RPG-a-Day #9: Privilege

This material was cut from Deception, a just-released OGL Modern release from NUELOW Games. It was cut because the editor felt it explained the self-evident. Here's hoping you'll find it interesting enough to check out the product it was cut from.

Basically, Deception contains feats and talent trees for characters belonging to the privileged elite in our society--or those with the skills and daring to pass themselves off as belonging among them. 

Feat Synergies

The true power of this supplement emerges when you combine feats and talents strategically. Individual feats provide solid mechanical benefits, but layering them creates exponential advantages—and exponential risk. Below are the most potent synergies, along with guidance on how they function mechanically.


Synergy 1: False Credentials +Web of Lies
The Combination: False Credentials lets you create forged documents and maintain a false identity. Web of Lies prevents you from contradicting yourself across multiple narratives. Together, they create an identity so seamless that even intensive investigation struggles to find inconsistencies.

How It Works: When you establish a false identity using False Credentials, you gain mechanical protection against Sense Motive checks and investigation attempts targeting inconsistencies in your cover story. Web of Lies ensures that every detail you've established—your background, your motivations, your connections—remains internally consistent across all interactions. If someone cross-references your story with a third party, the details align perfectly.

Mechanical Effect: Gain a +4 bonus to all Bluff checks made to maintain your false identity. Additionally, investigators must succeed on a Gather Information check (DC 20 + your ranks in Bluff) to find any contradictions in your cover story, even if they interview multiple people who've interacted with your false identity.

In Practice: A character creates a false identity as a mid-level insurance adjuster. They forge credentials, establish a work history, and create a believable personal background. When a rival becomes suspicious and begins investigating, they interview the character's "former colleagues" and "previous employers"—all of whom are either fabricated contacts or people the character has already briefed. Every detail aligns. The investigation hits a wall because there's nothing to find. The false identity is airtight.



Synergy 2: Blackmail Material + Puppet Master Talent
The Combination: Blackmail Material gives you leverage over individuals. Puppet Master allows you to remotely manipulate institutions through layers of control. Combined, you can use blackmailed individuals as nodes in a larger network of institutional influence.

How It Works: When you possess blackmail material on someone with institutional access or authority, you can activate them as an asset within your Puppet Master network. They become a remote control point for institutional decisions. Unlike normal Puppet Master assets (which require ongoing relationship maintenance), blackmailed assets remain loyal through coercion rather than favor. They cannot refuse your requests without risking exposure.

Mechanical Effect: Blackmailed individuals can be used as Puppet Master assets without consuming your daily asset activation limit. Additionally, when you activate a blackmailed asset to perform an institutional action, you gain a +2 bonus to the relevant check, and the asset cannot fail or refuse the request (though they may perform it poorly if they're actively hostile).

In Practice: A character has blackmail material on a city councilman—evidence of embezzlement. They activate him as a Puppet Master asset to redirect a zoning investigation away from a warehouse the character controls. The councilman, terrified of exposure, uses his institutional authority to bury the investigation. When another city official becomes suspicious, the character activates a second blackmailed asset—a police captain with a gambling problem—to misdirect the inquiry. Within weeks, the character has built a cascading network of coerced institutional control, each node reinforcing the others.

Synergy 3: Untouchable + Any Deception Feat
The Combination: Untouchable provides mechanical protection from investigation and evidence. When layered with any other deception feat, it becomes insurance that protects your other schemes from unraveling.

How It Works: Untouchable's core benefit is that you gain a +4 bonus to all checks made to avoid investigation and a +2 bonus to all checks made to misdirect blame. When you combine this with other deception feats, you're essentially creating redundant layers of protection. If your False Credentials are discovered, Untouchable helps you misdirect blame. If your Blackmail Material is exposed, Untouchable protects you from the fallout.

Mechanical Effect: When you use Untouchable in conjunction with another deception feat, you can apply Untouchable's bonuses to checks made to protect that feat's benefits. For example, if someone discovers your false credentials, you can use Untouchable to misdirect blame or create plausible deniability. Additionally, once per session, you can retroactively apply Untouchable's protection to a deception scheme that's beginning to unravel, gaining a second chance to avoid investigation.

In Practice: A character's Web of Lies begins to crack when someone notices a contradiction in their cover story. Normally, this would trigger an investigation. But the character activates Untouchable, using its misdirection benefits to suggest that the person who noticed the contradiction is mistaken or deliberately spreading false information. The investigation never materializes. The character's scheme remains intact.



Synergy 4: Silver Tongue + Information Broker Talent
The Combination: Silver Tongue provides bonuses to Bluff and Diplomacy checks. Information Broker allows you to gather, trade, and weaponize intelligence. Together, they make you exceptionally skilled at extracting information from targets.

How It Works: When you use Silver Tongue to build rapport with a target, you gain a +3 bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks. Information Broker's core benefit is that you can use Diplomacy checks to extract information that would normally require Gather Information or Investigation checks. Combined, you can charm information out of people who would normally refuse to talk.

Mechanical Effect: When using Silver Tongue in conjunction with Information Broker, you gain a +5 bonus to Diplomacy checks made to extract information. Additionally, targets must succeed on a Will save (DC 15 + your Charisma modifier) to resist sharing information with you, even if they're suspicious of your motives. If they fail, they provide the information you're seeking, though they may realize afterward that they've been manipulated.

In Practice: A character needs to know about a rival's financial situation. They use Silver Tongue to build rapport with the rival's accountant at a social event, then smoothly transition into asking about the rival's recent business dealings. The accountant, charmed and relaxed, shares details they normally wouldn't discuss. By the end of the conversation, the character has extracted sensitive financial information without the accountant realizing they've been manipulated.



Synergy 5: Misdirection + Information Broker Talent
The Combination: Misdirection lets you redirect attention away from suspicious details and toward false leads. Information Broker allows you to gather and weaponize intelligence. Together, they let you steer investigations in directions that benefit you.

How It Works: When you use Misdirection to redirect scrutiny, you're essentially creating a false lead for investigators to follow. Information Broker allows you to plant that false lead strategically, ensuring that investigators waste time chasing information you've deliberately seeded. This creates a feedback loop where the investigation moves further away from the truth with each step.

Mechanical Effect: When using Misdirection in conjunction with Information Broker, you can plant false information into your Information Broker network, ensuring that investigators who tap into that network receive misleading leads. Investigators must succeed on a Sense Motive check (DC 18 + your ranks in Bluff) to recognize that the information is deliberately planted. Additionally, each false lead you plant adds +1 to the DC of future investigation checks targeting your actual schemes (maximum +5).

