Old News: The Valley of the Lords

But you'll never be royals

I've been pretty busy getting married lately, so there hasn't been the abundance of D&D I wish there was. So, no Monday Recap today!

That said, I'm still working on setting up my next campaign, and I've put together a setting reference document for the players. I'm not a huge fan of giving a 30-page document to the party to read over, but my compromise here is that it's mostly player-oriented character information, and the actual lore is short and sweet. Everything else can be used as more of a reference document.

Here's the document, in all its glory!

The Valley of the Lords

If you're interested in the exploration rules, they can be found on page 21. If you happen to see any typos, please let me know and I can update them!

Thanks for reading!

The Campaign is A Mystery

The real mystery is how to get 6 adults to show up to one place at a given time

A lot of players are interested in mystery games. They watch Sherlock or play L.A. Noire and they want to go out and crack a case. In fact, there are a lot of RPGs dedicated to solving mysteries. Even Call of Cthulhu calls the players "investigators". So you shouldn't be surprised when your players start asking you for a mystery campaign.

But in fact, you should already be putting elements of mystery into your campaign.

Part of crafting a story (of which a mystery is a certain kind) is creating tension and excitement. Normally tension is created when two or more characters have conflicting goals, and in fantasy stories one of those characters is usually "the villain." In fact, nearly all RPGs have a "villain", simply because it's easier to introduce tension between the PCs and an NPC than between the PCs themselves. Fighting at the table is why people play monopoly or Mario Party, not D&D.

Excitement comes from two different sources. One is simply the players doing cool things and impressing their friends or affecting the world in cool ways. The system of D&D is built around this idea and you can generally figure out how to make people feel cool by reading DMing tips online.

The other source of excitement comes from exploration, discovery, and the unknown. If doing cool stuff lets the players affect the world, exploration gives them a world to affect. If pitting characters against each other creates tension, exploration gives those conflicts a stage upon which to perform, and stakes to be claimed.

And when it comes to the unknown, mysteries are a great way to pace a campaign.

Lore as Reward

Re-lore-wd? Nope, doesn't work.

Let's imagine a very simple campaign. The bad guy is in his tower. It's far away. The campaign is about getting there. He wants to destroy the world, so if you don't stop him the world is destroyed.

There's not much to this campaign. We have tension, and opportunities to let the players show off their cool tricks. But there's little exploration. We basically can learn about the bad guy's plan, or maybe where the tower is or perhaps how to enter it. But that's so little, it's hard to see that level of exploration really holding the attention of a group of players for an entire campaign.

So how do we add more exploration? Well, let's add more world. Perhaps the trail is fraught with peril. Perhaps the gate to the tower is locked, and 5 gems must be obtained before the door can be opened. Perhaps an army lies within the walls of the tower. Perhaps the Bad Guy is just a front for the Real Bad Guy who is controlling him.

But imagine the players know all of this at the beginning of the campaign. Is that really exploration? Discovery? Excitement? Or is it just a series of boxes that have yet to be checked?

Now, as an aside, I know that some players love this kind of beer-and-pretzel gaming, where the point is to test your tactical knowledge and try to "win" each encounter. But we're talking about stories here.

In a well-paced campaign, the knowledge of these challenges becomes known to the players shortly before they have to overcome them. If the first thing the players must do is travel to the castle, they can immediately know the road is fraught with peril. But when do they know about the 5 gems? When they reach the gate?

Well, in a worst-case scenario, yes. Reaching the gate is how you ensure the players learn about the 5 gems. But if you think of this as part of a mystery, you can spread clues out in your campaign and treat them as a reward.

For example, you could have a player find one of the mysterious gems early in the campaign. You could tell them the legend of the five great beasts, each with their own gemstone. You could have different locks in early sessions that require five of something. You could even have them meet the architect of the tower and learn about the gate itself and the 5 gems needed to unlock it.

There are two important points here. First, most of these clues give only partial information. The gate is a major obstacle, so if the players can figure it out based on the partial information, they can work towards bypassing it sooner. Awesome! But again, we have a failsafe if they don't. They could find the architect and learn everything. Or if they miss the architect, they will eventually arrive at the gate and learn about the gems themselves.

The second point is the even more insidious one. The clues can be pretty obscure. Locks that require five of something? That's pretty hard to connect to the gemstones. But even if your players don't get your clue, the fact that you included these 5-locks will become another useful story element: foreshadowing.

So when you are putting together rewards for your players, you should consider giving them lore that relates to their goals. It could act as a clue, subtle foreshadowing, or even the final puzzle piece that lets them better face the upcoming challenge.

And of course, once they solve the mystery, you should let them face that obstacle as soon as possible. Otherwise you'll waste the excitement of the moment.

Solving the Mystery

After the mystery is solved, however, what happens next? Well, there has to be a bigger obstacle, and more lore leading up to it. And then a bigger one. Then a bigger one. And hopefully by then, your players are level 20 and you can stop the campaign.

Big enough to destroy your campaign

No, seriously. You have to stop a campaign when the lore becomes too big. Eventually you get to the point where your players aren't just learning about the next bad guy, but about the plot to end the world, or the universe, or the multiverse. And at that point you basically have to build a whole new multiverse for them to explore.

This leads us to two important concepts: scope and focus.

