Here Be Dragons

Here Be Dragons

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The Warlock, Refreshed

Thematically, the warlock is one of my favorite classes in 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. But mechanically, I felt they were underwhelming. My character felt really cool in my head, less so in an encounter. I made a tweet [https://twitter.com/jacelevine/status/942084732518617091] about it and it turns

Border Genasi of the Para- and Quasi-Elemental Planes

Those touched by the influence of the elemental planes of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water are rare, but known to the prime material worlds as the genasi. Very few know, however, that there are other elemental planes that rest between those four and also between those four and the positive

Lost Magic of Chronomancy

In mastering their arts of time, chronomancers have unlocked arcane secrets, some of which were lost centuries ago and some of which will not be discovered for centuries to come. Flicker Conjuration cantrip Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V,S Duration: Instantaneous Available To: Sorcerers, Warlocks, Wizards

Arcane Tradition: School of Chronomancy

Though all wizards lament the lack of time in one's life, daring are the wizards who utilize arcane secrets to actually challenge the inviolable laws of time. Chronomancers, as they are known, do not focus on a single school of magic, but instead apply all schools of magic

Arcane Tradition: School of Glyphcasting

With the fall of the Glorious Empire, many arcane secrets were lost. Over time, arcane sages, historians, and archaeologists have begun to piece together a pale understanding of these lost techniques. The School of Glyphcasting is a resurrected arcane tradition that utilizes pieces of the Glorious Empire's knowledge,

D&D Playlist: Khet-sa-mun

Update: It's been almost a year, exactly, since I published this post. And the For Science Crew has been playing together for over a year. So I figured it was about time to take a new look at Khet's playlist and revise it. Recently, I was

Paladin Oath: Oath of Secrets

The Oath of Secrets is a vow to protect the world from dangerous magic, often by seeking it out and keeping it out of the hands of those who would use it. Most paladins who commit to this oath are members of secret orders, and while these orders may aid

Ranger Archetype: Beast Master (rebuild)

Ranger Archetype: Beast Master (rebuild)

The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the world. United in focus, beast and ranger work as one to fight the monstrous foes that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike. Emulating the Beast Master archetype means committing yourself to this ideal, working

The Adventuring Librarian for Edge of the Empire

Another highlight of 2015 for me was becoming hooked on the Campaign [http://www.oneshotpodcast.com/category/podcasts/campaign/] podcast. The credit and blame for this rests on the shoulders of Darcy Ross [https://twitter.com/DarcyLRoss], who nudged me to check it out even though I was convinced that

Resurrecting This Blog and Critical Role

I started this blog over a year ago, re-invigorated by the release of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. I intended to fill this blog with endless ideas, not all of them entirely formed, about roleplaying, world-building, and home-brewing your own game tweaks. Then something happened. I discovered Critical Role [http:

Monastic Tradition: Way of the Seven Temples

Monastic Tradition: Way of the Seven Temples

The monks who study the Way of the Seven Temples have a deep understanding of ki, the energy in all living things. They have devoted their lives to studying the seven temples, areas of the body where ki is stored and accessed, which gives them an impressive ability to manipulate

Druid Circle: Circle of the Solstice

Druid Circle: Circle of the Solstice

The druids of the Circle of the Solstice are emissaries between the natural world and the spirit world. They uphold ancient pacts with the spirits that inhabit the land, sea, and sky of the natural world and curry favor from nature’s capricious guardians. These druids rarely gather among their

Connecting Characters in D&D 5E

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition has a great new system that encourages roleplaying right from the start: namely the system of defining personal characteristics during character creation and how those personal characteristics tie into the generation of Inspiration. A character's personal characteristics are defined in four different categories:

Here Be Dragons: What Is It About?

What is Here Be Dragons? On early maps, the unexplored areas beyond the known world were often marked with illustrations of fantastic beasts and labeled simply, "Here Be Dragons." This blog is an exploration of imagined places, both from my own daydreaming and from the works of others.