Author: fineyoungmisanthrope

Daily Punch 1-6-15 Weapon Halo spell for DnD 5e

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Time for the last Eldritch Knight spell for a bit-the Weapon Halo!

 

Weapon Halo
4th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Components: V, S, M (a weapon)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

When you cast this spell and touch a melee weapon, you are instantly surrounded by fiery and icy floating versions of the weapon.  For the duration of this spell, any creature that attempts to attack you with a melee attack has disadvantage and takes 2d6 cold and 2d6 fire damage.  The creature that succeeds at a Constitution saving throw  reduces the damage by half for each type of damage.

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 1-5-16 Force Backswing spell DnD 5e

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I’m working my way up from level 1 to 4 for the Eldritch Knight, so today will be level 3 and the Force Backswing!

 

Force Backswing
3rd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: touch
Components: V, S, M (a weapon)
Duration: 1 minute

When you cast this spell and touch up to two melee weapons, these weapons take on a ghostly aura as force echos of the movement follow them wherever they move.  For the duration of this spell, any creature you strike with a weapon under the effect of this spell takes an additional 3d6 force damage as the echos rip through the target.

 

Thoughts?

Ring Side Report-Board Game Review of Seekers of A Hidden Light (Shadows of Malice Expansion)

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Product–Seekers of A Hidden Light (Shadows of Malice Expansion)

Producer-Devious Weasel Games

Price– $25.00 here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0146Y8HDC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00NAG5YCK&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=165FDTXJBT8THFCG5PQT

Set-up/Play/Clean-up– 1-3 hours (2-8 players)

Type-American

Depth-Light

TL; DR-More depth for those who want it. 90%

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Basics-Need more from your Shadows of Malice game?  This is the expansion for you!  This game doesn’t fundamentally change the nature of the game, but it does add new options.  Mystics get two new important abilities: quests and lures.  Quests require an avatar to enter an area to either get one resource (via a luck roll), kill a particular monster type, or do both at the same time.  When a quest is completed, the players get to return the quest for new potions, soulstones, and lux.  Lux can be spent to buy super powerful potions or new runes which are engraved on weapons increasing their power.  Lures are new ways to cause monsters to fight your character instead of having to fight in lairs.  These lures provide a luck bonus to the roll to determine the monster encountered as well.

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Mechanics-What you read above is pretty much what’s in the box, and that’s not bad.  This expansion isn’t here to completely change the nature of the game, but it does bring some fun extra parts to it.  Fighting monsters in lairs can be tough, but lures provide a way to fight monsters with much less power.  The new quests are a fun addition as well.  You can only have one at a time, but they do provide you with some goals and will cause players to go off and look for specific fights.  Overall, it’s an added layer onto the game that you’re used to playing.  It’s not overly risky in terms of expansion to the game, but it’s also something that fits well into the game  4.5/5

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Theme-This game has some great theme, but some interesting choices as well.  The new lux mechanic is worked well into the story.  Now players are given quests by mystics who also extract lux from the objects they desire.  That works well and builds the world around it.  Players get some awesome stories from hunting monsters to find light in the world.  But, players also get some weird moments as now not only do mystics heal you, send you on quests, but they also operate the bait shops of the world.  Players get lures from mystics as well as from monsters themselves.  That’s a little bit off as I would think the towns would have the bait shops.  It’s only a small misstep though as the expansion adds on the the game in fun ways. 4.5/5

Instructions-This expansion shows some growth from the base game.  This book reads much better and really helps players to add the new elements quickly to their game.  Players also get an appendix to help them find where each topic is discussed.  The rules are still a bit too wordy, but they don’t take long to read. It does plug quickly into the game and won’t take long or be hard to figure out when you do so.  4.5/5

Execution– If the base game is like Arkham Horror, then this expansion is a small box expansion like The King in Yellow.  This box has new full cards, new half cards, and tokens.  Compared to Fantasy Flight Games, it’s fairly priced.  I do like all the pieces that come in this box.  Heck, the box itself is well put together as it’s made with solid cardboard.  I’ve even made an unboxing video which you can view here https://youtu.be/Wiku-FDMmvQ    4.5/5

Summary-This expansion is a fun addition to the Shadows of Malice world.  Now players can undertake epic quests to gain the power of light while building up their own abilities, use bait to lure monsters out of hiding, and use the power of light itself to gain epic upgrades.  The expansions doesn’t bring anything out of place in the game world.  However, this expansion doesn’t tack on much to the game beyond what was already working here.  If you don’t like the base game, this expansion won’t do much to sway your opinion.  However, if you are looking for a solid expansion to your Shadows of Malice games, then this is a great way to build more replay into your Shadows of Malice game. 90%

Daily Punch 1-4-16 Lighting Rod spell for DnD 5e

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How about we continue the spells for DnD 5e and the Eldritch Knight?