In Practice: A character's scheme is beginning to attract investigative attention. They use Misdirection to create a false lead suggesting that a rival is responsible for the scheme. They then use their Information Broker network to seed this false lead into the investigation—a journalist contact publishes a speculative article, a police informant mentions the rival's involvement, a data analyst "discovers" financial connections between the rival and the scheme. The investigation pivots toward the rival. By the time anyone realizes the lead was false, the character has had weeks to cover their tracks.

 

RPG-a-Day #7: Mercy

Mercy

Minor Goddess

Domains: Mercy

As her name implies, Mercy is the personification of mercy, and she roams battlefields and areas of strife and disaster, either bestowing merciful deaths upon mortals who are beyond help but suffering from wounds or illness, or rewarding those heroes who show mercy to their foes by allowing them to surrender or otherwise quit the field of battle. She also bestows her blessing on heroes who help the helpless and defenseless during times of crisis.

   Mercy is worshipped in border territories and in areas prone to natural disasters. Shrines devoted to her are few and far between, as she numbers her followers in the tens of thousands. A secondary shrine devoted to her can be found in temples devoted to gods of Healing or Peace. She is also honored in connection with few gods of Death.

 

Gaining the Attention of Mercy

When the character shows mercy to a foe, the DM should roll 1d100. If the character is a worshipper of Mercy, on a roll of 1-20 the goddess rewards him or her with a +1 bonus to d20 rolls until the next sunrise. If the character is a non-worshipper, the bonus is gained on a roll of 1-5.

   If the being to whom mercy was granted chooses to attack instead of retreating, all attacks are against the merciful character suffer a -4 penalty to hit and damage, while the character who extended the mercy gains a +2 bonus to hit and damage against the attacker.

   If the merciful character attacks, unprovoked, the being upon whom mercy was bestowed, the character is immediately subjected to the goddess' curse, which inflicts a -4 penalty to all d20 rolls until he or she finds a way to appease the angered goddess.

Mercy's Clergy

Mercy's followers number around 30,000 worldwide, so her clergy is very small. They are either highly mobile--and often found as part of adventuring groups--or they tend the isolated shrines devoted in her honor.

   Her priests are expected to assist those in need, espcially those who have been injured in battle or displaced by natural disasters. Sometimes that assistance requires the merciful end to someone whose injuries or illness put them beyond the priest's ability to ease their pain and save their lives. This is why shrines to her are often found in temples devoted to Death gods, tucked away in side chamber.

   Her priests are granted all the standard class benefits outlined in the core rules, but as a minor goddess she is only able to grant one domain when it comes to the selection of bonus spells, the Mercy domain which is specific to her clergy. Another difference is that her clerics may choose between an orison or a spell of the appropriate level. The selected orison always fills the bonus 1st-level spell slot. The open bonus spot can then be filled with any domain spell of a lower level.

  

Mercy Clerical Spell Domain

Bonus Spells

1st Purify Food and Drink, Deathwatch 

2nd Virtue, Death Knell

3rd Detect Poison, Cure Serious Wounds

4th Cure Minor Wounds, Neutralize Poison

5th Create Water, Mark of Justice

6th Mending, Heal

7th Detect Magic, Destruction

8th Light, Mass Cure Critical Wounds

9th Resistance, Mass Heal

RPG-a-Day #3: Poise

"There's a saying I live by when it comes to attending public and private events: Be polite, be friendly, be poised... but always have a plan to kill everything in the room. Or in a two-mile radius if circumstances demand it."

--Brigid the Red, a dragon living among humans

Poise Mechanics for the d20 System

What is Poise?

Poise represents a character's ability to maintain composure, grace, and control under pressure. Unlike other ability checks that measure raw capability, poise checks determine whether a character can execute actions smoothly without betraying nervousness, losing balance, or succumbing to stress. Poise is not a separate ability score but rather a specialized check that draws upon existing abilities—most commonly Wisdom (for mental composure) or Dexterity (for physical grace).

Key Applications:

• Maintaining composure during social pressure

• Keeping balance in precarious situations

• Resisting visible signs of fear or stress

• Performing delicate actions under observation

• Controlling involuntary reactions

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Making a Poise Check

When the GM calls for a poise check, follow these steps:

1. Roll 1d20 - Roll a twenty-sided die

2. Add Modifiers - Apply relevant ability modifier (typically Wisdom or Dexterity) plus any circumstance bonuses or penalties

3. Compare to DC - If your total equals or exceeds the Difficulty Class, you succeed

Formula: 1d20 + Ability Modifier + Circumstance Modifiers ≥ DC

Which Ability to Use:

• Wisdom (Poise) - Mental composure, emotional control, resisting intimidation

• Dexterity (Poise) - Physical grace, maintaining balance, smooth movements

• Charisma (Poise) - Social grace, maintaining façade, performing under scrutiny

The GM determines which ability is most appropriate for the situation.

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Difficulty Classes for Poise

DC	Difficulty	Example Situations
5	Trivial	Walking across a wide, stable beam; maintaining composure during casual conversation
10	Easy	Keeping your voice steady when lying about something minor; balancing on uneven ground
15	Moderate	Maintaining composure while being questioned by authorities; walking across a narrow ledge
20	Challenging	Keeping a straight face while bluffing in a high-stakes negotiation; balancing on a tightrope
25	Hard	Resisting visible fear when confronted by a dragon; maintaining balance while fighting on a narrow beam
30	Very Hard	Controlling your expression while being tortured for information; performing acrobatics on a swaying rope
35	Heroic	Maintaining perfect composure while watching loved ones threatened; balancing on a razor's edge during an earthquake
40+	Legendary	Showing no reaction whatsoever to catastrophic revelations; performing impossible feats of balance under extreme conditions

Ability Modifiers

Apply the relevant ability modifier to all poise checks:

• Wisdom modifier for mental/emotional poise

• Dexterity modifier for physical poise

• Charisma modifier for social poise

Circumstance Modifiers

Bonuses (+2 to +5):

• Character has training in Performance, Bluff, or Balance (+2)

• Character is in familiar, comfortable surroundings (+2)

• Character has prepared for this specific situation (+2 to +4)

• Magical aid (spells like calm emotions, cat's grace) (+2 to +4)

Penalties (-2 to -10):

• Armor Check Penalty applies to physical poise checks (typically -1 to -8)

• Character is fatigued or exhausted (-2 to -6)

• Distracting environment (combat, loud noises, crowds) (-2 to -4)

• Character has personal stake in outcome (-2 to -5)

• Injured or in pain (-1 per 25% HP lost)

• Intoxicated or impaired (-2 to -10)

Synergy Bonuses

Characters with 5+ ranks in related skills gain +2 synergy bonuses:

• Balance → Physical poise checks

• Bluff → Social poise checks involving deception

• Concentration → Poise checks to maintain focus

• Diplomacy → Social poise checks in formal settings

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Social Consequences

Poise checks in social situations determine whether characters maintain their composure and control the impression they make on others.

