Corpus Malicious The Codex of Evil

101 d8 Personality Trait 1 I actually hate doing this, but I need the coin. 2 I see myself as an artist whose canvas happens to be dead bodies. 3 I became paranoid because of this job. 4 I don’t have a daily life. This job is all I do, but I’m not complaining. Dead bodies are fun. 5 My word is the law while I am on the job. 6 I have a signature that I leave at crime scenes. 7 When I see a dead body, I can’t help but examine it. 8 I learned to stay calm even in the worst situations. d6 Ideal 1 Unchained. I must earn enough coin to get me out of this job. (Neutral) 2 Loyal. I will sweep away every crime, and clean every crime scene. As long as my contractors are free, I am free. (Lawful) 3 Evil Mastermind. I will commit the perfect crime, so that nobody can catch me. (Evil) 4 Revenge. When the time comes, I will frame someone in power to take their place. (Chaotic) 5 Selectiveness. I only work on specific types of scenes. (Lawful) 6 Saboteur. I do this job to prevent crime cases from being solved. It satisfies me. (Evil) d6 Bond 1 I have a nemesis who tries to uncover my identity. 2 My family doesn’t know the other side of me, and I must protect them from it. 3 I witnessed something important that I should not have seen. Somebody wants the scene to be a secret. 4 I will do anything to get the job done. 5 I found someone that I love, dead, when I was on a job. I will find and destroy whoever did this. 6 I have to get rid of an innocent witness I left alive, from an old job I had. d6 Flaw 1 I tend to lie. 2 I’ll do every job if the pay is good even if I think it is wrong. 3 If someone questions my methods, I’ll get angry. 4 I am very curious about many things. So I eavesdrop a lot and can get myself in trouble. 5 I will not trust someone until I learn something about them that I can exploit. 6 I cannot stand blood and gore. When you were a child, you were sacrificed during a ritual dedicated to a dark deity. However, for some reason, you have returned. You may have been kidnapped or were sacrificed by your own parents. In either case, you have gone through dark rituals where, at the end of which, you were sacrificed, and your soul was sent to a dark power. Roll on the table below to determine to whom you were sacrificed; d6 Dark Power 1 A powerful demon or a demon lord 2 A powerful devil or an archdevil 3 An evil deity of death 4 An evil deity of destruction 5 A powerful aberration or an aberration deity 6 An evil deity of war Skill Proficiencies: Choose one from Arcana, Religion, or Survival Languages: Choose one from Abyssal, Deep Speech, or Infernal Equipment: A piece of parchment containing some details of the ritual in which you were sacrificed Feature: Mark of Sacrifice You carry physical marks of your sacrifice on your body. These marks can be evil runes carved on your skin, ritualistic scars made during your sacrifice, or anything else related to the experience. With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check, a creature can interpret the marks to determine which religious sacrifice you were involved in. Feature: Unholy Fame When you returned after you had been sacrificed, the word of your survival spread. Even though you are not aware of it, you are quite famous, being a living person who carries the marks of a deadly sacrifice. If your marks are noticed and interpreted successfully by an evil cultist, it may want to help you out of respect, kill you out of jealousy, or even want to become your servant because they regard you as a prophetic sign. Suggested Characteristics A sacrificed child’s life has been forfeit. Such children know the feeling of losing it, and they have no intention of losing it again. Even in the darkest moments of its life, a sacrificed Sacrificed Child

102 child may think that it went through the worst and survived. Whether a sacrificed child dedicates its life to the mysteries of sacrificial powers, or promises to save other children from the same faith, they all accept that they have experienced one of the most unique events possible. d8 Personality Trait 1 I WAS SACRIFICED. PERIOD. HOW COULD IT GET ANY WORSE? The worst of it has to be behind me… 2 I went through one of the most brutal things imaginable, so I am not easily shocked 3 Dying was painful. I do not want to die again. 4 I actually enjoy observing sacrifices. 5 I want to find others like me. 6 My life has been given back to me. It is therefore more precious than that of any other. 7 I looked death in the eye before. I can do it again. 8 Perhaps I was not a worthy sacrifice. I will work to become one. d6 Ideal 1 Obligation. I will serve my dark master in return for giving my soul back to me (Evil) 2 Empathy. I will not let other children be sacrificed. (Good) 3 Power Hungry. I, myself, will become a master of sacrifice. (Evil) 4 Determinist. What I have been through was necessary and it has made me stronger. (Lawful) 5 Pragmatist. I have been through the most severe pain possible. This justifies whatever I do. (Chaotic) 6 Revenge. I will be the end of those who sacrificed me. (Neutral) d6 Bond 1 Those who sacrificed me introduced me to the real power in the universe. I owe them a great deal. 2 My life is a gift from my dark master. If need-be, I must give it back. 3 I believe that I will return to the place where I was sacrificed one day, to understand the meaning of my existence. 4 I will help everyone who helps me in my revenge against those who sacrificed me. 5 I lost something during the sacrificial ritual. I need to find it. 6 When I was killed in the sacrificial ritual, I talked to someone or something. I must talk with it again. d6 Flaw 1 I rarely sleep without having nightmares. 2 I hate weak people. 3 I strictly follow religious rules. 4 I like to go to dark places to think. 5 The sight of an altar triggers dark memories. 6 I value information about sacrifices too much. I would do anything to obtain it. Tyrants are cunning and deadly nobles in courts. A humble noble ruling over an isolated, small piece of land may find the rulership easy and sweet, but this is never the case in the real courts of powerful kingdoms. There, you are in a constant deathmatch that is fought with words and gestures. One reckless step out of place can cause you to be seen as weak and unworthy, and there are many other nobles out there who are more than eager to bring you down. You may have been raised to be an embodiment of honor, justice, and valor. Yet, you may have seen in time that these are not the actual tools a ruler might need. Being just when a peasant is wronged by a landowner, for example, can result in the nobility leading an organized rebellion against you. Similarly, letting a rival get away when you are able to kill them can result in that person blackmailing or backstabbing you months later. Showing valor in a battlefield at the front lines may result in a reckless arrow “accidentally” or “unluckily” finding your neck. The truth is, commoners, nobles, and all the other parts of a monarchy, desire a stable home, above all other things. You cannot make excuses about how honorable or compassionate you have acted if your lands are struck with invasion, economic hardships, or other instabilities that were schemed about by your rivals who are not bound by your codes and do not play the game according to such virtuous rules. All in all, you have realized that you must be a tyrant. You may be one out of mere necessity and your heart may ache with all the things you have to do. You may also enjoy your tyrannical and merciless rule, indulging and reveling in all the power it brings. Skill Proficiencies: History, Intimidation, Persuasion Languages: One of your choice Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp Feature: Position of Power Your unquestionable standing among the powerful nobility makes the common folk afraid of you. There is no door that is closed to you unless the people behind it are definitely scheming against you. Those who are not of noble blood must make an effort to fulfill your demands unless they are under the service of other nobles, or you can order their punishment from local authorities. Local rulers must invite you to their court as per the laws of hospitality, and they must hear what you have to say if you ask to be heard in their domain. Tyrant

103 Suggested Characteristics A tyrant’s lifestyle is quite different from that of the commoners because of the noble blood they carry. They have a vast number of privileges, but have just as many burdening responsibilities. Deep inside, they know they also are the prisoners of their own tyranny; every action they take is interpreted as some part of a political strategy, everything they say can be used against them as a juridical statement. On the other hand, if they are willing to sacrifice their morals and ideals, these shackles of their nobility can become the very tools of their power. d8 Personality Trait 1 In a world run by politics where all parties involved are ready to oppress the weak, I maintain a powerful and dreadful image. 2 The mechanics of politics require ruthlessness and I have learned its ways well. 3 I enjoy domination and relish in power; it’s invigorating to see how much a tyrant can do or accomplish with power. 4 I rule in keeping with the commands of my deity and all my actions are guided by my religion. 5 It is my duty, as per the law, to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety or prosperity of my dominion. 6 The personality I employ for my title’s sake is entirely different than my own, and I cannot let one get in the way of the other. 7 I have reached and secured my position because I do whatever necessary, without concerning myself with morality. 8 I never really wanted to rule but now I am stuck with my title and cannot step down. d6 Ideal 1 Vigilance. Any threat to my authority, big or small, must be eliminated quickly. (Evil) 2 Dominion. It is my duty to rule and the duty of all others is to serve me. (Lawful) 3 Opportunity. Everyone, allies and foes alike, are made to be used and discarded for power. (Chaotic) 4 Devotion. I am chosen to rule, my words and actions are divine. (Evil) 5 Control. Maintaining a healthy dose of fear is of the essence. (Neutral) 6 Power. I live to reap and enjoy the fruits of my tyranny to the fullest. (Evil) d6 Bond 1 I am bound to my position with a sense of duty and I cannot step down from my throne. 2 My power stands on the provisions of other nobles or of someone powerful. 3 I made a promise of conquest to my people, family, or ancestors. I must fulfill my promise. 4 I will see my rival dead before me. 5 I wish to transcend the boundaries of mortality through heritage, magic, or historical significance. 6 I must do whatever it takes to keep my dominion stable and safe. d6 Flaw 1 I am too eager to punish or execute my retainers. 2 I cannot bear to see all the wrong that I have done to keep my position secure. 3 I give in to my arrogance, and disrespect those in higher positions. 4 I am too trusting of my allies and followers. 5 I want to care about the common folk, but my position seems to keep me from it. 6 I secretly can’t help but feel weak whenever I am challenged. Variant Tyrant: Chancellor The chancellor title is one of lower noble standing, but it has authority regarding the management of a domain. Chancellors can act more freely - as they are usually out of sight - in courts where higher-profile nobles find it hard to escape the political consequences of their actions. However, that is not to say that chancellors are lacking in power. Clever schemes can allow a chancellor to turn its ruler into a puppet, and become the puppeteer behind the curtain; the power behind the throne. If you wish to be a chancellor, choose the Court Schemes feature instead of the Position of Power feature. Variant Feature: Court Schemes As a chancellor, you are the master of schemes within the court. After all, someone has to get their hands dirty to retain the ruler’s power among the court, and that someone must surely profit from all this hard work. You can have one contact who is always ready and eager to turn your sinister plans into reality. You can choose your contacts according to the following professions: Spy. One of the servants in court is willing to act as your spy. This servant can enter private chambers that only a few individuals are allowed into, and gather evidence which you can use to blackmail your rivals. Gathering evidence takes a minimum of 1 week, although this duration may increase due to the difficulty of the task, at the GM’s discretion. Your spy can also plant false evidence for you in the same way, but this would be more challenging and would take a minimum of 1 month.

104 You are an outlaw, a type of person who chose, or were pushed, to lead a life outlying the boundaries of the laws. You do, and get, whatever you want as long as you have the power to do so. There is no shame in getting by with the money taken from innocents for you, it’s just another way of making money. In the world of outlaws, someone often rises to power by being the toughest of them all. Yet, showing merit is also a good way, compared to those who rule by birthright, for example. This order of hierarchy usually requires one to watch their back, at all times; weak rulers who cannot hide their weakness are easily and often brutally dethroned to make room for the more powerful candidates at hand. Outlaws usually do not trust one another, but there are some groups who are unwaveringly loyal to each other. Additionally, as what you are is inherently against everything that the civilized world stands for, outlaws usually have each other’s backs against the law, or other authorities that were made up (in your opinion) by civilization. Interestingly, although outlaws detest laws, you usually have a code that is spread by word of mouth, and breaking it is usually punishable by death. You may be doing your criminal work for purposes of survival, to get rich fast, or to serve a long term plan that you have. For instance, to become a bandit ruler or even a ruler by conquest. There are examples of cities and nations that started as bandit strongholds, and of outlaws who have risen to nobility through the wealth they accumulated through generations. As an outlaw, the first thing to think about is how you ended up on the wrong side of the law. Did life leave you no other options? Did you realize that being an outlaw was much more profitable compared to professions of the commoners? Is becoming an outlaw some part of a much larger plan, in which this step is a mere cog in the machine? Another thing you may want to consider is, as you are outside the grip of the law, how far would you go in terms of stealing from and harming innocents. Skill Proficiencies: Intimidation, Stealth, Survival Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set Equipment: A set of common clothes including a mask to cover your identity, a hooded cloak, a game set, a lucky charm, a knife for boning, skinning and other purposes, a simple tool set to lay hunting traps, a belt pouch containing 1d10 gp Feature: Notoriety Thanks to your line of work, you are notorious. This notoriety works to your advantage when settling accounts, as your threats can usually convince people to do your bidding. Someone that you threaten may refuse to harm others or their loved ones, at which point you would need to intimidate them further to get them to do what you want. Your victims can try every means available to them to escape your wrath or any other quality that your notorious stories speak of. Criminals respect a notorious reputation. You can use your notoriety to ask favors of the creatures of the underworld. However, you must do so with caution, because the more favors you ask of them, the weaker you may become in their eyes. On the other hand, you may have to be careful in settlements your notoriety is known. It is something you are famous for, and authorities may recognize you because of this fame and try to capture you or bring you down. Suggested Characteristics In a sense, outlaws have much more freedom as opposed to commoners, or even nobles. They have no one who tells them what to do – that is, if their gangmaster is not too harsh, of course. Wherever they go, what they do and whom they raid or steal from, is completely up to them. Still, they must always be careful, cautious and vigilant. Any small error has the potential to leave an outlaw at the mercy of the axe of an executioner. Being an outlaw is usually about burning for the longest time rather than emanating the brightest flame. Outlaw Cleaner. Someone who went from a rat living in the streets into an immoral but effective brute, is willing to act as your cleaner. This person can torture commoners and servants to obtain information from them, or to make them do your bidding. It can also clean the mess your schemes cause, given enough time. Due to the difficulty of both of these tasks, they should take a minimum of 1 week to resolve. However, this duration can be increased at the GM’s discretion, if a particular task is more challenging than usual. Assassin. A person working in a bloody lineof-work is willing to do some dirty work for you. They can kidnap someone’s family members in your name, for instance, and hold them captive as potential leverage. Given enough time, they can also assassinate your rival(s) by poisoning them, by making it look like they had some sort of an accident, or by quite traditionally stabbing them in the back. The kidnapping should take a minimum of 2 weeks. However, this duration can be increased at the GM’s discretion, depending on difficulty. You must also provide the assassin the details regarding whom to kidnap and where the victims can be found to ensure that it will be at the right place at the right time. If you order your contact to assassinate someone, the contact counts as CR 1 for the purposes of this task and the difficulty of assassination is determined at the GM’s discretion. You must provide the tools for the murder (such as the poison to be used or the funds needed to complete the task). A proper assassination usually takes a minimum of 1 month to plan and execute. The Game Master can use an NPC of their own choice to determine the abilities and skills of the spy, cleaner, or assassin which may change its CR.

105 d8 Personality Trait 1 I always look for profit in my errands, charity is a lie that the stingies tell themselves. 2 I like the thrill of the risks I take for big rewards, so I chase one heist after another. 3 I like to steal and murder. 4 I have bigger plans than banditry, this is simply the tool I use to get there. 5 I tend to enslave my opponents rather than kill them, they may prove to be useful. 6 I always watch my back. My life demands care at all times. 7 I actually have quite a friendly attitude, even though I have a sarcastic attitude about what I do. 8 I don’t like what I am doing, and my heart has turned to stone because of it. d6 Ideal 1 Bullying. I like to demonstrate my power to others, and I like making them kneel before me. (Evil) 2 Remorse. I started this life because I had to and I’m mournful about it. (Neutral) 3 Code. Although different than usual, we have our own codes that must be treated with respect. (Lawful Evil) 4 Survivor. I survived many hardships at the hand of a blade, and with a blade, I will rise. (Any) 5 Destruction. I love how chaos takes over when we raid and plunder. (Chaotic Evil) 6 Hedonism. I revel in all earthly pleasures. (Neutral Evil) d6 Bond 1 I have a family that I must feed and keep safe, whatever the cost. 2 I must stay loyal to my gangmaster, they hold power over me that I cannot endure. 3 I have an obligation to pay a portion of my income to a gang or an organization on a regular basis. 4 I was convicted some time ago, so authorities enforcing the law know me well, and may even be after me. 5 I am an agent of the law who has sunk into the underworld so deeply that I am spying on the law now. 6 I have a rival that I must defeat. d6 Flaw 1 I sometimes show mercy, but this puts our agenda at jeopardy. 2 I lose myself in the thrill of the raids, often resulting in me wreaking unnecessary havoc. 3 I find it impossible to trust anyone, even my closest friends. 4 I am too arrogant, even to those above me. 5 I tend to flee if a target proves to be tougher than it looks. 6 I am extremely greedy; enough coin can easily persuade me to do the wrong thing.

