Elganath – Sky People

Posted on by dzrust in Hombrew Content, Playing The Game 
Whatcha think that is boss? - Deck Hand
I don't know maybe it is just a small stain on my scope - Captain
Here let me at it I'll get it spic and clean for ya - Deck Hand
I don't think that will be necessary - Captain
* A large creature swoops down from the skies shadowing over the ship *

Introduction (If you can count to three skip)

The Elganath is a race that I have created to give some variation to the normal races that show up in the world of D&D. The Elganath might seem very similar to other races you have heard of and really are general enough to be applied as a sub race. For this bit, I will use them as a sub race of Dwarves, however I have given it to Elves since it worked better in a campaign I ran. Anywho, below you will find more information and what you get for playing them.

Story

During the 156th year of Aldarria there was a great famine and a grave Warlock by the name of Geai rose from the depths to try to raise an undead army. The Aldarrians and the Consumerates were at peace with one another during this time and banded together to hold him back – but he was too strong for their shared efforts. He enslaved the world for over 15 years, forcing people to build him towers and monuments. During this time, a group of Dwarves lead by a brave Dwarf named Elga fled to the skies so they could escape his tyranny and find peace away from him. They crafted magnificent ships that sailed not the seas, but the air, and on board they loaded up a couple thousand Dwarves each. The total that made the escape was 22,000. Elga lead them through the skies which had many layers of clouds and were hard to fare. While they were sailing, they spotted in the distance a large mass of land that appeared to be floating. Elga’s ship went towards it and docked, looking to find any signs of life. There were none but they did find something of interest. They found an unknown material. It was magical, but smithable. They named it Eekmaleh. It was a material that bound to Elga and when it did, he began to understand many things. He learned how to harvest and smith it. The process of making Eekmaleh involved resting his mind and spirit for multiple hours, then the material would manifest almost from thin air. It was a smooth, weightless substance that he poured into a nearby bottle. He experimented with it for many months and realized that he was able to forge it into a strong magical metal that was much stronger than any they had seen before. The material had the ability to form into any shape and keep strength, which gave them endless possibilities for crafting. Elga created a settlement right there in the sky and he named it Elganath. He realized that he was able to pass his ability to conjure Eekmaleh to others and teach them how to manifest it. They felt they had found their Eden and they created a great city with many strongholds. Over the years, they crafted magical sentinals which protected them from anything that might try to attack them. However, nothing ever came to ruin their livelihood. Soon they forgot about the troubles and names of the lands below and lived prosperous lives within the land of Elganath. Unfortunately, prosperity cannot last forever and every story has their villians. Eventually people began to create problems within their community and crime lords rose up – despite the unnatural wealth that everyone enjoyed. Those who were found to have broken the law of Elganath were exiled. Since they live amongst the clouds they would shoot exiles down below to the lands. If they survived, they became legendary heroes possessing a great power. But their downfall is that they could never teach others how to weild the resource because of a curse on their lips that only allowed for them to produce Eekmaleh.

Elganath Traits

Your Elganath character will have many natural abilities common among Dwarves, but also will have a special resilience that has been acquired from years of being in the skies.
Ability Score Increases: +1 Charisma, +1 Dexterity
Age: Eekmaleh seems to have helped them to live much longer lifespans and they have become almost immortal although they are not undying. It is unsure how long they can live, but it seems as though they have at least made it to 500 years thus far
Speed: 25 feet
Magical Vision: Eekmaleh runs through your veins and you are able to see for 40 feet in the dark as well as through magical darkness, but unlike Truesight you are unable to detect everything else.
Magic Senses: You have proficiency in Arcana skill.
Knowledge of Eekmaleh: You have been taught how to craft, produce, use Eekmaleh, wield and wear Eekmaleh enhanced and crafted equipment (IE anything that has been upgraded or crafted using Eekmaleh is useless to anyone who can’t use Eekmaleh. If it was an upgrade, the upgrade does nothing if it was crafted – it does either 1d4 damage or grants the user 10 ac)
Tool Proficiency: You are proficient with smith tools
Produce Eekmaleh: You have the ability to produce Eekmaleh. Refer to the production table below for how much Eekmaleh you can produce in a time block. You must also have equal to or more than 3/4 of your max hp. You must have smith tools and something to hold the Eekmaleh within (bottles or bags) During the meditation state of Eekmaleh, you are highly volatile and if something interrupts you Eekmaleh will explode from you and your body causing a 30 foot sphere explosion centering on you. Anything within the explosion radius will suffer 2d12 force damage, this can be halved by a dexterity save.
Teach Eekmaleh: When you reach level 15 you will have mastered the ability to produce and craft Eekmaleh and you will be able to teach others (unless you were exiled). The time to teach someone how to craft Eekmaleh takes 6 months of apprenticeship.