Success Effects

Minor Success (beat DC by 0-4):

• You maintain composure adequately

• No one suspects your true feelings or intentions

• You avoid social embarrassment

Moderate Success (beat DC by 5-9):

• You appear confident and in control

• Gain +2 circumstance bonus on related Diplomacy or Bluff checks

• Others are impressed by your composure

Major Success (beat DC by 10+):

• You appear unshakeable

• Gain +4 circumstance bonus on related social checks

• May intimidate or inspire others with your control

Failure Effects

Minor Failure (miss DC by 1-4):

• You show subtle signs of discomfort (fidgeting, hesitation)

• Observant characters (Sense Motive DC 15) notice something is off

• Take -2 penalty on related social checks for 1 minute

Moderate Failure (miss DC by 5-9):

• Your discomfort is obvious to everyone present

• Take -4 penalty on social checks for the scene

• May provoke suspicion or lose credibility

Major Failure (miss DC by 10+):

• You visibly lose composure (stammering, sweating, obvious nervousness)

• Automatically fail related Bluff checks

• May suffer social consequences (loss of reputation, failed negotiation)

Specific Applications

Bluffing Under Pressure: When telling a significant lie, make a poise check in addition to your Bluff check. Failure reveals your nervousness even if the lie itself is believable.

Maintaining Secrets: When someone probes a sensitive topic, make a poise check to avoid involuntary reactions that might give away information.

High Society Events: Navigating formal social situations may require poise checks to avoid embarrassing faux pas or maintain appropriate decorum.

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#RPGaDAY2026. All game mechaics are releasted under the Open Game License.

RPG-a-Day #2: Stature

"My favorite human form is short, slight, and seemingly harmless. It brings out the best in humans... or the worst."

--Brigid the Red, a dragon living among humanity

 

 
 

Stature-Based Modifiers

In the d20 system, Intimidation is a Charisma-based skill that represents a character's ability to frighten or coerce others through threats, hostile actions, or sheer force of personality. While Charisma captures force of will and presence of character, it doesn't fully account for the visceral impact of physical stature.

Stature-based modifiers are optional rules that add circumstantial bonuses or penalties to Intimidation checks based on the physical presence and size differential between the intimidator and their target.

Stature Bonus Calculator

Height	Modifier	Build	Modifier
Short (6"+ below avg)	-1	Slight	-1
Average	+0	Average	+0
Tall (6-12" above avg)	+1	Muscular	+1
Unusually Tall (12"+ above)	+2	Massive	+2

Optional Additions

Modifier	Bonus
Visible Scars	+1
Heavy Armor	+1
Brutal Weapon	+1
Threatening Demeanor	+1

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Size Differential Modifier Table

Intimidator Size	Target Size	Modifier
4+ categories larger	Any	+8
3 categories larger	Any	+6
2 categories larger	Any	+4
1 category larger	Any	+2
Same size	Same	+0
1 category smaller	Any	-2
2 categories smaller	Any	-4
3+ categories smaller	Any	-6

---

Modifier Stacking Checklist

✓ Always Stack Together:

• Skill ranks + Charisma modifier

• Stature bonus (height + build)

• Size differential modifier

• Racial bonuses

• Circumstance bonuses (scars, armor, weapons, demeanor)

• Feat bonuses: Intimidating Prowess (adds Str/Con modifier to Intimidation), Skill Focus (Intimidate) (+3 bonus)

---

Intimidation Context Guide

Situation	Stature Applies?	Notes
Threatening violence	Full	Physical intimidation at its core
Combat demoralizing	Full	Direct threat of harm
Social/political threats	None	Reputation, not physique
Magical threats	Size only	No personal stature bonus
Indirect threats	Half	Allies will act, not you directly
Competence-based	GM's call	Quiet menace of expertise

Quick Rule: If the target fears this person's physical harm, apply full stature. Otherwise, reduce or eliminate it.

#RPGaDay2026

They're not just clowning around...

We've just released Carnival & Terror for the OGL Modern (and easily applied to other d20 System games). It lets players turn any character class into vehicles of mirth (Jesters) or mayhem (Harlequins) via feats and talent trees.

This post provides some ideas for suitable gear for each kind of clown character and what sort of settings they will work best in. 

Equipment Synergies

Jesters benefit from:

• Costumes: Oversized, brightly-colored silks and velvets with exaggerated proportions; bell-trimmed hats and jingling accessories that announce your arrival

• Props: Juggling clubs, rubber chickens, oversized mallets, confetti cannons, and springloaded gag items that enhance physical comedy

• Acrobatic Gear: Masterwork rope, climbing gloves, and padded vambraces that let you take falls without injury

• Magical Items: Cloak of Billowing (for dramatic flourishes), Boots of Speed (for enhanced mobility), or Gloves of Dexterity (for refined acrobatics)

• Performance Tools: Masterwork instruments, enchanted bells, or a Wand of Prestidigitation for visual gags

Harlequins benefit from:

• Makeup & Masks: Grotesque face paint in stark blacks and whites, porcelain masks with exaggerated grins, or Masks of the Skull that enhance intimidation

• Costumes: Tattered, stained silks in deep purples and blacks; torn ruffles and deliberately disheveled formal wear that suggests something deeply wrong

• Weapons: Wickedly-sharp throwing knives, a Dagger of Venom, or a Whip of Entanglement for sinister control

• Magical Items: Cloak of Shadows (for lurking in darkness), Ring of Intimidation, or a Helm of Telepathy (for psychological warfare)

• Tactical Gear: Smoke pellets, caltrops, and flash-bangs for dramatic entrances and disorienting opponents

Multiclassing and Combinations

The Jester works best with:

• Fast Hero: Maximizes mobility and acrobatic abilities

• Charismatic Hero: Enhances performance and crowd control effects

• Dedicated Hero: Provides durability to survive while entertaining

The Harlequin works best with:

• Charismatic Hero: Maximizes intimidation and psychological effects

• Dedicated Hero: Provides mental fortitude and staying power

• Fast Hero: Adds mobility for hit-and-run terror tactics

Campaign Integration

Jesters fit well in campaigns that feature:

• Circus or carnival settings

• Urban environments with crowds

• Light-hearted or comedic tones

• Teams that need morale support

• Situations requiring non-lethal solutions

Harlequins fit well in campaigns that feature:

• Horror or dark urban settings

• Psychological thriller scenarios

• Villain or anti-hero characters

• Intimidation-focused gameplay

• Gothic or noir atmospheres

To see previews or to get a copy of Carnival & Terrors, click here.

d20 Ballerinas

By way of a preview of a couple forthcoming releases, here Items and feats that did not make the final cut. It's not that they're no good, it's that they didn't fit the tones of the final edits! (All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve Miller 2026).