106 eats presented here provide your character perhaps wicked but definitely resourceful and powerful talents. Although feats do not require an alignment, these are suitable mostly for evil characters and you should keep that in mind when you choose one of them. Prerequisite: Remnant During the events that transformed you into a remnant, your existence was warped so much that the unintelligent undead comprehend you as a friend. As a result, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your Wisdom or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • Undead with an Intelligence score of 6 or less do not attack you unless you harm them. Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Medicine or Perception skill You have been trained to eliminate your target and escape undetected. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • If you analyze your target’s movements before you strike, you can attack more precisely and more lethally. To analyze a creature, you must keep the target in your line of sight for 2 turns and use your action to search for exploits on each of your turns. When your analysis is complete, your target gains vulnerability to the damage of your next weapon attack. The sight of blood being spilled makes you hungry for more. If you deal the first damage in a combat, you gain the following benefits: • Your first attack (that dealt the first damage) counts as a critical hit against the target creature. • You have advantage on your next attack roll until the end of your next turn. Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher You have the ability to extraordinarily sew muscles and body parts onto your body. Although they work as they normally would and make you stronger, you smell rotten all the time. You gain the following benefits: • You can use weapons that have the two-handed property, with just one hand. • You have disadvantage on your Deception, Persuasion, and Performance checks except the ones you make against the undead. You are a cult leader or have the potential to be one. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You can examine a follower of your cult or a fellow party member’s faith. After a dialogue that lasts more than 1 minute, you have the ability to determine if the follower or the fellow party member has committed an act against your religious beliefs within the last day. • You can cast the zone of truth spell once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. Prerequisite: Your alignment must be evil You can use your action to focus the evil inside you into a twisted survival instinct. When you do so, dark veins can be seen all over your skin and you gain 20 temporary hit points for 1 minute or until you take 20 damage. However, focusing on the evil within puts excessive strain on your body. So when the temporary hit points are lost, the dark veins visible on your skin disappear, taking your vitality away with them, and you take 10 necrotic damage which cannot be reduced by any means. You can use this feature twice; you regain any expended uses after you finish a long rest. Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell, and your alignment must be any evil When you choose this feat, you choose a number of spells that deal damage, and target a single creature, equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum one). While casting these spells, you can choose to defile it by twisting its nature, using evil energies. A defiled spell’s damage type changes to necrotic and it ignores resistance to necrotic damage. If you deal damage to a creature that is able to regain hit points from necrotic damage, it cannot regain hit points from defiled spells. F Bloodletter Corpse Power Cult Leader Dark Endurance Defiled Spell New Feats A Friendly Dead Face Assassination Training

107 Prerequisite: Charisma or Wisdom 13 or higher, and you must be an evil-aligned cleric or paladin Just as there are heroes of faith that people look up to for encouragement, you are the dark bastion of your faith and a leader for your followers. You gain the following benefits: • As a bonus action or reaction, you can encourage ally creatures within 15 feet of you, granting them advantage on their next saving throw against a mind-affecting ability or spell. • As a bonus action or reaction, you can condemn hostile creatures within 15 feet of you, causing them disadvantage on their next saving throw against a mindaffecting ability or spell. Once you use any of these benefits, you must finish a short or long rest to use any one of them again. When you choose this feat, you make an infernal contract. This deal can be made with a fiend. The details of how it is made is up to the GM’s discretion. When you make this deal, the fiend enchants your soul so that it cannot be brought back in any way when you die (even with spells such as resurrection, true resurrection, or a wish spell). As per the fiend’s end of the bargain, the deal grants you the following benefits: • Increase one of your ability scores by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You gain resistance to fire. • You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls against good-aligned creatures. When the mind experiences an emotion, it leaves a mark on the heart as well. Even if a creature dies or it forgets everything on a mental level, the heart holds on to the burdens of the past. You know that the heart is home to such secrets. This knowledge enlightens you. • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Additionally, you believe that you can gain insight about others’ intentions by consuming their hearts. By performing a special 2-hour ritual, you can devour a humanoid heart to gain the following benefits for 1 week: • You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks. • You can cast the detect evil and good spell a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum once). You regain any expended uses after you finish a long rest. Prerequisite: You must be a warlock and must have chosen the Blasphemous Incantator archetype. Your appearance does not change as it normally would when you bind a demon or devil to your body (See Blasphemous Incantator). Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Stealth skill Your mastery in stealth now helps you hide as if you were a shadow yourself. There is nothing you need to hide behind because the shadows are always with you. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You can cast the darkness spell. You can use this spell twice, and you regain any expended uses after you finish a long rest. • While in the shadows, you can only be tracked through magical means. You carry the mark of an evil deity or another cosmic evil force. You gain advantage on Charisma (Deception and Persuasion) checks you make against evil creatures and have disadvantage on these checks you make against good creatures, if they see the mark. Also, your attacks deal an additional 1d6 necrotic damage to good-aligned creatures. Prerequisite: You must have the Sacrificial Mastery feat. You are capable of leading sacrificial rituals. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You can set up and lead a mass sacrifice. Up to 10 allies within 60 feet of you can make sacrifices according to your instructions, and grant or gain the benefits detailed in the Sacrificial Mastery feat as a result of the sacrifice. Prerequisite: Kartuki Your spikes harden, and turn to metal. This is a rare occasion for the Kartuki and is a sign of extraordinary circumstances, in a good or bad way. You gain the following benefits: • You gain an additional +1 bonus to AC with your Twisted Body feature. If you are a Flesh Kartuki, you also have Fiendish Contract Heart Collector Into the Darkness Hidden Possession Mark of Evil Mass Sacrificer Evil Paragon Metal Kartuki

108 advantage on Strength saving throws. • Bone spikes created by your Twisted Body feature are now metal spikes and deal 1d8 slashing or piercing damage instead of 1d6. If you are a Bone Kartuki, metal spikes deal 1d8 + your proficiency bonus damage instead of 1d8. Your spikes cannot be broken through nonmagical means. Your physical and spiritual existence gets closer to the ethereal world of ghosts, wraiths, and other creatures who can become incorporeal. This allows you to interact with such creatures while they are not completely in your plane. While doing so, you may become unresponsive to the events in your world or you may look as though you are focused on something invisible while interacting with them. You gain the following benefits: • You can attack or affect a creature that can cast spells or has other powers such as Etherealness or Incorporeal Movement even when it has not materialized on your plane. • You gain advantage on saving throws against possession, from ghosts or other undead creatures who can make incorporeal movements. Prerequisite: Proficiency with the Poisoner’s Kit You know how to make sure a poison affects a victim after a well-positioned attack. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • When you make a successful weapon attack that deals slashing or piercing damage using a poisoned weapon, and you surprise the target creature, that creature has disadvantage on saving throws against the effects of the poison. You are adept in sacrificing creatures to dark masters or entities. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • After investigating a sacrificial site in detail for 10 minutes, you can understand how many creatures were sacrificed, how many made the sacrifice, what spells were cast, and which tools were used. • You can perform a 30-minute ritual to sacrifice a creature. As a result, you can conjure the following effects: - You can give yourself or an ally within 15 feet of you a sense of bloodlust. The damage dealt by the affected creature’s melee weapon attack increases by 1, and the creature gains advantage on Strength and Constitution checks and saving throws for 1 hour. - You can regain an expended spell slot of a level equal to or lower than half of the sacrificed creature’s Hit Dice. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest to use it again. Prerequisite: Shadowkin Shadows grant you a pair of wings. These wings may look like shadowy smoke or pitch-black leather. You gain the following benefits: • Using a part of your movement, you can sprout wings or make them disappear as a part of your movement. With your shadow wings, you have a flying speed of 30 feet. • While you have your wings spread, you have advantage on your Charisma (Intimidation) checks. You are invigorated after killing your opponents. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Constitution or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can make one more weapon attack to another creature within 30 feet of you as a reaction. You love the sensation of pain. It provokes you, and it is an essential element of what keeps you going. Your body is covered with scars and you smile at every sign of agony, even if you are the one taking damage. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • When you take damage for the first time in an encounter, you gain advantage on the next attack roll you make within 1 minute. • After you finish a long rest, you gain 15 temporary hit points until the end of your next long rest or until you lose them all. This obsession with pain has a price. Once per day, you must harm yourself by dealing at least 5 damage to yourself. If you don’t, you have disadvantage on your Wisdom and Intelligence checks and saving throws for 24 hours. You are tormented by the spirit of someone close to you who died, or the spirit of someone you killed is damned, deprived of its afterlife, and is forced to haunt you by evil forces that you may or may not know. Shadow Wings Tormented Partially Ghost Poisoner Sacrifice Master Slaughterer Slave to Pain

109 Either way, the spirit haunts and torments you. It distracts you randomly. It can whisper meaningful or unintelligible words in your ear, or it can manifest, only being visible to your eyes, to distract you. • Increase your Charisma modifier by 1, to a maximum of 20. • When the spirit haunts you, you have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) and concentration checks. This spirit can haunt you 3 times in this way for a total of 1 minutes, before you finish a long rest. • As an action, you can force the spirit to manifest. It remains manifested for 1 minute after it has been called. The spirit has no physical properties. However, it can give you knowledge, reveal the location of traps, secret doors, or do other things of that nature. It can also grant you advantage on relevant skill checks, or you can ask for insight about a situation. After you use this benefit a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma Modifier (minimum of 1), you must finish a long rest to do so again. Prerequisite: Constitution 13 or higher You can eat any organic material that crosses your path and can gain sustenance from everything you eat. Also, you can eat four more times in 1 day than the members of your race can generally eat. Creatures with this feat may end up as cannibals. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You gain resistance to poison damage. • You gain advantage on saving throws against diseases and being poisoned. You are touched by the powers of darkness. As a result, you are both gifted and cursed. You can cast two 1st level spells that you can choose from the cleric or paladin spell lists even if you are not a spellcaster. The spells must be chosen when you take this feat and they cannot be changed afterwards. When you cast both spells once, you need to take a long rest to cast them again. Wisdom (for cleric spells) or Charisma (for paladin spells) is your spellcasting ability for these spells. However, shadows move strangely around you, light sources within 15 feet of you illuminate an area that is 5 feet smaller than they would normally, and you count as desecrated for the purposes of features such as Divine Sense. You are eager to take revenge from a creature that caused you harm. When a creature scores a critical hit, or when it makes a successful attack against you with an attack roll that has advantage, you can make a weapon attack against that creature as a reaction. Trash Gullet Unholy Existence Vengeful

111 ere you can find the rules about how to become a lich, a werewolf, or a vampire. Corpus Malicious approaches each of these well-known monster types in much detail, and it provides many alternatives for specialization. The way of transforming into each of these monsters is different. Yet usually, it involves getting the starting feat of one of them when the character has a chance to choose a feat (however, the GM can decide to bestow it sometime as a story boon). Each higher ability on top of that also is taken as feats on the following ability score improvement levels, if feats are used in your game. Lichdom is one of the most powerful forms of the undead. It takes away your life force and leaves behind a husk of a rotten body with empty eyes, and skeletal hands. However, it grants a whole new understanding of magic. Becoming a lich is the dream of spellcasters who wish to live longer and explore further. An extended lifespan can be used to become more powerful as it provides more time for research, study, and adventuring; especially if you do not spend time on sleep, food, drink or other mortal problems and pleasures. All powerful spellcasters can become liches; be they bards, clerics, druids, sorcerers, warlocks, witches or wizards. Each spellcaster who chooses to go through the transformation can have its own motivation to do so. For instance, a bard can lengthen its life with the desire to find the perfect tune, a faithful cleric may be granted lichdom from its dark deity who wishes to have an eternal servitor, a druid, especially a member of the Circle of Bones, may wish to understand the nature of the powerful undead, a sorcerer can become a lich to infuse the powers of the undead with its innate powers, a warlock can simply want more power, or a wizard can become a lich to bring more depth to their research and study. Unlike other types of the undead, a lich can return to life if its physical shell is broken (see below). This is, maybe, the greatest upside of becoming a lich. It can be offered by a dark power of death and undead, or it can be obtained with the creation ritual of a lich. This ritual is one of the most brutal methods ever discovered in the history of magic and concerns lots (and lots) of self-inflicted pain. Once a creature becomes a lich, it gains the Lichdom feat. Lichdom Prerequisite: The ability to cast spells of 6th level or higher You are a lich; one of the most powerful and frightening forms of the undead. The way in which you become a lich grants you magical knowledge and extends your understanding. When you ascend to lichdom, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 2, to a maximum of 21. If you have more than one spellcasting ability, you choose the ability by which you can cast spells of 6th or higher level and increase that. • You are now an undead. You do not require air, food, drink, or sleep to survive. • You have a special item in which your life force is stored. It has a value of 150,000 gold pieces or more, and geometrical carvings with magical properties. If you die on the same plane of existence as your special gem, your soul is drawn to it. Then, you are resurrected with all your hit points as a lich 1d6 days later. • Necrotic energies keep your body intact. Also, these energies keep the bond between your rotten shell and your soul intact. However, these energies slowly leave H Lichdom, Lycanthropy, and Vampirism Lichdom Casting Time: 8 hours Components: An item decorated with a special gem with geometric carvings and a written magical inscription on it. The gem should be worth at least 150,000 gold pieces. A piercing or slashing weapon is also required. The weapon should be cursed, either indicated by profane writings carved directly on it or on scroll pieces that are somehow attached to the weapon. These writings can include prayers to dark deities, demon lords, or archdevils, as well as arcane marks of complex necromancy. Requirements: The ritual must be conducted by the creature who wants to become a lich and this creature must be able to cast spells of 6th level or higher. Duration: Permanent First of all, the weapon should be cursed by profane words, either carved on it or inscribed on separate scroll pieces. These inscriptions could be prayers to dark deities, demon lords, or archdevils; they could also be arcane marks of complex necromancy. The special weapon described above is placed in front of the future lich. For the next 8 hours, this creature slowly cuts off its own body parts. The parts that were cut die and rot within hours. The life force stored in those parts is transferred into the special gem and stored in it. After the 8-hour ritual, the entire body of the creature that performed the ritual dies, although it is not destroyed. It becomes nothing but a physical shell containing the soul of the creature who has become a lich. Creation Ritual of a Lich - Life Storing

112 you through time and should be renewed. At the end of each year, you need to murder 6 humanoid creatures by performing a special, slow ritual of 8 hours. During the ritual, you cut the body parts of the humanoids with a cursed blade and slowly absorb their life energies. If you do not perform this ritual, your hit point maximum is lowered by 20 until you conduct it at the end of each year. This reduction cannot be prevented by any means short of a wish spell. Master of Cold Prerequisite: Lichdom Death is cold and you have experienced it first-hand. You can cast spells that have to do with cold to perfection. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • The cold damage you deal with spells ignores resistance. Harbinger of Cold Prerequisite: Lichdom The cold of death has your existence as well as your magical powers in the palm of its hand. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • You gain resistance to cold damage. • All your spells that deal damage deal an additional 1d6 cold damage. This damage increases to 2d6 at 15th level. • You can choose to change the type of damage dealt by a spell to cold damage. Grimoire of The Frozen Life Prerequisite: Lichdom, Harbinger of Cold, Master of Cold The sensation of cold that you experience in death, as well as your studies conducted on the cold, reveal secret pieces of knowledge to you. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 25. • The cone of cold and ice storm spells are added to your spell list. You always have these spells prepared and they do not count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. You can cast these spells by using your 3rd level spell slots. Frozen Lich Prerequisite: Lichdom, Master of Cold When you choose this feat, the cold fills your undead body and soul, the gaps in your rotten body and between your broken bones are filled with icy pieces. Once you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • Your spell save DC and spell attack modifier increases by 2 for your spells that deal cold damage. Still, such powerful powers come at a price and cause the following flaw: Cold Hearted. Your connection with the concept of mortality, mortal pleasures and relations weaken even more. You have disadvantage on your Wisdom (Insight) and Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, Performance and Persuasion) checks. You also lose your proficiency bonus for each of these skills with which you are proficient. Master of Undead Prerequisite: Lichdom Thanks to your studies following your transformation, you discovered methods to create new forms of the undead. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • The animate fallen* and conjure mana devourer* spells are added to your spell list. You always have these spells prepared and they do not count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. Ruler of Undead Prerequisite: Lichdom, Master of Undead You are a master at creating and commanding the undead. You are now their rightful ruler. When you gain this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Your spells and magical effects that can be used to create an undead or a group of undead can affect an additional target creature. • Your spells or magical effects that can be used to charm, frighten, or paralyze an undead or a group of undead can affect an additional target creature. If the effect does not specify the number of targets, then its range is doubled. Master of Death Prerequisite: Lichdom You are one of the most powerful types of undead and death flows through you. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • The necrotic damage you deal with spells cannot be lowered by resistance to necrotic damage. Rotten Lich Prerequisite: Lichdom, Master of Death Putrid energies flow through you. As your physical shell decays, your spells grow in power. Once you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • Your spell save DC and spell attack modifier increase by 2 for your spells that deal necrotic damage. Rotten Existence. You constantly smell of rot. Maggots and other vermin live inside you and crawl all over your body. All plant life within 10 feet of you withers away, slowly. All of

113 these things cause you to be tracked more easily. Harbinger of Death Prerequisite: Lichdom The necrotic energies that transformed you into a lich formed a bond with your soul as well. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • You gain resistance to necrotic damage. • All your spells that deal damage deal an additional 1d6 necrotic damage. This damage increases to 2d6 at 15th level. • You can change the damage type of a spell to necrotic damage. Messenger of Death Prerequisite: Lichdom You deliver a deadly message through a special attack. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • You gain the ability to make the Message of Death attack. It is a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet and it deals 1d6 cold plus 1d6 necrotic damage. Note that this is not a spell and therefore cannot be affected by feats such as Master of Cold and Harbinger of Death. Right Hand of Death Prerequisite: Lichdom, Messenger of Death You are so intricately connected to death that even your touch is deadly to most creatures. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • You gain the ability to attack with Paralyzing Touch. It is a melee spell attack that deals 3d6 cold damage. On a hit, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus) or is paralyzed for 1 minute. A paralyzed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. Putrid Grimoire Prerequisite: Lichdom, Harbinger of Death, Master of Death You have mastered the art of necromancy by combining the knowledge you acquired through your magical studies with your unnatural understanding of life and death. When you gain this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 25. • The detonate corpse* and consume flesh* spells are added to your spell list. You always have these spells prepared and they do not count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. Enhanced Physical Existence Prerequisite: Lichdom, Constitution 13 or higher Your physical shell is enhanced by necrotic energies that actively sustain it, providing you the following benefits: • You gain resistance to poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. • You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned and exhausted. These resistances and advantages are replaced with immunity at 15th level. Necrotic Will Prerequisite: Lichdom, Wisdom or Charisma 13 or higher The barrier of your mind is hard to penetrate, as it is protected by your putrid existence. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, and paralyzed. These advantages are replaced with immunity at 15th level. Standing Against Faith Prerequisite: Lichdom You know how to handle the powers of faith as an undead. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. Lich of The Sands Prerequisite: Lichdom You are one of the most feared spellcasters in the vast sands of endless deserts. You embody their nature and use them to your own advantage. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • You can transform into a sandstorm along with everything you are wearing and carrying for 1 minute. The effect ends if you drop to 0 hit points. While in this form, your only method of movement is flying, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. You can enter and occupy the space that is occupied by another creature. You have resistance to damage from nonmagical attacks, and disadvantage on Strength saving throws. You can easily pass through small holes, narrow openings, and even small cracks on surfaces. However, liquid surfaces count as solid for you. You can’t fall; you remain hovering in the air even when stunned or otherwise incapacitated. While in the form of a sandstorm, you can’t talk or manipulate objects, and you (or any other creature) can’t drop, use, or otherwise interact with any objects you were carrying or holding before the transformation. You can’t attack or cast spells. • You gain the ability to attack creatures with Desiccating Touch which makes the bodily fluids of a creature desiccate and burns it. Desiccating Touch is a melee spell attack and it deals 3d6 fire damage plus 2d6 necrotic damage.

114 Scarab Lady/Lord Prerequisite: Lichdom, Lich of The Sands While a scarab symbolizes the divine manifestation of the sun that burns above the scorching deserts, you symbolize the cold, dark and rotten part of it. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your spellcasting ability score by 1, to a maximum of 23. • You can summon a blood scarab swarm (p.242). Once you use this benefit, you must finish a long rest to use it again. • You can transform into a blood scarab swarm as if you were transformed with the polymorph spell. Once you use this benefit, you must finish a long rest to use it again. Desert King/Queen Prerequisite: Lichdom, Lich of The Sands, Scarab Lady/Lord You were transformed somewhere in the vast planes of sand and your magical abilities are enhanced when you are somewhere familiar. When you choose this feat, you gain the following benefits: • While you are in deserts, your spells that deal fire and necrotic damage ignore resistance to these damage types. • While you are in deserts, your spells that can create undead, such as animate dead, can create an additional undead.

