Thor's Day: Gungnir for D&D 5th Edition

GUNGNIRWeapon (spear), artifact (requires attunement)

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

In addition, while attuned to the weapon you gain an additional +1 bonus to attack rolls. Further, it deals an additional 2d6 damage. Finally, this spear ignores immunity and resistance to piercing damage.

It's Odin's magical spear that always hits its mark and always kills. Gungnir means “Swaying one” it is made from Yggdrasils Sacred ash. Odin has also written his magic runes, onto Gungnir.

A to Z of How I Learned to Love D&D: Z is for Zen

My history of roleplaying is filled with magnificent highs and deep, deep lows.

From the start of discovering RPGs, my "Gamer ADD" developed.  In other words, I couldn't focus and enjoy one RPG for more than a few weeks at best, which is counterproductive to developing long term campaigns with rich, fulfilling storylines and character growth.

While my sabbatical was meant to deal with other issues, it inadvertently helped me find a place where I could focus on one RPG:  Dungeons and Dragons.

For the first time, I don't have the desire to jump from game to game.  I'm centered.  This blog has been my zen and allowed me to focus on creating content and sharing stories about DnD.

It was the final hurdle on loving DnD.

I'm grateful for the journey it's allowed me to walk.

Thank you for sharing in it.

Dhampir Heritages: Moroi-Born for D&D 5th Edition

My conversion of Pathfinder's Blood of the Night to DnD 5th Edition continues:

Moroi-Born Dhampir

Moroi-Born Dhampir Traits

Your dhampir character has certain traits deriving from your vampire ancestry. 

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1, your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age. Dampyr mature at the same rate as humans but live about twice as long.

Alignment. Due the conflicting nature of their heritage, they are often neutral. 

Size. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your undead heritage, your darkvision has a radius of 60 feet.

Fangs. You are proficient with your bite (melee attack, reach 5 ft., one target) which deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit.  

Blood Drinker.  On the same turn you deal damage with your bite, you may use a bonus action to expend a hit die.  Roll that die and add your Constitution modifier. You regain Hit Points equal to the total.  After you use blood drinker, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest. 

Convincing.  You are proficient in the Deception skill.

Svetocher. You are are considered proficient in the Persuasion skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. 

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. 

A to Z of How I Learned to Love D&D: Y is for Yeti

Once again, I'm cheating a bit here.

"Y" isn't easy on a good day.

I chose Yeti, because I love cryptids and especially yetis, sasquatches, and bigfoot.

I could even argue that the segment showing  the Patterson-Gimlin film on In Search Of, was just as essential part of my journey towards DnD as the TSR cartoon.

My love for cryptids is shared with my 10 year old daughter, these days, just as I share DnD with her.

We sit together and watch Mountain Monsters, Ghost Adventures, Alaska Monsters, Monsters and Mysteries in America...its some of our best quality time together.

Often, the cryptids we see there become fodder for her as a Dungeon Master when she runs DnD for her brother and I.  She tells me what she wants to create and I sit down and help her work out the stats and details.  She dazzles me with her creativity and the "encounters" she comes up with are often more elaborate that anything I brainstorm.  Its a privilege to mentor her as storyteller.

I also, really dig yetis.

Prime Materials: Spike, a wand for D&D 5th Edition

SPIKE
Wand, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

You gain a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls made with this wand.

In addition, while attuned to the wand you have advantage on attack rolls against undead. 
Finally, you may replace the damage type of any cantrip or spell you cast to deal radiant damage instead.  You must complete a short or long rest before you may deal radiant damage again.

Before the Spellplague, the King of Cormyr awarded Spike to the Wizard of War, Althea McClintock, for her bravery in destroying Zeeron Malkovich, the so-called Master of Zombies.  Spike was a gift from Dawnmaster Pernell Lambert to the King of Cormyr.  The Dawnmaster confided to Althea that Lathander himself crafted the wand for her.

DnDClassics.com New Releases for 4/28/15

This week's new releases on DnDClassics.com are:

(A shout out to this great thread on RPG.Net).

Player's Handbook 3.5E (3E) [WOOT!]

Player's Option: Heroes of Shadow (4E)

The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond (4E)

Also a big thanks to the terrific spreadsheet about all of the releases created and maintained by Jurgen Hubert (creator of Urbis)

How I Learned to Love D&D: X is for Q'Xorrlarin

"X" was a bit of a stretch, I freely admit.

While I've read DnD and Forgotten Realms novels over the years, I'd never been a devoted a reader and often avoided them.

Gaming fiction isn't always anywhere close to good writing, but in reality, I've always been a slow reader.

However, I've found that reading on a Kindle or my iPhone has speeded up my rate of reading by a large margin (light has always been an issue with causing headaches while I read).

eBooks lead me to the Sundering series from the Wizards of the Coast that told the transition from DnD 4th Edition to 5th Edition in story form.

I found myself devouring this books and and truly enjoying them.  And since then, I've kept up with the new Forgotten Realms books being published.

It took twenty years, but I'm glad I decided to start reading these stories.

Oh, and Q'Xorrlarin is the name of a drow city in the Underdark.  It used to be the fabled dwarven city of Gauntlgrym.