NEW FEAT 

Captivating Gaze
You have learned to hold an audience's attention through presence alone. 
   Prerequisite: Cha 13, Charisma-based class feature or 2 ranks in Perform (dance)
   Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.When you use Perform (dance) as part of a social encounter, observers treat you as one attitude category more favorable (hostile becomes unfriendly, unfriendly becomes indifferent, etc.) for 1 hour after your performance ends.

NEW MAGIC ITEMS

Leotard of the Radiant Performer
Aura: Moderate enchantment; Weight: 1 lbs
   This dazzling leotard is covered in thousands of tiny golden sequins that catch and reflect light in mesmerizing patterns. When the wearer moves, the garment seems to glow with an inner radiance, drawing all eyes to the performer within.

   Abilities: The wearer gains a +4 competence bonus on Perform checks and a +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma. Additionally, the wearer gains a +2 competence bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks. 

   Special: Three times per day, the wearer may activate the leotard as a swift action to gain the benefits of glitterdust centered on themselves, though they automatically succeed on the saving throw and are unaffected by the blindness. The dazzling display lasts for 3 rounds and affects all creatures within 10 feet.

Leotard of Strength and Supple Grace
Aura: Moderate transmutation; Weight: 2 lbs
   This deep crimson leotard is crafted from reinforced silk interwoven with threads of mithral. Despite this, the garment moves like water, conforming perfectly to the wearer's body and never restricting motion.
   Abilities: The wearer gains a +3 bonus to both Strength and Dexterity. Additionally, the wearer gains a +4 competence bonus on Escape Artist checks and may add their Strength modifier (if positive) to Tumble checks in addition to their Dexterity modifier.

   Special: The leotard grants its wearer the ability to treat their carrying capacity as if their Strength score were 4 points higher (this stacks with the enhancement bonus the leotard provides).

By further way of preview, here are covers for the forthcoming ballet-related d20 System releases... keep an eye out at DriveThruRPG!

It's Cinco de Mayo! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!

Cinco de Mayo is celebration of and for Mexican/Americans across the United States. In Mexico it's the celebration of a small force Mexican troops and native Zapotec and Mixtec warriors repelled the French Army when it attempted to invade the Mexican state of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is not celebrated on the wide scale seen in the U.S., but is rather a regional holiday limited to Puebla.

In observance of Cinco de Mayo, here are some spells for d20 System games. This entire post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it.. Whether you're celebrating in Puebla, in the U.S. (where some cheeky folks refer to it as Drinko de Mayo), these spells embody the spirit of the day... and would work in a magical-realism setting or any other kind of world where magic exists.

New Spells for Cinco de Mayo Celebrations (and Beyond)

By L.L. Hundal

Celebratory Vigor
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 1, Cleric 1, Paladin 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: Up to three creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 minute
Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin

You invoke the spirit of celebration, filling your allies with renewed energy and joy. Choose up to three creatures within range. Each target gains temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your spellcasting ability modifier and has advantage on the next ability check they make before the spell ends.
   At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st, and the temporary hit points increase by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Unity's Strength
Abjuration
Level: Bard 2, Cleric 2, Paladin 2
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Classes: Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Ranger

You create a mystical bond between yourself and your allies, allowing you to share strength in times of need. Choose up to five willing creatures within range (you can choose yourself). Until the spell ends, whenever one of the chosen creatures takes damage, you can use your reaction to have another chosen creature within range take that damage instead. The damage can't be reduced or prevented in any way when transferred this way.
   Additionally, chosen creatures have advantage on saving throws against being frightened while they remain within 30 feet of at least one other chosen creature.
   At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can choose one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.

 

Banner of Victory
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Bard 3, Cleric 3, Paladin 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One magical banner
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You conjure a magical banner that appears in an unoccupied space you can see within range. The banner is a Medium object with AC 15, hardness 5, and 10 hit points per caster level. It is immune to poison and mind-affecting effects.
   The banner sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and shadowy illumination for an additional 20 feet. Allies within the bright light gain the following benefits:

 
   A +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saving throws
  A +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear and charm effects
  A +10-foot enhancement bonus to base land speed

  As a move action on your turn, you can move the banner up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.
Material Component: A piece of cloth worth at least 1 gp.

Circle of Ancestors
Divination
Level: Bard 5, Cleric 5, Druid 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 30-ft.-radius emanation centered on a point in space
Duration: 8 hours
Classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Wizard

You call upon the wisdom and protection of ancestral spirits, creating a sacred space. Choose a point you can see within range. For the duration, a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on that point becomes protected by ancestral guardians.
   Creatures of your choice within the sphere gain the following benefits:

   They have advantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws
   They can't be surprised
   They have resistance to psychic damage
   Once per turn, when a creature in the sphere hits with an attack roll, 

       they can add 1d6 to the damage roll

   Additionally, you can cast augury or divination without expending a spell slot while within the sphere, though you must still provide material components.
   If you cast this spell in the same location every day for one year, the effect becomes permanent in that location.
   Material Component: Incense worth at least 25 gp, which the spell consumes.

Click here to see celebrations of Cinco de Mayo at our sister blog, Shades of Gray!

In celebration of May Day!

 Unless there's been a work stoppage or the proletariat has risen up and overthrown NUELOW Games management and have seized the means of production, we've just released a Communist-themed d20 System supplement in observance of International Workers Day! Click here to see a preview, learn a little more about the supplement, and perhaps even share your wealth by getting a copy!

Meanwhile, here are a few bits that were cut from the product, because we wanted to keep conversion between d20 System variations simple. These felt too tied to "3.5" or the straight SRD, so we giving them to the people!

Modified Class: The Vanguard (Fighter Variant)

Vanguards are the militant defenders of the revolution, fighting not for personal glory but for collective liberation.

Class Features:

Revolutionary Discipline (replaces Bonus Feat at 1st level)

Choose one of the following:

• Mutual Defense: When an ally within 5 feet of you is attacked, you can use an immediate action to impose a -2 penalty on the attack roll.

• Covering Fire: Allies within 10 feet of you gain +1 to AC.

• Tactical Coordination: Once per turn, you can grant an ally within 30 feet a +2 circumstance bonus on their next attack roll. Cost: 1 SP.

People's Champion (replaces Second Wind; gained at 2nd level)

As a swift action, you regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Alternatively, you can grant these hit points to an ally within 30 feet instead. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you rest for at least 1 hour.