Eekmaleh Production Table

LevelProduction QuantityTime to Produce Quantity
110 (Sheels)8hr
220 (Sheels)8hr
330 (Sheels)8hr
440 (Sheels)8hr
560 (Sheels)6hr
680 (Sheels)6hr
7100 (Sheels)6hr
8120 (Sheels)6hr
9160 (Sheels)4hr
10200 (Sheels)4hr
11240 (Sheels)4hr
12280 (Sheels)4hr
13360 (Sheels)2hr
14440 (Sheels)2hr
15520 (Sheels)2hr
16600 (Sheels)2hr
17760 (Sheels)1hr
18920 (Sheels)1hr
191000 (Sheels)1/2hr
20+InfiniteOn Demand
1 Sheel = 6 cubic inches of space (weightless) ie 10 Sheels is roughly 1 liter

Eekmaleh Crafting Tables

Weapons

Require LevelProduction CostNameDamageWeightProperties
140 SheelBlaster1d85 lbMagic Item,Two-handed, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 25/100 ft.), Minimum range 15 ft (can’t make attacks if too close), Loadable (10 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
120 SheelPistol1d62 lbMagic Item,Light, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 15/60 ft.), No disadvantage for using in close quarters combat, Loadable (15 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
560 SheelShotgun3d47 lbMagic Item,Two-handed, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 45ft. Cone), Disadvantage for using in close quarters combat (5 ft.), Loadable (6 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
5120 SheelBlaster 21d125 lbMagic Item, Two-handed, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 25/100 ft.), Minimum range 15 ft (can’t make attacks if too close), Loadable (10 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
545 SheelPistol 21d6+1d42 lbMagic Item, Light, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 15/60 ft.), No disadvantage for using in close quarters combat, Loadable (15 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
5100 SheelUpgrade non Eekmaleh Weapon(Current Damage) + 1d6(its weight)Magic Item, Force Damage
9180 SheelShotgun 26d4Magic Item, Two-handed, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 45ft. Cone), Disadvantage for using in close quarters combat (5 ft.), Loadable (6 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
920 SheelGrenade4d62 lbThrown (30/60 ft.), Upgradable, Force Damage
940 SheelMine3d85 lbTrap, Sphere (30 ft.), Upgradable, Force damage
13400 SheelEekmaleh Launcher2d2017 lbMagic Item, Two-handed, Heavy, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 0/100ft. on contact 15 ft sphere explosion), Minimum range 30 ft (can’t make attacks if too close), Loadable (1 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
13370 SheelBlaster 32d12 + 1d65 lbMagic Item,Two-handed, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 50/100 ft.), Minimum range 15 ft (can’t make attacks if too close), Loadable (10 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
13260 SheelPistol 34d62 lbMagic Item,Light, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 30/80 ft.), No disadvantage for using in close quarters combat, Loadable (15 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
171000 SheelEekmaleh Launcher 23d2017 lbMagic Item, Two-handed, Heavy, Upgradable, Ammunition (range 0/100ft. on contact 15 ft sphere explosion), Minimum range 30 ft (can’t make attacks if too close), Loadable (1 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
17750 SheelHeax Shotgun8d4+4d1210 lbMagic Item, Two-handed, Ammunition (range 45ft. Cone), Disadvantage for using in close quarters combat (5 ft.), Loadable (6 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
1760 SheelGrenade 23d12+1d62 lbThrown (30/60 ft.), Force Damage
17100 SheelMine 22d12+1d8+1d106 lbTrap, Sphere (30 ft.), Force damage
201500 SheelGeai Blaster6d127 lbMagic Item, Two-handed, Ammunition (range 50/100 ft.), Minimum range 15 ft (can’t make attacks if too close), Loadable (10 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
201000 SheelElga Pistol5d83 lbMagic Item, Light, Ammunition (range 30/80 ft.), No disadvantage for using in close quarters combat, Loadable (15 ammo per magazine), Force Damage
202500 SheelDreg Launcher5d2020 lbMagic Item, Two-handed, Heavy, Ammunition (range 0/100ft. on contact 15 ft sphere explosion), Minimum range 30 ft (can’t make attacks if too close), Loadable (1 ammo per magazine), Force Damage

Armor

LevelProduction CostArmorACStrengthStealthWeight
5125 SheelsUpgrade Armor+ 2–––
9200 SheelsEekmaleh Armor (Medium)14 + Dex Modifier––20 lb
17700 SheelsEekmaleh Armor 2 (Medium)14 + Dex Modifier + Charisma Modifier––20 lb

Ammunition

Production CostName
1 SheelPistol Bullet
4 SheelsBlaster Bullet
8 SheelsShotgun Shell
80 SheelsLauncher Missile

Conclusion

So now that we are here what should we do - Farmer
We should scout out and make sure that there is nothing that will harm us - Elga
Cool you do that I'll stare at this dirt until I can figure out something better to do - Farmer
I knew I brought the most worthy people on this journey - Elga

Glad you could make it. I will probably update this article as I see things work and not work. I will also try to add more content and eventually hope to publish a collection of these works down the road that will be balanced and usable by the mass. Let me know in the comments or social media things that were awesome and worked and things that did not work out so well.

Aldarria’s Handbook

Posted on by dzrust in Hombrew Content, Playing The Game 
What are you - Shivering Dwarf
I am the darkness that you hate,
I am the fire you seek, 
I am the death that meets you - Hideous Monstrosity

Introduction (skip me for free GP)

So you know about the lands. Now you want to make a character. You pull out your trusty 5e books from Wizards of the Coast and begin to work. You feel good about your Tiefling Sorcerer, you even have them worship RHA. You walk into town, fail your first disguise check, and find yourself being burned at the stake. Not my fault you didn’t read this article or introduction. Moral of the story is that certain races are going to be hated.

