Ravenloft Archetypes II: Core Domains Adventurers Guide - Page 1

Ravenloft Archetypes II:

The Core Domains Adventurer’s Guide
By Jeremy Forbing
-CONTENTS-
Preface ............................................................................... 0 Famed Personages of Nova Vaasa .............................. 29
Chapter 1: What are the Domains of Dread? ............1 Beasts and Monsters of Nova Vaasa ........................ 29
The Mists ............................................................................. 1 The Sea of Sorrows ....................................................... 30
Where the Mists Do Not Go............................................. 2 Sithicus ......................................................................... 30
The Domains of Dread .................................................... 2 The Guilt of Sithicus .........................................................32
Domain Borders...................................................................... 3 Guilt Lash ................................................................................32
The Darklords ................................................................. 3 Cycles of the Black Moon ............................................... 33
Count Strahd Von Zarovich ............................................ 4 The Afflicted Ones.............................................................. 35
Using Curse of Strahd with this Book ........................ 4 Lord Soth and the Blessed Knight .............................36
What are the Dark Powers?............................................. 5 Memory Mirror .....................................................................36
A Timeline of Barovia and the Domains of Dread ....... 5 Tepest ...............................................................................................38
A Grand History of the Domains of Dread .............. 5 The Strange Flora of Tepest ..........................................38
Religion in the Domains of Dread ............................... 10 Spellcasters in Tepest and the Inquisition ........... 40
Bane ............................................................................................ 10 Valachan ....................................................................... 41
Belenus ..................................................................................... 10 Other Lands of the Core .............................................. 43
Ezra ..............................................................................................11 Chapter 3: Races .......................................................... 44
Anchorites .............................................................................. 12 Humans .......................................................................... 44
Shield of Ezra ........................................................................ 12 Human (Vistani Mystic)............................................... 44
Hala ............................................................................................ 12 Vistani Sorcerers ................................................................45
The Morninglord ................................................................ 13 Human (Marauder) ....................................................... 45
Mother Night ........................................................................ 14 Human (Smallfolk) ...................................................... 46
Spirits of the Elements..................................................... 14
Human (Tainted Aristocrat) ....................................... 46
Yutow ........................................................................................ 14
Human (Urbanite) ......................................................... 47
Chapter 2: Gazetteer of the Core.............................. 15
Human (Wildling) ........................................................ 47
Barovia ........................................................................... 17
Dwarves ......................................................................... 48
Barovia and the Grand Conjunction ......................... 17
Crag Dwarf .................................................................... 48
The Ba’al Verzi ...................................................................... 17
The House of Dilisnya ....................................................... 18 Crag Dwarves of Bluetspur ........................................... 48
Immigrants to Barovia: The Thaani............................ 19 Elves ............................................................................... 49
Immigrants to Barovia: The Forfarians ................... 19 Dusk Elf ......................................................................... 49
The Unnaturally Long Life and Terrible Undeath of The Magic of the Dusk Elves ........................................ 50
Leo Dilisnya ............................................................................ 19 Dusk Elf Beliefs ................................................................... 50
Falkovnia .......................................................................20 Dusk Elf Feats ....................................................................... 51
Hazlan ............................................................................ 22 Dusk Elves of Ravenloft.................................................. 51

Lamordia ........................................................................ 23 Halflings ....................................................................... 52

Science and Magic in Lamordia..................................... 25 Sunscorched Halfling ................................................. 52

The Nocturnal Sea........................................................ 25 Afflicted One .................................................................53
Dragonborn of the Nocturnal Sea ............................ 25 Afflicted Ones in the Domains of Dread .................54
Nova Vaasa ..................................................................... 26 Dragonborn................................................................... 54
Vaasi Horses ......................................................................... 27 Sea Dragonborn (Dragonborn Variant)..................... 54
 Sea Dragonborn Multiclassing....................................54 Warlock ............................................................................ 94
Sea Dragonborn in Ravenloft....................................... 55 The Realmbound Tyrant .............................................. 94
Gnomes ........................................................................... 55 Pact of the Gloom......................................................... 95
Half-Elves ...................................................................... 56 Wizard .............................................................................. 96
Half-Orc ......................................................................... 56 School of Nethermancy .............................................. 96
Caliban (Half-Orc Variant).......................................... 56 Dusk Elves and Shadow Magic .................................... 96
Tieflings......................................................................... 57 New Class: Metaphysician .......................................... 97
Class Features ...................................................................... 98
Shadowfell Tiefling (Variant) .................................... 57
Metaphysical Archetypes.......................................... 102
New Race: Ravenkin ...................................................... 58
Casting Bonus Action Spells....................................... 102
Chapter 4: Classes ....................................................... 60
Barbarian ......................................................................... 60 Eradicator ................................................................... 102

Path of the Shadowcursed ..........................................60 Mentalist .................................................................... 104

Bard ................................................................................... 62 Magisteria ................................................................... 105
College of Secrets......................................................... 62 Mentalist Multiclassing.............................................. 109
What is a Secret Society? ............................................... 62 Savant .......................................................................... 109
Secret Societies of Ravenloft...................................... 62 Exploits ........................................................................ 112
Cleric ................................................................................. 65 The Challenge of the Savant....................................... 114
Hunting Domain ........................................................... 65 Chapter 5: Secret Societies ........................................ 115
Rulership Domain ......................................................... 66 Using Secret Societies in Your Game ....................... 115
Elemental Domains ...................................................... 67 The Ba’al Verzi ............................................................. 115
Druid ................................................................................. 69 Ba’al Verzi Dagger.............................................................. 116
Circle of the Equinox ................................................... 69 The Circle ..................................................................... 116
The Circle of the Equinox in Ravenloft ................. 69 Playing a Member of the Circle.................................. 117
The Circle of the Solstice .............................................. 69 Carnival ........................................................................ 117
Circle of the Spirits ...................................................... 71 The Twisting ........................................................................ 117
Circle of the Spirits Multiclassing ........................... 71 The Fraternity of Shadows ........................................ 118
Aura Color Suggestions.................................................. 72 Joining the Fraternity of Shadows .......................... 119
Fighter .............................................................................. 76 Ring of the Fraternity of Shadows ........................... 119
New Fighting Styles for Fighters, Rangers, and The Ildi’Thaan.............................................................. 119
Paladins................................................................................... 76 Playing the Ildi’Thaan ................................................... 120
Prescient Defender ....................................................... 76 The Kargatane ............................................................. 121
Monk ................................................................................. 79 Playing a Kargarane Member ......................................122
Way of the Boundless Mind ........................................80 The Keepers of the Feather ....................................... 122
Barovia’s Secret Psychic Monks ................................. 80 Pyoor Fiftysummers ......................................................... 125
Way of the Five Deadly Venoms .................................. 81 The Secret Faith of Andral .......................................... 125
Paladin .............................................................................. 83 Pyoor’s Destiny .................................................................. 125
Oath of Defiance ........................................................... 83 The Syndicate of Enlightened Citizens ................... 126
Loyal Equivocation ............................................................83 The Sophisticated Village of Ludendorf...............126
Ranger .............................................................................. 85 Chapter 6: Spells ........................................................ 127
Deep Dweller ................................................................. 85 Spell Lists ..............................................................................127
Rogue................................................................................ 87 Bard Spells ............................................................................127
Psychic Cult Master ..................................................... 87 Cleric Spells .........................................................................127
Psychic Cult Master Downtime Features .............. 90 Druid Spells..........................................................................127
Sorcerer ............................................................................ 91 Paladin Spells .....................................................................127
Reanimated .................................................................... 91 Ranger Spells .......................................................................127
 Sorcerer Spells ...................................................................128 Steal Speed.......................................................................................... 142
Warlock Spells ...................................................................128 Sustaining Meditation ................................................................. 142
Wizard Spells ......................................................................128 Telekinetic Slam .............................................................................. 142
Metaphysician Spells ................................................. 128 Telepathic Link ................................................................................. 142
Thought Blast................................................................................... 143
Spell Descriptions ...................................................... 130
Thought Projection ....................................................................... 143
Adept Skill ......................................................................................... 130
Uncanny Balance ............................................................................. 143
Alienated Mind ................................................................................ 130
Unleash Instincts ........................................................................... 143
Bastion of Clarity .......................................................................... 130
Wall Run ............................................................................................. 144
Blood Curse ....................................................................................... 130
Warning Roar ................................................................................... 144
Catfeet ................................................................................................. 130
Chapter 7: Optional Feats ........................................ 145
Challenger’s Mark ......................................................................... 130
Blood Bound ........................................................................ 145
Control Thoughts ........................................................................... 131
Dusk Elf Stealth ................................................................ 145
Create Item.......................................................................................... 131
Create Poison ..................................................................................... 131 Dusksinger ............................................................................ 145
Dead Man’s Tell ................................................................................ 131 Eldritch Acrobat ...............................................................146
Dread Mercy ....................................................................................... 132 Favored Anchorite ...........................................................146
Ego Lash................................................................................................ 133 Focused Psychic Talent ..................................................146
Far Hearing ......................................................................................... 133 Living Poltergeist .............................................................146
Fiery Wrath ........................................................................................ 133 Mind Reader .........................................................................147
Fist of Rage ......................................................................................... 133 Shadow Sentinel ................................................................147
Fortifying Cry ................................................................................... 133 Vistani Magic.......................................................................148
Frightful Strike ............................................................................... 134 Wild Psychic Talent.........................................................148
Greater Acupuncture ..................................................................... 134 Appendix A: New Monster ........................................ 148
Greater Water to Poison ............................................................. 134 Soul Homunculus ...................................................... 148
Intellect Redoubt ............................................................................ 135
Appendix B: Domains Beyond the Core ................ 150
Internal Compass ............................................................................. 135
The Islands of Terror ................................................ 150
Invasive Id ........................................................................................... 135
“The Clusters” ............................................................ 150
Lesser Acupuncture ........................................................................ 135
Lesser Water to Poison................................................................. 135 Points of Darkness: Newly Uncovered Domians ..... 151
Magnetism ........................................................................................... 136 Bluetspur .....................................................................152
Major Telekinetic Weapon .......................................................... 136 Rokushima Taiyoo ....................................................... 153
Mindspeak ............................................................................................ 137 New Fighting Style for Fighters, Rangers, and
Minor Telekinetic Weapon.......................................................... 137 Paladins.................................................................................. 155
Pain ......................................................................................................... 137
Shugyosha .................................................................... 155
Predictive Focus ............................................................................... 137
Shinobi ..........................................................................158
Premonitory Vision ........................................................................ 138
Shinobi vs. Ninja ................................................................. 159
Punishing Strike............................................................................... 138
Shinobi Techniques ........................................................... 159
Quickling Step ................................................................................... 139
Read Object.......................................................................................... 139 New Rokushiman Equipment Rules ............................ 161
Prescient Sense ................................................................................. 139 Samurai Weapons ..............................................................162
Project Object .................................................................................... 139 Razor Claw............................................................................162
Psychic Shield.................................................................................... 139 Shuriken.................................................................................162
Psychic Shock ................................................................................... 140 Fighting Fan .........................................................................162
Reaver’s Touch ................................................................................. 140 Hook Sword .........................................................................162
Remote Viewing ............................................................................... 140 Kusari-Gama ......................................................................... 163
Shadow Missile ................................................................................ 140 Nunchaku .............................................................................. 163
Shifting Shadow.............................................................................. 140 Sectioned Staff .................................................................. 163
Soul Homunculus ........................................................................... 140 Shuriken Pack ..................................................................... 163
Speed of Thought ............................................................................. 141
 Sword & Sorcery and Arthaus imprints, they released

Preface revised editions of the setting with detailed support

materials, continuing the work of developing and detailing
“No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet a living, breathing world of Gothic fantasy.
and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.” Before, during, and after the White Wolf years, groups of
—--Bram Stoker, Dracula creative individuals who loved the setting acted as its

I
n the year 351 of the Barovian calendar, Strahd
custodians. A mix of prolific Ravenloft fans, professional
von Zarovich made a pact with Death—a pact that
RPG writers, and fans-turned-professional-RPG-writers
sealed his fate and created a land of nightmares
formed groups devoted to the setting, named for secret
known as Ravenloft. In the year 1990 of the Gregorian
societies in the setting (see the Secret Societies chapter for
calendar, TSR—the company that owned D&D at the
details on the in-game equivalents of these). The original
time—published Ravenloft: Realm of Terror as a setting for
TSR writing team called the Kargat begat the Kargatane,
D&D adventures flavored with Gothic horror. It took Tracy
who contributed to the White Wolf materials and operated
and Laura Hickman’s classic adventure, I6: "Ravenloft"
the official Ravenloft website. In 2003, the Fraternity of
(1983), and expanded it into entire campaign world of its
Shadows, whose Mistipedia wiki remains the greatest
own, a new part of the growing D&D multiverse. Just as
repository of Ravenloft lore, took up this stewardship.
the realm of Barovia was both prison and dominion to the
Given the iconic stature of the original I6: “Ravenloft”, it
Count Strahd von Zarovich, the lands just across its
is no surprise that the first mega-adventure produced in-
borders were more of these Domains of Dread—each
house by WotC for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons
reflecting and imprisoning the darklord who ruled it. As
would be Chris Perkins’ Curse of Strahd, an “ultimate”
I6: “Ravenloft” riffed on Stoker’s Dracula, these other
version of the module produced in collaboration with
realms reflected horror inspirations of their own—
Tracy and Laura Hickman. It inaugurates a new era for
Lamordia’s Victor Mordenheim and his monster paralleled
the classic campaign setting in the latest edition. It also
Frankenstein, Nova Vaasa’s darklord was a medieval
occasioned a new renaissance of Ravenloft content (with
version of Jekyll & Hyde, the domain of Tepest remixed
the document you are reading playing its own humble
Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the Jacobean era of witch
part), as WotC opened up the setting to freelance authors
hysteria that inspired it, while Vlad Drakov of Falkovnia
everywhere as part of the online DM’s Guild.
was based on the historical (and, so far as we know, not
Ravenloft Archetypes II: The Core Domains Adventurer’s
undead) Vlad the Impaler. These separate domains were
Guide aims to do everything for Ravenloft that the Sword
brought together into a demiplane by the mysterious force
Coast Adventurer’s Guide did for the Forgotten Realms. It
called the Dark Powers. Ravenloft: Realm of Terror became
provides a broad look at the continent called the Core,
a beloved classic, known as the “Black Box.”
which includes Barovia and the most classic domains,
Yet the boxed set was not the first expansion to the
along with a general overview of the entire setting. Chapter
original Ravenloft adventure. In 1986 TSR had published
1 is a primer on the nature and metaphysical rules of all
I10: "Ravenloft II: House on Gryphon Hill", a sequel
the Domains of Dread, with details on history and religion
outlined by the Hickmans and handed off to other
along with a special section for using this document with
authors. Set outside Barovia in the dark moors of
Curse of Strahd. Chapter 2 describes the Core as a region,
Mordentshire, it had a dreamlike, furtive relationship to
with special emphasis on ten of its domains (including
the original—later explained to be the result of Strahd and
Barovia). Chapter 3 describes how the D&D races fit into
the undying archmage Azalin’s failed attempt to escape
Ravenloft, and includes new subraces and variants, and a
Ravenloft, instead pulling Mordentshire into the
new race. Chapter 4 does the same for classes,
demiplane as a new Domain of Dread. Three families that
introducing new archetypes and an entirely new class, the
would later be a part of many Ravenloft domains: the
Metaphysician. Chapter 5 describes eight of Ravenloft’s
d’Honaire, Timothy, and Weathermay bloodlines—are seen
many secret societies, with all the rules necessary to
here for the first time as well.
portray their members. Chapters 6 and 7 also discuss new
The setting was not only deepened by future supplements
character options, focusing on new spells (48 of them!)
and revised versions of the “Black Box,” but by a highly
and new feats, respectively. Speaking of spells, the
regarded series of Ravenloft novels. Many of the novels’
following notations appear throughout this document:
authors—such as Christie Golden, James Lowdr, Elaine
*=This is a new spell described in this document.
Bergstrom, P.N. Elrod, and Anite Blake: Vampire Hunter
**=This spell appears in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion.
creator Laurell K. Hamilton—went on to wider fame as the
***= This spell appears in the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide.
writers of other bestselling fantasy and horror novels, but
As described above, this document is just the latest
Ravenloft benefitted from the creativity of their early
handling of a torch passed many times, from the
careers. Ideas from these novels fed back into the RPG
Hickmans’ home campaign and now—as ever—on to DMs
materials, adding verisimilitude and a growing sense of
and players like you. Welcome to Ravenloft—or, for long-
personal horror to the classic setting.
time fans, welcome back. To quote Dracula again:
Under the stewardship of new owners Wizards of the “Enter freely, and of your own will...”
Coast (“WotC”), D&D released its 3rd Edition, and for part
of this era, the Ravenloft setting was licensed to the
horror-focused RPG publisher White Wolf. Through their
 scholars refer to these isolated realms as their own
Chapter 1: Islands of Terror. These domains are continually
forming and disappearing, so no complete listing of
them can be established, but some of the Islands of

What are the Terror are touched on in these pages. At times, they
cluster together, coalescing into larger islands that
contain multiple domains.

Domains of
Sometimes, within another domain, tiny pocket
domains appear, isolated incubators where the Dark
Powers allow the promising evil of a potential Dark
Lord to grow.

Dread?
Though many inhabitants of the Land of Mists
come from other worlds, and lands and structures
may be taken from them as well (though some sages
Ravenloft is the name of a castle in Barovia, but to believe they are merely recreated), once a domain is
some, it has also lent its name to the entire world in created, it is no longer part of the mortal realms
which it stands—a world unlike any other, from which it was drawn. It exists as a microcosm
composed of many Domains of Dread. Though the unto itself, a solid and physical domain, apparently
domains’ borders are often impassable, they are not somewhere around the border between the
completely separate from one another. Taken Shadowfell and the Ethereal Plane, and it follows its
together, they form a terrifying realm all their own, own set of mystical laws.
which sages refer to by various names. To some, the The Realm of Terror is neither ancient nor stable.
domains are one Demiplane of Dread, to others they As near as sages can tell, none of the Domains of
are merely the darkest parts of the benighted plane Dread have existed as such for much longer than
called the Shadowfell. Whether you call it the 400 years. Over time, individual domains have
Domains of Dread, the Realm of Terror, the Land of expanded, condensed, coalesced, moved, or
Mists, or simply Ravenloft, this world is unique. It is disappeared altogether. It is much smaller than the
a construct, an artificial demiplane that at times Forgotten Realms or other worlds such as Oerth,
seems to float in the Ethereal Plane, at other times Krynn, Mystara, Athas, Aebrynis, or Eberron—
appears as part of the Shadowfell, and may exist on though it has pulled parts of itself from all those
the borders of both. The implacable Dark Powers worlds. Though natives of many realms walk its
constructed their realm from the hidden fears of benighted paths, Ravenloft is not a cosmological
innumerable worlds, from Eberron to the Forgotten crossroads, like the extra-planar city of Sigil. Rather,
Realms of Abeir-Toril, shaping their realm’s reality to it is sealed off from other worlds and planes by the
reflect their own sinister sensibilities. Dark Powers that rule it, and it is far easier to enter
Barovia was the first Domain of Dread, but there the Realms of Terror than to escape them. Unlike
are dozens or more lands much like it—all once part the worlds listed above, this place has no fixed size.
of another world, now drawn into the Mists by the It grows, and at times contracts, as its misty tendrils
unknowable Dark Powers to become places of creep into other worlds to absorb or copy both
relentless horror. Darklords like Strahd von Zarovich people and places.
rule each one of them, cursed for their dark deeds to Most travelers who end up in the Domains of Dread
reign over a domain that reflects their particular do not seek them. They are drawn in by the
sins but which they can never leave. Barovia is its clutching tendrils of the Mists.
heart, and from that point the others have spread
like a great stain, which continues to grow even
The Mists
now. In fact, Barovia and many others share a single Exactly what the Mists are or how they function is
landmass, a continent with a mostly temperate unknown. It is for this reason that commoners in
climate dominated by rugged, forested geography. most domains of Ravenloft refer to the Mists in
This accursed land, of which Barovia is but one much the same way that children might speak of a
part, is simply called the Core. bogeyman. Here, anything unknown and threatening
Beyond the Core, there are other independent is generally ascribed to the Mists, whether any
Domains of Dread, divided from the Core by the connection actually exists or not.
impenetrable Mists. Tiny worlds unto themselves,

1
 When most people think of the Mists, they envision permanent or temporary matters little for the
swirling clouds of white fog that roll out of the purposes of this discussion.
ground to consume evildoers. Other worlds have Even once you are within the Domains of Dread,
mists and fog, to be sure, which can bedevil the Mists are not done with you. In addition to
travelers by obscuring their environs and concealing forming the borders of the demiplane itself and
hazards. Yet these Mists are a separate and much separating its various regions, they can rise from the
deadlier phenomenon than any mere weather. In soil or sea in any individual domain. Sometimes they
many ways, they define the Domain of Dread. merely comprise a confusing obstacle, an isolated
In other worlds, unenlightened folk often imagine pocket of blindness, but other times they are an
(incorrectly) they live on a flat surface, and that if impassable barrier. In Barovia, when Strahd wants
they walked far enough, they could reach the end of to seal off the borders, they become a choking, life-
the world. Most mortal realms, however, are in fact draining fog, and those who enter them must turn
spheres, and inhabitants could walk around the back or die.
world in a straight line and find themselves back At other times, adventurers can step into the
where they started. In the Domains of Dread, bordering mists of other domains and wander for a
however, a creature who traveled far enough time, moving through a bewildering dream world
actually would reach the end of their world. And at where time and space seem to twist and tangle. This
the edge of that world, they would find the Mists. is dangerous, as other creatures wander into the
The Land of Mists is so-named for a reason. The Mists as well, and outcasts and monsters lurk
Mists surround all of it, all the time, and sometimes within. Eventually, however—often not long after the
creep in to define the borders between landmasses impulse that first sent them into the Mists passes—
or even individual domains. These thick adventurers are returned to one of the Domains, and
supernatural vapors reveal nothing to even magical not always the one they left.
divinations. They radiate no magic, alignment, or In fact, this is often a behavior of the Mists within
sign of life. To living senses, they are the domains themselves: they rise and transport
indistinguishable from natural precipitation. someone another domain who is powerless to stop
The Mists often reach into other worlds and planes, this effect. The Mists do as they will.
unpredictably, traveling to various places without Where the Mists Do Not Go
any apparent cause, and even randomly For some reason, the Mists never travel to the Outer
transporting individuals to one of the Dread Planes, nor to dimensions of pure energy or elements,
Domains. When they do this, the Mists are as likely such as the Elemental Chaos or the individual Elemental
to affect those who are good or neutral as those who Planes. Exactly why this is, none can say. While some
are evil. Some say that a grim purpose lurks behind insist that the powers of those planes are so awesome that
these apparently chaotic abductions. The truth will they are able to hold the Mists back, this seems unlikely.
If a gate spell can pierce the borders of these otherworldly
almost certainly remain unknown until the true
realms, it seems impossible to accept that the Mists could
nature of the Dark Powers is revealed.
not do so if they wished. The most obvious answer is that
However, it is known that when an individual’s it is mortal souls—even those souls that have transformed
deeds, or even just their desires, are dark enough, beyond the limitations of humanity, mortality, or even
such evil is more likely to attract the Mists than any material flesh—which seem to interest the Dark Powers,
other behavior. While the Mists usually steal only a not angels created to be good nor devils born to absolute
single person or a small group, some say they have evil, nor seemingly mindless creatures of the pure
seen entire armies vanish into a sudden fog— elemental energy.
perhaps these were the Mists as well. Once the Mists
come for you, neither magic nor cunning nor The Domains of Dread
strength of arms can stop them. There is no defense.
The name “the Domains of Dread”—as a sobriquet
While there are many ways to reach the Domains of
for the whole of the larger demiplane some call
Dread, routes out of that mire of evil are far fewer.
Ravenloft—is apt, for it is composed of scores of
Indeed, many think true escape from Ravenloft is
small pocket "nations" not too far removed from
impossible. They say that those who manage to leave
planes themselves, like the cells of a honeycomb—or
the Demiplane will be drawn back one day, since the
the cells of a prison. Each of these artificially
Mists never forget anyone they have chosen to
constructed countries, called domains, is the prison
embrace. However, whether escape from Ravenloft is
of a singular evil entity: its darklord. A domain may
stand alone, an "Island of Terror" surrounded by the

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Mists of Ravenloft, or it may join seamlessly with
other domains in "clusters" to form a continuous The Darklords
landscape, the greatest of these clusters being the Just as Strahd von Zarovich is the one true master
subcontinent known simply as the Core. of Barovia, his fellow darklords are the seed of evil at
Every aspect of a domain, from its climate to the the heart of every Domain of Dread. Yet few denizens
creatures that call it home, is a subtle reflection of are aware that they even exist. Heroes have no
its darklord, offering painful reminders of the infallible means of detecting whom or what is the
transgressions that forged the darklord's doom. The darklord of a given domain. Some darklords control
size of a domain may range from a single room, to a their domains openly, acting as political rulers,
lonesome manor and its grounds, to an expansive while others skulk in the shadows, their very
dominion containing numerous towns and a thriving existence a secret. Indeed, the very concept of a
culture. Some occult sages believe that a domain's "darklord" isn't one of which that the average citizen
size may be a measure of the darklord's force of of a domain is aware.
personality, their squandered potential, or even of Most domains are inhabited by a single darklord,
the tragedy of their tale. However, the Dark Powers though on rare occasion the Dark Powers may grant
may grant a less compelling darklord a vast but a single domain to a small group of evildoers. These
sparsely populated domain, furthering their darklords are usually linked by both blood relation
isolation, or they may trap a powerful darklord in a and their crimes.
smaller domain, concentrating their evil. Mindless, slavering beasts do not become
Domain Borders darklords. Mere evil is not enough to earn a domain.
In regions like the Core—landmasses made up of multiple Despite their corruption, darklords share the same
Domains of Dread—the edges of a domain may be motivations as countless other folk: they hope for
recognized as political boundaries, or they may be love, crave respect, or even yearn for mere
indicated only by physical landmarks: a brook, perhaps, acceptance. Yet darklords are not poor,
or the edge of a forest. In some cases, however, a traveler misunderstood souls damned through no fault of
may have no way to tell that they have crossed into a new
their own. Their selfish natures pervert simple wants
den of evil.
into obsessive lusts, and they earn their domains
Even worse, that traveler may find escape impossible, even
if freedom is just a few paces away. Almost all darklords through horrid crimes. Darklords are all the more
can "close" the borders of their domains at will; if a monstrous for the empathy one might feel for them,
darklord cannot close their domain, the cause often lies in not in spite of it. Even when forced to face their
the nature of the curse that binds them to the land. When transgressions, most darklords remain obstinately
a darklord closes their domain, immensely powerful blind to their own failings, lashing out at the world
supernatural effects manifest at the borders to prevent for perceived wrongs. A darklord is both the warden
passage. As an example, many travelers in the Core have and the ultimate prisoner of their domain.
heard tales of the poisonous vapors that sometimes
A darklord can trap others in their domain by
surround Barovia, choking anyone who attempts to leave.
closing the borders, but they can never leave. Some
This is, in fact, the will of Strahd von Zarovich himself,
who can even call upon the Mists to close off the village of of the Realm of Terror's darklords have spent
Barovia itself within his larger domain. No mortal magic centuries striving to escape from their Mist-veiled
can overcome the effects of a closed domain border, nor prisons, to no avail. The curse that binds them to
can any character ability, trait, or feature. the land offers them little rest; not unlike Tantalus
in the underworld, they are tormented by their
greatest desires.
Should a darklord be destroyed, their domain

3
ceases to serve a purpose. If another evil creature in in a particular nation when it was in the Forgotten
the domain has earned damnation, the Dark Powers Realms may now dot its landscape. Residents may
may appoint it the domain's new darklord. A domain now recall their grandparents telling them that those
in a cluster may be absorbed by its neighbors, ancient structures were built by their ancestors, the
expanding the prisons of other darklords. If neither Thunder Lords—even though before they were
of these events occurs, the domain dissolves back brought over by the Mists, there was no mention of
into the Mists from whence it came. The fate of those any group called the Thunder Lords. In light of this
who dwell in a vanishing domain is not clear. false history, consider the following equally eerie
Count Strahd Von Zarovich phenomenon: There is evidence (though this is no
The prototypical darklord, ruling the first of all the settled matter) that when Madame Eva’s troupe of
Domains of Dead, Lord Strahd is the darklord of Vistani visit Barovia, their visits do not happen in
Barovia. He rules his domain from Castle Ravenloft linear time. When they cross the boundaries into
as Strahd IX, a descendent of Strahd I. In actuality, Barovia, the Mists choose when in Barovia’s dark
Strahd I and Strahd IX are the one and the same--a history since Strahd’s fall from grace they arrive.
vampire. As a mortal, Strahd fell in love with They could meet a party of adventurers in 700 BC
Tatyana Federovna, the bride of his youngest and greet them as old friends, because from their
brother Sergei. In his jealousy, Strahd murdered his perspective they met them during a previous visit—
brother and became the Darklord of Barovia, which despite the fact that, from the point of view of the
was swept away into the Demiplane along with its adventurers, they’ve never seen a Vistana before.
ruler. Since then, Strahd is cursed to seek Then, in 701 BC, Madame Eva’s troupe seemingly
incarnations of Tatyana for eternity. returns from time away from Barovia, and the
adventurers meet her again from their viewpoint—
Using Curse of Strahd with this Book but Madame Eva seems not to recognize them, and
The adventure Curse of Strahd is explicitly set in asks strange questions she should already know.
the year 735 BC—before the Grand Conjunction that From her point of view, she is meeting them for the
changed the face of the Core forever in 740 BC, first time. Every time this particular group of Vistani
before Barovia annexed the once adjacent domain of enters Strahd’s domain, they end up in a different
Gundarak, before the Requiem and other strange time. From this phenomenon, one can surmise that
events of 750 BC. However, this document describes when Strahd closes the borders of his domain, he
other domains much as they were from 756-760 BC. truly seals those within off from the outside world,
The decision to do so was made because much of changing their relationship to time as well as space.
the richest material on the other domains in In this suggested scenario, 735 BC is part of a
previous publications was set in that later period. If period which Barovians and their neighbors call the
the timeline is important to you, you may wonder Long Isolation, when Strahd von Zarovich would
how best to reconcile these pages with that latest close his borders for years at a time. Perhaps this
and most detailed retelling of the original Ravenloft was due to a series of adventuring parties who
story. Two options for DMs running campaigns set entered his realm during this time, each of whom
in the Domains of Dread are described here. eventually tried and failed to defeat the darklord.
The first is simple: Set Curse of Strahd twenty or Believing that he could be freed from his cursed
imprisonment if he could find a worthy successor to
more years later. Part of the unique nature of
rule Barovia in his stead, Strahd spent years testing
Strahd’s damnation to the domain that imprisons
and toying with adventurers, seeking his own
him is that life (and unlife) there doesn’t change very
replacement from among their number. After all,
much. Barovia in 735 BC and 760 BC aren’t that
adventuring is one of the quickest routes to wealth
different, so the different setting would only matter
and power available, a lifestyle that appeals to
in terms of minor details.
individuals of both great potential and questionable
A second solution, and one less likely to transgress
morals. No doubt, such persons would do anything
any of the existing continuity of Ravenloft lore, is
they could to escape Barovia, and so Strahd may
based the unique cosmology of the domains
have simply kept his borders closed to entrap them.
themselves. When a domain enters the Realm of
In any case, when and if the characters of players
Terror, changes in their lands are often smoothed
over by the denizens of the new domain (and participating in Curse of Strahd finally leave the
sometimes neighboring ones) receiving false history. domain—either because they somehow defeated the
Ruins of an ancient civilization that were not present darklord or (more likely) because Strahd/the DM

4
allowed it—they find themselves in the late 750’s, Dark Powers dangle enough hope before their playthings
rather than in the year 735 BC when they left. If to keep them struggling, but most don’t perceive any
they never return to Barovia, they likely will not larger force behind the fact that pursuing those hopes
leads only to constant disappointment and anguish.
notice the difference. If they ever do return, however,
Are the Dark Powers as wicked and powerful as they
they find that twenty or more years have passed in
seem? Are they actually good powers punishing evil, or
Barovia as well. Their previous deeds in the domain just evil powers who delight in tormenting the good and
are now (depending on the particular deeds) the evil alike? Is the realm they’ve created a real place, just a
stuff of legend or long infamy. Those they met are nightmarish dream-world, or some kind of purgatorial
much older or no longer among the living. Plans they afterlife? Are they a single entity, or multiple powers as
set in motion either proceeded without them or they’ve always been named? What is their relationship to
petered out without their guiding hand. Barovia has the gods of other campaign settings? Can they be escaped,
annexed its former neighbor, the Domain of as it is said the former darklords Vecna and Lord Soth
eventually did, or did the Dark Powers choose to expel
Gundarak, growing larger and gaining a large new
those two?
ethnic minority. (For other details of how Barovia
In the early 21st century, in the Ravenloft Dungeon
changes after 735, see the Barovia and the Grand Master’s Guide for the 3rd Edition of the game, a small
Conjunction sidebar in the Barovia section of the sidebar finally revealed the exact nature of these entities
Gazetteer of the Core Domains chapter). once and for all:
Worst of all, depending on the nature of the “Now, let the truth be told. The Dark Powers are a mystery,
adventurers’ departure, Strahd still rules from a secret. They are inherently unknowable, and no theory
Castle Ravenloft, and is now even more wily and will ever fully explain them. In other words, the Dark
powerful than before. Whether the passage of time Powers are a creative device for the Dungeon Master.
has created an opportunity to defeat or destroy the They’re whatever you want them to be in your campaign,
and no book will ever contradict you.”
hated darklord forever is up to the Dungeon Master.
What are the Dark Powers?
Ravenloft first appeared in print in 1983, and became its
A Timeline of Barovia and
own larger campaign setting “world” in 1990. Since that
time, there have been many theories and explanations put
the Domains of Dread
forth to explain the true nature of the Dark Powers that The timeline on the following pages is included for a
rule over the Domains/Demiplane of Dread. All sources number of reasons. An obvious one is to give a sense
purporting to reveal details on these forces have been
of the sweep of events within the Land of Mists and
revealed as idle fantasies.
its changing geography. Another is to give context to
All that is really known is that they rule and likely create
all the Domains, that within the Domains of Dread they events in Barovia specifically, against the larger
seem to be functionally omnipotent and likely omniscient, historical tapestry of the Domains of Dread that
that they intervene in their realm much more directly than formed around it. Additionally, it shows the various
the deities of most known worlds, and that they lord over domains’ relationships to one another over time,
and toy with the darklords in the same way the darklords making it clear that Ravenloft is not merely a unique
mistreat ordinary mortals. They seem to have some challenge for outlander adventurers, but a living
perverse sense of “justice,” though it seldom manifests as world with its own large societies and cultures. All
anything more than precisely designed horrors to
dates here are given in the Barovian Calendar that
poetically torture those in their clutches. They have some
starts with the ancient Von Zaroviches unifying
connection to the vestiges in the Amber Temple of Barovia,
but the scope and particularity of their activities are far what will become Barovia. This event denotes year 1
too great for that to be the end of the story. BC (for Barovian Calendar), which has been adapted
The darklords don’t even seem to understand them: by sages in many domains.
Strahd himself speaks of the force that torments him as A Grand History of the Domains of Dread
“Death,” understanding it as the source of voices he hears
BC 1 On a world whose name is not known, the ancestors
from his mortal life, friends and family whose words seem
of Strahd von Zarovich forge independent city states
to mock his failings. The death knight Lord Soth is said to
together into the nation that will become Barovia.
have studiously ignored the Dark Powers during his time
BC 168 Church of Andral founded. After Barovia enters
as ruler of Sithicus. The powerful Azalin, who rules the
the Mists, this faith will largely vanish as a separate
domain of Darkon, plans and executes massive schemes
religion of its own.
to comprehend and outwit the Dark Powers, yet they all
BC 230 The Neureni, a horde of raiders worshipping the
seem to fail. Falkovnia’s darklord, the ambitious would-be
conqueror Vlad Drakov, seems oblivious to the fact that a demon lord Irlek-Khan as a god, invade ancestral von
higher power dooms all his military expeditions to fail. The Zarovich lands. They are stopped by a legendary von
Zarovich warrior-princess.