Revolutionary Fervor (replaces the name of the standard Fighter ability)

This feature works as the standard Fighter's extra actions but is renamed to reflect the collective power driving your actions.

Vanguard Archetype (at 3rd level): The People's Defender

Shield of the Workers (3rd level)
When a creature you can see attacks an ally within 5 feet of you, you can use an immediate action to become the target of that attack instead.

Inspiring Presence (7th level)
Allies within 10 feet of you add your Class Consciousness modifier to their saving throws.

United Front (10th level)
When you take a full attack action, you can forgo one of your attacks to allow an ally within 30 feet to make one weapon attack as an immediate action.

Revolutionary Tide (15th level)

Once per day, you can call upon the power of collective action. Cost: 5 SP. For 1 minute, all allies within 30 feet gain the following benefits:

• +2 to all attack rolls and saving throws

• Resistance to one damage type of their choice (damage reduced by half)

• +2 bonus on saves against fear and charm effects

Unbreakable Solidarity (18th level)

Once per day, you can activate this ability for 1 minute. During this time, you and all allies within 30 feet cannot be reduced below 1 hit point while at least one other ally in range remains conscious.

Modified Class: The Agitator (Bard Variant)

Agitators use words, art, and culture to raise consciousness and inspire revolutionary action.

Spellcasting: You use the standard Bard spell list, flavored as revolutionary songs, speeches, and propaganda.

Revolutionary Inspiration (replaces Bardic Music)

Instead of standard Bardic Music abilities, you spend 1 SP to grant Revolutionary Inspiration. The die size is determined by your level (as normal Inspire Courage progression: +1 at 1st level, +2 at 8th level, +3 at 14th level, +4 at 20th level).

Class Features:

Raise Consciousness (replaces Bardic Knowledge at 1st level)

You can add your Class Consciousness modifier to any ability check that doesn't already include it. Additionally, you can spend 10 minutes in conversation with an NPC to increase their Class Consciousness by 1. The DM determines whether this increase is temporary or permanent based on the quality of your roleplay.

Song of the Workers (replaces Inspire Competence at 3rd level)
During a rest period of at least 1 hour, you can perform songs of struggle and solidarity. You and any friendly creatures who can hear your performance regain an extra 1d6 hit points per Hit Die spent. This die increases to 1d8 at 9th level, 1d10 at 13th level, and 1d12 at 17th level. Additionally, the party gains 1d4 SP.

Agitator College (at 3rd level): College of the Revolution

Bonus Proficiencies (3rd level)
You gain proficiency with printing presses and disguise kits.

Propaganda Master (3rd level)

You can create pamphlets, posters, and other propaganda materials. Spending 1 hour and 10 gp worth of materials allows you to create propaganda that grants a +2 circumstance bonus on all Diplomacy checks with workers in a specific area for one week.

Counter-Hegemony (6th level)

When an enemy within 60 feet uses an ability that would frighten or charm allies in that range, you can use an immediate action to make a Charisma (Perform) check contested by the enemy's spell save DC or Charisma check. On a success, the effect is negated for all allies.

General Strike (14th level)

Once per day, you can call for a general strike affecting all workers in a settlement for 24 hours. During this time, workers refuse to work, creating massive disruption for enemies relying on labor, supply chains, or services. The DM determines specific mechanical effects, but typically this imposes a -2 penalty on enemy actions requiring resources or support.

Equipment

Revolutionary Equipment

• Red Flag: 5 gp. A simple cloth banner dyed crimson, it's become the symbol of worker solidarity across the realm. Grants a +2 circumstance bonus on checks to inspire workers and rally the oppressed. Can be used as an improvised weapon (1d4 bludgeoning) that deals an extra 1d6 psychic damage to class enemies—the sight of it strikes fear into the hearts of tyrants.

• Printing Press (portable): 250 gp. A marvel of mechanical engineering, this hand-cranked press can produce dozens of manifestos, pamphlets, and propaganda in a single day. Allows creation of propaganda materials that grant a +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks with workers and can be distributed to raise Class Consciousness in a community. Weighs 50 lbs and requires a stable surface to operate.

• Worker's Tools (various): Standard artisan's tools, but when used collectively by multiple characters, reduce crafting time by half. These well-worn implements—hammers, wrenches, saws—are the instruments of creation and resistance, more valuable to the working class than any noble's sword.

• Rations, Communal: 5 sp per day for one person. These simple meals—bread, cheese, dried fruit—are meant to be shared. When distributed among the party during a rest period of at least 8 hours, everyone is fed and gains sustenance; the party gains 1 SP per rest period as a reminder that mutual aid strengthens the collective.

• Manifesto: 10 gp. A revolutionary text bound in simple paper, filled with analysis of oppression and calls to action. Grants a +2 circumstance bonus to Class Consciousness checks when consulted, and can be distributed to NPCs to slowly raise their Class Consciousness over time (DM discretion on duration and effect).

Eyewear Bikinis for the d20 System

Eyewear is a brand of bikinis for women who are tired to saying "my eyes are up here," as it puts eyes just where the "male gaze" often focuses.

A few rare models of the Eyewear bikini line are magical, and they are made available to the Witchkind and others who are aware of the secret magical world that exists along side the mundane one. If, of course, they can pay the asking price (or provide equally valuable favors).

EYEWEAR -- The Basic Model

Comes in red with blue eyes, or black with green eyes. The enchanted variety provides with wearer with a +4 bonus to Search and Spot skill checks.

EYEWEAR -- The Charmer

This bikini provides the benefits of the Basic Model, and the addition of a +4 bonus to Bargain and Diplomacy skill checks.

EYEWEAR -- The Sharpie

This bikini provides the benefits of the Basic model, plus +2 to Bargain skill checks. Additionally, when the wearer is in water deeper than 4 feet, she can summon a random type of carnivorous sea creatures that will attack her foes for 2d6 rounds or until slain.

1d6         Creatures summoned

1-2          Piranha Swarm

3-4          1d3 Barracudas   

5-6          1d2 Sharks                  

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A New Feat for d20 System Games: Last Words!

In NUELOW's classic ROLF!: The Rollplaying of Big Dumb Fighters, there's a skill called Strategic Bleeding. Basically, characters with that ability get one final "screw you" toward whoever or whatever is killing them by bleeding all over them, ruining their clothes and just making a mess in general.

With the Last Words feat, we bring the same sort of vibe to d20 System games!

LAST WORDS [General]
You can curse your killer with your dying breath.
   Prerequisites: Cha 13
   Benefit: When the character is killed by a creature, his or her last action can be to place a minor death curse on the killer. The curse has a duration of 1d4 weeks and imposes a -2 penalty to all ability scores. The breaking condition is determined by the GM but should be related to making amends for the character's death.
   Special: This feat activates automatically when the character dies, and instantly grants a free standard action. This action can only be used for dramatically (or even melodramatically) proclaiming the curse on your killer. This free action cannot be used in any other way.

