possible so they don't have to look at you. You make all Charisma ability checks with disadvantage.

Cloak of Perfection

"Wondrous" item, legendary (requires attunement)

While wearing this cloak, you are under the effect of the following spells: Eyebite, Sympathy, Mind Blank, Foresight, and may cast Shapechange and Gate at will. However, to attune to this item, a creature must have a Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma score of 30 or greater. Otherwise, the attunement fails.

Cloak of the Rat

"Wondrous" item, rare (requires attunement)

While wearing this cloak, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. While attuned to the cloak, you become diseased. You can't regain hit points except by magical means, and your hit point maximum decreases by 3 (1d6) every 24 hours. If your hit point maximum drops to 0 as a result of the disease, you die.

If you make a bite attack against another creature, they must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become diseased as well. Your bite is considered an unarmed attack.

Cloak of the Uncle Ray

"Wondrous" item, uncommon

While wearing this cloak with the hood up, strangers will mistake you for their Uncle Ray. Upon inspection of your appearance, however, they will realize their mistake and awkwardly apologize. The NPC may realize afterwards that they don't have an Uncle Ray at all. If multiple NPCs are encountered at once, they will each see their own version of Uncle Ray.

Crystal Bass

"Wondrous" item, uncommon or very rare

This wall-mounted fish is composed of pure crystal. When a creature approaches the bass within a radius of 10 feet, it bursts into song. The song is an inane shanty about living on a river.

The Crystal Bass has a very rare variant, which has an additional property. When a very rare Crystal Bass begins singing, the song is so banal and terrible that it acts as an Antipathy spell (save DC 18), and the radius of the song increases to 60 feet.

Cube of Farce

"Wondrous" item, rare (requires attunement)

This cube is about an inch across. Each face has a distinct marking on it that can be pressed. The cube starts with 36 charges, and it regains 1d20 expended charges daily at dawn.

You can use an action to press one of the cube's faces, expending a number of charges based on the chosen face, as shown below. Each face has a different effect. If the cube has insufficient charges remaining, nothing happens. Otherwise, the listed effect occurs. Any effect created by the cube lasts for 1 minute, until you use an action to press the cube's sixth face, or the cube runs out of charges.

• Face 1: (1 charge) The cube emits a loud farting sound and smells terrible.
• Face 2: (2 charges) The cube causes the nearest flower within 30 feet of the cube to emit a harmless jet of water.
• Face 3: (3 charges) A false mustache appears on the face of every creature within 30 feet of the cube. It has no affect on the creature other than its appearance, and the creature can use their action to remove the mustache.
• Face 4: (4 charges) A banana peel appears beneath the feet of a creature within 30 feet of the cube, forcing the creature to make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature slips and becomes prone.
• Face 5: (5 charges) A pie composed mostly of whipped cream flies out of thin air, targeting a creature within 30 feet of the cube. The creature must succeeded on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be blinded. The target or another creature can use their action to wipe off the pie and end the effect.
• Face 6: (0 charges) All effects created by the cube end.

Rubik Gate

"Wondrous" item, legendary

This cube is 3 inches across and radiates palpable magical energy. The sides are composed of nine small squares of various colors, but you believe it might be possible to re-arrange the squares by twisting the cube, so that the cube's sides are each composed of a single color of squares.

Rearranging the cube in such a fashion requires a creature to spend ten downtime days fiddling with the cube. At the end of the ten days, the creature must make a DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the check succeeds, the cube casts Plane Shift (save DC 17) on the creature and the nearest eight creatures within 60 feet of the cube, transporting them to the orderly plane of Mechanus. While on this plane, the cube cannot be rearranged in any manner short of a wish spell. Upon leaving the plane, the cube immediately shuffles itself back into its random order.

Each time a particular creature completes the cube and casts the spell, the amount of downtime days required to activate the cube decreases by 1. After 10 activations, the time required to complete the cube is 10 minutes and cannot be decreased further.

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That's all for this week! I really like this series. It's a great thing to read while I prep for the madness that will be Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes.

Thanks for reading!