5
BC 277 Barov von Zarovich, future father of Strahd, is BC 547 Forlorn is drawn into the Mists. Azalin
born. investigates on Strahd’s orders, but finds nothing of value
BC 283 Ravenia Van Roeyen, future mother of Strahd and to either of them.
wife of Barov, is born. BC 550 Forfarian survivors from the domain of Forlorn
BC 299 Strahd von Zarovich is born to Barov and stream over the border into southeastern Barovia, settling
Ravenia. in the isolated village of Immol. Lyssa von Zarovich
BC 312 Sturm von Zarovich, the first of Strahd’s two becomes a vampire in an attempt to gain the power to
defeat her great-uncle Strahd.
younger brothers, is born.
BC 551 The domains of Har'Akir and Paridon appear.
BC 314 The War of Silver Knives, a feud of assassination
and public brawls between the noble families of Dilisnya, BC 564 The domain of Sebua is formed.
Katsky, and Petrovna, all subjects of Barov, begins. BC 579 A joint attempt by Azalin and Strahd to escape the
BC 316 Barov forces a peace to end the War of Silver Domains of Dread fails and draws Mordent into Ravenloft.
Knives, appeasing all sides with land grants, but the In Mordent, a mysterious man known only as the
region of Barovia is now weak. Alchemist conducts strange experiments on the nature of
BC 320 The Tergs invade Barovia, conquering the von the soul. Azalin leaves Strahd’s service. The domain of
Darkon appears, with Azalin as its ruler.
Zarovich ancestral lands.
BC 580 A Barovian militia established by Boyar Yersinia
BC 321 Strahd von Zarovich leads the armies of Barovia
Wachter and led by Aldrick Wachter repels an invading
in battle against the Tergs for the first time.
cohort of undead from Darkon.
BC 324 Sergei von Zarovich, the youngest of Strahd’s
BC 581 Illithids spawn the domain of Bluetspur.
brothers, is born.
BC 585 From Bluetspur (which at this time is part of the
BC 333 Tatyana Federovna, future betrothed of Sergei von
Core), another wave of refugees, the desperate Thaani,
Zarovich, is born.
immigrates across Barovia’s southeastern borders. Like
BC 347 Strahd drives the last of the Terg warlords from
the Forfarians, they settle in Immol.
Barovia, claiming the throne as his reward.
BC 586 "Bloody Jack" strikes Paridon for the first time.
BC 349 The construction on Castle Ravenloft—rebuilt
BC 588 Keening appears.
from an existing fortress according to Strahd’s
specifications—is complete, and Strahd makes it his BC 593 A domain known as Gundarak appears. A century
residence and the capital of his rule. and a half later, it will be annexed by Barovia.
BC 350 Count Strahd von Zarovich, Commander Alek BC 590 Pharazia is formed.
Gwilym, Sergei von Zarovich, and Lieutenant Falov lead a BC 600 Vechor appears.
military strike force to defeat Red Lukas and his gang of BC 603 Invidia takes shape under its first darklord.
bandits. Red Lukas is later executed. This same year, the BC 607 Sanguinia is formed.
Ba’al Verzi fail to assassinate Strahd. BC 611 Shadowborn Manor enters Ravenloft.
BC 351 The wedding of Sergei von Zarovich and Tatyana BC 613 Strahd brutally beats a wolfwere he finds
turns into a massacre, beginning with the treachery of Leo rampaging across Barovia and drives him into the Mists.
Dilisnya. Barovia is claimed by the Mists, becoming the Kartakass appears that same year.
first Domain of Dread. Sturm von Zarovich, Strahd’s other BC 615 Nidala is formed.
brother, did not attend the ceremony. Therefore, he BC 620 Timor appears.
survives to continue the family line elsewhere. BC 625 Valachan takes shape.
BC 398 Strahd hunts down the traitorous Leo Dilisnya BC 630 The Sea of Sorrows appears, becoming the
and condemns him to eternal torment. western coast of the Core.
BC 400 Strahd encounters Tatyana's first reincarnation. BC 635 Souragne is formed. Graben appears.
BC 470 The Vistani appear in Barovia for the first time. BC 637 Frederick van Richten, father of Rudolph van
Their leader, Madame Eva, forges an alliance with Count Richten, establishes the Richten Haus estate on the
Strahd. outskirts of Rivalis in Darkon.
BC 475 Earliest records of the Cult of the Morninglord. BC 646 Avonleigh appears in the Phantasmal Forest.
BC 499 After an assault on Castle Ravenloft by a party BC 650 The Faith of the Overseer is founded in Darkon.
including an elven vampire called Jander Sunstar, Strahd
BC 666 Yakov Dilisnya suffers a seizure while riding; he
von Zarovich is not seen for many years.
writes the First Book of Ezra while recovering.
BC 525 Lyssa von Zarovich, granddaughter of Sturm and
BC 670 Sri Raji is formed.
grandniece of Strahd, is born.
BC 671 Rudolph Van Richten born, son of Otto and Mrs.
BC 528 Powerful outlander heroes assault Castle
Van Richten. An incident involving a magical statue
Ravenloft. It is believed they are killed.
causes Baron von Kharkov of Valachan to go into hiding
BC 542 Azalin enters Ravenloft, forming an uneasy
for a time.
alliance with Strahd.

6
BC 680 Starting this year in Valachan, the depredations BC 695 Falkovnia invades Lamordia in the Winter War.
of the Baron’s retainer Lady Adeline cause several Due to freakishly cold weather, they retreat in January of
rebellions over the next fifty years. the following year. Daniel Foxgrove, future husband of
BC 682 Nova Vaasa appears. The Nova Vaasan Prince Alice Weathermay and mayor of Mordentshire, is born.
Ingemar Bolshnik describes the appearance of Barovia, BC 696 The Brotherhood of Broken Blades, a group of
Arak, the Nightmare Lands, and the Mists upon the monster hunters based in Kartakass, is founded. They
frontiers of his land with the words: “howling fear to the theoretically fight all evil, but in practice specialize in
west, stone death to the north, shapeless nightmares to hunting evil spellcasters. Though they are not mindless
the east, and nothing but ominous swirling to the south.” killers, they are sometimes much too zealous in viewing all
BC 683 Lamordia is formed. In Nova Vaasa, Sir Tristen magic as evil.
Hiregaard becomes an officer of the Kantora City Guard BC 697 Camille Boritsi poisons her husband Klaus and
and begins the hunt for the Signature Killer. He will rise to his mistress. Boyar Nicu Moldonesti survives a botched
be the Constable of the Kantora City Guard by 717 BC. assassination attempt against him by remnants of the
BC 684 Borca appears. Ba’al Verzi. Yakov Dilisnya is among those poisoned by
BC 685 Construction begins on the Great Cathedral of Camille. Blame upon her for the murder of their leader
Levkarest. The Church of Ezra is spreading across Borca. spreads far and wide among Ezra's faithful. Borca's streets
BC 686 In the Sea of Sorrows, the Doma Odana, piloted erupt in open violence. Under advice, Camille quells the
by Captain Johan Werner and his crew, crashes into the riots by building a monument to Yakov on church grounds
hidden Isle of Demise. Most perish instantly, but Captain and demonstrating great acts of mourning. However, the
Werner and his men explore the Isle. They come to a path construction of a statue of Yakov, a mortal man, upon
underground, eventually leading to a labyrinth. All are Ezran holy ground causes dissidence within the Church of
slain but Werner, who escapes blinded, but he escapes, as Ezra. The First Schism splits the faithful.
commented about in his journal. His final fate remains BC 698 Markovia is formed. Camille Boritsi poisons most
unknown. of her family during the Dinner of Death.
BC 687 Camille Dilisnya marries Klaus Boritsi. Praesidius BC 699 Felix Wachter pens the Second Book of Ezra,
Yakov Dilisnya, founding prophet of the Church of Ezra, founding the Mordentish sect of Ezra’s church.
presides over the marriage. BC 700 Drakov invades Darkon and is repelled by
BC 688 The Crimson Death, a lethal plague, spreads undead, in what is called the First Dead Man’s War.
across Darkon in the winter, killing 1 in 5 people in the BC 702 Yagno Petrovna attempts to sacrifice his nephew
domain; Rudolph is driven even more deeply into his to Zhakata, but he is foiled and exiled into the Mists.
medical studies by the death of his great aunt. When he exits the Mists, the land has revealed his
BC 689 Vlad Drakov and his Talons of the Hawk enter the domain, G'Henna, to him. Falkovnia and Lamordia make a
Mists and come out in Darkon. They immediately put the nonaggression pact.
Darkonian villages of Pound, S'Realm, and Glymshire to BC 704 Drakov invades Darkon again and is repelled yet
the torch. The undead retaliate, and Vlad's mercenaries again in the Second Dead Man’s War.
are expelled into the Mists. In Borca, Ivana Boritsi and BC 706 Dr. Rudolph van Richten vows to battle the forces
Ivan Dilisnya are born on the same night. of evil after the deaths of his wife Ingrid and son Erasmus.
BC 690 Falkovnia appears. BC 707 Dementlieu appears. Falkovnia invades it but is
BC 691 The domain of Tepest appears. Falkovnia faces repulsed.
two threats in Silbervas: a rising thieves' guild and an BC 708 Othmar Bolshnik, future prince of Nova Vaasa, is
infestation of wererats. They are both led by the Clawed. born.
The period of Falkovnian history known as the Years of BC 709 George Weathermay is born. The Dementlieuse
Impaled Rats begins. Sect of the Church of Ezra is established in Port-a-Lucine
BC 692 Rudolph and Ingrid van Richten's son Erasmus with Joan Secousse's discoveries. Secousse completes the
van Richten is born. In Tepest, this is the second year of Third Book of Ezra, passes the Rite of Revelation and is
massive crop failure, starvation, and particularly harsh recognized as the Bastion of Dementlieu
winters, but the nobility of Darkon and Nova Vaasa, BC 711 Camille Boritsi is murdered; her daughter Ivana
especially Tristen Hiregaard, contribute supplies to help inherits control of Borca. Drakov invades Darkon a third
the Tepestani people survive. Rudolph Van Richten time (the Third Dead Man’s War) and is repelled. Dr. Van
marries his childhood sweetheart, Ingrid Richten meets Gedlan Ironheart, a fearless dwarven
BC 694 Richemulot appears. By this year, Borca has innkeeper in Corvia. Gedlan becomes a frequent hunting
transformed into a major hub of trade. This is due, in companion.
part, to the arrival of the Dilisnya Family over the past BC 712 Dr. Van Richten meets the mage Shauten; they
decade and the utilization off their social and economic bond when they are attacked by one of Azalin's patrols.
ties. Also this year, Vlad Drakov has driven the wererats Shauten opens Van Richten's eyes to the existence of the
out of Falkovnia. Meanwhile, Sir Tristen Hiregaard serves Lich.
as prince of Nova Vaasa.

7
BC 713 A shadowy crime lord known only as "the Brain" BC 731 Vorostokov is formed. The Weathermay-Foxgrove
surfaces in Port-a-Lucine. Falkovnian investors fund the Twins are born to Alice Weathermay and Daniel Foxgrove.
building of the Spider House inn, in Briggdarrow, Tepest, BC 732 The domains of I’Cath and Nosos appear.
to capitalize on and bolster increased merchant travel BC 733 The White Fever strikes Sithicus. A part of
between Nova Vaasa and Falkovnia. outlander adventurers stumble through the Mists into
BC 714 Hazlan takes shape. Dr. Van Richten moves to Forlorn. They discover Castle Tristenoira and are
Mordentshire, sensing it is politically unsafe for him to massacred within, with only the cleric of Bragi called
remain in Darkon. Svendar surviving.
BC 715 Dorvinia appears. BC 734 Prince Othmar refuses to relinquish his title,
BC 718 Tara Kolyana is born in Barovia. Not long after, breaking the Cycle of Stewards in Nova Vaasa.
her parents flee with her to Hazlan. BC 735 The Vistani seer Hyskosa records his Dire
BC 720 The death knight Lord Soth arrives in the Prophecy predicting the Grand Conjunction. Van Richten
Domains of Dread. He slays a Vistani tribe, and is forced to kill his old friend Shauten in self-defense, after
encounters Strahd in Barovia. After he enters the Mists, he is nearly sacrificed in Shauten’s attempt to attain
the new domain of Sithicus joins the Core. lichdom In Barovia, the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok
BC 722 Falkovnia fails to invade Darkon, again, in the confronts Strahd—and loses. Later that year, adventurers
Fourth Dead Man’s War. drawn into Barovia by the Mists confront Strahd von
BC 724 Drakov invades Dementlieu and Richemulot, Zarovich. They encounter Van Richten’s protégé,
Ezmerelda d’Avenir. It is unknown how they fare against
resulting in the Executioner's Campaign. The Sithican elf
Strahd, but the Vistani leave Barovia for a time. Also, that
Jameld of Hroth and Dr. Rudolph van Richten meet and
year, the first of Van Richten’s books, Van Richten's Guide
team up to defeat the Bog Monster of Hroth in Sithicus.
to Vampires, is published, whether by the man himself or
BC 725 An attempted Falkovnian invasion of Dorvinia
one of his associates. (The events of Curse of Strahd are
results in the Gold Claw Massacre.
assumed to take place in this year.)
BC 726 Dr. Van Richten visits Sanguinia with George
BC 736 Ezmerelda d’Avenir, having remained in Barovia,
Weathermay and Arametrius; they meet Claudia
DeShanes; Claudia becomes Rudolph’s assistant. His later confirms that Strahd is active in the domain again after
writings hint at certain unspoken feelings for her. his confrontation with adventurers. Madame Eva’s Vistani
troupe returns and the burgomasters re-fortify their
BC 727 Merilee Markuza, the Child Vampire, kills
villages (including Ismark Kolyanovich, new burgomaster
Claudia. Van Richten pursues the creature relentlessly,
of the village of Barovia). Van Richten’s Guide to Ghosts is
but loses her in Lamordia. Van Richten later teams with
published—as with all his books, it is unclear if it is
Jameld of Hroth to disband the mummy-worshipping
published by him or by others after his death or
Seekers of the Seven Scarabs.
disappearance. In Gundarak, the ruler, Duke Gundar, is
BC 729 The Treaty of the Four Towers, a mutual defense
assassinated.
pact against Falkovnia, is signed by Mordent, Dementlieu,
BC 737 Van Richten’s Guide to the Lich is published. A
Richemulot, and Borca. Othmar Bolshnik assumes the
falling star lights up the night sky in eastern Falkovnia
title of Prince of Nova Vaasa. Bakholis of Invidia is killed
before crash landing near the thorp of Delmunster. The
by one of his captives, Gabrielle Aderre, and an Invidian
falling star proved to contain a doppelganger plant that
peasant revolt topples his regime.
would devastate the community.
BC 730 Verbrek takes shape. Gedlan Ironheart killed
BC 738 Odiare enters Ravenloft. Van Richten’s Guide to
while battling evil spirits.
Werebeasts is published. A plot by a priest of Set in

8
Har’Akir results in the mummy Ankhtepot’s seventh grandniece Lyssa via a conspiratorial plot, causing her to
awakening. sleep well past sunset and remain active only a few hours
BC 739 Van Richten’s Guide to the Created is published. each night. Forty-six druids of the Rowan faction in
Lyssa von Zarovich conspires with mind flayers to create a Forlorn attempt to storm Castle Tristenoira with hired
vampiric version of their race, but the subjects are too mercenaries, and are almost completely annihilated,
mad to be controlled. making the Oak faction the domain’s dominant druid
BC 740 The Grand Conjunction rocks the Land of Mists to group. A massive burst of negative energy now known as
its foundations, reshaping the domains, especially in the the Requiem transforms II Aluk in Darkon into a city of
Core. The Shadow Rift appears. Rokushima Taiyoo the undead. Azalin is thought destroyed. The Mists reveal
appears. The domains of Saragoss, Sri Raji, and the the Nocturnal Sea.
Wildlands join together to form the cluster of domains BC 751 Teodorus Raines pens the Fourth Book of Ezra.
called the Verdurous Lands. Tepestanis organize an Drakov invades Darkon once again, thinking Azalin gone,
inquisition against the fey in response to the formation of yet the dead still rise to repel his forces, though Drakov’s
the Shadow Rift. Van Richten’s Guide to the Ancient Dead men get as far north as Nartok. A prince of the shadow fey
is published. Barovia annexes the former domain of attempts to reopen a portal to the Plane of Shadow, nearly
Gundar, adding the Gundarakites to their mix of freeing a monstrous entity of immense power.
ethnicities. The Gundarakites are treated poorly by native BC 752 Azrael usurps control of Sithicus after its
Barovians, partly due to ancient hatreds—like the Neureni darklord, his former master the death knight Lord Soth,
invaders of old, some immigrants from Gundarak worship disappears in the Hour of Screaming Shadows. Writings of
the demon lord Irlek-Khan. Ezmerelda d’Avenir are published describing the
BC 741 Hazlik builds the village of Ramulai to house a phenomenon of human children being born as calibans
school of wizardry. Gennifer Weathermay Foxgrove is due to the influence of dark sorcery.
mauled by a wolf. Her uncle George Weathermay BC 753 The Weathermay-Foxgrove sisters print new
shoulders the blame and leaves Mordent. Van Richten’s editions of the Van Richten Guides, sometimes in
Guide to Fiends is published. compilations of multiple guides. The former servants of
BC 742 Dr. Van Richten has either disappeared or retired Azalin begin to receive mysterious visitors. When
by this time. His Guide to the Vistani is published. "Bloody burgomaster Shalthis Vosrovna of Teufeldorf goads
Jack" resurfaces in Paridon for his thirteenth killing spree. adventurers into killing one of the Vistani, Count Strahd
BC 743 The popular bard Harkon Lukas is elected executes him personally.
Meistersinger of Skald. The domain of Markovia, thought BC 754 Gregor Zolnik kills his wife and mother in a mad
destroyed in the Grand Conjunction, is rediscovered in the rage. His sisters disappear.
Sea of Sorrows. BC 755 Heroes restore Azalin to power in Darkon, foiling a
BC 744 Paridon and Timor merge to form the Zherisia traitorous attempt to enslave his spirit. "Bloody Jack"
cluster. Lord Soth’s magical slumber in Sithicus is strikes Paridon once again with another killing spree.
disturbed. BC 756 The newly returned Azalin hires a scholar to write
BC 745 The demon Malistroi attempts to conquer detailed gazetteers describing each of the Domains of
G'Henna with a fiendish army, battling Yagno Petrovna. Dread. In her writings, she gives her name only as “S.”
BC 746 Har'Akir, Pharazia, and Sebua join together to BC 757 Traveling to all of the domains as part of her
form the Amber Wastes cluster. gazetteer research, “S” enters Lamordia on New Year’s
BC 747 Malocchio Aderre, born to Gabrielle Aderre and a Day. In Tepest, repeated attacks by unknown parties on
mysterious father, is revealed to be a Dukkar (see the Nova Vaasan efforts to build a road through Tepest into
Vistani Sorcerers sidebar under Humans in the Races Keening and Darkon cause tensions with Nova Vaasa.
chapter) and seizes control of Invidia. Avonleigh, Nidala, BC 758 Nova Vaasan royal forces of Prince Othmar build
and Shadowborn Manor form the Shadowlands cluster. up near the border with Tepest, either as a warning about
BC 748 A Lamordian colony on Markovia vanishes, attacks on their roadbuilding efforts or the beginnings of
leaving no remnants of the colonists’ existence. The roots an invasion to ensure cooperation. Also in Tepest, S
of the Gundarakite separatist movement in Barovia begin encounters the fiendish being—a disguised incubus,
with Ardonk Szerieza fanning the flames. perhaps—known as the Gentleman Caller, believed to be
BC 749 Sanguinia joins with Vorostokov to form the fathering children around the Domains of Dread for some
Frozen Reaches cluster. sinister purpose. The Hiregaard family sponsors an
expedition to fight piracy on the Nocturnal Sea.
BC 750 The Mists capture Vecna and Kas the Destroyer
and make them the darklords of the Burning Peaks BC 759 Draconic humanoids first spotted sailing around
cluster. Dr. Rudolph van Richten’s complete the Nocturnal Sea. Writings of Ezmerelda d’Avenir about a
disappearance is confirmed. The twins Gennifer and variety of tiefling native to Ravenloft are published.
Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove vow to continue his work BC 760 Present day.
shortly after the Bright Blade vanishes from their
possession; Ezmerelda d’Avenir has separately made the
same vow. Strahd von Zarovich poisons his vampire

9
 Religion in the Domains of blind obedience and asserts the divine providence of
kings. Those born into wealth and power deserve to

Dread rule; those born into poverty deserve only what they
earn through dutiful service to their masters.
The Domains of Dread are home to numerous Bane's faith is known as the Church of the Lawgiver
religions, ranging from widespread, organized in Hazlan and Nova Vaasa, where it is also the state
churches that build towering cathedrals to honor religion. In the latter, Prince Othmar uses it to
their faith to skulking, nocturnal cults that perform justify his own regime. The Lawgiver's clerics
their sacrifices in hidden catacombs. Because the attempt to enforce the rigid stratifications of Vaasi
Mists draw in creatures and realms from so many culture wherever they go. Clerics drawn from
different worlds, practically any deity in existence is different social classes do not mix, and the Church
worshipped by someone in these lands. However, forbids marriage between different ethnicities or
certain faiths have gained a foothold among larger races. All rites must be performed in Vaasi, and all
populations in one or more domains. Some even sacred texts must use its script.
form theocracies reinforcing the rule of local During the Grand Conjunction, clerics of Bane lost
governments or the darklords themselves. their spellcasting abilities for a time. This troubling
This section presents a sampling of particularly lapse has opened a minor schism among the clergy.
notable or notorious religions in the Ravenloft. On one side stand those who believe the lapse was
Player character clerics and paladins, as well as meaningless, or a test; a minority opposition believes
religious characters of other classes, can choose any that Bane was somehow incapacitated. Although the
of these faiths, as long as they are compatible with Church of the Lawgiver ruthlessly purges them, a
any alignment restrictions the DM chooses to handful of heretics even whisper that Bane the
impose. Lawgiver died in the cataclysm, that all his clerics
The gods of Ravenloft do not form a single, now worship is a litany of empty titles.
continuous pantheon. Rather, they are divided into Belenus
numerous, henotheistic religions. The followers of a The Shining One, the Zenith Lord
given religion usually recognize the existence of In many other worlds, Belenus is just one member
other deities, but often dismiss them as inferior of a pantheon of deities worshipped by Celtic tribes.
beings or the disguises of fiends. In the Land of Mists, Belenus has become a central
Bane god in the religions of two otherwise unrelated
The Lawgiver, the Iron Tyrant, the Black Lord cultures, one in Tepest, the other in the
Bane, often called the Lawgiver, is a deity of Shadowlands. Unfortunately, both branches of the
rulership, strength, and conquest. His ethos is Belenus faith have developed a troubling common
simple: the strong have not just the right but also element: intolerance.
the duty to rule over the weak. His religion rewards Belenus is a sun god, like the Morninglord, and the
master of fire. Many of his adherents set aside time
to pray to him directly at noon, which is considered
a sacred hour. His followers claim that Belenus
bestows the life-giving light and heat of the sun on
those who please him and withholds it from those
who earn his wrath, cursing them with icy cold and
Symbol of Bane
darkness. Solar eclipses are seen as dire omens.
Belenus’s symbol is a stylized golden sunburst (as
seen in Celtic art), or a bearded face in the center of
such a sunburst.
In more rural places, Belenus encourages the
construction of standing stones to measure the
progress of his sun, as well as sacred groves where
his priests may meet and build great bonfires to
him. Mid-way through spring, Belenus encourages
his worshippers to drive cattle through special
festival fires, looking down on this with favor and
raising the overall quality of the livestock.

10
In Tepest, Belenus worship exists as a rustic folk Anchorites, the clergy of Ezra, have a unique
religion, and his clerics also venerate other patron relationship with the Mists of Ravenloft. They believe
deities from his pantheon. The faithful here often their goddess dwells in the Mists as a protector,
mingle their legends or Belenus and other gods with interceding against the evil of the Dark Powers.
time-honored tales of shadow fey, ravenous goblins, The Church of Ezra was born almost roughly a
and fiendish hags and witches. For generations, century ago, when a son of the notorious Dilisnya
Tepestani clerics were content to watch over their dynasty claimed that a divine entity, Ezra, had given
small congregations, but this changed in the wake of him a message to spread to the entire world.
the Grand Conjunction. According to most traditions in the church, Ezra was
Believing that the domains of G'Henna and Markovia a virtuous mortal woman who, despairing of the
had been destroyed by the fey, a Tepestani village evils of the world, forever surrendered her mortality
priest, a man named Wyan, organized an inquisition to the Mists to become an eternal guardian of
to fight back against the fey. Years later, the humankind. However, the fractious sects of the
inquisition continues. It has sadly gained a Church of Ezra have been debating the true nature
reputation for being over-zealous. The clerics and teachings of their ascended patron for decades.
execute any "fey" they can catch and may include Ezra herself is depicted as a tall, slender woman in
elves, half-elves, gnomes, calibans, sorcerers, and flowing, white robes. Her raven hair and eyes
especially warlocks in their pogrom. Clerics of contrast sharply with her pale skin. Revered as both
Belenus or other non-evil deities in his pantheon are protector and healer, she is usually depicted holding
the only spellcasters considered beyond suspicion. an alabaster kite shield and a slender sword of
In the Shadowlands domain of Nidala, Belenus similar construction. The shield is often adorned
worship takes a markedly different turn. Here, a with a sprig of wolfsbane in recognition of her role as
powerful organized religion honors Belenus, their a healer. Members of the church are expected to
"one true god," in a huge and glorious cathedral. In protect others from harm, always coming to the aid
the matriarchal society of the Shadowlands, only of individuals in distress despite any personal risk
women can join the priesthood, and they must all involved. Similarly, they must always be ready to
make vows of chastity. Men can serve the church, give aid and comfort to the sick or injured. One of
but only as guardians or enforcers. Worship of any the most common sayings in the church is "Today I
other religion is ruthlessly persecuted — as are care for you as tomorrow you will care for me.”
countless other transgressions. The priestesses of Although members of the church are not required to
Belenus all gratefully obey the edicts of their identify themselves in any way, many wear holy
nation's great protector, the holy warrior Elena symbols to show their faith. These are most
Faith-hold. frequently small tokens in the shape of wolfsbane
Ezra sprigs or tiny replicas of the sword and shield that
Our Guardian in the Mists Symbol
of Ezra

Symbol
of Belenus

11
Ezra is said to carry. During church services, which shelter them. In general, however, the anchorite is
are held every five days, members of the church fed and clothed, their wounds tended to, and their
must wear white clothing. presence within the temple kept secret. Greater
The Church of Ezra has no fewer than four distinct levels of cooperation might even allow the anchorite
sects. Each of these has its own objectives and to receive special equipment or information that will
methods, although they all recognize the authority of help them in their work.
the central church. Anchorites
• All sects of the Church of Ezra recognize the For many members of Ezra’s clergy, their goddess's
authority of the Great Cathedral in the city of patronage allows them to call on the Mists of Ravenloft for
Levkarest, in the domain of Borca. This is the aid. A special spell, available only to clerics and paladins
original, lawful neutral sect, also called the of Ezra, represents this aid. Those who take the Favored
Home Faith. It teaches tenets mostly accepted by Anchorite feat gain new options and true mastery of this
all the sects, such as the idea that Ezra cannot powerful blessing (as described in the Optional Feats
protect those who do not accept her into their chapter), but all clerics and paladins sworn to Ezra add
this spell to their cleric or paladin spell list.
hearts.
• The lawful good sect in Mordent also teaches Shield of Ezra
that anchorites must convert as many souls to 1st-level abjuration
Ezra's flock as possible for their own good. Casting Time: 1 action
• The mystical, neutral Dementlieu sect claims Range: Self
that Ezra was a goddess who abandoned her Components: V, S
callous fellow gods to offer mortals succor, and Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
spends its time studying the true nature of their You call on the shield of Ezra, a film of luminous mist that
envelops your body. You gain advantage on Constitution
goddess.
saving throws against spells and a +2 bonus to your
• Lastly, the lawful evil sect, centered in Nevuchar
armor class. You may also gain an extra form of
Springs in the domain of Darkon, prophesies an protection, dependent on your alignment. If you are not
imminent Time of Unparalleled Darkness, when one of the alignments listed below, you do not gain this
the unfaithful will be consumed by darkness. extra benefit, otherwise you gain the benefit your
In addition, the practices of the churches in each alignment indicates for the duration:
domain differ from one another. Thus, a church in • Lawful good: Attack rolls made against you with metal
Barovia will differ from one in Falkovnia, even weapons are made at disadvantage
though they technically belong to the same sect. Any • Lawful neutral: Gain resistance to nonmagical
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage;
follower can worship at any church, but outside of
• Neutral: Gain advantage on Dexterity and Strength
their own domain and rite they will find subtle and
saving throws against spells;
sometimes disturbing differences in the practices. • Lawful evil: Gain advantage on Wisdom and Charisma
Ezra’s clerics are called anchorites. Each is charged saving throws against spells.
with the protection of the weak, the care of the sick, This spell ends at the end of your turn if during your turn
and the general betterment of the human condition. you made an attack roll or cast a spell that requires a
The exact manner in which each of the four sects saving throw, otherwise it lasts for the full duration.
enacts these tenets varies, but the basic teachings of At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
the church remain the same. slot of 3rd level or higher, the bonus to armor class
Anchorites of any alignment frown upon increases to +3. When you cast this spell using a spell slot
of 5th level or higher, the duration increases to
mistreatment or needless suffering of the innocent.
concentration, up to 10 minutes.
They help the injured and show some degree of
mercy to their enemies. Their healing powers are Hala
used without call for compensation or the need for The Goddess, the Last of the Nine
obligation. Lastly, an anchorite avoids combat when According to Hala's holy texts, Tales of the Ages,
possible, although they are certainly not pacifists, nine gods created the world from the roiling mists of
recognizing the need for battle from time to time. Chaos. The gods then withdrew, intending to allow
Any anchorite has the ability to seek shelter and mortals to fill their world with acts both good and
safe haven in any temple dedicated to the worship of evil. But the mortals lacked wisdom, and the world
Ezra. The exact interpretation of "safe haven" varies was soon filled with pain and anguish.
depending upon the similarities in the alignment of Just one of the Nine Gods, the goddess Hala,
the anchorite and that of the temple clergy who returned to the world to ease its suffering. She

12
gathered together thirteen women and thirteen men a cult of his own). Most sources indicate this church
and taught them the secrets of the Weave, an was born late in the fifth century BC, when a
ancient form of magic. Unfortunately, this brand of founder (or new prophet) emerged to proclaim the
magic is also known as witchcraft and provokes faith. He claimed that when he was a young boy, the
widespread, superstitious fear. Witchcraft’s Morninglord appeared to him in physical form and
wretched reputation is largely due to hags, the most protected him from the roaming menaces of the
infamous practitioners. Although witchcraft is not Barovian night. Based on this singular encounter,
inherently evil, it is thought to be rife with occult the Morninglord is usually depicted as a luminous,
dangers. According to folklore, witches who lose sylvan humanoid. Although he is formed of soft,
control of their magic may be permanently golden light, his face is smeared with blood. The cult
transformed into hags. teaches that this strange detail may be a sign that
The Church of Hala is a secretive and highly even the greatest good may hold some evil stain, and
mystical faith. Her clerics – who call themselves even the most depraved evil may yet contain a spark
witches – operate a number of hospices scattered of good.
throughout Ravenloft where they offer rest and The deity asks little of his followers, save that they
healing to anyone who comes to their door. The treat each other with kindness and retain hope in
church does not actively seek new followers, their hearts. This humble faith holds great appeal
however, and nowhere is the Church of Hala the for those who have little more than hope and
predominant religion. Many of Hala’s priests are not kindness to offer, and the cult is spreading rapidly
clerics at all, but actually druids of the Circle of the among the downtrodden Gundarakite minority of
Equinox (introduced in the Druid section of the Barovia. Its simple teachings conceal a message of
Classes chapter) favoring the Autumn aspect. intense hope. No matter how bleak the future may
Hala's witches often face hostility when beyond seem, no matter how dark the night, the dawn will
the doors of their hospices. Any witch of Hala come.
unwise enough to encounter the inquisitors of Many followers speak of a prophecy that, someday,
Tepest, for example, should count herself lucky to the Morninglord will return once again to lead the
escape with her life. world into the daylight. As may be surmised, most
The Morninglord ceremonies of the Morninglord are held at dawn.
The Rose-and-Gold God, Inspiration’s Dawn, the Actions taken and contracts agreed to at dawn are
Sunstar, Lathander considered “blessed” by the god. Funerals are held at
The Morninglord is the god of the rosy dawn that dusk, followed by a wake that lasts until dawn.
marks the end of every night. Accounts of the age The cult may hide more than its optimistic
and history of the Cult of the Morninglord vary. message. One of the cult's founders was a cleric who
Some say that he was worshipped in Barovia before secretly hunted the undead by night. It is possible
the curse of Strahd, but this may be a reference to that even to this day, the cult's clerics are trained in
Andral (now remembered as St. Andral by the methods of battling vampires.
Morninglord worshippers, but previously a god with

Symbol of the Morninglord

Symbol of Hala
(Four Snake Version)

13
Deities of the Domains of Dread
Deity Alignment Domains Symbol
Bane LE Rulership*, War A black hand or a stout iron spear bound in coils of bronze
Belenus NG Light, Rulership* Stylized golden sunburst, sometimes surrounding a bearded face
Ezra LN Life, Rulership* An alabaster kite shield adorned with a sword and a sprig of belladonna
Hala N Life, Nature A ring formed by either four or thirteen serpents, each devouring the tail
of the one before it
The Morninglord NG Life, Light A simple, rose-tinted disc of gold.
Mother Night N Hunting*, Trickery Unknown
Spirits of the Elements N Air**, Earth**, Fire**, Various pictograms representing single elements or their combinations
Water**
Yutow LN Hunting*, Rulership* A silver circle split by a vertical diamond
*=A new domain introduced in the Cleric section of the Classes chapter
**=A variant domain introduced in the Cleric section of the Classes chapter
Mother Night leaders of a village or tribes. Some elemental priests
A mysterious goddess, worshipped in Barovia and instead follow a monastic or ascetic tradition
other places, representing the darkness of night, the (becoming monks practicing the monastic tradition
same way the Morninglord represents the light of the called the Way of the Four Elements), instead of the
dawning day. She is considered by the dusk elves of more common tribal or village traditions of elemental
Land of Mists to be their hidden patron. Little is worship.
known of her, but her worshippers say her presence Yutow
is felt most strongly between dusk and dawn, The Peacebringer, the Dead God
although nighttime prayers to her go unanswered. It The Valachani people state that their land was
is widely believed that she has forsaken the originally inhabited by a race of dark-skinned
Barovian people and sent the devil Strahd to punish humans who lived at one with nature, and were
them for the sins of their ancestors. Other than that, guided by a green sylvan deity called Yutow. Their
few outside of Barovia know much of her faith; even peaceful days ended when the tan-skinned Vaasi
her symbol is unknown. people invaded and brought “civilization” with them.
Spirits of the Elements Yutow, being a nature god, was powerless to help
Air, Earth, Fire, Water his people until the panther, the wisest of all
In more primal domains, where the relationship animals, suggested that Yutow merge the two people
between mortals and nature is closer, there may be into one. Yutow accomplished this, creating the
no organized worship of gods, or their deities may Valachani of today, but in doing so caused his own
little more than half-remembered myths. Many in life to end. The Valachani state that Yutow is
such realms venerate the living elements as they indisputably dead, yet still conscious and guiding
manifest in the world. Elemental priests may serve his people from the moon.
these sullen and fierce spirits. They have a special The Dead God’s holy weapon is a sickle, and his
kinship with the primal elements, a connection so servants are panther spirits and those who bear
close that it’s as if they stand in two worlds: that of their blood. The religion is monotheistic, and other
mortals, and that of raw elemental power. religions are called false by Yutow’s worshippers.
Many elemental priests revere the nameless, The religion states that followers of Yutow must not
formless principle of all living elements together, question his motives or mandates; they must
making no distinction between one manifestation uncomplainingly undergo trials in their lives to
over another. Many heroic elemental priests are prove themselves worthy to him. Those who do so
are granted immortality as a nature spirit, while
those who fail are reincarnated to suffer again until
they learn their lessons. Followers of Yutow believe
that in worshipping him they are protected from the
Symbol
fury of nature, while unbelievers will have to face
of Yutow nature’s wrath. Unnatural things such as undead or
arcane magic are considered the worst form of
blasphemy.