(This feat is presented under the Open Game License and it may be reproduced in accordance with those terms. Copyright 2026 Steve Miller.)

A must-have feat for d20 System action hero characters!

DRAMATIC SLOW-MOTION DIVE
You've mastered the art of diving dramatically through the air while firing weapons, even though physics suggests this shouldn't help (or even be possible) at all.

   Prerequisites: Dex 13+, at least 3 levels in any class (or combination of classes)
   Benefit: Once per encounter, you may declare a Dramatic Slow-Motion Dive as a full-round action. You leap through the air in an unnecessarily theatrical manner while firing your weapon. You take a -4 penalty to AC/DR until your next turn, but you gain a +4 bonus to all ranged attack rolls made during this action and automatically confirm any critical threats. All allies within 30 feet who can see you must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or spend their next action saying "Whoa" or "Did you see that?" instead of acting.
   Special: If you miss all your attacks, you land prone and take 1d6 non-lethal stun damage. Your allies may mock you mercilessly.

From the Dragon's Hoard: The Demon's Throwing Axe of Returning

Countless thousands of years ago, God banished disloyal angels to Earth. Dragons were not happy with this invasion from Beyond and they managed to set aside their differences and racist resentments of each other to drive the angels to yet another dimension. They have been festering there ever since, hating the dragons as much as they hate God and his loyal angels. Soon, the fallen angels had morphed into demons and became dedicated to corrupting the beings of Earth physically and spiritually..

Roughly 45,000 years ago, the demons launched a major offensive, breaking free of the Underworld and pouring forth onto Earth, spreading death and destruction. The dragons once again came together and formed an even rarer alliance with the angels to, once again, drive the demon hoards off the earthly plane.

Among the dragons who battled the demons was a young red dragon named Brigid. She walked away from the Final Battle of the Demon War with the first powerful magic item for her hoard: The Demon's Throwing Axe of Returning

The Demon's Throwing Axe of Returning

This functuons as a +2 axe of returning.  It can be used in melee combat like +2 axe, or thrown at a target at range,

    When thrown, the axe has a range of 10 feet, plus 5 feet per each point of the wielder's Strength bonus. When thrown, it returns to the wielder's hand immediately after making a ranged attack. The wielder must make a Dex check (DC8) to catch it, but if the attempt fails, the axe strikes the wielder for 1d6+2 points of damage, then falls to the ground. If the wielder cannot catch it, it drops to the ground. This weapon is versatile and can be used in various combat scenarios, making it a valuable asset for players.

Creations of the Christmas Dragon: Caroler and Evergreen Armor of the Yule Guardian

 As Brigid the Red fell in love with winter festivals, and, ultimately Christmas, she created an increasing number of magic items that could be used either to celebrate or defend the most wonderful time of the year. Here are two of them, one which is purely her creation and one that was a group effort.

The Caroler

Weapon (longsword)

This elegant longsword appears to be forged from a single piece of ice that never melts. Delicate snowflake patterns are etched along the blade, and when swung through the air, it produces a soft, melodious chiming sound reminiscent of distant sleigh bells.

Brigid created this sword specifically for use by herself (while in human form) or favorite Lesser Beings while requiring extreme measures to defend Christmas from those who would ruin it. It remains one of her favorite creations, because it remembers every Christmas carol sung in its presence and sings

Magical Properties:

• You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls made with this magic weapon.

• The sword deals an additional 1d6 cold damage on a successful hit.

• Winter's Hymn: As a standard action, you can cause the sword to sing a Christmas carol. For the three minutes, all creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you have resistance to fire damage and advantage on saving throws against effects that would cause the frightened condition. Once you use this property, you can't use it again until after the next sunrise.

• Frozen Mercy: When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points or less with this weapon, you can choose to freeze them in a block of ice instead of killing them. The creature is stable and encased in ice (AC 13, 20 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic damage, vulnerability to fire damage). The ice melts after 8 hours or can be broken to free the creature. This allows you to capture foes alive for questioning or redemption.

• The wielder is comfortable in cold weather and suffers no ill effects from natural cold environments.

Evergreen Armor of the Yule Guardian

Armor (breastplate, shoulder guards, arm guards)

This beautiful breastplate, with matching armguards and shoulder guards is the color of evergreen trees. It seems to glisten like fir trees on a frosty morning.

Brigid the Red created this armor and wore it into the battles after which she became known as Brigid the Christmas Dragon. She became involved with a war between druids and early Christians, standing between both sides and convincing them that they should celebrate the winter festivals together and that both Yule and Christmas were embodiments of love and community. Ultimately, it was her transformation into dragon form that forced the communities to listen to her and consider her words. During the joint festivities afterwards, the druids and the Christian magi joined together to enchant Brigid's armor, turning an item that had been strictly cosmetic into one of her most prized possessions. Moreso than any item she owns, the Evergreen Armor of the Yule Guardian reminds her of how special Christmas is.

Magical Properties:

• While wearing this armor, you have an AC of 14 + your Dexterity modifier.

• You may cast spells as if you were not wearing armor..

• Guardian's Gift: The armor has 5 charges. As an action, you can expend 1 charge to touch a creature and restore 2d8 + 2 hit points to it. Alternatively, you can expend 2 charges to cast lesser restoration on a touched creature. The armor regains 1d4 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn.

• Festive Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease, and you have resistance to poison damage.

• Aura of Goodwill: Friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain a +1 bonus to saving throws against being charmed or frightened. This aura is suppressed if you are unconscious.

• The armor keeps you comfortably warm in cold environments, and small woodland creatures are instinctively drawn to you, sensing your protective nature.

From the Christmas Dragon's Hoard: The Staff of Evergreen

Unlike other items featured in this series of posts, the Staff of Evergreen was not created by Brigid the Red. Instead, it was a gift from a grateful conclave of druids that she saved from Roman troops. Although not strictly a Christmas item, it has become part of Christmas legends in small northern Irish villages and isolated communities in Morocco, because Brigid lent the staff to leaders of the communities when trouble faced them at Christmas time. (Brigid may also tinkered with an enchantment or two to make the staff more "Christmasy"...

 

THE EVERGREEN STAFF
Aura: Strong evocation and transmutation
Slot: None (held item)
Weight: 4 lbs.

This quarterstaff is carved from pine wood that remains forever fresh. Small pinecones dangle from its length on silver chains, and the scent of fresh evergreen follows its bearer. The staff is wrapped in spiraling bands of red ribbon that glow faintly in darkness.