Innate Magic People Part 1

Step 1: Find a Cool Character Artist on the internet

In Ahneria, nearly everyone can cast a little bit of magic, but some people can cast full-on spells. I decided it would be fun to detail out a set of NPCs based on the first level spells. As I said in the previous article, these are people who are somewhat common, but might have gained notoriety or fame based on their abilities.

This was originally going to be a small series of articles, but then I realized just how many dang spells there are. So, I'm going to be putting these up every other Wednesday for a while. Enjoy!

Atkonartok of Frozen River
Spell: Absorb Elements (XGtE pg. 150)
The Frozen River tribe has always chosen their shamans based on their innate magical ability. A shaman that could wade through the river and stride across hot coals unscathed would become their spiritual leader. Atkonartok, though he is only twelve years of age, has been given a name that means "God that lives on land" as he walked across the coals without so much as a singe. He is a young human and inexperienced, but cares for his people and does not wish them to come to harm. He seeks assistance in dealing with a nearby Yeti that the tribe's hunters have been unable to successfully kill.

Mariella Le Coadic
Spell: Alarm (PHB pg. 211)
In the small town of Wallowdale, Mariella Le Coadic is considered a local beauty. Although she wouldn't stand out against the colorful throngs of a larger city, here her bright red hair and splatter of freckles have turned the head of nearly every man in town. Perhaps it is due to a sense of superiority or entitlement that she leads a second, secret life as the Ghost of Wallowdale, a thief that seems to have a second sense about her when she seems to be cornered. Mariella uses her ability and roguish skills to deliver her personal brand of justice, usually targeting those who harm the town or her friends and family. However, a judge from the nearest city, Justicar Hamish, has been assigned to track down the Ghost of Wallowdale, and he is closing in on the trail. Mariella is looking for someone to throw off her scent, especially if they seem gullible enough to take her place on the gallows.

Norman Goddard
Spell: Animal Friendship (PHB pg. 212)
Norman grew up in the village of Penrith, to a family of ranchers that raised every kind of livestock. He always had a sense of animals, and was able to calm even the most rambunctious cattle. He himself, despite his large build and imposing demeanor, was soft-spoken and disliked human company. However, he became known for his ability to wrangle animals, and word of his talent eventually reached the ear of Duke Arnulf Orseolo. The Duke had captured a beautiful black stallion, but the beast was refusing any attempt to be trained, even injuring the royal stable hand. Duke Arnulf decided to send Norman a missive, requesting his abilities to calm the beast. If Norman were to refuse, he would be forced to pay restitution - a sum he and his family could not afford. Norman is looking for someone to convince the Duke to rescind the agreement, pay the restitution, or tame the Stallion in his stead.

Kenese Savaliga
Spell: Armor of Agathys (PHB pg. 215)
The Savaliga people live on a tropical island, and at the center of that island is a cave that holds great spiritual importance to their people. The walls are covered with images of smoke-breathing demons, and the Savaliga people claim that travelling too deep will turn a human into a demon, never to return. Yet, this is where they place their dead, carrying them to a deep underground pit and ceremoniously sending them into the "underworld." The air in the cave is unnaturally cold, and the pit itself is inhabited by the ghost of Kenese Savaliga. Long ago, she was thrown into the pit while still alive, without proper ceremony, because her skin was always as cold as a corpse's. Alone in the dark, she froze herself to death. Now, she seeks those who venture into the pit, hoping they would return her body to the surface and allow her to die with honor.

Step 2: use their art for your blog (with links!)

Oriel Brynjar
Spell: Arms of Hadar (PHB pg. 215)
Oriel Brynjar is a slight, pale girl with cornsilk hair and dark brown eyes. Her village of Arrowmoor was raided by bandits, and her parents killed in the attack. Oriel’s powers awoke when she watched her parents murder; her anger manifesting into darkness and exploding outwards from her. This killed the bandits that were set to attack her next, but she blacked out from the immense power drain on herself. Now, Oriel’s village has cast her out and she has no home, wandering the countryside with her trail of wispy shadow behind her.