14
 made about the subcontinent as a whole. Ranging
Chapter 2: north and south of the Core's most infamous
landmark, the Shadow Rift, the spectacular peaks of
the Balinok Mountains soar to extremes of nearly

Gazetteer of ten thousand feet. To the west of the Balinoks,

densely forested river valleys and floodplains cover
lands sandwiched between the mountains and the

the Core
western end of the continent. To the east of the
peaks, dominated by the nation of Nova Vaasa,
sweeping grasslands and barren wastes stretch out
in an upland plateau to the shores of the Nocturnal
The subcontinent known as the Core is the whole
Sea.
world for those who inhabit it, though sages know it
The temperate climate has a regular cycle of
as part of a larger realm. Here, Strahd von Zarovich
seasons, though weather extremes are common in
rules Barovia, and other darklords—such as the
many domains. Only one major road crosses the
deathless archmage Azalin, the tyrant Vlad Drakov,
Balinoks: the Old Svalich Road in Barovia. Other
and the vengeful Red Wizard Hazlik—rule over the
crossings through the Balinoks are possible but
domains that are their prisons.
treacherous.
The Core is the most densely populated and well-
The northern Core is dominated by the kingdom of
traveled region in the Land of Mists. There are more
Darkon, which fills nearly a third of the Core's total
known domains here than there are beyond it,
landmass. Darkon is unusual in that arcane magic
lending weight to the claims of sages who call it the
is generally trusted, and nonhumans—such as elves
center of the world. Some domains that once existed
and dwarves—are relatively common. Nonhumans
are now gone, having vanished entirely, been
are extremely rare in most domains and are seldom
absorbed into another domain, or been separated by
welcome. In fact, two of Darkon's neighbors,
the Mists into their own Islands of Terror. New
Falkovnia and Tepest, are both particularly hostile
domains have arisen to expand the Core as well.
toward nonhumans, though for vastly different
Some years ago, an event known as the Grand
reasons. Falkovnian soldiers imprison nonhumans,
Conjunction changed the land in startling ways, yet
treating them as chattel, while the clerics of Tepest
by and large its geography remains the same.
are consumed with an inquisition against all “fey”
A rugged and mostly temperate land, the Core is
creatures. The bottomless Shadow Rift and its black
characterized by bustling villages separated by vast
fog separate these two domains.
stretches of trackless wilderness. The dominant
In the northwestern Core, shipping on the Sea of
feature of the subcontinent is the Balinok
Sorrows and treaties forged to defend against
Mountains, which run roughly north to south across
Falkovnian aggressions have both led to the free
the center of the Core. The Shadow Rift, a yawning
trade of goods and ideas. From stormy Lamordia
chasm nearly the size of Barovia, has interrupted
and cosmopolitan Dementlieu, down through sleepy
the Balinoks near the very middle of the
Mordent and decadent Borca and Richemulot, these
subcontinent since the Grand Conjunction in the
lands are regaled as having entered an age of
year 740 BC.
enlightenment. The new inventions being produced
To the west of the Core lies the Sea of Sorrows, and
here, from moveable type to primitive steam engines,
the Mists have revealed a second body of water—the
may one day reshape life throughout the Core.
Nocturnal Sea—east of Nova Vaasa and Darkon. At
To the south, the lands west of the Balinoks remain
the northern end of the subcontinent, the borders of
thickly forested. Rustic folk here often face quiet
the northernmost domains—Darkon and Lamordia—
derision from their northern neighbors. These are
vanish into a never-lifting of endless Mists. The
lands thick with superstition and mistrust.
Mists similarly cut off the frontiers on the southern
Woodsmen in Verbrek warn of monstrous wolves,
end of the landmass, surrounding the entire Core
while fearful villagers in Barovia shutter their
and encircling even the far sides of its eastern and
windows and hide when the sun dips below the
western seas. What lies beyond the Mists is
horizon. Supported by Falkovnian coffers, the despot
unknown—perhaps the emptiness of Ethereal Plane,
controlling Invidia has initiated a pogrom against
or some part of the Shadowfell.
the Vistani, and his raids into neighboring domains
Although the landscape varies from domain to
have raised the specter of war. The southwestern
domain with the Core, some generalizations can be

15
Core is also notable for Kartakass, home to a richly Domains of the Core
musical culture, and Sithicus, a politically unstable
The Core domains are the darkest of the dark.
realm of reclusive elves.
Indeed, when anyone speaks of the Domains of
On the far side of the Balinoks, the grasslands of
Dread, they are almost certainly thinking of the
the southeastern Core are divided between Nova
Core. Nineteen domains are currently recognized by
Vaasa and Hazlan, both home to byzantine
sages as comprising the landmass of the Core, not
governments, rampant crime, and the methodical
including the Nocturnal Sea and the Sea of Sorrows,
oppression of the poor. Nova Vaasa's aristocrats vie
bodies of water which are both Domains of Dread in
for control of the throne, while the wizard who rules
and of themselves, but which also contain separate
Hazlan has recently founded the Core's largest
domains as islands in their waters.
school of arcane magic.
The known domains of the Core include Barovia,
The Sea of Sorrows stretches out to the west of the
Borca, Darkon, Dementlieu, Falkovnia, Forlorn,
Core, mirrored by the Nocturnal Sea to the east.
Hazlan, Invidia, Kartakass, Keening, Lamordia,
These seas seem to defy navigation, and sudden
Mordent, Necropolis, Nova Vaasa, Richemulot,
storms have bested many good ships, but captains
Sithicus, the Shadow Rift, Valachan, and Verbrek,
who brave these waters can make a tidy fortune
plus the two seas and the island domains within
supplying the small, rugged settlements on the
them. Of these, the lands of the Core described in
islands that dot both seas.
more detail in this document include:
Three major rivers run through the lands north and
• Falkovnia, a military police state ruled by a
west of the Balinoks: the Vuchar, the Musarde, and
bloodthirsty and truly sadistic mercenary lord;
the Arden. The Vuchar travels from east to west
• Hazlan, a microcosm of the Forgotten Realms
across the northern plains of Darkon. The Musarde
nation of Thay ruled by the vengeful and
River flows from tributaries in Forlorn and Hazlan,
tyrannical Red Wizard Hazlik;
carving a lush valley. The Musarde and the Arden
are major trade arteries of the Core. The Arden River • the cold and bleak coastal realm of Lamordia, a
flows out of Valachan, tracing a northerly path civilized barony inhabited by practical folk with a
through Sithicus and Verbrek before passing back scientific worldview;
into Valachan and on to Mordent. • the Nocturnal Sea, a body of water too wracked
Barovia has loose trade pacts with some nearby with storms and clouds to be safely navigated,
domains in the Core, such as Invidia and Kartakass. but full of populated islands and ripe for
Most trade between these domains takes place via exploration;
the Musarde River and its tributaries. Otherwise, • Nova Vaasa: Named for the nation of Vaasa in
domains have few political ties or conflicts, aside the Moonsea region of the Forgotten Realms,
from periodic invasions of Darkon by Falkovnia. from which the population and the uncaring
Ironically, though Falkovnia’s military ambitions feudal lords who rule them descend, this grassy
are so obvious that some of the other Domains of plateau is known for its stark class divisions,
Dread have mutual defense pacts against it, it is crushing urban poverty, and the wealth of its
also something of a breadbasket for the Core. The five noble families.
domain possesses huge grainfields, and these • the Sea of Sorrows, a darkly cold and fog-
harvests are transported to Falkovnian merchant bound sea that is vast and sparsely inhabited;
enclaves in other domains and sold there. Once, • Sithicus, a kingdom of unfriendly and fractious
Darkon was an even larger source of food and trade elves, first ruled by an infamous death knight
goods, its tyrannical order a stabilizing factor both before a cruel dwarven dictator came to power;
within its boundaries and around them, but the • the stormy forestlands of Tepest, caught in the
internal chaos caused by the fall and return of its hysteria of a witch-hunting Inquisition, even as
Darklord has spread to other realms of the Core as darker threats loom in the windswept
well. mountains;
The Core is a region of both prosperity and misery, • and Valachan, rugged home of the dark-
where a host of tyrants skulk in their dark manses skinned, self-sufficient Valachani people, who
and plot endlessly against one another. The villages are bedeviled by the supernatural baron who
hum with thriving commerce and intrigue, while rules them and the White Fever that drains their
cunning predators, both nature and aberrant, stalk life and blood.
the wilds.

16
And of course, we begin with additional information by a gold elf from the Forgotten Realms who
about Barovia, as a supplement to the detailed worshipped Lathander, long after the Mists had
descriptions existing in Curse of Strahd. The brought Barovia to the Realm of Terror.
domains which do not receive their own section here In 230 BC, an invasion by a horde of raiders called
have been thoroughly depicted in Ravenloft the Neureni, who worshipped the demon lord Irlek-
materials for previous editions of the Dungeons & Khan as a god, occasioned great glory for the von
Dragons rules. All are briefly summarized at the end Zarovich warrior-princess who opposed them. A
of this chapter. corruption of their name, neuri, persists to this day
in Barovia as a word for werewolves or sorcerers who
Barovia change their shape. However, as with other events
The first Domain of Dread to appear, Count Strahd before Strahd’s fall from grace, there is little
von Zarovich’s realm of Barovia, has been described evidence of this great conflict beyond cultural
thoroughly and repeatedly elsewhere, especially in memory. It’s as if the Mists themselves have clouded
various versions of the original adventure I6: both the memories of the people and the very history
Ravenloft. However, a few details of note are added of the land since stealing Barovia from the world
that was once its home.
here, as a supplement to the most recent and
One event that is well-recorded from before
detailed version of that adventure, Curse of Strahd.
Strahd’s reign is a bitter war between three noble
Barovia and the Grand Conjunction families of Barovia: the Houses of Dilisnya, Katsky,
Curse of Strahd is explicitly set in the year 735 BC. In and Petrovna. It was a long-simmering feud that
740 BC, the Grand Conjunction—also called the Great boiled over when Izabella Dilisnya was assassinated
Upheaval—alters the Core in dramatic ways. Some
in a dispute over a silver mine. Years of covert
domains vanish, or are absorbed by others, and a massive
murder, acts of bloody vengeance, and chaotic
chasm opens in the center of the Core. However, Barovia
itself is not impacted as significantly by this cataclysm as misrule undermined the reign of Strahd’s father,
other lands. In many ways, it benefitted. The land's Barov von Zarovich.
chokehold over east-west trade was greatly strengthened The Ba’al Verzi, a cabal of assassins notorious for
by the cutting of the Timori Road. The disappearance of being as devious and brazen as they were
Markovia from its northern frontier would have been remorseless, thrived during this period, which later
welcomed if only it had been replaced by something less historians called the War of Silver Knives. At first
ominous than the Shadow Rift. The disappearance of remaining above the fray, the von Zaroviches finally
Bluetspur from its southern frontier was an indisputable
forced an end to the conflict, but not before
boon. And the relocation of Hazlan from its central eastern
weakening the kingdom to the point where it became
and southern eastern frontiers to its southern frontier did
little more than change the direction of travel from Immol easy prey for invading enemies. The defeat of those
to Toyalis. invaders was Strahd’s own path to greatness and,
later, his dark fall from grace.
Barovia Before Strahd The patriarch of the Dilisnya family, Leo Dilisnya,
Little is known for sure of the true history of the was also secretly the leader of the Ba’al Verzi during
land of Barovia before it was claimed by the Dark that time. During Strahd’s crusade against the
Powers. Few written records survive. Those that do Tergs, Leo served as a minor officer in the von
are strangely incomplete. Zarovich army, awaiting the opportunity to
As described in Curse of Strahd, the Barovian assassinate Strahd and make himself the ruler of
calendar is used across the entire domain. It Barovia. Yet Strahd was too canny and suspicious.
abbreviates years as BC. (The same calendar is also
The Ba’al Verzi
used in domains across the Core.) The Church of
The Ba’al Verzi (bay-al vayr-tzee) was a legendary guild of
Andral’s founding in 168 BC is considered an assassins before Strahd von Zarovich’s rise to power. They
important event, yet the worship of the god known operated openly, but used disguise and deception to kill,
as Andral either died out or was absorbed by the and it was said that anyone could be a Ba’al Verzi. The
faith of the Morninglord later. Believers in Vallaki paranoia the assassins’ legend instilled made their work
now know of St. Andral as divinely favored mortal of all the easier. Thriving amid the game of betrayal and
ancient times, rather than a deity. vengeance waged by three of Barovia’s most powerful
The cult of the Morninglord is also a murky area of families during the reign of Strahd’s father, the cabal later
declined, but never vanished completely. In 350 BC
history. Barovians believe it to be an ancient faith as
The signature weapon of the Ba’al Verzi is a curved
old of the land, but sages are certain it was started
dagger, with a hilt wrapped in black, red, and gold. One

17
such dagger was used to kill used to kill Strahd’s brother, time, the choking Mists rise up the seal the borders
Sergei von Zarovich. Though they enchanted these of Barovia, barring trade or news from other lands,
weapons and many of their other tools, the Ba’al Verzi and no one can protect these occasions.
assassins relied on merciless cunning, not sorcery, for
At two points when the Mists were not raised as a
their deadly edge.
barrier, the southeast of Barovia saw two waves of
The Ba’al Verzi is all but forgotten in present-day Barovia
because Strahd has gone to great lengths to exterminate immigration. Both were refugees from other
the order and, for the most part, has been successful. domains, and both were secretive groups with their
Strahd’s vendetta against the guild stems not only from own strange and deeply held beliefs.
the bitter memory of events surrounding his brother's Around 550 BC, survivors of a secretive order of
death, but also from his particular hatred of the Ba’al druids came from the neighboring domain of
Verzi named Leo Dilisnya. Forlorn. Called Forfarians, they settled in a tiny
The remaining Dilisnyas spent over two centuries hiding village called Immol, at the foot of Terestrãu ("Mount
themselves from Count Strahd von Zarovich. Small
Sawtooth"), the second highest peak in Barovia.
cohorts of Dilisnyas have kept the traditions of the Ba’al
Adjacent to a lake in the furthest southeast corner of
Verzi alive along with their bloodline.
Other Ba’al Verzi leaders were trapped in Barovia when it Strahd’s domain, Immol grew to accommodate these
was claimed by the Mists, but the cabal has only recently settlers, and then grew even more in 585 with the
resumed its activities. The Ba’al Verzi are described in arrival of the Thaani.
detail in the Secret Societies chapter of this document. The Thaani claimed to have come from a place of
When Ba’al Verzi hired by other enemies of Strahd incomprehensible madness, a land ruled by
(said to have been dusk elves of the family now inhuman subterranean creatures who fed on the
called Velikovna) attempted his assassination in 350 minds of mortal creatures. They identified that
BC, they failed. Only a year later, on the day when wasteland as the domain of Bluetspur, known for its
Strahd’s brother Sergei would marry his beloved cyclopean mountains and endless lightning storms.
Tatyana did Leo dare make his move, smuggling The tales they told horrified even Barovians who had
mercenaries into Castle Ravenloft to assist Ba’al seen much terror of their own, and they also bore a
Verzi masters of murder. To cover his tracks, Leo potent tradition of mysticism that sits uneasily
excused himself, and was not present when Strahd beside the druidic beliefs of the Forfarians and the
became a vampire. His absence saved his life, as dwindling faith of the native folk.
Leo’s forces were slaughtered by the newly risen The people of Barovia may be ethnically diverse in
undead lord, and only a handful of guests survived places, but as a group they are a gruff, suspicious
that night. For decades, Leo orchestrated the lot. They tend to be brusque with outsiders, and
concealment of both the remaining Ba’al Verzi and even the most amicable Barovian natives are no-
his own noble kin. Yet members of the Wachter nonsense and severe. The dour attitude that seems
family, whose kin were slain by Leo’s henchmen, to dominate Barovia may be partially attributed to
helped Strahd track down this hated enemy and the rampant fear of the supernatural that permeates
enact a terrible vengeance. the realm. The folk here are terrified of the creatures
of darkness; doors and windows are securely locked
The House of Dilisnya
at sundown, and most Barovian settlements
Ironically, members of the Dilisnya family can now be
found all over the Land of Mists, except in the land of their
resemble ghost towns by early evening.
bloodline’s birth, Barovia. Many of them have become Although it is not formally isolationist, Barovia has
wealthy rulers in various parts of the Core. Others make limited contact with other realms. The rustic
their living as mercenaries. Vistani even hire Dilisnya character of the land, combined with the count's
killers to wreak vengeance upon those in that domain that reclusive and tyrannical nature, does little to
have wronged them. Dilisnyas made aware of their stimulate outside interest in the realm. The borders
background collectively have an almost uncanny ability to of this realm are closed off by the Mists far more
find each other, but such knowledge may come at the cost
often than most other domains.
of knowing new enemies.
However, trade alliances between merchants in
After the Mists Barovia, Kartakass, and Invidia are maintained. It is
The history of Barovia since the Dark Powers widely believed that Azalin Rex, the undying
claimed it is better recorded, but lacking the glorious archmage who now rules the vast domain known as
deeds that gave Barovians pride. The victorious Darkon, once lived in Barovia and served Strahd. It
lords of the past have been replaced by centuries of is also believed that, despite the distance between
bleak tyranny. For weeks, months, or years at a their realms, Strahd hates Azalin bitterly.

18
Immigrants to Barovia: The Thaani who practice druidic beliefs. There are fewer Thaani
The Thaani are humans who escaped Bluetspur, a than there are Forfarians, but their dwellings are
mountainous realm ruled by a subterranean enclave of easy to spot, and places where they live and gather
mind flayers. These humans had been experimented upon, seem haunted by an ancient sadness.
and many gained psychic abilities as a result. They carry Also near Immol is a monastery inhabited by
in their minds not only their own memories, but also those members of secret abbey of lawful good monks
of fallen kin who were killed by illithid cruelty and torture. called the Order of Contemplative Power, who seek
The Thaani employ meditation techniques to keep their
to explore their own psychic potential. Strahd knows
minds from fracturing as a result. Not all of them succeed.
of the monks’ existence, but tolerates them for some
If a Thaani character appears in your game, they may (or
may not) have special psionic powers. Some of the new
reason, perhaps out of curiosity. These monks
Optional Feats introduced in this document—such as practice the Way of the Boundless Mind (a new
Living Poltergeist and Mind Reader—grant the kinds of monastic tradition introduced in the Monk section of
wild psychic talents a Thaani might be born with. If your the Classes chapter.) Records of the monastery’s
game uses the feat rules, a player character Thaani may founding are contradictory, but many believe it was
begin as the Human (Variant) from the core rules, started by Thaani, seeking to understand the mental
choosing one of these feats at character creation, or may abilities they had developed as a result of the
develop such abilities later.
horrors of Bluetspur. If so, they are not the only
Immigrants to Barovia: The Forfarians secret society founded by the Thaani in Barovia.
The human population of the domain of Forlorn has
The Unnaturally Long Life and Terrible
mostly abandoned that realm to live in nearby domains
like Barovia. The Forfarians left behind a great deal of Undeath of Leo Dilisnya
horror, just as the Thaani did, though they are less Strahd’s hatred of Leo Dilisnya drove him to slay the man,
haunted by these tragedies. Unlike the Thaani, their but never to let him enjoy a final rest. A skilled
horrific past did not change the very nature of the necromancer who had slowed his own aging with spells
Forfarians. They still live much as they did in their and wards, Leo knew that Strahd would find him
homeland, and honor the same beliefs. Their culture is eventually, and he planned for it. At an abandoned
interwoven with the ways of druids, and Forfarian druids monastery, he actually managed to trap Strahd in a
usually practice the Circle of the Equinox (described specially warded chamber. The vampire’s unlife was saved
under druids in the Character Classes chapter). only by the monks in his thrall. Once freed, Strahd
overpowered and captured Leo Dilisnya, but decided death
The Village of Immol was too good for such a traitor.
Not often featured on most maps of Barovia He bestowed the curse of vampirism on Leo and entombed
him, condemning the assassin to starve for eternity.
(including the map in Curse of Strahd) due to its
During the time of Curse of Strahd, he is being tortured
location in the extreme southeast of the von
by the darklord by being incapacitated by a spell cast on
Zarovich lands, Immol has been a place where the casket in which he is bound, trapped in a starved,
uprisings against Strahd have occasionally occurred, skeletal form, as if he were nothing more than dead bones.
always mercilessly suppressed. It lies in a shallow But Count Strahd likes to vary the torment. After the time
dale at the foot of Mount Sawtooth, on the Warlock’s of Curse of Strahd, Leo Dilisnya is once more consigned
Road that leads south beyond Barovia’s borders to to a black coffin kept in a locked tomb. He falls into
the adjacent domain of Hazlan. Ancient watchtowers hunger-maddened torpor for long periods, but always
surround a horseshoe shaped urban area dominated awakens with the same endless thirst. His powerful
by the Keep of the Scarlet Cross. Once the undead limbs claw desperately at the interior of his
sarcophagus. The curse of vampirism undid the
stronghold of a knightly order, this keep now serves
necromantic spells that kept Dilisnya young before it
only as the home of the local burgomaster.
granted him immortality, and he will forever be a withered
What makes Immol unique among villages in man of seventy years even if he does drink blood, but for
Barovia is the overwhelmingly large population of now, he looks like little more than a lifeless skeleton.
two distinct groups of immigrants: the Forfarians If Leo Dilisnya is ever freed, his every thought will be bent
and the Thaani. The fair-skinned, redheaded on vengeance. It is for the DM to decide if a freed Leo
Forfarians are descended from natives from the Dilisnya seeks to regain control of the Ba’al Verzi, rely on
haunted land of Forlorn to the south. The Thaani, the accumulated political clout and military prowess of his
who exhibit a staggering variety in their physical family, or act on his own in pursuit of bloody reciprocity.
The adventure “Fair Barovia” by Claudio Pozas in Dungeon
features, are said to be the descendents of refugees,
Magazine issue 207 tells one version of what might ensue
slaves escaped from a hellish underground captivity.
if the one enemy who has come closest to destroying
The Forfarian neighborhood is full of herbalists, Strahd once and for all is ever set free.
healers, apothecaries, midwives, and other wise folk

19
Falkovnia Every sizable settlement in Falkovnia is linked by
roads that are wide and well maintained for troop
Falkovnia lies in the northwestern quarter of the movement. Lekar, perhaps the Core's largest city,
Core, a sinister realm crushed by the iron fist of lies in the western part of Falkovnia. Over fifteen
military tyranny. It lies south of Darkon and east of thousand people live within the walls of this heavily
Dementlieu. Forests blanket large portions of this fortified settlement, and nearly a quarter of them are
domain. Falkovnian timber is towering and black, soldiers. The city's location and the domain's
unlike the trees in any other region, and locals call excellent roads make Lekar a natural center for
these trees vigila dimorta, or “sentries of death.” trade. Merchants fill the streets, handling wares
Falkovnia is a military state, pure and simple. Vlad from all the bordering domains. As traders bustle
Drakov, the mercenary-king, rules Falkovnia with an past, beggars glean what they can. They crouch in
iron hand. There is no civilian government or police every doorway, pleading, their arms reaching up to
force. There is no true aristocracy; soldiers are the those who walk by. Many beggars, crippled by the
highest social class. Drakov's army not only soldiers, cannot even stand. Most of Lekar's citizens
maintains the peace, but also oversees nearly every live in squalor. The twisting alleys in the laborers'
aspect of public life. Military tribunals conduct all quarter are filled with sewage, mud, and dung.
trials, and justice is universally swift and harsh. Falkovnia has three other sizable towns, each with
Punishments are usually shocking public displays of some degree of fortification. Stangengrad, home to
torture and execution, crowned with the sixty-five hundred people, perches on the northern
unspeakable practice of hanging the bodies of slain border, near Darkon. Aerie, a village on the southern
criminals to rot on city walls. border, has a population of two thousand. Morfenzi,
In eastern Falkovnia, where the Balinoks thrust in the eastern foothills, is home to some fifteen
toward the heavens, many trees have died. The bark hundred people. Another five thousand Falkovnians
and leaves are gone, but the naked cores still stand, live in Silbervas, on the eastern shore of Lake
bleached almost white, like driftwood. According to Kriegvogel. The summer palace of the domain's
legend, one tree dies for every person Vlad Drakov tyrannical lord sits on a hill in the Upper City. When
executes. Some even claim that the trees actually the wind blows off Lake Kriegvogel, the city gets
ignite, the bark bursting into flames spontaneously. relief from the hot summers of this land. When the
Large areas of this dead forest have been cleared to wind blows from the north and Lord Drakov is in
make room for wheat fields. The dense wood is residence, the screams of the victims he has
extremely difficult to fell, and clearing roads makes tortured for his amusement can be heard
young men old before they reach age thirty. throughout Silbervas.
Over the last several years, Falkovnia has become Falkovnians are fair skinned and usually visibly
the region's largest source of grain, exporting it to underfed and overworked. Dark blond to medium
virtually every other domain in the Core. The road brown hair is typical, as are hazel to deep brown
between the towns of Silbervas and Aerie is lined by eyes, though green eyes are not unheard of. Men
swaying fields of gold in late summer, punctuated by wear their hair in savage crew cuts, while women
small farmhouses with thatched roofs. Falkovnian grow their hair long, wild, and unkempt.
merchants—guarded by Falkovnian soldiers, of Falkovnians dress in deliberately drab clothing; to
course—maintain trade outposts throughout the stand out is to draw the attention of the realm's
domains of the Core. The exportation of cereals soldiers, which can mean death or worse. Dull
generates a king's ransom for Drakov, which he then earthen colors are common, with men favoring
uses to fund the maintenance of the army. tunics and breeches and women blouses and long
Falkovnia's cities are dark and unfriendly, free of skirts. Most commoners wear rag wrappings instead
any aesthetic sensibility whatsoever. Homes and of shoes. Folk who do not belong to the soldiery are
shops are squat, efficient structures of unfinished usually filthy with mud, dung, lice, and fleas.
timber and brick stacked densely next to one All Falkovnians are branded on their foreheads at
another. Stone city walls and fortresses are birth with the ruler's seal, a hawk's head. This
towering, gray, and featureless. Garbage, offal, and clearly identifies Falkovnians in other lands and
mud cover every surface, and the air swarms with reminds every citizen of his true status: property.
horseflies and yellow jackets. Falkovnia's climate is Falkovnians are a downtrodden lot. Overtaxed and
one of extremes, characterized by bitter winters and overburdened, they have little to look forward to but
hot, humid summers. death. The unending horrors of military brutality

20
have eroded any sense of beauty or hope they once
harbored in their hearts. Some acquire a brutal
personality, taking on the qualities of their military
oppressors. Most Falkovnians, however, are simply
passive and just a little paranoid. They tend to be
reticent and inhumanly jaded to violence and gore.
If life in Falkovnia is cruel for humans, it is a
nightmare for nonhumans. Although Falkovnia has
almost no native nonhuman races, all those who
pass through the region are slapped into irons. Such
"subhuman" races are considered state property, to
be treated as chattel slaves. To breed out the taint of
nonhuman blood, racial intermarriage is encouraged
by the state, though Falkovnian custom forbids it.
Those unfortunates with only one human parent are
also deemed state property. The folk despise Drakov,
but dare not curse him in public; they do not have
the strength to overthrow him. Traveling to another
domain is forbidden to all but a few. Foreigners can
cross the borders, but not without harassment.
In the cities and towns, people wear drab clothing.
Even perceptive foreigners adhere to this custom,
because no one wants to stand out from the crowd.
To attract notice is to put one's life in danger. In
more remote areas, life is still hard, but Drakov's
squads are less oppressive.
Soldiers represent the highest class of Falkovnian
citizens, and only humans can be soldiers.
Falkovnia's elite are all military men fiercely loyal to Drakov demands at least one execution each night,
Drakov. Officers pay no taxes, travel without at the dinner hour. He takes his meal while
restriction, and can carry weapons. Citizens who observing the prisoner's slow death. On special
arm themselves have committed a capital offense, evenings, as many as forty people are impaled on
for which their entire family must suffer. Not every tall, thick stakes for his enjoyment. Occasionally he
individual in the army is a warrior. Bureaucrats and calls in an orchestra to accompany their screams. If
other civil servants also receive military Ravenloft is a prison for the damned, then few
commissions and titles. Falkovnians, however, deserve to be here more than Drakov.
reserve their greatest hatred and fear for the Talons, More than even this torture, Drakov’s true love is
Drakov's elite soldiers. Shock troops with a fanatical conquest. The mercenary-king has tried his hand at
loyalty to their lord, the Talons are themselves cruel invading every bordering realm at one time or
sadists and are whispered to possess nearly another, but without success. Nearly every
supernatural battle prowess. campaign has met with disaster — some
The domain's lord, Vlad Drakov, colors all aspects spectacularly so — which only enrages Drakov
of life in Falkovnia with his brutality. However, of further. It may be that Falkovnian conquest is
late something resembling an armed resistance has destined to fail. Regardless, the realms of Mordent,
begun to form. Rumors tell of a mighty white-haired Dementlieu, Borca, and Richemulot have agreed to a
human warrior named Gondegal, who leads a secret mutual defense pact to safeguard against future
knighthood that has partially infiltrated Drakov’s Falkovnian aggression.
military government. Others claim that through Falkovnia holds very few undead, but the living are
brilliant hit-and-run tactics, a troop of kobolds have horrid enough. The forests are rich with deer and
more or less driven Drakov's troops from a region at wild boar, as well as predators such as wolves. Near
the heart of the domain. This is not the first time populated areas, half of all encounters are with
someone has had limited success against Drakov, soldiers., equipped with scale mail, spears, and
nor will it be the last. shields. Elite fighting men have banded mail and
swords or polearms.