115 There are many different types of wild and savage animals in nature. They are feared by all others as they constitute the predator side of nature. Sometimes, the savagery of such animals, mostly wolves, are transferred to another creature. Such creatures are afflicted with lycanthropy. It is a disease that is seen as a gift by some, and a curse by others. Lycanthropy unveils the brutality, frenzy, and savagery within you. Savagery becomes an addiction and you begin to relish in the sensation of ripping your enemies apart with your bare claws, and gnawing at their bones with your razor-sharp teeth. Especially during full moons, you are driven into a form of frenzy, which you find almost impossible to resist. The affliction can be passed on to you by your parents. You can be afflicted by another lycanthrope’s bite or lycanthropy can be bestowed upon you by a more powerful being. Some lycanthropes search for a cure while others embrace it, and even start to worship deities of brutality, destruction, lycanthropy or others of a similar nature. Once you are afflicted, you gain the Lycanthropy feat. You can have this as a feat or your Game Master may choose to grant it to you as a boon. Disease: Lycanthropy. Not everyone contacts lycanthropy willingly. There are also many victims who fall to this disease and become werewolves. As a disease, lycanthropy has an incubation period of two weeks. During this time, you have the chance to remove it with a greater restoration, or a similar higher level spell that restores your body. If you do not have access to such spells, you can prolong the incubation period for an additional week with a lesser restoration spell, or two weeks with a remove curse spell. Lycanthropy Prerequisite: Affliction of lycanthropy A gift for some, a curse for others. One way or another, you have been afflicted with lycanthropy. Now, a beast living inside you is always waiting for an opportunity to come out. It is quite difficult to tame this monster. As a lycanthrope, you gain the following benefits: Wild up. Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20. Shapechanger. As an action, you can polymorph into a wolf, a hybrid form, or back into your normal form. When you transform, none of your statistics change, except for the changes stated in your forms. You revert to your true form if you drop to 0 hit points. Keen Hearing and Smell. You have an advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. You also have the following flaws: Full Moon’s Fury. When there is a full moon, you cannot fully control the beast inside you. To fight the urge to transform, you must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, you succumb to your senses, and transform into your hybrid form. When you transform, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or lose control, attacking any creature within 30 feet of you for 1 minute. Raw Meat Addiction. Because of your animalistic instincts, you can only eat raw meat. If you cannot eat for one day, you must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or lose control and attack the nearest creature. The DC of this saving throw increases by 1 for each consecutive day you fail to eat raw, bloody meat. Lycanthropy HYBRID FORM You will grow sharper teeth as well as claws, and you will grow fur all over your body. While in this form, you can cast spells and speak, and have the following traits: Ability Increase. Your Strength or Dexterity, and Constitution, scores increase by 2. Bite. You can bite a creature by making a melee WOLF FORM This form is the expression of the wolf within you. Your whole body transforms into the shape of the beast. You cannot speak or cast spells while in this form, but have the following traits: Agile Beast. Your speed increases to 40 feet. Bite. You can bite a creature by making a melee weapon attack against it. You can use Strength or Dexterity as your ability for this attack. On a hit, you deal 1d10 + your ability modifier amount of piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or is cursed with lycanthropy. Blood Trail. You can trace the smell of blood within 60 feet of you. Natural Armor. Your AC becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier. weapon attack against it. You can use Strength or Dexterity as your ability for this attack. On a hit, you deal 1d8 + your ability modifier amount of piercing damage. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be cursed with lycanthropy. Claw. You can claw a creature by making a melee weapon attack against it. You can use Strength or Dexterity as your ability for this attack. On a hit, you deal 2d4 + your ability modifier amount of slashing damage. Resistance. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks made with weapons that aren’t silvered.

116 Wolf Regeneration Prerequisite: Lycanthropy, Constitution 15 or higher, Beast Endurance Werewolves are rumored to be able to close their wounds immediately after they are inflicted. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to close your wound, reducing the damage by 1d8, which becomes 1d10 when you reach 11th level, and 1d12 when you reach 17th level. You cannot benefit from this feat if the damage is inflicted by a silvered weapon. Overgrown Hybrid Prerequisite: Lycanthropy You grow larger when you transform into your hybrid form. While in hybrid form, you are one size larger than your original size and gain the following benefits: • You deal an additional 1d4 damage of the relevant type with your bite and claw attacks. • Your weight is doubled. • Your reach increases by 5 feet. Vicious Wolf Prerequisite: Lycanthropy You fully manifest the viciousness of lycanthropy, overwhelming your instincts with those of the beast. You gain the following benefits: Pack Tactics. You have advantage on your attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and that ally isn’t incapacitated. Frightening Growl. While a creature is making a melee attack against you, you can use your reaction to growl at the creature viciously. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or is frightened of you for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a short rest. Alpha Prerequisite: Lycanthropy, Call Pack, Beast Frenzy, Vicious Wolf The Alphas are the leaders and the protectors of a pack. They hear and feel most of what happens in their pack. These features are what makes them natural-born leaders. It also provides extra benefits for its pack members. As an Alpha, you gain the following benefits: Lycanthropic Strikes. Your disease manifests itself in your bite and claw attacks, dealing an additional 2d4 poison damage. If a target creature takes 7 or more poison damage from a single attack, it is poisoned. Improved Affliction. The DC of the curse of lycanthropy infected by your bite attack increases by 4. Pack Instincts. Lycanthropy can dominate instincts, or take advantage of them. You form a bond with a number of creatures equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum one) and your instincts partially merge with theirs. By making a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check while within 1 mile of each other, you can sense and instinctively understand the thoughts and emotions of your pack. Your pack can’t feel or understand the thoughts and emotions of one another in this way; this bond only exists between you and your pack members. Improved Tactics. While you are within 5 feet of a creature and are not incapacitated, your allies within 30 feet of you have advantage on their weapon and spell attacks against the creature. Beast Endurance Prerequisite: Lycanthropy, Constitution 13 or higher As a werewolf, you are more resilient than both humanoids and beasts. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered in all your forms. Hardened Skin Prerequisite: Lycanthropy, Beast Endurance, Constitution 15 or higher As a werewolf, your skin becomes more and more protective as you grow. You have immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered in all your forms. Lunar Strikes Prerequisite: Lycanthropy Your connection to the moon grants you supernatural powers and strengthens your strikes with its essence. Your bite and claw attacks count as magical. Beast Frenzy Prerequisite: Lycanthropy, Vicious Wolf You lose yourself in a beast’s rage, wishing for and thinking of nothing but the destruction of your foes. When you get into this frenzy, as a bonus action, you gain the following benefits: • You deal an additional die of the damage type of your bite or claw attack against creatures that are below their hit point maximum. • You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and frightened. • If you reduce a creature’s hit points to 0, you can use your reaction to attack another creature within reach. You cannot cast spells or concentrate on them while in frenzy. Once you use this feature for a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier in hybrid form, you must finish a long rest to use it again. The frenzy lasts for 1 minute. Call Pack Prerequisite: Lycanthropy Call Pack. As an action, you can summon wolves as an action. They are a reflection of the beast within you. As you

117 grow in power, this reflection becomes more powerful as well. You can call forth a wolf at 1st level, two wolves at 5th level, a dire wolf at 9th level, a winter wolf at 13th level, and two winter wolves at 17th level. These wolves can understand you. They fight with you until you die. They leave your side when you are unconscious or when you return to your humanoid form. Wolf Instincts Prerequisite: Lycanthropy You can rely on the wolf within you, and become a dangerous predator while in your wolf form. As a result, you gain the following benefits: • Increase your Dexterity or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and Wisdom (Survival) checks while tracking. Best of Both Worlds Prerequisite: Lycanthropy, Overgrown Hybrid You develop your lycanthropy in such a way that you gain the best traits of both of your forms. You gain the following benefits: • Your AC becomes 12 + your Dexterity modifier when you are transformed into your hybrid form. • By performing a 2-hour ritual, you choose a weapon and wash it with the blood of your enemies. As a result, you form a bond with your chosen weapon, and when you transform into your hybrid form, its size increases by one category, just as yours does. An enlarged weapon deals an additional 1d8 damage of its damage type (if the weapon deals more than 1 type of damage, only damage in the following types can increase: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing). You can only have one such weapon at a time. • Your lycanthropic nature does not impose any disadvantage or give any penalty to your Charisma (Deception), Charisma (Persuasion) checks or any other social checks.

118 Vampires are undead who have been cursed with an addiction for blood. They are immortal and quite hard to destroy, but they live a life filled with destructive urges and addiction. They can drink the blood of their victims by biting them, and they develop other supernatural powers that are relevant to their vampirism. They are nocturnal creatures and they die in the sunlight, and the touch of running water harms them. Vampires are often creatures of scheming. Because they have existed for centuries, they dwell in the politics of mortals and make pawns of them for their selfish interests. They do so for several reasons: Some vampires use politics to cultivate their livestock. Other vampires simply cannot leave their mortal lives behind. While others, as immortals, see themselves as the rightful and eternal monarchs of the lands they inhabit. Vampires have evil tendencies, and most of them are psychopaths and sadists, who see humanoids as nothing more than a source of refreshment and nutrition. Curse of Vampirism Vampirism is a curse that is transferred from a vampire to a victim. As a Game Master, you can choose from the following conditions to determine how a humanoid becomes a vampire: • The curse may take effect after a vampire bleeds a victim dry and then offers its own blood to the victim to turn it into a vampire. • The vampire bites a victim and the victim dies. The curse takes effect after death, and the victim rises as a vampire. • The curse slowly turns the victim into a vampire after it is bitten. The vampire rises up after a painful process that takes 1d4 hours. • The curse takes effect as a result of a powerful spell. You can use whichever method works best for your game; just as you can use the choices above as inspiration to devise other methods as well. Vampirism Prerequisite: Curse of vampirism One way or another, you have somehow been afflicted by vampirism. You realize that you are cursed; your heart is not beating, you do not feel the need to breathe, and you crave blood. As a vampire, you gain the following benefits: Bite. You can use your action to bite a creature as a melee weapon attack after you grapple it. You can use either Strength or Dexterity as your ability for this attack. On a hit, you deal 1d6 + your ability modifier amount of piercing damage, plus 2d6 necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken and you regain 1 blood point. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. You cannot inflict the additional necrotic damage, nor can you gain a blood point, if the target is immune to piercing damage from non-magical attacks. This is also the case if the target is a construct, elemental, ooze, plant, or undead. Blood Points. As a vampire, you have blood points which you can expend to use your vampiric abilities. Your blood points are equal to your level + your proficiency bonus. You can only regain blood points by drinking blood. When you drink 32 ounces of blood (which is equal to what you drink with a Bite attack), you regain 1 blood point. If you are full, and drink more blood, you throw up the excess. You can use your blood points to use your vampiric abilities mentioned below. Vampiric Healing. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 blood point to regain 1d6 hit points, which increases by 1d6 for each additional vampirism feat that you have. Darkvision. You have darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. Spider Climb. As a bonus action, you can expend 1 blood point to climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check for 1 minute. Vampiric Resistance. You have resistance to necrotic damage as well as bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. Vampiric Traits. You are an undead and you don’t have to breathe, eat, or drink to survive. You only need to drink blood, the details of which are described below. When you fail 3 death saves or suffer 6 levels of exhaustion, you don’t die but rather fall into an Endless Sleep. You have the following flaws: Blood Addiction. You must drink blood to quench your vampiric thirst. Every night that you wake up, you do so having automatically lost 2 blood points. If you drop to 5 blood points, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion and 1 more for every blood point you spend beyond that. You suffer the effects of level 6 exhaustion (Endless Sleep) when you drop 0 blood points. Additionally, the more deprived you are of blood points, the more unbearable your vampiric urges become. You must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 20 - current blood points) every time you are within one of the following circumstances: • In sight of a humanoid • In sight/smell of blood (DC increases by 2) • In sight of an open, bleeding wound (DC increases by 4) On a failed save, you find it very hard to resist your vampiric urges and have disadvantage on your ability checks, and Intelligence and Wisdom saving throws. If you fail by a difference of 5 or more, you get into a blood frenzy in which you must attack the source that triggered your urges. This state of urge or frenzy passes in 1 hour, or when you drink at least 1 blood point. Harmed by Running Water. You take 20 acid damage if you end your turn in running water. Sunlight Hypersensitivity. You take 20 radiant damage if you start your turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. This feat can be taken as a feat, or the Game Master may grant it to you as a boon resulting from an event. Vampirism

119 ENDLESS SLEEP When you fall into an endless sleep, you cannot wake up until someone pours blood down your throat. If you are burned or some form of a wooden stake is driven through your heart while you are in your endless sleep, you are destroyed. Vampiric Regeneration Prerequisite: Vampirism, Constitution 13 or higher You know how to mend your undead flesh. You regain a number of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus at the start of each of your turns if you have at least 1 hit point and aren’t in sunlight or running water. If you take radiant damage or damage from holy water, this benefit doesn’t function at the start of your next turn. The number of hit points regenerated with this feat on each turn increases to 10 when you reach 11th level. Weakness to Light. However, your ability to heal your undead flesh does not change the fact that your vampiric curse grows inside you, affecting you more and more. You take an additional 3 radiant damage whenever you take radiant damage. Leecher Prerequisite: Vampiric Regeneration, Constitution 13 or higher You know how to leech blood from the wounds you inflict on your enemies. When you spill blood, you can use your vampiric powers and use some of the blood spilled to sustain yourself. After you make a successful weapon attack that deals piercing or slashing damage, you regain a blood point as if you made a Bite attack. If you score a critical hit with such a weapon attack, you regain 2 blood points instead. Unlike the Bite attack, you cannot use these blood points to regain hit points as a bonus action at the same turn you gained them. Opposing Faith Prerequisite: Vampirism As an undead, you know how to stand against the powers of faith. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. Vampiric Charm Prerequisite: Vampirism, Charisma 13 or higher You know how to use your vampiric powers to bewitch your victims. You learn the friends cantrip, and you can Charm a target as described below: Charm. As an action, you spend 4 blood points and target one humanoid that you can see within 30 feet of you. If the target can see you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be charmed by you. The charmed target sees you to be a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under your control, it tries to fulfill your requests in a way that is most favorable to you, and it is a willing target for your bite attack. Each time you or your companions harm the target in any way, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until you are destroyed, are on a different plane of existence than the target, or use a bonus action to end the effect. You can only have 1 humanoid charmed in this way at a time. When you charm another humanoid while another humanoid is still charmed by you, the first one you had charmed breaks free from the effect. Forbiddance. Your vampiric curse limits your interaction with mortals if you develop this feature: You cannot enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants. Vampiric Entrancement Prerequisite: Vampiric Charm You develop your social powers further and gain the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • A humanoid charmed by your Charm ability has disadvantage on saving throws against this effect. Additionally, you can also use your Charm on a humanoid that has been charmed for more than 24 hours to prolong the duration of the effect to 1 week. • The maximum number of humanoids that can remain charmed by you is equal to your Charisma modifier + your number of vampiric feats (minimum one). Vampiric Enslavement Prerequisite: Vampiric Entrancement You become a master at using your vampiric powers to entrance people, and you gain the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • After a creature spends one week charmed by you, you can use your Charm again on the target at the end of the week. This time, the humanoid has disadvantage on the Wisdom saving throw that it makes to break free from the effect, and is permanently charmed by you on a failed saving throw. Variant: Duskwalker A vampire can only be active in the nighttime since sunlight is quite lethal for it. As this is a game usually played with a party of characters, a necessity for one of the characters to stay inactive during the day may slow the pace of your adventure or campaign. As a GM, if you are concerned about such a thing happening, you can change Sunlight Hypersensitivity to Vulnerability To Radiant Damage instead, and let the character have sufficient protection from the sunlight if it wears heavy clothing or is within a darkened room.

120 Vampiric Blood Magic Prerequisite: Vampirism, Charisma 13 or higher You study the depths of your vampiric nature and learn how to use your blood to create magical effects. When you take this feat, you learn a number of spells of 3rd level or lower from the Sorcerer spell list, equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one). You can cast these spells by expending a number of blood points equal to the spell’s level. Your Spell Save DC and Spell attack modifier for blood magic are calculated as follows: Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Fire Vulnerability. Learning vampiric blood magic comes at a price, and mutates your curse into an even more harmful one; you have vulnerability to fire damage. Blood Magic Adept Prerequisite: Vampiric Blood Magic You become adept in vampiric blood magic. You learn an additional number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one) from the Sorcerer spell list. These spells must be of 5th level or lower. You can cast these spells by expending a number of blood points equal to the spell’s level. Rapid Movement Prerequisite: Vampirism, Dexterity 13 or higher You can use your vampiric agility to move in the glimpse of an eye. By spending blood points equal to 10 - your Dexterity modifier, you can take an additional action on your turn, or an additional reaction. Unholy Predator Prerequisite: Vampirism, Constitution 13 or higher You learn about your bestial side and become a predator of the night. You gain the following benefits: Claws. Your claws grow and you can attack with them. You can use Strength or Dexterity for this attack, and your claws count as a light weapon. On a hit, you deal slashing damage in an amount equal to 2d4 plus your ability modifier. Predator’s Blood Magic. You also learn how to use your vampiric powers to make other predators do your bidding. You can cast the animal friendship and speak with animals spells by spending 1 blood point. Starting at 6th level, you can also cast barkskin this way, and at 7thlevel, conjure animals (bats, rats, and wolves), both by spending 3 blood points. Urge for Blood. As your power grows, your vampiric curse grows with it, making your vampiric urges stronger and therefore harder to bear. The saving throw DC for your Blood Addiction trait increases by 2. Unholy Shapeshifter Prerequisite: Unholy Predator When you take this feat, you discover the supernatural secrets of vampiric shapeshifting and you become a shapechanger. As an action, you can shapeshift into a tiny bat, a swarm of bats, or a mist. Your Game Master has the statistics of bat and swarm of bats. You can still drink blood and regain hit points from your bite attacks. While in the forms of the beasts mentioned above, you retain your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, but your Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores, as well as your hit points, become that of the beast you transformed into. You also retain your saving throws, skills, and proficiency bonus. Anything you are wearing also transforms with you. If you drop to 0 hit points in one of these forms, you transform back to your normal shape instead, taking the rest of the damage that would be inflicted on you if you didn’t drop to 0 hit points. If you transform into a mist, you can’t take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. You are weightless, have a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature’s space and stay there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without squeezing, and you can’t pass through water. You have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and you are immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage you take from sunlight. Fade into Mist Prerequisite: Unholy Shapeshifter By performing a special 1-hour ritual, you bind yourself to the soil of your unholy sovereignty by spilling your blood on the earth. When you do so, you gain the following benefit: Place of Rest. You bind yourself to a place of rest. It can be a coffin in a room, a grave with soil covering you, or somewhere else that is similar. If you sleep anywhere aside from this place, you wake up having lost 3 blood points and having suffered 3 levels of exhaustion. Once you bind yourself to a place, you cannot change it unless it is destroyed by someone other than you. Fade into Mist. When you drop to 0 hit points outside your resting place, you transform into a cloud of mist (as in the Unholy Shapeshifter feat) instead of falling unconscious, provided that you aren’t in sunlight or under running water. You have 0 hit points while in mist form, you can’t revert to your vampire form and you must reach your resting place Nature of Vampiric Charm A vampire’s charm is different compared to other sources of this condition. Vampiric charm cannot be detected by magical means. Still, no matter if the charm is temporary or permanent, a vampiric charm can be undone like a regular charm by the use of a greater restoration spell, or by destroying the vampire who charmed the victim.