The Evergreen Staff functions as a +2 quarterstaff and grants the bearer a +4 competency bonus to Survival skill checks in cold or winter environments. The bearer is also unaffected by temperatures as low as -50 degrees. allows use of the following spells at12th-level effectiveness. Additionally, the bearer can cause the following spell-like effects by expending the staff's charges:

* Entangle (1 charge, but manifests as animated garland and ribbon)
* Spike growth (1 charge, craggy ice and upside-down icicles spread in the direction 

        the staff is pointed)
* Plant growth (2 charges, causes evergreen trees to sprout)
* Wall of thorns (3 charges, creates a wall of holly bushes with red berries)
* Control weather (4 charges, can only create gentle snowfall)

The staff has 10 charges and regains 1d6+4 charges daily at dawn, up to the staff's maximum of 10. If the bearer expends the staff's last charge, roll d20. On a 1, the staff transforms into a normal evergreen tree sapling that must grow for one year before it can be harvested and reforged into the staff (requiring the original construction process, which is now known only to Brigid)..
Additionally, the bearer gains a +4 competence bonus on Survival checks in cold or winter environments and can survive comfortably in temperatures as low as -50°F without protection.fdsa

Creations of the Christmas Dragon: Bells of Joyous Summoning

One of the items that Brigid works one when she's grown born with everything else, is the bells of joyous summoning. It's designed to help gather companions for a celebration if the user find themselves alone of foreign lands.

Bells of Joyous Summoning

Aura: Moderate conjuration

Construction Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster V, good hope, calm emotions, detect evil, detect good, bless

Slot: None (held item)

Weight: 1 lb.

This set of nine silver sleigh bells hangs from a leather handle adorned with holly sprigs. Each bell produces a different crystalline tone, and together they create harmonious melodies that seem to echo longer than they should. The tunes played vary depending on the angle or how fast or how hard it is shaken by the user.

As a standard action, the bearer can ring the bells in specific patterns to produce the following effects:

Carol of Companionship: Duplicates summon monster V, but the summoned creature appears wreathed in festive lights and tinsel. The creature is particularly cheerful and gains a +2 morale bonus on all rolls. This ability can be used three times per day.

Chime of Cheer: Duplicates good hope affecting all allies within 30 feet who can hear the bells. This ability can be used twice per day.

Peal of Peace: Duplicates calm emotions in a 30-foot radius. Affected creatures see visions of peaceful winter scenes and warm hearths. This ability can be used twice per day.

Ring of Revelation: Duplicates detect evil or detect good (bearer's choice) for 10 minutes. Evil creatures detected appear to have a shadowy, coal-like aura, while good creatures glow with warm candlelight. This ability can be used at will.

The bells cannot be silenced by mundane means, though silence spells work normally. If all nine bells are rung simultaneously (a full-round action), they produce a magnificent sound that can be heard up to one mile away and grants all allies within 60 feet the effects of bless for 10 minutes. This ability can be used once per day.

Creations of the Christmas Dragon: Mistletoe Crown of Amorous Enchantment

Brigid has always felt sorry for those who love and who has that love betrayed or turned against them through deceit. Over her long life, she has created several gifts to mortals to help them avoid such romantic traps of pain. One of such items is Christmas themed, and Brigid has been known to wear one into areas that are hostile to Christmas, or to use it as part of an effort to restore a person's belief in the magic of Christmas.

Mistletoe Crown of Amorous Enchantment

Construction Requirements: Craft (Wondrous Item, charm person, break enchantment, neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, discern lies, sanctuary, bless, living mistletoe plants, ribbons

Aura: Moderate enchantment
CL: 10th
Slot: Head
Weight: —

This delicate circlet appears to be woven from living mistletoe vines. Small red ribbons are tied throughout, and the crown adjusts to fit any wearer's head comfortably. The mistletoe never wilts or dies.

The wearer gains the following benefits:

Aura of Affection: The wearer radiates an aura of warmth and goodwill. All Charisma-based skill checks gain a +4 competence bonus. Additionally, the wearer can cast charm person at will as a spell-like ability (DC15).

Kiss of True Love: Once per day, the wearer can bestow a kiss upon a willing creature (or be kissed by one). This kiss functions as break enchantment, neutralize poison, remove curse, or remove disease (wearer's choice). The kiss leaves a faint shimmer of golden light on the recipient's lips for 1 minute.

Romantic Revelation: Three times per day, the wearer can cast discern lies, but the spell specifically reveals the truth about romantic feelings, affections, and relationship bonds. Creatures affected by this ability see the mistletoe crown glow brightly.

Peaceful Presence: The wearer can cast sanctuary on themselves three times per day. While this effect is active, the mistletoe berries glow with soft white light.

Festive Blessing: Once per week, the wearer can conduct a marriage ceremony or commitment ritual that grants the participants a permanent +1 luck bonus on saving throws when they are within 30 feet of each other. This is a supernatural effect that can be dispelled but otherwise lasts until the bond is broken. The wearer can maintain up to 10 such bonds at a time.

The crown also grants immunity to all charm effects, as the wearer's heart is protected by the pure magic of the mistletoe.

Creations of the Christmas Dragon: The Gingerbread Golem

 Of the many magical creations Brigid the Red has created in her millennias-long life, the Gingerbread Golem is among her very most favorites. She only made a few of them, because their creation is both time- and resource consuming. 

"It's alive--ALIVE!"
In 1972, Brigid created her first Gingerbread Golem in five centuries.

Instead, she puts energy into giving others the power to make Gingerbread Golems by sharing her recipe in the Manuel of Gingerbread Golem Creation. The enchanted tome "automates" some of the more complex and high-level spells needed in the creation of the golem. Even so, there are few capable of creating gingerbread golems in the modern era, a time when magic has been abandoned by most of humanity.

Brigid has 1d3 Manuals of Gingerbread Creation in each of her 13 primary lairs that are scattered around the world.

Manual of Gingerbread Golem Creation

Aura: Strong conjuration and transmutation
Slot: None
Price: Invaluable. Can only be gifted or looted from Brigid or other owners.
Weight: 5 lbs.

This leather-bound tome smells perpetually of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses. Its pages are made of thin, edible wafer paper inscribed with frosting ink, though reading them does not damage the book. The cover is decorated with candy buttons and a gumdrop clasp.

This manual contains the instructions and pre-set enchantments necessary to create a unique construct: a Gingerbread Golem. The process takes 30 days and requires the following special ingredients worth 30,000 gp:

• 500 lbs. of enchanted gingerbread dough

• Royal icing infused with dispel magic.