21
Hazlan and they wear their black hair long, often in
elaborate braids. Rashemi of the lowest social class
Hazlan lies south of Barovia and Nova Vaasa, in the are not permitted to cut their hair at all. The
southeastern corner of the Core. Hazlik, an evil Rashemi dress simply—in baggy trousers, tunics, or
archmage sometimes known as the Red Wizard, smocks. Jewelry is rare, though an occasional
rules this domain undisputedly. Every inhabitant earring, bracelet, or ring can be seen. Both genders
knows that he is the absolute dictator. His small are hard workers and make good warriors—a
council of governors (basically killers) enforces his necessity, as they are the working class of Hazlan,
rules. subservient to the other ethnic group in the domain,
The eastern half of this domain spreads into lazy, the Mulan. Rashemi of greater means or social
rolling hills that are grassy and easy to travel. In the position cut their hair short, to differentiate
west, the Balinoks rise up, making the terrain rocky themselves from their less affluent kin, but by law
and rough. The northern part of the land is largely they cannot shave their heads.
uninhabited wilderness, although a small village has The Mulan are tall and fine-boned, with sallow
sprung up on the estate of the land's ruler, Hazlik. complexions. They shave their heads and whatever
Hazlik ordered the settlers to build this remote other body hair they have, usually replacing it with
village at the base of his mountain, so that he could elaborate tattoos. By tradition, men's tattoos consist
teach the arts of magic to a few chosen ones. The of geometric shapes and stylized representations of
village, named Ramulai, is currently home to dragons and legendary monsters. Women are
Hazlik's apprentices and roughly two hundred fifty tattooed with cryptic runes and abstract designs.
others. Should Hazlik continue to train mages, Receiving one's first tattoo is a sign of adulthood
Hazlan may well become the center of arcane arts in among the Mulans. Due to the Mulan affinity for
the Core. tattoos, Hazlan is home to the Core's finest tattoo
Hazlan has two major towns, Toyalis and Sly-Var. artists. The Mulan own most businesses, pay more
Toyalis houses eight thousand people, and conducts lenient taxes, and are the only ones who may sit on
limited trade with Immol in Barovia; Immol produces Hazlik's ruling council. None of this is surprising if
pottery and finely crafted bowls and other one realizes that Hazlik, himself, is Mulan.
implements needed for certain magical rituals by the Unlike domains with similar splits between ethnic
growing number of wizards in Toyalis. Sly-Var is groups, no linguistic or religious barriers divide the
home to about forty-five hundred people, mostly Hazlani peoples. They all speak a tongue known as
farmers and herders. Both towns consist of simple, Thayvian, which shares similar linguistic roots with
white-washed wooden homes with red tile roofs. the language spoken in Nova Vaasa. A Vaasan and a
The village of Ramulai is somewhat more Hazlani can understand each other's native tongues
impressive; built to the specifications of Hazlik, it is as long as both parties speak clearly and slowly.
a compact settlement of stone buildings with slate The only legal religion is that devoted to the god
roofs. The stones are quarried through magical Bane, often referred to as the Lawgiver. While priests
means on the nearby border with Barovia and and worshipers are drawn from both ethnic groups,
Forlorn, and the construction of the town is an they worship in separate churches; further, the
example of the practical applications of magic. heads of the church are all Mulans. These Banites
Hazlan’s wilder areas are a cornucopia of strange are the only priests who can safely serve their gods
plants and monstrous creatures, many of them openly in Hazlan. The church of the Lawgiver
misshapen by magical experiments preaches that those who rule do so through divine
The folk in Hazlan are sharply divided into two providence. Bane punishes most severely all who
groups: the ruling class and the lower class. would attempt to reach above their station. It should
Outlanders familiar with the land of Thay recognize come of no surprise that the doctrine of Bane holds
Hazlani social structure as nearly identical to that that he is the highest of all gods worshipped in the
nation of wizards. This division is made primarily Domains of Dread.
along racial and ethnic lines. During the Grand Conjunction, Bane temporarily
The majority of the population is of Rashemi stock. ceased to grant spells to his priests. The debate over
They are a tough and sturdy people, averaging a why this happened has caused a minor split in the
little over five feet in height, with dusky skin and church. Some believe Bane was punishing his
dark eyes. The men often wear bushy beards. The priests for not preventing the catastrophic reshaping
women tend to be slightly shorter than the men are, of the world, while others believe that Bane was

22
somehow incapacitated by the event. Whatever the clinging mud. In the short, warm summers, clouds
reason, however, the Church of Bane is actively of mosquitoes drift across the domain, plaguing the
watching for signs that another such event is about deer and elk. A forested ridge called the "Sleeping
to occur. If they believe someone or something might Beast" stretches along the eastern border of this
be attempting to force such a cataclysm, they will domain, sheltering Falkovnia from most of
move swiftly to stop it from happening. Lamordia's storms. Lamordia reaches far into the
In Hazlan, there are two things in which Mulans Sea of Sorrows, and several islands off the northern
and Rashemi are perfectly equal. The first is that tip of the domain are included in this domain.
they basically devote all their efforts to pleasing Notable are the frozen Isle of Agony and rocky,
Hazlik, and he is a tough man to satisfy. The forsaken Demise. The Isle of Agony is the largest of
governors relay his commands, and the folk obey these islands, and Lamordians fear and shun it.
each instantly. Noncompliance means death or a Some claim it is home to a man-eating sea monster.
trip to "the tables;" simple misunderstandings may Others call it “the devil's domicile.” No natives, not
even mean the same. "The tables" are where Hazlik even adventurous young boys, will explore the island
and his apprentices perform their evil experiments. willingly. During low tide in summer, a muddy
Fear of this fate makes Hazlani natives paranoid and causeway links the islands to the mainland. At that
distrustful. Second, Hazlik's apprentices are drawn time, it is possible to walk the causeway, but
from both ethnic groups. The only requirements to progress is slow, and the mud can swallow a full-
study magic under Hazlan appear to be an aptitude grown man to his waist or deeper if he is not careful.
for the art and status as a native Hazlani. This has Seabirds add to hikers’ worries by diving, harassing,
sent shockwaves through Mulan society. They do and sometimes even attacking them.
not understand how their leader could betray Mulan When the tide is high, water covers the causeway,
superiority in such a fashion. For years, the study of but in winter, jutting slabs of ice link the isles to the
arcane arts was forbidden in Hazlan. Then Hazlik mainland. Travelers still need ropes and ice picks to
changed his thinking, and became obsessed with cross the ice safely. The interior is a region of
training powerful apprentices. towering forests where the black trees grow massive
Hazlik, the Red Wizard, has been the most and dense. The woods are forlorn and eerily still, but
important figure in this realm since the Mists travelers often have the impression that they are
revealed it over thirty-five years ago. However, in being watched from the shadows. Each spring,
their own way, his small, faceless council of Mulans woodsmen inevitably find thawed corpses deep in
are perhaps just as important. Since no one is sure the wilderness, their forms mangled beyond
who sits on this council, powerful Mulans are recognition. The terrain is rugged in the north,
generally careful about speaking ill of their ruler. especially along the rocky uplands of the Sleeping
They never know who may be part of his inner circle. Beast. To the south the mighty Riefa Spandwäs
A young Rashemi woman has come to the forefront ("Cobweb River", the Lamordian name for the
recently. Eleni is the most skilled student at Hazlik's Musarde River and its four branches here) forms a
academy. Exceedingly fair of visage, she has river delta known locally as the Heath of Tears when
shocked Rashemi and Mulan alike by shaving her it meets the Sea of Sorrows. Lamordia has two
hair and tattooing herself in Mulan fashion. Eleni major settlements: Ludendorf and Neufurchtenburg,
has even been seen around Hazlik's court. The each housing fewer than one thousand people. As in
designs on her tattoos are unknown to all, thought other domains, travelers will encounter isolated huts
by some to be magical sigils known only to Hazlik. in the wilderness, but the region's harsh conditions

Lamordia attract very few immigrants.

Lamordians are lean, square-shouldered folk tall in
Lamordia is a bleak coastal domain in the stature and wiry in physique. Their skin is
northwestern section of the Core. A relentless, cold exceptionally fair but tinted ruddy from the numbing
wind usually blows out of the northwest, lashing wind that seems to blow across the domain
Lamordia with its fury. In winter, ice floes clog the constantly. Eye color is almost always a shade of
harbors, and great frozen slabs rear up on the rocky green or blue. Their straight or wavy hair is light
shore. It is not uncommon for Lamordia to be blond to dark brown, though fairer hair is slightly
consumed by a blizzard while adjacent domains more common. Men cut their hair to a medium
experience only a slight drizzle or no storms at all. In length, usually to just above the neck, and keep it
late spring, Lamordia's roads become rivers of deep, styled back. Women grow their hair long and either

23
pin it up or weave it into twin braids. Mustaches race, they see them in much the same way. Yet they
and beards are never seen on men, but do not hate nonhumans. Most Lamordians reserve
muttonchops sideburns are quite popular. Clothing their disdain for Victor Mordenheim, a somewhat
is exceptionally well made in Lamordia, but modest shady surgeon and scientist who conducts strange
and somber. Men wear collared shirts, vests, and experiments on his estate in northern Lamordia.
trousers, with wealthier men adding a waistcoat and Several trappers live in isolated areas of the
scarf. Nobles often wear pointed black caps as well. domain, as do a few miners, and some shepherds
Women prefer modest woolen dresses with high winter their animals on the leeward side of the
collars and frequently wear tight, white bonnets. Sleeping Beast. However, most Lamordians are
Color is almost unheard of in Lamordian garb; artisans. They spend the winter months carving
black, white, and shades of gray are the only hues to furniture and building musical instruments. As soon
be seen. Jewelry is never worn, even among the as the snow melts and the roads are passable, their
nobility, though noblemen carry accessories such as work is exported to other lands. The goods bring an
canes and pocket watches (made with the advanced excellent price, a third of which goes to the Baron pf
technical know-how for which Lamordia is famous).. Lamordia. The local diet is rich in protein and fat.
Lamordians are extremely hardy, independent folk Special pudding thickened with sheep's blood is a
accustomed to the domain's savage winter storms local favorite, and goat cheese is a dietary staple.
and generally treacherous environment. They have Schloss Mordenheim, the estate of Victor
learned to withstand the winters in good spirits, Mordenheim, is north of Ludendorf, on the coast.
pursuing humble crafts and savoring the simple joys The estate stands on a cliff, which is dotted with
of life. Blizzards may keep them indoors, but snow small caves. In spring and summer, the waves crash
itself is no hindrance. They travel on skis, sleighs, against the rocks below. The tragic Dr. Victor
and snowshoes. Unlike many folk in the Land of Mordenheim toils endlessly in his castle, his family
Mists, Lamordians are not at all superstitious. estate falling into disrepair around him. Those who
In fact, Lamordians are rational almost to a fault have managed to get close to the doctor know that
and believe in tackling every problem with a his wife was horribly mangled many years ago when
common-sense solution. Churches are rare, and no one of his experiments went awry.
particular faith has been able to gain a major The manor has a reputation for being haunted, and
foothold here. The domain reflects this attitude, as it locals avoid it. Related are rumors that the doctor
is relatively free of undead, lycanthropes, and fey, will occasionally lose control of his strange
especially compared to its neighbors in the Core. A experiments and accidentally allow deformed beasts
practical people, most Lamordians are skeptical of to escape from his laboratory. Nearby residents
anyone who promises easy answers through faith or tolerate the doctor, but neither like nor trust him.
magic, which they see as crutches for a weak mind. Baron von Aubrecker, a dying aristocrat whose
They tend to hold one of two viewpoints: Either the family has ruled Lamordia for as long as anyone can
gods created life and then withdrew from the world, remember, maintains his seat of power in Schloss
or gods are the manifestations of superstitious, Aubrecker, a castle perched on the Sleeping Beast,
hopeful minds looking toward an external source for several miles south of Ludendorf. His 30 year-old
release from their troubles. Lamordians always look daughter Gerta prepares to succeed him. As always,
for the down-to-earth explanation. While the domain the Baron still reigns with a light touch, collecting
has churches and a small clergy, no true clerics are taxes through local mayors. Mayors otherwise rule
native to this land. Even they assume that the gods the towns as they think best and quartering small
have no care for the mundane existence of mortals. garrisons of the baron’s soldiers. Von Aubrecker
Instead, they see their duty as preparing the spirits maintains a token army, equipped with muskets and
of their parishioners for the afterlife. broadswords, near the Falkovnian border.
Lamordians are almost exclusively human, and Monsters are few in Lamordia, and folk are peaceful
rarely become adventurers, who are seen as shifty and law abiding, so Ludendorf and Neufurchtenburg
mercenaries without an honest trade. They also tend need only maintain small police forces. Whenever
to look down on the dwarves of the Sleeping Beast some particularly violent or heinous crime is
mountain range, seeing them as natural perpetrated, the people often take justice into their
abnormalities, flawed branches on the Great Tree of own hands. Nonetheless, should the need arise,
Life, the top of which is crowned by humanity. When troublemakers are dealt with swiftly by both town
they encounter a rare nonhuman traveler of another militias and the baron's enforcers.

24
Science and Magic in Lamordia east into the Mists, he will eventually emerge in the
Owing to the stoic, pragmatic, and rational demeanor of Sea of Sorrows. However, no captain who plies the
its people, Lamordia is undoubtedly the most Nocturnal Sea is known to have attempted this, and
technologically advanced Core domain. Many members of certainly no one is known to have succeeded. Most
the Metaphysician class (a new class described in the consider the idea wishful thinking on the part of the
Class chapter) call Lamordia home. However, due to the merchants in Martira Bay and along the Core's west
skeptical Lamordians’ denial of the supernatural, almost coast, since more islands with inhabitants willing
all native metaphysicians are of the Savant archetype.
and eager to trade were discovered in the Nocturnal
Perhaps reflecting its denizens, Lamordia is also the home
Sea’s first few years of exploration than have been
to large areas of dead magic, especially in settlements.
Within these permanent areas—which range in size from a
discovered in the Sea of Sorrows in over a century.
few square feet to over a square mile—all creatures are The most noteworthy of the islands are Vechor (a
considered to be within the area of an antimagic field spell. place of wild magic and madness that is the
Every year, the dead magic areas grow a little bigger. easternmost and largest island in the Nocturnal
In Ludendorf, the leading social club, the Syndicate of Sea), Graben Island (seventy-five miles off the coast
Enlightened Citizens, extols the virtues of science. See the of Nova Vaasa, the second largest island in the
end of the Secret Societies chapter for more information Nocturnal Sea, home to four insular villages and
on the Syndicate and Ludendorf itself.
ruled by a wealthy merchant family of nobles who

The Nocturnal Sea share their name with the isle), the Isle of Ravens
(inhabited by many birds and one sorceress, who
The Nocturnal Sea is a frigid body of water east of may have turned treacherous sailors into the titular
Nova Vaasa and Darkon. Until shortly after the ravens), Knammen (immediately west of Graben,
Grand Conjunction, it was completely hidden by the containing the small fishing village of Meerdorf),
Mists that surround the Core, although daring ships L'ile de la Tempete (a ten-mile long kidney shaped
had been setting out from Egertus before the Mists island surrounded by the world’s most treacherous
retreated. Early on, several islands were discovered, shoals and dominated by a deceiving lighthouse),
and new islands are actually being discovered in the Liffe (a large and well-inhabited island of rustic
Nocturnal Sea continually. farmers and musicians, with a deep water port and
Although the Nocturnal Sea is no longer hidden, shipyards, ruled by the highborn bard Baron
sailing it is even more dangerous than sailing the Evensong), and Todstein (sixty miles east of Graben
Sea of Sorrows. Perpetual cloud cover hangs over and forever surrounded by icy storms, an island
the dark, choppy waters; no sun, moon, or stars where no one is known to have ever safely landed).
ever penetrates these clouds—although some of the Furthermore, rumors say a fog-bound archipelago
islands enjoy sunny days. This makes navigation all somewhere between Todstein and Vechor, in the far
but impossible for ships that do not carry magnetic north of the Nocturnal Sea, is home to a mysterious
compasses, and banks of fog rise from the cold race draconic seafarers occasionally glimpsed at sea.
waters almost without warning, completely engulfing Whether that island chain is part of a larger domain
vessels and causing them to lose their way. At night, or a new one all its own remains to be seen.
the sea is plunged into an inky blackness that even In addition to the islands mentioned above, rumor
the sight of elves cannot penetrate. Further, jagged has it that somewhere within the Nocturnal Sea is a
rocks hide beneath the waves near virtually every place known as the Nightmare Lands. This island
island, and sometimes in what appears to be open reportedly is a point where dreams and reality
water. The skeletons of great ships mark the intersect. So far, no mariner has been able to
locations of some of these hazards while others navigate to it, although Captain Onid Rhelarian once
remain undiscovered. claimed to have sailed the famed scholar Rudolph
Nonetheless, the lands in the Nocturnal Sea have van Richten and Dr. Gregorian Illhousen there.
all proven either interesting or profitable enough to
spur both the adventuresome and greedy to keep
Dragonborn of the Nocturnal Sea
Around 759 BC, sightings of reptilian creatures sailing
looking for new lands across the sea and in the
ships of unique design in the Nocturnal Sea began. They
Mists. Some think explorers found the eastern shore were never seen on a clear day, always emerging from a
of the Nocturnal Sea with the domain of Vechor; bank of fog or other precipitation. Outlanders from worlds
others maintain Vechor is just a large island. beyond the Realm of Terror say they greatly resemble a
Others claim that the sea has no boundaries, and draconic race called the Dragonborn (see that portion of
that if a brave sea captain plots a straight course the Races chapter for details.)

25
Nova Vaasa class has begun to emerge in recent years,
composed of civil servants, merchants, and
Named for the nation of Vaasa in the Moonsea underworld types.
region of the Forgotten Realms—from which the Five noble houses—the Bolshniks, Chekivs,
population and the ruthless feudal lords who rule Hiregaards, Rivtoffs, and Vistins—own nearly all
them descend—this grassy plateau is known for its property in the domain. Four of these families (the
stark class divisions and the wealth of its five noble Hiregaards, the Chekivs, the Rivtoffs, and the
families. Situated on a great plateau in the Vistins) live in castles on the grasslands and have
southeastern Core, Nova Vasa is a large realm the right to tax the peasants who live along the
dominated by sweeping grasslands and crushing Dnar, Little Borchava, Volgis, and Ivlis rivers
urban poverty. respectively. Each of those four houses pays tribute
The plains are rocky and trackless, but the grasses to the dominant fifth family, the Bolshniks, who live
that cover them are short, tamed by the constant in a castle in Kantora and control the Borchava
grazing of horses. The wind whistles eerily across River farmlands.
the steppes, which are dotted with rocky uplands Despite its wealth and size, Nova Vaasa has the
and copses. For the most part, however, the domain feeling of a society on the brink of decline. Vice and
is exceptionally flat, stretching from the Balinok violent crime are rampant in the overpopulated
Mountains in the west to the Nocturnal Sea in the cities, while the nobles become wealthier each day
east. The dry, flat plain fittingly has a dry, flat name: on the backs of the poor. The commoners are
it is known simply as the Vaasi Plateau, or the concerned only with surviving and drowning their
Vaasimark. misery in vices. Most nobles dwell in their own
Crumbling stone ruins and humble horse ranches arrogant, anodyne world, believing that commoners
break up the landscape. Broad rivers meander are subhuman beasts of burden to be used and
across Nova Vaasa's steppes, cutting deep gorges abused at whim.
through the plateau where they reach the Nocturnal Surprisingly, rebellion and unrest are unheard of,
Sea. The domain enjoys access to numerous due primarily to the doctrines of the church of Bane,
important waterways, including the Dnar, the also known as the Lawgiver, the official religion of
Borchava, the Ivlis, and the Saniset. Besides the Nova Vaasa. No other major faiths exist in these
rivers, the only major bodies of water in Nova Vaasa lands. The tenets are the same as the church in
are the Three Sisters, a trio of lakes northwest of Hazlan, but the Nova Vaasan church has avoided
where the Ivlis and Volgis rivers meet. The eastern the schism that has troubled Hazlan’s clergy since
coast is rugged and adequate natural ports are rare; the Grand Conjunction. Here, as in Hazlan, clerics
the flat plateau drops down to treacherous bluffs preach that those who rule do so through divine
and narrow, rocky beaches. providence. Bane is the supreme god, a deity who
Near settlements, the plains are cleared for vast punishes anyone who seeks to rise above their
farms needed to feed the domain's swelling appointed place in the world. The clergy are all
population. The soil is rocky, and the cleared fields aristocrats, of course, and the actions and teachings
are bordered by crude, ancient-looking stone walls. of the Church serve primarily to support the
Abandoned, roofless stone huts grouped in circles interests of the nobles.
mark the habitats of forgotten families, and the Settlements have only weak civic government, run
tombs of a forgotten civilization are carved into the by those who have proven themselves loyal to the
bluffs in the northern part of the domain. local family. Each noble family maintains a small
The cities are nightmarish scenes of dreadful urban private army that includes cavalry, though the
squalor. The streets throng with beggars, and the forces of Prince Othmar’s Bolshnik family are by far
ditches are piled with refuse and plague-bloated the largest and best equipped.
corpses. The press of people and beasts of burden is Buildings are constructed of reddish beige brick on
positively suffocating. foundations of rough gray stone, with tiny windows
The class divide in Nova Vaasa is wide and deeply and gabled roofs of golden-yellow shingles. Even
entrenched. The poor make up the vast majority of newer buildings in Nova Vaasa are commonly made
the population. These people are truly destitute and of stone. Nova Vaasan lumber often rots in just a
miserable, afflicted by hunger, disease, and crime. few years; as a result, timber for construction is
The aristocracy, meanwhile, is comparatively tiny in usually imported from other domains. Nova Vaasa's
size but extremely wealthy. A very small middle

26
weather can be brutal during winter, but spring Vaasi Horses
always brings mild warmth and wildflowers. Nova Vaasans have a saying: “The Lawgiver meant for
Prince Othmar Bolshnik, the patriarch of the Nova Vaasans to ride, and He provided a horse for each of
Bolshnik family, is the current ruler of the land. us.” The average Vaasi horse is deep black in coat and
Traditionally, Nova Vaasa's leadership passed from mane and tall at the shoulder, usually 16 to 18 hands in
the head of one noble family to the next every five height, but distinct breeds among the horses vary from
years. Unfortunately, Othmar has not relinquished this description. Vaasi horses can be divided into five
major bloodlines:
his mantle in over twenty-five years, a fact that has
• Jernryge (“iron-backs”) are the largest of the Vaasi horse
caused undeniable tension among the five ruling
breeds, considered the strongest horses in the Core.
families. Such is Othmar's military and political They also tend to be relatively docile and thus are
power, however, that none dares attempt to oust suited mainly as draft horses and pack animals.
him. • Rødbuge (“red-bellies”) make superior warhorses and
Othmar is a vain and ruthless ruler focused on cavalry mounts. Strong, intelligent, spirited and
cementing the Bolshniks' dominance among the radiating a noble beauty, these fiery steeds boast
noble families and maintaining the status quo in distinctive reddish splotches on their chests and
Nova Vaasan society at large. Each noble family barrels.
governs its lands independently, however, and • Vindhåre (“wind-manes”) are famous for their speed.
Though ill-tempered, they are the most popular horses
Othmar only rarely steps in to collect tribute. The
for racing, and are known for the white markings on
other noble families pay their tribute to Othmar,
their face and lower legs, streaks of white in their
though some grudgingly. The Hiregaards and Chekiv manes, and coats ranging from blue roan to black.
families support Othmar's rule; they feel that if • Gedfode (“goat-foots”) are the smallest breed, but also
Othmar did not have Bane's blessing, he would not the surest of foot, and some swear they are the
be ruling. The Rivtoffs and Vistins are less pleased smartest and most loyal of the Vaasi horses. The
with Othmar and wish to return to the traditional Vistani in Nova Vaasa prefer gedfode mounts and
rotation system. Nobles rule harshly and without pack animals.
pity, though the Hiregaard family treats the • Finally, vaamgaaere (“heat-walkers”) are a rough,
rugged breed, unpopular in the Core since they lack
commoners in its lands relatively fairly.
the beauty of the other Vaasi horses. They are nearly
For the most part, law and justice do not exist in
tireless, can go long distances without food or water,
Nova Vaasan society as they do in other realms; and are little bothered by extreme temperatures, being
there is no recourse for those who have been naturally adapted to both hot and cold climates.
wronged criminally or privately. Nobles care nothing Vaamgaaere are colored in a unique reverse bay
for issues that do not directly involve their interests. pattern, with a black body and brown socks, manes,
Thus, the streets and plains of Nova Vaasa are and tails.
largely lawless. Nova Vaasa is a significant regional economic
In other parts of the Core, this domain is known power in the larger Core. Most trade is conducted
mostly for its horses. The best mounts on the with Barovia, Tepest, Hazlan, and the islands of the
continent come from Nova Vaasan bloodlines, called Nocturnal Sea. Demand for Nova Vaasan goods,
Vaasi horses. They are prized for their speed, however, spurs merchants to trek through the
strength, obedience, and beauty. Although the noble Balinoks each spring from the western Core. Yet the
families have legendary stables and lineages, the wealth generated from its resources benefits only the
finest horses seem to come from tiny rural ranches. five noble families. Thus, while trade with other
Most Vaasi horses run wild, particularly along the lands expands, the crushing poverty that most Nova
eastern ranges that spread out flat to the horizon in Vaasans endure only gets worse. Gambling, liquor,
grassy plains. Commonly, herds of twenty to fifty and flophouses have also begun to take their toll on
black steeds thunder across the open range, spirited the domain's productivity. Under the direction of a
and free. Some claim that by night, herds of mysterious and seemingly unstoppable criminal
nightmares replace the mortal creatures of the day, overlord known as Malken, underworld activity has
running in herds across the plateau, their fiery become organized. It may be only a matter of time
manes lighting the darkness around them. Catching until even the nobles begin to feel its pinch.
a glimpse of them is supposed to herald death or Regardless of the stark differences between
misfortune for the viewer or her loved ones. classes, Nova Vaasans both high and low share the
same physical attributes. They are rugged people of
average stature with wide hips and stout limbs

27
gained through generations of horsemanship. Their to be on the cutting edge of treating insanity and
facial features are distinctive, featuring angular mental disorders. The smaller towns of Liara,
chins, prominent cheekbones, and wide, full-lipped Arbora, and Bergovitsa house about two thousand
mouths. Skin color is generally fair and ruddy, but people each.
Nova Vaasans with pale olive or sallow skin are not None of the three major forests in Nova Vaasa are
unusual. Eyes are almost always dark green or gray. particularly large by the standards of other Core
Hair color ranges from dirty blond to black, though domains. All lie in western Nova Vaasa, on the
darker colors are most common. Women grow their border with other lands. The Dyrskov (“Beastwood”),
straight hair exceptionally long, often past their in northwestern Nova Vaasa, grows on the edge of
waists, and young girls work these tresses into two the Shadow Rift; the Graenseskov (“Borderwood”), in
long braids. Men, meanwhile, prefer to keep their central southwestern Nova Vaasa, spills over the
hair cut to just below the shoulder. Men of all border of Barovia; and the Skyggeskov
stations grow long mustaches, which they wax into (“Shadowwood”), in south-southwestern Nova Vaasa,
stiff curls. straddles the border with Hazlan and recedes into
In contrast to their basic physicality, Nova Vaasan the Mists. The Dyrksov provides the only timber in
clothing varies greatly with social class. The garb of Nova Vaasa suitable for building, but proximity of
commoners is simple and often poorly maintained. the Shadow Rift is disconcerting, and sortvingebute
Men wear trousers and long shirts, sometimes with (“black fairies”) are rumored to beguile lumberjacks
a vest. Women wear blouses with culottes and often and carry them off into the Rift. The Graenseskov
cover their heads with kerchiefs. Commoner clothing spills out from the shadow of the Hills of Bleak
is never dyed, only natural dirty white or brown, and Vistas in Barovia, called the Howling Hills by Nova
is patched repeatedly. Most commoners wear cloth Vaasans. The name is apt, as the Graenseskov is the
wrappings instead of proper footwear. most wolf-infested of Nova Vaasa’s forests, and said
Aristocrats stand out from the unwashed masses in to be haunted by vampires and werewolves rom
their brightly colored, meticulous vestments. Male Barovia as well. The Skyggeskov, despite its
nobles wear flared riding breeches with tall black somewhat sinister name, is not as feared as the
boots and finely tailored coats trimmed with lace. other two forests. Because of its closeness to both
Most men wear neckerchiefs bearing their family the Saniset and the trade route into Hazlan, Nova
crests, and felt caps are popular among older men. Vaasans have a better familiarity with it and its
Women go about in velvet riding skirts with black contents than they do the other forests. The greatest
boots and billowing blouses. Noblewomen never threats here are bandits and plains cats.
wear hats, instead wrapping themselves in gauzy An odd duality seems to exist in the minds of Nova
scarves trimmed with tinkling bells and coins. Vaasans, expressed in many aspects of their culture
Clothing dyed in vibrant shades of red, blue, and and daily habits. The aristocrats, for instance, speak
purple predominates, and stripes and spiral reverently about the responsibility of a noble to his
patterns are quite popular. Jewelry is usually people and a master to his servants, and the
limited to thick bracelets and earrings. importance of personal honor and chivalry. The
The city of Kantora lies near the center of the commoners talk of duty to one’s superiors and the
domain. It rivals Lekar in size, with sixteen sanctity of Law and Order.
thousand people, mostly peasants living in squalid Yet Nova Vaasa is a land where the aristocracy
conditions after being driven off their lands by taxes the peasantry into abject poverty, beating and
exorbitant taxes. Egertus is about half that size, imprisoning those who cannot afford to pay. A noble
being home to nine thousand. Egertus has been the has the legal right to strike a commoner for the
termination point for merchant caravans from crime of insolence, and few think twice about
Falkovnia and other nations further west. This exercising it. Many in the peasantry, meanwhile,
cosmopolitan city is the center of education in Nova throw themselves into every vice with abandon, steal
Vaasa and rivals Port-a-Lucine in culture. It is the from their neighbors and stare daggers into the back
location of some of the finest boarding schools, of every aristocrat who passes by. In short, a wide
colleges, and medical institutions of the Core, gulf stretches between the professed values of the
including a Clinic for the Mentally Distressed. Nova Vaasans and the lives they actually lead.
Although much of its staff—including medical Suggest this to a Nova Vaasan, however, and you
pioneer Dr. Gregorian Illhousen—vanished will meet a stone wall of denial.
mysteriously some years ago, the facility continues

28
 invisibility, or even imitate human speech. Whatever the
Famed Personages of Nova Vaasa
color of their fur, plains cats are terrifying predators. They
Despite Prince Othmar’s larger game of thrones with his
are utterly silent when stalking prey, until they pounce
fellow nobles, it is the crimelord Malken who is his only
with a yowl that sounds unsettlingly like a human scream.
true rival for mastery of Nova Vaasa. This shadowy figure
A plains cat’s leap can carry it an astonishing 30 feet.
is rumored to control all that occurs in the underworld of
Snakes are the other significant threat in the Vaasimark.
Liara and a good deal of illicit activity elsewhere in the
In fact, snakes are probably a greater danger overall than
domain as well. Malken is practically a bogeyman to the
the cats, as there are many more of them. There are plenty
poor of Nova Vaasa. They say he is a beastly creature,
of less dangerous breeds, Nova Vaasa is home to many
known to stalk and brutalize young women and their
diamondbacks and sidewinders, both of which use rattles
husbands or lovers, but he always seems to escape town
to warn off attackers. Two deadly poisonous snakes to
guardsmen undetected even after a brazen and public
unique to Nova Vaasa are the ironwhip, easily confused
crime. Further rumors say his informants are everywhere,
with the harmless whipsnake, and the goldenhood, a
that he knows of every theft or act of greed committed in
cobra with scales in black and yellow stripes. A bite from a
the domain, and that he has annihilated entire thieves’
goldenhood can kill a horse in minutes.
guilds in a single night. In the darkest alleyways of the
After the above, animal life in Nova Vaasa becomes more
domain, it is Malken's word, not Othmar’s, that is the law.
mundane. Small, timid wolves roam wooded areas, while
Another of Nova Vaasa's most famous residents is a
jackrabbits, groundhogs and numerous lizards live on the
legendary grim-faced warrior named Weathermay. He
grassy plains. Avian life is typical of the climate.
rides a black warhorse and is always clad entirely in
Nova Vaasans tell many more fanciful tales of sinister
black. He roams Nova Vaasa on a relentless quest against
creatures stalking the prairie. Another spectre in the night
creatures of the night and other evildoers. He is to the
is the hestdrikker (“horse-drinker”). These are rumored to
common folk what the famed monster hunter Rudolph van
stalk horse ranches at night, drawing their blood and
Richten was to scholars. His fame is not for his great
leaving them ill and dying. No adventurers have reported
insight into the nature of evil creatures, but instead for his
reliable sightings of a hestdrikker, suggesting that that
talent at destroying them.
these tales are perhaps no more than an ignorant reaction
Sir Tristen Hiregaard is head of the Hiregaard family,
to mundane illnesses among the horses.
which controls and exacts tribute from the farmlands
More creditable are stories of rampaging werewolves and
along the Dnar River and the city of Liara. Unlike Nova
wereboars striking farms and ranches, leaving carnage
Vaasa's other noble families, the Hiregaards treat their
behind them. Fortunately, these lycanthrope attacks are
peasants with fairness and dignity. On occasion. Sir
rare. Swarms of dark fey called jermlaines are said to live
Hiregaard has even been known to show kindness, but he
in tunnel complexes within the bluffs or beneath the
rarely has an opportunity to put his charitable impulses
plateau. They sometimes emerge to hunt when their usual
into practice. Bound by a strict set of rules that demand
diet of snakes and rodents proves insufficient, but fear of
obedience to his ruler and his laws, he collects every coin
the plains cats usually keeps them hidden.
of tax due. He is never brutal in his collection methods,
Much feared are the doedridere, undead horsemen who
but he is always very thorough. Further, he argues for
silently roam the Vaasi Plateau. Doedridere are thought to
lower taxes at every yearly Council of Lords, even though
be the restless corpses of men and horses who died of
his arguments always fall on deaf ears. Some of his
thirst or exposure on the plains. Tormented by their
peasants revere him as their champion, while others
lonely, prolonged deaths, man and horse rise again,
despise him as much as they would any other overlord.
bonded forever in undeath, to wander those same plains
Even in his twilight years, Sir Hiregaard is very much the
forever. The doedridere crave living company, but they are
ladies' man, and many women—peasants and nobles
surrounded by auras of such fearful melancholy that no
alike—vie for his favors, for he showers lovers with
living thing can long stand to be near them. It is best to
expensive gifts. Still, others do their best to avoid his
avoid them, for those with whom they stop to converse will
attention. After all, several of his past lovers have died
not be allowed to leave.
mysterious, violent deaths, and even more have been left
Nova Vaasans have many other tales of spectral or
maimed and scarred beyond recognition.
malicious horse creatures. Niksiee pose as beautiful
Beasts and Monsters of Nova Vaasa horses, coaxing fools onto their backs after which they
While the horse is the cornerstone of Nova Vaasan pride, charge into the nearest river or lake and drown the
the plains cat crouches at the center of their fears. Plains unfortunate rider. Skarphove are a rumored breed of
cats are large felines, superficially similar to panthers in cunning, flesh-eating horses whose hooves have blade-
appearance. They tend to be taller at the shoulder than sharp edges and whose manes and tails are like tangled
panthers, however, and they have a far thicker wire. Hestskærere are goblin-like creatures that slit open
musculature. Their fur is almost uniformly midnight the bellies of sleeping stallions and climb inside, driving
black, though occasionally a plains cat with dark red fur the horse mad and directing it in all manner of mayhem.
will be born in a litter. These “blood-cats” are rumored to Strangely, the Nova Vaasans tell few horror stories
be larger and stronger than their kin, and some say they involving cat-like creatures. Perhaps the reality of the
can hypnotize prey with their golden eyes, fade into plains cats is frightening enough.