121 within 24 hours or are destroyed. Once in your resting place, you revert to your vampire form. You then fall into an Endless Sleep. After spending 1 hour in your resting place with 0 hit points, you regain 1 hit point and wake up. Vampiric Adaptation Prerequisite: Vampirism You adapt the ways of your class into your new existence. Depending on your character class, you gain one of the following benefits on top of your class features: Vampire Barbarian. Your Rage becomes Blood Rage; you can spend blood points to increase your damage by 2 for each blood point spent. Also, as a bonus action, you can spend 1 blood point to prolong your rage for 1 round. Vampire Bard. Your Bardic Inspiration becomes Vampiric Inspiration; you can expend 4 blood points to regain 1 use of your Bardic Inspiration. Vampire Cleric. Your faith does not leave you even in your bloody path. You become immune to any effect that turns undead. Vampire Druid. As your connection with nature is not lost even if you lost your life, you do not have the Harmed by Running Water and Sunlight Hypersensitivity flaws while you are in your Wild Shape. Vampire Fighter. Your instincts to survive in combat passes on to your new nature. You can use Second Wind an additional time by spending 3 blood points. Vampire Monk. You realize blood carries the Ki. You can convert 3 blood points to 1 Ki point. This conversion does not take any action. Vampire Paladin. You link your faith to your bloody nature; you can use your Lay on Hands as Siphon Blood, which lets you convert 5 points from your Lay on Hands pool to 1 blood point drawn when you touch a creature, decreasing hit point maximum of the target by 1 for each blood point drawn this way. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. Vampire Ranger. You carry your ranger training into your bloody hunt. You can draw twice the blood points with your bite attack from your favored enemy. Vampire Rogue. You become an expert of hunting mortals by surprise. When you use your bite as a sneak attack, the target’s hit point maximum decreases by an additional amount equal to the bonus damage of the sneak attack. Vampire Sorcerer. Drawing your magical power from blood, you can convert 3 blood points to 1 Sorcery point. This conversion does not take any action. Vampire Warlock. You can use your blood to enhance your bestown powers, regaining 1 spell slot by spending blood points equal to the Slot Level + 3 as a bonus action. Vampire Witch. You can use your familiar as a blood brood. It can make a bite attack with your attack bonus. Its bite attack is identical to yours except it deals 1 piercing plus 1d4 necrotic damage on a successful hit. Vampire Wizard. You discover the Rite of Planar Vitality, which you can perform during your Arcane Recovery and transform arcane energy around you into blood within. You regain a number of blood points equal to half your wizard level (rounded up). Highborn Vampire Prerequisite: Vampirism You realize that you were converted by an elder vampire and thus you are a highborn vampire. Your maximum blood points increases by a number equal to the number of vampirism feats you have (including this feat). This does not stack with the Potency of Blood feature of the Vampire Master feat. Vampire Master Prerequisite: Vampirism, 3 additional vampirism feats You fully understand the nature of your vampirism and you’ve experienced your undeath long enough. You are now a respected vampire among your kind, and are held in high regard as a powerful figure. You gain the following benefits: Creator of Highborn Vampires. As your blood is much more potent than other vampires, a creature you convert into a vampire becomes a highborn vampire with the Highborn Vampire feat. Potency of Blood. Your blood becomes stronger; your maximum blood points increases by a number equal to the number of vampirism feats you have (including this one). Potent Healing. You can heal yourself more effectively using your blood. The amount of hit points you can regain using your Vampiric Healing benefit increases by an additional 1d6. Unholy Domination. Creatures within 15 feet of you are overwhelmed by your unholy potency, and have disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed and frightened by you. This domination also has its downsides; you become the manifestation of your evil nature and have the following flaw: True Nature’s Dread. Your evil becomes absolute and you cannot be redeemed by any means. It is also impossible for you to hide your evil and vampiric nature. VAMPIRE MINIONS As a vampire, you can create other vampires, but their nature and health depend on the potency of your blood. If you try to create a young and weak vampire, there is a risk that you may create a vampire abomination (p.287). These creatures are vampires whose minds and bodies couldn’t handle the transformation well and who became half-feral as a result. If you convert a character into a vampire and it becomes a vampire abomination, it suffers a permanent -2 penalty to its Wisdom score and 2 permanent indefinite madness effects. The risk of creating such an abomination is 75% if you only possess 1 vampirism feat, which decreases by 25% for each additional vampirism feat you possess.

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123 Some acts leave their trace, and one is constantly reminded of them as soon as one’s head touches the pillow to go to sleep at night. Such acts, if they are evil, give you different essences, the type of which is based on the nature of the act. Murdering the innocent for no reason, working for a devil to grow in power, or animating the dead in holy ground all concern a different aspect of evil and thus grant you different essences. When you commit certain acts, a ripple that moves along the forces of the universe is created, marking your location and attracting the attention of evil forces. According to the act’s power and type, they grant you some gifts, and curses alike. Everything comes at a price, after all… Every time you commit such acts, you make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 10, 15, or 20 (depending on whether the act was minor, major, or ultimate evil). On a failed save, your soul is tainted, and you gain 1, 2, or 3 points of degenerating essence. If you commit several acts at the same time, you roll for the one that was the most intense. Every time you gain 5 points of essence of the same type, you gain a gift, and a curse. These gifts and curses are chosen randomly by rolling a d20 for each. Types of degeneration, acts that are relevant to them, and their respective effects, are listed below. Death is the final verdict. Whether you were a king or slave, rich or poor, a wizard or a fighter in life, it claims you in the end, just the same. Since ancient times, there have been people who show their respect to death, who accept it as a religion, and who try to understand it in its entirety. For some, death becomes an obsession. Some want to use its powers, some fear it, some want to become death itself, and some others want to defeat it. For some others, quite simply, the length of life is not enough. Those who find life to be too short delve into the depths of necromancy. They walk through the cold halls of death and return in ways that are most profane, aiming to use its unholy powers. Although using the powers of necromancy is not necessarily and inherently evil, one cannot deny the existence of those who use it for the purposes of evil. The souls of those who use necromancy for evil become rotten, and this is reflected in their body, either in the form of skin that is chilly to the touch, or of rotting body parts. Sins of Rotten Essence You can always create new acts and determine whether they are Minor, Major, or Ultimate sins. The table above is just a short example and is created to be a guideline for both GMs and players. Gifts of Rotten Essence 1. Animal Form You gain the ability to transform, as an action, into one of the following animals who generally live in graves: rat, crow, or snake. You retain all your statistics except for your speed, which is replaced with that of the particular animal you transform into. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying is also transformed. You can revert to your normal form as an action. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. 2. Draining Curse You gain the ability to curse a creature you can see within 30 feet, as an action. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw at the stroke of each midnight or its hit point maximum starts to decrease by 5. The curse can be removed by casting the remove curse or greater restoration spells. Also, this reduction of maximum hit points lasts until egeneration is a system that explains the corruption of the soul and shows that it is reflected both on the body and on the soul. It can be thought of as the damage the soul takes. Just as different damage types have different effects, since corruption, too, can come from different sources, their effects are also different. Evil has many faces and they all introduce a different aspect of evil. D Casting a 6th or lower level evil necromancy spell Minor Defiling a grave Minor Casting a 7th or higher level evil necromancy spell Major Defiling the resting place of a cleric or paladin Major Becoming an intelligent undead Ultimate Defiling the grave of a good cleric or paladin Ultimate Degenerations & Degenerating Essences Rotten Essence ALIGNMENT CHANGES GM TIP: You can shift the alignment of a character when they gain 5 points of essences. According to the act committed, you can shift the alignment to evil, and sometimes towards lawful or chaotic. However, if the character commits an act of ultimate evil, you may choose to shift it more than one step.

124 the target finishes a long rest after the curse is removed. Once you use this gift, you must finish a short or long rest to use it again. 3. Food Corruption As an action, you can poison up to 45 pounds of food or 30 gallons of water within 30 feet of you. Those who consume them must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or fall asleep for 1 hour, or until they take damage. 4. Frightening Aura Your very existence frightens your puny enemies, reminding them of their deepest, darkest fears. As an action, you can emanate an aura of fear. Creatures within 10 feet of you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or are frightened until the end of their next turn. Once you use this gift, you must finish a short or long rest to use it again. The range of this aura can be increased by other features or gifts. 5. Health of Unlife Your hit point maximum increases by 1 for every hit dice you have. This increase is also valid for a new hit dice you gain. For example, if you have 3 Hit Dice, your hit point maximum increases by 3, and when you gain another Hit Dice, your hit point maximum increases by 1 more. 6. Ignored by Undead Your face, aura, smell, the entirety of your existence, reminds others of undead creatures. An undead creature must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or cannot attack you. 7. Necromancy Enmity You gain advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects of necromancy school. 8. Painful Touch Once per long rest, you can make a melee spell attack against a creature, using your Charisma score as spellcasting ability. On a hit, the target’s entire flesh decays, and it gains vulnerability to necrotic damage for 1 minute. 9. Perceive the Living You can sense the smell of fresh blood, meat and torn skin, and you can hear the heartbeat of a living creature within 60 feet of you. 10. Power Over Dead You can use the animate dead spell. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to do so again. 11. Profane Recovery You gain power over the necrotic energies that create an undead. You can use your action to destroy an undead creature that you created and regain 1d10 hit points. This gift also has you regain 1d4 hit points when you use your action to kill an undead creature you did not create. The undead must be within 30 feet of you. 12. Rotten Vision One of your eyes decays with an instant surge of necrotic energies, becomes rotten and leaves an empty hole behind. With the magical residue left behind, you can use the detect evil & good and detect magic spells twice in total, and must finish a long rest before you can cast them again, as a part of this gift. However, you also have disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks related to sight. 13. Shadow Form As a reaction, you can cover yourself with cold and dead shadows. When you do so, you gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks until the end of your next turn. 14. Skull Scry You can prepare the skull of an animal or humanoid to be able to see out of its empty eye-sockets when it is within 100 feet of you. This preparation takes 1 hour, and consists of covering the skull with dirt and forming a bond between you and the skull. Although you can have more than 1 skull prepared, you can see from only one of them at a time. 15. Slowing Gaze When you gain this gift, your eyes turn icy blue. As an action, you can focus your gaze on a creature. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its speed decreases by 10 feet, it gains a -1 penalty to its AC and the results of its Dexterity saving throws decrease by 1, for 1 minute. The creature can repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 16. Tar Blood Your blood gets denser and turns into a boiling, tar-like, black liquid. When a creature within 5 feet of you damages you with a melee attack, it must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 acid damage from the spilled blood. 17. Unseen Friend The spirit of a deceased creature contacts you. You can talk to it and it can aid you with the information it knew before it died. Only you can see or hear it. The creature’s true identity and how often and how much it contacts you are determined by the GM. However, proceed with caution, as talking to creatures that others cannot see can look bizarre or suspicious. 18. Visions from Beyond You acquire an insight about the deaths of sentient creatures. You feel the presence of graves that are within a 30-foot radius around you. Additionally, you can have visions about the final moment of the creatures lying in these graves if they died within 1 month. The longest of these visions lasts for 1 minute. 19. Walk of Decay You gain the ability to spread the rotting corruption you have collected. You can cause all insentient vegetation within 20

125 feet of you to decay, desecrating the area when you do so. This takes a 1-minute walk in the area. Once you use this gift, you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again. 20. Yearning of The Dead You make living creatures empathize with the dead. They realize how painful it is to wish to be alive again and understand how much pain lost souls feel. As an action, you choose a creature within 30 feet of you that can hear you. It must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you because of the immense emotional pain that suddenly fills its heart, until the end of its next turn. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to use it again. Curses of Rotten Essence 1. Colorless Curtain All the colors of life slowly fade away for you. Your hair becomes white, your skin and eyes go pale, and you lose the ability to see color; your world becomes a mix of black, white, and grey hues. 2. Decayed Before Death One of your hands rots away. You leave a part of your flesh on everything you touch with that hand. 3. Crippled Gravedigger Your legs start to go lame. Your speed decreases by 5 feet. 4. Messenger of Death One of your eyes starts to look like the eye of a crow. When you have a conversation with someone that lasts more than 1 minute, you start to see them as if their bodies start to die and decay right before your eyes, causing you disadvantage on your Charisma (Deception), Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Intimidation), and Charisma (Persuasion) checks. 5. Touched by Death Your skin’s color turns rotten and pale and a part of it bleeds constantly (an arm, for example). At the end of each long rest, you take 1 necrotic damage that cannot be reduced by any means. 6. Weight of the Life You grow a hunchback and it is filled with a liquid that attracts bugs. You need to clean it out by spending 1 hour every day, or you have disadvantage on your attack rolls and ability checks due to the feelings of disgust and disturbance that the bugs cause. 7. Carrion Stench You smell like a decaying body, all the time. You make all Charisma checks with disadvantage if the target of the check is not undead. 8. Unnatural Aging Roll a d20. You age the dice result in years in a matter of seconds. Because of the shock of this occurrence, you receive a -2 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until you finish a long rest. 9. Bone Finger You grow an extra finger on one of your hands. This finger is rotten, and has the appearance of a bone sticking out. 10. Cold’s Reflection Your reflection on normally reflective surfaces like mirrors, glass, or fresh water is consumed by the cold and emotionless magic you use and does not appear on such surfaces. However, you (and others) can see your reflection on gravestones. 11. Touched by the Cold Your skin is always cold and you emanate a chilly aura of 5-foot radius. You can never feel warm again. 12. Voice of the Dead Your voice sounds inhuman and it always sounds as if you were whispering. 13. Refused by Graves You grow a forked, serpentine tongue which causes your words to end with a hissing sound that sounds like “sss’’. This is a mark ensuring that as long as you carry it, no grave or soil accepts your dead body. When you are buried somewhere, you are purged out of the ground, as if the soil is throwing you up. 14. Creature of The Night Your eyes become overly sensitive to bright light causing you disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks related to sight in the daylight or in bright light. 15. Best Source of Nutrition You feel an urgency to drink a cup of fresh blood once per day, or you suffer 1 level of exhaustion. 16. Proper Diet Whether you need to eat food or not, you must consume fresh meat once per day or you suffer 1 level of exhaustion. 17. New Friends You feel like an alien when you are with living creatures and want to surround yourself with the dead and the undead. You gain disadvantage on Charisma (Deception), Wisdom (Insight), Charisma (Intimidation), and Charisma (Persuasion) checks you make against living creatures. 18. Excess Blood You just like the sensation of spilling your own blood and the feeling you get when you are bleeding. Every day you cut yourself, dealing 4 necrotic damage. This damage cannot be reduced by any means. 19. Salt is Unhealthy You cannot eat, touch, or carry salt. You despise it and fear that it will cause some sort of harm to your spell components,

126 body, or something else. When you eat, touch, or carry salt, you have disadvantage on your attack rolls and ability checks for 1 hour. 20. Water Is Unnecessary You no longer feel the need to drink water or clean yourself with fresh water. If you drink a glass of water or are in contact with water for more than 1 turn, you have disadvantage on your attack rolls and ability checks until the end of your next turn. Mortals always try to find the reason behind evil acts and, generally, there is one. For instance, an honorable knight who murdered their family for no apparent reason might have been corrupted by a Temptation Demon, or a curious wizard who led their fellow wizards to their deaths might have been possessed by a vengeful spirit residing in the dungeon they were delving into. Many more examples of this kind can be found in every story, demonstrating that ‘everything happens for a reason’, as the saying goes. However, in some rare occasions, this is not the case. Some evils commit evil acts just for themselves, for fun or for profit, not for their dark masters. They do it just because they want to do so. Evil is in their nature. Such creatures fall deeper and deeper into pure evil. Their nature turns more and more evil with each passing day and they attract the attention of the evil powers of the universe. As a result, they are both gifted in a way that allows them to walk deeper on this path and cursed in a way that reminds them there are consequences to their behavior. Bandits chasing treasures blindly, thieves, merciless assassins, hired killers, corrupt politicians, evil druids, etc. generally have desecrating essence lurking deep within. Sins of Desecrating Essence You can always create new acts and determine them to be Minor, Major, or Ultimate sins. This table is just a short example to spark your imagination and is meant to act as a guideline for both GMs and players. Gifts of Desecrating Essence 1. Dance of Murder When you make an attack, you can choose to dance, say a short phrase, or perform another activity as part of the attack to mock. If this attack makes the creature fall unconscious, you regain 1d6 hit points. Once you use this gift a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 2. Predatorial Presence Your inner beast awakes, and other beasts see you to be one of them. You gain advantage on the Charisma (Intimidation) checks you make against beasts. 3. Serene Sleep The adrenaline of the evil acts you committed, and the dreams of the evil acts you will commit, fill your sleep. The voices of your victims crying in pain, calling for help and moaning full of ecstasy, can be heard within 5 feet of you while you are taking a long rest. Also, the time you need to finish a long rest is reduced by 2 hours. 4. Cold Blooded Murderer You can stay calm even in the direst of situations. When you are attacked by more than two enemies, you have advantage on your attack rolls against them for the rest of the encounter. 5. Apex Predator Each time you roll initiative, the GM rolls a d20. If the result is 17 or higher, a monstrous howl of a wolf is heard. You and your allies within 10 feet of you have advantage on your next attack roll. 6. Selfish Determination You can easily set your own comfort and safety aside in order to reach your goal. You can ignore one level of exhaustion when you are one day away from the target you want to kill, the place you want to visit, or the item you want to retrieve. 7. Smell of Nature Although you are evil, you do not see this to be a bad thing. To you, evil is a natural part of life, just like good is, and you just happen to have a nature that is evil. You live by this philosophy and you smell as if you were a part of nature itself (fresh soil after rain, a specific flower etc.). You have advantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks. 8. Just a Prank An evil fey notices your evil presence and actually approves your actions. As a result, just to satisfy its curiosity and to see what more you can do, it starts to follow you. While following you, it plays pranks on those around you, especially those that you do not like, in order to keep itself entertained. These pranks do not harm you, at least directly. For example, the Blackmailing or telling a lie to cause harm Minor Breaking small vows or daily personal contracts Minor Petty thievery Minor Partaking in nondeadly violence such as bullying Minor Torturing a creature to gain benefit Minor Partaking in deadly violence on the weak Major Blackmailing or telling a lie to cause death Major Torturing a creature just for sadistic pleasure Major Major thievery such as stealing a family heirloom Major Harming a creature unnecessarily after its death Major Murdering the innocent for no reason or for fun Ultimate desecrating Essence

127 hinges holding together the overhead cabinets in the house of a person you do not like might get loose and the cabinets may happen to collapse in a dreadful accident, just as the person in question is underneath. 9. Emotional Touch When you touch a creature, as an action, you can try to learn its current emotional state. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or you learn the dominant emotions lurking in its mind (whether it is angry, happy, etc.). The creature does not realize that you tried to learn about its emotions, whether it succeeds or fails its saving throw. 10. Doppelganger When you possess this gift, you can use your action to polymorph into a creature of your own size that you have seen before, or back into your original form. You retain all your statistics in either form. Equipment that you are wearing or items you are carrying are not transformed. You revert to your original form if you die or as another action. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 11. Poison Gland The evil essence within you is so intense that you grow a poison gland. As a bonus action, you can spit poison on a piercing or slashing weapon. Such a weapon deals an additional 1d6 poison damage for 1 minute. 12. Emotionless Emotions have no power over you. You leave all your emotions behind and never look back, just like a snake changing its skin. You cannot be charmed or frightened in regular ways and you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened through magical means. 13. Fanatic Everything you do, you do to the extreme. You are so fanatical in your motives and methods that you hold on to life with more determination than others. You gain a +1 bonus to death saving throws. 14. Brutal Amusement You enjoy seeing others struggle. When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you falls unconscious or dies, you regain 5 hit points. 15. Essence of The Hideous As an action, you can call upon the essence of a hideous beast. When you do so, your eyes and your tongue are transformed into the eyes and the tongue of the animal. As a result, you have advantage on your Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks for 1 minute. 16. Arm of The Snake One of your arms is covered in snake scales. As a bonus action, you can transform this arm into a snake for 1 minute. You can then use your transformed arm to make melee weapon attacks. The snake arm deals 1d4 piercing damage plus an extra 1d6 poison damage as the snake bites the target. 17. Optional Allies As an action, you can choose two allies within 30 feet of you. For 1 minute, one of the allies loses 3 hit points and the other regains 3 hit points at the start of each of your turns. You can decide which one will lose hit points and which one will regain hit points. 18. Insightful Tactics The essence within you illuminates your mind with a keen perception for tactical advantage to keep you alive. If you or one of your allies has the highest initiative roll in combat, you may choose yourself or one of your allies to act first in the initiative track. 19. Gift of The Beast The evil in your nature takes a physical form and you are gifted (or cursed) with lycanthropy. You gain the Lycanthropy feat. (p.115) 20. Merciless Companion Your skin is twisted, and scars that look as though they have been made by wolf bites appear on your chest. As an action, you are able to call a dire wolf to your aid for 5 rounds, by the authority of your evil presence. It is conjured as a part of the same action and it acts in your turns, after you. You can command it as a bonus action. When the dire wolf is summoned, it must attack a creature and shed blood. Otherwise, it attacks you or your allies, whichever is nearby. Starting at 11th level, two dire wolves are conjured instead of one using this gift. You can call a different creature than dire wolf at your GM’s discretion. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to do so again. Curses of Desecrating Essence 1. Eyes of Blood You constantly have bloodshot eyes as if you haven’t been able to sleep for a month. If you cry, your tears have specks of blood in them. You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks related to sight while you are in bright light. 2. Blood of Innocents You gain little scars that refuse to heal for every innocent you have killed. Your heart aches with the blows your conscience has taken, and it feels as though it only gets worse as time passes. As a result, your hit point maximum is reduced by 1 for every three levels you have. Also, your hit point maximum continues to reduce as you gain levels. 3. Feeding on Murders When you kill someone without reason, just for sport, or start a chain of events that lead to the death of an innocent, you find a part of the inocent in your next meal after its death. For example, you find one of its fingers in your meat pie.

