Vyndora
2022-06-10, 02:43 PM
I would really appreciate some input on a homebrew spin I’ve come up with for an item in a Curse of Strahd campaign I’m in at the moment. I don’t know who has and hasn’t played CoS, so I’m going to be intentionally vague about some things to avoid spoilers.
This is my first time playing CoS and we just encountered a “well armed” character. I immediately wanted a particularly unique item in their possession. If anyone wants to hear my character’s history and backstory I am happy to share, but for the purposes of this post, the important part is this item would be extremely relevant to her.
Since the CoS never really explains what the item is specifically or where it came from, I spun it as a Symbiotic Being using the Dark Gifts as explained in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft and used DragnaCarta’s Curse of Strahd Reloaded. I can’t post links to the subreddit or the user because apparently it keeps flagging me and won’t let me make the post, but if you google it I used the section about the fanes/megaliths to tie the item to Barovia’s history and lore. If you haven’t given it a look I highly recommend it. The features of the item will change depending on number of fanes purified of Strahd’s corruption, which fanes, if any, have been purified, and the level of my character. There is an explanation for this in the item’s backstory.
So for features of the bond with the item:
Always Present
- Entwined Existence – Your symbiote has its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. It speaks, reads, and understands Common and Druidict (From it's time spent on the druid host). With the item’s guidance, you gain proficiency in History (limited specifically to Barovian History) and Survival (limited to the demiplane of Barovia)
- Sustained Symbiosis – The symbiote wants to protect its host (i.e. you) as possible. When you fail a saving throw, you can have the symbiote expend one of your Hit Dice to roll it and add that number to your saving throw. If you use this on a Death Saving Throw, you succeed and regain 1 hit point regardless of what is rolled on the d20. Once you succeed on a save with this ability, it can’t be used again until you finish a long rest.
Symbiotic Agenda– This being has its own goals and expects you to help it achieve them. Work with your DM to determine the being’s personality and temperament (how patient is it?). If you have an opportunity to advance the symbiote’s agenda and don’t, the symbiote can forc you to make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 12 + symbiotes Charisma modifier) or be charmed by it for 1d12 hours.
Symbiotic Defense - This being seeks to protect it's host. When the being is not encumbered or bound it springs to its host defense against attacks, providing +2 AC.
Fane Based Features
No Fanes Purified:
- Barovians with a soul and an alignment of "good" suffer disadvantage on saves against Intimidation checks made within 10 feet of the item.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.
- Decay: Prolonged contact with the item is harmful to living things. Living matter held by, or holding on to, the item takes 3d4 necrotic damage for every round it remains in direct, physical contact with the item. This effect is permanent and cannot be turned off.
- Any light, both magical and non-magical, within 60ft. of the item is 66% less effective and sources directly producing light, such as an object Light has been cast on, are immediately extinguished or put out as if doused, smothered, or dispelled if directly touched by the item.
- Shadow Whip: Using an attack action, the item creates three long, vine-like whip covered in visible waves of darkness that lash out at your command toward a creature you can see within 30ft. Make a melee spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the creature takes 1d6 necrotic damage, and if the creature is Large or smaller, you pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you.
- Resistance to Necrotic damage.
- Vulnerable to Radiant damage and must make a Constitution saving throw DC 5+dmg dealt and is blinded until the end of your next turn.
- Shade's Sight: Magical darkness does not impede your darkvision.
One Fane Purified:
- Barovians with a soul and an alignment of "good" suffer disadvantage on saves against Intimidation checks made within 10 feet of the item.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.
- Decay: Prolonged contact with the item is harmful to living things. Living matter held by, or holding on to, the item takes 2d4 necrotic damage for every round it remains in direct, physical contact with the item. This effect is permanent and cannot be turned off.
- Any light, both magical and non-magical, within 60ft. of the item is 33% less effective and sources directly producing light, such as an object Light has been cast on, are immediately extinguished or put out as if doused, smothered, or dispelled if directly touched by the item.
- Improved Shade's Sight: Magical darkness does not impeded the darkvision of you or any allies within 60ft. Any ally without darkvision within 60ft. gains the ability. They can see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. The ally can’t discern color in Darkness, only Shades of Gray.
Two Fanes Purified:
- Barovians without a soul and an alignment of "evil" suffer disadvantage on saves against Intimidation checks made within 10 feet of the item.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing damage instead of bludgeoning and is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances.
- Decay: Prolonged contact with the item is harmful to living things. Living matter held by, or holding on to, the item takes 1d4 necrotic damage for every round it remains in direct, physical contact with the item. This effect is permanent and cannot be turned off.
- Eyes of the Rozana: You can see in darkness, including magical, as if it were bright light. Any ally without darkvision within 60ft. gains the ability. They can see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. The ally can’t discern color in Darkness, only Shades of Gray. This ability is not impeded by magical darkness.