Thoman Cooper
Spell: Bane (PHB pg. 216)
Thoman Cooper can really take a hit. As early as he can remember, he had been scrapping and fighting in the streets of the city of Nova Volance, where those who are brave or stupid can make coin in back alley fighting rings. Thoman started fighting when his mother left his sick father, trying to earn whatever income he could to help his Da. Since then, Thoman has risen through the ranks in the fighter’s guild tournaments, well known for his ability to take more punishment than a young man his size should be able to. His wiry build has helped him dodge a blow or few, and some girls would fancy his green eyes, if not for the bruises that are their constant companions. Still caring for his father, Thoman’s mother suddenly reappeared into his life after a bout, and begged him for help to protect her from a recent “mistake” she made. Now he is trying to protect both his parents, and a Halfling baby that his mother brought with her, and he's not sure he can keep it up.

Kasheem of the Wandering Path
Spell: Beast Bond (XGtE pg. 150)
With his only friend and horse, Bagheera, as his companion, Kasheem of the Wandering Path travels without his tribe. He does not say where he came from, only that he committed a crime against his people and was banished. He will not be buried with his ancestors, nor cremated for defending his people as a warrior. All that remains of his right eye is a gash and a ragged scar below it, symbolizing his exile. Unbeknownst to him, the Sand Warrior Clans have seen a change in leadership, and the brother of Kasheem's victim is now in power. Unsatisfied with banishment, assassins have begun to tail Kasheem, and he is in dire need of assistance.

Chezu Faldizan
Spell: Bless (PHB pg. 219)
Chezu Faldizan is a priest of the Nuitari Tample, and he enjoys lavish things. He enjoys having his blonde hair washed every morning by his servants, and having silk robes draped over his lithe form for his ceremonies and rituals. Mr. Faldizan also enjoys exploiting the "loophole" that allows him to take Temple funds for "necessary supplies" as he sees fit. After all, he has a natural talent the Temple can't pass up, who is going to turn him down? However, it seems someone snitched to the head priest of the Temple. The old man finally checked the ledgers, and Chezu is under fire. He needs some under-the-table money in exchange for his services, so he can keep living the good life.

Baflilee Starforest
Spell: Burning Hands (PHB pg. 220)
Though the halflings of Veralee Valley are renowned gardeners, Bafilee Starforest's poppies and hollyhock has never quite grown as strong. They always seem dry and withered compared to those of her neighbors. Though she is not old by halfling standards, the stress has brought a tinge of grey to her chestnut hair, which has only increased each year since she left the smithy to take up gardening. She's becoming desperate to find a better patch of soil to garden in, or at least someone who might know how to solve her problem. All of her gardening friends have been quite stumped.

Magnolia Payne, Witch of Hollowmane
Spell: Catapault (XGtE pg. 150)
The Witch of Hollowmane is said to be like a poltergeist, sending objects flying to scare children away from her home, but she doesn't quite do it intentionally. Magnolia Payne has always been a tad clumsy, and sometimes things just go flying around her, often scaring her pet rabbit, Ribbun. One time, she knocked her hat right into the sky, flying straight up off her pink-haired head! Now she's sent some hard-to-replace ingredients for a potion sailing into the air, and is having trouble finding where they went. What she really needs is a reflexive assistant who can catch items on their way up, or a really big net. She'll gladly pay in potions if someone can keep her ingredients from going through the roof.

Beikas Sequoia
Spell: Cause Fear (XGtE pg. 151)
Beikas Sequoia is a towering Firbolg smith. His beard stretches down to his waist, and dark hair covers his coal-black eyes. His forge is on the outskirts of town, for though his products are beautiful as they are deadly, a dark aura seems to surround the Firbolg wherever he goes. Beikas claims even the metal is afraid of him, and it bends to his whim. But his boasts have done nothing to assure his metal suppliers, who have been scared off one by one. Now, a new commission from the Lord of Grenstrong, Harni Keprion, has come when Beikas is nearly out of supplies. He needs someone to find him the steel to finish the job, and hopefully return his suppliers to him.