Races

Nice to meet you - Adventurer
Nice to meet you - Half Orc disguised as an Elf (poorly)
What brings ye around these parts - Adventurer
The fine dining - Half Orc

Here is a quick overview of the not-going-to-get-killed in a town races:

  • Dwarf – The master race
  • Human – The most race
  • Elf – The pretty boy race
  • Half-Elf – The hated race because you’re half the majority and half pretty
  • Halfing – The half race (hobo and a rabbit)
  • Gnome – the race that no one plays

Why the restrictions? Good question. You could ignore this and run your own campaign, using all the races and I’d never know or acknowledge it. So yes you can do that if you please. As to why I think the restrictions fit my world, it is because it helps to build upon and to restrict things. It was easier for me as a new DM to handle that which I already knew rather than have to know and understand all the lore of D&D specific races. Honestly most of the races (other than Human) are not seen as often and this helps the DM be able to quickly whip up NPCs. However, it also makes for interesting tales when a Dwarf, Elf, and Human save the whole world. It helps to give uniqueness and make you feel more unique when you play a less seen race. Although they are less seen, they are welcome and accepted in the community. In fact, they often are near many human settlements and do trade with them.

The races below require your character to either disguise themselves when in public or face some consequences. These races are either hardly found or not trusted, so they will tend to be burned at the stake or hunted down. (Might be a fun campaign if everyone plays a group of these races trying to liberate the name for their race and bring peace.):

  • Tiefling – they are demon spawn by definition and many demons have come and caused ruckus within Aldarria so you will probably be burned at the stake
  • Dragonborn – The legends of Dragons include death and destruction. Anything that managed to mate with that must be associated with death and destruction
  • Half – Orc / Orc / Goblin etc – usually you are raiding the lands

Now I get there are many other races, and they have a place. Even the Dragonborn and Tiefling do. Ask your DM, and if they don’t care I don’t care, it’s not my campaign. This is just a framework from my mind to help you and the DM have an enjoyable experience.

Classes

So you want to go around as a Sorcerer or a Warlock bringing the dead to life and causing a ruckus huh? Well there are stakes ready for you. If you read my lands guide you would know that there are only a couple of towns that teach magic. Few master it, and most are employed by the military. These are your Wizards. Anyone who decided to get a little frisky with their magic probably is delving into the dark arts and wishes to do harm to the world. Go on ahead slay the king of Aldarria, but when 200 well trained soldiers hunt you down and kill you don’t be surprised. So let’s talk run of the mill classes that most people won’t bat an eye towards:

  • Fighter – You probably are part of the military
  • Barbarian – You are a savage person who likes to kill maybe?
  • Bard – who doesn’t love music?
  • Monk – peaceful and can follow the religions to their pleasing
  • Paladin – they will be restricted to the religion of Jirah
  • Clerics – they will be restricted to the religion of Jirah too
  • Rogue – You steal from people or you help people using sneak and cunning
  • Ranger – You shoot things. Yay!

These are less common, but won’t get burned at the stake:

  • Sorcerer – Sorcerers are interesting seeing how they are very similar to Wizards. I wonder if WotC could have just made the Sorcerers Wizards, adding more subclasses. You can be evil and worship RHA, or you could be good and work for the military
  • Druid – These are mystics and are seen usually as hermits. Honestly I didn’t write in any Druid circles specifically. I tended to view them as not involved in the major civilizations
  • Wizard – These are heavily employed by the military and seek to become like the Four Great Wizards of Old
  • Artificer – You can bring this in if you have the books for it and if you wish to add in a more steampunk feel to some of the magical towns of Aldarria

The forsaken class:

  • Warlock – You are literally consorting with the devils in a sense to get power. So yes you will probably be burned at the stake

Backgrounds

I personally did not add any backgrounds. I rarely tend to use them in my campaigns and I think WotC has done a fantastic job providing many backgrounds that would make sense. I think you should use one of those and follow the other character creation steps that you find in the Player Handbook.

Religion

*Chanting*
Here we shall sacrifice to RHA the unsuspecting fools who ventured into our midsts - Cultist Leader
Yeeeaahhhhh!!! - Cultists
Have you thought about not doing that? - Charming Adventurer
Well now that you mention it no - Confused Cultist Leader
So why don't you untie us and let us go on our way - Charming Adventurer
Well I guess you are too charming to die today. Next time bring me an uglier person to sacrifice - Cultist Leader

Alright so let’s be real either you love religion in games or you hate it. Now I’ll be straight up – I don’t feel comfortable writing up some deities that I don’t believe in. I do believe in the LORD, so you might see some similarities to my beliefs in this religion section. These are just supplemental materials to help you. If you are appalled by my system, use WotC system or make your own. However this is the system that I have chosen to use:

  • RHA – A cult that worships a demon and has tried to bring it from the pits of hell multiple times
  • Haero – This is the worship of self balance. People who follow Haero try to balance mind and body to overcome that which they are faced with
  • Gemoni – These people find hope in idols and other crafted materials. They believe that their works will set them free from their problems in the World.
  • Jirah – This is broken out into multiple sects, some are more religious than others. Some say they believe, but find themselves wavering to the regiment. This is the only religion to worship one God and he has visited the people of Aldarria and sent his Celestial beings to aid them countless times. Also his armies subdued RHA during the summoning incident in the year 367

Change them or use them, once again I will not really know what you do in your campaign. I am just creating a framework that you can use.

