#bigby and mordenkainen

[vulpixelates]

i need everyone to look at this picture of my cat in the hat my wife made him

#my cats #bigby and mordenkainen #cats #cats in hats

[vintagegeekculture]

Tenser:

Mordenkainen the Mage:

Heward:

Bigby the Great:

#dungeons and dragons #dnd

[dnd-smash-pass-vs]

It'll still be a few months, gotta finish this tournament after all, but I want time to prep. Monsters of the Multiverse is just Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes and Volo's Guide combined, usually even using the same art which is why they aren't there. Though I did scan them for differences, and will post both book's art on the rare occasion they differ. If something laser-focused like Fizban's Dragons or Bigby's Giants wins I'm swapping between it and something else. Maybe every other week, maybe a weekday/weekend scenario, but I don't want to do just one monster for a couple months. If this changes your vote but you clicked before you read, just let me know in a comment or ask and I'll change it after the poll ends. ...and yes, the PF2e Bestiary has more eligible creatures than that stat wise, but I can only use the creatures with a picture. Leaves out some elementals :/

#really interested to see how this will go! #Will MPMM win because it has people favorite books and player races? #Will one of the focused ones win because people love dragons or Giants? #Will PF2e stand a chance because the vote for DnD is split? #I have my suspicions but can't wait to see the results!

[dndhistory]

445. Gary Gygax - Greyhawk Adventures: Artifact of Evil (1986)

The second Gord the Rogue novel and the last to be published through TSR as Gygax would be leaving the company soon, this is, like the first book, not the most successful of AD&D tie-in novels, it does however fix some of the criticisms I had of the first volume (while unfortunately creating other problems in the interim).

If the first book, Saga of Old City, didn't feel like it was particularly a uniquely D&D story, with a setting that felt as much like Leiber's Lankhmar as anything else, this volume is very definitely set in the world of Greyhawk. Unfortunately Gygax does this mainly by stuffing the novel full of references to in-universe characters that players would know from modules and other materials. You get Iuz, Zuggtmoy, Iggwilv (later Tasha), Eclavdra, Mordenkainen, Melf, Bigby, Baphomet, Graz'zt and a bunch of other demons and even such obscure characters as Obmi the Dwarf, who was originally in Snurre Ironbelly's keep in Against the Giants as a slave. This to say nothing of our regular cast of similarly named characters like Gord, Chert, Gelor and Curley, a bunch of names which kind of meld into each other on the page. Unless you are an obsessive (like yours truly) many of these names will be meaningless and even if you are sometimes they feel like unearned fan service.

The plot is also not much to write home about, in order to compensate for the mainly city set first book, Gygax takes us on a tour of Oerth, but it's such a wide ranging tour that you never really develop a sense of attachment for any place. There's an artifact of evil which demonic forces want and "good" forces which include Gord as mates as well as Mordenkainen, Melf, Bigby and other Gygaxian home game characters, need to get it first to avoid disaster. Much too much happens in this novel while also very little substance happening. It would have really benefited from a good editor and/or a flowchart. Still, good cover by Caldwell and interior illustrations by Easley! 

#adnd #dnd #ttrpg #ad&d #d&d #dnd art #gary gygax #dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #greyhawk

[thevalleyisjolly]

Post C2-headcanon that Caleb, Veth, and Essek keep collaborating on new spells throughout their lives.  Although their dissemination remains limited during Caleb and Veth’s lifetimes, Essek makes it his mission after their deaths to keep their work alive as a form of memorial.  Centuries later, Exandria speaks of Widogast and Brenatto in the same regard as Mordenkainen, Bigby, Leomund, Otiluke.  Brenatto’s Voltaic Bolt is particularly popular with adventurers, and Widogast’s Transmogrification is considered a must-know spell for any true master of transmutation. 

