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Thread: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
H 1217: Spriggan
Medium fey, unaligned
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 65 (10d8 + 20)
Speed 30 ft.
Str 10 (+0)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con 14 (+2)
Int 10 (+0)
Wis 12 (+1)
Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Con +5, Cha +6
Skills Nature +6, Perception +4
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Druidic, Sylvan
CR 5
Innate Spellcasting. The spriggan's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innate cast the following spells as a 5th level caster, requiring no material components.
At will: druidcraft, poison spray, speak with animals
1/day: invisibility (only lasts 3 rounds)
Spriggan Poison. When the spriggan deals damage to a creature with poison spray or its claw attack, that target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned this way, the creature takes 1d12 poison damage at the end of each of its turns. Then it can make an additional saving throw to end this effect early.
Actions
Multiattack. The spriggan makes 2 attacks with its claws.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.
Sap and Honey (1/Day). The spriggan calls upon primal magics to fortify it for 1 minute or until it takes fire or bludgeoning damage. Under the effect of this magic, the spriggan regains 10 HP at the end of each of its turns. (Using this ability does not end the effects of invisibility.)
Shelter of Boughs. The spriggan melds with a tree by touching it, creating an effect similar to meld into stone. Unlike meld into stone, this is not a spell, it only allows the spriggan to meld with a touched tree, it allows the spriggan to see & hear outside the tree, and it lasts indefinitely. The spriggan can use Sap and Honey while melded with a tree, but cannot use Call of the Wild or Command the Wild.
Call of the Wild (1/Day). The spriggan stretches its will out into the minds of beasts within 60 feet of it, giving it control over those beasts for 1 hour. Any beast with a particularly close bond to another creature (such as a ranger's animal companion, but probably not the horses they ride on) may make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw to resist this effect. Even if it fails, that creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against anyone it is bonded to, and may make an additional saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect early.
Bonus Actions
Command the Wild. The spriggan can relay instructions to any number of beasts under its command with Call of the Wild.
Reactions
Kynareth's Refuge. Unseen spirits of the air swell around one of the spriggan's arms, which it raises to protect itself. The spriggan adds 3 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it, or 3 to one Dexterity saving throw that it would fail. To do so, the spriggan must see the effect or attack and must have its limbs free. It cannot use this reaction while grappled or restrained.
Flavor & Encounters
Spriggans live in forests, usually in a favored tree or grove. Shelter of Boughs allows them to spend most of their time undetected inside trees, where they happily hang out until something unnatural draws their ire. Spriggans prefer to live in areas with abundant fauna that they can take control of when under threat.
For a party of 4 level 4 PCs, a spriggan can be a useful major boss fight. Consider trying one of these fights, in a grove about 60 feet across:- 2x Deadly: 2 Black Bears, 2 Deer
- 2.5x Deadly: 1 Brown Bear, 2 Black Bears, 3 Deer
- 3x Deadly: 2 Brown Bears, 2 Black Bears, 4 Deer
You may consider swapping animals based on CR. For example, Brown Bears for Dire Wolves, Black Bears for Giant Goats, Deer for Foxes (RotH).
The more the players are prepared (for instance, by bringing fire and AOE), and the more optimized they are, the deadlier you can comfortably make the fight. If your players know what they're doing and this is the only fight of the day, don't be afraid to throw a 3x Deadly fight at them!
Spriggans will attack enemies that do not seem natural by default. You can avoid a spriggan's fight-on-sight instinct if you are under the effects of pass without trace, anyone in your party is wearing the boots of the crusader (not a real magic item but it mattered in Skyrim so I wanted to mention it), or you make a DC 10 persuasion check to talk the spriggan down in sylvan or druidic before the spriggan gets stabbed. That said, if you try to kill a spriggan or its home trees, or you're burning down the forest, or you look like the guy who burned down the forest yesterday, a spriggan isn't going to give you a second chance. D&D isn't a video game, after all.
If the PCs are familiar with Skyrim monsters, anyone with Nature proficiency should be aware that they can command beasts, and meld into trees, as well as the fact that melding prevents commanding. If a PC has expertise in Nature, consider just handing them the spriggan statblock. They've earned it.