Conclusion

Alright so now you know how the various peoples and beings interact within the world of Aldarria. This is a great starting point for you to be able to create campaigns and use my world within them. Stay tuned as I continue to add in more content and expand on the world of Aldarria. As always, let me know in the comments or on social media some stories from Aldarria that you created.

The Lands of Aldarria

Posted on by dzrust in Hombrew Content, Playing The Game 
Well good thing we took care of the cult of RHA - Legendary Adventurer
We are back and ready to bring back RHA again - RHA Cultists
Why won't you just die - Legendary Adventurer

Introduction

So you want to make a campaign in my magical world of Aldarria huh? Well here are all of the lands of Aldarria and brief descriptions explaining them, as well as some notable people or history that is involved with these lands. In regards to distances, I do not care to go into extreme details about how far away place A is from place B. Instead I might say 60 miles every so often, but if you make it 120 miles or 20 miles I don’t care I am just throwing out arbitrary numbers anyways. Plus as I said in my How to Dungeons and Dragons post, no one even cares about distance anyways in a fantasy game.

The Lands

First and foremost here is the map of Aldarria:

Let’s do a running breakdown of every city and location and a little bit about them, shall we? đŸ™‚

Aldarria

The main city in the country. It was taken over by RHA in the year 367. Its main feature is a big clock tower in the center of town and it hosts the Aldarrian guard and army. They are well trained and are tasked with protecting the lands from monsters, criminals, and other bad things to come.

Aldarrian River

This is the second biggest water source for Aldarria and it runs from north to south. It is a heavily guarded resource by the Aldarrian empire and their crown jewel so to speak. The river is many miles wide and they do not know where it starts or where it ends.

Avende

The only port city in all of Aldarria. There are not many merchant ships that reside here. The few that do are heavily guarded with an armada of troops at their helm to protect them when they go out to sea. The city is quite wealthy with the majority of its populace being upper-class citizens who made their wealth in foreign lands. Although none of them can remember the lands they visited.

Consumerate

The opposing force of the Aldarrian empire. They have been in opposition and assault since the very beginning. The Consumerates speak badly of the Aldarrians and the Aldarrians speak poorly of the Consumerates. This causes many conflicts and distrust. They both are always fighting for control over the Aldarrian river.

Dreary Mountains

These are mountains hosted by Dwarf warriors who go to war with various races every couple of centuries. They are strong and wealthy, due to their warfare. When they are not at war, they hunker down and supply the other nations with arms and other trinkets.

Dreary Woods

These woods surround the Dreary Mountains and are well known by the Dwarves. The young Dwarfs are sent to these woods when they become of age to prove themselves. They have to live under the starlight for 30 days with just a stick and one skin of water. They must figure out how to survive the harsh conditions and bring back the head from a forest animal. They use this to knit a cloak that they wear as a badge of honor.

Eilsbourgh

This is the farmland to the south of Melford and the east of Aldarria. This farmland has grown to more wealth than Melford due to the lack of hostile territory surrounding it. It is the primary farmland of Aldarria but is also growing and gaining fame among nobles and merchants. Many great crafts and wares come out of Eilsbourgh.

Forest of Ezmoc

The Forest of Ezmoc surrounds Vae. The Forest of Ezmoc meets up with the Uncharted Regions to the south. These forests are well known for their creator Ezmoc the cunning. Ezmoc was a cunning Wizard who lived centuries ago and protected the lands of Aldarria. After his tragic disappearance, the Southern Uncharted Regions grew wild and fierce and it is believed that he crafted a spell to protect the lands of Aldarria from it.

Fueph

The farm village of Fueph is north of Consumerate and is one of their main supplements of food and resources. Not as wealthy as their southern counterpart Jkolki, they find themselves providing strong and valiant warriors who have served in many of the wars. They are well known as heroes and men of valor, coming back with many victories. After their career of war, they tend to settle down and take care of the land, cultivating it to the best of their ability.

Gael’s Forest

Gael’s Forest spreads across the Aldarrian River and is known by many for its untamed nature. Although it is only 60 miles from the capital of Aldarria and Veede, it has a notorious reputation for being the spawn of the vilest creatures. It also has been known to house some Elves, Orcs, and Goblins, although most of them seem to wander in packs than in tribes. The forest is named after the great mage of the Western Regions, Gael. She was the protector of the Western Regions of Aldarria and she vanished after the Old Age.

Gloom Forest

A magical forest to the south of Consumerate, it is home for many wood Elves. They tend to stay away from the affairs of Humans, seldom coming out. Usually only exiles go through the lands of Aldarria. They live in the center of the forest and have many spells in place to leave them in peace and secrecy. Although it borders with the Southern Unknown Regions, few adventurers live in the area due to the volatility of the elves and the Unknown Regions.

Haelford

The town of Haelford is just north of Gael’s Forest on the eastern side of the Aldarrian River. It is well known for its gems and magical wares. Mostly mages and folk who wish to learn the arcane arts live here. Due to the closeness to Gael’s Forest, those who fail to master the arcane arts fast enough are taken by the dangerous forces of the forest; never to be seen again. Those who do learn the arcane arts tend to subdue the forces from the capital of Aldarria, however, due to the carnivorous nature of the forest many go mad and wreak havoc across the lands.