All Fanes Purified:
- You have advantage on any Intimidation check made against Barovians without a soul and an alignment of "evil." These targets also suffer disadvantage against this check.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing and 1d4 radiant damage.
- Purification: Prolonged contact with the item restores the vitality and spirit to living things while inflicting divine punishment on creatures defiling the land of Barovia. These creatures suffer 3d4 radiant damage for every round spent in direct physical contact with the item. Additionally, at character level 6 you can cast Lesser Restoration and Protection from Poison without material components a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, provided the target remains in direct contact with the item for a number of minutes equal to 10 + the CR of the source of the condition. This does not mean 3 times for each spell. There is no way to reduce the time needed and if contact is broken in any way, regardless of for how long, the target does not gain the effect of the spell and the attempt at casting it counts against the number of available uses. You can use the spell Purify Food and Drink 1/day. Use of this spell recharges after a long rest.
- Greater Eyes of the Rozana: You can see in darkness, including magical, as if it were bright light. This ability extends to any allies within 30ft. of you and magical darkness cannot impede it.
- No longer vulnerable to Radiant damage.
- Immunity to Necrotic damage.
Fane specific purification features:
- Forest Fane: You and any ally within 30ft. is granted the protection of a Nondetection spell.
- Swamp Fane: You and any ally within 30ft. is granted the effect of an Absorb Elements spell.
- Mountain Fane: You and any ally within 30ft. is granted +1 to their AC and has advantage on any Dexterity saves to reduce or avoid damage from attacks and spells.
__Level Based Features__
Lvl 6: You gain the Resiliant (Constitution) feat.
Lvl 7: The ability to cast the spell Darkness 3/day. If all Fanes are purified, this becomes Daylight. All uses of this spell are regained after a long rest.
Lvl 8: The ability to cast Inflict Wounds as a 1st level Cleric 3/day on Undead targets. If all Fanes are purified, this becomes Cure Wounds and the target must remain in direct, physical contact with the item for a number of minutes equal to 10 + the character level or CR of the target. All uses of this spell are regained after a long rest. Interruption of direct physical contact with the item will result in failure and counts against the number of times it can be cast per day.
Lvl 9: The ability to cast Shield even if your reaction for the round has been used.
Lvl 10: You can cast the Fly spell 3/day. This manifests as a pair of dark, smoke-like wings sprouting from your back and last for the duration of the spell. If all Fanes are purified this becomes white, angelic wings. Uses of this spell are regained after a long rest.
Thanks for slogging though that. I appreciate any feedback anyone cares to give.
This is my first time playing CoS and we just encountered a “well armed” character. I immediately wanted a particularly unique item in their possession. If anyone wants to hear my character’s history and backstory I am happy to share, but for the purposes of this post, the important part is this item would be extremely relevant to her.
Since the CoS never really explains what the item is specifically or where it came from, I spun it as a Symbiotic Being using the Dark Gifts as explained in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft and used DragnaCarta’s Curse of Strahd Reloaded. I can’t post links to the subreddit or the user because apparently it keeps flagging me and won’t let me make the post, but if you google it I used the section about the fanes/megaliths to tie the item to Barovia’s history and lore. If you haven’t given it a look I highly recommend it. The features of the item will change depending on number of fanes purified of Strahd’s corruption, which fanes, if any, have been purified, and the level of my character. There is an explanation for this in the item’s backstory.
So for features of the bond with the item:
Always Present
- Entwined Existence – Your symbiote has its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. It speaks, reads, and understands Common and Druidict (From it's time spent on the druid host). With the item’s guidance, you gain proficiency in History (limited specifically to Barovian History) and Survival (limited to the demiplane of Barovia)
- Sustained Symbiosis – The symbiote wants to protect its host (i.e. you) as possible. When you fail a saving throw, you can have the symbiote expend one of your Hit Dice to roll it and add that number to your saving throw. If you use this on a Death Saving Throw, you succeed and regain 1 hit point regardless of what is rolled on the d20. Once you succeed on a save with this ability, it can’t be used again until you finish a long rest.
Symbiotic Agenda– This being has its own goals and expects you to help it achieve them. Work with your DM to determine the being’s personality and temperament (how patient is it?). If you have an opportunity to advance the symbiote’s agenda and don’t, the symbiote can forc you to make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 12 + symbiotes Charisma modifier) or be charmed by it for 1d12 hours.
Symbiotic Defense - This being seeks to protect it's host. When the being is not encumbered or bound it springs to its host defense against attacks, providing +2 AC.
Fane Based Features
No Fanes Purified:
- Barovians with a soul and an alignment of "good" suffer disadvantage on saves against Intimidation checks made within 10 feet of the item.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.
- Decay: Prolonged contact with the item is harmful to living things. Living matter held by, or holding on to, the item takes 3d4 necrotic damage for every round it remains in direct, physical contact with the item. This effect is permanent and cannot be turned off.