Combat
Most combats follow a pattern similar to this:
Round 1: Call of the Wild + Command the Wild. Proceed to use Command the Wild each turn for the rest of the fight.
Round 2~4: Until the spriggan falls low on hit points, use poison spray or multiattack to spread poison to as many targets as possible, prioritizing anyone who doesn't look tough (robes are a giveaway).
Round 5 or when taken to ~50% HP: Use Sap and Honey.
Round 6 or when seriously wounded: Cast invisibility, hide in a favored tree, and wait for the bad guys to go away.
While spriggans are not especially intelligent, they are smart enough to know that squishy wizards & rogues are easier to take down, and that melee fighters can beat them up. As a result, a spriggan can turn a handful of unintelligent animals into a coordinated combat force. Some may protect the spriggan from melee assault while others harry low-HP, low-AC party members. A spriggan can't command animals while benefiting from Shelter of Boughs, which means bullying a spriggan until it runs away, then cleaning up the uncoordinated beasts, should be a viable combat strategy.
Spriggans are difficult to kill. Shelter of Boughs and invisibility allow them to get out of dangerous situations, while Sap and Honey allow them to regenerate while hurt. They are also intimately aware of their weakness to fire damage and will avoid fights with lots of fire unless the threat is otherwise existential. As a result, many attempts to fight off a spriggan are usually done to a stalemate. If you need to kill a spriggan, ensure that it cannot escape by physically holding it in place, or bring some anti-invisibility tools... plus an axe for tree-chopping.
Spriggan encounters tend to have a handful of trees in them. This is nice for a spriggan that tries to escape, but it's also nice for ranged attackers who want something to hide behind. This is okay. Bear in mind that the spriggan can only command its beasts, it cannot see through their eyes. A rogue behind a tree may be able to hide from a spriggan even if one of the spriggan's enthralled mooks is in line of sight.
Spoiler: ThoughtsThe combat & encounter section cover most of what I have to say here. I really like the idea of a boss fight where you have to go out harvest taproot from some sacred tree, but a spriggan guards that tree so you get into a fight. Spriggans are willing to dip out if they are in danger, which means less-violent folks can do their harvesting or whatever and move on while genocidal murderhobos will need to plan ahead. The behavioral characteristics here do make spriggans bad for random encounters because the most effective response is to walk away, but that's why these guys are meant as bosses!
Intended weaknesses, in order: (1) Fire (fire damage + burning down a favored tree), (2) Grappling, (3) Bludgeoning damage (this against Sap and Honey).Last edited by Just to Browse; 2022-11-17 at 02:19 PM.
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2022-11-19, 05:33 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
C 1217
This is very nicely put together and it has a great sense of balance to it. You took your time and constructed an excellent concept of one of my favorite video game creatures of all time. The only thing that holds back the difficulty of this encounter lies in the availability of nearby beasts.
Not only is this Spriggan a brilliant work of art, you also provided lore, characteristics, and strategy around various forms of encounter. I appreciate everything that went into it and it will be a powerful piece to some of my games. Greatly appreciated! To what do I owe thee?
”On a 1-10, [it’s] a certified 20!” - UsherLast edited by animorte; 2022-11-19 at 05:34 PM.
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2023-03-28, 04:05 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
H 1112: After many years, behold an attempt at one of these!
Spoiler: Azurin CrusaderAzurin crusaders often see themselves as manifestations of divine mystery as creatures who's minds and bodies alike are unexpectedly suffused with stuff of the Outer Planes, each driving them to embody ideals a step away from those of the world they live in.
Hit Dice: d10
Requirements:
To take an azurin crusader substitution level, a character must be an azurin about to take their first, sixth, or tenth level of Crusader
Class Skills:
Azurin crusader substitution levels have the class skills of the standard crusader class plus Knowledge (The Planes) (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier (or four times this number as a beginning character).