Highlands of Aztor

These lands are well known for the Aldarrian School of Warfare. Although some might wonder why the school is far away from the capital, it has shown its merit by producing only the finest soldiers of the Aldarrian empire. At the school, students are put through rigorous training and learning and those who do not make it are sent out from the school with only a pack to make their way home. The lands are known to house Halflings and Gnomes, however they are far and few and most stay clear of the school. Aztor was a great warrior in the first great war. He served Aldarria and opened the school in his name. There are many paintings and books by him in the school and his legacy is remembered dearly by all the students.

Jkolki

Jkolki is a well known Consumerate trade city. It is right outside of Gloom Forest and has prided itself for its arcane wares as well as the wealth it seems to have from the trade with the Consumerates and the Elves of Gloom Forest. Legend says the famous blacksmith David hails from Jkolki, although little is known about him. David owns the Blacksmith Guild and those who are admitted are ranked by their wares and service. His seal is given to those who uphold the highest form of smithery.

Kael

This frigid town in the northern state of Consumerate is where many go for seclusion and peace from the warring of Consumerate and Aldarria. Although it is part of the land of Consumerate, those who live here do not hail to anyone and in fact, follow their own governing systems and laws. They are particularly fierce and noble people though despite their seclusion. They often keep back the many terrors of the Northern Uncharted Regions. The likes of which would surpass many of the legends of heroes of Aldarria.

Melford

One of the most famous towns in Aldarria. Despite its fame, it is also the poorest place in all of Aldarria. It is constantly using its wealth to pay the Aldarrian capital to protect it. It is surrounded by a forest and is ravaged by many horrible creatures. The town is also well known for the great fire of 367 in which the Heroes of Aldarria tried to capture some cultists who ended up summoning RHA. They ended up burning down the whole forest and the town of Melford.

Mountain Range of Azmoth

The Mountain Range of Azmoth is seldom traveled. For adventurers, it is a place where the most daring tasks are completed and the biggest rewards are found. The mountains are home to the King of the Goblins, Gilgal. The Dwarves of the Dreary Mountains went to war with Gilgal’s grandfather and returned with his head which is mounted above their king’s throne to this day. Gilgal has not forgotten and has been planning his revenge ever since he was a young lad. Azmoth, one of the greatest of the Wizards of Old, was set out to protect the lands to the north in the Old Age.

Sea of Baelor

The biggest body of water in all of Aldarria. Many merchant ships have traveled across this sea in hopes of finding foreign lands. When they return they are filled to the brim with riches and wealth, although the memory of where they came from has escaped them and many valiant warriors die in the sea fare. Baelor is one of the four Great Wizards, and he was tasked to guard the Eastern Regions. He has not been seen in many ages since the Old Age passed away with the memory of him and the history of the Great Wizards.

Shaeti

Shaeti is one of the minor towns of Consumerate which is known mostly for its simple wares and farm produce. It has to be guarded quite frequently by Consumerate warriors due to the close nature to the Weeping Gulch. It is one of the poorer farm towns in Consumerate and not as well known as its Aldarrian counterpart Melford.

Shamifer

Shamifer is a northern farm town of Aldarria, it is more recluse than some of the other farm towns and most of the men out of here are valiant warriors who go to train at the school of warfare. They also help protect Aldarria from the Northern Region’s creatures that come down an encroach on the lands of Aldarria.

Vae

Vae is the southernmost town of Aldarria that is in the middle of the Forest of Ezmoc and on the edge of the Southern Uncharted Regions. Vae hosts many adventurers who look to make a name in the Uncharted Regions. Vae is said to be the home of the legendary blacksmith David, and some of the Heroes of Aldarria. Vae is a minor town that is self-sufficient and does not have any governing powers that control it.

Veede

Veede is the only Consumerate town that is allowed to trade with Aldarria. Being on the other side of the Aldarrian River, it hosts many diplomatic people and helps to keep the peace between Aldarria and Consumerate. Once war breaks out, it is the first to be ravaged through extreme warfare. It also helps with the upkeep of the Aldarrian bridge as part of the last treaty between Aldarria and Consumerate.

Weeping Gulch

Weeping Gulch is a host to wicked and vile creatures. Adventurers who find their way in seldom find their way out. The Weeping Gulch spreads across the desert and is surrounded by high mountains and near-vertical cliffs that none can scale. When adventurers seek glory in the Gulch, the vilest of creatures are found in hidden caves and holes throughout the bed of the Gulch. A cry can be heard throughout the lands, a screech that shakes even the fiercest warriors to the bone.

Zaen

The magical city of Zaen is a small town that harbors many mages who wish to learn their craft. Here they can test their experiments without any peril to major cities or people. Many great technologies have come from Zaen and many great horrors. The city is far north and constantly has to use its learnings to keep back the horrible creatures of the Northern Uncharted Regions.

Conclusion

So you made it thus far. Now that you know the towns and areas in Aldarria, you are one step closer to running your own campaign. Stay tuned for future posts explaining the history, races and backgrounds, and religions of Aldarria.

*Two humans inside a dark cave without a torch*
I wasn't the one who forgot the torch you were - Some Adventurer
No I'm sure I packed it - Other Adventurer
Wait here it is - Some Adventurer
*Lights Torch*
I've been waiting for some good snacks - Smiling fiend about to eat them

How to Dungeons and Dragons

Posted on by dzrust in Playing The Game 
Welcome adventurer, I'm glad you got my letter and were able to make it here with such short notice - DM
Cool so is this where we start killing dragons? -Your character
Everyone at the table looks at you...