- Any light, both magical and non-magical, within 60ft. of the item is 66% less effective and sources directly producing light, such as an object Light has been cast on, are immediately extinguished or put out as if doused, smothered, or dispelled if directly touched by the item.
- Shadow Whip: Using an attack action, the item creates three long, vine-like whip covered in visible waves of darkness that lash out at your command toward a creature you can see within 30ft. Make a melee spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the creature takes 1d6 necrotic damage, and if the creature is Large or smaller, you pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you.
- Resistance to Necrotic damage.
- Vulnerable to Radiant damage and must make a Constitution saving throw DC 5+dmg dealt and is blinded until the end of your next turn.
- Shade's Sight: Magical darkness does not impede your darkvision.
One Fane Purified:
- Barovians with a soul and an alignment of "good" suffer disadvantage on saves against Intimidation checks made within 10 feet of the item.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.
- Decay: Prolonged contact with the item is harmful to living things. Living matter held by, or holding on to, the item takes 2d4 necrotic damage for every round it remains in direct, physical contact with the item. This effect is permanent and cannot be turned off.
- Any light, both magical and non-magical, within 60ft. of the item is 33% less effective and sources directly producing light, such as an object Light has been cast on, are immediately extinguished or put out as if doused, smothered, or dispelled if directly touched by the item.
- Improved Shade's Sight: Magical darkness does not impeded the darkvision of you or any allies within 60ft. Any ally without darkvision within 60ft. gains the ability. They can see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. The ally can’t discern color in Darkness, only Shades of Gray.
Two Fanes Purified:
- Barovians without a soul and an alignment of "evil" suffer disadvantage on saves against Intimidation checks made within 10 feet of the item.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing damage instead of bludgeoning and is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances.
- Decay: Prolonged contact with the item is harmful to living things. Living matter held by, or holding on to, the item takes 1d4 necrotic damage for every round it remains in direct, physical contact with the item. This effect is permanent and cannot be turned off.
- Eyes of the Rozana: You can see in darkness, including magical, as if it were bright light. Any ally without darkvision within 60ft. gains the ability. They can see in dim light within the radius as if it were bright light, and in Darkness as if it were dim light. The ally can’t discern color in Darkness, only Shades of Gray. This ability is not impeded by magical darkness.
All Fanes Purified:
- You have advantage on any Intimidation check made against Barovians without a soul and an alignment of "evil." These targets also suffer disadvantage against this check.
- Claw: Attacks made with the item deal 1+Str Mod slashing and 1d4 radiant damage.
- Purification: Prolonged contact with the item restores the vitality and spirit to living things while inflicting divine punishment on creatures defiling the land of Barovia. These creatures suffer 3d4 radiant damage for every round spent in direct physical contact with the item. Additionally, at character level 6 you can cast Lesser Restoration and Protection from Poison without material components a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier, provided the target remains in direct contact with the item for a number of minutes equal to 10 + the CR of the source of the condition. This does not mean 3 times for each spell. There is no way to reduce the time needed and if contact is broken in any way, regardless of for how long, the target does not gain the effect of the spell and the attempt at casting it counts against the number of available uses. You can use the spell Purify Food and Drink 1/day. Use of this spell recharges after a long rest.
- Greater Eyes of the Rozana: You can see in darkness, including magical, as if it were bright light. This ability extends to any allies within 30ft. of you and magical darkness cannot impede it.
- No longer vulnerable to Radiant damage.
- Immunity to Necrotic damage.
Fane specific purification features:
- Forest Fane: You and any ally within 30ft. is granted the protection of a Nondetection spell.
- Swamp Fane: You and any ally within 30ft. is granted the effect of an Absorb Elements spell.
- Mountain Fane: You and any ally within 30ft. is granted +1 to their AC and has advantage on any Dexterity saves to reduce or avoid damage from attacks and spells.
__Level Based Features__
Lvl 6: You gain the Resiliant (Constitution) feat.
Lvl 7: The ability to cast the spell Darkness 3/day. If all Fanes are purified, this becomes Daylight. All uses of this spell are regained after a long rest.
Lvl 8: The ability to cast Inflict Wounds as a 1st level Cleric 3/day on Undead targets. If all Fanes are purified, this becomes Cure Wounds and the target must remain in direct, physical contact with the item for a number of minutes equal to 10 + the character level or CR of the target. All uses of this spell are regained after a long rest. Interruption of direct physical contact with the item will result in failure and counts against the number of times it can be cast per day.
Lvl 9: The ability to cast Shield even if your reaction for the round has been used.
Lvl 10: You can cast the Fly spell 3/day. This manifests as a pair of dark, smoke-like wings sprouting from your back and last for the duration of the spell. If all Fanes are purified this becomes white, angelic wings. Uses of this spell are regained after a long rest.
Thanks for slogging though that. I appreciate any feedback anyone cares to give.