 

Let’s keep building on the them of the Eldritch Knight.  How about some weapon based spells for above 0-level?

 

Lighting Rod
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet or touch
Components: V, S, M (a weapon)
Duration: instantaneous

Choose a target in range, and either make a melee spell attack roll or a ranged spell attack roll.  On a hit, the target takes damage equal to the weapon’s damage  plus your spellcasting ability modifier as you throw or strike the target with the weapon.  Next, the creature must make a Dexterity saving throw.  On a failure, lightning shoots from the sky and does target takes 4d6 lightning damage.  On a success, the spell fails, but the spell slot is not used.  In either case, the weapon returns to your hand.

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 12-30-15 Second Sword Spell for DnD 5e

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Let’s keep building on the them of the Eldritch Knight.  How about some weapon based spells for above 0-level?

 

Second Sword
1st-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: touch
Components: V, S, M (a weapon)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you touch a weapon while casting this spell, you imbue it with a piece of your will.  This weapon can float five feet high, move, and make attacks for you while you concentrate on the spell.  Each turn as a bonus action or action, you can command the weapon to make one attack for you using your melee spell casting attack bonus.  The weapons damage type is the same are the weapon’s normal damage.  When you move, you can mentally command the weapon to move up to 30 feet as well.

When the spell ends, the weapon flies back to your hand.  If your hands are full, then it falls at your feet.

Daily Punch 12-29-15 Spell Swing feat for DnD 5e

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I think Eldritch Knights get a bit of the short stick (or sword!).  Let’s work on making them that much more awesome!

Spell Swing

Enemies fall before your sword as much as your spells, and you’ve learned to effectively combine the two to become a spell storm of destruction.  Gain the following benefits:

  • Increase your Constitution, Dexterity, or Strength by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • When you cast a wizard or sorcerer spell of 1st level or higher, as a bonus action, you may take an attack action taking all attacks that action would grant you.

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 12-28-15 DCC Funnel in Shadow of the DemonLord

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We’re back from our extended break, and let’s start off with a big one!  I love the DCC RPG Funnel, and I love the Shadow of the Demon Lord system.  Let’s mix this peanut butter and chocolate together!

 

The Shadow of the Demon Lord Funnel

Players: Instead of creating and choosing one first level character, randomly roll a d6 (d8 with the Demon Lords Companion) four times to generate four characters.  Follow character generation rules as normal for each character.  Also, when a character drops to zero or fewer hit points, that character is dead!  No rolls for you!

GM: Instead of running a zero-level adventure, instead run a level one adventure.  Run the adventure as hard as normal, and players will drop like flies!  At the end, players will most likely be left with one character each.  That person gets all the experience points the would normally get putting them up to first level with a hell of a story!

 

Roll Race
1 Human
2 Changeling
3 Clockwork
4 Dwarf
5 Goblin
6 Orc
7 Faun
8 Hafling

Daily Punch 12-11-15 Underdark Etiquette optional background feature

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I haven’t done some 5e stuff in a while, so let’s go back to that with the Out of the Abyss season and an optional background feature.

 

OPTIONAL FEATURE: UNDERDARK ETIQUETTE

You have met the hostile races the call the Underdark home, and while you might not be everyone’s friend, you didn’t end up on their menus.  If you fail a Charisma ability check against an Underdark creature, you may remake the check with disadvantage.  You must accept the results of the second roll.

 

Thoughts?

Daily Punch 12-10-15 Bombardier Expert Path for Shadow of the Demon Lord

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LET’S BURN STUFF!

Bombardier

It was a pleasure to burn!  Bombardiers are the children who liked to spend a little to much time in school, and were the people who liked to watch fireworks a bit to closely.  You’ve seen how the fire ticked, and now you can make it dance to your own tune.

BOMBARDIER STORY DEVELOPMENT

d6 Story Development
1 You’ve spent days upon days reading about the secrets of fire and have learned to master it.
2 A traveling alchemist came to your village and you learned his secrets when he was at the town fair.
3 You liked to take apart your fathers explosive he used for his job.
4 You were burned as a child and learned the secrets of fire.
5 You were apprenticed to a local demolition team.
6 You’ve just know how to mix the powders to make the fire dance.