(Thelyss’ Floating Fisticuffs, a cantrip which creates a pair of spectral, floating fists for the noodle-armed mage in your life, is much less commonly known, but has delighted generations of Mighty Nein descendants.  They mostly use it for slap fights as children, but at least one notable Brenatto great-great-great-grandchild who joined the Cobalt Soul was known for throwing her opponents off their rhythm with magic fists instead of real ones)

#critical role #caleb widogast #veth brenatto #essek thelyss

[dm-zorc]

Dark Magician for 5e

LOB-005

Dark Magician (LOB-005)

Medium Humanoid (any, usually Human or Elf; Wizard) or Undead, Usually Non-Evil and Non-Chaotic 

Armor Class 21 (Robe of the Archmagi and Ring of Protection), 23 (when concentrating on a spell) Hit Points 250 (100d6-100) Speed 30 ft, 30ft fly.

STR 19 (+4) / DEX 20 (+5) / CON 8 (-1) / INT 21 (+5) / WIS 18 (+4) / CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Int +13, Wis +12 Skills Arcana +13, History +13, Perception +12, Religion +13 Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Infernal, Undercommon Challenge 25 (75,000 XP) / Proficiency Bonus +8

Special Equipment. The Dark Magician has a Robe of the Archmagi, Staff of the Magi, and a Ring of Protection. These items are attuned to them, and are already in the stat block. Improved Initiate. The Dark Magician has a +10 to their initiative rolls (Dex is already included into this)

Durable Magic. While Dark Magician maintains concentration on a spell, they have a +2 bonus to AC and all saving throws.

Magical Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Rejuvenation. If the Dark Magician dies, he revives the next day, with all his hit points and any missing body parts restored. Their new body appears next to the stone tablet that contains their soul.  If the Dark magician dies, their magic items also disappear with their body until they respawn again.

Arcane Recovery (1/Day). When the Dark Magician finishes a short rest, they recover all of their spell slots of 5th level and lower.

Spellcasting. Dark Magician is a 20th-level spellcaster. Their spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 25, +17 to hit with spell attacks). They can cast Silent Image and mirror image at will. They can cast Dispel Magic and Counter Spell once each without expending a spell slot, but can't do so again until he finishes a short or long rest. The Dark Magician has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): Create Bonfire, Eldritch Blast, Firebolt, Mage Hand, Mind Sliver, Minor Illusion

1st level (4 slots): Detect Magic, Hex, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, Witch Bolt

2nd level (3 slots): Arcane Lock, Crown of Madness, Flock of Familiars, Knock, Locate Object, Magic Weapon, Mirror Image, Misty Step, Shadow Blade

3rd level (3 slots): Call Lightning, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Magic Circle, Summon Lesser Demons

4th level (3 slots): Arcane Eye, Banishment , Conjure Minor Elementals, Conjure Shadow Demon, Dimension Door, Leo’s Secret Chest, Locate Creature, Phantasmal Killer, Summon Greater Demon

5th level (3 slots): Bigby's Hand, Conjure Elemental, Dominate Person, Infernal Calling, Legend Lore, Planar Binding, Summon Draconic Spirit, Synaptic Static, Teleportation Circle, Wall of Force

6th level (2 slots): Arcane Gate, Chain Lightning, Globe of Invulnerability, Summon Fiend

7th level (2 slots): Mordenkainen's Sword, Summon Celestial, Symbol, Reverse Gravity, Teleport

8th level (1 slot): Antimagic Field, Dominate Monster, Mind Blank

9th level (1 slot): Prismatic Wall, Wish

Attack

Staff of the Magi. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 10 force damage.

Reactions

Arcane Deflection. When the Dark Magician is hit by an attack roll or fails a saving throw, they can use their reaction to give themselves a +4 to AC against that attack or to that saving throw. When you use this feature, you can't cast spells other than cantrips, silent image, and mirror image until the end of their next turn.

Legendary Actions

The Dark Magician can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Dark Magician’s regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Attack. The Dark Magician makes one attack with their Staff of the Magi.

Cast Spell. The Dark Magician casts a spell of 3rd level or lower (including cantrips).

Use Staff of the Magi (Costs 3 Actions).  The Dark Magician may spend charges from their Staff of the Magi to cast a spell from the Staff.

Staff of the Magi

This staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff (1d6 bludgeoning - versatile (1d8) that grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. While you hold it, you gain a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls.

The staff has 50 charges for the following properties. It regains 4d6 + 2 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 20, the staff regains 1d12 + 1 charges.