Step 3: Encourage your readers to check out the internet artist

River Greyson
Spell: Ceremony (XGtE pg. 151)
Captain River Greyson is a mostly respectable sort, the captain of a trading ship that moved along the Nio River. She had grown up in love with her namesake, and worked her way to the top of a close-knit crew of sailors. The group is bound by bonds stronger than mere friendship, and River oversees the initiation ritual herself. Recently, one of the crew was killed by an unhappy merchant who decided to make an example of the unfortunate sailor. River can't take her revenge without upsetting several of the merchants who give her work, and is looking for someone outside her crew to do the dirty work for her.

Baron Stanborn Valennor
Spell: Chaos Bolt (XGtE pg. 151)
Baron Stanborn Valennor is well known and slightly feared among the citizenry of Summercrest. Everybody remembers the story of the solstice where he got spectacularly drunk and started shooting arrhythmic bolts of fire, lightning, ice, acid, and more. He hasn't ever gotten as drunk again, but whispers and rumors of his destructive prowess precede him. All this gossip has given him a lot of trouble in finding a lady to take his hand in matrimony. He is decently handsome, with good teeth and fair hair, but once a lady hears the stories about him, she invariably turns him down. He needs help finding the perfect match.

Kalliope Darkmore
Spell: Charm Person (PHB pg. 221)
A charming old lady with lots of wrinkles and a big smile, Kalliope Darkmore is known and loved in the small town of Eenkos. However, for nearly her entire life, she has been using her magic to persuade people to giving her small trinkets and better deals on her shopping. She's always gotten away with it, even if the people who she charms feel slight regret afterwards. That is, until a merchant named Rénald Vincent with a Detect Magic spell caught her in the act. Her kindliness among the townsfolk has prevented the merchant from openly accusing Kalliope, but now she has seen thugs following her home and needs help dealing with them.

Innis Keeling
Spell: Chromatic Orb (PHB pg. 221)
Innis Keeling is a born performer, earning his living at a circus as a juggler. He wears over-the-top clothing, always has an odd hairstyle, and wears specially-made heat resistant gloves. This is because his most infamous performance involves juggling orbs of fire that he creates himself. However, he recently caught another circus tent on fire while performing, and was kicked out of the show. He's looking for a job, preferably that can accommodate his unique talents and odd clothing.

Cleo Van Starcher
Spell: Color Spray (PHB pg. 222)
For most in the town of Lowmire, the most talented painter in the world is Cleo Van Starcher. They just don't know any better. Cleo herself left the town a year ago, traveling across the country to Vincia Art Academy. But once she got to the city in which Vincia Art Academy resides, she realized she wasn't the best, by a long shot. Nearly out of money and with no way to get back, she's looking for a letter of recommendation that will allow her to get into Vincia Art Academy and save her from starvation.

Azamia Sangrey
Spell: Command (PHB pg. 223)
Azamia Sangrey grew up in a family of servants to a noble in the city of Piroza. Her father, Myron, expects her to carry on the tradition, and with her commanding voice, Azamia would be an excellent leader among the household. Azamia, however, loves books and wants to become a librarian. She's even taken to wearing reading glasses, though she doesn't need them. Azamia doesn't want to use her magical power on her father, but she also wants to follow her dream. She's beginning to think she can't do it alone.

Step 4: Readers see more of the artist's art

Kaspar Caligari
Spell: Compelled Duel (PHB pg. 224)
Kaspar Caligari has been in jail for the past few days. Apparently it's illegal to challenge a city guard to a duel and win! Of course, carrying stolen contraband isn't exactly legal either, but at least his partner got away. Kaspar hates the cell, as the heat makes his black hair stick to his face, and he is looking for a new set of comrades to help extricate him from his current situation.