128 4. Echo of Evil Your evil presence is so strong that it leaves a trace behind. Your footsteps, one of your acts, or perhaps the screams of your victims, echo in the places where you committed evil acts. Whatever happens, some part of it is re-enacted by ghostly voices and images, again and again. 5. Disposing of the Evil Inside The corruption of your inner evil is reflected upon your physical body and you start to have some problems with your digestion. Because of these problems, you feel an urge to vomit sometimes, as if you feel the need to purge the corruption out of your body. As an action, you throw up. It occurs at random times determined by the GM. 6. Burdens of The Past The evil acts you have committed in the past do not leave you alone, nor do they allow you to have peace of mind. Twice in a month, the memories, unpleasant emotions, and even regret, fill you and prevent you from taking a long rest. 7. Smell of Sins Even though evil is a natural part of life, your existence and your brand of evil is nothing but corruption. You smell blood, burnt corpses, and other things that are foul, all the time. 8. Just A Prank(!) An evil fey notices your evil presence and it wants to make you understand how others feel when you harm them. As a result, it starts to follow you and it plays pranks both on you and on others around you. These pranks may cause the target creature harm. For example, you could find your waterskin stolen in the middle of a desert. 9. Lone Wolf Everyone you hold dear, love, or respect either turn on you or betray you one day. All of them are killed, either directly by you or as a result of the actions you have taken. 10. Smell of Evil You cannot hide that you are evil, either through regular means or with magical methods. 11. Otherworldly Offers Your evil is detected by evil, otherworldly creatures such as aberrations, fey, or fiends, etc. They make separate offers to you, and in return, each of them wants to keep your soul for themselves after you die. If you accept one of them, the ones you do not accept will not be happy. If you do not accept any of them, they will start to hunt not only you, but also each other. Well, you will not be happy. 12. Cursed Doppelganger You can be cursed in this way only if you possess the Doppelganger gift. If you do not have this gift, roll a d20 for another curse. While you are taking a long rest, your shape randomly changes to the creatures you have polymorphed into in the past by using the Doppelganger trait. However, you start and end your rest in your original form. 13. Unwanted Presence You hear disturbing whispers in places protected by a good-aligned spirit, good-aligned druid, holy auras, or in consecrated areas. The time you need to complete a long rest increases by 2 hours in such areas. 14. Unhappy Your feelings are so numb that you can never feel satisfied or happy. As a result, you cannot gain an Inspiration Die. 15. Lost in the Dreams While resting, you always lose yourself in dreams about lives you could have lived if you had not chosen this path. You have disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) rolls during your short or long rests. 16. Uncontrollable Emotions You laugh, cry, and demonstrate any other emotion in an exaggerated way. When you are having an emotional reaction, you have disadvantage on your Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) checks. 17. A Little Peace You see disturbing flashes of images of your evil acts, or hear the sinister whispers of your victims, all the time, except when you are drunk. You need to be drunk to complete a short rest. During long rests, you eventually fall asleep. 18. Clumsy Movements You always leave some form of a physical trace behind. It can be a piece of cloth, a small piece of equipment, or any other thing that can be traced. 19. Curse of the Beast You are cursed with lycanthropy. Although this can be seen as a gift, your control over the beast inside you is weaker than others. You gain the Lycanthropy feat, but once a month, you transform into your hybrid form for 8 hours and commit some acts that you will not remember. The acts you commit while in this state are determined at the GM’s discretion. Also, you do not have the ability to afflict others with lycanthropy even if you had the ability to do so before. 20. Trophy Collector You carry a body part, a signature item, or another token taken from each and every creature you kill. If you do not, you believe that bad luck will befall you and you have disadvantage on your first attack roll of the each encounter until you finish a long rest.

129 There are dark places in the universe that act as cradles to the fiends that lurk within them. Mortals have always wondered about these places and the fiends that fill them. Some want to eradicate them, some want to bargain with them, and some simply wish to meet them. Every contact with these places and the fiends fills the hearts of those who experience it with an essence. This essence, called foul essence, pushes some to beg for power from a demon, and others to serve as a cultist of a devil. Creating chaos, sacrificing the innocent, or the sheer act of scheming, can create a foul essence even in the purest of souls. The scars that this essence leaves on your soul may seem small from the outside, but they run as deep as the darkest of places. Sins of Foul Essence You can always create new acts and determine them to be Minor, Major, or Ultimate sins. This table is just a short example to spark your imagination and is meant to act as a guideline for both GMs and players. Gifts of Foul Essence 1. Hand of Doom One of your hands looks like it is covered with scales and your fingernails grow and count as claws. Any unarmed attack you make with this hand deals 1d6 slashing damage. If your unarmed strike deals magical damage, your claw deals magical damage as well. 2. An Extra Growth You grow a tail with a length of two to three feet. You can’t attack with your tail, but it can hold things that weigh a maximum of 5 pounds. If you already have a tail, it grows spikes and you can make an attack which deals 1d4 piercing damage, as a bonus action. You can be granted this gift twice if you didn’t have a tail normally. 3. Seeing Allies You can sense the alignment of creatures within 10 feet of you, provided they are the same alignment as you. 4. Ashes to Ashes When your attacks reduce a creature to zero hit points, you can choose to incinerate its body. The body turns to ashes along with every item it carries. Once you use this gift you must finish a long rest to do so again. 5. Tongue of Evil You learn how to speak, read, and write Abyssal or Infernal. 6. Evil at the Core If you are subjected to a detect evil and good spell, the caster of the spell see a horrifying fiery fiend shape when it looks at you. That creature must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or is frightened of you for 1 minute. 7. Sinner Fire Your sins are burning your soul like a great bonfire and your every action either extinguishes it or it flares up a bit. As an action, you can channel this heat inside you and exhale fire in a 15-foot cone. Creatures in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. The DC equals 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. A target takes 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. If you already use a breath weapon, you can also use this feature at the same time. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to do so again. 8. Hellish Endurance You gain resistance to one of the following damage types that you choose: cold, fire, or lightning. If you already have resistance to all of these damage types, at the end of a long rest, you can choose to become immune to one of them. 9. Fiendish Leap Your body carries the marks of your sins. Your foul essence leaks through them and this leak can mold into the shape of whatever is necessary to help you. As a bonus action, you can sprout fiendish, bat-like wings to cover longer distances when you jump. They flap and hit the ground to lift you when you leap into the air, and they disappear afterwards. As a result, your jump distance is doubled. Once you have used this gift three times, you must finish a long rest before to do so again. 10. Unholy Perception Your body and your mind relax when you are in a place that reeks of sin, just as you do. You can tell when you are in a desecrated area. 11. Foul Regeneration You can fill your wounds using your foul essence. As a bonus action, you can regain hit points equal to your foul essence points. Once you use this gift, you must finish a short or long rest to do so again. Bargaining with a fiend for daily profit Minor Creating chaos in the name of demons Minor Killing for a fiend master Major Killing to claim souls Major Bargaining with a fiend for power Major Sacrificing a creature to a fiend master Major Trading souls Ultimate Sacrificing a good-aligned creature to a fiend Ultimate foul essence

130 12. Bonfire Your essence comes from fire. As a bonus action, you can make your weapon or spell attacks stronger with fire. On a hit, they deal an additional 1d6 fire damage. This lasts as long as you maintain your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), up to 1 minute. 13. Horn Rush You grow fiendish horns on top of your head, and you can use them as a melee weapon to make a melee weapon attack with them. You move 10 feet straight towards a creature, and that creature must make a Strength saving throw. The DC is equal to 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, it takes 1d10 piercing damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone. The horns deal 1d8 piercing damage. 14. Cursed Fire Fire courses through your veins and when your blood is spilled, it burns. When you are hit by a melee attack, the attacker must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 fire damage. 15. Contractor As if you are a cunning fiend, you know how to speak, what to say, and what to offer to get what you want. You have advantage on your Charisma (Persuasion) checks. 16. Fiendish Shapechange Like many other fiends, you can change your appearance to look like certain beasts. You can use your action to polymorph into a beast form that resembles a rat (speed 20 feet), a bat (5 feet, fly 30 feet), or a hyena (50 feet), or back into your true form. Your statistics are the same in each form, except for the speed changes noted. Any equipment you are wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. You revert to your true form if you die. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 17. Fiend Sight When in magical darkness, your eyes glow red and yellow like a monster hunting in the night. As a bonus action, you can use this gift to see 60 feet in magical darkness for 1 minute. When you use this gift in nonmagical darkness, dim light, or bright light, a flash of light appears and blinds you until the end of your next turn. You can use this gift even if you are blind. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to do so again. 18. Help from Below Some creatures can sense your foul essence and these creatures may want to assist you. As an action, you can summon an imp or a quasit. The summoned creature stays by your side for a number of rounds equal to your foul essence points or until it is slain. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to do so again. 19. Fire Eater As an action, you can consume 1 cubic foot of nonmagical fire and gain 1 temporary hit point for 10 minutes. For each cubic foot of fire you consume, you gain 1 more temporary hit point, up to a maximum of 10. When you consume 10 cubic foot of nonmagical fire, you feel full and hydrated for 6 hours. To consume a fire, you must stand next to it. 20. Fiend Armory You can cast the acid bolts* spell without expending a spell slot and casting the spell does not require any of the spell’s original components for you. You can use this gift twice per long rest. Curses of Foul Essence 1. Silver Vulnerability Silver and silvered objects burn your flesh. When you touch silver or a silvered object, you take 1d4 radiant damage at the start of each of your turns in which you remain in contact with the object. This damage ignores resistance or immunity. 2. The Foul Mark Foul essence corrupts your skin and changes the way it looks. Red cracks appear on your body and your skin looks as though it is quite dry. These cracks may form a fiendish mark or letter on your body. 3. Hell Got Your Tongue Foul essence takes something in exchange for lending you powers. You forget every language other than Abyssal or Infernal and can’t learn any of them again. If you don’t know either of them, you can’t speak at all until you learn one. 4. Distrustful Aura People may not know who you really are, but they can sense things about you. At first sight, they think you are not a trustworthy creature because they feel your essence. As a result, you have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks. 5. Falling to the Fiend Hands A fiend learns one of your secrets. It tries to blackmail you to serve its own gains by using this special piece of knowledge. 6. Unholy Steps When you enter a consecrated area, the foul essence inside you becomes uneasy and starts to burn through your body. You take 1d6 radiant damage when you end your turn in a consecrated area. 7. Shadowy Burdens Your shadow disappears for one day and returns after 24 hours. Then, for some mysterious reason, a good-aligned cleric, paladin, or angel starts to hunt you, giving you yet another thing to worry about.

131 8. The Chosen One Each time you look in a mirror, a glass, or another reflective surface that can be broken, it shatters and its pieces scatter all around. However, the scattered pieces always land on the ground to form the same sign. A DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the sign belongs to a powerful fiend, as well as which particular fiend the sign belongs to. If you do not try to contact the fiend within 1 week, you suffer a level of exhaustion that lasts until you contact the fiend. What the fiend demands of you is determined at the GM’s discretion and is usually unpleasant. 9. Unholy Aura Each pet, mount, and animal companion you obtain becomes excessively carnivorous, even if it normally does not eat meat. 10. Vessel A fiend finds you right as it is about to die, enters your body, and binds itself to your soul. From time to time, it tries to take full control over your body and your mind. You must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw twice a month or the fiend within takes over for 8 hours, during which you blackout and can’t remember anything that happened. 11. A Walking Gate When you, or a creature within 10 feet of you, conjure a fiend with a spell or another magical effect, one more fiend is conjured in addition to the one summoned, because of the disturbance created in magic by your foul essence. The additional fiend cannot be dismissed and cannot be controlled according to the boundaries of the spell or the magical effect that summoned it. It acts independently. 12. The Marked Soul The foul essence within you marks your soul eternally. When you die, you come back to life in the shape of a fiend with a CR of 3 or lower when a reincarnate spell is cast on you. You retain all your statistics at the moment of your death, except your appearance, which is replaced by that of a fiend. 13. An Untrained Eye Magic seems to follow you wherever you go, and fiendish effects seem to surround you. As a result, it is harder for you to distinguish reality from illusion. You have disadvantage on your saving throws against spells from the illusion school and magical effects that create illusions. 14. Devoted Essence Carrier The foul essence within you is so intense that if a spell or magical effect causes additional effects on fiends, it does so on you as well. 15. Just A Game A fiend appears in your dreams to play chess-like games with you or just to gamble. The fiend is a sore loser, so if you win the game, the fiend gets angry and disturbs your slumber. If that happens, you must restart your rest. To win the game, you must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence check. 16. Otherworldly Bug A fiendish bug crawls all over your body. If you kill it or throw it away, it immediately reappears on your body. It loves to annoy you and it can walk on your face while you are talking to someone. 17. Fiendish Memories A part of your memories is corrupted and twisted by your foul essence. You still have your memories, but your mind replaces certain realities with those that fit a fiendish existence For example, you can remember your childhood, but you remember your parents to be fiends, or your childhood pet to be a fiendish monster. 18. Bound Eternally When you die, your soul becomes a personal toy of your fiendish master. You can only be resurrected after your fiend master is slain. 19. Vulnerable to Good Your existence is so foul that the mere act of being targeted by good-aligned creatures harms you more than others. You take 1 extra damage from attacks by good-aligned creatures. 20. Disturbing Presence Your foul essence gives off a foul stench that resembles sulfur or rotten eggs, making you quite easy to track. You also have disadvantage on your Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks against beasts because of this foul smell. Up in the sky, even beyond the stars, there are certain places where everything can exist, but nothing can live, all at the same time. These places, and some other things, are truly beyond mortal understanding. However, throughout history, some individuals with minds that are stranger and more bizarre than others, have wondered about them, seeking to gain knowledge and understanding about such places and those that dwell within. Most of the time, such studies end in tragedy when the minds of these curious explorers are finally introduced to these strange realities. Some others, on the other hand, are just mad enough to worship entities that want to consume the whole universe, or even host them and their minions in their bodies, sometimes without feeling the need to understand them at all. Such individuals’ souls are tainted with maddening essences. They are touched by the true madness that originates from the chaotic powers of the universe. Sins of Maddening Essence Creating chaos for no reason Minor Summoning an aberration Major Maddening essence

132 You can always create new acts and determine them to be Minor, Major, or Ultimate sins. This table is just a short example to spark your imagination and is meant to act as a guideline for both GMs and players. Gifts of Maddening Essence 1. Madness Effect Now that you hear the whispers coming from the unknown, you can use your action to scream, yell, or whisper what you hear. Creatures within 30 feet of you have disadvantage on their saving throws against your charm person spell for 1 minute. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 2. Another Eye An eye like a black pearl that is decorated with dark, shiny purple marks appears on your forehead. You can cast the unnerving apathy* spell as long as the target creature is in your line of sight. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 3. Tentacle Arm An octopus tentacle sticks out of your chest, under one of your arms. Its length is equal to your arms and you can use it as one of your natural arms. 4. Living with the Sounds Due to the unintelligible whispers you hear in your bizarre dreams, you’re used to feeling pain and disturbance in your mind. You have resistance to psychic damage. 5. Maddening Nature As an action, you can scream, yell or whisper the same words or sounds you hear from the maddening whispers of your strange masters, releasing the madness within. The air becomes heavier and the colors start to change and shift randomly. Every creature within 30 feet of you that can hear or see you must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature rolls 1d20. If the result is between 1-10, it takes 2d8 psychic damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn; if the result is between 11-17, it takes 1d8 psychic damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn; if the result is between 17-20, it is stunned until the end of its next turn. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 6. Disable the Scrying There is a strange entity that does not want you to be seen or heard by others. It hides you through magical means, blocking any energy watching you. As a result, you cannot be tracked by spells or magical effects. 7. Different Sense You acquire a bizarre intuition. You can use your action to detect shapechanger creatures within 10 feet of you. 8. Mind Speaker You can talk to creatures within 30 feet of you telepathically. A creature only understands you if you talk in a language that it knows and you can only speak to one creature at a time in this way. 9. Hide in Insanity Your mind slips out of your control and tries to keep you alive. When you are targeted by a spell or a magical effect that affects your creature type but does not affect aberrations, your mind changes your creature type to aberration and back by using your reaction. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again 10. One of The Deeps The essence within you changes your form to resemble the strange creatures living in the deep waters. You grow gills around your neck and are therefore able to breathe underwater. 11. Chaotic Presence You can use your own madness to affect others. You can cast the command spell without using its components or expending a spell slot. Once you use this gift, you must finish a long rest to do so again. 12. Probing Eye The color of one of your eyes turns purple and black. When you are targeted by a mind-altering spell, such as charm person or dominate person, you can choose to succeed on the saving throw you make against its effects, as a reaction. When you choose to do so, the caster takes 1d10 psychic damage. 13. Slimy Grasp Your hands start to change with the corruption of the maddening essence, and as a result, little slimy suckers appear in the palms of your hands. You gain climbing speed that is equal to your walking speed. You can also use your hands to firmly grasp something, granting you advantage on related checks. 14. Brain Eater You grow two special, tentacle-like tongues that can “taste memories” when you eat a fresh brain. As an action, you can pull your new tongues out to consume the brain of a creature that died within 10 minutes. The tongues absorb the memories Sacrificing a creature to aberration masters Major Making pacts with aberrant creatures for power Major Worshipping an aberrant deity Major Sacrificing a cleric or paladin of another deity to aberrations Ultimate Transforming another creature or yourself into an aberration Ultimate