29
 same course. A ship that wanders into the Mists
may end up anywhere.
A few scattered islands lie hidden in the Mists of
the Sea of Sorrows. Few landings have been
recorded on any of these isles, and it is extremely
unusual to encounter the same island twice, no
matter how long one searches. Most seafarers keep
the coasts of the Core in sight when sailing this sea.
The Sea of Sorrows itself has no native human
inhabitants, but mariners from Lamordia, Darkon,
Dementlieu, and Mordent often brave its dangerous
waters. Anglers, sealers, and traders ply the waves
between those realms in small numbers. Martira
Bay is home to a shipyard that builds some of the
finest vessels of the Core, while Port-a-Lucine,
Ludendorf, and Mordentshire serve as major ports.
Many of the scattered islands in the ocean are
inhabited, however. The most prominent of those are
Blaustein (a small island and village ruled by the
charismatic noble Bluebeard), Demise (one of two
sizable islands in the Lamordian island chain called
the Finger, dominated by a seemingly impassable
labyrinth made from white stone), Dominia (a tiny
island, home to an insane asylum run by the world’s
leading expert on mental disorders), Ghastria (home
to the village of East Riding, which merchants say is
inhabited by roughly six-hundred subjects ruled by
The Sea of Sorrows a benevolent marquis), the Isle of Agony (described
under the domain of Lamordia). Markovia, the
West of the Core lies a mist-haunted body of water largest known island of the Sea of Sorrows, is a lush
known as the Sea of Sorrows. Its dark waters are and seemingly uninhabited place which some
bitter, stormy, and cold. Dense fogs constantly scholars say was once part of the Core. Years ago,
shroud the surface, and terrifying nor'westers can an attempt was made by Lamordians to settle
materialize without warning. It is a rare day when Markovia, but the colonists vanished mysteriously.
lookouts can see more than a mile ahead, and none
can truthfully say that they have seen the sun or Sithicus
stars while sailing on this haunted body of water.
A place of thick, tangled woods and sharp, rugged
The fogs of the Sea are extraordinarily thick and
mountains, Sithicus is a shattered elven kingdom,
clammy. When a ship sails into a fog bank, time
perhaps the only domain in the Land of Mists
seems to stop. An unnerving silence sets in as the
populated primarily by nonhumans. This withdrawn
Mist deadens all sound and chills voyagers to the
realm has little interest in the domains beyond its
bone. Visibility is reduced to a few yards, forcing all
borders. Here, massive trees crowd out the sun,
sailing vessels to drift helplessly at the mercy of the
plunging the forest floor below into darkness. A
winds and currents.
tangle of mottled ivy and gray ferns hides the earth
Efforts by mariners and explorers to chart the Sea
from sight, providing perfect cover for snakes,
of Sorrows are hampered by the fact that most of the
rodents, and insects. Fallen logs litter the forests,
sea is hidden by eternal fog banks. No two captains
encrusted with florid, poisonous fungi. The Musarde
have been able to chart a consistent course to the
River and its tributaries cut through the domain's
lands that are rumored to exist there. One captain
gently rolling terrain. Rocky uplands peek out of the
who holds a course through the Mists will reach the
sweeping forest landscape here and there, providing
island of Dominia, while another (or even the same
roosts for great, russet eagles. The lowlands are
captain) will find himself running aground on the
filled with bubbling springs and shallow pools.
barren shores of Bluetspur when trying to plot the

30
 Most natives of Sithicus are xenophobic high elves forlornly about the towering shards, and some elves
who prove hostile to strangers, especially those of swear they have glimpsed mournful shades drifting
less than pure elven descent. Elves from other lands around the ruins at night. The stone bridge that
find Sithican elves grim and cold. They speak their once spanned the rift is gone, so reaching the ruins
own unique dialect of Elvish that is difficult for other is all but impossible.
elves to understand. The name Sithicus comes from The climate in Sithicus is temperate but mild.
this language, meaning “Land of Spectres.” Although the sun often blazes cruelly in the late
Outsiders are treated with disdain or even hostility summer months, the elves and other natives are
by the Sithican elves, who remain haughty and sheltered by the coo shadows of the forest.
suspicious toward all other races and lands. Even Travelers tend to stick to the main roads that lead
humans who have dwelled in Sithicus for to the domain's principal cities, Mal-Erek, Hroth,
generations are considered second-class citizens. and Har-Thelen. These wind their way through
Ironically, these arrogant elves are ruled by a dwarf. narrow valleys or hug the edge of crumbling cliffs.
Azrael, a despot with unholy powers, rules Sithicus This heavily forested domain lies in the southwest
through sheer fear. Three years ago, the dwarf region of the Core, bordering Barovia and Kartakass
inherited control of the domain from the unholy to the east, Valachan to the west, and Verbrek and
knight who once ruled from Nedragaard Keep. Invidia to the north. To the south, there is another
Although the knight was undeniably harsh to the vast forest, and then only the Mists. The west is
Sithican elves, he cared little for his role as their dominated by the Giant’s Cloak woods, which lie
monarch. Azrael has proved a much more just south of Mal-Erek and the Little Arden River,
monstrous tyrant. The dwarf governs erratically, and north of the Disappearing Mountains. The
appearing periodically in elven settlements, woods are named for a stone giant and his mostly
demanding tribute and slaughtering any who Vistani allies who utilized the thick forest to hide
displease him. No explanation or excuse is ever from King Azrael’s soldiers and other enemies. The
given. The Sithican elves hate Azrael passionately eastern side is filled by an even larger forest, the
but fear his wrath even more. The dwarf king sprawling, tangled Fumewood.
commands troops of undead soldiers and is widely Har-Thelen is largely accepted as the capital of
rumored to be a supernatural creature himself. Sithicus, though it is merely a village of five-hundred
Speculation abounds regarding Azrael's relationship souls, almost all elves. Trade along the Musarde
with Sithicus's Vistani, whom he seems to envy, River and the trade road known as the Merchant’s
fear, and hate. Slash make this community the most tolerant of
In the years since an event known as the Hour of outsiders, though that isn’t saying much. Hroth is
Screaming Shadows—when the death knight who larger than Har-Thelen, home to nearly a thousand
once ruled this realm vanished and his castle residents, but is far less centrally located or open to
collapsed in ruins—the most prominent geographic visitors. Hroth lies on the edge of a boggy land near
feature in Sithicus has been the Great Chasm, a the Disappearing Mountains, one of two southern
massive canyon that nearly splits the domain in two. mountain ranges that vanish into the Mists as the
In the entire continent, only the Shadow Rift that stretch to the South (the other is the Misttop
cleaves the Core itself is a larger gulf in the land Mountains). Terrible things are rumored to crawl
than this colossal rift. It gapes in the heart of and slither out of the fens near Hroth. Mal-Erek has
Sithicus like an open, festering wound. The chasm just under five-hundred inhabitants, is the most
runs for dozens of miles north to south, and is up to xenophobic of the elven villages. The Library of Mal-
five miles wide in places. Sections are said to be Erek here is a place of rotted, forgotten lore and
bottomless, although few explorers have been foolish ruined secrets.
enough to test those claims. Fearsome creatures Azrael has avoided establishing a capital, moving
lurk within the Great Chasm, creeping forth when through his kingdom in a chariot constructed of the
the sun sets. The elves of Sithicus say a larger bones and teeth of his enemies, but the rapidly
shadowy presence seethes in this chasm, and they expanding internment camp called Sorrow has
avoid it at all costs. become the domain’s de facto political center. The
Out of the Great Chasm rises a black spire topped camp’s name is derived from the sobriquet the elves
by the ruins of Nedragaard Keep, the vanished death gave to Azrael” the Sorrow of Sithicus. The camp
knight’s former abode, the cracked ruins now jut houses more than one-hundred of the domain’s
from the earth like blackened teeth. Ravens wheel most ethical and honorable denizens, all considered

31
subversives or potential threats to Azrael’s despotic report that pieces of a broken relic tied to the previous
government. The camp’s buildings are constructed darklord can loosen the guilt’s effects.
of stone mined from the nearby Misttop Mountains As a result of this effect, however, there is one advantage,
by the ever-growing prison population. Any breach at least for spellcasters. When a spellcaster finishes a long
of the king’s law can land a citizen in Sorrow, while rest in Sithicus, the following 5th-level spell is added to
the spell list of any spellcasting classes in which they have
visitors to the domain are frequently pressed into
levels at that time, and they treat it as any other spell on
service as camp guards. Visitors who refuse the
the spell list of that class from that point on. Wizards of
honor of joining Azrael’s army find themselves 9th level or higher may scribe the spell in their spellbooks
among the prisoners, unless they can pay a at any time after that, for the usual cost in gold and time.
substantial bribe for their freedom. The salt mines of
Veldrava, which bore deep into the Misttop Guilt Lash
Mountains not far from Sorrow, may be an equally 5th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
miserable prison. Sinister whispers are said to
Range: 20 feet
murmur from within these pits’ corrosive depths.
Components: V, S
The other two settlements of note are of great
Duration: 1 minute
interest to outsiders. One is Iron Warden, which is
You reach into the mind of humanoid creature within
little more than a trading post up the Endless River
range and force it to relive the moments of its life it feels
from Har-Thelen. It is a frequent stop for merchants guiltiest about. The target must make a Charisma saving
traveling through the domain and explorers throw. If they fail, until this effect ends, they reduce their
planning to investigate the Great Chasm, and speed by half, and they have disadvantage on all attack
outsiders feel far less unwelcome there. The other rolls, Wisdom and Charisma saving throws, and Wisdom
noteworthy community isn’t within Sithicus, but and Charisma ability checks.
just over its border. The small village of Yurt and its At the end of each of the target’s turns, it must make
four hundred inhabitants lie within the borders of another Charism saving throw. After failing three of these
saving throws, these guilt effects last for the duration, and
Kartakass, but many travelers find it worthwhile to
the creature stops making these saves. After succeeding
stay here instead of within Sithicus. In fact, the
on three of these saving throws, the creature snaps out of
borders of three domains intersect here—the third is its guilt-driven flashbacks, and the spell ends.
Barovia—giving this welcoming village a great deal of At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
merchant traffic. slot of 8th level or higher, the duration increases to 10
Though they comprise an overwhelming majority, minutes.
elves are far from the only inhabitants of this realm.
In addition, there are several communities of even
Over the years, human merchants and artisans from
more xenophobic natives hidden deep in the
the nearby domain of Kartakass have settled in
domain's forests—some are colonies of dark-minded
Sithicus, often marrying into elven houses of low
wood elves, and others are villages of a violent and
station, especially in Har-Thelen. Many half-elf
unique halfling subrace, dwelling in the Fumewood
children fathered by these Kartakan merchants are
and the Iron Hills of the northeast. These halflings
now growing to maturity. A small group of Vistani,
usually kill outsiders on sight. The very existence of
the Wanderers, has lived here at various times.
these halflings is considered just a legend by most
The Guilt of Sithicus Sithicans, and the regions where they live are
Any sentient being who passes through the borders of considered haunted by the elves, who avoid them as
Sithicus and enters this dismal realm is afflicted by its fearfully as they shun the Great Chasm.
atmosphere of crippling guilt. Every character who enters
No drow elves or dusk elves are native to Sithicus.
Sithicus gains the following Flaw while there: “I am
haunted by the guilt of my worst misdeeds, which I can’t
To natives of Sithicus, the domain’s night sky is a
forget no matter what I do.” reminder of a distant homeland they long for, yet
In addition, when a character first enters Sithicus, and can only remember distantly.
every time they finish a long rest in the domain, they must The sky is apparently moonless, filled with cold
make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. If they fail, they are pinpoints of light. These stars resemble
overwhelmed by their own guilt until the next time they constellations of their fabled home, but with
finish a long rest, reducing their walking speed by 5 feet differences. The constellation representing their
and giving them disadvantage on Wisdom and Charisma ancestors’ greatest god of good, an aspect of
checks due to their feelings of apathy and unworthiness.
Bahamut, has been torn asunder, its stars scattered
Spells seem useless to combat this effect, but rumors
throughout the sky. The stars in the "five-headed
dragon" constellation representing an aspect of

32
Tiamat shine brighter than any others. Stars are Sorcerer. Sorcerers can spend High Sorcery Points to
dim in constellations believed to depict other gods. add a metamagic option to a spell, just as if they were
Although it is not easily seen, Sithicus actually normal sorcery points. However, High Sorcery Points
does have a single dark moon in its curious sky. cannot be used to create spell slots.
Warlock. When a warlock casts a cantrip with a casting
Named Nuitari, this orb is black and can only be
time of 1 action, they can spend 1 High Sorcery Point to
seen by characters of evil alignment. These
change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
characters can see by its dark light about as well as
Wizard. Wizards can spend High Sorcery Points to add
normal humans can in moonlight. Characters of
one of the following listed metamagic options from the
other alignments can "see" the black moon only by sorcerer class description to a spell, just as if they were a
observing which stars wink out in the sky when it sorcerer spending sorcery points: Distant Spell, Extended
passes before them. Spell, or Subtle Spell.
Cycles of the Black Moon In addition, whenever a wizard spends a High Sorcery
Point to modify certain kind of spell, they also gain
Nuitari, the black moon of Sithicus, becomes full every
temporary hit points equal to 1d4 plus their Intelligence
eight days. When the characters enter Sithicus, roll 1d8
modifier. If the spell already grants them temporary hit
on the Phases of Nuitari table below to determine the
points, instead increase the number of temporary hit
phase of the moon, since its phases affect arcane magic in
points gained by 1d4. The type of spell that triggers this
Sithicus. Nuitari remains in each phase for twenty-four
effect depends on the wizard’s alignment: If they are good-
hours—one day and one night.
aligned, it is when they cast an abjuration spell. If they are
The phase of the moon sometimes grants certain
evil-aligned, it is when they cast a necromancy spell. If
spellcasters a pool of energy to spend to empower their
they are neither good nor evil in alignment, it is when they
spells, represented by High Sorcery Points. Like the
cast a transmutation spell.
sorcery points of sorcerers, High Sorcery Points can be
spent to empower certain spells. The number of High Phases of Nuitari
Sorcery Points a character can gain is determined by the d8 Phase of the High Sorcery Points Gained at the
Phases of Nuitari table. Roll
Roll Black Moon End of a Long Rest
These effects depend greatly on alignment. Characters 1 New moon 1 for good-aligned arcane casters*
who are neither good-aligned nor evil-aligned are 2 Waxing crescent None
considered neutral for purposes of gaining High Sorcery moon
Points. Only bards, sorcerers, warlocks, wizards, and 3 Waxing half 1 for evil-aligned arcane casters*;
members of other classes who choose their spells from the moon 1 for neutral** arcane casters*
wizard’s spell list (such as arcane tricksters and eldritch
4 Waxing gibbous 2 for evil-aligned arcane casters*
knights) can gain High Sorcery Points. On the Phases of
moon
Nuitari Table, characters of these classes are referred to as 5 Full moon 3 for evil-aligned arcane casters*
“arcane casters.” Only wizards and those who draw their
spells from the wizard’s spell list (such as arcane
6 Waning gibbous 2 for evil-aligned arcane casters*
moon
tricksters and eldritch knights) gain the full amount of
7 Waning half 1 for evil-aligned arcane casters*;
High Sorcery Points listed, while members of other classes
moon 1 for neutral** arcane casters*
gain 1 less than the listed amount (this often means they
will gain none). High Sorcery Points are gained when a 8 Waning crescent None
qualified spellcaster finishes a long rest during a phase of *=Classes that draw spells from the wizard’s spell list gain the
the moon that grants them, at which point they gain the full amount listed; other classes gain 1 fewer (this may reduce
amount listed for that phase. the number gained to zero)
If you are a member of a class that gains High Sorcery **=For purposes of High Sorcery Points, “neutral” arcane
points, you can expend 1 High Sorcery Point to do any one casters are any casters who are neither good-aligned nor evil-
of the following when you cast a spell: aligned
• If the spell causes one or more targets to make a saving Elves native to these lands—both high elves and
throw, spend 1 High Sorcery Point to roll a d4 and the rarer wood elves—have a general air of apathy
cause one of the targets to subtract the number rolled about them. All have a silvery tinge to their hair—
from their saving throw against the spell. whether tempered with golden blond, adding a
• When you cast a spell that requires an attack roll,
metallic sheen to darker hues, or simply a shining
spend 1 High Sorcery Point to roll a d4 and add the
silver-platinum. Their eyes tend towards various
number rolled to one attack roll with that spell.
• When you cast a spell that inflicts damage, spend 1
shades of amber. Characters familiar with high elves
High Sorcery Point to add 1d4 plus your proficiency will recognize their clothing as similar to that
bonus to one damage roll of that spell. favored by elves of past ages, but their attire is drab
Members of certain classes can spend High Sorcery Points in color and their armor dented and unpolished.
in other more specific ways, as follows: Instead of riding proudly into battle on the backs of

33
griffons or hippogriffs, their warriors use horned them a helping hand seems a godsend beside the
stag beetles as mounts. Sithican elves find neither rest. This attitude reflects the treatment elves of
joy nor beauty in the tangled forests and boulder- Sithicus get when they leave their own domain. In
choked streams of their home. Their songs are most other domains of the Core, it is the
mournful dirges, accompanied by low-pitched, nonhumans who are treated with contempt, if not
droning instruments that evoke a sense of loss. fear.
Sithican elves believe that their culture will survive, A small, but significant, Vistani population persists
as it has done for centuries, no matter what troubles in Sithicus. These Vistani are called the Wanderers,
befall it. The domain's wicked monarchs may rise and they are very few in number. Having fled other
and fall, the petty problems of other realms may realms after repeated tragedy, they nearly met their
come and go, but Sithicus itself will endure. Denial end here, betrayed by one of their own. All but a
tinges the elves' cold arrogance; all around, the handful were murdered, and their betrayer has
wonders of their culture are crumbling. They cling to never been brought to justice.
their traditions dourly, draining them of meaning A subrace of halflings unknown on most worlds is
and suffocating their society for reasons they can no native here as well. In some worlds they would be
longer remember. called kender, but their time in this place of horror
Despite the various ways in which the Sithican has changed them completely, and they call
elves fall short of the grace for which others of their themselves the afflicted ones. In their lost homeland,
race are renowned, they still look down on other they were known for friendliness, fearless joy, and
races and, to a lesser degree, on elves who are not of wanderlust, but these descendants are violent and
their particular stock. In bitter. They have the reputation of being
many subtle ways, they some of the most violent and xenophobic
make non-elf people of the Core. It is said that most of
characters feel their race who dwelled in this lands were
unwelcome in exterminated by the experiments of the
Sithicus. Such former darklord, who turned them into
characters are vampires or worse. The few who survived
overcharged for now live in the Fumewood, and others who
supplies, told know their reputation avoid the areas
that no rooms they claim. Visitors to the domain
are available at can recognize the boundaries of
the inns even the afflicted ones’ territory
though there are by the rotting heads
obvious vacancies, and that are spiked to the
served last at taverns. trees at its edges; they
Everywhere they go, thus turn trespassers
non-elf heroes into "No Trespassing"
receive rude signs. Secretly, they
stares. Small even have their own
children throw town, Kendralind,
mud at them, hidden among the
and residents gnarled trees of the
coincidentally Fumewood.
choose to
empty slop
buckets into
the street just
as they pass
by. The rare
elf who
actually smiles
at the heroes
or extends

34
The Afflicted Ones Darklord. Discourtesy to the king is generally
This subrace of halfling is described more fully in the considered a death sentence. The laws made by the
Races chapter, including rules for player characters. Lord Speakers are few, and typical of what one
would expect to find in any elven community.
Reluctantly and gradually, contact between the
Mason, the Lord Speaker of Har-Thelen, is an elven
Sithican elves and denizens of other lands has
arcane trickster who appears to be a bit more
increased. Although still suspicious and insular,
ambitious and upbeat than other Sithican elves. He
Sithicans have reaped the benefits of expanding
continues to bully and manipulate the artisans of
trade with neighboring domains, particularly
his city to produce decent goods that can be traded
Kartakass, source of the human tradesmen who
with Kartakass, and he has even pressed
dwell in many settlements, especially Har-Thelen.
stonemasons into the city's service so that it may be
Merchants are eager to acquire the rare vegetables,
repaired and maintained. Mason is fighting an uphill
spirits, hardwoods, and handicrafts the elves
battle, though, and rumors have it that his activity
produce. Tiny settlements of human traders and
is annoying the tyrant Azrael. The dwarf dictator
laborers have begun to appear in Sithican territory
prefers the elves to be docile, or at least direct all
outside the main elven settlements, which angers
their efforts to serving him.
the more isolationist noble houses. Azrael does not
In recent years, however, resistance against King
discourage such economic colonialism, however, as
Azrael’s tyranny has grown among the elves, with
it benefits his own coffers.
the village of Mal-Erek as the center of the unrest.
Elegant architecture was once prized by the elves of
The king’s soldiers still maintain order in all the
Sithicus, but today the domain's settlements are
elvish cities, but more and more suffer from hit and
crumbling. The wondrous elven wood and crystal
run attacks by rebels. In fact, the only thing
masonries are neglected and covered with ivy.
preventing a wider revolt is the infighting between
Twisting towers of living wood are blighted with
the three major elven enclaves, each of which sees
insect galls and rot, and the gardens stand choked
its nobles as the true heirs to the kingly line of their
with thistles and brambles. Roads that once glittered
lost homeland.
like an evening sky are dull and crumbling. The
The domain of Sithicus originally formed around
arcane libraries slowly rot under an assault of
the infamous death knight Lord Soth in 720 BC. For
mildew and silverfish, yet the elven wizards seem
thirty-two years, the Knight of Black Rose ruled over
oblivious. Temples to forgotten gods are charred and
the domain with cold indifference. While residing on
blasted as if from lightning, the holy names stricken.
the world of Krynn, the death knight had clung
The presence of the hated Azrael and his undead
fiercely to his infamous history, but Sithicus was a
soldiers aside, the Sithican elves adhere to a
place that threatened to rob Soth of his memories.
traditional loose elven aristocracy. Without a true
He left much of the domain’s day-to-day rule to his
elven monarch to unite them, however, relationships
seneschal—the murderous dwarf Azrael Dak—and
between settlements and noble houses can become
lost himself in magical reverie through the use of
tense and bitter. There are houses for each task or
memory mirrors, magical creations that contained
role in elven society, though some are much more
fragments of Soth’s past.
prestigious and powerful than others. The noble,
The domain itself has changed, perhaps to fit its
ranger, and wizard houses are particularly
new darklord, whoever it may be. As Soth’s prison,
prominent. Since the elves value their freedom above
Sithicus perverted history and twisted memories.
all else, laws are few and far between. Protecting the
The new Sithicus, however, is place where people
resources of the forest and the privacy of elven
can’t forget their misdeeds, Sithicans dwell upon
settlements are the primary priorities. Sithican
their sins and flaws, no matter how minor, and in
militias are small but well-trained and diversified,
doing so come to expect everyone to share their
with fighters, rangers, and wizards in their ranks.
failings and imperfections. Paranoia and paralyzing
Although each of the cities of Sithicus has its own
distrust are the hallmarks of the current Sithican
caste of elf nobles—each headed by a hereditary
psyche. Even visitors to the domain are afflicted by
ruler known as a Lord Speaker—all are forced to
the “Guilt of Sithicus.”
acknowledge the rulership of the brutish King
This effect and the manipulations of some shadowy
Azrael, just as they acknowledged his predecessor
force drive the weak-minded of this domain to
against their will. They see him only rarely, but all
subvert and destroy all nobility they find, snuffing
fear his wrath, though they do not cringe at the
out whatever sparks of good burn in their neighbors’
mention of his name as they did for the former

35
souls. More than a few of the nobler denizens of the Memory Mirror
domain have been tricked into falling afoul of King Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)
Azrael’s secret police, the Politskrae. These unlucky Once the indulgence of the dreaded death knight Lord
souls quickly find themselves imprisoned in the Soth during his time as a darklord, this 6-foot-long by 3-
squalid internment camp known as Sorrow. foot-wide mirror was shattered into twelve fragments.
While the bulk of the mirror’s power lies in a single central
Lord Soth and the Blessed Knight piece held by the Blessed Knight (who is attuned to this
A mysterious warrior lives in the ruins of Nedragaard key memory mirror shard), the other shards serve to
Keep. Whenever he wishes to leave the ruins, a ghostly empower the key shard and unlock its greater abilities.
bridge forms across the Great Chasm for him to ride Each memory mirror shard reflects images of a character’s
across. Rumors call this noble figure the Blessed Knight, past innocence when they look into it for more than a few
as he wanders the domain doing good works and seconds. The key memory mirror shard held by the Blessed
protecting innocents. In fact, he is a supernatural double Knight reflects not only the past, but shows each person
of the domain’s former darklord, Lord Soth. On his who looks into it an image of the most idealized version of
homeworld of Krynn, Soth was a high-ranking member of themselves that they could be in the present. This key
a sacred order of knights, the Knights of the Rose, but he memory mirror shard glows with soft white radiance when
murdered his wife in order to marry a beautiful elven within 100 feet of another piece, and Mirror Shards held
maid. He was given the chance to expiate his sin by saving touching it bond with it seamlessly.
millions of lives. He was charged warning a powerful Random Properties. Each of the memory mirror shards
Kingpriest of Paladine whose hubris was about to inflict a
has 1 random minor beneficial property.
terrible Cataclysm on his homeworld of Krynn, but on the
The key memory mirror shard held by the Blessed Knight
way he was dissuaded by elven priestesses, who caused
has the following random properties:
him to believe his new wife had been unfaithful. He rode
• 1 minor beneficial property
back to his castle, which burned down in the Cataclysm.
• 1 major beneficial property
For his failure, he was cursed to become a death knight.
When fully assembled, the complete memory mirror has
Soth used the memory mirrors that lined his throne room
the following random properties:
to relive his life, altering the events he saw to imagine
• 2 minor beneficial properties
what he would have done differently. In the process, he
• 2 major beneficial properties
formed a nobler version of himself within the mirrors.
Properties of each Memory Mirror Shard. If you attune
When the cursed Soth left the domain and his castle was
to one of the twelve memory mirror shards that is in your
destroyed in the Hour of Screaming Shadows, the memory
possession, you gain the following benefits:
mirrors shattered, and this noble of image of the Solamnic
• You have advantage on all Wisdom saving throws
Knight Lord Loren Soth was set free with a life of his own.
against being charmed or frightened, or against
The presence of the Blessed Knight in Sithicus is like a
having your emotions or moods affected by magic
dagger through the black heat of the darkness that rules
(including the Guilt of Sithicus effect described in this
this domain. For those who learn the Blessed Knight’s
section).
true nature, his existence is a stern rebuke to the excuses
• Whether you are attuned or not, when you finish a long
they use to justify their worst deeds. He is, after all, a
rest while carrying this item, you are unaffected by
manifestation of the redemption that even a monster like
any Flaws you may have dealing with guilt or regret.
Soth might have found, had he been willing to turn away
• Each memory mirror shard melds seamlessly to the key
from his sins and accept the possibility of mercy.
memory mirror shard if held against it, regardless of
Once or twice, the Blessed Knight has approached
whether anyone is attuned to either item. Attunement
adventurers in Sithicus, entreating them for aid. He has
to the memory mirror shard ends when it melds with
offered them when he claims is a shard of the memory
the key memory mirror shard.
mirror that created him, and asked for assistance in
Properties of the Key Memory Mirror Shard held by
locating the other memory mirror shards scattered in the
Hour of Screaming Shadows. He told both groups that the Blessed Knight. The Blessed Knight is attuned to the
beyond the shard he possesses, five more can be found in key memory mirror shard. If at some point you are attuned
Nedragaard Keep, three lie within the Great Chasm, and to it instead of him, you gain the same benefits as he does:
three more were scattered to various locations in Sithicus. • You have advantage on all Wisdom saving throws
One group dismissed his request as trouble they didn’t against being charmed or frightened, or against
need, but the other heard him out… until he explained having your emotions or moods affected by magic.
that his motivation in assembling the shards was his • You are immune to the Guilt of Sithicus effect and the
belief that the re-assembled memory mirror could guilt lash spell (both described in this section).
permanently destroy the darklord of Sithicus. Having been • You gain an additional Ideal: “I strive to be the best
around enough to know that a darklord would not permit possible version of myself.”
adventurers to craft such a doom unimpeded, they cited • When you finish a long rest, any Flaws you may have
having an urgent quest of their own and politely declined. dealing with guilt or regret are permanently removed.
The Blessed Knight still seeks adventurers…

36
 (If this means you have no Flaws, consult with your • If a darklord under the effect of the memory mirror is
DM about adding a new Flaw.) destroyed, you can immediately end your attunement
• Anyone looking into the key memory mirror shard, to this artifact, causing it to cast the gate spell. The
whether it is attuned or not, gains immunity to the gate remains open for 1 minute. It leads to a relatively
Guilt of Sithicus effect described in this section and to peaceful area in any one of the Domains of Dread you
any other guilt-based magical effects (such as the guilt choose (or, if the DM chooses to permit it, this gate
lash spell, also described in this section) for a number may instead allow you to travel out of Ravenloft
of weeks equal to 1 plus the number of memory mirror entirely, and into an alternate plane of your choice).
shards to which the key memory mirror shard is
melded.
• Each memory mirror shard melds seamlessly to the key
memory mirror shard if held against it, regardless of
whether anyone is attuned to either item. Any
attunement to that memory mirror shard ends when it
is melded, but you remain attuned to the key memory
mirror shard no manner how many other shards to
which it bonds.
• Whether it is attuned or not, the key memory mirror
shard glows with white light when within 100 feet of
another Mirror Shard.
• If the key memory mirror shard is melded to all of the
eleven other mirror shards, it transforms into the
complete memory mirror, as if it had never been
broken. If you are attuned to the key memory mirror
shard when this happens, you are automatically
attuned to the complete memory mirror it becomes.
Properties of the complete Memory Mirror when fully
assembled. Your alignment changes to lawful good, and
you gain the following benefits:
• You are immune to the charmed and frightened
conditions.
• You have advantage on all saving throws against having
your emotions or moods affected by magic.
• You are immune to the Guilt of Sithicus effect and the
guilt lash spell (both described in this section).
• You gain an additional Ideal: “I strive to be the best
possible version of myself, and I am succeeding.”
• When you finish a long rest, any Flaws you may have
dealing with guilt or regret are permanently removed.
(If this means you have no Flaws, consult with your
DM about adding a new Flaw.)
• Anyone looking into the memory mirror, whether it is
attuned or not, gains permanent immunity to the
Guilt of Sithicus effect described in this section. Until
the next time they leave Sithicus, they are also
immune to any other guilt-based magical effects (such
as the guilt lash spell, also described in this section).
• Whether the memory mirror is attuned or not, while it is
within Sithicus, if a darklord looks into it, that
darklord sees their own true nature reflected back at
them. As a result, for 1 hour, that darklord is both
frightened of the memory mirror and poisoned, and
cannot regain hit points or change their form (via
effects such as polymorph spells, the shapechange
spell, or any other effect that transforms them into
something else) . This effect ignores immunities. If the
darklord of Sithicus is reduced to 0 hit points while
under this effect, this destroys that darklord
permanently.

37
Tepest The Strange Flora of Tepest
Three noteworthy types of plants grow only in the hills of
Tepest is a land of ancient forests nestled in jagged, Tepest: the cloudberries, fairy stools, and Wichtingourds
rocky hills of the Timori Pass, directly south of (also called witching gourds).
Keening and Darkon. East Timori Road (which used Cloudberries grow on low, prickly bushes found in small
to cross the mountains of the Core, but now dead- patches throughout Tepest. Difficult to cultivate, the only
successfully farmed plantings thrive on the steep hillsides
ends at the Shadow Rift) bisects Tepest from east to
along the Blackmist River, a region legendary for the
west. Near the center of the domain, the road hugs
severe storms and unpredictable windblasts that each
the southern shore of Lake Kronov. Most of the land year blow three or four villagers off the steep slopes and
is between 500 and 800 feet above the level of the into the icy, fast flowing river far below. The tiny hamlet of
Sea of Sorrows, but a single peak rises to nearly Linde, which controls the only concentrated cloudberry
1,500 feet in the north. farms, is steadily gaining fame for cloudberry wine, a
Winters and summers in this land are short and fruity vintage popular with nobles of Nova Vaasa. Most of
mild, with the spring season separating the two by the community’s output is sold to Vaasan merchants, as
weeks of uninterrupted rain. Autumn comes early in production is limited by the many dangers involved in
harvesting them in the fall.
Tepest and is slow to relinquish itself to winter. The
Fairy stools are small, red-speckled, tan mushrooms that
slow descent into winter allows crops the time
grow quickly in circles, lines or spiral patterns when
needed to ripen. The long fall season is also marked exposed to arcane magic. The Tepestani are convinced
by unpredictable weather, particularly along the that the mushrooms only grow where fey have practiced
Blackmist River, south of Lake Kronov. The lake's their corrupt spellcasting, but experiments by wizards
clear waters never freeze completely, though snow have indicated that a single fairy stool multiplies and
and ice cling to the surrounding peaks more than sprouts into dozens within mere hours of exposure to any
half the year. magic from the conjuration, divination, enchantment and
Here, the clash of warm winds from the Nova transmutation schools. The mushrooms grow in spiral or
circular patterns in response to spells which cover an
Vaasan plains and cold air streaming down from the
area, they form into straight lines along the path made by
Balinoks where the Shadow Rift narrows can cause
a precision spell such as magic missile, and they combine
violent storms to explode upon the hillsides with those two general growth patterns when spells affect an
little or no notice. This same clash of temperatures area far away from the caster.
causes the eternally overcast skies. The Tepestani also believe the mushrooms grow where
While Tepest looks to most outsiders like one big fey have danced or traveled, springing from the ground in
forest that features minor breakpoints marked by order to give them places to rest. The Inquisition looks for
impassible gorges and rivers, the Tepestani see their the presence of fairy stools near homes to determine who
land as containing many different forests. in communities may be consorting with the fey. They also
use shallow trays containing fairy stools as slow,
Tepest has three important settlements, Viktal,
inaccurate detect magic devices, passing them back and
Briggdarrow, and Kellee, each home to about three
forth across a prone subject. If more fairy stools sprout in
thousand people. Briggdarrow and Viktal are located the tray, the subject is assumed to be either under the
on the southern shores of Lake Kronov. This large, sway of the fey, an ally of the fey, or perhaps even a fey
clear mountain lake is either fed by or feeds all the himself.
whitewater rivers that rush through Tepest. The Wichtingourds are small gourds filled with seeds that
Tepestani claim the lake is home to a monster they mature in early fall. They grow throughout Tepest’s
name the Avanc. Kellee is about twenty-five miles forests, and the Tepestani believe that they also appear
east from the other two, on the Timori Road. where the fey have been. However, the Inquisition does not
use them as “fey detectors.” Instead, the common folk turn
In addition to the human settlements, Tepest is
the wichtingourds to practical purposes. They dry them
home to an indeterminable number of goblin tribes.
out and use them as rattles — highly effective ones at
The humanoids lair in caves in the mountains and that, as I witnessed several crying children be soothed to
hills of the domain, preying on travelers and sleep with but a few shakes of these “witching gourd”
shepherds. One of the major risks of traveling off the rattles. The people also believe that the rattles can offer
main road through Tepest is the many traps set in protection from fey; if a gourd is broken open and its
the woods by the goblin tribes. They are built either seeds scattered, any fey who comes upon them must stop
to trap game or to defend the goblins’ homes from and count all the seeds.
attack. The goblins, in turn, are preyed upon by Tepest’s human populace is united only by racial
horrid hags who also make their homes here. stock, their worship of Belenus and related entities,
and their fear of the fairy creatures they believe hide