Scope is about the size of the lore, but also the rate of change between pieces of lore. If you solve a mystery in the basement of a tavern, and the next mystery is about a shipment for the tavern that went missing, the scope of the lore is fairly small. If you go from killing rats to killing Gods, the scope of the lore is huge. This correlates to levels - going from level 1 to 2 requires a smaller jump in scope than going from level 5 to 11.

Focus is the limits of your lore. You could run a game where the players simply explore a single village, learning about the drama unfolding between its inhabitants and solving their problems. This would be small in scope. However, you'd also have to keep things low-level. In 5e, higher levels tend to go wild with magic in a way that would really break that kind of game. When you wanted to start a new campaign, you could just go to the next village over and build a whole new set of lore.

So once your players finish up an obstacle, you should already have an idea of the next obstacle, simply by virtue of knowing what level your characters will be when they get there and how far they will travel to find it. If the party just killed Ragnar the Orc King, and they are level 5, then your next obstacle should related to the fallout of Ragnar's deposition, and it should be a level 6 challenge.

Also, the obstacles you throw at players tend to be connected by some plot thread. Which means you can use an obstacle as lore leading to the next one. If the players learned about Ragnar's Lieutenant Mister Stabby, they could have learned that Mister Stabby is never far from Ragnar. Thus, Finding Mister Stabby could be a clue that Ragnar is nearby.

But sometimes the mystery gets too big. You find yourself with a mission that has the whole world as its stakes. What then?

Well, you don't have to build a brand new world. Instead, start things over in a new continent or city. Just because your last campaign was a world-spanning epic tale doesn't mean your new one has to be.

Alternatively, add a world-shaking event. Perhaps an old legend turns out to be true, and now the dead are returning to life! Perhaps a strange happening suddenly threatens the world, and the peace the last party achieved now hangs in the balance once more.

But my advice is try to keep it small. Keep things unexplored. Then, when the campaign ends, you can start a new mystery without too much trouble.

Or, if you are a genius storyteller, ignore this advice.

Thanks for reading!

Lore of Ahneria: Garlancia, a History

This is part of a series on the lore of my homebrew world, Ahneria. As I outlined here, much of this information will be pulled from existing D&D lore and tropes. At the end, I'll be including a section on how to use this sort of thing in your own games.

Before Garlancia

About a thousand years before the War of Fools between Garlancia and Norstone, the country of Garlancia did not yet exist. The valley of this area was populated by Yuan-Ti descended from the Reptile Empires, and Dragonborn, who had begun exploring the world beyond their island. The humans and dwarves living in the Fractured Mountains saw no reason to conquer the treacherous territory. The elves of distant Jeonju, having long ago explored the world, saw little value in the land.

During this time, a nomadic tribe of humans known as the People of Kam sought to blaze a new and safer trading route from the dwarven city of Chortenhall to the now-growing economy of the Isle of Dragonborn. This route cut along the central river of the valley, and remained a lone trail watched over by nomads for about a century. The nomads along the long distance of the trail (nearly 900 miles from end to end) quickly developed a council to organize patrols and communicate along far distances, centered in the village of Eastcliff. Like many humans, they worshipped Pelor, though Fharlanghn was a popular God among the nomads.

The nomadic council grew quickly in influence, and Eastcliff expanded into a town of some prosperity. Though the council was the true basis of power, they recognized the power of having a figurehead in a position to negotiate with the King of Chortenhall. With pressure from the nearby dwarven community, the leader of the council was given the title of King, with the understanding that the King was no more than a single member of the council.

After several decades of prosperity, Garton of Kam, a long-time member of the council, was appointed King. Though the King had no more power than the rest of the council, Garton used his position to sway the tribes of Kam to his way of thinking, giving him incredible leverage over the rest of the council. At first, his decisions were relatively benign, and included the forging of a trail north of the valley, to the ancient barbarian citadel of Oldstone.

Trailblazing expeditions were formed and sent northward. One group of explorers following a river north came across a section of land with deep and fertile soil, which was also close enough to a nearby forest to gather wood and game. Not only that, but a deep and ancient dwarven mine had already laid solid stone groundwork for building a new settlement. An outpost was established, which grew into a village and then a town.

The town, then known as Riverside, began to grow into a prominent waypoint for trade and exploration. Meanwhile, Garton was facing unease among his fellow council members. They worried he was becoming too powerful and threatened to remove his title. Garton, in a bold move, suggested that the council had become obsolete, and a new capital of the valley should be established, with defined borders and a new system of leadership.

The People of Kam were divided. The romantic notion of building a country had gripped tightly to them, but the idea of handing the power to a sole person worried the populace. Eventually, Garton relented: the council could stay, but the town of Riverside would be renamed in honor of his rule, as would the borders of the country. The city of Garton, and the county of Garlancia, were born.

This legacy of politics, compromise, trade, and fighting back at the wilderness would form the backbone of Garlancia and its people for the millennium to come.

The Sins of Sandhu-Kam

Hundreds of humans, drawn to the idea of life in a lush and well-protected valley, flooded to Garton over the next two centuries. The tribe of Kam became a royal line, the last true remains of those who had founded the country. Meanwhile, immigrants expanded and eventually overtook the council, turning it into a formal parliament. Garton exploded in both commerce and size, as the city walls were built, destroyed, expanded, and built again.