Qirina Primmel
Spell: Comprehend Languages (PHB pg. 224)
Primmel of clan Qirina is a Female Dragonborn who enjoys wrestling and fighting in the local arena for extra cash. Though she's talented, many say that she shouldn't be fighting because she will ruin her striking scales. One such person who agrees with that is Nestori the Stubborn, a local wizard with a bad habit of being persistent and obtuse. He taken quite a liking for Primmel, or Prim as he calls her, but the Dragonborn fighter simply wishes he would leave her alone. She doesn't want to jeopardize her career, but is looking for someone to help her take care of Nestori's unrelenting advances.

Elwin Mock
Spell: Create or Destroy Water (PHB pg. 229)
Elwin Mock, finely dressed and uncomfortably overweight, dislikes his position. Lord Whitley is just a bit too strict, a bit too stupid, but at least the room and board is good. Elwin demonstrated his ability to be the Lord's Magic Counselor 10 months back by producing water from an empty jug, but now the Lord comes to him for advice on every minuscule problem. At first being the Lord's trusted adviser was enough, but now ambition has taken hold of Elwin. Lord Whitley has no children - could Elwin be named next in line to inherit the castle? If this plan was going to work, he would need some documents forged, and someone to make Lord Whitley mysteriously die...

Selena Villalobos
Spell: Cure Wounds (PHB pg. 230)
Every temple needs healers, and Selena Villalobos has a natural inclination for it. She is known for her healing touch, her fingers alighting on her patients as her eyes close in reverence. However, the real reason she keeps her hazel eyes tightly shut is that she cannot stand the sight of blood. The mere sight of it brings nausea, shortness of breath, and fainting. The priests have kindly kept her shameful secret hidden, but if someone could find some ginseng root or an Elixir of Health to aid her, she might finally be able to face her fears.

Humphrey E. Gaddison
Spell: Detect Evil and Good (PHB pg. 231)
Ever since he was a boy, Humphrey E. Gaddison could sense spirits around him. It was only a matter of time before he befriended one. Now, he is much older, with grey and white hair and a fine walking stick, but his poltergeist companion Drabby is still a dear friend. Drabby can be ill-tempered, much like Humphrey, and often throws things at those who make Humphrey angry. One of those people was a Cleric of the Church named Torsten Birch, who responded by Turning the offending ghost. Now, Drabby has vanished, and Humphrey is looking for someone who can bring his ghostly companion back.

Asta Drage
Spell: Detect Magic (PHB pg. 231)
The Drages a a wealthy family of wizards, with a history of infighting and subterfuge to retain their prized collection of spellcasting knowledge. Asta Drage is a young girl with black hair and brown eyes, still too young to be learning magic. But she does have a special sense for it, which came in handy when she spotted her father, Søren, about to drink an enchanted cup of wine at the family dinner. She stopped him from drinking the wine, which proved to be ensorceled with a terrible curse, but her family now believes she was the perpetrator of the spell. She is too young to argue back, but faces disownment from her family. She ran away from home, looking for someone to help her return to the good graces of her family.

Jakab Vilmos
Spell: Detect Poison and Disease (PHB pg. 231)
Jakab Vilmos worked as a rat catcher for a small town. Despite constantly being exposed to filthy vermin, he had a knack for knowing which ones looked sick, and avoiding them. He was always in good health, which sadly turned against him. A terrible plague spread into the town via the rats, but since Jakab was healthy, nobody suspected the vermin were carrying disease. Many townsfolk lost their lives, and the Noble in change, Baroness Magda Cadigan, was looking for a scapegoat. He began to accuse Jakab of being a fiend in disguise, and Jakab needs help clearing his name.

Step 5: Everyone wins

Warryn Mankas
Spell: Disguise Self (PHB pg. 233)
Among the Forest Gnomes of the Shiverbrand, Warryn Mankas is considered one of the best hunters. He has a natural talent for disappearing into the bushes, striking out at his prey with comfortable accuracy.  However, the community's pets have been going missing, and they  determined a Giant Constrictor Snake is to blame. Warryn is eager to hunt the beast, but since it can sense body heat, his normal illusory disguises won't work. He needs a team of hunters to assist him in taking down this menace!