Spell Absorption. While holding the staff, you have advantage on saving throws against spells. In addition, you can use your reaction when another creature casts a spell that targets only you. If you do, the staff absorbs the magic of the spell, canceling its effect and gaining a number of charges equal to the absorbed spell's level. However, if doing so brings the staff's total number of charges above 50, the staff explodes as if you activated its retributive strike (see below).

Spells. While holding the staff, you can use an action to expend some of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and spellcasting ability: conjure elemental (7 charges), dispel magic (3 charges), fireball (7th-level version, 7 charges), flaming sphere (2 charges), ice storm (4 charges), invisibility (2 charges), knock (2 charges), lightning bolt (7th-level version, 7 charges), passwall (5 charges), plane shift (7 charges), telekinesis (5 charges), wall of fire (4 charges), or web (2 charges).

You can also use an action to cast one of the following spells from the staff without using any charges: arcane lock, detect magic, enlarge/reduce, light, mage hand, or protection from evil and good.

Info

The Black Magician is a title that can be passed on between creatures. Numerous Dark Magicians can exist at the same time, and on occasion they take on apprentices. The Dark Magicians travel through time, space, and dimensions to deal with threats to their universe. The first Dark Magician was a Priest from ancient times named Mahado.  He was a powerful priest with a strong spirit that refused to move on to the afterlife. His spirit tied itself to a stone tablet, so that even in death he could protect the ones closest towards him. He earned the title "Dark Magician." After the deaths of his dearest friends, his soul traveled through the astral planes and the planes of chaos until the souls of the ones he cared about were reincarnated. The only way to truly kill a Dark Magician is to first kill the ones they love most, and then destroy the object their soul is bound to.  But even that doesn’t stop one from being reborn, as the spirit lingers, the Dark Magician has 100 days to find a being to sign a soul bonding contract with.  This is all but one variation of the Dark Magician.  Some are powerful clerics, and others wield weapons into battle.

Special Thanks

Special Thanks to @raeynbowboi , @clericofsune , and @fateandphantasms .Their tumblr post inspired me to create my own dnd blog centered on yu-gi-oh content. My biggest fear doing this is either hasbro, wotc, or konami just deleting these pages but its been a lot of fun making these iconic cards into monsters, I might even make some player side builds in the near future.

#Dark magician #Black magician #ygo #yu-gi-oh #5e #dnd #monster #homebrew #lob #dnd5e

[onslaughtsixdotcom]

BEYOND ON A BUDGET

I wrote this article a while ago and left it in my drafts folder. The idea was to figure out *exactly* what a new group joining 5e and using D&D Beyond *should* buy in order to maximize their dollars. Obviously with the new OGL stuff (which has been partially resolved, at least for 5e content) and the big exodus of D&D Beyond subscribers, the usefulness of this article has been diminished slightly. Regardless, I'm posting it again anyway in order to get it out of my queue and so that I have this as a resource to point people to, whenever someone suggests actually buying the Monster Manual or 5e Dungeon Master's Guide (IMO terrible ideas by any stretch of the imagination). This list also is a handy tool to figure out what content is not included in the 5e SRD, since that's all the "free" content on D&D Beyond. Without further ado:

The PHB is very nearly worth the money. The most important things you need from it are the subclasses and backgrounds; the SRD contains only 1 subclass for each class, and only 1 background. D&D Beyond actually provides 6 backgrounds from the PHB as part of the Basic Rules, so that's a little better than the SRD provides.

The backgrounds bundle is $4 and the subclasses bundle is $10. I recommend you spend that.

Other things you can purchase from the PHB are the 41 feats for $4, 2 subraces for $3, and 57 spells for $5.

Spells in the PHB but not the SRD:

Arcane Gate

Armor of Agathys

Arms of Hadar

Aura of Life

Aura of Purity

Aura of Vitality

Banishing Smite

Beast Sense

Bestow curse

Blade Ward

Blinding Smite

Chromatic Orb

Circle of Power

Cloud of Daggers

Compelled Duel

Conjure Barrage

Conjure Volley

Cordon of Arrows

Crown of Madness

Crusader's Mantle

Destructive Wave

Dissonant Whispers

Elemental Weapon

Ensnaring Strike

Feign Death

Friends

Grasping Vine

Hail of Thorns

Hex

Hunger of Hadar

Lightning Arrow

Phantasmal Force

Power Word Heal

Ray of Sickness

Searing Smite

Staggering Smite

Swift Quiver

Telepathy

Thorn Whip

Thunderous Smite

Tsunami

Witch Bolt

Wrathful Smite

The above list does not include all of the "named" spells, such as Bigby's Hand, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, etc. These spells are provided in the SRD/Basic Rules, but under generic names instead (Arcane Hand, Magnificent Mansion, etc.)