Introduction (skip if you don’t want to read)

Playing Dungeons and Dragons is a fun social and interactive experience for people of all ages. It can also be a great way to relieve some stress by killing fictional enemies or get those urges to steal everything from your local farmers market out in a healthy contained environment (I didn’t go there you did). So this begs the question how does one play Dungeons and Dragons? Maybe you are like me and you felt like you would always enjoy it, but you never quite seemed to learn the rules or get into a group at the right time. Or maybe you already know people and you just want a quick guide on how to play the game. Well, this is hopefully the guide for you and as you continue reading I will give you some basic information to get playing.

Required Dungeoneering Tools

In this section, I will list some things that will help you to be successful in your journey. This is assuming you are playing Wizards of the Coast’s Dungeon and Dragons Fifth Edition. Although many of these tools can be used for other RPG systems.

  • RPG Player guide
    • If you are playing D&D 5e buy from:
  • A Group to play with
    • Although you could technically play solo, this is meant to be a social interaction either virtual or in real life.
    • If you do not have anyone to play with useful tools like Roll 20 , online blogs, or your local game store to find players
    • Otherwise, you are stuck playing D&D by yourself. This is not the worst thing you could always just narrate and play your own adventures.
  • Pen and Paper for notes
  • Dice of some sort
    • Physical is preferred when in person
    • Roll20 has built-in dice
    • Other apps and websites can be used to your heart’s content.
  • Your character sheet
    • Without this you will just be there, sure you could play without one, but at that point, you probably only need a pen, paper, good memory, and good improvisation skills.

Table Etiquette

The best answer to this one is as follows. Talk with your DM/GM and other players and follow what the crowd is doing.

Sir a wizard is causing all the city inhabitants to go mad and run off a cliff - City Guard
Well, Johnny, the only thing left to do is join them, at least our victory will be we all died together - Mayor

How to Play

Stats used in most games:

  • Strength – How often you go to the gym
  • Dexterity – How often you catch things as they fall down or avoid people attacking you
  • Constitution – How many smacks in the face you can take before you die
  • Intellect – How many books you have read and understood
  • Wisdom – How many times you have done something stupid and finally learned from your mistake.
  • Charisma – The best stat in the game since it is the only one that has some naturalness in it inherently. I guess you could over time become a good negotiator, but for some reason, dashing people always get their way.

Based on these stats they will have some kind of level or gauge for where you are called a modifier. The game has a reference sheet for how these affect a dice roll (which if you did not buy shame on you. May you only roll Natural 1s). Example: I have 20 strength in D&D so I will add +5 to a d20 strength check. If I roll 14 it actually becomes 19.

So now let’s talk dice. There are many dice and they have many symbols (Why do you hate us FFG with your custom symbols for RPG games) However most standard games use d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20. These can easily be bought online, your local game shop, or Amazon. So you might be wondering, “Great so I see all this, but what does it all mean”. Let’s use another simple example. So I am a level 1 half-orc barbarian (can half-orcs be anything else) with a strength of 14. Your modifier is +2 for D&D. Your dm says: “Hey you. Roll me your dice if you gonna attack dem goblins” so you roll your d20 since that is the system that D&D uses and you get a 14. You tell the dm, “I got a 16” He will then look at dem goblins AC and let you know whether or not you hit the creature. FYI DMs can say whatever they want. Definition of DM: A crazy being with unlimited power shooting magical rays from their voice at unsuspecting adventurers – webster dictionary. No pun intended.

Alright, so now that you managed to make it this far you are sitting there wondering why you even read the Introduction section and why that wasn’t the first sign that you should run away quickly. Now that I have your attention let’s talk about the first session and what you need to know to play a session like a true king of the table, virtual table, or place of play. (I only play on trashcans made from recycled goblin iron that was smelted in recycled dragons breath, because it is good for the environment)

Key Words:

  • Natural 1
    • This is where the definition of DM sees its full potential (You fail, in fact, you fail so hard that you lose all your friends in the process, your wife leaves your for the halfling down the street, and the orc isn’t even willing to kill your character because you aren’t worth his time)
  • Natural 20
    • This is where the player sees their full potential (essential you do cool things and succeed)
  • Severity
    • When you hear this just cry because most of the time it means that bad things are coming.
    • This is usually used in relation to a natural one, and yes you can go below rock bottom
  • Proficiency
    • These are things you are good at so depending on your level you get a free addition to your modifier. IE you are entitled to be better at this game, aren’t you special
  • Skill check
    • What cool things you know how to do like persuading your friends to give you money to join your party.
    • You can also do skill checks for things you are bad at like: A giant bear is attacking your level 1 party so you decide to go up and pet it like a dog while it is raging. Unless you get a natural 20, you will be creating a new character and silently watching your friends die next.
  • Ability Score
    • Remember Strength, Dex, etc. That is what these be
  • AC (Armor Class)
    • This is how much blade your body can endure before blood starts coming out
    • Higher = better
    • If you roll 14 and the AC is 15 you miss or it just hits the armor and does nothing
    • if you roll 15 and the AC is 15 you roll damage (this is based on your equipment, weapon, or spell)
    • If you roll natural 20 they just got hit like they were in their birthday suit (usually a critical is rolled on top of damage)
  • Speed
    • This is how far you can move on the board (useless if the DM doesn’t use maps)
    • How long it takes you to walk from point a to point b based on calculations that no one really cares to figure out. Your character will always just be saying, “Are we there yet”
  • Spell Slot
    • This is how many spells you can use in a day before resting #balance
    • If you are a class that doesn’t use spells then you don’t need this, in fact, you hate this because the other people in your party keep holding it over your head like you are a lesser being, but it’s okay because dead people can’t make fun of you.
  • Equipment
    • Your armor which helps with your AC (usually uses dexterity)
    • Weapons (this is usually how you deal damage unless you are a silly spell caster)
      • Usually it will look like this: Longsword 1d6. Roll your d20 to hit add strength modifier + proficiency (since you use strength for this weapon. It usually will tell you in that handbook you bought). Then if you hit you roll one d6 and deal that much damage to the creature
  • Cantrips
    • These basic spells that spell casters figured out how to not run out of so they cast them endlessly throughout your campaign trying to do things.