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Initiating 1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Furious Counterstrike, Cobalt Resolve, Aura As Crusader 6 +6 +5 +2 +2 Sapphire Smite As Crusader 10 +10 +7 +3 +3 Cobalt Resurgence As Crusader
Aura: As Soulborn
Cobalt Resolve: An azurin crusader often takes on a truly careless demeanor when threatened with violence, trusting the unusual nature of their soul to see their flesh unmarred. For each point of Essentia invested in this feature, as if it were a Soulmeld, their delayed damage pool increases by three points (as Steely Resolve) and DR 1/-.
This benefit alters Steely Resolve, reducing its delayed damage pool by 5 at all levels. Thus, they must have Essentia invested in this feature to possess a delayed damage pool before 4th level.
Sapphire Smite: An azurin crusader's anger is driven as much by the Essentia of their soul as the divine fervor typical of a Crusader. They gain Sapphire Smite as a bonus feat, and may invest Essentia in it as if it were a Soulmeld.
This benefit alters Smite, reducing its original uses/day by 1 at all levels. Thus, they must have Essentia invested in Sapphire Smite to use it before 18th level.
Cobalt Resurgence: An azurin crusader under threat can find themselves gifted a surfeit of Essentia by their ties to the Outer Planes through the Sublime Way. They gain temporary Essentia equal to their Furious Counterstrike bonus, which may be invested in [Incarnum] feats as it is gained, but not as part of a Swift Action to reinvest it unless otherwise allowed.
This benefit does not replace any Crusader class feature
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
The Mod Ogre: *slaps thread*. Hey. You. Wake up. Got someone here to see you.
The Cranky Gamer
*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
*Two Tales of Tellene, available from DriveThruFiction
*The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
Written by Me on DriveThru RPG
There are almost 400,000 threads on this site. If you need me to address a thread as a moderator, include a link.
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2023-03-30, 01:32 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
R1219
Hello fellow homebrewers! I'm excited to learn that this thread exists and I'm eager to help others with any homebrew requests as well. I've got one in the workshop right now that I need some help with, which is why I'm posting today.
I am trying to figure out a "last stand" mechanic for 5e. Something that's fairly elegant but simple, that can allow somebody who's hit 0 HP - and particularly someone who's hit 3 death save failures - to make one final contribution to the fight and have a dramatic final moment before dying.
My complaints about current "last stand" mechanics that I've seen are that you go unconscious, and then roll your death saves, and if you fail your 3rd save, you then somehow stand up with a burst of adrenaline and do one last thing before dying. I would love a mechanic that allows you to keep moving for those turns that you're making saves, to add to the drama of fighting on like Boromir does at the end of FotR.
The main thing I'm struggling with is healing magic. If you're allowed to act while at 0 HP, it feels goofy and tacked-on to say "you can't heal yourself and you can't use your turn to walk to somebody who can heal you." Maybe it's simpler - maybe if you "choose" to fight on, you simply can't regain HP, thus increasing the risk of death and removing the easy button for revival? I'm just struggling with keeping it simple.
I have no further constraints. This could be a blanket change to death mechanics, or it could be a specialty feat or a feature that is only employed at DM's discretion. I'm open to others' thoughts as well.
Thanks in advance! And thanks to LibraryOgre for reopening the thread
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2023-03-30, 07:57 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
R1219
Since the goal is to have an epic last stand, I figured we might as well make the cost of it an actual death. Which led to this...
Heroic Death Rules
When you reach 0 Hit Points, you can choose to immediately gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your level. While you possess these Temporary Hit Points, you can move and act as you normally would. You are unable to regain Hit Points through any means while you have these Temporary Hit Points. The Temporary Hit Points automatically fade after 1 minute. When you lose the last of these Temporary Hit Points, you die.
Adjust temp HP numbers to your liking.Last edited by MutantDragon; 2023-03-30 at 07:58 PM.
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2023-03-31, 10:07 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
C1219
Thank you for this! I like the core idea. One clarifying question: what are you imagining happens when the temp HP fades? Does the character drop to 0 and start making death saves as normal? So then the risk is just that they're very unstable, and a good hit or two can end them for good? Or when they decide to make their Last Stand, they are now doomed and will die no matter what happens, and maybe die even earlier if they lose the Temp HP?