133 the creature experienced within the last 1 hour and you can re-experience them for once. 15. Unforgettable Memories The maddening essence twists your mind so that you gain an unrealistic and otherworldly ability to recall things. You can choose one place, book, face, etc., and remember even the most intricate details about it. When you try to memorize a second thing in this way, you forget the first one. 16. Maddening Spells You can infuse the spells and other magical effects that you can create with your essence. You can also change the damage type of a spell to psychic by expending a spell slot that is 1 level higher than the original. 17. Mind Controller The strange powers inside you affect the magical effects you can create. When you try to charm or frighten a creature with a spell or with a magical effect, the DC increases by 1. 18. Secret Hand of Chaos There are many strange entities that want to invade the world. As their weapons, anatomies, spells, languages, and every other aspect are alien to you, their methods are also incomprehensible most of the time. They may build a plan of planar invasion based on a simple stone in the steppes or a nonmagical shield hung on the wall of an inn. These are some strange plans indeed, and you are privy to these plans. Sometimes, you feel an urge to steal an item. Your GM chooses the item and the time this urge hits. If you steal it, you enter a state of euphoria and gain 2d10 temporary hit points for 1 hour. If you don’t, you are filled with anxiety and have disadvantage on your ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws for the next 10 minutes. The disadvantages can be removed by a remove curse spell. After you steal, the rest is up to the GM. Your strange masters may want you to leave the item somewhere, it can be stolen from you, or you may be forced by the hand of fate to kill a creature with it. 19. Mind Shield Once your mind knows insanity, sanity becomes overrated. You become proficient with Wisdom saving throw and if you are already proficient with it, you can add your proficiency bonus twice. 20. Witnessed Real Fears You are immune to being charmed and frightened by creatures other than aberrations, since unimaginable fears haunt your dreams, and hence, not much can scare you in real life. Curses of Maddening Essence 1. Mad You are mad. You think that a person of higher status has affection for you. This person can be a king, a queen, the leader of an organization, a powerful wizard, a threatening villain of importance, etc. You try to send messages to them, and you imagine that you receive messages from them, as well. These messages can be about anything as long as you can figure out how it is relative to the person in question (a shining star, a flowing river, your enemies, etc.). 2. Delirium When you are targeted by a spell or magical effect that can charm or frighten you and you make a successful saving throw against it, you also must use your reaction to shake off the effect. If you have no reaction to spend, you have disadvantage on the saving throw. 3. Brain Addiction You become addicted to eating brains. You have to eat at least a palm-sized piece of brain at the end of each long rest or you suffer 1 level of exhaustion. When you eat a piece of brain, the levels of exhaustion suffered because of this curse are removed. 4. Tentacle Arms Your soul cannot bear the burden of maddening essence and the essence is reflected upon your physical body. As a result, one of your limbs is severed and a tentacle takes its place. You can use it as though it were one of your natural limbs, but other creatures may not take too kindly to your appearance and some may even try to attack you on sight. Your normal limb can only be restored by a wish spell. 5. Paranoid Personality Your mind is poisoned to the point that you think that everyone around you is trying to harm you. You cannot trust anyone but yourself. You are suspicious all the time and tend to be a secretive person. 6. Part of The Soul Your maddening essence makes it impossible for you to learn how to use or handle too many objects. The number of the items you can be attuned to decreases by 1. 7. Forsaken Life The essence within you waits for the right time to claim you as a whole, and it does so upon your death. When you die, you transform into an aberration of your GM’s choice at the end of the next 2 rounds. When you are transformed, you do not remember your past existence and act like you have always been the aberration you have transformed into. 8. Paranoid Sleeping When you try to sleep next to someone, you get the feeling that they will try to murder you. You cannot fall asleep if a creature you can see is sleeping within 5 feet of you. 9. Aberrant Skin Your skin becomes moist, moss grows on your body and it dries out painfully if you do not moisturize it properly. You have to stay in water completely for 10 minutes or your hit

134 points maximum decreases by 1d4 at the end of each long rest. The lost hit points can only be regained after you moisturize your body. 10. Tracked You are constantly being followed by an aberration attracted to the maddening essence within you. If you commit an act that the aberration following you does not like, it will try to stop you. 11. Painful Headache You find it hard to fall asleep because of the aberrations that are attracted by your maddening essence. They visit you in your dreams. At the end of each long rest, you wake up with an incredible headache that causes you to take 1d4 psychic damage. 12. Bad Reputation Aberrations are known for their whispers and mind-altering powers. When you go to a new town, village, city, or any other place where there is civilization, you roll a d100. If the result is lower than 50, some aberrations whisper in the ears of townsfolk of your arrival and your untrustworthy nature. 13. Tentacle Tongue While speaking a language other than Deep Speech, tentacles fill your mouth from within and make it harder to speak. You have disadvantage on your Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks while speaking a language other than Deep Speech. 14. Unknown Reflection Aberrations channel their chaos through your essence. When you make a weapon attack against a creature and you roll a 1 on your attack roll, a purple aura in the shape of your weapon materializes and attacks one of your allies within 10 feet of you. The ally takes 2d10 psychic damage on a hit. 15. Relative Reality As you delve deeper into madness, your mind is opened to the secrets of the universe. Time and space become more relative concepts for you. You can use the misty step spell without its spell components or expending a spell slot. However, at the end of each long rest you roll a d4. If you roll a 1, your speed decreases by 10 feet and you cannot take any reactions until you finish a long rest. If you roll 2-3, your speed decreases by 10 feet until you finish a long rest. If you roll a 4, your speed is unaffected. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest to use it again. 16. Aberration Aura The maddening essence in your soul is so tense that you count as an aberration for spells and magical effects that can see aberrations. 17. Mirror Effect Because strange forces and essences affect your soul, your presence changes and twists magic. When an ally within 5 feet of you is targeted by a spell, you are also affected by the same spell. 18. Bad Day You hear strange growls and unintelligible whispers from time to time. However, sometimes, these whispers overwhelm your mind and put pressure on your brain. Each day, you roll a d100 when your GM asks you to do so. If you roll a 1, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 5d10 psychic damage. Also, your eyes, ears and nose bleed due to the pressure in your head. 19. Arcane Impression A strange glyph drawn with ink appears on your chest. If you stay in a place for more than 10 minutes, this glyph leaves a magical trace behind. This trace can be seen by the detect magic spell if it is cast within 1 week and the spellcaster sees a magical aura that belongs to the school of conjuration. 20. Lawful Vulnerability Your existence is so chaotic that the attacks of lawful-aligned creatures harm you more than others. You take an extra 1 damage from the attacks made by lawful-aligned creatures.

135 Possession is when a creature is completely taken under the control of fiends, ghosts, or other malevolent beings. Many beings have the ability to possess others. Such creatures have the Possessor Creature template, and the act of possession is divided into three categories: body possession, mind possession, and soul possession. Possession is an inherently evil act, as it causes too much stress and pain within the possessed creature’s body, mind, and soul. Additionally, it is a dire violation of that creature’s free will and nature. Possession bends the will of one creature to serve another and this may push both the physical and mental limits of a creature to the breaking point. As a result, possession has a much more dire effect than spells such as dominate person. Possession and Exorcism Possession Aberrations, fiends, and creatures with Incorporeal Movement can be possessors. A possessor retains all its game statistics except for the following: New Feature: Possessor. A possessor creature can use its action to attempt possession of another creature within 10 feet of it. The target creature must succeed on a Wisdom or Charisma saving throw (whichever is higher) against the Possession Save DC or become possessed. Possession Save DC = 8 + the possessor’s Charisma modifier + the possessor’s proficiency bonus When a creature with Incorporeal Movement possesses another creature, the possessor disappears into thin air but actually joins the target creature in its body. However, if the possessor creature has a physical body, its awareness leaves its own body and takes control of the possessed creature. In this case, the empty, physical shell of the possessor falls to the ground after its successful attempt of possession, as the possessor cannot control both its own body and the possessed creature at the same time. Because of this limitation, some fiends capture their victims, possess them in their safe havens, and walk around in the possessed creature’s body to make sure that their body is guarded well. While a creature is possessed, the possessor takes control of some of its abilities. These abilities are determined according to the type of possession. There are three types of possession: Body Possession. While the body of a creature is possessed, the possessor has control over the movements of the possessed creature, along with its Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, its physical skills, and other abilities that have to do with muscle memory. For example, if the possessed creature is a fighter, features such as Action Surge and Extra Attack (or if the possessed creature is a rogue, its ability to open locked doors) are at the possessor’s disposal for the duration of the possession. Continuing with the example, although a possessor can wield a weapon while it possesses a fighter, it cannot use the fighter’s proficiency. Hence, it makes the melee attack rolls with a fighter’s Strength score, but the possessor cannot add the fighter’s proficiency bonus to the attack roll. If the possessor is already proficient with the weapon, it can use its own proficiency bonus. During a body possession, the possessed creature remains aware. It can observe and experience everything that happens to it and around it. Mind Possession. While the mind of a creature is possessed, the possessor has access to knowledge within the possessed creature’s mind, in addition to the powers it can use when it possesses a creature’s body. Since they are held in mind, all proficiencies of a creature, including any bard or wizard spells, along with class and archetype features, can be used by the possessor. If the possessed creature is a wizard, a possessor cannot use spells other than the ones the wizard has prepared. However, the possessor can choose the spells the possessed creature will prepare after a long rest. And if the possessed creature is a barbarian, Rage feature can also be used by the possessor as it is a state of mind. Although the possessor has access to the memories of the possessed creature, it cannot comprehend all of them at once. The possessor can reach 2-day-old memories at most, going back from the moment the possession occurs. During a mind possession, the possessed creature’s awareness is in the hands of its possessor. It can either allow the victim to be aware of its surroundings, or not. Soul Possession. This is the strongest of all the types of possessions. When a creature possesses the soul of another creature, all of the abilities of the possessed creature become available for the possessor to use, along with the body and knowledge in the mind. The items to which the possessed creature is attuned, class, and archetype features related to the soul (such as a monk’s ki points), the powers granted through worshiping deities, or pacts made with greater forces of the universe (such as those of clerics, paladins, rangers, warlocks) can be used by the possessor. While a soul is possessed, the possessed creature’s level of awareness is in the hands of its possessor. It can let the victim be aware of what it is doing while possessed, or have it in a state of complete blackout. Challenge. Body possession increases the challenge rating of a creature by 1. Mind possession increases the challenge rating by 2, and soul possession increases the challenge rating by 4. Template: Possessor Creature

136 Although the possessed creature cannot control its actions while possessed, and though it is not responsible for the actions it has committed while under the effects of possession, it may still feel a need to atone for the acts that were committed. This is not because it is seen as a sinner or a heretic by the greater forces, but instead, because the possessed creature realizes that its powers can also be used for evil, just as they can be used for the benefit of their enemies. The need for atonement usually arises as the possessed creature contemplates its possession, and becomes aware of these bitter realities. It is usually within the power of a deity or the patron of a warlock to stop its powers from being used by a possessor, but it might also want to teach the possessor a lesson, and thus decide to let it think the powers bestowed are in full responsibility of the possessed. A possession lasts until the possessed creature’s hit points drop to 0, the hit points of the body of the possessor drop to 0, or the possessed creature is exorcised. When the possessed creature’s hit points drop to 0 or the possessed creature is exorcised, the possessor materializes at an unoccupied space within 10 feet of the possessed creature, either in incorporeal form, or if it still has one, in the shape of its body. If the body of the possessor is destroyed even though it is somewhere else possessing a creature, the possessor dies and the possession is over. Exorcism is the practice of forcing a possessor out of a possessed body, mind, or soul. An exorcism is a challenging act of will, and those who perform it are called exorcists. Exorcists must have an unbreakable will, unquestionable faith, and unwavering methods. Otherwise, they may face dire consequences, as exorcism is a very dangerous task. Exorcism is a religious ritual of 1-hour. It must be performed by a creature of faith. Yet, this creature does not have to be a cleric or paladin, since exorcism requires a strong belief rather than divine powers. However, an exorcist must be proficient in Religion skill. During the ritual, an exorcist must carry a holy symbol of its religion as it symbolizes the presence of its deity. A GM might decide that an exorcism should take longer than 1 hour under special conditions, especially if the possessor is particularly powerful. In such a case, exorcism can take 1 hour if the CR of the possessor is between 1-5, 1 day if the CR of the possessor is between 6-10, 1 week if the CR of the possessor is between 11-15, and 1 month if the CR of the possessor is between 16-20. The ritual of exorcism, normally, takes 1 hour, and if interrupted, the creature performing the ritual must start over. However, the possessor creature has advantage on its saving throws against exorcism that is reattempted, since it has seen the methods of an exorcist once more. For longer rituals of exorcism, the exorcist can take breaks to rest and then continue with the ritual. While resting, restraining the possessed creature is a good precaution as the possessor can (and probably will) do anything it can to escape from exorcism. Methods of exorcism can vary from exorcist to exorcist. The followings are a few examples: • The exorcist places its hand on the possessed creature’s forehead and starts to recite prayers to their deities or read passages from its deities. The possessed creature reacts to these words or other actions abruptly and tries to run away, so the exorcist must hold the creature in place by making a successful Strength (Athletics) check or restrain it. With the passages being read or prayers being recited, the exorcist demands the possessor to leave in the name of the higher power. • The possessed creature is placed in the middle of 10 people of the same faith as the exorcist. The exorcist recites a holy passage from its holy book 101 times and then performs a small action related to its deity, such as blowing a horn or burning a specific incense. • The exorcist bleeds itself, for it believes that blood protects against possession. It loses 10 hit points in the process, and while bleeding, the exorcist starts dancing in a euphoric state to draw the attention of the possessor creature. A successful DC 19 Charisma (Perform) check forces the possessor to leave the possessed creature and try to possess the exorcist instead. However, the blood protects the exorcist and if the possessed creature has also been covered with blood, the possessor cannot return to the body, mind, or soul (whichever was possessed), and leaves. These are only a few examples that are meant to inspire players and Game Masters; every exorcist creates new and unique methods. However, whatever the method is, at the completion of the exorcism ritual, the possessor creature must make a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + the exorcist’s Wisdom or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher) + the exorcist’s proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the possessor leaves the possessed creature, but it either manifests at an unoccupied space within 10 feet of the possessed creature in incorporeal form, or it returns to its body if it has one. On a successful save, the possessor creature can choose to stay in the possessed creature, or it can leave the possessed creature and try to possess the exorcist instead. If the possessor creature cannot possess the exorcist, it may try to possess another creature or leave. An exorcism is a dangerous and tiring experience for both the exorcist and the possessed. Hence, they take 3 level of exhaustion at the end of a completed ritual. Some possessors hold grudges against exorcists and may try to take advantage of this exhaustion as the exorcist would not be in its full fighting capacity. If the possessor creature succeeds to stay in the body after three consecutive rituals, the possessed creature dies at the end of the last exorcism process, and the possessor creature takes full control of the body. Exorcists are rare because of the risks and requirements of the act. However, this makes them valuable and their fame spreads swiftly. After its first successful exorcism ritual, one is granted the “Exorcist” title by the folks who witness the ritual and an exorcist is constantly sought by those who are in need of help against possession. Exorcism

137 here are many cosmic powers in the universe, such as gods, goddesses, warlock patrons, or other cosmic beings. They hear the calls of mortals and answer them if they see them be worthy. Sometimes, someone cries in pain, agony, or hatred in such a powerful way that their voice echoes through the planes and is carried until it reaches one of these cosmic forces. And sometimes, the response to these cries of agony is ripe with the same emotion. These wrathful answers are called curses. They divide into two groups according to their effects and powers: Elder Curses and Common Curses. Elder curses differ from spells in that many spells require components, or a casting time, but an elder curse just happens. The only thing required is intense emotions of justice or revenge spoken wholeheartedly. It may or may not take some time for the elder curse to take effect, unlike spells, the effects of which can be seen immediately after they have been cast. Another difference between curses and spells is that an elder curse does not require a saving throw or a spell attack, since they are the work of cosmic entities that have powers beyond mortals’ own capabilities. On the other hand, it could be said that elder curses can be seen as destiny or karma. For example, let’s say a cruel leader burns down a crop field to give a message to the landlord. One of the poor farmers that own the crops yells, “You have killed us! You have killed us all! Our crops were more than just food to us, they were our whole life. May you see what gives your life meaning burn, just as ours did, and may you come back to us, begging for help!” After some time, the cruel leader’s castle is struck by lightning and starts to burn. As a result, the cruel leader returns to the village and asks for their help to survive the coming winter. What matters in laying an elder curse is the wording. A warrior yelling “You will all die!” in their final moments is not cursing their enemies. Usually, curses are much more poetic or riddled. Instead of what the warrior yelled, they could say: Once every new moon, You will remember. My blade, soon, Will kill every member. Role-playing and choosing your words correctly and poetically may set an elder curse in motion. Still, elder curses are mysterious events, the origins of which are highly debated by philosophers and cosmologists. In the example of the warrior’s curse, that warrior may rise every new moon as an undead creature to take its revenge, or the warrior’s blade could gain sentience by becoming one with the warrior’s soul upon their death, and it can start searching for worthy warriors who can wield it as it dishes out revenge. These curses are strongly tied to the energies that are at work in the universe and cannot be lifted by simple spells such as remove curse. Fulfilling the desires of the one who laid the curse, or the power who turned the words that made the curse into reality, can break the curse. Common curses, on the other hand, are just like spells. They can be found in the spells (p.179 Dark Magic) section of this book, and unlike elder curses, they can be removed by spells like remove curse. T Curses GM TIPS You can use curses to create a story arc. The characters can fulfill or take part in a curse without knowing it. For example, they can be cursed and try to lift it, or they can encounter a cursed village. To prolong the sessions, you can make these curses in the form of riddles and they could discover its pieces one by one. Also, not all curses are bestowed upon the wicked by the forces of righteousness. Sometimes, foul powers can hear the cry of the innocents and intervene, their goal being to cause more wickedness as a result of the curses they created and to corrupt both sides of a story.