38
under every rock and in every brook. Each village is attention of the Inquisition — and they were nearly
ruled in its own fashion, so assuming that what is as certain to be burned at the stake as fey. The
acceptable in one village may also be acceptable in same was true of wizards and sorcerers. No fewer
the other can prove dangerous. than 23 innocent men and women were burned alive
These are a poor folk, who live in small for being “fey” or for “consorting with fey” during the
whitewashed cottages with thatched roofs. As a Inquisition’s first ten years. Wyan and his
matter of pride, they carefully adorn the cottage Inquisition are well-meaning, but they are becoming
walls with intricate floral patterns, and in the increasingly overzealous. These crusaders have
summer the window boxes overflow with blossoms. become something of a militia in Tepest.
Viktalians fish for sturgeon on the lake or herd goats Scattered throughout the countryside, either on the
and sheep. The lead goat in every herd wears a bell, edge of the pastures where Tepestani run their
and as the herders guide their animals home at sheep during the day or deep within the most
dusk, haunting clangs echo across the valley. The overgrown parts of the forest, stand austere single or
wood in this domain burns poorly, causing lots of two-story stone structures. Decaying and overgrown,
smoke; hence, dried animal dung often fuels these structures once served as keeps for the
Viktalian fires. axelords who ruled Tepest in ancient times, and this
Tepestani are fair of skin, with freckles. Their hair type of architecture died with them. The Tepestani
colors range from auburn to shades of crimson or studiously avoid these buildings — to the point of
orange.. Their clothing is simple, consisting of cotton pretending they don’t even see those that stand near
blouses and skirts for the women, and loose-fitting their sheep pastures — and the remoter ones have
shirts and trousers for the men. Both sexes wear become lairs for the more powerful of the goblin
boots and heavy furs in winter, though adults and clans or for fey.
children alike tend to go barefoot as soon as the Near several of these structures can be found
weather turns warm. Tepestani are an extremely ancient standing stones, the tallest of which stand
superstitious lot. They believe the night is haunted over six feet in height. They all radiate faint magic of
by "little beasties" who kidnap small children. the abjuration school. At one time, the stones all
There was a time when the Tepestani humans shut featured magical runes of great power, but they are
their doors tight against these creatures, huddling all defaced by crude representations of humanoids
around their hearths in fear. However, that began to and game animals and are now indecipherable.
change some years ago. During the cataclysm called Tepestani bards claim that the stones once ensured
the Grand Conjunction, the stars shifted in the the blessings of the gods upon the homes of the
heavens, and two nations to the west and south of axelords, but they lost their magical power when the
Tepest simply ceased to exist, replaced by an fey brought ruin to the land some 500 years ago.
immense canyon filled with dark, swirling Mists, Goblins are very common in this domain.
known only as the Shadow Rift. The Tepestani could Fortunately, the voracious appetite of some other
think of only one explanation for what had malevolent force in the woods keeps their numbers
happened: magic. The hags and "little beasties" of in check. Unfortunately, reports seem to indicate
the night must have wrought evil spells that had this force—whatever it is—also hungers for
destroyed entire nations. Fearful that the same humanoid flesh. In addition, those who travel
might happen to them, the Tepestani declared war southwest of Lake Kronov will enter the dire forest of
on the creatures of the night - and all who consorted Blackroot, an evil treant with particularly terrible
with them. powers.
Wyan, an elderly priest of Belenus in Viktal, Tepestani history begins with their creation myth.
spearheads the crusade against the "little beasties". They believe that the world moves through these
Wyan declared war on the fey and established the cycles as ages on a grand scale, and that the rise of
Inquisition of Belenus to drive out the foul spirits of humanity was the summer of the world—and that
the forest before they could seduce more souls or the Grand Conjunction was the onset of autumn.
take more lives. This crusade has managed to They believe that their gods created the world one
destroy some of the land's more foolish hags, but season at a time, starting with Spring, and
several innocent bystanders have also been targeted. populated each season with its own beings. In
More than one unfortunate traveler was declared a Spring, the gods created the Children of Spring —
"night-creature" and slain. Elves, half-elves and the fey. These immortal nature spirits neither knew
especially halflings were certain to draw the nor experienced death, so to this day they have no

39
respect for life or death. Mortal men and women and However, these priests and lay people are operating
natural animals were created in the Summer, from a foundation of ignorance, while growing more
twisted and fallen creatures such as goblins and confident in their scant knowledge. They believe that
lycanthropes were created in the Autumn, and evil everything related to fey is inherently corrupting,
gods created undead and elementals in the Winter. therefore studying the fey can only corrupt the
An interesting note about the Tepestani is that, would-be scholar. They distrust direct evidence and
unlike many other peoples of the Domains of Dread, rely instead upon their own suppositions, existing
they do not worry much about the undead; they folklore and forced confessions.
tend to be of the opinion that if the undead are left A temporary cessation of the Inquisition’s zealotry
alone, they won’t trouble the living—of course, like brought about by a proven false accusation (and
Lamordia, this domain is far less troubled by deep soul-searching on Wyan’s part over his
undead than many others. culpability in the death of that innocent) was ended
The most visible and most powerful religious by the death of the wife of the leader of Kellee at the
institution in Tepest is Belenus’s Inquisition. end of a shapechanging creature. This leader, a
Overall, this group of militant priests and lay people Falkovnian transplant named Gerald Ferrier, had
has good intentions. The Inquisition is trying to do kept his town insulated from the feverish violence
what it genuinely believes to be Belenus’s will: and superstition of the Inquisitors, but the death of
saving the world by his wife has made him less resistant. Kellee still
destroying the fey offers limited protection to outsiders in Tepest--
attempting to enough that the town actually has some trade with
corrupt and foreigners from outside the domain—and he
ultimately organizes and equips a professional volunteer militia
destroy it. who act to protect the people from goblins rather
than being motivated by a religious crusade.
Isolated as it is, Tepest has never enjoyed extensive
contact with other domains. The East Timor Road
and South Dnar River, both leading into Nova
Vaasa, are Tepest's only conduits to the outside
world. The evil reputation of the domain's forests is
enough to dissuade travelers even from a broad
highway like the East Timor. The recent hysteria
that has gripped Tepest further discourages the few
outsiders interested in political or economic ties with
the domain. Nonetheless, limited trade persists with
settlements in northern Nova Vaasa.
Spellcasters in Tepest and the Inquisition
The native Tepestani religion is the worship of the Celtic
pantheon (as described in the Player’s Handbook
appendix), with a particular emphasis on Belenus as the
leader of the gods, with the others merely his servants. In
this domain, Belenus grants the Rulership domain
(described in the Cleric section of the Classes chapter).
Clerics and paladins worshipping Belenus or other non-
evil gods of his pantheon are the only spellcasters beyond
suspicion in Tepest. All others may be witches, diabolists,
or agents of the hated fey. As such, they may be accused
by common people or brought to the attention of the
powerful Inquisition.
Both common Tepestani and priests believe that magic
and nature are intertwined in what they call the Weave.
They consider all magic as originating with this Weave,
and, like nature, magic is uncontrollable and inherently
dangerous. Only when priests use magic can it be
considered safe for mortals, as the gods have tempered it.

40
Other kinds of magic are sources of temptation that will
invariably lead those who use it down the path of evil. Valachan
Generally, Tepestani associate beings with inherent
Valachan is a rugged domain in the southwestern
magical powers with the fey, while they consider wizards
and others who use books, scrolls, and ancient items to
corner of the Core, blanketed by lush evergreen
prepare spells as merely misguided fools, tampering with forests and prowled by fearsome black panthers. The
forces that may ultimately consume them. They assume trees are ancient and massive, shrouded by cool fog
that anyone who can cast magic without spellbooks or and a thick beard of mosses. Eerie hoots and growls
through other unusual methods must somehow be in echo through the hollows, and the chill air is heavy
league with the fey (though in the case of many warlocks, with the primeval scent of damp redwoods. Its ridges
they are correct). Inquisitors have the authority to place and numerous small canyons make overland travel
anyone suspected of such things on trial for witchcraft.
difficult and provide concealment for the land’s
Trials begin when an Inquisitor uncovers some bit of
many predators. Rocky streams flow eastward
information (often gossip) that indicates someone is in
league with the fey. If the inquisitor deems the claim
toward the Arden River, their whitewater rapids
credible (purely a judgment call), they have the accused teeming with fish. Valachan boasts three towns of
rounded up and imprisoned in preparation for trial. The notable size: Ungrad, population fifteen hundred;
Inquisitor then collects evidence against the accused. Rotwald, four thousand; and Helbenik, thirty-five
Evidence ranges from anomalies that the Inquisitor hundred.
observes in areas where the accused would spend a lot of Valachan’s ruler is Baron Urik von Kharkov, a tall,
their time — such as abundance of fairy stools — to tales broad-shouldered, black man with muscular limbs
regarding the accused from every wagging tongue in town.
and eyes that are a unique shade of yellow. His hair
Meanwhile, the accused is pressured to confess to their
is straight and black, usually kept meticulously
“crimes,” which often involves torture, but the tastes of
individual Inquisitors differ. Confessions are drawn so the
groomed. Baron von Kharkov's fortress, Castle
Inquisition can expand its knowledge base of the methods Pantara, lies between Rotwald and Helbenik,
of the fey and their servants. couched on a cliff above the main road. In contrast
After this phase, the Inquisitor takes all such findings and to the inviting homes of his subjects, Kharkov’s
the full text of any confession to the leader of the castle is a menacing fortress of charcoal-gray stone.
Inquisition, the elder priest of Belenus called Wyan of Villages are densely clustered in Valachan, bustling
Viktal, who decides whether the suspect will be tried or set pockets of industriousness amid the eldritch
free. Inquisitors often reference Malleus Umbricum (or
wilderness. The windowless buildings are
“Hammer of Shades”), Wyan’s book on battling the fey. It
constructed of heavy logs or planks, with gabled
is not an especially accurate work, and Dr. Van Richten
roofs shingled in black slate. Large, single-room
had intended to pen a more correct text on the subject
before he disappeared. (His copy of Malleus Umbricum lodges are common even among wealthy nobles, who
was inherited by the Weathermay-Foxgrove Twins, who, take great pride in their cavernous abodes and
upon finding it, were inspired to write Van Richten's Guide encourage villagers to socialize within. Structures
to the Shadow Fey.) are decorated with elaborate, stylized carvings of
An actual trial is presided over by three Inquisitors, and panthers, bears, wolves, and ravens. Heraldry is
generally consists of little more than gossip or the rants of important to the Valachani, and homes are proudly
prior accused undergoing torture, but such hearsay is adorned with the matriarch's insignia.
often damning. However, if evidence is presented that
Although temperate, the Valachan's climate is
clearly proves the accused to be innocent, they usually do
exceedingly wet, with heavy rainfall throughout the
get off. Those found to have merely been bewitched by the
fey get light sentences, but those pronounced guilty of year. Temperatures are moderate through all
purposefully consorting with the fey are executed by seasons, but sweltering summers occur
whatever means is most convenient—hanging, stoning or occasionally.
drowning. The Tepestani bury the corpses of those so Valachani natives share their lord’s features: They
executed at crossroads, believing (wrongly) that doing so are tall and black-skinned with straight black hair,
prevents the guilty spirit from finding its way home. Those which both men and women wear long. They tend to
found to actually be fey themselves in disguise (often any be lean and finely muscled, with long sturdy limbs.
sorcerer, warlock, or wizard seen casting a spell) are
Even those who work at physically hard jobs such
forced to confess, as above, and are then burned alive at
as stonecutting are trim, though broad shoulders
the stake.
are common. Their skin is typically a dark coffee
brown, though colors ranging from a creamy tan to
nearly charcoal black occur. Eye color is almost
always dark brown, but the odd individual with

41
unsettling bile-yellow eyes is sometimes born. of the baron and feed rumors that he truly is
Valachani hair is glossy black and worn long and inhuman.
straight by both genders. Men never wear beards or The baron's private army of enforcers, known as the
mustaches, but many grow long sideburns. Black Leopards, collects taxes and rounds up
The Valachani dress simply, in baggy trousers, anyone unfortunate enough to draw von Kharkov's
tunics, or smocks. Everything is made to be durable, ire. Expertly trained in wilderness skills and the use
and is often decorated with animal teeth. A bit of of special weapons, these enforcers are monstrous
fringe is the most common other decorative motif. sadists zealously loyal to their lord. They carry
Faded black and white are the favorite colors, ritually made heavy black maces with the blunt end
though these are accented with bold reds, greens, fashioned like a panther’s paw, referred to as “the
and blues. Valachani wear knee high boots of soft Baron’s arm,” as well as long, machete-like black
leather throughout the year, even when not knives and cruelly made spiked whips. The
outdoors. Jewelry is rare, though an occasional mysterious Lady Adelaide, the Veiled Mistress,
earring, bracelet, or ring can be seen. commands the Black Leopards. Arrogant and
Natives of Valachan frequently suffer from White astonishingly vicious, Adelaide shares the appetites
Fever, a mild flu that develops at night and leaves its of the baron. She can be bribed by the offering of a
victims listless and bedridden for several days. A handsome youth, who usually emerges scarred
stalwart people, they have grown accustomed to without and within from the mistress's wicked
this, and the other challenges of their rustic life attentions.
amid the domain's eerie forests. They personify the Despite the oppressive presence of the baron's
creatures of the forest in myths, reserving their minions, life in most Valachani settlements is
greatest reverence and fear for the panthers, which peaceful. The most powerful nobles administer
are numerous and notoriously cunning. justice and arbitrate disputes as they see fit, but
Valachani value perseverance and strong family ties corruption is rare. Nobility is hereditary through the
but tend to be suspicious of "book learning" and the mother's side, and men rather than women marry
trappings of more advanced domains. A Valachani out of their families. Although tradition dictates that
who does not know how to shoot a bow or survive in nobles be respected and deferred to because of their
the wilderness is less than a whole person. Despite wealth, commoners do not tolerate incompetence or
their individualism, the Valachani are social people weakness in their betters. Nobles who lack the guile
with exceedingly complex rituals for life's milestones, to defend their positions are quickly eliminated and
including birth, coming of age, marriage, and death. their assets divided among the remaining
Lengthy festivals mark these events in settlements. aristocrats. Serving in a settlement's militia is an
Handcrafted gifts are exchanged and wealthy honorable and profitable pursuit, as nobles reward
Valachani attempt to outdo one another by service with wealth, titles, and arranged marriages.
obtaining the best foodstuffs and entertainment. Despite expanding trade with neighboring domains,
Baron Urik von Kharkov rules this domain with an Valachan retains a strong streak of independence.
iron fist. He is rumored either to be a vampire or Baron von Kharkov apparently has little interest in
some kind of lycanthrope. The folk recognize the establishing alliances with other realms. His
Baron as their lord and ruler. He is a cold man who enforcers patrol the domain's frontiers irregularly,
values obedience and his own privacy above all else. equally likely to harass, rob, or murder curious
This stern aloofness does not endear the baron to travelers. Thus, the Valachani are left to forge their
his subjects, but the Valachani have learned to pay own bonds with foreign merchants. For now, the
their taxes dutifully and thereby avoid the baron's Valachani seem content to trade their wares and
attention and infamous temper. Von Kharkov avoid entangling themselves in the affairs of other
demands petty servitude from random commoners lands.
on occasion, summoning them to Castle Pantara for The forests of Valachan are rich with wildlife.
a single night. The work is harsh, and the laborers Common fauna include deer, moose, boars,
usually return home with a case of White Fever. martens, eagles, and ravens. Large predators
Once per year, the Baron demands that a young include bears and, of course, the panthers that have
woman leave her family and become his bride. She become such an important symbol of Valachani
rarely lives out the year. The people assume that she culture. Vampires are believed to haunt the woods
either kills herself or dies from his abuse. The truth as well, spawned by some hidden master.
is far worse. These sinister facts only heighten fear

42
Other Lands of the Core
While describing all of the Domains of Dread is well
beyond the scope of this document, a sense of the
wider expanse beyond the borders of Barovia can be
obtained through the curated handful of darklords’
realms described in detail. The other domains of the
Core are described below, however, and have also
been detailed in many previous publications for the
Ravenloft campaign setting:
Borca: Aristocratic poisoners led by the scheming
Boritsi family rule this beautiful nation of ruthless
merchants, oppressed peasants, and political
intrigue.
Darkon: The largest Domain of Dread, this
sprawling and diverse yet orderly feudal kingdom is
largely defined by the rising and falling dictatorship
of the archmage Azalin Rex, whose rule is abetted by
a secret police known as the Kargat.
Dementlieu: Ruled over by the aging Lord-Governor
Marcel Guignol and his influential advisors, the
Council of Brilliance, this temperate and prosperous
land is the center of the Core’s art and culture.
Forlorn: This tiny domain surrounds an accursed
castle, and its dwindling population lives in hiding
to fight off the land’s main inhabitants, the
devouring monsters known as goblyns.
Invidia: A passionate realm embroiled in a long civil
war, as a vicious despot obsessed by a genocidal
loathing of the Vistani overtakes more and more Necropolis: Once the greatest city in the much
formerly independent villages, and his racist hatred larger domain of Darkon which surrounds it, it is
inflames more and more Invidians. now protected by an invisible shroud that kills any
Kartakass: The bards of Kartakass are renowned living being who dares to enter. It is said Death
as the best performers in the world, and musicians himself rules over the city’s undead inhabitants.
brave wolf-infested forests to study under the Richemulot: Three urban communities divided by
meistersingers in the backwoods towns of Skald and vast forests, this seemingly egalitarian realm claims
Harmonia. to value intelligence, guile, knowledge, and
Keening: The ten-mile radius around Mt. Lament professionalism over material wealth, but corruption
contains no living inhabitants, only an abandoned festers in labyrinthine sewers and behind the closed
trade road, a powerful banshee, and the City of the doors of the elite.
Dead, bustling with walking corpses who continue The Shadow Rift: The mother of all chasms begins
the careers and pursuits they knew in life. where its adjacent domains end in sheer cliffs, as if
Mordent: The landed gentry who ruled this pastoral crumbling into nothingness. Black fog swirling
coastal countryside vanished long ago, leaving only hundreds of feet below the Rift’s edge hides whether
the benevolent Weathermay Family of Heather there is any bottom to the abyss.
House to govern, assisted by each settlement’s Verbrek: Towering forests, misty hollows, overgrown
sheriff and mayor, alongside a special order of wetlands, and unnatural predators make this wild
detectives known as the Lamplighters. (Mordent was domain a treacherous backwater, where the wolf is
the setting of the first sequel to the original master and humans huddle in their isolated
Ravenloft, the classic AD&D module I10: Ravenloft settlements like cowering prey.
II: The House on Gryphon Hill.)

43
 Most nonhumans scoff at this, for their cultural

Chapter 3:
traits are not ironclad. Nonhumans may have
tendencies, but like any other mortal, they are
responsible for their own fates.
The following sections describe how many different

Races races fit into the Domains of Dread.

Humans
Although humans make up the vast majority of the
In the Domains of Dread, humans are the standard
population of the Domains of Dread, many of the
by which all other races must be measured. They
non-human civilized races found in other worlds are
form a vast majority of most domains’ populations.
native here as well. Elves are the main natives of
In fact, many domains have no native nonhumans,
Sithicus, for example. Darkon, the largest domain in
and other races are so rare that many humans know
the Core, is inhabited by elves, dwarves, halflings,
them only through rumor or legend.
half-elves, as well as humans, and they all claim
Humans fill every niche in society and represent a
that domain as their homeland. Also, many of the
wide spectrum of cultures and ethnic groups. Some
Realm of Terror’s denizens came from other worlds.
sages have pondered why humans are so prevalent
The Mists steal from many planes, and have done so
in the Land of Mists. Are the Dark Powers drawn to
for centuries. As a result, all of the most common
some inherent spark in the human spirit that other
races from other D&D settings can be found in one
races lack? If so, it may be this: every human holds
form or another.
the potential to perform great good or to commit
Thus, adventurers of every race and class can be
great evil and can choose which path to follow.
found in the Land of Mists—the rarer and more
Humans are the masters of their own nature; it is
unusual the race, the more likely that character is
both their greatest strength and their most fatal
an adventurer. Since it so difficult for nonhumans to
flaw. Human communities can be found in every
find an accepting community to live a more settled
settled domain. That is, as far as settled domains go
life, adventuring is an attractive career for most.
— even Sithicus has tiny human communities.
Whatever the race, all must live by the Dark Powers'
Some domains—such as the unearthly wasteland of
rules. If the Dark Powers find a particular trait of a
Bluetspur—have no "civilized" human settlements,
nonhuman race particularly distasteful—or
though human encampments or nomadic elements
intriguing—characters may find its effects subtly
may exist.
twisted. These changes apply to all creatures in the
Most of Ravenloft's human folk live and die within
Realm of Dread, whether they are lifelong residents
a score of miles from their birthplace and can spend
or have just recently emerged from the Mists.
their entire lives without ever encountering
With the exception of a very few domains, such as
something they know to be supernatural. When
Darkon and Sithicus, nonhumans face a cold
combined with cultures rich in suspicion and
reception when they roam in the lands of men. In
superstition, the result is an intense xenophobia
some lands, nonhumans are simply considered
that makes it difficult for humans in most lands to
unnatural — freaks of nature to be pitied or
accept nonhuman races.
ridiculed. In other lands, humans may react with
deeply rooted, superstitious fear. Nonhumans who
New Human Variant:
visit a few domains, such as Falkovnia and Tepest, Human (Vistani Mystic)
may even be risking their lives. You are of the Vistani, perhaps the first inhabitants
Some say humans are favored by the Dark Powers of these troubled lands.It seems your people have
as the main denizens of the domains because of always dwelt in the Domains of Dread, though most
their potential for both good and evil. However, they tales say your sojourn in this benighted realm began
are far from the only race with free will. It is true when your ancestors’ pact with the Barovian
that nonhumans possess undeniable, inborn traits, nobleman called von Zarovich became an agreement
such as dwarven industriousness or halfling with the Dark Powers. When traveling in large family
curiosity. A few sages—all human of course—claim groups, this ancient pact even allows you to travel
that the Land of Mist's inhuman creatures, from through the mists, ranging between domains despite
elves to gnomes to vampires to lycanthropes, are all the will of the Dark Lords.
merely facets of the human soul, placed in the world The traditions, humor, and language of the Vistani
by nameless gods to reflect against humanity's light. (singular Vistana) are dark and mysterious to

44
outsiders. Your kin often speak in long flowing Vigilant Mind. When you make a Wisdom save
riddles to those they do not trust, wrapping crucial against an effect that would charm or frighten you,
truths in useless information and telling tales of you can use your reaction to roll with advantage.
your ancestors that are almost certainly untrue.
Vistani Sorcerers
Among family and allies, however, it is clear that you Strong cultural factors cause Vistani sorcerers to share
are a most serious people, who thrive in a haunted certain traits. They tend to favor divination and
land that demands deep wisdom and constant enchantment spells, and they never identify themselves as
vigilance. men, no matter how they were raised. When the rare male
Though quick to act when your lives or traditions Vistana shows sorcerous abilities, even as a child,
are threatened, your people seek to avoid violence of superstitious customs indicate it must be killed, though
any kind. They work strenuously to avoid dark sorcerers born physically male who choose to live as
women are spared this fate. The Vistani believe any male
sorcery and other similar forces.
sorcerer of their people who grows to maturity is fated to
There are many stereotypes of the Vistani, and
become a Dukkar, a hated being of evil who will bring
some of them are ones they cultivate themselves, or
great suffering to his people.
at least capitalize on to retain an intimidating
mystique. This is out of necessity, since their lack of New Human Variant:
a homeland in the Domains of Dread makes them Human (Marauder)
vulnerable, but in other ways, in this realm ruled by
You belong to a human culture with a tradition of
inhuman horrors, they are safer than those cower
using superior speed and mobility to raid other
behind stone walls. Still, the same myths also make
groups. Whether you or your kin are currently
them a target for those who see the Vistani as
involved in such activities, you retain an aptitude for
thieves, entertainers, and fortune-tellers with funny
the sort of swift maneuvers your culture specialized
accents.
in. You also have a natural instinct for using fear to
In truth, many character classes are common
control the tide of battle. Perhaps you are one of the
among their people. A spellcasting Vistana is as
desert nomads of the Amber Wastes, were born to
likely to be druid or a wizard as a bard or a sorcerer.
outlaws of Kalidnay, or descend from pirates
Rangers and fighters are as common as rogues. Still,
dwelling on the coasts of the Nocturnal Sea or the
the many powerful bloodlines intertwined with the
Sea of Sorrows.
ancestries of Vistani families and tasques do make
the sorcerer’s arcane birthright more common Human (Marauder) Traits
among their ethnicity than that of other humans. All of these traits replace the Ability Score Increase
However, their gender identity strongly affects this trait of the normal human.
path as well (see the Vistani Sorcerers sidebar). Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score
Physically, Vistani are just like any other human, increases by 2, and you increase one other ability
but some have training in mystical traditions unique score of your choice by 1.
to your culture. The variant below is for those raised Adapted. Choose either cold or heat. If you choose
with such training. cold, you have resistance against cold damage and
To make a Vistana, apply either normal human are naturally adapted to cold climates. If you choose
statistics or this variant, which uses the optional heat, you have resistance against fire damage and
Feat rule from chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook, are naturally adapted to hot climates.
Human (Vistani Mystic) Traits Bonus Proficiencies. You gain proficiency in one
All of these traits replace the Ability Score Increase of the following skills of your choice: Animal
trait of the normal human. Handling, Athletics, Intimidate, Nature, Stealth, or
Ability Score Increase. Choose two different Survival.
ability scores, and increase each of them by 1. Raised on the Move. Choose either mounts or
Bonus Feat. Select a feat of your choice, and gain water vehicles. That choice determines which of the
following benefits you gain:
that feat at 1st level.
• Mounts: You have advantage on all ability checks
Bonus Language. You can speak, read, and write
and saving throws related to controlling,
Common, Patterna (the Vistani tongue) and one
maneuvering, or staying on a mount. In addition,
additional language of your choice.
when you mount a creature, you use only 5 feet of
Lesser Evil Eye. You learn the blood curse*
movement to do so (normally, mounting a creature
cantrip.
uses half of a character’s movement).

45
• Water Vehicles: You are proficient with water finish a short rest or long rest before you can use it
vehicles, and double your proficiency bonus when again.
including it in water vehicle ability checks. In Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency in your
addition, you have advantage on all saving throws choice of any two types of tools or vehicles (land or
and ability checks related to swimming and to water).
staying on-board any water vehicle. New Human Variant:
Sow Fear. You learn the Menacing Attack Human (Tainted Aristocrat)
maneuver from the Battle Master archetype in the For many centuries, your ancestors were highborn
fighter class. The saving throw DC for this maneuver nobles accustomed to aristocratic rule. Some of the
equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or power by which they maintained their position came
Dexterity modifier (your choice). You gain one d6 from supernatural traits passed down through
superiority die, which is used to fueld this certain tainted bloodlines. Perhaps they were
maneuver. This superiority die is expended when dragonlords, riding to battle on the backs of
you use it. You regain your expended superiority unstoppable wyrms, or families of warlocks whose
dice when you finish a short or long rest. In pacts with otherworldly powers affected their
addition, you regain one expended superiority die descendants. Whatever differentiates your blood
when you inflict damage on a creature that is from that of other humans, you birthright includes
frightened of you. both a natural majesty and a tendency towards
New Human Variant: insanity. From isolated domains to ancient empires,
Human (Smallfolk) legacies such as yours have long influenced, or
Commoners dwell in every domain, and most lead perhaps haunted, the history of these lands.
lives aptly described as nasty, brutish, and short. Human (Tainted Aristocrat) Traits
However, some live under such punishing All of these traits replace the Ability Score Increase
oppression that they are develop deep reserves of trait of the normal human.
willpower and endurance. Born with little control Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
over their environment, they quickly learn to adjust increases by 2, and you increase one other ability
to changing circumstances. They are often referred score of your choice by 1.
to as “smallfolk” by their oppressors, as if to belittle Ancestral Affinity. Choose one of the following
their importance, However, these oppressors’ damage types: cold, fire, necrotic, radiant, or
authority would mean little without the control they lightning. You gain resistance to that damage type.
exert over their subjects. While it is a treacherous In addition, choose one of the following creature
and difficult course for smallfolk to truly escape the types: aberration, dragon, elemental, fey, fiend,
difficulties of their birth, many are the tales of those giant, or undead. You have advantage on Charisma
who—through cleverness, tenacity, or virtue—have checks against any creature of the chosen type that
ascended from the lowest depths to the heights of is also naturally immune to the type of damage you
power. chose for this trait.
Human (Smallfolk) Traits
All of these traits replace the Ability Score
Increase trait of the normal human.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution
score increases by 2, and you increase two
other ability score of your choice by 1.
Cagey Defender. When you are surprised,
you can still take a single action or bonus
action (but not both) during the surprise round.
You cannot move unless you take an action
that specifically allows you to move (such as the
Dash action).
Survivor's Tenacity. When you roll a 1 on an
attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you
can reroll the die. You must use the new roll.
Once this ability has been used once, you must

46
 Intrigue Expertise. Choose one of the following unless you take an action that specifically allows
skills: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, you to move (such as the Dash action).
or Persuasion. You gain proficiency in that skill, and Intrigue Expertise. Choose one of the following
double your proficiency bonus on ability checks with skills: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Performance,
it. or Persuasion. You gain proficiency in that skill, and
Legacy of Command. You are proficient with the double your proficiency bonus on ability checks with
History skill, and you know the guidance cantrip. it.
When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the heroism Jaded. You have resistance to psychic damage
spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do and advantage on saving throws against being
so when you finish a short or long rest. When you charmed.
reach 5th level, you can cast the suggestion spell Urban Terrain. Within a village, town, or city, you
once with this trait and regain the ability to do so are never slowed by difficult terrain unless it is
when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your magical, and you can move through spaces occupied
spellcasting ability for these Spells. by non-hostile humanoids and beasts as if they were
Prone to Madness. You have disadvantage on allies.
saving throws against both psychic damage and New Human Variant:
madness-inducing effects. Human (Wildling)
New Human Variant:
In the furthest wilds, you’ve lived with little to
Human (Urbanite) sustain you beyond what the land itself provides and
Plenty of humans dwell in cities, but you and your the ingenuity of your people. Often looked down on
kin have adapted to them the way wood elves live as by the humans of civilized lands, your kin endure
one with the forests and dwarves take to hardships such soft folk could not survive—
underground tunnels. You feel most at home in hardships that grant great wisdom. Many regions of
large settlements, the bigger and more crowded the the Domains of Dread are home to wildling humans,
better. Growing up in such places, you know they including Forlorn, Verbrek, Vorostokov, and the
can be as dangerous as the deep wilderness, and so Verduous Lands.
you tend to be ready for anything. This cosmopolitan Human (Wildling) Traits
sophistication doesn’t just give you an advantage in All of these traits replace the Ability Score Increase
your hometown. When you enter a new city, it isn’t trait of the normal human.
long before you’re an expert on the best places to
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score
eat, drink, live, and make a living—and also an
increases by 2, and you increase one other ability
expert on the various power groups that dominate
score of your choice by 1.
the locals’ lives. Some folk prefer to live far from
Adapted. Choose either cold or heat. If you choose
civilization, away from the company of their fellow
cold, you have resistance against cold damage and
men and women, but you’ll likely never understand
are naturally adapted to cold climates. If you choose
why. Cities that produce urbanites such as yourself
heat, you have resistance against fire damage and
must either be large with great populations or
are naturally adapted to hot climates.
simply centers of great learning and sophistication.
Herblore. You are proficient with herbalism kits,
These categories include such settlements as
Paridon, Lekar, Port-a-Lucine, Nosos, Bahru, and you know the druidcraft cantrip. When you
Martira Bay, Phiraz, Kantora, Egertus, Levkarest, reach 3rd level, you can cast the detect poison and
Pont-a-Museau, Ludendorf, Bergovitsa, and Karg. disease spell once with this trait and regain the
ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.
Human (Urbanite) Traits When you reach 5th level, if you have an herbalism
All of these traits replace the Ability Score Increase kit on your person, you can cast the lesser
trait of the normal human. restoration spell once with this trait and regain the
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Wisdom
increases by 2, and you increase one other ability is your spellcasting ability for these Spells.
score of your choice by 1. Uncivilized. You have advantage on Wisdom
Cagey Defender. When you are surprised, you (Survival) checks and Intelligence (Nature) checks
can still take a single action or bonus action (but not when outside of civilization, but also disadvantage
both) during the surprise round. You cannot move on Charisma checks against humanoid creatures

47
from civilized areas. When you reaches 5th level, the own smaller community there, out of necessity, but
penalty on Charisma checks no longer applies. they too are making excavations to connect to their
Vicious Counterattack. If a creature hits you home, though their tunnels are much smaller so far.
with a melee attack when you have not yet taken a They strive to keep their hidden tunnels secret from
turn during the combat, that creature provokes an human organized crime in Liara, which is growing
opportunity attack from you. If the opportunity more and more powerful by the day, under
attack hits, it inflicts additional damage equal to New Dwarf Subrace:
your proficiency bonus. Crag Dwarf
Dwarves In the histories of dwarves, there are often tales of
devastating events—delving too deep into some
In the Land of Mists, the center of dwarven culture infernal force, an invasion by a humanoid horde, a
is the town of Tempe Falls in Darkon, though nearby realm-shattering cataclysm—that drive an entire
Corvia also hosts a sizeable dwarven population. dwarven nation from their underground homeland
Smaller dwarven communities have also spread and onto the surface. Such is the instinct of dwarves
south along the Balinoks and to other mountainous that they nearly always seek new homes beneath the
regions, such as the Sleeping Beast of Lamordia. earth, even in the shallow tunnels beneath small
Dwarves in most domains share much of the same hills or human cities. But on some worlds—
culture as their counterparts in other worlds. In a especially in the Domains of Dread—circumstances
world where terror lies in the shadows, they may be have prevented some dwarves from finding such
even more devoted to their own well-defended sanctuary, but kept them confined to some desolate
communities, living lives that center on the forge or vulnerable region on the surface. In these cases,
and family. They respect dedication in all forms—to they have survived only by learning to resist the
hard work, to their clan, and to codes of honor. A depredations of raiding humanoids and other
dwarf holds nothing as precious as their family and threats with defiant vigor. They developed razor-
nothing as beautiful as fine craftsmanship. sharp instincts and fearsome tactics, allowing them
Native dwarves have little time for frivolity. Their to both react and attack with a speed not often seen
music consists entirely of dirges for their ancestors in others of their race, becoming a new breed known
or anthems of clan tradition. Other races often view as crag dwarves. While they still look solidly built
dwarves as dour and humorless creatures, but and stout compared to most other races, dwarves of
retain high praise for dwarven craftsmanship. hill and mountain who meet them find them lean
Dwarves claim a spiritual kinship with the earth and weathered, with the hungry eyes of pack wolves
itself. Superstitious humans in many domains have in winter and strange ways in battle.
distorted this, believing that dwarves are actually
elemental spirits. Many of their folktales speak of
Crag Dwarves of Bluetspur
Small colonies of crag dwarves are tucked away in many
dwarves who require a diet of gold and gems or who
domains, doing their best to avoid notice. A particularly
turn to stone if touched by sunlight. tormented group is known to persist in what may be the
Hill dwarves in all domains are likely to trade with most inhospitable of all the domains, the bleak expanse
nearby humans, as a practical matter of survival. known as Bluetspur. They dwell just below the summit of
They are unlikely to live in deep delves or full Mount Grysl, tunneling no deeper than they have to, for
underground communities, and seldom have the fear of encountering the powerful psychic slavers who rule
kind of lands necessary for sustaining themselves most of that horrific realm’s underground reaches. They’ve
with agriculture. learned to treat the fungi they encounter underground or
collect from the mountain’s surface so that its poison is
Mountain dwarves, by contrast, feel safer in their
tolerable to their hardy dwarven bodies, and it has become
underground homes, and most go their whole lives
their main foodstuff. According to legend, they were once
without seeing a human. dwarves of another world who tunneled too deeply and
In recent years, dwarven explorers from Darkon found themselves in a vapor-filled cavern, and ended up
have been making inroads into the forsaken region trapped in this land. Occasionally, one or two crag
of the Mountains of Misery once known as Arak. dwarves escape via the Mists during a daytime foray, but
There they have been laboring to reopen the any large scale attempts at migration have merely led
abandoned mines and a long-neglected trade route would-be immigrants back to Bluetspur. The Dark Powers,
that connected Tempe Falls in Darkon to Liara in it seems, are not done tormenting the crag dwarves of
Mount Grysl.
Nova Vaasa before the Shadow Rift appeared. Those
dwarves who were stranded in Liara founded their