Teams of explorers were tasked with delving deep into the Great Forest, mapping and conquering the southern half of the valley. The Yuan-Ti were driven out, their largest temples becoming the sites of numerous cities. A holy site of Boccob was claimed as a town that would eventually become the city of Auraglow. Dozens of other sites were found and staked out, based on nearby mines, rare types of trees, or ease of access.

King Garton had since passed on the crown to his son, and so forth. However, from this succession of Kings came a royal man named Sandhu-Kam, younger brother to a previous King and bitter at his spot on the throne being denied.

Sandhu was a skilled sorcerer, but intelligent as well. He had, in his travels, come across a book containing powerful evil rituals, including one that could make him a ruler in the Abyss. Fearful of death and unconcerned with the lives of his countrymen, he put a plan into motion. It all began with him claiming the title of Charter Financier, responsible for ensuring trade and supplies reached the many outposts around Garlancia.

Sandhu used his position to ensure that certain towns prospered, while others struggled. These towns were not chosen randomly - they were laid out in a very specific pattern, one which matched a sigil of great evil. These towns grew into cities, and Sandhu placed his loyal lieutenants in positions of power within their government. With that came great influence, and the names of these cities evolved to reflect such.

For several years, Sandhu drew on the life force of those living in the cities and traveling the trade routes between them. They formed living conduits for this massive set of portals he planned to open. People noticed things were wrong, that they got sick more easily, that they ran into more bad luck, but didn't understand why. Orcs and Dwarves, hardy enough to brave the mountains, retreated from the valley. Elvish emissaries, aware of the dark magic brewing, packed up and left, not to return for nearly 700 years. Eventually, only humans and halflings, along with some minor populations, were left.

Finally, the plan was ready. Sandhu and his lieutenants, standing in their cities, activated the sigil. Across Garlancia, gateways to the abyss opened, and the Demon Lords of the Abyss poured out.

In Garton, the capital, Jubilex rose from the deepest tunnels of the ancient mine, which had been repurposed into a sewer system for the city. His slimes and oozes poured into the city, mercifully held at bay by the royal guard.

In the City of Eastcliff, the Succubi and Lamias of Graz'zt tore at the city gates, corrupting the hearts of those within the city even as they devoured their flesh.

The city of Judgeton, named for Sandhu's trusted advisor Elimund William Judge, had its doors blasted open to allow Yeenoghu and his gnolls entrance, where they slaughtered the citizenry.

The halfling outpost of Arrington, a fine city of farming and fishing, was overtaken by Orcus, Lord of Undeath. Ghouls and Wights covered the city, slaying its guards and bringing them back under the power of the undead.

Sarria, a former Yuan-Ti holy site now named for the leader of the royal assassins Sarria Szumilak, was opened up to the underdark and besieged by the Drow, lead by an aspect of the Spider Queen herself.

The City of Naidu, another Yuan-Ti site now devoted to uncovering the secrets of that lost civilization, was supposed to be granted to Demogorgon by Sandhu's ritual. However, the capricious Demon Lord failed to appear, and instead simply obliterated every speck of matter from existence for a distance of 10 miles. A perfectly round crater was all that remained.

And finally, the city of Sandhu, named in honor of the man who had allowed their prosperity, was now condemend by the same. The Minotaur Lord Baphomet was granted the city, and his legions of minotaurs and hoards of bulettes reduced the city's walls to rubble.

It was here, at Baphomet's alter, that Sandhu himself waited. The Lord of Minotaurs would not so easily accept a gift from a human, and for days the siege continued. Finally, the Lord of Minotaurs himself made an appearance.

Sandhu was ready. He had carefully laid out a powerful Magic Circle, trapping the Demon Lord in order to channel his power and take his place. He was nearly finished with his vile plan, when finally, a miracle occurred.

Lefeld McConnell, Paladin of the King, leader of the Champions of Light, rode forth to the city to kill Sandhu. Having already driven back the aspects of Jubilex (with great success) and Orcus (with great casualties), he was desperate to end the ritual and save his country.

Sandhu and Lefeld clashed, and their battle shook the earth. In the final moments of the ritual, Lefeld slew Sandhu, leaving the ritual incomplete. Baphomet was released, and the Demon Lords remaining in Garlancia were returned to their planes. However, Lefeld was unable to survive the ritual, and was dragged to the Abyss with Sandhu. As his final act, he left his powerful aura above the city where they had fought, and it shone like a second sun down upon the city. On that day, the city forsook its namesake and became known as Auraglow.

The country was devastated. Naidu was obliterated, and Arrington was now populated only by the undead. The other major cities had fared better, but still suffered great losses. Only Garton had been spared great destruction.

It was at this time that Sandhu's grand-nephew, the current King Hilan-Kam, decided to forsake the name of Kam. The leaders of the country needed to distance themselves from this royal traitor. A new tradition was started: Those who were of royal blood, or those elected to positions of power, would forsake their surnames. They did not belong to a family, but rather, they belonged to the country. King Hilan was the first, and politicians across Garlancia followed in his wake.

At the same time, a spy organization was formed known as the Cobblestones, named such because they were meant to pass undetected in the public eye but still have a presence everywhere. Their first task was erasing the name Kam from books, ledgers, and even history itself. This began a new era in Garlancia, an era of secrecy and hidden dealings, which would remain for centuries.

