It has been a little while since I've posted life has been catching up to me in a rough way and I've really fallen off on keeping up with two posts a week. A few people have checked in with me and I really gotta say, I appreciate you guys, it means a lot that some people in the community reached out to check in. Today I'm making this post in part to let people know I'm still kicking around and also to just get something out onto a page. We probably aren't back to our regularly scheduled program just yet but we're working on it!
Sometimes when I am in a creative rut and cant come up with something to make a post about or find the energy to make something for the campaign I head on over to Scryfall and hit random card. The goal is to take the card I'm shown and make something to use in the games. This usually falls into the category of a monster, NPC, location, magic item, or magic power that an NPC or PC might gain. The last one is a little stolen from 5E's boons and banes section where they talk about alternative rewards to treasure (it's a very good book and we might talk about it and the tools it presents as its own post some day).
I give myself 30 seconds with the card shown to me. I read the card over and take into account it's name, cost, flavor text, rules text, power, toughness, and card type. I want to take into account all these things when I use it as a reference. If after 30 seconds with the card I really can't come up with the faintest idea then I hit random again. I'll keep at this until I have something on my personal document for my setting or something setting neutral that I can slip in to later games.
In truth I really don't use these in the games that much, I keep them in my back pocket when I have nothing else in the moment and have used them maybe a few times. If you give this a shot, remember that the goal isn't to recreate the card exactly in your setting or rule set, it's to make something inspired by that card. I'll sign off with a few examples of cards I've used and the resulting writing.
Mazus La Croix (Fleshgrafter)
Mazus was an artificer in the old empire of man, how he has lived long enough to see the sun rise on the new world is a mystery but the steel grafts in his body certainly give hints. In his time in the empire he was considered extreme, even by the empire’s standards. He would get his hands on magical trinkets and artifacts, and graft them into the flesh of others, tying the powers of the magical items to the recipient’s soul. This drove nearly all of his victims insane but those who survived were exceptionally dangerous. In the empire’s twilight, lacking fresh sources to experiment on, he began to graft magic and steel into himself. What lives in that cavern, the ancient workshop, is no longer recognizably human. Perhaps you may find power in becoming one of his test subjects… or perhaps you will lose yourself to madness and become a danger until some group of adventures comes along and puts you down.
Statistics:
Init +0; Atk graft drills +6 melee (2d5+1d3 bleed), darklight lance +7 ranged (4d4+weakness); AC 16 (grafted steel plates); HD 8d10(40); MV 60’; Act 1d20+1d16; SV Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +4; AL C; SP: Graft drills cause bleed on the target if hit, stops if spending 1 round bandaging or healed. Weakness: the darklight lance mounted on Mazus’ shoulder swivels and targets freely in any direction. Anyone struck by it must make a DC 15 fortitude save or suffer 1d4 strength, agility, or stamina damage.
Grafter: Mazus is able to form a permanent connection between an individual and any of their magic items or mundane gear. The process of this is extremely painful, anyone undergoing it must make a DC 20 will save or suffer madness so deep that they are unable to function without attacking everyone and everything around them, other than Mazus of course. Failing this check should result in the loss of a character and should not be undertaken lightly as this obviously evil madman makes no promises of it working. Anyone who makes the save will find that they are bonded to the item, armor replaces much of their skin, weapons replace limbs, trinkets are attached in useful places. Removing these magic items will kill the character, they may only be brought back by divine intervention or a subject of a quest.
Chant of order (Orim’s Chant):
This is a power usually associated with angels and other beings of order. It is rarely taught to mortals and for good reason, the chant was never meant to be uttered by mortals and causes them great pain and harm. Should a mortal prove themselves to be worthy, through deed or act a being from a higher plane might teach a mortal this chant.
A character possessing this ability may spend their round of combat cantering in the tongue of higher beings of order, this act causes one point of damage to the user’s personality and stamina. However, any spellcaster who’s magic comes from chaos, such as wizards and chaotic clerics, will find that their magic is blocked for the entire round until the chanters next turn. Additionally the chanter may burn 1 point of a physical ability score, should they do this enemies must make a DC 15 will save in order to attack them. Failing this save means the attacker wastes their attack this round struggling against the chanter.
Practiced Teamwork (coordinated assault):
This boon is often taught by seasoned militia captains, battle-hardened mercenaries, or warriors who understand the value of tight unit cohesion. Seeing the chaotic scrapping of most adventuring parties, they may offer this training to those they deem worthy, both as a reward and a correction.
Effect:
At the start of combat, the character may designate one ally as their fighting partner.
As long as the two fight adjacent to one another, each may use the higher of their two attack bonuses and initiative modifiers for the duration of the battle*.
*If separated, each reverts to their normal values until adjacency is regained.
Blackwater Anchorage (Restless Reef):
This cave was once a pirate hideout, the reef surrounding it made it impassable to the large warships of the empire but a safe place to hide for the lightweight pirate ships. Unfortunately this massive ocean cave eventually fell when the empire sent a necromancer named Vexilar Doomhand. He brought a single row boat and a re-animated prehistoric monster with him which he set to guard the sea cave and sink any ship that attempted to leave. The pirates in the cave lost their ships before they decided to hide out in the dwellings they had carved out and ramchackled together. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t wait out the undead. Eventually they starved or died as they attempted to flee, leaving behind much of their treasure.
Now, with Vexilar’s death, the undead monster in the waters is dormant but not gone. The massive prehistoric shark in the waters of the cave will animate again if it senses enough life in the cave or a strong enough source of magic, such as a high level magic user, enters the reef.
Prehistoric Undead Shark
The Guardian of Restless Reef
Init +4; Atk bite +12 melee (2d20 damage, see below), tail sweep +8 melee (1d14, knockback 20’); AC 20 (bone plating & undead resilience); HD 18d12 (108 hp); MV swim 100’; Act 2d20; SV Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +10; AL Chaotic
Massive Bite: On a successful bite attack, the shark automatically grapples its target in its jaws. Grappled creatures take 2d12 automatic damage each round until freed (DC 20 Strength or Agility check). If reduced to 0 hp, the victim is instantly swallowed whole (see below).
Swallow Whole: The undead shark no longer digests food and anyone swallowed can be cut out and rolled over, if the shark can be defeated
Shipbreaker: Against watercraft, the bite deals quadruple damage. A small boat is destroyed in 1-2 bites; a large vessel in 3-4
Breaching Charge: The shark may leap from the water up to 30’ horizontally to attack creatures on docks, ledges, or the cave mouth. Targets must succeed on a DC 18 Ref save or be knocked prone and dragged into the water.
Undead Resilience: Immune to poison, charm, disease, paralysis, and sleep. Takes half damage from non-magical weapons unless silvered or mithril
Blood Frenzy: If any creature within 60’ takes damage, the shark gains +2 to attack rolls until the end of its next turn
Lair Sense: Can detect any creature entering the reef, even if invisible or magically concealed