138 vil is embodied in the actions of creatures as if it is a living thing. The intentions of evil creatures and the anguish of innocents form a wicked will. This presence creates an aura which can be detected by others with spells such as detect evil and good. These auras follow the evil creatures who created them everywhere indicating past actions, and they can be diminished or empowered in time according to the creature’s new decisions and actions. However, sometimes, evil actions are committed on a great scale. The sins pertaining to such events are unspeakable and the pain felt is unimaginable. In such situations, called defiling events, the manifestation of evil becomes so powerful that it tries to change its surroundings and leaves traces behind when doing so. It may even gain a physical form or shift the nature of a place permanently. Such places, called defiled places, reflect the intense emotions felt during the defiling events. They have their own mind-altering auras, relevant to the nature of the specific things that take place in them. For instance, a mass grave can be full of melancholy, a mass sacrificial site can be full of pain, and they can call such emotions to the surface. Different defiled places can have different characteristics (the specifics of which being at the GM’s discretion), however, they all have the following effects in common: Defiled. Defiled places are filled with unholy power as if affected by the hallow spell. The particular effects caused by the hallow spell are determined by the GM. This unholy power may radiate from one or more points in a defiled place and this makes dispelling the effects of hallow challenging. All of the bones in a mass grave or all of the family belongings in a haunted house can each be defiled and be affected by a hallow spell. Defiled Emotions. Emotions experienced in defiling events may permanently affect the aura of the place. These intense emotions disturb the social interactions of the creatures in the area and affect their capacity to make decisions. A creature in a defiled place must make a DC 19 Wisdom or Charisma saving throw (whichever is higher) or is affected by the emotions that fill the area. For example, spells and other magical effects that provide creatures with bravery and morale, such as heroism, may automatically fail in a mass grave that is heavy with melancholy; or creatures may have disadvantage on saving throws against spells like charm person in the meeting place of secret lovers who were victims of a monstrous murder in the same place. These emotions also affect nonmagical interactions, such as inspirational speeches of others, or shows of friendship, love, or affection. However, a paladin who worships an evil god of death may feel encouraged as it stands on the grave of many innocents. Thus, defiled places may not affect evil characters, or might even benefit them, which is determined at the GM’s discretion. The air of defilement in some places is so intense that a strong will is not enough to fight off the emotions it evokes. If this is the case, creatures may not even be able to make a Wisdom or Charisma saving throw to resist the effects of the defiled place, which is determined at the GM’s discretion. Reflection of The Pain. Most defiling events are accompanied by the pain and the sorrow of the creatures involved. More often than not, since the victims of the event cannot experience a peaceful death, their souls cannot find rest afterward. They come back as a ghost of the past and start to carry out their existence within the defiled place. Such lost souls may guide creatures unlucky enough to venture to these places to their doom, or to their own salvation. These souls could show creatures phantasmal visions of past events, try to ask for help, or, in a maddened state, attack any living creatures on sight. The Embodiment of Evil. Sometimes, the sins, horrors, pains, and evil acts committed in an area may manifest in a physical form. These forms are known as Malicious Incarnations and they dwell in defiled places, hunting foolish and unlucky adventurers. They may do so to sustain themselves, or for the sheer pleasure of acting out their true natures. Unholy Stench. Defiled places generally have a smell that is unique to each of them. This smell may resemble a sweet flower, or death and decay. The smell of each defiled place is related to the place’s past and the defiling event. This smell fills the place and follows the creatures who wander into them everywhere, as they roam the defiled grounds. The smell, even if it is a sweet one, is actually the sign of unholy energies being channeled here. Because of these unholy energies, the undead and fiends within the defiled place have advantage on saving throws against magical effects created by spells and other features of clerics and paladins. E Defiled Places

139 very deity wishes to be worshipped in its own way. Good deities tend to focus on how their followers live their lives. They want to see holidays celebrated in their name and their devotees living by their tenets in their societies and private lives. Most neutral deities have similar inclinations as well. While evil deities may also want these things in the lives of their followers, additionally, they revel in their followers’ actions that show absolute devotion and prove their might against the deity’s enemies. For most evil deities, sacrifices, especially humanoid sacrifices, are the ultimate way for a devotee to prove itself, as well as the strength of its faith to the god or goddess. The members of clergies are not the only ones who make sacrifices, and not all sacrifices are made in the name of a deity. Some fiends and spirits also want sacrifices in return for their aids to the mortals. Sacrifices can be made using different practices and lore. If a sacrifice is made to an entity with divine essence (which is a deity of a certain power), it requires a Intelligence (Religion) check. On the other hand, sacrifices made to extraplanar entities or spirits may be carried out with an Intelligence (Arcana) check on the GM’s discretion. Sacrifice is mostly practiced by the clergy, meaning that it is usually clerics and paladins who make sacrifices to show their devotion to, and perhaps receive the aid of, their god or goddess. Yet, anyone else can make sacrifices as well. If a character is proficient with the relevant skill, and it knows how to make a sacrifice, then it can do so. The practice of sacrifice is a complex process that involves many sacrificial factors. The Sacrifice Factor table shows these factors and how much they satisfy a deity. In game mechanics, these factors add bonuses to the skill checks made. Any benefits that grants advantage to the relevant skill check does not apply to this type of check. SACRIFICE FACTORS Sacrificial Factor Sacrifice is made through a quick ritual that takes less than a minute. -4 Sacrifice is made through a 10-minute ritual. 0 Sacrifice is made through a 1-hour ritual. +1 Sacrifice is made through an 8-hour ritual. +2 The sacrificed creature is of 0 CR. -1 The sacrificed creature is of 1-4 CR. +1 The sacrificed creature is of 5-10 CR. +2 The sacrificed creature is of 11-16 CR. +3 The sacrificed creature is of 17+ CR. +4 The sacrifice is made on an altar. +1 The sacrifice is made in the deity’s temple or another relevant place favored by the deity. +2 The sacrificial area is consecrated (if neutral) or desecrated (if evil). +1 The sacrifice is made in front of a small group of followers (less than 10). 0 The sacrifice is made in front of a decent group of followers (10-100). +1 The sacrifice is made in front of a large group of followers (100-1000). +2 The sacrifice is made in front of a community of followers (1000+). +3 The sacrifice is willing. +1 The sacrifice is of opposite alignment * +1 The sacrifice is clergy or devoted (e.g. warlock) of opposite alignment* +2 The sacrifice is the follower of an opponent deity or entity ** +2 The sacrifice is clergy or devoted of opponent deity or entity ** +3 The sacrificial factors gained from the situations that is marked with the same starts (*, **) does not stack together. The factors stack in a reasonable manner. The examples include but are not limited to the following, and the Game Master has the final say in this manner: A sacrifice made through an 8-hour ritual does not also add the bonus of the 1-hour ritual in terms of the satisfaction of the deity. Similarly, the sacrifice made in a temple does not also add the bonus of an altar. A sacrificed creature with a CR of 17 does not also add the bonus of a creature with a CR of 11-16. The sacrifice being of opposite alignment does not stack with it being the follower of an opponent deity or entity. When the sacrifice is made, the deity or entity rewards the character properly, according to the result of the character’s relevant skill check detailed in the Rewards of Sacrifice table. E M a k i n g S a c r i f i c e Practice of Sacrifice MASS SACRIFICES Some sacrifices involve the massacre of multiple creatures. Sacrifice of the masses can satisfy a deity or entity, just as it would a stronger creature. When calculating the sacrificial factor of a mass sacrifice, you can count the mass’ encounter challenge rating rather than their individual ratings. Check Modifier

140 The rewards of sacrifice can be various things. Often, they include powers bestowed upon the conductor of the sacrifice. Spells of a relevant level, additional uses of class features, or a percentage bonus on a cleric’s Divine Intervention feature are all examples of rewards that could be given in return for a proper sacrifice. Unless stated otherwise, a spell granted as a reward can be used once within the next 1 day after the sacrificial ritual has been completed. If the sacrifice is performed by a party instead of a single person, the rewards can be granted to up to 6 characters unless it is stated otherwise in the Rewards of Sacrifice table. As a GM, you can choose to reward more than 6 characters, but you should be aware that this will make the party even more powerful. The spells granted are relevant to the deity or entity the sacrifice is made for, and is determined at the Game Master’s discretion. The characters use the rewarded spells as innate powers, meaning that their spellcasting ability for these spells is Charisma. REWARDS OF SACRIFICE Sacrificial Reward 10 The performer of the sacrifice can use a cantrip for the next 1 hour. 13 The performer of the ritual deals an extra 1d6 damage (whose type is determined by the GM) on its weapon and spell attacks for the next 1 hour. 11 + 2 * spell level The performer of the sacrifice can use a spell of 1st to 8th level that has a material component worth less than 50 gp. 19 The performer of the sacrifice gains +2 bonus on its spell attack rolls and its spell save increases by 2 for the next 1 day. 21 The performer of the sacrifice is granted 1 uncommon magic item that vanishes after 1 day. 23 The performer of the sacrifice regains 20 hit points; or the reduction on its hit points maximum is decreased by 20; or gains 10 temporary hit points for 1 day. 25 The performer of the sacrifice is granted 1 rare magic item that vanishes after 1 day. 27 The performer of the sacrifice regains 50 hit points; or the reduction on its hit points maximum is decreased by 50; or gains 25 temporary hit points for 1 day. 29 The performer of the sacrifice is granted 1 very rare magic item that vanishes after 1 day. 31 The performer of the sacrifice regains 100 hit points; or the reduction on its hit points maximum is decreased by 100; or gains 50 temporary hit points for 1 day. 25 The performer of the sacrifice can use a 3rd level spell that has a material component worth equal to or less than 300 gp. 25 A party member that died within the last 1 day is resurrected. 25 The performer of the sacrifice gains 1 additional use of a class or archetype feature that can normally be used multiple times between two long rests. 27 The performer of the sacrifice gains 2 additional uses of a class or archetype feature that can normally be used multiple times between two long rests. 28 The performer of the sacrifice can use a 5th level spell that has a material component worth equal to or less than 1000 gp. 30 The performer of the sacrifice gains one additional use of a class or archetype feature that is normally regained after a long rest. 32 The performer of the sacrifice can use a 7th level spell that has a material component worth equal to or less than 1000 gp. 32 The performer of the sacrifice can use a 9th level spell that has a material component worth equal to or less than 50 gp. 35 The performer of the sacrifice can use a 9th level spell that has a material component worth equal to or less than 25000 gp. 35 The performer of the sacrifice gains one additional use of a class or archetype feature that is normally regained after a week. 40 The performer of the sacrifice is granted with a wish spell. This cannot be granted to all of the party. 40 The performer of the sacrifice is granted 1 legendary item that vanishes after 1 hour. 45 The performer of the sacrifice permanently gains 1 additional hit point for each of its hit dice. 45 The performer of the sacrifice is permanently granted 1 legendary item. Not all entities may choose to bestow all of the rewards given in the table. These presume the entity has divine essence (and is thus a deity). Extraplanar entities may be unable to grant Rewards of Sacrifice Check Result

141 many of these rewards or choose to lend different types of help. The nature of the entity and what rewards it can provide is determined at the Game Master’s discretion. As the Game Master, you can come up with different ideas. For instance, you can decide that the deity grants the party a cure for a curse or disease rather than healing; a follower of the deity or entity can be summoned rather than granting a spell from a spell level that has a relevant suitable summoning spell; or rather than granting additional damage to the party, it can bestow a curse on the enemies of the party. Long Term Bestowments A deity or entity can also decide to actualize a spell’s effect for 24 hours. For example, a deity can grant the effects of the aid spell on the party for a day. In such a case, the increases below are added to the DC of the Arcana or Religion check of the ritual. DC Increase Effect +2 A spell of an 8-hour duration that stays active for 24 hours +5 A spell of a 1-hour duration that stays active for 24 hours +8 A spell of a 10-minute duration that stays active for 24 hours +11 A spell of a 1-minute duration that stays active for 24 hours he soul represents the life force within a creature. It carries all the burdens and rewards of each and every act committed through life, and it carries all the knowledge one has learned in a lifetime, even after death. It is so powerful that when a deal is made with higher powers of the universe, such as a warlock patron or a deity, the soul carries its mark. The soul is like an inner skin one can never flay. Since the soul is so powerful and significant, there are always some creatures who want to manipulate it to their own advantage, or to use it as a currency, in order to gain more power. A soul must be captured and stored properly, which is a process that requires serious preparation. A soul can only be captured after it leaves the body (generally upon death) and only unholy reliquaries decorated with precious gemstones and arcane marks or foul prayers can keep a soul imprisoned within. Some spells, such as mark of soul siphoning, soul binding, and soul imprisoning, were invented by the most ruthless and malicious spellcasters in history for the purposes of storing a soul in this way. There are also rumors about some weapons that can contain the souls of certain creatures they killed. An unholy reliquary generally costs 1000 gold pieces to craft and it can store the souls of creatures whose HD is between 1-5. Since the soul represents the life force, and acquired experiences “feed” the soul, the souls of creatures with a higher HD are harder to store; therefore, preparing a reliquary for such a soul requires additional preparations. The prices of unholy reliquaries that can store the souls of creatures whose HD is between 6-10 are 4000 gold pieces, 11-15 are 9000 gold pieces, and 16-20 are 16000 gold pieces. To capture the souls of creatures of higher HD, the unholy reliquaries should be crafted by the connoisseurs of the task and their prices are, naturally, even higher. Once a soul is captured and stored within an unholy reliquary, it can be used in many ways. Here are a few examples: Spell Component. While casting a spell, you can choose to use souls instead of using the material components needed. Souls totaling 5 HD can be used as spell components of 5000 gold pieces. Spell Enhancer. While casting a spell, you can choose to destroy a soul to increase the DC of the spell. The DC increases by 1 for souls of 1-5 HD, by 2 for souls of 6-10 HD, by 3 for souls of 11-15 HD, and by 4 for souls of 16-20 HD. Regaining Hit Points. You can choose to drink a soul as if drinking a healing potion, destroying the soul, and consuming the life essence within. Once you do so, you regain hit points equal to 5 x the HD of the soul consumed. Crafting Magical Items. A blacksmith with the ability to craft magical items can use souls to imbue armor and weapons. A soul of 1-5 HD can transform a nonmagical weapon into a +1 weapon, 6-10 HD can transform a +1 weapon into a +2 weapon or a nonmagical armor into a +1 armor, 11-15 HD can transform a +2 weapon into a +3 weapon or a +1 armor into a +2 armor, and 16-20 HD can transform a +2 armor into a +3 armor. The used souls are destroyed at the end of the process. Selling The Soul. There are many individuals and organizations in search of others in the universe to fulfill personal vendettas, to settle old bets, or to do other things of that nature. The best way to capture someone is to capture their soul in a small precious gem box. In this case, the prices differ greatly, depending on the job, as well as the identities of the creatures involved. Capturing and storing a soul is an evil act (even if the soul is evil itself) since any soul that meets this fate is deprived of an afterlife. Also, time is not spent in peace for a captured soul as it always tries to break free and its captivity causes it great pain. However, destroying a soul is one of the most evil, unholy, and corrupt acts imaginable. Upon destroying a soul, a creature ceases to exist in its entirety. T A New Currency: Soul

142 very settlement aims to prosper. Whether this is seen in the merchants who eagerly take their goods to peddle them in the town square, or in farmers bringing their livestock out to sell them for a bit of money in their villages, everyone wants to make money. However, not every transaction that fills the streets of settlements is appreciated by its citizens or rulers, especially when they take place in the shadows and cannot be taxed or charged fairly. Such markets are referred to as black markets, where illicit goods can be purchased and illegal services can be hired. The physical structure of the market changes from place to place. While some black markets are actual, physical markets in unsavory districts and dangerous back alleys, some other black markets involve mere counters in the back rooms of supposedly honest establishments. The black market provides things that cannot be obtained through legal means. The goods provided can vary from innocent items to rare or dangerous ones. For instance, one could procure a certain alcoholic beverage that might have been banned by a local authority figure after a quarrel with a merchant selling it. On the other hand, one could also just as easily come across the herbs needed to craft an untraceable (and deadly) poison. Not every settlement may have a black market, nor is it always easy to locate one, especially if the characters are strangers to the settlement. A rogue can find and establish connections with black market dealers more easily owing to their knowledge of Thieves’ Cant, which lets them notice certain signs in that language indicating a black market. Other people can also find black markets, given that they conduct a proper investigation. A good place to look for information are the inns and taverns known for their unsavory customers. The innkeeper or barkeep may provide information in exchange for a handful of gold, if the characters in search of it seem “decent” enough (for the innkeeper’s sophisticated standards). The characters can also investigate the settlement, looking around for indications of the Black Market, or ask shopkeepers with their words carefully selected. Investigating a settlement in this way requires an Intelligence (Investigation) check and its difficulty depends on the security level of the settlement, and thus the black market. Dealers tend to conduct business in sneakier ways and they act with even more precaution if there is a guard nearby. The DC for the Intelligence (Investigation) check to find a black market often ranges from 15 to 25, though may also be higher or lower if there are special circumstances at play, which is determined at the GM’s discretion. A rogue can have advantage on their check, or have a lower DC than normal, or both, all thanks to Thieves’ Cant. The prices in a black market vary according to the goods or services that are sought. Some dealers, for example, smuggle common goods into settlements avoiding the taxes that these goods would be subject to. These merchants tend to sell such goods at a lower price to make them more appealing to customers, in comparison to their legal counterparts. Regulated or illicit goods, on the other hand, tend to be more expensive than what they would be worth in a market where they were legally available. Goods, common or uncommon, may not show any signs of having been stolen. However, if a stolen item has certain characteristics that are overtly specific (such as the signet ring of a noble family, or a wedding ring with the spouse’s name inscribed), it may be risky to sell it to legal merchants, as the theft may have been reported to the authorities, or somehow discussed between the commoners. Such items are sold to those who are called “fences” who find a way to take the heat off the goods, and manage to sell them elsewhere. Fences are not easy people to find and they know that thieves need favors from them, and thus they have power over prices. As a general rule, fences purchase an item for 25% cheaper than a regular merchant. On the other hand, they also know stolen and used items are less in demand, so they sell their goods at a price that is 25% cheaper than normal. Of course, all of the associated risks belong to the customer. Black markets can provide a great variety of interesting goods and services that regular markets cannot. Here are some general, illicit goods and services that could be available in a black market. FORGING A FALSE DOCUMENT Many documents can be forged in a black market. Such documents can range from permits for trade to those for transport, from documents declaring citizenship to those concerning membership to a guild or organization. Even documents of absolute power, such as a pardon or a permit from a ruler, can be forged in this way. Documents that are more valuable or rare are naturally more expensive. E Black Market Locating Black Markets Bargaining with Dealers Fencing Stolen Goods Illicit Goods and Services

143 Forging a False Document Price Pages (for each page) 1 gp Document Rarity Price Change Common -50% Uncommon None Rare Price x 2 Very Rare Price x 5 Other Factors Price Change A copy exists None A copy does not exist Price x 10 KNOWLEDGE Knowledge is power, and valuable knowledge is kept secret for this reason. The characters in an adventuring party can acquire common knowledge and rumors from innkeepers, barkeeps, or other people of a similar nature, at a small price. The knowledge found in black markets is less common than day-to-day knowledge and is dangerous if spread. Such information can cause dramatic setbacks for important people, for guilds and organizations, or even for rulers and kingdoms. Such pieces of knowledge are sold by criminal organizations such as thieves’ guilds. The rarer ones may be sold by spies or powerful guilds and organizations. Knowledge Price Uncommon 100-1000 gp Rare 1000-5000 gp Very rare 5000-10000 gp Legendary Up to the GM Uncommon. Uncommon knowledge concerns a piece of information that is kept secret, but the nature of which is of little importance, or the person or group to which it belongs is not very powerful. For example, the identity of the foot soldiers of a thieves’ guild in town would be uncommon knowledge. Rare. Rare knowledge concerns information that is substantially important, and/or the person or group to which it belongs is moderately powerful. For instance, the whereabouts of a treasure belonging to a pirate of notoriety, or the map for safe passage through an ancient ruin known to contain valuable items, would be considered rare knowledge. Very rare. Knowledge of such rarity is one of great importance, and one that can mark the fate of organizations, the size of which can vary from a small county or barony to an organization of extreme renown. Such information is usually obtained from specific individuals, such as a spy in retirement, who now makes a living off selling the knowledge it recovered throughout its profession. Very rare knowledge can also be recovered as part of a deal between two important parties. The presence or location of a secret barracks of the kingdom, or knowledge of a secret family lineage that proves a claim to rule in a certain land as a noble which is ruled by another family, are examples of very rare information. Legendary. Legendary information can be found quite rarely. Very specific people have such information. The price and nature of the pieces of such information are determined at the GM’s discretion. MURDERING SOMEONE Those who murder people for money utilize their criminal connections to find and conduct their business. They usually have middle-people who arrange their meetings with customers. Such meetings generally take place in back alleys, or in unsavory inns and taverns. Hiring someone for assassination does not always guarantee the death of the target in question. The prices listed below are in regard to how much it costs to simply hire a murderer. Whether the hired murderer will succeed or not depends on many other factors, such as the combat that happens when the murderer finds the target, and is determined at the GM’s discretion. Murdering Someone Price Backstab up to 100 gp Cutthroat 250 gp Assassination 1000 gp Backstab. Backstabbing is a simple type of murder that targets a relatively common person, and usually, such jobs are given to street thugs. Cutthroat. Cutthroats are murders that are semi-planned (being prepared halfway or worked on without precautions). They can be done by a single killer or a group of them. Assassination. Assassinations involve grand schemes that include both the method for the kill and what measures will be taken afterwards. This type of job is required when targeting important people such as the nobility, or the masters of important guilds. No Witnesses. If the employer wishes for there to be no loose ends, the price of the murder goes up. Usually, this would mean a 50% increase in the price, but it could be more if the wish of the employer is too particular. This increase is determined at the GM’s discretion. Like an Accident. If the murderer is required to make a murder seem like an accident, it becomes much more expensive. Usually, such a request would increase its price by one level (from backstab to cutthroat, for example), or it would double it. POISON AND DRUGS The black market is a haven for various kinds of poisons and drugs. Such items are often illegal due to their potential for harm and addiction. Some merchants in the black market may