As people often do, the country slowly recovered. Auraglow became the new center for magical trade and study, since the destruction of Naidu. Stronger defenses were built to deal with demonic creatures that had remained after the ritual, such as gnolls and drow. Naidu filled with water, becoming a lake. Arrington was sealed with Hallowed ground by clerics of Pelor. The nearby dwarves began reluctantly resuming trade with the humans.

Over the next 800 years, humans fought, traded, explored, built new settlements, saw them destroyed, and gained power. The council became a full-fledged parliament, Garton became an epicenter for nobility and politics, causing a large wealth distribution and massive commerce which benefited many. Even the elves began to trickle back, albeit in disguises and secrecy. The cobblestones faded from the memory of the people, and so did the legacy of Kam, thanks to their efforts.

The War of Fools

About a thousand years after the country had been founded, a wizard named Prindle living in the mountainous country of Norstone made a deal with a devil. The creature, a Rakshasa which called itself Sebastian, agreed to grant Prindle fantastic power, in exchange for the opportunity to consume an unlimited supply of royal flesh. A plan was formed: kidnap the young Prince Faustus of Garlancia and replace him with another Rakshasa, then force him to make children for Sebastian to consume.

The plan went well enough, but soon Sebastian wanted more power. Disguising himself as a loyal champion of the prince, he slew Faustus' father, ensuring the fake could take the throne. However, loose ends began to catch up with Sebastian, and he was forced to fend off a trio of heroes from the small town of Wayford. They had joined forces with the Cobblestones, who had begun to level suspicions at the "King".

Prindle, now enjoying a comfortable position as Royal Magic Advisor to the Queen of Norstone, came through with another brilliant plan: use their positions to influence the two countries to go to war, deflecting suspicion while giving Sebastian a wonderful excuse to send his political opponents to their deaths.

Preparations were made, the Garton Parliament was slaughtered in a night, and the "King" pinned the blame on Norstone. Invoking his power as the last living member (albeit honorarily) of parliament, war was declared. Sebastian also tapped into the Mage's Guild, using their resources to create a counter-intelligence agency known as the League of Royal Eyes. A spy war was waged, which resulted in the death of the Cobblestone's leader, Commander Bain.

The city of Garton was drained of its defenses, and the City Watch Captain Barker was forced to hire mercenaries to cover the gaps. This included the famed adventuring group C.H.A.O.S., which gained much notoriety in Garton during this time. At the same time, a cult of demon worshippers known as the Cult of Kam were gaining traction. They hoped to recreate Sandhu's ritual from long ago, drawing forth their ancient master who had grown powerful during his time in the Abyss. The lack of city guards gave them a golden opportunity.

In Norstone, the Garlancian army finally breached the mountains that formed the border between the two countries. Sebastian lead the army himself, ensuring that those who stood against him would fall in the conflict. However, the Cobblestones and their trio of heroes arrived just in time, and slew Sebastian on the battlefield. It was revealed to the armies that Sebastian had already been slain by the heroes - this was Prindle in disguise.

As his final act, he summoned the powers of the Hells to open a portal to Avernus, the first layer of Hell. The two armies immediately found themselves face-to-face with an even greater foe: the legions of Hell. Foregoing their differences, they fought alongside each other. Many were lost, including the heroes who had changed the tide of the war.

However, a few weeks later, two of the heroes reappeared in the ruined battlefield. One, Orianna, would go on to become the new leader of the Cobblestones and bring them back into the public eye. The other, Leigh, would found the Hilde School of Bardic Magic and Home for Wayward Orphans, named for their mentor who had fallen in battle.

Just days after the war was declared over, however, the Cult of Kam struck Garton. Demons once again poured out from the city, fortunately, there were enough mercenaries, adventurers, and city watchmen to stop them. The Demons who had lead the cult were slain, and the last members of the cult were destroyed.

Since then, the City has focused on rebuilding. Prince Faustus was rescued and returned to the throne, the new City Watch Captain, Floris, began to expand the guard with whoever he could find, and a ban was instituted on those who worked with demons and devils, namely, Warlocks.

The city and country had returned to peace. However, with war brewing to the west and a newly-corrupted chaos sorcerer on the loose, it is proving to be anything but quiet...

Using This Material in Your Setting

• Find Geographical justification for your country. Why this particular spot?
• Give the country history. What happened that helped define the country?
• How is power distributed? Are there traditions and social classes?
• What is the culture based on? Trade? Religion? Magic?
• What are the paths the players can travel? What are the cities and towns they can visit?
• What is currently happening in the world? What might change that?
• Who are the villains of your world? What are their goals? Can the PCs stop them?
• How have the PCs affected your world? Have there been lasting changes based on their actions?

Thanks for reading!

Lore of Ahneria: Magic

This is part of a series on the lore of my homebrew world, Ahneria. As I outlined here, much of this information will be pulled from existing D&D lore and tropes. At the end, I'll be including a section on how to use this sort of thing in your own games.

Magic is common in Ahneria. Magic is infused within common materials, it permeates objects and creates a variety of effects, and those objects are gathered by wizards and sold to the wealthy and adventurous. And, of course, monster parts can be crafted into magic objects.

But magic isn't just the domain of those with class levels. As I discussed recently, nearly all commoners have some latent magic ability. Your average commoner is able to cast a single spell tantamount to a cantrip, though not as often as a practiced magic user. They might be limited to once a day or even once a week.

