Reading “The Advasary”, and the mentioned an item.  I felt its time ti got stats in DnD Next.

 

Sending Kit

Common Magi Item

Price: 100gp

This is a kit packaged in a simple metal box.  The metal box is simple tin, but designed to prevent the contents from being damaged.  Inside are two glass vials and two slip of paper.  One slip of paper  contains instructions written in common with phonetic pronunciation of magic words written on it.  The second is a magic scroll to power the magical ritual.  The metal box contains a painted diagram of how to mix the vials as well as pictures of how and where to draw the symbols to power the ritual inside the metal container.  The entire item is considered “idiot proof” and designed to be used when the user is in great distress.

This are now considered standard equipment for Harpers operating out of Waterdeep.

Property: This is an extremely simple compartmentalized version of the Sending Spell.  It follows all rules of the sending spell, however, it is designed so any character even those without Arcane/divine spell casting can use this item.

How about another flaw for DnD Next?

 

Bum Leg

As a child you hurt you leg.  Either in an accident, an attack, or from birth, you have one leg that’s stunted or twisted.

Penalty: Decrease your speed by 5ft per move.

Another Flaw in DnD Next

 

Social Stigma

You grew up far removed from society.  You did well enough with you own family, but now when you’re off by yourself, its a completely a different ballgame.

Penalty: You have a minus -1 penalty to all social checks and any to any check that involve you even tangentially due to your social standing.  This penalty increases to -2 at level 10.

 

Thoughts?

How about a cleric domain for DnD Next?

Cold

You are an avatar of winter. You are the living embodiment of the trial cold bring to all who live in where snow falls. You sort the weak from the strong. You must root out the weakness in others and destroy it, through whatever means necessary. Those who cross your path and are unworthy will never see the light of day again. You’re god doesn’t desire worship as much as fear!
DOMAIN SPELLS

Cleric Level Spells
1 Sleep, Gust of Wind
3 Blur, Phantasmal Force
5 Sleet Storm, Slow
7 Evard’s Black Tentacles, Ice Storm
9 Cone of Cold, Cloudkill
11 Circle of Death
15 Power Word Stun

Bonus Spells
You gain the Ray of frost and and chill touch cantrips if you don’t already have them. You also gain extra domain spells at levels 11 and 15, as shown in your Domain Spells table.

Hasten the End
When a creature that you can see falls to or below 0 HP, you can use your reaction to cause the creature to die that much faster. The creature must make an Constitution saving throw with the DC equal to your spell casting DC. If they fail, the immediately die or count as having failed a death roll. Any spellcaster that attempts to prevent the creature dying must make an apposed spellcaster roll to prevent this effect or stabilize the creature.

Channel Divinity: Frostbite

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to harness the bitter cold of winter . As an action, you present your holy symbol, and any fires are extinguished within 25 feet of you is dispelled. Spells that have the fire effect are given an opposed check by their creators using their spellcasting bonus vs your spell casting bonus + d20 roll. Additionally, each enemy creature within 25 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes cold damage equal to 2d10 + your cleric level on a failed saving throw and half as much damage on a successful one.

Channel Divinity: Icy Strength
At 6th level, you gain the ability to bestow the blessing of winter to yourself or an ally with your Channel Divinity. As an action, you present your holy symbol, and you or an ally gains an extra 1d6 cold damage on any attacks to perform as well as gaining resistance cold. At level 12 this bonus increases to 2d6, and at level 18 this bonus increases to 3d6.

Heart of winter

Starting at 20th level, you can use your action to turn an area into the deepest winter for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another action. You become a creature of pure ice and emit waves of cold in a 50¬foot radius. You gain resistance cold and to weapon attacks. All creatures in the area without cold resistance must make Constitution checks every turn or take 4d6 cold damage and be restrained by the ice.

What do you think?

How about one more background for DnD Next?

 

Reghed Barbarian

You have carved a life where most others could not.  You are not a tamed man.  You find no comfort when sleeping indoors.  You are of the North.  You travel for your own reasons.