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2023-03-31, 10:46 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
C1219
I think not dying in the end, no matter what, would kind of defeat the purpose. I mean, it's hard enough to die in 5e as it is. I'd recommend modifying the thing as allowing the character making the Stand to "stay alive and concious until the THP run out or 3 rounds [because there are three death saves and it gives a predictable minimum timeframe for doing heroics]".
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2023-03-31, 11:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
C1219
My main concern is that it'd feel too disincentivized if it was both a guaranteed death, and also very vulnerable to an even earlier death with the THP. Unless you give something like 5x or 10x PC level as the temp hp, whatever killed you will only need one hit to kill you again. And if you do give 10x the level, it feels like too much - at that point you basically just got an extra life, so why not just heal back up to full and "mark them for death" in three turns?
If I was a PC that hit 0 in a climactic fight going poorly and I wanted to do a "true sacrifice," I'd want a guarantee I'd get the full effect out of a guaranteed death. Something like "when you hit 0 HP, you can choose to make a Last Stand - you stay conscious and don't make death saving throws. You can't be healed, but you also can't die due to damage. At the end of your third turn after making your Last Stand, you immediately die."
Does that feel too forgiving, though?Last edited by Ionathus; 2023-03-31 at 11:30 AM.
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2023-03-31, 03:11 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
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2023-04-17, 03:41 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
R1220 A 5th edition patron for the Warlock: 3 Raccoons in a trenchcoat
How did 3 raccoons in a trenchcoat get enough power to be a Warlock patron? Good question, next question.
Why did I decide to serve 3 raccoons in a trenchcoat? It seemed like the thing to do at the time.
What kind of powers do they grant me? That's where you come in!
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2023-04-27, 11:17 AM (ISO 8601)
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2023-05-27, 10:08 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
H1220: Patron - 3 Raccoons in a Trench Coat
Expanded Spell List
The three raccoons allow you to choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added the warlock spell list for you.
Spell Level Spells 1st Animal Friendship, Find Familiar 2nd Alter Self, Animal Messenger 3rd Conjure Animals, Nondetection 4th Control Water, Freedom of Movement 5th Awaken, Passwall
Trash to Treasure
When you gain this subclass at 1st level, you learn to find useful trinkets among piles of filth or flotsam. With 1 minute of sifting, sniffing, tasting, and constructing, you can find an object that imitates an object with a minor effect. Choose from the following list:
- potion of climbing
- potion of healing
- oil of slipperiness
- bottled breath
A pile of trash may not be a common occurrence in your campaign, so discuss with your DM what sorts of things you dig through, and what sorts of objects you tend to find. Generally, you should be able to sift through anything that a "civilized" creature would consider unimportant and find a treasure. It's not entirely clear whether the treasures you find are always there, or if your raccoon patrons place them within the piles you search. But it is not the role of a raccoon warlock to question such treasures.
These treasures are not true magical items. They generally don't come with a bottle, and can't be sold.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The Water Reveals
At 6th level, you learn the spell identify. It counts as a warlock spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of spells you know. Instead of the normal material component, you must submerge the object (or creature) in water to cast this spell.
Scatter!
At 6th level, when you would be dealt damage, you can prevent the damage and dissipate into 3 raccoons. You wink out of existence along with all of your equipment, and in your place appears a stack of 3 raccoons on top of one another. Use the stat block of a weasel, but with a 30-foot climb speed, saving throw bonuses equal to your warlock spell attack bonus, and an armor class equal to your spell save DC.
In this moment, each raccoon may use the Dash action. After they do, the raccoons disappear, and you reappear in one of the spots they previously occupied.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Are these real raccoons, torn from some adjacent dimension and forced to run for their lives? Are they the same raccoons every time? Do they know their duty, or do they simply run in fear? Are these raccoons actually your patrons? So many questions..