This manifests in a variety of ways (similar to how different cultures might cast spells differently). A person might be able to cast a version of Blade Ward by appearing helpless and meek, forcing an opponent to pull their punches. Or they might have some heightened sense of danger, and effectively create a Blade Ward by dodging the full impact of an attack. And if the person lives a peaceful life, they may never even know they have such an ability.

The point is, it's rare that a creature in Ahneria is completely cut off from magic. If a creature wishes to put effort towards expanding their magical abilities, they already have a starting point. However, since they haven't trained in a class, for all intents and purposes, they aren't proficient in their magic yet.

This means that these magic abilities will rarely affect an enemy NPC's CR. A bandit who can cast Shocking Grasp (which, without proficiency, would be +0 to hit and deal 4 damage) would know from experience that their scimitar (+3 to hit, 4 damage) would be a better option. Even a ranged attack like Firebolt is outclassed by the Bandit's basic crossbow.

Now, let's get into the meat of this article: how is magic created in Ahneria?

In some way or another, it all comes back to divine shards and sparks. A divine shard is a powerful, reality-bending piece of divinity controlled by a fickle Immortal, but divine sparks are everywhere. They are the "units" of magic, that nestle in certain materials and objects, that spawn the monsters of the worlds, and that every living creature has some (limited) awareness of. If enough sparks were gathered in a single place, it might approximate the power of a shard, but only rarely does that occur - we'll discuss a common method later.

A spark has two properties, the first of which is its function. Wizards refer to this function as a "School of Magic", and a Detect Magic spell can identify the function of a spark.

However, most sparks that fill the multiverse are without function. Wizards refer to these by many names, such as "The Weave", "Ley Lines", or "Auras", but we'll refer to them by what the Immortals call them, which is "Free Sparks". A Free Spark is one without function, but it can be granted function by adding intent to its use. A mind using its power to shape the spark towards a certain goal is also called a "spell".

Thus, Detect Magic is designed to filter out Free Sparks and focus on Determined Sparks, or sparks that have a set function. Sparks retain their function for various amounts of time. Some return to being Free in an instant, others last as long as the mind continues directing them. If it is infused into an item, it can become permanently Determined, creating a magic item with a particular function.

The second property of a spark is alignment. All sparks have an alignment, just like all shards. In the Free Sparks, many different spark alignments intermingle, meaning a spell such as Detect Evil and Good must focus on a greater concentration of aligned sparks, such as an area of hallowed ground, where good sparks are in abundance.

The Detect Evil and Good spell can also identify creatures created by the power of sparks. Undead, Fey, Celestials, Fiends, Aberrations, and Elementals are such creatures, and thus are bound to a particular alignment. This causes them to appear to this spell.

Sparks naturally settle in certain objects, particularly precious minerals like silver and gold. This is why these metals retain economic value, despite being commonplace in Ahneria. Gold is a common standard, but its many magical uses means it is still sought after, despite its high availability.

Gold and Gems can store sparks indefinitely. That is why fine inks are required for copying spells into spellbooks and onto scrolls, why certain spells require a material of a certain value. Additionally, certain spells require more particular materials. A Chromatic Orb cannot be formed unless a diamond of sufficient size is used to channel the sparks.

Additionally, unless directed by a trained magic user, these materials tend to gather sparks slowly. As gold entered circulation, however, it was exposed to more and more mortal minds, giving it intent - saving, spending, or collecting. This means that civilized cultures tend to have more potent wizards, as they can use the power of gold that has been in circulation. Many cultures in Ahneria speak to "the magic of gold", though their understanding of the actual mechanics of this effect varies wildly.

I mentioned before that enough sparks in a single area can generate great magical power. Also, sparks can be infused into materials, if given intent. So, let's talk about dragons.

A dragon's power comes from its hoard. Its powerful resilience, breath weapons, ability to change shape, its effective immortality - all of this is greatly diminished if the value of its hoard is stolen of decreased. A dragon's defining magical ability is simply to gain the powers of the sparks they have collected, at any distance. Ancient Dragons with massive hoards have powers that rival the Immortals.

It's hypothesized that if a dragon's hoard were stolen away from it, it would lose some or all of its powers. This is difficult to prove, however, as many dragons will guard their hoard to their last breath. Those with the cunning to flee before their demise often go into hiding, only emerging when a new hoard has been gathered. If a dragon's hoard is stolen but the dragon left alive, expect a rash of attacks among nearby small villages and farmsteads.

There are many ways a creature can manipulate sparks. Some common methods are listed below.