Monsters in the Monster Manual but not the SRD:

Arakocra

Banshee

Beholder

Beholder Zombie

Blights

Bullywug

Cambion

Carrion Crawler

Crawling Claw

Cyclops

Death Knight

Demilich

Barlgura

Chasme

Goristro

Manes

Shadow Demon

Yochlol

Spined Devil

Displacer Beast

Dracolich

Young Red Shadow Dragon

Empyrean

Faerie Dragon

Flameskull

Flumph

Fomorian

Gas Spore

Galeb Duhr

Dao

Marid

Gith (all)

Grell

Helmed Horror

Hook Horror

Intellect Devourer

Jackalwere

Kenku

Kuo-Toa

Mud Mephit

Smoke Mephit

Mind Flayer

Drones

Myconids

Quaggoth Spore Servant

Nagas

Nothic

Half-Ogre

Peryton

Piercer

Pixie

Quaggoth

Remorhaz

Revenant

Fire Snake

Scarecrow

Slaad Tadpole

Red Slaad

Blue Slaad

Green Slaad

Gray Slaad

Death Slaad

Thri-kreen

Troglodyte

Umber Hulk

Water Weird

Yeti

Yuan-ti

Arcanaloth

Mezzoloth

Nycaloth

Ultroloth

Magic Items in the DMG but not SRD (30 items):

Alchemy Jug

Cap of Water Breathing

Mariner's Armor

Cloak of Invisibility [functionally identical to Ring of Invisibility]

Driftglobe

Efreeti Chain

Elixer of Health

Gloves of Thievery

Instrument of the Bards [multiple]

Potion of Fire Breath

Potions of Greater Healing, Superior Healing, Supreme Healing

Potion of Invulnerability

Potion of Longevity

Potion of Vitality

Rod of Ressurection

Rod of the Pact Keeper

Saddle of the Cavalier

Scroll of Protection

Sending Stones

Sentinel Shield

Staff of the Adder

Sword of Answering

Sword of Vengeance

Tentacle Rod

Tome of the Stilled Tongue

Weapon of Warning

Blog of Holding made a breakdown of all 30 of these items and even made a few homebrew alternatives for you: https://blogofholding.com/?p=7803

#dungeons and dragons #d&d #5e #fifth edition #ogl

[dungeonmastertyrant]

Wizard Spells

Cantrips: Acid Splash, Blade Ward, Chill Touch, Dancing Lights, Fire Bolt, Friends, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Minor Illusion, Poison Spray, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost, Shocking Grasp and True Strike

1st level spells: Alarm, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Chromatic Orb, Color Spray, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, False Life, Feather Fall, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, Grease, Identify, Illusory Script, Jump, Longstrider, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil and Good, Ray of Sickness, Shield, Silent Image, Sleep, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Tenser's Floating Disk, Thunderwave, Unseen Servant and Witch Bolt.

2nd level spells: Alter Self, Arcane Lock, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Cloud of Daggers, Continual Flame, Crown of Madness, Darkness, Darkvision, Detect Thoughts, Enlarge/Reduce, Flaming Sphere, Gentle Repose, Gust of Wind, Hold Person, Invisibility, Knock Levitate, Locate Object, Magic Mouth, Magic Weapon, Melf's Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Misty Step, Nystul's Magic Aura, Phantasmal Force, Ray of Enfeeblement, Rope Trick, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility, Shatter, Spider Climb, Suggestion and Web

3rd level spells: Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Blink, Clairvoyance, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Fear, Feign Death, Fireball, Fly, Gaseous Form, Glyph of Warding, Haste, Hypnotic Pattern, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Lightning Bolt, Magic Circle, Major Image, Nondetection, Phantom Steed, Protection from Energy, Remove Curse, Sending, Sleet Storm, Slow, Stinking Cloud, Tongues, Vampiric Touch and Water Breathing

4th level spells: Arcane Eye, Banishment, Blight, Confusion, Conjure Minor Elementals, Control Water, Dimension Door, Evard's Black Tentacles, Fabricate, Fire Shield, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Ice Storm, Leomund's Secret Chest, Locate Creature, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Stone Shape, Stoneskin and Wall of Fire.