Ignore every other piece of this game in the first session. If the DM tries to use a keyword outside of this list, pick up your player sheet and tell them, “I only play with sophisticated D&D players” and walk out and find a new group. Okay in all seriousness these are the basics and will get your through most of your session, just read the player’s handbook and learn the other stuff. Or watch what your friends do and learn all the rules wrong and then try playing with other people and they will hate you because you don’t know how to play and somehow you have a +7 modifier at level one and one hit everything.

The Grand Finale

Wow you guys actually listened to my whole song – the bard
… – the party
They’re all dead – The orc cooking your friends. Guess what you’re next.

Wow you made it and somehow you didn’t close the tab read a better article from a more sophisticated person. Well now that you are here I have some final tips for you that those other quitters don’t get to know and you can tout in their face because you’re better than them.

Final Tips:

  • Like this article’s humor have fun and laugh when you play
  • Rules are meant to be broken like my heart on that natural 1 (darn you conniving halfling)
  • Voice acting is not required but helps you to engage
  • For the love of God if you are a bard please sing a song instead of saying you’ll do it. I don’t care if it is terrible at least it’ll be funny on the natural 20 you get for performance.
  • Ohh yeah, disregard half this article because I still barely know how to play the game and I’m too lazy to read the rulebooks so I definitely throw rules out the door…

PS. I always will exchange Intellect for Charisma, so if you read this article and think I am stupid, you are correct. I literally have a 6 in Intelligence, but as I said, “Dashing people get what they want” So hit that link to get more stupid articles from my dashing self, and thank me yesterday.

Me

Introduction

Posted on by dzrust in Uncategorized 
I do believe a proper introduction would help us to trust you. - Any party member ever

Welcome to Tales of Aldarria a blog about all things Dungeons and Dragons, with an emphasis on my hombrew world Aldarria. My name is Daniel Zrust and I enjoy playing D&D as well as being a DM. I personally prefer to hombrew my campaigns (the world that is), but I also enjoy standard 5e D&D. In this blog you can expect to find a few things:

  • DM tips
  • Puzzles to use in campaigns
  • Failed and successful experiments
  • Other things I have experienced as a DM and a player that have gone well and sadly not so well.
  • Homebrew content (no Dwarfs were hurt in the making of this content probably)

Let’s explore the vast world of Aldarria together and go on an adventure!

Since it probably needs to be said: I do not own Dungeons and Dragons nor any of its official content, logos, or trademarks. The world of Aldarria to the best of my knowledge should be my own, and although I run it with a standard D&D 5e system the world is not contained to being played in such an environment. Anything that is mentioned that uses the 5e system from Wizards of the Coast is not my own. Anything that I create on my own (to the best of my knowledge) will be marked appropriately. If you find something that seems to be taken or adapted from elsewhere please let me know and I will update accordingly to give credit where credit it due.

Legal Mumbo Jumbo

So You Want To Be A Dungeon Master

Posted on by dzrust in Playing The Game, Tips and Tricks 
Alright, everyone, you guys are about to enter into the city of Eilsborgh what do you do - DM
We run the other direction get on a ship and cross the ocean - Party
*sigh* Why do you guys hate me - DM

Introduction (Skip if you don’t like reading)

Alright so if you remember from my post about how to play Dungeons and Dragons: How to Dungeon and Dragons The definition of a DM is:

A crazy being with unlimited power shooting magical rays from their voice at unsuspecting adventurers

Me

And you are ready to learn the power of shooting magical rays from your voice. You have stepped into the right blog. Now usually people will tell you that you should master all the rules, know all the locations and wear awesome leather wrist bands to look like you know what you are doing. However, you can throw all that advice out the window and learn the true ins and outs of being a DM here.

Dungeon Master Tools

There are no tools there is just a story, you, and a bunch of dead goblins along the way. Here are some tips to help amplify your player’s experiences.