Kilia Bynstine
Spell: Dissonant Whispers (PHB pg. 234)
In the noble house of Guildeforde, Kilia Bynstine is a night maid. She is responsible for cleaning the house while the master is asleep, usually wandering the corridors alone at night. She has a habit of humming to herself while she cleans, and recently the master of the house, Gerard Guildeforde, has overheard her melodies. They are strange and disconcerting, and how he is absolutely convinced he is being haunted. He even followed the noise once, but Kilia's white-blond hair further persuaded him that a ghost was present. He is looking for an exorcist to rid him of this terror so he can sleep once more.

Carlito Alvez
Spell: Divine Favor (PHB pg. 234)
Those who have tasted the food prepared by Carlito Alvez would swear it tasted better than any food they had ever eaten. Carlito uses his innate magical ability to make his knives burn with Holy Fire as he cuts into bread and meat, which leaves a delicious and spiritually fulfilling sear to the dish. Carlito works as the King's Head Chef, but his mind is elsewhere. He is good friends with a bard named Aurea, whose work takes her all over the world. She still stops in to eat Carlito's food, but he wishes she could quit and join her on her travels. He needs help escaping town, or convincing the king to let him go.

Falras Tumblethicket
Spell: Earth Tremor (XGtE pg. 155)
Falras Tumblethicket has an incredible sense of balance. He never falls, and can remain standing on tightropes, the tops of poles, and even the mast of a ship in a thunderstorm (so he claims). But wherever he goes, people seem to trip and fall around him. It's not their fault - the ground seems to literally shift beneath them. Because of this, Falras has never gotten the chance to fulfill his dream: becoming a trapeze artist. The other performers just don't want to risk being around him! He needs help controlling his powers, or at the very least promoting his solo act.

Torleia Hanali
Spell: Ensnaring Strike (PHB pg. 237)
By day, Torleia Hanali is a member of the Elven council of the City of Inenju. By night, she uses her powers to create vines and wrap up criminals on the street! She goes by the moniker of Lady Ivy, and protects her city from evil! However, recently another member of the council, Qifaren, saw her leaving the scene of a crime. She's worried her secret might get out, and is looking for someone to pretend to be Lady Ivy for her.

Brummor Scragglebeard
Spell: Entangle (PHB pg. 238)
Of all the gardens in Weststraten, Brummor Scragglebeard's is the worst. It's loaded with weeds and vines, and he's looking for someone to help him pick the weeds out. Unfortunately, he's old, grey in the beard, and very set in his ways, meaning he's not willing to admit that he's part of the problem. Weeds just love him, and grow extra hardy around him.

Step 6: Hope for a fruitful relationship with artist

Lee Hye-sun
Spell: Expeditious Retreat (PHB pg. 238)
Lee Hye-sun discovered at a young age that she is an excellent runner. But when she discovered she runs even faster when she is embarrassed, she decided to try out for a local sporting team. As the years went by, she would constantly get into more and more embarrassing situations to increase her speed. But now, she's no longer embarrassed by anything. She needs someone to do something really embarrassing, almost supernaturally embarrassing, at her next Smack the Dragon match. If not, she'll lose for sure!

Aika Blakeley
Spell: Faerie Fire (PHB pg. 239)
Aika Blakeley glows in the dark. This is actually very helpful to them: they aren't afraid of the dark or monsters, like many children their age. But their parents, Hugo and Grace Blakeley, have a few issues with their child's abilities. The family lives in a one-room cottage, and Aika's glow keeps them awake all night. The odd thing is, no matter how many blankets they pile on top of the kid, the glowing persists. They need someone to cast a Darkness spell, or at least babysit the kid for a bit.

Diggory the Drunk
Spell: False Life (PHB pg. 239)
Nobody remembers Diggory's last name, himself included. But they all know about his drinking problem. It's not so much of a problem for Diggory, however: while he is drunk, he is incredibly resilient and difficult to knock out in a fight. This has resulted in him starting a lot of fights around the town of Grannraven. He enjoys acting with impudence, but it's having a bad effect on his waking life. His friends are concerned about him, as he's gone through several jobs and doesn't seem to mind. They are looking for someone to help him break his addiction.