5th level spells: Animate Objects, Bigby's Hand, Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Conjure Elemental, Contact Other Plane, Creation, Dominate Person, Dream, Geas, Hold Monster, Legend Lore, Mislead, Modify Memory, Passwall, Planar Binding, Rary's Telepathic Bond, Scrying, Seeming, Telekinesis, Teleportation Circle, Wall of Force and Wall of Stone.

6th level spells: Arcane Gate, Chain Lightning, Circle of Death, Contingency, Create Undead, Disintegrate, Drawmij's Instant Summons, Eyebite, Flesh to Stone, Globe of Invulnerability, Guards and Wards, Magic Jar, Mass Suggestion, Move Earth, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere, Otto's Irresistable Dance, Programmed Illusion, Sunbeam, True Seeing and Wall of Ice

7th level spells: Delayed Blast Fireball, Etherealness, Finger of Death, Forcecage, Mirage Arcane, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen's Sword, Plane Shift, Prismatic Spray, Project Image, Reverse Gravity, Sequester, Simulacrum, Symbol and Teleport

8th level spells: Antimagic Field, Antipathy/Sympathy, Clone, Control Weather, Demiplane, Dominate Monster, Feeblemind, Incendiary Cloud, Maze, Mind Blank, Power Word Stun, Sunburst and Telepathy.

9th level spells: Astral Projection, Foresight, Gate, Imprisonment, Meteor Swarm, Power Word Kill, Prismatic Wall, Shapechange, Time Stop, True Polymorph, Weird and Wish

Source: Player's Handbook

#dnd class spells #wizard

[dndcardsmith]

The often forgotten Potion of Fog Giant Strength.

This potion is a homebrew based on the Fog Giants, who were first introduced to the D&D realm back in the First Edition and have appeared in various sourcebooks since. The most recent is Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1. I expected them to get a mention in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, but alas, the fog giant seems to be fading away.

As always, the cards are created to be the same size as trading cards. All you need to do is simply print and cut them out to have easy handouts within your game. I have also included an option with, and without a price.

#dungeons and dragons #d&d #d&d 5e #potions #Homebrew #Potion of Fog Giant Strength

[bigscaryd]

I posted 1,804 times in 2022

31 posts created (2%)

1,773 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@prismatic-bell

@absentlyabbie

@thinksnake

@knitmeapony

@penny-anna

I tagged 225 of my posts in 2022

#youtube - 5 posts

#stephanie brown - 4 posts

#reblog - 3 posts

#fanart - 2 posts

#it's a very distinctive way of reblogging - 2 posts

#two days - 2 posts

#batgirls - 2 posts

#cassandra cain - 2 posts

#tumblr - 2 posts

#no handles - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 121 characters

#marcia could use a new parent but she is not exactly subtle about the whole there are two mystic serpents within me thing

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

For professional reasons, I'm thinking about things that will be elided or removed from the Vox Machina show for IP reasons.

First off, because it's not D&D-licensed:

Most god names (all, I think, except for Serenray who I understand to be Pathfinder, so also out)

Certain monsters can't appear: beholders, illithid, owlbears, some others

It won't be called Bigby's hand (nor Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, when it gets to that)

For other reasons:

They won't be saying the name of their keep

We've already seen a minced version of their traditional go-phrase, as "Chenga."

What else?

3 notes - Posted January 28, 2022

#4

I dreamt last night that Sotomayor had written the following:

The District and Circuit Courts, Appellant, and Respondent have all devoted much argument and focus to the popularity and "resonance" of the respective characters. However, the alleged infringement is of Respondent's copyrights, not trademark. Stock characters and scenes a faire are common and repeated precisely because they are beloved by and resonate with the audience. This applies both to characters for whom copyright protection is sought and those alleged to infringe, whether or not the latter was copied from the former or a shared source. As they say, "Blorbo In/Blorbo Out."