  • Dungeon Master’s Guide
    • You want this as a replacement for this horrible article and actual good advice on being a DM
    • It also has tons of items and drops tables you can use, so you can actually reward your players with something other than a pat on the back
    • Buy this from:
  • Monster Manual
    • This has all the monsters in the official DND universe and it will take the time out of you trying to reinvent the wolf stat block.
    • Buy this from:
  • All the dice
    • You need dice for your NPC’s
    • Dice for your monsters
    • Dice to make your players think something is happening, but you are just rolling to make them fear your power
    • I usually have 3 sets of d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20
      • This will usually be good enough for you, but I also keep another 3 or so sets nearby to help in case I need more dice (or fear)
  • Pen and Paper
    • This is what you use to make sure that you actually remember that random thing you told your players that you thought they would forget, but they bring back up 2 sessions later and you are the one who actually forgot. The disappointment will be real.
    • The moral of the story is that this helps keep them fearful of you because you remember all the stuff your players don’t remember and then you bring it back to haunt them in their real and fictional dreams.
  • Some prep time
    • Alright, let’s address the elephant in the room… If you do not have two hours to prepare for a campaign why do you expect your players to engage for two hours?
    • Now some people are going to argue and say that improv is the way to go. That is true, but unless you have every rule mastered, a plethora of names on hand, and every monster stat blocked mastered, you will be spending time flipping through pages to make sure you get things right.
    • Alright fine, you might be able to fully improvise, but it is common curtsey to your players to give them something worthwhile. Maybe you hate your friends so that’s why you don’t prepare. If so, all the more power to you.

Weird things your players do

Alright so this is a social game and people act like they do in real life. They might say something you don’t like or do something you don’t like. You are the DM so you rule the game, if someone is doing something that is ruining the fun of the game (like making everyone pay to join the party. I have definitely not done that with 18 charisma) Then pull them aside tell them to stop or the wrath of the DM will befall their PC, or they could get kicked from the group. It might seem harsh, but if you want the majority of your players to keep playing with you, the majority wins over the minority and that’s just life.

Preparing for your first session

Alright we walk out of town and are trying to find the Gael's Forrest - Party
How about you guys go back to the Tavern for 10 minutes while I figure out what you are actually doing - DM
*Scowls from your friends because you didn't prepare*

Alright so you got your Dungeon Master tools in order, now you are ready to prepare for your first adventure. Maybe you read the Dungeon Master’s Guide book, then you can skip this section because I don’t give good advice, I give decently passible for acceptable advice.

  • Create a small town not a city
    • Too much time and effort which you don’t and won’t make time for
    • It’s easy and every adventure starts in a Tavern because of alcohol (you’re the drunk not me)
    • You really only need 5 NPC names, what they look like and who they are. (Or if you play with my friends you just need to have a story because no one cares about their names or who they are)
    • Also if this town happens to burn down in a pit of fire from a demon being summoned by cultists, you won’t feel bad because you only spent 10 minutes on it and now it’s your main plotline. #easy #wins
  • Create a simple quest
    • So you want all these level 1 adventurers who still pick their noses to go slay a dragon, I guess everyone is dead before they even hit combat because let’s be real dragons are too hard.
    • Okay cool, so you want them to go kill a horde of goblins. Wrong again – without NPC help even easier encounters in large numbers can overrun small parties of 3-5 adventurers.
    • Go easy by giving them a small encounter with just a few enemies. If you do goblins, break them out into groups of three to the number of characters minus 2. Build up your group and help them to feel like they are actually getting stronger.
    • Good simple RPG quests
      • Gather
        • 5 easy resources right outside of town
      • Protect
        • a caravan against a few simple attacks
      • Kill
        • A small goblin camp and loot their worthless stuff
      • Rescue
        • A damsel who really just ran away from her Dad who is giving her away in marriage
  • Figure out some cool voices you can manage and use those for your NPC’s
  • Let their contact be stronger or wealthier than them so they don’t think to avoid this task because they might try to get more out of it. Fear is your friend as a DM, but don’t make them too scared, just scared enough

Running your first session

Alright so you managed to prepare your first session and now you want your friends to enjoy the ride. Here are some quick tips to be better.

  • Take notes!
  • Take deep breaths
  • Let your players do most of the talking
  • Embrace the randomness as your party runs in the other direction because of randomness
  • Laugh and make your friends laugh (it’s more memorable this way)
  • Try to engage each player and help them to introduce themselves
  • Ask people what they enjoyed after the session

After your first session

Alright, you made it this far you probably are feeling pretty good about yourself. Now you have to keep expanding on your world and what is going on. Don’t worry, your players will help with that since they do stupid things that you don’t prepare for and now you just have to make stuff up. There are also tons of resources online to be better and think of new ideas. Here are some things you absolutely need to do though:

  • Make sure you schedule your next session
  • Check if people want to change their characters
  • Make sure everyone is having fun
  • Talk through any issues that happened during the first session with the players afterward (probably not in the whole group setting)
  • Plan for the next session (consider a bigger story and start looping it in each session, or let your players create one by their randomness)

Conclusion

So I went for a more serious tone the latter half of this article. Maybe my sense of humor left me for a better blogger, but who knows. There is a lot that goes into being a mad man creating magical rays from your mouth for your players. All you need to know is you got this and you’ll make mistakes, but true friends stick by you through your horrible campaign and help you get better. If you don’t have true friends then try playing a Bard and join someone else’s campaign, because everyone loves people who play Bards.

Why do I keep having these strange dreams about unicorns and fairies and fires surrounding me - Your Character
Your character begins to question his existance, maybe he is the dream and what he perceives to be the dream is actually real life - DM
Dangit why did I take Charisma over intelligence - You