Trait-Master of your surrounding

You know how to survive.  When in a natural environment you can find enough food to support yourself and your friends.  You know where to find what you need to build simple tools that you need.  You know nothing of how to build complicated machine that the tamed men use.

Proficiencies

Skills:Nature, Athletics, Survival

Tools: Climbers’s kit

Equipment

Adventurer’s kit, climber’s kit, bedroll, blanket, common clothes, fishing tackle, hunting trap,  tent, 105 gp 10s

 

Thoughts?

How about some more love for DnD Next?

Arcane Brotherhood Agent

You work for a wizard in the Arcane Brotherhood in Luskan.  The reason you do so is your own.  It may range from money to being tutored by a senior wizard.  In any case, you are not necessarily evil, but you work to bring the North under the economic control of Luskan.  However, you may undermine other Arcane Brotherhood agents to ensure your master is the one in the limelight.

Trait-Information and Financial Network

You are a member of a far flung organization that has agents and depots across the west.  You can request information and funds from any place you know another agent resides.  However, these requests are noted and this makes your presence know to other Arcane Brotherhood personal or leaders in the area.  Requests for personal gain might go unnoticed momentarily, but eventually this problem will be rectified.  You know code words and phrases that allow you to find and identify other Arcane Brotherhood agents across the world.

Proficiences

Skills:Stealth, Deception, Sleight of Hand

Tools: Disguise kit, thieves’ tools, navigation kit

Languages

One of your choice

Equipment

adventurer’s kit, bedroll, blanket, common clothes, traveler’s clothes, fine clothes, disguise kit, lantern, 1 pint oil, navigator’s tools, tent, thieves’s tools 44gp 4 silver

I’ve always felt like the intelligence stat gets left by the wayside when you play an RPG especially DnD next or Pathfinder.  How about an optional rule to make it a little more useful….

 

Optional Rule: Intelligence for skill acquisition

Every character gains four skills as normal during character generation (three from their background, and one (or more) from their class).  However, if they have an above average intelligence (12 o better) they receive one extra skill for each point of intelligence bonus they posses.  When their bonus increases, they gain a new skill.  The skills they receive come from their class skill list, but if they ever get more skills then their class give them access to, they may select any skill.

If a character posses a below average intelligence and has a penalty, they lose one skill.  They may select if they lose a class skill or a background skill.  If they have an extremely low intelligence, they at minimum have one skill.  If a characters intelligence decreases during the game, they lose skills in much te same way increasing your intelligence increases your number of skills.

 

Thoughts?

I’ve been reading a lot of old reams books to get into the latest season of encounters, how about some Forgotten Realms exclusive backgrounds?

Harper Agent

You defend the rights of freedom for all.  You work to prevent extremes in the realms.  You do so in secret.  If anyone know who you are, trouble might follow you.  You walk on the edges of society, but still have to find your place in it.

Trait-Harper Membership

You are a member of the Harpers of Luruar.  You know secret signals to identify other Harpers.  They may be able to provide you extra information about any area you are in.  Also, you are given a pin that  will identify you as a Harper.  You also know a secret signal to activate the magic of a Harper pin.

Proficiencies

Skill:  Insight, Persuasion, Nature

Tools:Navigator’s Tools, mounts (land)

Languages

Elven and one other

Equipment

Adventurer’s kit, Harper Pin, bedroll, blanket, common clothes, traveler’s cloths, disguise kit, lantern, 1-pint oil, navigator’s tools, tent, 76 gold, 90 silver.

How about a nice feat for DnD Next

 

Auril’s Devotion

You are not a child of Auril, but the Flostmaden has chosen you

• You may choose your weapon and unarmed damage to be cold damage
• You can resistance to cold equal to 5+ your level
• You must live in a place with no doors
• Gain a +1 to your constitution score, or if your constitution is 20, gain a bonus to another ability score