4 notes - Posted April 14, 2022

#3

Wayne Family Adventures giving me exactly what I'm looking for.

4 notes - Posted April 2, 2022

#2

"She's too durable for the usual fate of his partners" is not a great reason to ship a couple and yet, here I am.

7 notes - Posted October 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I'm honestly kind of surprised that I never see any Twisted Wonderland on my dash. Not even commentary on how bonkers it is that it simply exists, and how MORE bonkers that it got a US release.

17 notes - Posted October 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[vulpixelates]

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING

and look at my little ninnydoo sitting in a drawer

#bigby and mordenkainen #torties #cats

[sir-gawain]

Valesthenes Hagar, Archmage of Caer Lleuad

Some 10-11 years ago, myself and a group of friends first gathered around a table to try out the Starter Set of Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. One of my friends arrived late, just in time to save us from the Guard Drake that a pack of goblins had tamed. This timely arrival and impressive Burning Hands damage roll cemented Valesthenes Hagar, the Moon Elf Wizard, into my memory.

The player has a twin brother, who decided to play the adopted brother of Valesthenes - Hassan Hagar. Hassan was a human Assassin, but his player soon changed to a different character. And then another one. And another one.

The story of Valesthenes in this continuity is pretty much all original to me, though I wanted to stick with the original character concepts for Valesthenes and Hassan, just taken further with time and experience. While Hassan is more of a spymaster these days, Valesthenes became a figure somewhat akin to the legendary Wizards Mordenkainen, Elminster, or Bigby.

When I thought about how powerful a figure Valesthenes would be, I eventually decided on him being what's called "Epic Level," which is something that goes beyond the ordinary D&D maximum level of 20. In 4th edition, Epic Tier was included in the standard content - and by the end of Epic Tier at 30th level, a character has typically achieved some form of limited immortality, become the servant of a God, or similarly become 'untouchable' by smaller concerns. Such characters concern themselves with the machinations of Gods, the rumblings of ancient Fiendish Overlords, and the rampages of Greatwyrms.

My first two characters in 5th Edition D&D were Aur (an Aarakocra Monk), and Abelard (my Human Wizard). Both of them lived in Khorvaire in the Eberron setting, and both had pieces of crucial information relating to interplanar travel. Valesthenes, as a Wizard not native to the Eberron cosmology (but rather the Points of Light campaign setting), was interested in this information.

Eberron is ordinarily more closed off than the other settings of D&D. It's more difficult to intentionally travel to and from the planes of Eberron than between say, the settings of the Forgotten Realms and the Planescape setting (city of Sigil, etc). But in 4th Edition, the Nine Hells of Baator (and their ruler, Asmodeus) appeared in Eberron's new cosmology model - and promptly disappeared afterward. I took this as an opportunity to have Valesthenes and Hassan's arrival on Eberron have been via the use of the Nine Hells as a passageway.

Now, Valesthenes resides in Caer Lleuad (pronounced Care Say-Yahd), also known as The Tower of the Moon. It is a tower of his own creation, made in a similar manner to the Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion spell. Caer Lleuad is located in the empty, idyllic countryside of Thrane, Gawain's home country. From his tower, Valesthenes teaches students (like Aur and Abelard), guides key people to objectives he deems important (like directing Abelard or his old associates towards cabals of the Lords of Dust), performs magical research (like investigating the old lost demiplane of Kalandurren), or simply hosting people he knows.

Valesthenes is a somewhat known quantity to Jaela Daran, the Keeper of the Silver Flame and leader of the Theocracy that governs Thrane. To most other governmental bodies, such as the King of Breland or the Queen of Aundair, he has yet to extend so much as a greeting - after all, it's not their territory he is imposing upon. His brother Hassan operates in Khorvaire and gathers information for him, but isn't tied down to any specific location.

Valesthenes' personal motivations, other than further study and advancement of his own magical abilities, are sometimes unclear to those around him. Despite this, he proves an excellent person to have on one's side, and doesn't jealously hoard information that can help those who approach him for it. He has assisted Keeper Jaela in an advisory capacity on occasion around matters involving arcane magic, and has taken in several people as students.