• Candy decorations blessed by a good-aligned cleric

• A heart-shaped sugar crystal weighing at least 5 pounds

• Essence of joy extracted from winter celebrations

Once the golem is created, the manual crumbles into delicious cookie crumbs that grant anyone who eats them the benefits of a heroes' feast.

Gingerbread Golem

Construction Requirements: Craft (Magical Construct), manual of gingerbread golem creation

Size/Type: Medium Construct
Hit Dice: 9d10+20 (69 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+10 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+11
Attack: Slam +11 melee (1d8+7 plus sticky frosting)
Full Attack: 2 slams +11 melee (1d8+7 plus sticky frosting)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Sticky frosting, candy shard spray, delicious aroma
Special Qualities: Construct traits, damage reduction 5/adamantine, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to magic, low-light vision, sweet regeneration
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 11, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or batch (2-4)
Challenge Rating: 8
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 10-15 HD (Medium); 16-27 HD (Large)

Sticky Frosting (Ex): Creatures struck by the golem's slam attack must succeed on a DC 16 Reflex save or become entangled by sticky royal icing for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based (using the creator's Constitution modifier).

Candy Shard Spray (Ex): Once every 1d4 rounds, the golem can spray sharp candy shards in a 15-foot cone. Creatures in the area take 4d6 points of piercing damage (Reflex DC 16 half).

Delicious Aroma (Ex): The golem emits an enticing smell of fresh-baked gingerbread. Creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 14 Will save each round or become fascinated for 1 round, staring hungrily at the golem.

Sweet Regeneration (Ex): If the golem is damaged, its creator can repair it by applying fresh gingerbread dough and icing, healing 1d6 points of damage per pound of material used (up to the golem's maximum hit points).

Immunity to Magic (Ex): A gingerbread golem is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects, except as follows: Fire-based effects slow it (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds (no save). Cold-based effects heal it of 1 point of damage per 3 points of damage the effect would otherwise deal.

RPG-a-Day Challenge #5 -- Ancient

These feats for d20 System games are released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright Steve Miller 2025.

THE ANCIENT FEATS GROUP

The following feats are of the [Ancient] group. They may be chosen by characters who are in the age category of Old and beyond according to the character race's aging chart whenever a feat is gained.

Cranky [Ancient]

You're too old for this crap.

Prerequisite: 3rd level

Benefit: You gain a+2 bonus to melee attack rolls, as well as +4 damage if you are inflicting non-lethal damage.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do.[Ancient]
You say things others should live by.
  Prerequisite: Cha 15
  Benefit: +4 bonus to all Bluff and Intimidate skill checks.
  Special: This feat can be selected as a bonus feat by Clerics (D&D), Charismatic Heroes (d20 Modern) and Dedicated Heroes (d20 Modern) whether they meet the age requirement or not.

Experienced [Ancient]
This isn't your first rodeo.
  Prerequisite: 5th level
  Benefit: +2 bonus to all Bluff, Sense Motive, and Spot skill checks,

Jaded [Ancient]
You are confident that you've seen it all. Twice.
  Prerequisite: 10th level, Experienced
  Benefit: +2 bonus to resist all Fear-effects, Mind-Effecting spells and exceptional or special abilities that mimic them.

No More Fucks to Give [Ancient]
You've had it with their shit.
  Prerequisite: 15th level, Jaded
  Benefit: +4 bonus to resist all Fear-effects, Mind-Effecting spells and exceptional or special abilities that mimic them. +4 bonus to Intimidate skill checks. +2 bonus to base AC/Defense Rating. +1 to all Initiative rolls.

RPG-a-Day Month #4 -- Message

From the Dragon's Treasure Vaults: 
The Message Bottles

The Message Bottles are four identical empty wine bottles with corks, appearing like little more than trash (or, if you're environmentally conscious, ready for the recycling bin), but if viewed through a detect magic spell, they radiate strong Conjuration magic with an undertone of Transmutation magic). 

   If attempts are made to break one of them, they fail. In fact, the bottles are so sturdy they can be used as clubs or to keep doors open by jamming them between the door and frame.

   Functions: If the possessor of one bottle makes a Willpower save (DC9) as a standard action to clearly picture a known possessor of another of the bottles in their mind, he or she can uncork the bottle and speak into it to transmit a message; the message is transmitted the moment the character recorks the bottle. The other person will hear it when they uncork their bottle. The message can be up to 1 minute long. Another message cannot be sent until the first one is received/heard. The bottle can be used up to six times in a day.

   If the character fails the Willpower save, he or she realizes that the mental focus just isn't there at the moment. The character can try again the following round, but even the failed attempt counts as one of the daily uses.

   If the bottle is no longer in the possession of the person the message is for, it is still sent and heard, but no reply can be made unless the new possessor knows someone else who has one of the four bottles.

   The possessor of any one of the bottles can unerringly teleport or gate to the other possessor and bottle's location. (If the character doesn't know who has one of the bottles, the spell takes him or her to the nearest one, aside from the one he or she already possesses.)

   If a Message Bottle is used as a weapon, it deals 1d3+Strength bonus in blunt damage.

History of the Message Bottles: In 1,204 BC, Brigid the Red (an ancient dragon who is also known as the Christmas Dragon) was in Egypt, establishing a new residence/lair when she noticed humans had made another advancement in glass-creation techniques: They were now making containers that were semi-viable for transporting and liquid and other substances. Shortly afterwards, she created her first iteration of the Message Bottles--a matched pair of which she gave one to the Pharoh so he could reach her whenever a situation dire enogh to warrent her assistance arose. 

   Nearly 1,100 years later, she observed that the Romans had perfected a method to make glass bottles, and she returned to her old idea of the Message Bottles. This time, she created four. She kept one and gave the others to her favorite humans. When they passed, she reclaimed the bottles and gave them to others.

   As glassblowing techniques improved and bottle-shapes changed, Brigid updated her creation with a new version, destroying all but one of the older sets. Even though this made the item useless, she kept it for nostalgia purposes. Her reason for the updates was to make the Message Bottles look as uninteresting as possible, so they would not be stolen from the person she gave them, nor even be suspected to be magical items. Her latest upgrade took place in 1846, in France, and those are still in use today.

   Since 1862, every president of the United States of America has had one of the bottles while in office. The actress Bessie Love (who secretly fought evil and collected magical artifacts both during and after her film career came to a close, and whom Brigid considered a good friend) also had one of the bottles, from 1921 until her death in 1986.

For more about Brigid, see posts here at this blog. If you want to support our efforts, buy a copy of Gifts from the Christmas Dragon, which describes 18 more of Brigid's magical creations, as well as a short story.

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Here's a song that helped inspire today's post. Enjoy!