Melai Slowfaller Ogoliago
Spell: Feather Fall (PHB pg. 239)
With all the dangers present in the mountains, Melai Slowfaller Ogoliago never thought the worst one would be boredom. The female Goliath is covered with tattoos, stands a menacing seven feet tall, and falls in slow motion. But not just slow motion - extremely slow motion. If falling from a ledge of sufficient height, it could take hours for her to reach the ground. To combat the mind-numbing boredom, she's looking for someone to teach her how to read. At least then she can do something while waiting for herself to land.

Issac Roberts
Spell: Find Familiar (PHB pg. 240)
Every hour, on the hour, a tiny seahorse pops into the air near Issac Roberts' head. It can fly, breathe air, and squeaks incessantly. Issac, an anxious man with red hair and bags under his eyes, will pay anyone to get rid of the creature for good. Killing it or running away only makes it reappear. If someone was able to Speak With Animals, they might find out what the little creature wants, but nobody has thought to do that yet.

Rose Everdon
Spell: Fog Cloud (PHB pg. 243)
Rose Everdon, a young girl in the town of Arlenport, has a bit of a problem. Whenever she belches, she burps up a large cloud of fog. It doesn't come up often, but she happens to do it when she's nervous, which she always is around Leonardo Fioranati. She needs some love advice to help her avoid embarrassing herself in front of her crush.

Lester Mugridge
Spell: Goodberry (PHB pg. 246)
Being the tax adviser for a greedy, selfish king is tough work. And King Bertram III is one of the greediest out there. Poor Lester Mugridge was chosen and trained for the job partly because of his smarts, but partly because they could save on food costs by making him cast Goodberry for himself. Lester lives his life terribly thin, completely pale, and bound to the desk he writes upon. However, he remembers his time as a child, and hopes to have another day in the sun, if only someone could free him.

Step 7: Please give the talented internet artist your commissions

Elijah "The Mincer" Daniels
Spell: Grease (PHB pg. 246)
Elijah Daniels, known as "The Mincer" for the way he took care of a target one time, is a member of the Kuznetsov crime family. He wears fine clothing and his hair is naturally slicked back all of the time. He harbors a secret love for the boss's wife, Mirabelle, which his position as her bodyguard only complicates. He needs to make a hard decision, then needs help getting over her or taking over the gang.

Vivian Felicia Chickerington
Spell: Guiding Bolt (PHB pg. 248)
Of all the young ladies of the noble family of Chickerington, Vivian Felicia shines the brightest, literally. She has an inner glow that the commoners ascribe to divine right or great wisdom. But being a beacon of light has its problems. At the upcoming ball, Princess Prudence will be present, and Vivian Felica knows she can't step on the princess's toes in terms of looks. She needs to look drab enough that her glow won't outshine the princess,while still being presentable in high society. Sadly, the tailor doesn't seem up to the task, so she is seeking help elsewhere.

Jethro "Scratch" Granger
Spell: Hail of Thorns (PHB pg. 249)
Jethro "Scratch" Granger is the best dart-thrower in Ebenzell. He's got a reputation for celebrating his wins by purchasing strange art objects, and his most recent victory ended with him buying a vase covered in tasteful nudes. But the judge of that competition decided to revoke his win after discovering Scratch's powers. Now, he's got to pay back the award money, and nobody's willing to buy the vase back at the price he got it for. he needs some money to get out of this situation!

Moira Conrad
Spell: Healing Word (PHB pg. 250)
Everybody in Vinnesse knows that Moira Conrad loves birds. She has a whole flock of them, with names like Beaker, Twitty, Quackie Chan, and Eggolas. She gets them by finding injured birds and whispering to them until they heal. But recently her flock leader, Beaker, has gone missing! She needs help finding the wayward bird.