• Wizards, Eldritch Knights, Arcane Tricksters, and any who practice magic via knowledge have, in some capacity, learned about the difference between Free and Determined sparks. Again, every culture and race will call it something different. But the power of a wizard comes through subjugation of sparks. A spell is a series of incantations, gestures, and objects that adds enough intent to a spark to make it into a spell. This requires intense mental stamina: a spell without proper intent could turn on the user, or worse. Thus, wizards are exhausted by the effort and constantly seek ways to work around their limitations: Spell Scrolls, Wands, Robes, Staffs, etc.
• A Sorcerer or Mystic is someone with the ability to "speak" to sparks - to direct them instinctively. This might be due to their bloodline, random chance, or an event in their lives that granted them the ability. This is similar to the subjugation of wizards, in that sparks take effort to control, even if that control is more natural. A sorcerer or mystic requires training to learn their own limits, lest they cause their magic to backfire.
• Across the multiverse, the Immortals try to keep the nature of shards hidden from mortals. They don't like the idea that their shard could be stolen from a mortal, and protect themselves accordingly. However, some beings shirk this duty. They share the power of their shards with mortals, setting odd conditions and unusual limits on the mortal's power. These mortals are called Warlocks. Archfey grant power to mortals in return for odd favors, Fiends usually request their Warolck's soul in return. And the beings that live beyond the stars, the Great Old Ones, occasionally leave a piece of their power to be found in the material plane, hoping that a mortal's mind will forsake all else and feed their endless hungers. No two warlocks are alike - each has unique benefits and strange limitations on their powers granted by their patrons.
• Clerics and Paladins circumvent the requirements of mental fortitude required to subjugate sparks, and gain power via prayer: convincing a God to control the sparks for them. A cleric focuses on appeasing a single God, earning their favor and therefore their power. Low-level clerics are attended by small celestials who can grant basic powers, while high-level clerics gain the attention of their God's aspects or even their avatar. Paladins, rather than picking a single God, devote themselves to an oath that attends to the needs of many different Gods. Their magic is more constant, but less powerful than the devoted cleric's. However, the Immortals still fear a mortal gaining too much of their power, and place limits on the amount of magic they will grant to a Cleric or Paladin. A more trusted servant is granted greater powers.
• Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers cast spells in a similar manner to Clerics, except they focus on Gods that control Nature domains exclusively. Unlike the Gods of Clerics, Gods of Nature formed a pact long ago, the Hollyhock Accord, that those who sought their aid could be assisted, for good or evil. They do not need persuading. However, the Gods of Nature tend to favor neutrality or chaos, seeing lawfulness as the domain of civilization. Therefore those who would try to dominate nature too much and bend it to their will are cut off from their power, at least until the next dawn.
• Bardic magic is based on music, art, and emotion. Most magic users focus on the sparks to create magic - bards focus on the relationship between the sparks. The question is not of how a mortal mind can shape a spark, but how a mortal mind has been shaped by sparks up until this point in time. The sparks in the air, which carry the vibrations of sound and light, are all connected. These connections are the source of a bard's power. The ultimate lesson of bardic magic is that there is nothing that cannot be done, if you know how everything is linked together. However, like many kinds of magic, accessing these connections is exhausting. A Bard can only perform so much before they must recover.
• Monks are unique among magic users in that they do not use free sparks. Instead, they work to build a "bridge" towards the planes of the multiverse within themselves. They then channel power from a particular plane into their techniques. The energy they use for this transfer is built within their own bodies, which means their "Ki" can be used to summon planar magic or enhance their physical combat prowess. Their magic is akin to teleporting the power of the planes into their bodies. The exact plane depends on the training the monk has received: the elemental planes and the shadowfell are common, as is the immortal battleground of Ysgard.

Finally, let's discuss a very special spell: Wish.

A Wish spell does not simply summon a spark to subjugate to the caster's will, but in fact summons a divine shard. The shard, capable of bending reality, is then subjugated to the user's will.

However, there is no such thing as a "Free Shard". Every shard is owned by an immortal, and when Wish is cast, the avatar or aspect of a God is summoned. Their domain will always reflect the nature of the Wish being cast. If a magic user makes a Wish that is too powerful, that threatens to create the next Raven Queen, the Immortal can choose to brand the magic user with a sigil visible only to those who hold shards. It is known as the Black Feather Brand.

Though the brand is granted based on the discretion of the Immortal, once a creature is branded, they will never be able to Wish again. Shards will never again answer their call, and when they die, their soul is obliterated - no Immortal or Plane will claim them.

This is why only Wizards, Sorcerers, and Bards can cast Wish. They are the only magic users who gain their powers without the assistance of the Immortals or the Planes.

Using This Material in Your Setting

• Use your rules to define how persistent the magic in your world is
• Define how common magic is in your setting (high-magic or low-magic)
• Identify one or more sources of magic in your setting
• How do material components interact with magic in your setting?
• Figure out how detection spells like Detect Magic and Detect Evil and Good work
• Think about the history of magic in your world. Who created the schools of magic? Is magic the same throughout the world? Are certain types of magic banned in certan cultures?
• Define the relationship between spells and magic items, and define how magic items are created
• Make creatures that have a unique relationship with magic, and make them important in your world
• Based on the source of your magic and how common it is, figure out how the PC classes use magic, and why each class has certain limitations on their magic
• Makes spells that use magic in unique ways, and make them powerful spells in your world

Thanks for reading!

Lore of Ahneria: Gods

This is part of a series on the lore of my homebrew world, Ahneria. As I outlined here, much of this information will be pulled from existing D&D lore and tropes. At the end, I'll be including a section on how to use this sort of thing in your own games.

In the beginning, there was Light and Dark. Life and Death. Growth and Decay.

They formed intention, coalescing into two opposed beings: Pelor, God of the Sun, and Nerull, God of the Void.

The stars were Pelor's first domain, burning so brightly that the coldness of space could not snuff them out. The warmth of these stars began to spread to the worlds surrounding them, granting them nurturing heat and light. Soon, Pelor's influence spread beyond the plane of positive energy, and he took command of the elemental planes.