48
Crag Dwarf Traits of urgency that seems to drive humans. In times of
need, elves can react as quickly as any other race,
The crag dwarf subrace has the normal dwarf traits,
but they see nothing wrong with dedicating months
plus the subrace traits below.
or years to perfecting a sonnet, observing beauty, or
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom and
engaging in the pursuit of pleasure. Humans often
Dexterity scores increase by 1.
call elves hedonistic and claim that they have only a
Cagey Defender. When you are surprised, you
bystander's understanding of death. In fact, in some
can still take a single action or bonus action (but not
lands, elves are commonly thought—however
both) during the surprise round. You cannot move
erroneously—to be immortal nature spirits merely
unless you take an action that specifically allows
aping the human form. More than one unfortunate
you to move (such as the Dash action).
elf has had her immortality tested by the inquisitors
Shocking Strategy. When you are within 5 feet of of Tepest.
an enemy, but no enemy within 5 feet of you has No native communities of drow have been found in
taken a turn in the combat yet, you can take the the Domains of Dread, though some say a race of
Disengage or Help action as a bonus action. something like drow dwell in the part of the
Stalwart. Whenever you make a saving throw to Mountains of Misery once known as Arak.
avoid becoming frightened, you are considered New Elf Subrace:
proficient, and add double your proficiency bonus to
the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Dusk Elf
Dusk elves are a cultural offshoot of the more
Elves common subraces of elves, said to be blessed by the
Two seemingly unrelated societies comprise the moon with great stealth. They are more somber and
main populations of elves in these lands. The elves reserved than their wild cousins, and they tend to
of Darkon tend to have dark hair and eyes of green, dress in fashions closer to the norm of the realm
violet, or gray. Elves from the domain of Sithicus they live in.
tend towards silvery hair and amber eyes. At the dawn of creation, no
Both groups share the elven traits of pointed ears, difference between the different
vulpine features, and lithe builds. Most elves prefer kinds of elves existed, and no
to dress in light, fine fabrics like silk or satin. wickedness sundered the
Sithican elves prefer drab colors, but the fashion of drow from their light-
Darkonian elves is set by season: pastel greens and dwelling kin. They were
blues are worn in the summer, followed by yellows, one people, bound
oranges, and reds as the trees turn color in the through common love and
autumn. During the winter months, the Darkonian life, and united by
elves restrict themselves to black, white, or gray the eagerness
tones, to be replaced by an explosion of colors with and curiosity
the coming of spring. for the natural
Darkon contains three primarily elven world’s many
communities—Neblus, Nevuchar Springs, and wonders. All
Sidnar—where elves mingle freely with other races. this ended
On the far side of the Core, Sithicus stands as the with the
only domain with a primarily nonhuman population. dreaded war
Legends speak of still more elven cities hidden from between the elves
human eyes by powerful elven magic or the Mists. that altered the course
Elves occasionally settle in human lands, where of what would become
they can become respected scholars. In some high elves, wood elves,
locales, tales circulate of elves who served as and dark elves for all
advisers to entire human dynasties. time.
Many humans call elves the "fair folk," thinking of Even as the elves
them as part of the same fey kingdoms as pixies or rallied against their
sprites. These children of nature are respected by dark kin, some
some humans but quietly feared by others. They chose no side.
measure their lives in centuries and lack the sense Instead,
they

49
sought escape from the escalating violence and high elf, but most have brown or dark purple eyes.
retreated to hidden parts of the mortal world. The Where they differ is mostly in their choice of apparel,
nobles who led the sylvan armies against the dark as they favor subdued colors and practical,
host deemed those who fled traitors, and the most unadorned garb. These types tend to share the basic
powerful of elven gods vowed vengeance against traits of their high elf and wood elf kin, but where
them for their cowardice. One goddess, however, saw those elves are free-spirited and mercurial, dusk
this flight as obedience to her own tenets. This elves are furtive, haunted, and suspicious.
goddess is named as Mother Night among the dusk In a few communities, generally descended from
elves of Barovia and other Domains of Dread. In elves who hid in refuges partially underground or
most worlds, she is identified as the elven goddess near cave-riddled mountains, some dusk elves have
Sehanine. This goddess sheltered those who abilities closer to those of the drow. Members of this
abstained from the war as her chosen people, raising small minority often differ in appearance from dusk
a veil to hide them from anyone seeking retribution, elves elsewhere, with skin pale as moonlight.
while the drow were driven into the Underdark. Dusk Elf Beliefs
Over the intervening generations, these elves lived The goddess who granted them succor remains the most
in secret, forbidden from returning to their powerful religious presence among the dusk elves, and
homelands and afraid to range too far from their many exclude other gods on holy days. In the Shadowfell
hidden redoubts. Only after the ancient wars and and the Domains of Dread, that goddess is named as
their part in them began to fade did such elves Mother Night. In worlds beyond, such as the Forgotten
venture farther afield. Elven memory is long indeed, Realms, this goddess is most often known as Sehanine
and some bear the lost tribe, now called dusk elves, Moonbow. In lands where Sehanine is not worshipped, she
is identified with goddesses of the moon and/or hunt,
ill will, but many find ways to look beyond the
such as Artemis. A central tenet of this faith is the notion
ancient offense and take these people for who they of the night as a source of refuge and recovery, rather
now are. than a feared unknown. This ethos directly opposes gods
The Magic of the Dusk Elves of thievery and murder (such as Mask, Bhaal, or Set),
During the war between the ancestors of the various whose worshippers tend to see the night as a cover for
subraces of elves, it is said that some elves who remained victimizing others.
neutral sought increase magical powers to enforce peace Other faiths abide among the dusk elves as well. They
among the warring factions. Various reports give these have no disdain for gods of light, for example, and dusk
proto-dusk elves credit for inventing various forms of elves in Barovia often pay homage to the Morninglord. In
magic, as well as for being the progenitors of various the Realms, they also venerate the good-aligned drow
magical species descended from elves. goddess Ellistraee, who represents the redemption of dark
The most popular of these rumors says that certain elves that their ancestors always believed was possible.
dusk elves were the first warlocks, at first pacting with However, the worship of those elven gods who swore
great powers of the Feywild, but later experimenting with vengeance on the dusk elves—such as Corellon Larethian
demonic influences as well. It is unclear how these rumors in the Realms—is forbidden in most of their communities,
might relate to tales of ancient tieflings forging the first and those who maintain these faiths must do so in secret,
warlock pacts with their fiendish kin. lest they face exile and ostracism. In some dusk elf
What can be confirmed is that dusk elf spellcasters can settlements, rumors persist about cults worshipping Lolth.
reach heights of power just as dizzying as those attained Dusk elves restrict their emotions to a narrow range,
by high elf wizards, and that there are many warlocks
showing little joy and less grief. For all their
among them as well. It is also known that they were the
disinclination for emotional displays, dusk elves are
first to practice the Pact of the Gloom (detailed in the
Warlock section of the Classes chapter), and that dusk elf a people of deep feeling. When alone or among a
illusionists and necromancers collaborated to establish trusted few, they give in to their happiness and
the study of shadow magic (sometimes called sorrow with surprising intensity.
“nethermancy”) as its own occult tradition. Dusk elves value their privacy and guard their
lands from trespassers. The dusk elves who protect
Physically, dusk elves are a slight folk, nearly
their communities from trespass are a select group
identical to their wood elf counterparts. They tend to
of deadly sentries, known as the gloaming
be thinner and taller than most other elf subraces.
guardians. They protect the routes into their
Most are very dark-skinned, with complexions
communities, and if they encounter intruders, they
ranging from a dark brown to a golden tan,
use their stealthy talents to trick or frighten
complimented by lustrous black, auburn, or
interlopers away. Failing that, the guardians use
silverish hair. Their variety of eye colors includes
their considerable martial prowess to pick such
any color that might be seen in a drow, wood elf, or

50
trespassers off one at a time, until they realize their to live in other Domains of Dread. Elves of other kinds are
error and return from whence they came. Gloaming much rarer in these benighted lands than in other worlds,
guardians are sometimes the only dusk elves who which has slightly altered dusk elf culture here. They are
still appropriately suspicious and fearful for dwelling in
meet other peoples.
such haunted places, but the fact of their existence is not
During private moments, dusk elves reflect on
a total secret, though their racial enclaves are still
their nature, their people’s history, and the plans guarded with deadly secrecy.
their patron goddess has for them. They see the Dusk elves trapped in the Land of Mists feel a sense of
natural world as a prison, albeit a beautiful one, and kinship with local humans, whose frightened paranoia
pine f or the fabulous cities of the high elves and mirrors their own. In fact, such dusk elf colonies will even
verdant fey lands of the wood elves. engage in trade with humans living in the same Domain of
Those who shrug off the accustomed melancholy of Dread. Residents of such dusk elf communities are much
their people sometimes leave their hidden more likely to venture out to see other lands. Human
settlements in some domains, however, practice evil
communities to see what the world has to offer.
traditions openly, and in such places, dusk elves are just
Adventuring is a common pastime for these bold
as secretive as usual.
souls, and they prove constant, though detached, Barovian Dusk Elves
comrades. They show little of the joy shared by other The dusk elves of Barovia suffered a cruel fate, even before
elves. However, dusk elves are sensitive about their that realm was drawn into the Domains of Dread by the
reputations and might go over-board to prove their Mists. Once, the dusk elves had a sizable and well-
loyalty. Those who return from sojourns abroad populated refuge in the Svalich Woods near Lake Zarovich.
have founded factions pushing for reconciliation One of their own nobles, a black-hearted dusk elf named
with high elves and wood elves. They face strong Rahadin, refused to recognize the authority of a higher
opposition, but a few communities have been ranking noble. His disobedience towards that prince was
so ruthless and disrespectful that Rahadin was banished.
successful in establishing talks with their estranged
Later, during the rule of the King Barov—Strahd’s father—
kin.
the dusk elves declined to pay fealty to that human
Dusk Elf Feats monarch.
While the base dusk elf is, mechanically, identical to your The traitorous Rahadin helped Barov conquer and
choice of another of the elf subraces (usually wood elf, or nearly exterminate the dusk elves of the Svalich kingdom.
sometimes high elf), adventuring dusk elves learn to focus Members of the royal family who had exiled Rahadin were
the unique blessings of their patron goddess in more murdered down to the last distant cousin, leaving no
potent ways. They combine the magic that helps hide heirs, and the others were hunted down like animals. On
them from the world with the training in stealth all dusk the verge of being annihilated, the few survivors
elves receive to frustrate and confuse their enemies. For surrendered. Barov left those who weren’t subjugated to
player characters, the Dusk Elf Stealth feat is a good way the mercy of the Vistani, who took in many. Yet worse was
to express the traits that differentiate them from their kin. yet to come.
In addition, the Shadow Sentinel feat (available to all races Years later, Barov’s son, Strahd von Zarovich, fought a
with an appropriate background, but especially suited to great war to purge his enemies from Barovia. Rahadin had
the dusk elf) is perfect for members of the gloaming been adopted by the king for his service, and now he
guardians. Finally, the Dusksinger feat allows dusk elf served Strahd loyally as his brother and lord. After Strahd
warlocks to use a variant of the elven martial and magical succeeded his father as ruler of Barovia, the dusk elf
art known as Bladesong (as described in the Sword Coast traitor helped build Castle Ravenloft, and Strahd made
Adventurer’s Guide). These feats are all described in the Rahadin his chamberlain.
Optional Feats chapter. A dusk elven archmage named Patrina, who had studied
spellcasting alongside her brother Kasimir before
Dusk Elf Traits advancing far beyond him and mastering the blackest of
A dusk elf has the traits of another elven subrace, arcane arts, felt a great bond with Strahd. Even the
sharing close kinship with the other breeds of elves. knowledge that his father had slaughtered nearly all of her
kin did not dissuade here. She taught the human noble
The overwhelming majority of dusk elves have the
much of necromancy and other occult secrets before
traits of a wood elf, sometimes of a high elf; those
Strahd fell in love with another, allowing the jealous and
rare dusk elves who share the qualities of a drow hateful Rahadin to drive Patrina from his lord’s presence.
(including their sensitivity to sunlight) are seldom When the Mists claimed Barovia, Patrina was living in
seen outside their communities, and playing one Vallaki with her brother among the Vistani once more. As
requires special DM permission. she soon as she discovered Strahd was cursed with
vampirism, and that the woman he had loved was no
Dusk Elves of Ravenloft
more, she went to him at once in the hopes of winning his
At some point before Strahd von Zarovich’s fall from grace,
love and sharing his power. She asked to be bound to him
groups of dusk elves migrated to Barovia. Later, they came

51
forever in marriage. Drawn once more to her knowledge Tales are told of a
and arcane might, Strahd consented, but before he could village of halflings
make her his bride, her brother and their other kin heard hidden somewhere in
of this foul betrothal.
the forests of Sithicus.
Whether it was an act of mercy to keep her from the
These halflings were
curse of undeath, or a monstrous atrocity to keep her
from becoming the concubine of their hated oppressor, hideously tortured by
Patrina’s brother led his fellow dusk elves in stoning her to the black knight who
death. Strahd immediately demanded Patrina’s body, and previously ruled that
got it, burying her in the catacombs of Castle Ravenloft. land, however. They are
Then he sent Rahadin to punish the dusk elves. now said to be insane,
Rahadin didn’t have them all killed. His wicked loathing feral creatures.
of his own people and loyalty to his master drove him to a Equally feral, but
horrific form of poetic justice. Since males of his race had
likely not insane, are
deprived Rahadin’s lord of a bride, he ensured they could
the desert halflings of
never marry among their own people. Rahadin slew every
female dusk elf in Barovia. Kalidnay. Perhaps
Playing a Barovian Dusk Elf dwelling in the
Dusk elves native to Barovia all share the traits of wood scorched sands of
elves. They cannot be female without the special the Amber Wastes
permission of the DM. Aside from Rahadin, who is dusky- as well, these
skinned but still pale for a dusk elf, all those survivors isolated tribes
who remain in the domain of Barovia have the dark skin are antisocial,
and hair common to most of their people. raiding human
Other Dusk Elves in the Domains of Dread
caravans, and are
A number of dusk elves live in the domain of Darkon,
sometimes said to
where they keep their true origins secret but have largely
practice cannibalism.
integrated with the larger population. Curiously, these
dusk elves believe they have always lived in Darkon, which Sages dismiss these
they see as the ancestral homeland of all elven peoples. tales as fantasy—who
According to their tales, Mother Night sheltered them here could imagine a cannibal
and tricked the progenitors of the drow and other breeds halfling?
of elf into leaving. Perhaps owing to an appearance not unlike that of
In Sithicus, where elves live in greater numbers than in human children—for whom they are often
any other Dark Lord's realm, the dusk elves maintain no mistaken—halflings are lucky enough to avoid most
settlements, and individuals of their subrace who pass
of the animosity that other nonhumans face. With
through are even more covert than normal. They do their
their small size and lack of supernatural powers,
best to avoid the strange, xenophobic elves who live in
Sithicus, who they find even more alien and threatening halflings present humans with little to fear. Humans
than high elves and wood elves of other lands. respect halflings' courage and general good nature—
sometimes to a fault. Humans often treat halflings
Halflings with good-intentioned condescension, believing that
all halflings are as innocent and harmless as the
Most halflings in the Domains of Dread are nomadic, young children they resemble.
wandering in clans from one domain to another. Some human bards in Nova Vaasa claim that
Unlike the constantly drifting Vistani, however, halflings were created when a powerful hag tried to
halflings tend to take root in a given area for a few purify a human as an experiment, driving all the evil
years, experiencing all it has to offer before moving from his body. The experiment was a success, but
on. Any settlement of sufficient size may boast a the victim was reduced to half his former size, the
halfling community, though these may be ghettos. "evil half” vanishing to none-knows-where. Halflings
Some halflings have settled down to form pay this legend very little mind.
permanent communities. The largest of these are
New Halfling Subrace:
both in Darkon. Halflings in the city of Rivalis raise
goats, produce cheese and take pride in their flower
Sunscorched Halfling
gardens. The town of Delagia supports itself through The wiry, desert-dwelling sunscorched halflings have
fishing and is actually built atop Lake Korst, its eked out a desperate existence in the sandy wastes
buildings resembling beaver dams. since time immemorial, scavenging and raiding as
needed to make their desolate homes as comfortable

52
and safe as possible. When their far-ranging scouts Desert Dweller. You have advantage on all
find an oasis, hidden valley, or sparsely forested Wisdom or Constitution checks related to surviving
ridge that can offer a better life for their clan and its in deserts, plains, or wastelands, and on all
children, they will work for years to drive out any Constitution saves against fire, heat, or thirst. In
hostile inhabitants, and then defend their new addition, you are naturally adapted to hot climates.
holding with the ferocity of cornered animals. Wasteland Fury. If you are not within 5 feet of
Whether striking out from such a home base any ally when you hit with an attack roll, you can
wandering as many tribes do, sunscorched halfling choose to inflict 1d10 extra damage against one
family groups raid caravans and the habitations of target you hit. After you use this ability, you may
strangers without remorse, dependent on such booty immediately move 5 feet without provoking
to support the entire tribe. opportunity attacks. Once you inflict this extra
Sunscorched halflings live apart from other races, damage, you cannot do so again until you finish a
divided by their stature and odd customs, but no short or long rest. If a creature who takes the extra
one can deny their bravery and cunning. The damage has not yet taken a turn in the combat, they
savagery for which they are feared masks a deep and are frightened of you until the end of their next turn.
abiding reverence for the natural world and an New Halfling Subrace:
uncommon connection to the land’s spirits.
According to their myths, sunscorched halflings
Afflicted One
are among the oldest peoples in creation. Once Once these halflings were part of a carefree and
stewards of all the land, the halflings retreated when happy-go-lucky people. Their curiosity, humor, and
dark forces rose to dominate the world, and they cheerfulness were so unrelenting others sometimes
built a civilization in hidden places. found them infuriating. It seemed that no matter
Their strong connections to the natural world how they aged, a child’s innocence never left them.
make it hard for them to establish productive Yet innocence has abandoned the afflicted ones.
relationships with other races. For example, The horrors they have seen have changed them
sunscorched halflings place little emphasis on the forever. Their friendly cheerfulness has vanished,
individual; each is merely part of the overall replaced by grim suspicion. Although they remain
community. This view makes it nearly impossible for incurably curious, it is the curiosity of fear and
sunscorched halflings to deceive or betray one paranoia. They are curious not because they just
another, but other races are seen very differently. want to know but because they want to know
They are not part of the community, and are whether it will hurt or help them. If they meet a
generally seen as existing out of harmony with stranger, they are as likely to attack as to talk, but
nature. Such creatures can therefore be treated no either way—while the interloper is alive, or after they
differently than predators, or prey. are dead—the afflicted ones want to know everything
Sunscorched halflings see all creatures as about who that person is or was and what is on
potential sources of sustenance. After all, living their person, to see what kind of threat they may
beings compete to survive, and halflings think represent. To this end, even around someone they
nothing of eating their enemies, for doing so ensures do not see as a direct source of harm, they
their own survival. Cannibalism is rarer than the constantly peek, poke, and pilfer. They don’t think of
local folktales of other races make it sound, but the themselves as thieves, but don’t have a moral notion
custom is a testament to the unmatched tenacity of property. Anything not nailed down is theirs if
that keeps sunscorched halflings alive. they want it, and they are full of rationalizations if
It’s worth noting that “sunscorched” is not a name caught. However, those rationalizations now have a
these halfling use among themselves. In fact, it is a single theme: they take things to check them out.
term used by other halflings and human scholars to Caught with his hand in the pouch of a wizard, the
differentiate them from other sorts of halflings, such afflicted one says, “I’m only making sure nothing in
as lightfoots or stouts. there is dangerous” or “Of course I kept this wand I
found in there, you might decide to use it against
Sunscorched Halfling Traits
me sometime.” These creatures naturally assume
The sunscorched halfling subrace has the normal
that everyone and everything is a potential threat.
halfling traits, plus the subrace traits below.
Their sense of humor has become a wry defense
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score
mechanism, a black comic sense of the absurdity of
increases by 1. their lives. They enjoy sarcastic rejoinders, the
darker the better, and truly biting insults. They

53
indulge in harsh practical jokes. Among one physical appearance of dragonborn is farther from
another, the jokes are used as a method of conflict the human norm than any of the other racs
resolution and revenge. They have developed an described here. Thankfully, like most other
elaborate system of face based on who has last had nonhumans, they have the option of the throwing
the better of whom. the hood of a cloak over their heads and being
The one arguable blessing of all this is an extreme ignored by passersby while traveling, the same as
bond between all afflicted ones. They have been anyone else. While these draconic humanoids still
through the Abyss, and they know they are in this almost always need to hide their appearance, a
together. Their loyalties to family are practically subrace native to the Domains of Dread has
fanaticism, and any outsider who denigrates their emerged very recently. Sailors in the Nocturnal Sea
community in any way will be marked for murder if have reported seeing dragonborn mariners aboard
they aren’t already. sophisticated sailing vessels. In some of these tales,
A special racial species of vampire exists for this they are terrifying pirates breathing the very Mists
subrace. Ezmerelda d’Avenir wrote that of all themselves from their jaws. In others, they appear
vampires, they were the most deeply horrifying. out of the fog to rescue foundering ships.
Afflicted One Traits Sea Dragonborn (Dragonborn Variant)
The afflicted one subrace has the normal halfling The sea dragonborn are a warlike people who take to
traits, plus the subrace traits below. naval battle readily, using their unique abilities to
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score strike with stealth from banks of fog or vapor.
increases by 1. Besides a tendency to be smaller and more agile,
Handler. You are proficient in the Sleight of Hands they are very much like their metallic or chromatic
skill. Whenever you make a Dexterity (Sleight of kin. They have a tradition of raiding ships and port
Hand) skill check to pick someone’s pockets, add settlements, but few seem to be evil, and most
double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead warbands focus their depredations on evil groups
of your normal proficiency bonus. which their leaders declare as anathema. Of course,
Taunt. You have an instinctive insight into others’ less ethical sea dragonborn of other alignments are
insecurities that you can exploit through well- often marine raiders as well, but are far less
crafted insults or intimidating mockery. You know discriminating when choosing their targets. They
the vicious mockery cantrip. Charisma is your dress in loose-fitting, airy clothes, in which they find
spellcasting ability score for this spell. If a creature it easy to move, layering them as necessary in colder
fails their saving throw against your vicious mockery climes.
cantrip, the next time it makes an attack roll before Sea Dragonborn Multiclassing
the end of its next turn, it takes extra psychic If you are using the optional multiclassing rules, sea
damage equal to your Wisdom modifier if that attack dragonborn gain a special benefit: they can substitute
roll is not against you. their Dexterity score for their Strength score when
determining if they can be multiclass paladins.
Afflicted Ones in the Domains of Dread
Of all the domains, it is believed Sithicus is the only Sea Dragonborn Traits
one to which this halfling subrace is native. They These traits replace the Ability Score Increase,
were the subject of horrific experiments and Draconic Ancestry, Breath Weapon, and Damage
torments by the death knight who ruled them, and Resistance traits of a normal Dragonborn.
escaped only due to unrelenting determination to Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
keep each other alive and their own natural increases by 2, and your choice of either your
cunning, They live hidden in that domain’s vast Strength score or Dexterity score increases by 1.
forests, their territorial boundaries marked by posts Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
bearing the heads of trespassers.
Draco-Aquatic Ancestry. Like all dragonborn, you
Rumors that there are also afflicted ones native to
have draconic ancestry, but it links you to dragons
the domain of Falkovnia remain unproven.
of the sea rather than the usual metallic or

Dragonborn chromatic breeds. For effects that may depend on it,

your draconic ancestry is of the “Sea” type, and your
Until very recently, no dragonborn were native to breath weapon is a 15 ft. cone requiring a Dexterity
these lands. Newcomers even to most of the other save. Your ancestry does not grant the normal
worlds where they have become common, the resistance to a particular damage type, but for any

54
effect that may be based on the damage type
determined by your draconic ancestry, the
damage type is considered fire.
Minor Heat Resistance. When you take fire
damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d4.
Add your Constitution modifier to the number
rolled, and reduce the damage by that amount.
Searing Steam Breath. You can use your
action to exhale a cloud of super-heated steam.
When you use your breath weapon, each
creature within a 15 ft. cone must make a
Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving
throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier +
your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 1d6 fire
damage on a failed save and half as much
damage on a successful one. Being underwater
doesn’t grant resistance against this damage. The
damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th
level, and 4d6 at 16th level. In addition, your
breath weapon creates an area of fog that
includes not only the cone itself but any area
within 5 feet of it, including the space in which
you are standing when you use it. The fog
remains for 1 minute, and it spreads around
corners, and its area is heavily obscured. After
you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it
again until you complete a short or long rest.
Sea Dragon’s Legacy. You gain a swimming
speed equal to your walking speed, and whenever
you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check while you
are heavily obscured by any form of water or
vapor (including mist and fog), you are
considered proficient in the Stealth skill and add
double your normal proficiency bonus to the
check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Sea Dragonborn in Ravenloft
Those who have had friendly contact with the Sea
Dragonborn report that they claim to have a homeland in diverse nation of Darkon. The largest primarily
the far north of the Nocturnal Sea, which they call Al- gnomish settlement is in Darkon, in the town of
Kabus. It is said to lie east of Todstein and west of Vechor. Mayvin. Demand for gnomish skills has also drawn
They describe it as an archipelago of cold desert small communities—very rarely more than one
landscapes, with sandy border islands surrounding hundred strong—to Valachan and Hazlan. The
column-like rock formations that jut up from the water to
largest gnomish population outside Darkon—still no
great heights.
more than 150 gnomes, all told—exists in Nova
It is unclear if this “Al-Kabus” is a new domain, part of
another domain, or a homeland that is now lost to the sea Vaasa, where it has become fashionable for nobles
dragonborn, the place they knew in another world before to have a gnomish jester in their courts. Rumor has
they were drawn into the Mists. In the latter case, they it that most of these jesters also serve as court spies,
may believe, incorrectly, that they can still sail home. aided by their magical talents and small size.
Gnomes in many worlds possess intense
Gnomes intellectual curiosity, and those in the Land of Mists
are little different. They are fascinated by intricate
Gnomes, like many non-human civilized races in the
details, be they riddles or the fine cogs of a pocket
Domains of Dread, are most likely to be found in the
watch. Gnomes enjoy nothing so much as solving a

55
difficult puzzle—building patterns out of chaos. parents. Rather, they are a reflection of certain dark
Gnomes often work as alchemists, gem cutters, forces that imbue the domains, and are usually born
engineers, or clockmakers. Because of these to fully human parents. Known as calibans, they
tendencies, gnomes were many of the first members resemble half-orcs in many respects, but have no
of the Metaphysician class (a new character class orcish heritage.
described in this document). The existence of calibans makes the day-to-day
Many gnomes in these lands also possess a existence of actual half-orcs even more difficult,
wicked, morbid sense of humor flavored by the since most folk who know of the existence of
darkness around them. These gnomes often pass the calibans believe half-orcs to be the same sort of
time by telling macabre tales laced with irony, and creature. Most familiar with calibans associate them
they enjoy playing practical jokes, particularly on with curses and evil magic, and most unfamiliar
anyone they consider too dour. Gnomish practical with them have no context for seeing a half-orc as
jokes are usually remarkably elaborate but are anything but a monster. In many ways, a half-orc in
virtually never intended to cause the recipient any the Domains of Dread faces even more challenges
true harm—when that is the intention, however, the than those of other world, and almost all are
harm can be grievous indeed. adventurers.

Half-Elves The buried feelings of shame, frustration,

isolation, and even rage most half-orcs and calibans
As the product of love affairs between elves and experience sometimes express themselves as
humans—the two most populous races in the Core— supernatural phenomenon. There are many half-
half-elves are more common than they once were. orcs who possess the Living Poltergeist feat
Half-elves have no communities of their own in the (described in the Optional Feats chapter).
Domains of Dread, and tend to adopt the prevailing Caliban (Half-Orc Variant)
human fashions of their homeland. Thankfully rare, calibans are twisted humans
Although half-elves are at risk in a few domains, exposed to curses or foul magic while still in the
such as Falkovnia and Tepest, they do not face the womb. The birth of a caliban in a community is
same level of animosity many other nonhumans do often seen as a sure sign of the presence of
in human lands. Half-elves are generally pitied by witchcraft — specifically, the corrupting aura of a
both humans and elves; some even consider half- hag.
elves mildly cursed by their heritage. It is said that Calibans are physically powerful but misshapen
half-elves are doomed to outlive their human loved humanoids. No two calibans look alike, but common
ones and to grow old and die before the eyes of their deformities include twisted backs or limbs,
elven kin. Half-elves find it difficult to maintain long- asymmetrical features, bristly skin, or tusk-like
term relationships. teeth. Calibans are widely considered brutish,
Forced into the life of an outsider, though not savage creatures; their name is a corruption of
often reviled as some races are, half-elves often pride "cannibal," stemming from their most infamous
themselves on their iconoclastic nature. Many pour reputed habit.
their alienation and anguish into artistic pursuits, In truth, many calibans are simple-minded, petty
becoming musicians or wandering bards. A few even brutes, but this is often the product of their
reject their given names, adopting dramatic titles upbringing. Rejected as monsters, most calibans
like the Wind Haunter or the Deathseeker. spend their lives hidden in dank cellars or flee
A half-elf may be born to a wandering elf in any civilization to roam the wilds. In truth, a caliban's
domain, but most hail from the regions surrounding heart can be as pure and noble as that of any
the lands of eastern Darkon or Sithicus, where elves human.
live in greater numbers than in other domains.
Caliban Traits
Half-Orc Calibans can be created with the same traits as half-
orcs, but they tend to vary more in their various
Orcs are unknown in most domains, even as personal aptitudes and challenges than half-orcs do.
creatures of legend. The only true half-orcs native to In addition, the sinister nature of their birth makes
the Realm of Terror are those born to half-orcs from them innately frightening. Therefore, the following
other worlds brought by the Mists. alternate traits are available to any caliban, in
However, a variant form of half-orc does exist in addition to the normal half-orc traits:
the Dread Domains, but they are not born to orc

56
 Cunning Survivor. Your Constitution score granted by their birth, many become far more
increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by wicked than most calibans. Many possess the Mind
1. This replaces the half-orc’s Ability Score Increase Reader feat (described in the Optional Feats
trait. chapter).
Frightful Savagery. When you score a critical hit Shadowfell Tiefling (Variant)
with a melee weapon attack, in addition to the Some tieflings have a mysterious ancestral tie to the
normal effects of a critical hit, the target is Shadowfell as well acounters fiendish roots. It is
frightened of you until the end of your next turn. unclear if they are intertwining of multiple planar
This trait replaces the half-orc’s Savage Attacks origins, the descendants of fiends who took up
trait. residence in the Shadowfell, or something else
Relentless Terror. You can cast the frightful entirely. Tieflings born in the Land of Mists do not
strike* spell once with this trait. You regain the use have the physical characteristics described for
of this spell when you finish a long rest, or when you tieflings in the core rules. Rather they look human,
inflict damage with a successful melee weapon but always have four specific traits. First, whenever
attack on your turn against a creature who was their reflection is seen, the shadow of a knife’s edge
frightened of you at the beginning of your turn. This is always falling across their face. Second, their
trait replaces the half-orc’s Relentless Endurance shadows always lag a split second behind them, and
trait. sometimes do not precisely copy their actual actions.
Third, they constantly exude a slight smell of smoke
Tieflings (whether woodsmoke, pipeweed, or some other
scent, depending on the individual tiefling), even
Tieflings are rare in these lands, and exist in
when perfumed or bathing. Finally, they always have
isolation or small families rather than in full
misty gray eyes.
communities of their own. Their rarity may have
These tieflings can marshal the potential of their
something to do with the fact that fiends shun the
fiendish blood to dominate their environment
Domains of Dread with all their might, since the
through fear and manipulation. The power of their
closed boundaries between planes mean that once
heritage enhances their force of personality rather
here, a fiend, celestial, or elemental can usually
than allowing them to perform flashier tricks of
never leave. It is said that fiends trapped in the
shadow and flame, making them natural leaders and
Domains of Dread warp reality around themselves,
formidable comrades.
and that human children born within that effect
sometimes grow into a special subrace of tieflings. Shadowfell Tiefling Traits
Those are the only tieflings who are Shadowfell Tieflings have most of the same traits
native to the Realm of as other tieflings, but replace their Hellish
Terror, and in almost all Resistance and Infernal Legacy traits
cases, they have the with the Legacy of Terror trait:
traits of the Shadowfell Shadowborn Resistance. You
tiefling variant have resistance to necrotic
(described below). damage.
Unlike calibans Legacy of Terror. You know the
(another variant race warning roar* cantrip. When you
born to humans in reach 3rd level, you can cast
the land of Mists the wrathful smite spell once
due to the taint of with this trait. When you
dark magic), these reach 5th level, you can
native tieflings look cast the aid spell once as a
almost completely 2nd-level spell with this
human, and are not trait. You must finish a
shunned as many long rest to cast these spells
calibans are. Their once again with this trait.
dark legacy is more Charisma is your spellcasting
subtle, yet because of the ability for all spells granted by this
power to influence others trait.