Greater Treasures
At 10th level, you can find an even greater array of treasures when you sift through trash. Add the following items to your list of choices for the Trash to Treasure feature:
- quaal's feather token, tree
- elixer of health
- potion of greater healing
- potion of aqueous form
The Trenchoat Fools All
At 14th level, much in the way 3 raccoons in a trenchoat can hide from human observation, or a lone raccoon can hide from predators in the night, so too can you hide from al those who wish to observe you.
When you use your Trash to Treasure feature, you gain a magical glamer. To all other creatures, traps, and magical effects, you appear to be a generic, nondescript person. Anything that can perceive you will regard you as unremarkable and remember nothing of your appearance. Magical guardians and traps will regard you as typical creatures of the species that would be treated the best. For instance, a dwarven thrower would allow you to attune to it, because it would consider you a dwarf.
Creatures that know you well, or that are in situations where they would expect to see you (such as a wizard scrying upon you) can make an Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC to see through this illusion. You can also choose for creatures to be exempt from this feature.
Under the glamer, you appear nonthreatening in combat. If a creature targets you with an attack or a harmful spell, they must first make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack or spell. This feature does not apply to area effects, such as the explosion of a fireball.
If you finish a long rest, make an attack, cast a spell that affects an enemy, deal damage to another creature, or take damage, this glamer ends.Last edited by Just to Browse; 2023-05-27 at 10:15 PM.
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2023-08-22, 04:31 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
R1221
Summon Wall of Garlic Bread
If at all possible, looking for a 5e conjuration spell that summons a wall of garlic bread. Inspiration from the Dungeonmeister Cookbook.
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2023-09-09, 05:22 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
Last edited by Just to Browse; 2023-09-09 at 05:24 PM.
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2023-09-09, 05:45 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
C 1221^
Love the idea. I'm thinking of a 2nd-level spell, does that sound reasonable to you?
C 1221
Yeah, sounds good. Perhaps upcastable to make more bread?Last edited by Mr.PC0X; 2023-09-09 at 05:46 PM.
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2023-09-09, 09:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Request a Homebrew: Thread 3
H1221: Wall of Garlic Bread
2nd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a piece of bread and a stick of butter)
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You create a wall of freshly-baked garlic bread on a solid surface within range. You can make the wall up to 30 feet long, 10 feet high, and 3 inches thick, or you can make a ringed wall up to 20 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 3 inches thick. If the wall cuts through a creature's space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (your choice).
After the wall is summoned, butter begins to drip off of it, forming slippery, warm pools on the ground. A creature that ends ends its turn within 5 feet of the wall must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is knocked prone.
The garlic bread is edible, but sickening when eaten in large amounts. A creature that subsists primarily on garlic bread is poisoned for 24 hours.
The wall is an object that can be damaged and thus breached. It has an AC of 5 and 5 HP per 5-foot section, and it is vulnerable to slashing and acid damage. Reducing a 5-foot section of wall to 0 hit points destroys it. If fire damage is dealt to a section of wall, that section of wall becomes burnt and inedible.
If you maintain your concentration on this spell for its whole duration, the wall becomes permanent and can't be dispelled. Otherwise, the wall disappears when the spell ends.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can make the wall 10 feet longer or 5 feet higher for each slot level above 2nd.
Spoiler: Design NotesThis spell comes with one very large caveat: Do not use this for logistics!
This spell sits in an interesting position. In combat, I think it's a decent control effect, appropriate to its level. The wall is easy to break (it is bread after all!) but has a flexible shape unlike so you can force creatures into positions where they have to waste time breaking the fragile wall.
But out of combat, even this small wall produces around 75 cubic feet of garlic bread. My envelope math says that's the equivalent of around 250 garlic bread baguettes, or 18,500 olive garden breadsticks. That is a massive quantity of food, like army-feeding food.
I'm trying to thread this needle, staying true to the spirit of the spell by making the garlic bread edible without trivializing survival or wartime logistics. The extra rule about the bread being sickening is an attempt to mitigate those use cases, but creative players are going to find more. If you give this spell to a player, ask them nicely to stick to create food and water when feeding their friends and staving off famines.
Last edited by Just to Browse; 2023-09-09 at 09:16 PM.
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