Nerull, realizing he was losing ground, divined a plan: he would split his godly essence into shards, hundreds of thousands of them, though he kept most of his power for himself. With these shards he began to populate the lower planes with beings whose powers mirrored his own. The first Demon Lords, Archdevils, Elemental Princes of Evil, and Dark Gods were born. Many of their names are lost to history, replaced by those who would come later. But now Nerull had an army, legions he could command to destroy Pelor's light.

Pelor, in kind, created his own subordinate Gods. Celestials formed, Gods of Light reigned the upper planes, and the Elemental Princes of Good fought back among their planes. The war between light and dark became a thousand struggles, rather than a single confrontation.

A divine spark granted power over a "Domain", but also bound a creature to serve the aspects of that domain. A shard granting the domain of water also forced its owner to take on the chaotic aspects of the element. The idea of a moral alignment was formed.

It was at this time mortals began appearing on Pelor's worlds. These primordial races were the curiosities of the Gods: could beings survive without a divine spark? How would they behave if not bound to an alignment? Could they serve? Could they fight? Many died out, as their patron Gods were defeated in cosmic warfare. The most prominent survivors were the humans (Pelor's race), the elves (Corellon Larenthian's children), and the dwarves (the creation of mighty Morodin). They were created closely in the image of their patrons.

The battle between light and dark continued to rage. The Feywild and the Shadowfell formed, allowing their respective forces a more direct route to the material plane (which was a common battleground). The currency of war was the divine shards that had come from Pelor and Nerull. Redeeming or corrupting a shard was a victory for these immortal warriors, who could otherwise never die.

Above the conflicts, Pelor and Nerull guided their forces, hoping to gain the upper hand. They were nigh-invincible: no immortal could hope to match their power, or steal a shard away from them.

That is, until a sorceress, now known only as the Raven Queen, rose from the ranks of mortality and obtained hundreds of divine shards, making her like a Goddess on her own world. Realizing the endless struggle of life and death could not be quenched, she offered her power to Pelor in hopes of destroying Nerull once and for all. He turned her down.

Despite this, the Raven Queen chose to face Nerull anyway. Though she had kept relatively quiet up until this point, this battle shook the heavens. A mortal had stolen enough shards to stand before one of the Over-Gods. And not only that: she had prevailed. Nerull's shards were broken, scattered, and divided.

Try as she might, the Raven Queen could not take in the amount of divinity Nerull had still retained. Indeed, the immortals were in awe at how much power Nerull still held, and how exactly the Raven Queen overcame such strength is still questioned and debated. She chose three of his strongest domains (Death, Fate, and Winter), making sure they contained aspects of neutrality, and took her place as a true Goddess.

However, the confrontation and the victory were small events compared to what happened next. Pelor, who had declined to help the Raven Queen, stepped in, channelling the countless shards of Nerull into the creatures of the material planes. Now, they were so small that they no longer had power over a domain, miracles, or even a predisposition towards evil: simply a spark of darkness deep within them.

Dark Fey, aberrations, undead, evil elementals, chromatic dragons, and monsters filled the worlds. The shards would not birth new evil gods, but as a result, the multiverse was filled with horrors. Some were shaped further by the dark gods, however, as Gruumsh birthed the Orc races and Maglubiyet spawned the goblin hordes.

This greatly concerned the Gods of Light, and many began to redeem these creatures to bring new races into the world: Metallic Dragons, Summer Fey, Good Elemental creatures. The Gnome and Halfling gods spread their races far and wide, hoping their predisposition for community and friendliness would overcome the now-pervasive darkness.

But something happened that the Immortals didn't anticipate. The mortals, unbound from alignment, began to fight for good. Not all of them, of course, but many realized that unless they chose to oppose evil, they would die. The immortals, bound by alignment and undying, hadn't realized how strong this survival instinct would become.

However, an unspoken pact was formed among the Gods. Now that it was known that divine shards could be stolen from the Gods, the Immortals decided that the mortal races shouldn't have the opportunity to gain such power again. Of course, this pact was far from perfect, and mortals such as Vecna and St. Cuthbert ended up making their way into the pantheon.

The Gods also began to focus on the redemption and corruption of mortals. In a world full of evil monsters, the Gods of Light needed as many champions as they could get. But in a multiverse dominated by Pelor, with no one to match him, the Gods of Evil would snare any modicum of power they could get their hands on. The battlefield once again shifted to a yet smaller scale.

And so, in this age of Light, does  the fate of good and evil lie in the hearts of mortals, unbound by divine alignment, able to choose their path: towards light, or into darkness.

Gods in Ahneria

There are many Gods that are worshipped in Ahneria. In truth, these are merely creatures that have enough divinity to shape reality and the planes to suit their whims.

However, all planes connect to the material plane, the ultimate battleground for this cosmic conflict. Gods must tread lightly here, for interference in mortal affairs will surely bring the wrath of a rival God. The machinations of Gods on the material plane are slow, quiet, and shrouded. A God never acts directly.

In different areas of the world, Gods have different names. Humans mostly know the Gods by the names they use in Greyhawk (PHB pg. 295). This is no coincidence - the Archmage Mordenkainen, while travelling through time, visited Ahneria when it was still young.