 LEVEL 3 BOMBARDIER 

Attributes increase two by 1

Characteristics Health +3, Power +1

Languages and Professions You can speak another language and add an academic profession.

Magic You discover a tradition or learn one spell

The Mystery of Fire You have learned and mastered the mysteries of fire powders.  As an action, you can change a spell into a bomb.  This bomb uses all the traits of a bomb from pages 27 of the Demon Lord’s Companion.  For each level of spell sacrificed in this way, you make one bomb.  These bombs will only last for 24 hours at which point they become inert components.

 LEVEL 6 BOMBARDIER 

Characteristics Health +3, Power +1

Magic You discover a tradition or learn one spell

All Your Fingers There are only two kinds of people in your line of work-the good and the dead.  You gain a boon on all rolls to avoid fire and explosive damage from both magic and mundane sources.  In addition, reduce all damage you take from fire and explosive by half.

 LEVEL 9 BOMBARDIER 

Characteristics Health +3, Power +1

Magic You discover a tradition or learn one spell

Ground Zero You’ve learned how to avoid blasts like the best.  When you use a bomb and are in the blast, you no longer take damage from your own bombs.  Furthermore, any mechanical, non-magic device you use that has a change to harm you through a failed roll deal half as much damage as before.  This effect stacks with All Your Fingers.

Thoughts?

 

Ring Side Report- RPG Review ofDemon Lord’s Companion

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Product-Demon Lord’s Companion

System– Shadow of the Demon Lord

Producer– Schwalb Entertainment

Price– $ 10 here http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/168258/Demon-Lords-Companion?src=slider_view&affiliate_id=658618

TL; DR-The best DLC I’ve downloaded all year! 100%

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Basics-OPTIONS!  Have you already gotten tired of all the options in the core Shadow of the Demon Lord book?  Odds are not, but here is a new book with races, master and expert paths, new items both magical and mundane, magic traditions, and even more rules for parts of the game not covered in the basic book like vehicles.

Mechanics or Crunch-This is an amazing book for what it adds.  Every one of these pages is crunch.  From the new spells to the rules for how to drive in this game, no space is wasted that doesn’t add to the world.  New races are added such as halflings and fauns, new traditions such as alchemy are added, and tons of new items are brought into the world. This might be one of my favorite splat books to a system I’ve read in a long time. 5/5

 

Theme or Fluff-Now I don’t expect much from a splat book in terms of theme, but this one delivers!  Let’s look at two things to drive home this point.  First are story complications.  These are new character additions that provide a detriment and a bonus.  They almost function like zero-level feats.  You get horrific problems for bonuses that directly come from this problem.  An example is you might be ever-so-slightly possessed, but you can also talk to that demon to get bits of lore and knowledge.  That’s pure Demon Lord’s Shadow right there.  Second, let’s look at azeen.  Azeen are foot long worms, that you place in your face or another large orifice and let it crawl/tare inside you.  It gives you a whip that you can spring from your hands as an attack.  Randomly, in the next 20 days you will crap your pants as the worm violently dies and is violently shot from your body.  This is a new forbidden item with strong benefits, horrific complications, and a corrupting influence.  Again, this is mainline Shadows of the Demon Lord with full descriptions of horror building up the mechanics  with solid storytelling.  Absolutely beautiful! 5/5

Execution-This book only comes out as a PDF currently.  However, what makes this interestingly is the price, pictures, and writing.  Comparing this book to other splat books, DLC is hands down the best I’ve seen in awhile.  This book is 50+ pages for 10 bucks.  That blows Paizo out of the water!  I get a book full of character options, game rules, and monsters that is layed out properly, reads quickly, and is fun for less than half of some other books. 5/5

Summary– I didn’t ask for more options for Shadows of the Demon Lord, but I have wondered about some specific content.  And this book delivered on all of it.  Want some more steampunk?  Well we’ve got airships and even guns now.  Want more magic?  Well now there is fauns and other magic traditions.  Heck, you want to get some Kung Fu in your Demon’s Shadow?  Now you can. Crouching tiger, hidden demon away!  Everything fits in this book.  It’s all from the very mouth of the Dark Hobo himself.  It’s a great value, full of pictures to inspire, and quick pleasure to read.  This book is well worth your time and money. 100%