Ewart Howler
Spell: Hellish Rebuke (PHB pg. 250)
Ewart Howler never thought he had magic powers, or much of a temper. He was a very private man, focusing on his studies and amassing a small fortune so he could retire in peace. He took up gardening, and was happy to live a peaceful life. But then a young boy named Monty trampled all over his prized petunias, and Ewart got angry. He stormed out of the house and yelled at the child, who suddenly caught fire. Ewart was as surprised as the other people around, but fortunately the child was saved by some quick thinking. But Ewart is now on trial, and needs to prove he never intended to hurt the child. He needs to hire a good team of sleuths to prove his innocence!

Gert "Slaps" Slatman
Spell: Heroism (PHB pg. 250)
Gert "Slaps" Slatman isn't the best player on his Smack the Dragon team, but his team, the Thunder Raptors, is the best one in the city of Aetherport. He loves the camaraderie, and got his nickname from his habit of smacking his teammates on the rear before a match. Unbeknownst to him and his teammates, he is actually enhancing their performance by doing so. But recently, he has fallen ill, and can't make it to the championship tournament. The team has been on a losing streak, and will be knocked out of the series unless they can get some good players to take Slaps' place.

Viscardi La Croix
Spell: Hex (PHB pg. 251)
All his life, Viscardi La Croix has wanted to become a Vampire. In fact, he goes to great lengths to care for his appearance and use his magic to "charm" people like a real vampire would. He has strong opinions about vampire culture and the best kind of vampires, but he's not exactly sure how to go about becoming one. The whole "undeath" thing scares him, since he'd hate to get it wrong and end up dead. He's looking for someone to help him find the process, and maybe undergo it before he does.

Eryn Teinithra
Spell: Hunter's Mark (PHB pg. 251)
Eryn Teinithra is a Wood Elf with dreams of being a wandering minstrel or bard. But while Eryn was growing up, his father noticed he had a natural gift for marksmanship. Eryn began to take hunting lessons and was entered into archery competitions, but he hates every moment. He just wants to go to a city and start a singing group. He even has a name in mind: The Sons of Pitches. He needs help convincing his father to let him live his dream!

Step 8: Please

Keziah
Spell: Ice Knife (XGtE pg. 157)
Constable Zipporah McCaskey needs help. There's been a rash of assassinations across the city of Umbermoor, and never a murder weapon. All that's left behind is puddles of water. He has no leads, and hopes a group of heroes might catch this mysterious killer, who supposedly goes by Keziah.

Matthias Quigly
Spell: Identify (PHB pg. 252)
If you have any questions about anything magical in nature, only ask Matthias Quigly. He runs a magic item shop in Bolfort, and is a real know-it-all when it comes to magic. He thinks this is impressive, and doesn't mind why the sweet housekeeper Wenna is turned away when he begins to spout knowledge. He needs help gaining her affections, and is willing to pay finely for assistance.

Filibuster "Flip" of Penhollow
Spell: Illusory Script (PHB pg. 252)
"Flip", full name Filibuster of Penhollow, is the apprentice to the grim and pretentious wizard Master Kenver Warn. Flip is very interested in magic, but can't stand how his master acts, so he has taken to sublty altering his master's spellbooks. Master Kenver has noticed that many of his spells have recently been going awry, and needs someone to help him resolve the matter. he might pay you, too, if he's feeling up to it.

Judge Conaire Tulach
Spell: Inflict Wounds (PHB pg. 253)
The streets of Cinas are dirty, overrun with scum and dark dealings. One man, Judge Conaire Tulach, has decided to take justice into his own hands. He has been dealing with criminals in his own dispassionate manner, which has resulted in a lot of bodies in the local river. He's willing to accept help on his crusade, but his methods might cause people to oppose him publicly.

Turnuroth Tobarum
Spell: Jump (PHB pg. 254)
Tobarum of clan Turnoroth is a spelunker. He uses his Driftglobe to navigate the dark caves, and his innate jumping ability to explore areas that others wouldn't be able to. But on a recent expedition, his globe was shattered by Underdark monsters, leaving him stranded in the darkness. He'll gladly navigate caverns for anyone who can guide him back to the surface, or at least give him a light.

In a couple weeks, we'll continue the 1st level spells and start up the 2nd level spells!

Thanks for reading!