144 only sell poisons or drugs. For example, an alchemist may be known to produce and sell drugs and/or poisons in the backroom of their laboratory. Others may sell them as part of a wider inventory on a hidden shelf. STEALING SOMETHING From petty street burglars to the proud thieves of the thieves’ guilds, there are various types of criminals that offer their theft services in black markets. As a measure used to keep their identities hidden from local authorities, thieves work through their connections, such as known street gossipers (some of which are “beggars”), and shady innkeepers. Thieves often meet with customers upon the reference of an acquaintance, either in back alleys or in shady taverns or inns. If they can, they communicate in Thieves’ Cant, and if they cannot, they prefer to have meetings in isolated environments where they can be sure that no eavesdroppers are present. Usually, theft is a type of criminal work with an additional high level of dishonesty. If a group of thieves realizes the worth of what is stolen to be much more than what they are paid, they can easily cheat their customers and keep the score for themselves. Thus, as opposed to having a fixed pay, thieves are usually paid in shares from each job to ensure loyalty. Hiring someone or a group of thieves does not always guarantee that the targeted object will be stolen. The success of the job depends on many factors, and is at the GM’s discretion. Theft Price Picpocket 10 gp Burglary 100 gp Thievery 1000 gp Heist 5000+ gp Pickpocket. Pickpocketing is common and simple street theft. It often involves stealing something out of the pocket or bag of a target. Hiring someone to commit this type of theft is the cheapest in comparison to the others, and costs around 10 gp. Burglary. Burglary is petty theft. It involves stealing from a regular house or a person of some importance (such as the key of a guard captain or owner of a jewelry shop). Hiring someone to commit this type of theft usually costs around 100 gp. Thievery. Thievery is the most common type of theft. Jobs of this sort involve a plan to some degree, such as how to make an entrance, how to score the job, and then to escape safely. Stealing from the local goldsmith or a moneylender are examples of jobs that would be considered thievery. Thieves who go after these jobs are professionals and probably members of the local thieves’ guild. This type of thievery usually costs around 1000 gp plus half of the stolen score. Heist. Heists are big jobs that are rare as thieves for their scale is hard to come by, but they are highly valuable. Careful planning and an expert team are necessary for their success. These jobs also create a lot of fuss after they are done, and often require the team to remain off the streets afterward for a while. Stripping a bank of its entire set of assets, or stealing the ancestral jewelry of a noble family, would be examples of heists. This type of theft usually costs around 5000 gp plus half of the stolen score, or maybe even more, if the job required is especially convoluted, which is determined at the GM’s discretion. UNSAVORY HIRELINGS Although many hirelings can be found in the common market, there is also a place for “unsavory” hirelings in the black market. These hirelings can range from brutes who are not above doing certain things others might consider “dirty work”, to expert spies. Unsavory hirelings care less about the law than common folk, if they care about it at all. Power is usually what they care for the most, as well as respect. If someone weak tries to hire those that are stronger than them, the hirelings can turn on their employer and hurt them if they see fit. A character should be careful about how many unsavory hirelings they hire, and who these hirelings are, as things can go awry pretty fast. Loyalty depends on power, and thus also on character levels of the hirer and challenge ratings of the hirelings. The risk of a hireling turning on their employer is determined at the GM’s discretion. Unsavory Hirelings Price Bandit 1 gp per day Thug 3 gp per day Spy 5 gp per day

145 oisons are harmful alchemical or herbal mixtures. They are usually used by people, who do not have good intentions, to assassinate a target without leaving a trace, or to make someone suffer. Therefore, in many cultures, poison is considered to be an evil tool, and killing someone with poison, a dishonorable act, to the point that in some cities or kingdoms, any kind of poison may be illegal. Poisons are often considered evil because of the amount of harm and pain they cause. To make a poison, you need a mortar and pestle to mill the main components, and vials to keep poisons ready for use. There are three types of ingredients that form a poison; the base liquid, the main component, and the enhancer. While crafting a poison, you have to choose one base liquid and one main component. You can also choose to add one enhancer to make your poison even more powerful. Base Liquids. Base liquids are used to hold the other components together, and they make the poisons easier to use as they conceal the poisonous content. Putting a handful of mixed herbs on a target’s dinner plate is quite obvious, but a base liquid, which seems harmless at first sight, contains the essence of the poisonous herbs, and a single drop of it can be enough. Usually, water is used in many recipes, but it can differ. Some use a particular creature’s blood to prepare a poison that could cause greater harm to a single type of creature. For example, making a poison with humanoid blood can be more deadly for humanoids than other creatures. Main Components. A main component can nearly be anything, but its source is what makes it special. The use of the venom extract of a snake will not result in the same poison as the use of a deadly mushroom. The main components determine what the poison will do. Will it be damaging, or will it spread a disease? Enhancers. Enhancers can alter the properties of poisons. They can add new features or remove some unwanted effects. A secondary main component acts as an enhancer because using the same main component twice empowers the poison’s abilities, doubling their duration or harm. Additionally, they can change the damage type of a poison. For instance, a rare herb that only grows in sea caves can turn the type of damage dealt by the poison into cold damage when used as an enhancer. Sometimes what assassins need is a slow killing poison rather than a battle tool. Sand, or (simply) dirt, slows the effect of poisons and thus increases the time it causes physical harm and pain to the creature. If a poison deals damage at the end of each round, the slowed version of it may deal damage at the end of an hour or a day. You can work with your GM to determine the effects of enhancers. After you choose the ingredients you will use in crafting your poison; you need to make an Intelligence check to successfully craft the poison. You are proficient with this check if you are proficient with the poisoner’s kit. The DC of the check is determined by; Craft DC= 8 + poison’s rarity bonus. The rarity bonus is a bonus that is calculated according to the rarities of the ingredients used in crafting. The rarity bonus is +1 for a common, +2 for an uncommon, +4 for a rare, +6 for a very rare, and +8 for a legendary ingredient. You add the rarity bonus of the base liquid, the main component, and the enhancer you choose to determine the poison’s rarity bonus. If you fail the Intelligence check, your ingredients are spoiled, and you need to collect new ones. Crafting one vial of poison usually takes an amount of time equal to a long rest. However, if an enhancer is used, the crafting time increases to 1 day. One unit of components and ingredients gathered to make a poison can provide 1 vial (dose) of the poison. A creature that is exposed to a poison generally makes a saving throw against the effects of the poison. Unless stated otherwise, the required saving throw is a Constitution saving throw. The DC of this saving throw is calculated by; Poison Save DC= 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. An ingredient results in different effects when they are used by a base liquid or a main component, so there are different effects listed below. Also, in these tables, you will find that the rarities of some ingredients are not stated. This is because of that they can vary heavily according to certain elements and should be determined by the GM. For example, the blood of a frost giant is a rare ingredient for a poison crafter living in a city that is far away from the mountains, yet it can be found in abundance by a poison crafter living in a berserker tribe that hunts frost giants in their daily life. Also, you will find some texts such as Uncommon (Roots of a specific plant that only grows in colder parts of the realm). The texts in the parentheses are examples of such ingredients. They are guidelines for GMs so that they can determine the rarity of ingredients. There are poisons in (p.209). These poisons are exceptional ones and can also guide you on creating poisons different than listed here. Finally, your GM has the final say in the poison you will craft. The rarities of the ingredients may change, or the ingredients you choose may not create a poison if the GM does not see fit. Also, you can choose different ingredients than listed below. Again, you can work with your GM to determine their rarities and effects. P Poisoncraft Crafting Poisons

146 Blood Type (Liquid) Effects as Base Liquid Effects as Main Component Aberration Poison type can be Contact or Ingested (on your choice). The creature must succeed on a saving throw, or the creature can breathe only underwater for 1 minute. Beast Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). The poison opens deep wounds on the target’s flesh, causing it to move slower than usual. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it has disadvantage on its attacks for 1d6 turns. Celestial Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). If the creature has immunity to poison damage, it must succeed on a saving throw, or the immunity to poison damage is considered as resistance to poison damage against the effects of this poison for 1d4 turns. Dragon Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). The poison deals 2d6 damage whose damage type is the same as the dragon’s breath weapon. If the damage type is poison, the target must also succeed on a saving throw, or it becomes poisoned for 1d4 rounds. Fey Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). The poison cannot be sensed by a detect poison and disease spell. Fiend Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it can be targeted by spells and other magic effects that specifically affect fiends for 1d4 rounds. Giant Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). The effects of this poison change according to the giant whose blood is used in crafting. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it gains vulnerability to a damage type (thunder for cloud giant, fire for fire giant, cold for frost giant, lightning for storm giant). Humanoid Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it becomes poisoned for 1d4 turns. Monstrosity Poison type can be Ingested or Injury (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it suffers one level of exhaustion. A poison’s DC increases by 1 against the creatures whose blood is used as the base liquid in the poison. The poison deals 2d6 psychic damage. The poison deals 2d6 poison damage. If used against good-aligned creatures, the damage increases to 3d6. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it cannot cast spells until the end of its next turn. The poison deals 2d6 fire damage. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it takes double damage from the poison.

147 Herb Type Effects as Base Liquid Effects as Main Component Common (Herbs can be found in every marketplace) Poison type can be Inhaled or Ingested (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d12 poison damage. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage. Uncommon (Roots of a specific plant that only grows in colder parts of the realm) Poison type can be Inhaled or Ingested (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d12 poison damage at the start of each of its turns for 1d4 rounds. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage. Rare (Leaves of a tree that only grows in a specific region) Poison type can be Inhaled, Ingested, or Injury (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 4d6 poison damage at the start of each of its turns for 1d4 rounds. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage. Very Rare (A mushroom that can only be found in active volcanoes) Poison type can be Inhaled, Ingested, or Injury (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 6d6 poison damage at the start of each of its turns and is poisoned for 1d6 rounds. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t poisoned. Legendary (A flower that blooms once every hundred years that dies in an hour) Poison type can be Contact, Inhaled, Ingested, or Injury (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 12d6 poison damage at the start of each of its turns and is poisoned for 1d6 rounds. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t poisoned. Other Liquid Types Effects as Base Liquid Effects as Main Component Honey (Common) Poison type can be Contact or Ingested (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it starts to feel like it’s suffocating. Until the end of its next turn, the target can’t talk. If it is concentrating on a spell, it also must make a concentration check with disadvantage. Juice (Common) Poison type can be Ingested or Inhaled (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it becomes blinded until the end of its next turn. Milk (Common) Poison type can be Contact or Ingested (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it can’t become invisible until the end of its next turn. If the target is already invisible, it becomes visible. Urine (Common) Poison type can be Contact or Ingested (on your choice). The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or it becomes charmed until the end of its next turn. Oil (Common) Poison type is Contact or Injury (on your choice). The target must succeed on a saving throw, or it starts to feel dizzy. Until the end of its next turn, the target has disadvantage on its Dexterity (Injury) or Wisdom (Contact) related skill checks. Water (Common) Poison type is Ingested. It is used to dilute poisons. You can choose to remove an unwanted effect, halve the duration of the poison, or halve the damage dealt by the poison.

148 Mineral/Metal Types Effects as Base Liquid Effects as Main Component Uncommon (Minerals that can be found in marketplaces) Minerals can be liquified by alchemical processes. The process makes the poison type Ingested. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or its speed is halved until its next turn. Rare (Minerals used as magical components) Minerals can be liquified by alchemical processes. The process makes the poison type Ingested. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or its speed is halved for 1d4 turns. Very Rare (A magical gem) Minerals can be liquified by alchemical processes. The process makes the poison type Ingested. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or its speed is halved and it cannot take any reactions for 1d4 turns. Legendary (A gem that can only be found if it wants to be found) Minerals can be liquified by alchemical processes. The process makes the poison type Ingested. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or its speed is halved and it cannot take any bonus actions and reactions for 1d6 turns. Venom Types Effects as Base Liquid Effects as Main Component Common (Venom extracted from a snake) Poison type is Injury. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or is poisoned until the end of its next turn. Uncommon (Saliva of a Large creature) Poison type is Injury. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or is poisoned 1d4 rounds. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. Rare (Skin of a creature that can only live in specific locations) Poison type is Injury. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or becomes incapacitated. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. Very Rare (Poison sack of a green dragon) Poison type is Injury. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or is paralyzed 1d4 rounds. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. Legendary (Tear of a legendary, one of a kind creature) Poison type is Injury. The target must succeed on a saving throw, or becomes unconscious. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. Acquiring Poisons Some alchemy shops may sell common poisons. However, in order to find deadlier ones, one must seek a black market (p.142). Generally, in most cities strong poisons are illegal. However, this does not deter people from crafting poisons. In black markets, there’s always a buyer for the poisons being sold. In some tribal areas, village magicians or spiritual healers can make poisons for rituals or use them as antidotes. However, they might still think using poison in battle makes someone a worthless or evil warrior.

149 rugs have many different types and effects. Something important about drugs is the fact that they are often addictive and cause adverse effects and withdrawals. Upon taking a substance of this nature, you must succeed on Constitution and Wisdom saving throws or become addicted. The level of addiction a substance causes is the main determinant of its difficulty class, of which there are three: Low, Medium, and High. The table below titled Drug Addiction details the addiction level, addiction check, and satiation period of drugs according to their degree of difficulty. D Table: Drug Addiction Addiction Level Addiction Check Satiation Period Low DC 15 72 hours (once/3 days) Medium DC 18 24 hours (once/day) High DC 20 12 hours (twice/day) Satiation Period. Satiation is the frequency at which you must apply the substance to your body in order to quench craving, and thus to keep Withdrawal Effects at bay. The Satiation Period may vary depending on the Addiction Level. Highly addictive drugs have a Satiation Period of 12 hours, which means that you must take a dose every 12 hours (twice a day) or may suffer from its withdrawal effects. Similarly, drugs with a Medium Addiction Level must be used once a day, just as drugs with a Low Addiction Level must be used once every 3 days, to prevent the withdrawal effects. Drug Addiction. When you consume a drug, you must succeed on its Addiction Check (by making a Wisdom saving throw with the relevant DC) or become addicted. When you get addicted to a drug, you must succeed on its Addiction Check each day, or are consumed with a burning desire to find and use the object of your addiction. Drug Withdrawal Effects. Withdrawal effects start to surface when you cannot find the drug and satiate your all-consuming desire for it. As your body grows accustomed to the substance to which you are addicted, it reacts in some way to its absence, and thus you experience withdrawal effects. Still, endurance can help you overcome it. Even if you are addicted to a drug, you can make a Constitution saving throw with the relevant DC to overcome the drug’s withdrawal effects in each Satiation Period in which you couldn’t use the drug. If you succeed in overcoming your addiction to a drug (as discussed in Quitting a Drug below), you no longer need to make this saving throw to overcome withdrawal. Quitting a Drug. If you succeed on the Addiction Check for 3 days in a row, you successfully quit that drug; you no longer feel the urge to consume it, nor do you suffer from its withdrawal effects. For example, in order to quit a drug of a high addiction level, you need to succeed on a total of 6 Addiction Checks in this 3-day period. For a medium addiction drug this number falls to 3, with one check made each day. And for a drug with a low addiction level, 1 successful check within the 3-day period is enough to quit. Drugs and Addiction

150 orture is a practice that has existed from the beginning of civilization. It involves inflicting pain or mental distress on a subject to bring them into a desired condition. It is mainly used to make people talk, to provide information, or be of unprecedented benefit to those who partake in it. Another common use of torture is in punishment and executions. Subjects are harmed, so their suffering sets an example to the populace, and reminds them to behave in accordance with the law or authority present. A third, but luckily not common, use of torture involves sadism. Some people feel pleasure when making others suffer physically and mentally. There are two main types of torture, physical and mental. Each requires different skill sets and aims to break the target in different ways. Physical Torture. As the aim is to cause physical pain or distress, the Medicine skill is used for the knowledge of the target’s anatomy and thus for the knowledge of points and areas of the body that cause a sufficient amount of pain. If the target is a creature of another origin (such as a fiend or celestial or something else), one of the Arcana, Nature, or Religion skills (relevant to the creature’s type) should be used for the knowledge of the creature’s anatomy. Mental Torture. As the aim is to cause mental stress and confusion, the Intimidation or Deception skill is used in order to confuse the target and eventually break their mental integrity. With the Intimidation skill, the target can continually be cowed and coerced until, bit by bit, their will is eventually broken. With the Deception skill, the target’s sense of time, place, and other anchors of one’s sense of reality can be manipulated, causing their mental integrity to descend into delirium. Physical Torture With physical torture, the aim is to put the target in physical pain and distress. This type of torture is affiliated with the target’s Constitution score. The torturer makes a skill check (Arcana, Medicine, Nature, or Religion) contested against the target’s Constitution saving throw; if the skill check is successful, the target’s Constitution score decreases by 1 (or more, as per the tool being used, see Tools of Torture below) until they take a long rest. Physical torture can be done with or without Torturer’s Tools. A torturer who tortures without tools has disadvantage on its contested skill check. MENTAL TORTURE With mental torture, the aim is to put the target in mental anxiety, confusion, and distress. This type of torture is affiliated with the target’s Wisdom score. The torturer makes a skill check of choice (Deception or Intimidation) contested against the target’s Wisdom saving throw; if the skill check is successful, the target’s Wisdom score decreases by 1 (or according to the setup) until the target completes a week without being tortured. Mental torture requires a setup (a relevant mood and setting) to work properly, such as a cold and dark room to set the atmosphere of loneliness. A torturer who tortures without the setup has disadvantage on its contested skill check. A physical torture session takes one hour and mental torture takes one day. In this time period, one torture attempt (the contested skill check) is made. A torturer must plan their sessions wisely as this is a double-edged sword; while taking too many sessions may mean the recovery of the target (from a long rest, for example), using tools and setups that are too harsh could cause the target to break beyond salvation (and usefulness). As the torture progresses, the target sinks into lower stages of integrity. These stages are: Distress, Submission, Depersonalization, Unresponsive, and Death or Madness. The stages are tied to the target’s ability score that is relevant to the torture (Constitution or Wisdom). Current Ability Score Stage of Integrity 8 Distress 6 Submission 4 Depersonalization 2 Unresponsive 0 Death or Madness Torture T Procedures of Torture Torture Session Stages of Integrity Tying the Subject A torturer must restrain the subject properly or make it otherwise unavailable to defend itself in order for the torture to work. A tied-up subject can attempt to escape with a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, the DC of which is determined at the Game Master’s discretion. Yet, as they are in a position where any act they undertake can easily be prevented by the torturer, the torturer can quickly slay the subject upon such an attempt as long as the torturer is not unconscious or away from the room, or otherwise unable to react in time.