However, the other races have their own names and images for the Gods. On the elven continent of Jeonju, the nature God Obad-Hai is known as Rillifane Rallathil. The Dragons worship Chronepsis, Dragon God of Fate, though in the human lands she goes by Istus. And the Orcs, lovers of war, worship Haxtor, even if they call him Ilneval.

The Gods themselves have a ranking of power that can be clearly defined. They can use stats found here unless otherwise specified.

• Over-Gods: currently, only Pelor has this level of power. For combat purposes, he is unkillable.
• Greater Deities: CR 40+. Controls an entire race, a major domain, or the majority of an outer plane.
• Moradin, Corellon Larenthian, Boccob, Obad-Hai
•  Intermediate Deities: CR 35+. Less powerful, controls a smaller race or domain
• The Raven Queen, Ralishaz, Bahamut, Istus, Garl Glittergold
• Lesser Deities: CR 30+. Controls an evil race or a niche domain
• Fharlanghn, St. Cuthbert, Vecna, The Giant Gods, Gruumsh, Lolth
• Demigods: the half-children of the Gods.
• Powers range wildly: they could be mortals with magic powers or an extended lifespan, or they could be as strong as Empyreans
• Pelor has a son named Raynathius who is particularly powerful
• Titans: beings constructed by the Gods.
• Could be through magic, physical construction, the ground where a God's blood was spilled, etc.
• Avatars: a vessel for a God that allows it to travel outside its domain without fear of harm
• A God can create an avatar at any power level below theirs. Thus, a Greater Deity could make an avatar as strong as an Intermediate Deity or as weak as a mortal.
• Since the death of an avatar does not affect the God using it, nearly all Gods conduct business as their avatars. A god can only create one avatar at a time, thus they usually keep their true form hidden away in a secret and well-guarded location.
• Aspects: an independent creature which embodies part of a God's personality, principles, or domain.
• An aspect can be any form that is two power levels below the God themselves. Thus, a Greater Deity can make Aspects as powerful as a Lesser Deity or as weak as a mortal.
• Gods have a limit on how many aspects they can create. In most cases, this is approximately equal to their CR.
• To most mortals, an Aspect is their God. In fact, many Clerics only ever interact with Aspects, and are none the wiser. An aspect can take any form, and its form can be changed by its God at will.
• Aspects are utterly loyal to their God. They serve as the Generals and Advisers to their deity.
• Vestiges: No combat stats. These are ancient gods that have lost all their shards. A powerful ritual might allow a mortal to converse with them or even gain some modicum of power, but they can grant no divinity.
• Nerull, Astraroth, Zhudun the Corpse Star

Finally, outside the domain of the entire multiverse, are what mortals refer to as The Great Old Ones. These are the leftovers from the creation of the multiverse, before even Pelor and Nerull. Who made them, and by what device they grant power to certain mortals, is beyond the comprehension of Mortals and Immortals alike.

If you wish to become a God, there are a few known methods.

1. Kill a God and obtain their spark. (Proven by St. Cuthbert, who killed a Lesser Deity of Injustice and gained divinity)
2. Steal enough of a God's worshippers that the power of their domain transfers to you. (Proven by the Raven Queen, who gathered hundreds of shards in this manner)
3. Use the power of vestiges to overcome Gods and destroy them. (Proven by Vecna, who did this multiple times)
4. Ask a God really, really nicely if you can have a shard. (Some say this is how the Raven Queen defeated Nerull)

Finally, I have to mention Pelor's personal aspects, since they are extremely powerful and legendary throughout the multiverse. They are known as the Solars, twenty-four beings of perfect Law and Good. It is well-known that Pelor could create many more aspects, but either they are hidden away, or he has chosen not to.

• Acies: epitome of empathy
• Amina: epitome of spirit
• Capitosus: epitome of knowledge
• Curabitur: epitome of bodily skill
• Duri: epitome of endurance
• Exponentia: epitome of magic
• Fidelis: epitome of faith
• Mendacium: epitome of concession
• Nequitia: epitome of cleverness
• Praestare: epitome of artistry
• Praeteritum: epitome of lore
• Prodigium: epitome of the hunt
• Salvos: epitome of willpower
• Sanitatem: epitome of healing
• Sapientiae: epitome of instinct
• Secandi: epitome of speed
• Sensus: epitome of awareness
• Statera: epitome of balance
• Suadere: epitome of logic
• Tacet: epitome of silence
• Terra: epitome of nature
• Terrent: epitome of awe
• Verum: epitome of truth
• Viribus: epitome of power

 

Using This Material in Your Setting

• Use the Gods to define the central tension of your setting (in this case, Good vs Evil)
• Give the Gods fears, weaknesses, and flaws (they fear their divinity being stolen away)
• Give the Gods history that can be spun into lore (the breaking of the divinity, the Raven Queen)
• Give the PCs a way to interface with the Gods (avatars, aspects, demigods, titans, vestiges)
• Create a reason why the Gods don't take care of all their problems (danger of retaliation by other Gods)
• Create a reason why Gods are interested in mortal souls (power in the cosmic struggle)
• Create power levels for your Gods (Over-Gods, Greater Deities, etc)
• Give the most powerful Gods an extra leg up (Solars)
• Create horribly difficult ways to become a God (kill/steal/overpower/beg)

Thanks for reading!