#character art #ai generated art #wizard #archmage

[vintagerpg]

Ah, the Rogues Gallery. Page after page of NPC and monster stats. Why buy sheets for your own NPCs when you can just have TSR make the NPCs for you from whole cloth?

In fairness, this isn’t useless (I particularly approve of the pre-cooked lich stats), it’s just a bit dull, what with all the numbers (though compared to some of Chaosium’s similar early RuneQuest supplements, this is downright luxurious). Thank goodness there’s all this amazing art! Erol Otus has a solid cover (that horned helmet is groovy) and his lich/ki-rin/coutl combo on the back cover is another old school fave of mine (note the upside-down cross). Inside, he provides a great druid vs. mind flayer face-off and a ranger vs. owl bear fight. Jeff Dee also pops up to slay an impressive black dragon.

A final point of interest is the Personalities chapter, which details a collection of characters from actual D&D campaigns, including Gygax’s own (his famous mages, Bigby and Mordenkainen are included). Characters by TSR employees Zeb Cook, Erol Otus and Lawrence Schick jump out, but it’s the names I don’t recognize that I find most intriguing. Who were they? Are they still alive? What adventures did they have with these characters?

#D&D #AD&D #advanced dungeons & dragons #dungeons & dragons #TSR #RPG #roleplaying game #Tabletop RPG #Rogues Gallery #1980 #Erol Otus #Lich #Jeff Dee #Gary Gygax #Bigby #Mordenkainen #Zeb Cook #Lawrence Schick

[luckthebard]

I love that Liam started campaign 2, looked at both Bigby’s Hand and Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion, and clearly thought:

“Both of these are incredibly useful and cool spells, but I’ll be damned if I am going to have my wizard use Scanlan’s signature spells without making them totally my own in order to emphasize the difference between the characters and also flex on Sam.”

#cr spoilers #critical role #widogast's magnificent reskinned homebrews #liam o'brien #caleb widogast

[dndhistory]

316. Robert J. Kuntz and Gary Gygax - WG5: Mordenkainen’s Fantastic Adventure (1984)

Although this came out in 1984, it harkens back to much earlier stage in the development of AD&D. In fact, it’s a part of the earliest possible iteration of D&D, having been developed by Gary Gygax in the early 1970s as part of his Greyhawk campaign. It’s from his campaign that the whole of the game was then developed.

As can be seen from the title, this adventure focuses on Mordenkainen, but it also brings in his companion Bigby and a couple of other characters that were part of the Kuntz/Gygax home game. 

As was also typical of that period the adventure is very much a kind of funhouse, hack and slash affair. Here Mordenkainen and friends hear of a couple of impenetrable doors underground in the abandoned Maure Castle. Managing to go through the doors they get into the several levels of a dungeon which eventually culminate with a demonic “boss fight”. Fun stuff. 

#adnd #dnd #ttrpg #ad&d #d&d #dnd art #dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons #gary gygax #robert j kuntz

[bugbearbrothers]

Mordenkainen and the Circle of Eight! This legendary group was the brainchild of Gygax. In 1975, Gygax realized that his eight PC’s collectively possessed too much wealth to ever spend. So, he constructed the Obsidian Citadel and formed the Citadel of Eight—an adventuring guild made up of his player characters. However, when Gygax was fired from TSR in 1985, the company took control of his characters, and every character that was ever previously published in D&D material. TSR writers then turned the citadel into a wizard council. This new circle of casters contained two of the citadel’s original members—Mordenkainen and Bigby—but other PC’s were added, such as Otiluke, Rary, Drawmij, Tenser, Nystul, Otto, and Jallarzi (the only member of the circle to have not been played by one of Gygax’s original gaming group members). According to the lore, the circle still convenes in Flanaess, within the Eastern bowels of Oerik. Many spells in the game are named after these infamous spell weavers. This makes me think we should all still be creating new spells for the game. As a side note, I can’t imagine how frustrating it would have been to see a company take control of your favourite PC’s storyline

#dungeonsanddragons #greyhawk