57
 strangers prove themselves to be friends. Once
New Race: Ravenkin someone has earned the trust of the ravenkin,
though, they have won a great prize, for these
“The enormous black bird wore a shining silver
creatures are able to provide a wealth of information
necklace, engraved with the symbol of the
about the evils of Ravenloft. The Vistani say that
forgotten Barovian god Andral. It cocked its head
when I entered, regarding me with bright black ravenkin can see through the eyes of every raven in
eyes. I sensed at once that the creature was not the land; from the vast knowledge these folk seem to
only intelligent, but far wiser than I. Yet I was be able to amass on even the shortest notice, that
still unprepared when it began to speak, and again seems to be only a minor exaggeration.
when it told me more about the subject of my More than two centuries ago, the ravenkin first
quest than I had learned in months of research.” entered the Domains of Dread. Since then, they have
—From the Journals of Ezmerelda D’Avenir been trapped. They keep a close eye on the dark
The ravenkin are an avian race that have been entities and evil forces that surround them.
trapped within the misty confines of Ravenloft. More By Beak and Talon
intelligent than most humanoids, they look much
Ravenkin, like the birds they so closely resemble, do
like huge versions of the
not have hands, but their
common raven or crow, with a
taloned toes are nearly as
full wingspan averaging seven
dexterous as the fingers of a
feet. Although some see ravens
halfling, though not as strong.
as symbols of ill omen,
They can manipulate lockpicks,
ravenkin are one of the few
quill pens, knives, and light
persistent forces for good in
tools and weapons with ease.
this otherwise dark land of evil.
Ravenkin believe the best way
A Vanishing Mystery to survive a fight is to avoid it,
A reclusive and extremely long- but when they must engage in
lived race, ravenkin are physical combat, they rely on
shrouded in black feathers and special hit and run tactics,
have long, straight beaks. pecking at humanoid
When they wish to set opponents’ eyes or fingers.
themselves apart from normal The ravenkin exist on a diet of
ravens, they often wear small insects, berries, and carrion. In
items of sparkling jewelry. short, they will eat almost
The ravenkin speak their own anything put before them –
screeching dialect of Auran, truly proving themselves to be
which sounds like a collection omnivorous. They find the act
of squawks and shrieks to of hunting bothersome,
those not listening for it. Most however, and delight in the
of these creatures will also taste of slightly rotted meat,
speak the common language in making carrion the main element of their diet.
use by the humanoid inhabitants of their lands. Ravenkin Names
Ravenkin communities resembled nothing so much
A ravenkin’s first name tends to reflect their cawing,
as a collection of large nests, spread out over several
birdlike language. Thus, they share many of the
square miles. Only a small number of ravenkin effs
same sorts of names as aarakocra, with either
hatch, so their numbers are steadily declining. They
gender having first names like Aarok, Aial, Auraa,
believe the corruption of their eggs is due to the evil
Deekek, Errhk, Heeahk, Ikki, Kareeka, Keeva,
taint of these lands.
Kleeck, Oorr, Ouss, Quierk, Pyoor, Salleek,
Hidden Spies Shreeaka, or Ureek.
Ravenkin are not built as sturdily as even halflings As a rule, an individual’s last name is his age, as
or gnomes are. Generally, they avoid attention and ravenkin measure time, so not in years. A recently
direct confrontation when possible. They tend to hatched chick might be “Kareeka Twomoons” and a
ignore creatures they encounter, unless those wise old elder might be known as “Shreeaka
creatures are actively seeking them out. In the latter Fiftyautumns”.
case, they are wary and untrusting until the

58
Ravenkin Traits successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your
Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to
Being almost identical to normal ravens other than
determine that the effect is faked.
in size, ravenkin share many distinctive traits. Their
lack of hands, difficulty with armor, and diminished Natural Sorcerer. You know one cantrip of your
lifting and carrying capacity present special choice from the sorcerer spell list. Charisma is your
challenges, while being able to fly starting at 1st spellcasting ability for it. In addition, spells you cast
level is exceptionally effective in certain do not require somatic components.
circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. Pecking Strike. You are proficient with your
As a result, playing a ravenkin requires special unarmed strikes, which deal 2 piercing damage on a
consideration by your DM. hit. When you make a critical hit with an unarmed
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score strike, that creature must make a Constitution
increases by 1, and you increase your choice of your saving throw against a DC equal to 8 plus your
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 2. Dexterity modifier plus your proficiency bonus. If
Age. Ravenkin reach physical maturity slightly they fail, they are blinded until the end of your next
turn (creatures who fail this saving throw who either
faster than humans, but live much longer—a
cannot see or do not have eyes instead cannot take
ravenkin who lives less than a hundred-fifty years is
reactions until the end of your next turn). If the
considered to have died young.
saving throw fails by 5 or more, the blindness lasts
Alignment. Most ravenkin are good. Very few are
until they receive magical healing, or until they
lawful, since none of the legal entities they have
benefit from a regeneration spell or an effect that
found in the Realm of Terror can be trusted.
cures blindness.
Language. You can speak, read, and write
Ravenlink. You can communicate telepathically
Common, Auran, and one other language.
with any raven within 100 feet. Additionally, so long
Size. Ravenkin are about3 feet tall, but their full
as you have at least 1 unused spell slot of 1st level
extended wingspans are much larger than their
or higher, you enjoy extra uses for this link. As an
height, averaging seven feet. They have thin,
action, if there is a raven within 100 feet, you can
lightweight bodies that weigh around 20 pounds.
see through that raven's eyes and hear what it hears
Your size is Small.
until the start of your next turn. During this time,
Speed. Your base walking speed is 20 feet.
you are deaf and blind with regard to your own
Flight. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. This senses. Finally, when you cast a spell with a range
increases to 40 feet when you reach 3rd level, and of touch, you can choose for any raven within 100
50 feet when you reach 5th level. To use this speed, feet of you to deliver the spell as if it had cast the
you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor. When spell. Doing so uses the raven’s reaction when you
wearing armor, you reduce your flying speed by half. cast the spell. If the spell requires an attack roll, you
Darkvision. With even better eyesight than that of use your attack modifier for the roll. All these
the ravens to whom you are kin, you have superior abilities work just as if the raven were your familiar.
vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in However, if you ever cast the find familiar spell, it
dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright fails—no ravenkin can ever have a familiar.
light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You Snatching Talons. When you take the Disengage
can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. action while flying, you can choose one creature
Frail. Your carrying capacity (including maximum within 5 feet to make a Strength saving throw
load and maximum lift) is halved, and you have against a DC equal to 8 plus your Dexterity modifier
disadvantage on Strength checks made to push, plus your proficiency bonus. If the creature fails, it
pull, lift, or break objects. drops one object of your choice that it is holding,
Handless. Ravenkin can only manipulate objects and the object lands at its feet. If the creature fails
with their taloned feet. As a result, you can never the saving throw by 5 or more, you can choose to
use a heavy or two-handed weapon, and you only catch the object if it is not too heavy for you,
gain your proficiency bonus when using light otherwise it lands in a space of your choice within 5
weapons with which you are proficient. feet of the creature.
Mimicry. You can mimic the speech of another Winged Speech. Through sounds and gestures,
person or the sounds made by other creatures. You you can communicate simple ideas with any Small
must have heard the person speaking, or heard the or smaller beasts that have a fly speed.
creature make the sound, for at least 1 minute. A

59
Chapter 4: Barbarian
Barbarians dwell in many of the Domains of Dread.
Tiny homesteads struggle to beat back the cyclopean

Classes forests of Verbrek. Denizens of tiny villages huddle

in the frozen wastes of Vorostokov. Nomads wander
the burning sands of the Amber Wastes. Life for the
Only the most unusual inhabitants of the Domains people of these communities is a daily struggle
of Dread are adventurers. Most natives live their against unforgiving terrain. Their clans need
whole lives in the domain in which they were born, hunters, warriors, and protectors—and the most
sometimes never imagining other lands exist beyond powerful of these is the barbarian. Lone barbarians
their own communities. In places where multiple can also be found in other lands, where they live as
domains cluster together, like the Core, most folk solitary hermits or mountain men and avoid the
are aware that other lands exist, but very few ever noise of civilization. Among lycanthropes and the
visit them. Even most traveling merchants only larger goblinoids, barbarians are believed to be
range between two or three domains. Tending, as relatively common as well. Most barbarians in the
they do, to travel regularly between the realms of Lands of Mist are intensely superstitious. The Voros
many different darklords, adventurers are as rare of Vorostokov, for example, believe that written
here as they are extraordinary. words inherently contain evil magic. The folk of more
The heroes of Ravenloft come in many forms, but the "enlightened" cultures view barbarians as uncouth
groups that survive the longest tend to combine at best or drunken berserkers at worst. Tales are
many different classes. This is likely due to the whispered of barbarian clans who sell the pelts of
variety of threats with which the Dark Powers have anything they catch, humanoid or otherwise.
populated their playgrounds. Some heroes, like New Primal Path:
barbarians and fighters, are well suited for battling
physical foes. Spellcasters, like clerics and warlocks, Path of the Shadowcursed
wield their numerous talents against more spiritual
Something unholy lives in you. When you rage, you
threats. Yet when the form of the threat is insidious
let it out. For you, raging is not merely summoning
or unknown, or when direct confrontation isn’t the
up primal ferocity or venting your own anger, but
goal, heroes who focus on mastering skills for
granting another separate will control of your body
investigation or exploration, such as bards and
for a time. The true nature of the shadowy presence
rogues, can be invaluable.
in your mind may vary, or you may not understand
it. It could be a vengeful relative’s spirit, the
remaining vestige of forgotten deity of war, a dark
splinter of your own personality, a tainted totem
spirit, or the sentience that once dwelt in a cursed
weapon but has instead moved into you. Whatever it
is, it is now a part of you, and you know you will
never be free of it.
Some barbarians with this primal path are unusual
for that class in that they were born or raised in an
urban settlement or hierarchal society, but whatever
horrid doom put the shadowy second spirit in their
mind compelled them to leave their community and
live elsewhere, whether alone or as part of tribe.
Such shadowcursed have lived outside of civilized
ways for so long, they are highly unlikely to return.
The Shadow Within
At 3rd level when you choose this path, you are
cursed, and an evil intelligence lives within you, a
foul shadow defined by the worst elements of your
soul that makes a mockery of your ideals. You

60
create an extra Flaw that is only in effect when you wields your shadowcursed weapon, they also gain
are raging. While raging, you have no Ideals. the magical bonus to damage, but whenever a
Because this secondary personality has a will of its creature carrying your shadowcursed weapon rolls a
own, it helps you to anticipate threats and resist d20, they take 1d6 psychic damage if the die comes
psychic attacks. You add half your Constitution up as a 1 or a 2.
modifier (minimum of 1) to all saving throws against Suspicious Thoughts
psychic damage or being charmed, frightened,
Beginning at 6th level, you can better harness the
stunned, and knocked unconscious.
hateful vigilance of the shadow that rides in your
While you are raging, you gain additional benefits.
mind, as it warns of possible threats and casts its
During your rage, you add your full Constitution
suspicions on the motives of those you meet. You
modifier to all saving throws against psychic damage
add your Constitution modifier to all Wisdom
or being charmed, frightened, stunned, and knocked
(Insight) and Wisdom (Perception) checks,
unconscious, instead of just half. Your eyes gleam
with an unholy light when you rage, granting you Bloodthirsty Shadow
advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) checks but Starting at 10th level, your shadowcursed weapon’s
disadvantage on all other Charisma checks. love of killing grows into a truly formidable power.
These abilities come with a growing curse, as the While you are raging and wielding your
dark spirit within you torments you when you go too shadowcursed weapon, you can use a bonus action
long without letting it out. When you would normally to make one additional weapon attack with your
regain all of your Hit Dice, if you have not attacked a shadowcursed weapon. In addition, when you attack
creature while raging within the past 24 hours, you with your shadowcursed weapon outside of your
immediately expend a number of Hit Dice equal to turn, you gain a +2 bonus on the attack roll.
your proficiency bonus without gaining hit points. Against the Shadow
Shadowcursed Weapon Starting at 14th level, your long fight against the
Starting at 3rd level, you are able to shunt the shadow blackening your thoughts grants you a
hateful shadow in your mind into a weapon it powerful defense against attempts to influence your
possesses, granting you some relief from its constant mind. You gain proficiency with Intelligence saves,
whispers and attempts to control you, though its you are immune to the charmed and frightened
influence never completely leaves your thoughts. conditions, and you have advantage on all saving
You can transform one weapon you are holding into throws against enchantment spells.
your shadowcursed weapon by spending 1 hour Weapon of Doom
concentrating on that weapon, as if performing a Beginning at 14th level, your shadowcursed weapon
sort of dark ritual. This can be done during a short has grown so powerful that it threatens everything
rest. The weapon may be magical, but it cannot be around you, and punishes your flesh when it is
an artifact or weapon that is already sentient. The frustrated in its attempts to kill. When you are
weapon ceases being your shadowcursed weapon if raging and your shadowcursed weapon is on your
you die, if you perform the l hour ritual on a person or within reach, if there are any creatures
different weapon, if the weapon is more than 100 within 5 feet of you at the beginning of your turn,
miles away from you for longer than 24 hours, or if you must choose one such creature and make an
you use a l hour ritual to break your bond to it. attack against it with your shadowcursed weapon if
While you have a shadowcursed weapon, that you are able. If your shadowcursed weapon is not
weapon is considered magical, and it inflicts drawn or in hand, you make it so as part of the
additional damage on successful attacks equal to attack, and if you do not have the necessary hand or
half your proficiency bonus (rounded up). In hands free to wield your shadowcursed weapon, you
addition, the shadowcursed weapon loves killing, must drop any item that would prevent you from
and rewards you with life-force stolen from its wielding it. This attack does not expend your action
victims; when you make an attack with your or bonus action, and it is never made at a penalty
shadowcursed weapon that reduces a creature to 0 for disadvantage. If the attack misses, you take
hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to psychic damage equal to your barbarian level.
your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1).
If you have not had a shadowcursed weapon for
longer than 24 hours, you have disadvantage on
Intelligence and Charisma saves. If another creature

61
 of the elite, in on The Secret and better off than your
Bard peers. In short, your secret society offers you the
hope of rising above the fear and despair of the land.
Bards tend to hail from—or find their way to—more
civilized lands, where travel is easiest and audiences
What is a Secret Society?
In the Domains of Dread, a cryptic allegiance, or secret
are most receptive. Bards in the Domains of Dread
society, is founded on a single concept: conspiracy. All of
may take the form of traveling storytellers who offer its members are conspiring to achieve a common goal.
news of distant lands, often in highly embellished This goal is one that would not be widely supported by the
form, for a hot meal and a few coins. In some cases, common folk or those in power, or else the society
bards are tortured performers whose talent is barely wouldn't need to be secret. Frequently most members of
distinguishable from their madness. These bards the society know only the broad aims of the organization.
maintain their fragile grip on sanity by channeling The details of the master plan are known to just a select
their feverish imaginations into their art — and into few.
the forces of magic. The Vistani people are talented The members of a secret society tend to be scattered and
few. They rarely know each other by sight or name. Secret
in many pursuits, but they are famous for their
symbols and signs are the only way they can identify each
charismatic bards, who entrance audiences with other. The members of a secret society can come from any
their swirling dances and the frenzied music of their walk of life, from peasant to noble, adventurer to scholar.
violins. Many bards, regardless of birthplace, aspire Whomever they are, the members of a secret society are
to study at the famed bardic colleges of Kartakass. fanatical. They are so strongly devoted to their cause that
For a bard in these lands, little in life yields more they may even risk their lives for it.
prestige than admission to the Harmonic Hall or to The goal of the society can be good or evil. Many of them
perform in Harmonia's amphitheater. Yet bards also have goals that shouldn't even be judged on a good/evil
tend to be restless creatures, who wander from one scale. Some have goals that may not make sense to a
rational mind. In most cases, there is a master plan to
audience to the next.
achieve the goal. The master plan is frequently incomplete
New Bard College: or requires many generations to fulfill. After all, if they had

College of Secrets all the pieces right now, their quest would be over. The
members of a secret society are constantly seeking the
There are many organizations in the Domains of missing links or waiting for an auspicious time to launch
the next phase of their master plan.
Dread that act in secrecy. From thieves’ guilds and
Despite their increased presence in the Domains of Dread,
spy rings to unspoken cults and rebellious
secret societies still encompass only a very small segment
conspiracies, all these secrets societies need of the population. Only a few thousand people in all of the
operatives and leaders like you. In serving your lands of the Core are members of cryptic allegiances.
chosen group, you have learned to understand the It is always important to remember that the true power in
value of loyalty and secrecy, and how to command any domain is held by its darklord. Secret societies wield
fear and respect. The key to your success and relatively little influence. For all their secrecy and stealth,
survival is an expert understanding of the it is unusual for a society to have any significant presence
psychology and culture of those around you. in a domain without coming to the darklord’s attention.
Most lords keep tabs on the societies, but they seldom
Your branch of your college is no loose association,
interfere with their activities. Why destroy an organization
but a close-knit society of sworn comrades, bound
that might be useful someday?
together in a mutually dependent code of discretion,
honor, and blood. You are different things to Secret Societies of Ravenloft
different people. Some call you a protector of the Most of the cryptic allegiances described in the Secret
Societies chapter of this document are a great fit for the
common folk, others think of you as an extortionist
College of Secrets bard. Some of the best options
or a threat. In some places, you and your fellows
described there for this bard archetype include: The Ba’al
may be relied upon as an unofficial police force. You Verzi (an ancient Barovian order of assassins), the Circle
may even be condoned by local authorities, but (an order of knights who work to undermine the darklords
they’ll never know the truth of what you are. by destroying their lieutenants), Carnival (a traveling
In the Domains of Dread, secret societies are more circus of outcast led by a mysterious woman), the
prevalent than in many other places. In a world Fraternity of Shadows (scholars, mages, and illusionists
where fear, despair, and horror are predominant obsessed with unraveling the secrets of the Domains of
themes, some of the common folk will latch onto any Dread), the Kargatane (agents of hidden masters with a
secret to immortality), and the Keepers of the Feather (who
form of hope that comes along. Instead of being a
seek a particularly arcane path to defeating the most
member of the downtrodden masses, you can be one
infamous of darklords).

62
 creature no harm, the DM may allow you to make a
Blood Initiation
Charisma (Persuasion) check instead of using your
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you Deception skill.
have been fully initiated as a member of your secret
society, and you have been trained in all their
Predatory Insight
mysterious ways. They in turn expect your loyalty At 3rd level, you learn the hunter’s mark spell. It
and secrecy, but this gives you a number of benefits: does not count against the total number of spells
• You gain proficiency with one Charisma-based skill, you can know as a bard. When an ally attacks a
and with two of the following tools: thieves’ tools, creature that is the subject of your hunter’s mark,
disguise kits, forgery kits, or poisoner kits. you can use your reaction to expend one of your
• You can communicate wordlessly with any other uses of Bardic Inspiration, rolling a Bardic
member of your secret society who can see you. If Inspiration die and adding the result to the ally’s
you can see them, they can communicate back. attack roll. If the ally hits, they inflict additional
This is not telepathy, but a combination of
damage equal to your Charisma modifier. In
gesture, innuendo, and facial expression that no
addition, when a creature that is the subject of your
one outside of your group can perceive without
some kind of magical insight. hunter’s mark spell attacks another creature you
• As an action, when a non-hostile creature is can see or hear, you can use your reaction to expend
frightened of you, you can make a Charisma one of your uses of Bardic Inspiration to give them
(Deception) check against its passive Insight score (10 disadvantage on that attack roll. If the attack still
+ Insight modifier) to cause it to stop being frightened hits, the damage is reduced by an amount equal to
of you and become charmed by you instead. It the number rolled on your Bardic Inspiration die.
remains charmed by you for 10 minutes or until you
or your companions threaten it or do something Grim Mockery
harmful to it. Creatures immune to being charmed Starting at 6th level, you can use what seems like
remain frightened of you. If you genuinely mean the gentle teasing, a polite word of caution, or even just

63
a look to communicate a terrifying threat. When you creatures with whom you share a language, you can
cast the vicious mockery cantrip, the range is use the following abilities:
doubled, you can target two creatures instead of just • You can cast the commune and legend lore spells as
one, and you add your Charisma modifier to the rituals with a 1 hour casting time, but they are not
damage roll. At 11th level you can target up to three magical effects, and you do not learn those spells;
they represent information from your network rather
creatures with this cantrip, and at 17th level you
than divination magic, and can be used even if spells
can target as many as four. In addition, at 14th
are unavailable (such as in areas of dead magic or
level, when you successfully strike an opponent with antimagic). Any references to contact with deities in
an attack, you can cast vicious mockery as a bonus those spells instead reference contact with your
action, targeting only the opponent you struck. network. You can gain any information that is known
Secret Insights by more than 1 person within 200 miles, within the
limitations of the spells. The casting time is the time it
At 6th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing
takes to contact your network and get back your
or interacting with another creature outside combat, answer.
you learn certain information about its capabilities • You choose a location that you have seen before, or a
compared to your own. The DM tells you if the public location which has been described to you in
creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard some detail, then ask members of your network to
to two of the following characteristics of your choice: watch it for one hour. At the end of that hour, you are
- An ability score of your choice informed of everything that could have been seen in
- Armor Class that location within the last hour, as if you had been
- Current hit points watching it yourself with a scrying spell for that time.
- Total class levels (if any) Creatures that enter the location who have the
- Levels in a particular class (if any) Observant feat or can see invisible objects make a
- At the DM’s option, you might also realize you Wisdom saving throw against your bard spellcasting
know a piece of the creature’s history or one of its DC. If they succeed, they know they are being
personality traits, if it has any. watched, but not who is watching them.
When you use this ability on a creature, you can • You use your existing network’s contacts to get
also cast hunter’s mark on it without any knowledge about an unfamiliar city or town you are
near. When you are within 5 miles of a settlement
components and without using a spell slot. Once
with a population of at least 100 intelligent creatures,
you cast hunter’s mark on a creature without using
you can spend 30 minutes following up on leads from
a spell slot in this way, you cannot do so again until your contacts to gain knowledge of up to three facts of
you finish a short or long rest. your choice about any of the following subjects as they
Cutting Secrets relate to the settlement:
- major criminal organizations and cult activities
Starting at 14th level, when you roll an ability check
- significant underground tunnels or architecture
or saving throw to resist any attempt to discern
- popular religious groups and places of worship
information about you, your plans, your location, or - powerful figures in government and commerce
your thoughts, you have advantage on the roll, and - individuals who inspire great awe or fear (such as
if your proficiency bonus is applied, you double your archmages or legendary warriors)
proficiency bonus for that roll. This includes effects - basic demographics of the population (percentage
that would read your thoughts or compel you to of humans and other races, etc.)
speak the truth. If you succeed on your roll, you can - rumors of monsters dwelling in the settlement or
cast vicious mockery as a reaction, but must include nearby (including below it)
- any large wilderness areas inside or close to the
the source of the attempt to discern the information
settlement
as a target.
- other settlements or cultures nearby
Informant Network For example, if you entered a new city and used this
At 14th level, you have carefully built up a network ability, you could determine its most powerful thieves’
of informants who you can contact from almost guild, the locations of temples that can provide
magical healing, and which graveyards people say are
anywhere (via a messenger bird, magic, or other
haunted by undead.
means). These informants are mix of guards,
beggars, vagabonds, merchants, and allied
government officials who have enough personal
loyalty to you to perform routine favors, but not to
risk their safety. As long as you are within 100 miles
of a settlement that includes at least 100 intelligent

64
 and are often tied to forests, seasons (especially
Cleric autumn), and the moon as well. Like rangers, clerics
of this domain walk the frontier between civilization
Clerics bear the sacred responsibility of carrying the and the wild.
divine message of a patron deity to their mortal In the Domains of Dread, some cultures identify
followers. Of course, in the Domains of Dread, this Mother Night as a goddess of the hunt, granting her
message is as likely to be Bane the Lawgiver's cloak of darkness as a blessing that allows nighttime
ceaseless demands of obedience or Zhakata's hunters to approach their prey unseen. She is
ravenous cruelty as it is to be the words of hope popular in Barovia among simple hunters and the
offered by deities like Ezra or the Morninglord. dusk elves of Vallaki. The Valachani god Yutow is
Clerics in Ravenloft may be the shepherds of their also placated as a hunting deity, due to his ties to
congregations, adventuring to remove the faithful the spirit of the panther. Certain cults in remote
from danger, or they may be itinerant priests, domains worship Malar, though only in secret.
preaching the word of their god in the earnest hope Hunting Domain Spells
of converting new followers to their faith. Then Cleric Level Spells
again, they might be depraved cultists, secretly 1st detect poison and disease, hunter’s mark
carrying out the obscene mandates of their foul 3rd locate animals or plants, misty step
patron. When a cleric enters Ravenloft from another 5th haste, plant growth
7th freedom of movement, locate creature
world, they immediately feel a hollowness slip into
9th hold monster, tree stride
their heart, a void that the strength and support of
their deity once filled. Although clerics continue to Bonus Proficiency
receive the blessings of their divine patrons, they no When you choose the Hunting Domain at level 1,
longer feel their guidance. This absence often causes you gain proficiency with all martial ranged
clerics new to the Land of Mists to suffer crises of weapons, and you become proficient in the Stealth
faith or pass through periods of deep depression. and Survival skills.
For natives of the Land of Mists, this remoteness is Aimed Shot
perfectly normal; they expect the gods to be distant From 1st level onward, you are a master of ranged
and inscrutable as a matter of common sense. Some weapons, able to maintain near perfect aim in a
clerics in Ravenloft claim to be the direct vessel of variety of conditions. You do not suffer disadvantage
their respective deities, but these folk are widely on your attack roll when you make a ranged weapon
regarded as lunatics and false messiahs. attack against a target within 5 feet of you, and
New Divine Domain: when you make a ranged weapon attack against a
target within 30 feet of you, that target does not
Hunting Domain benefit from half cover or three‑quarters cover.
The Hunting domain focuses on the sacred link Channel Divinity: Preferred Quarry
between hunter and prey, a relationship that ties Starting at 2nd level, your faith grants you sacred
mortals to nature. The gods of hunting represent far aid on the hunt against certain enemies. You have
more than the mere pursuit of animals or the skills two types of creatures that are you preferred quarry:
and equipment involved. They signify both the hunt beasts, and your choice of one of the following:
for justice—such as tracking down an enemy who aberrations, beasts, constructs, dragons,
was wronged you or your community—and the elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes,
sacred spiritual quest that reveals wisdom. A god of plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two
the hunt who is evil emphasizes the power of the races of humanoids (such as humans and goblins)
hunter, who uses superior strength, cunning, and to be your preferred quarry (in addition to beasts).
skill to kill and take what they wish. A good god of As a bonus action, you can use your Channel
the hunt encourages a village or tribe dependent on Divinity to force all creatures within 30 feet that are
hunting a certain animal for food to see those your preferred quarry or the current subject of your
animals as their mystical kin, not as prey, and to be hunter’s mark spell to make a Wisdom saving throw
careful not to hunt more than they need. Deities against your cleric spell DC. If they fail, for 1 minute
such as Sehanine Moonbow, Mielikki, Malar, their speed is reduced by half, and they take radiant
Gwaeron Windstrom, Habbakuk, Artemis, Bast, and damage equal to half your level whenever they take
Skadi claim influence over this domain. Divine the Dash, Disengage, or Hide actions.
patrons of the hunt are more often female than male,

65
Spiritual Aim the state, and other faiths may be looked down upon
or even outlawed. Often, they function as a police
Beginning at 6th level, you practice an intuitive
force as well as a vocational aristocracy, leading
martial technique when aiming ranged weapons
inquisitions to ferret or hunt down the rebels and
(referred to in some traditions as Zen Archery). You
infidels who threaten their dominion. These priests
can substitute your Wisdom modifier for your
are often referred to as Inquisitors, Kingpriests, or
Dexterity or Strength modifier when making a
Templars, and tend to be lawfully aligned.
ranged attack roll with a weapon.
Though this domain’s clerics often worship and work
Marked Quarry in the service of tyranny, this is hardly true of all of
At 6th level, creatures that are your preferred quarry them. In worlds beyond the Domains of Dread, there
or the current subject of your hunter’s mark spell do are a wide variety of examples of the Rulership
not benefit from half cover or three-quarters cover domain in practice. For example, in the Forgotten
against your attacks (including spell attacks), and Realms city of Elturel, lawful good clerics of Torm
they have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth), use these divine powers to keep the peace, seeking
Charisma (Deception), and Charisma (Intimidation) the genuine good of all citizens. Also in the Realms,
checks against you. the nation of Unther has had four different faiths of
varying alignments—the churches of Tiamat, Hoar,
Master Archer Anhur, and Gilgeam—all enforce their leader’s edicts
Starting at 8th level, you have a +1 bonus to attack
with these gifts in different eras. On the other hand,
rolls on ranged attacks, and you can attack twice,
oppressive drow priestesses of Lolth and kuo-toa
instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action
whips worshipping Blibdoolpoolp can also receive
on your turn.
such gifts. In the Realms, deities as varied as
Sacred Hunt Siamorphe, Tyr, Bane, Helm, the Red Knight, and
At 8th level, whenever you use your Channel Waukeen have all granted this domain. Across
Divinity, you gain an additional benefit: For 1 hour various worlds, Clangeddin, Deep Duerra, Gorm
after using it, you can track other creatures while Gulthyn, Ilneval, Bahamut, Tiamat, Maglubiyet,
traveling at a fast pace, and you can move stealthily Athena, Re-Horakhty, Forseti, Heimdall, Kali,
while traveling at a normal pace. When you reach Paladine, Takhisis, Kiri-Jolith, Sargonnas, Pholtus,
11th level, you also gain this benefit whenever it is Iuz, St. Cuthbert, Heironeus, Wastri, Allitur, Primus,
nighttime and the moon is visible in the sky (even if and the Silver Flame have all granted this domain to
you are not outdoors yourself to see it). clerics in certain regions, especially those charged
with enforcing laws or uncovering hidden threats.
Hunter’s Focus Many Domains of Dread are theocracies, though
Beginning at 17th level, when a creature is the some (such as G’Henna, Pharazia, and Verbrek) are
subject of your hunter’s mark spell, you have devoted to false gods. In those theocractic realms
advantage on ranged attack rolls against that where clerical powers are actually available, many
creature. During your turn, whenever you miss with priests of this domain exist. Deities in the Domains
a ranged attack against a creature that is your of Dread who also grant this domain include
preferred quarry or the current subject of your Belenus (as worshipped in Tepest and Nidala), Bane,
hunter’s mark spell, you can immediately make an also known as the Lawgiver (worshipped in Nova
additional attack. You can only gain one additional Vaasa and Hazlan as part of the state religion, the
attack during your turn with this ability. Iron Faith), Yutow the Peacebringer (whose
New Divine Domain: monotheistic faith dominates Valachan), and many
of the above listed deities of other worlds, who have
Rulership Domain been brought to these lands as their people have
been stolen from their true realms.
Clerics from this domain come from a culture where
their status as clergy members in their particular
Rulership Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
sect gives them a superior place in society. They 1st psychic shield*, telekinetic slam*
gain legal authority to pursue enemies of the faith, 3rd detect thoughts, hold person
and to make commands of those who rank lower in 5th control thoughts*, invasive id*
the formal or informal caste system that elevates 7th locate creature, staggering smite
them. Often—but not always—they come from a 9th dominate person, telekinesis
theocracy where one faith or pantheon is linked to

66
Bonus Proficiencies (minimum of 1) to all Wisdom (Insight) checks to
sense if a creature is lying.
When you choose the Rulership Domain at level 1,
you gain proficiency with all martial weapons, and Guardian of Order
you become proficient in the Intimidate skill. Beginning at 17th level, you are immune to being
Domineering Forbiddance charmed or frightened, and when a creature takes
psychic damage from your Domineering Forbiddance
Starting at 1st level, your unmistakable mantle of
feature, it takes an extra 2d8 radiant damage and
command can dissuade others from attacking you.
has disadvantage on all Intelligence and Wisdom
When a humanoid attacks you or targets you with
saving throws until the end of your next turn.
harmful spell, you can use your reaction to force it
to first make an Intelligence saving throw against Alternate Divine Domains:
your cleric spell save DC. On a failed save, the
creature must either choose a new target, lose the
Elemental Domains
attack or spell, or take psychic damage equal to your In many Domains of Dread, the gods are considered
Wisdom modifier and become frightened of you until absent or too distant to intercede. In some of them,
the end of your next turn. If a creature cannot be clerics of traditional deities do not exist, but clerics
frightened, you cannot target it with this effect. If channeling elemental power can still perform
you attack a creature or cast a spell that targets it, miracles. In other places—including worlds beyond
that creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. the Mists—there are gods who grants elemental
You can use this feature a number of times equal to domains as well.
your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). You regain all These domains do not generally include entirely new
expended uses when you finish a long rest. abilities, but replace the spell lists of existing
Channel Divinity: Censuring Authority domains while providing minor alterations to the
features they provide.
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel
Divinity to restore order to the lawless. As an action, Air Domain
you present your holy symbol, and each creature of The Air Domain works exactly as the Tempest
your choice within 20 feet which can see or hear you Domain does, but you replace the list of spells
must make an Intelligence saving throw. Each provided by that domain with list below, and some of
creature that fails takes 2d8 psychic damage, and the features are changed, as described below under
for 1 minute, its speed is reduced by 10 feet. If it is a “Altered Features.”
humanoid, you can also cause it to be indifferent Air Domain Spells
about creatures of your choice that it is hostile Cleric Level Spells
towards for 1 minute, though at the end of that 1st feather fall, thunderwave
3rd gust of wind, dust devil**
duration it becomes hostile again unless the DM 5th call lightning, wind wall
rules otherwise. Creatures who succeed on their 7th conjure minor elementals, storm sphere**
save only take half as much damage. 9th conjure elemental, control winds**
Restraining Strike Altered Features
Beginning at 6th level, you add have advantage on Clerics of the Air Domain use the features of the Tempest
Domain, but alter some of them as follows:
opportunity attacks against humanoids, and when
Bonus Proficiency. Instead of gaining proficiency with
you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack
martial weapons and heavy armor, you gain proficiency
outside of your turn, you reduce its speed by 10 feet with martial weapons and learn the following cantrips:
until the end of its next turn. gust**, thunderclap**, and uncanny balance*. You also
Stern Rebuke learn the Auran language.
Starting at 8th level, the power behind your Thunderbolt Strike. Instead of thunderbolt strike, you
gain the following new feature, Lightning Swiftness:
dominant presence castigates your foes and fortifies
• Lightning Swiftness. Starting at 6th level, immediately
your own strength of will. When you cast a spell that
before or after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher,
deals psychic damage or radiant damage, you can
you can use a bonus action to cast a cantrip that
add your Wisdom modifier to one damage roll of that normally has a casting time of 1 action.
spell. For 1 hour after casting such a spell, you have Divine Strike. When you inflict the damage from this
advantage on saving throws against being charmed feature on a Large or smaller creature, you can also push
or frightened, and add your Charisma modifier it up to 10 feet away from you.

67
Earth Domain Water Domain
The Earth Domain works exactly as the Nature The Water Domain works exactly as the Life Domain
Domain does, but you replace the list of spells does, but you replace the list of spells provided by
provided by that domain with list below, and some of that domain with list below, and some of the
the features are changed, as described below under features are changed, as described below under
“Altered Features.” “Altered Features.”
Earth Domain Spells Water Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells Cleric Level
Level Spells
1st beast bond**, earth tremor** 1st fog cloud, healing word
3rd earthbind**, Maximilian’s earthen grasp** 3rd prayer of healing, Snilloc’s snowball
5th erupting earth**, wall of sand** swarm**
7th conjure minor elementals, stoneskin 5th tidal wave**, wall of water**
9th conjure elemental, transmute rock** 7th conjure minor elementals, control water
Altered Features 9th conjure elemental, maelstrom**
Clerics of the Earth Domain use the features of the Nature Altered Features
Domain, but alter some of them as follows: Clerics of the Water Domain use the features of the Life
Bonus Proficiency. Instead of gaining proficiency with Domain, but alter some of them as follows:
heavy armor, you gain proficiency with all martial Bonus Proficiency. Instead of gaining proficiency with
weapons that inflict bludgeoning damage, and you learn heavy armor, you gain proficiency with the trident, net,
the following cantrips: magic stone** and mold earth** and heavy crossbow, and you learn the ray of frost and
(these are in addition to the druid cantrip you learn from shape water** cantrips. You also learn the Aquan
the Nature Domain normally). You also learn the Terran language.
language. Channel Divinity: Preserve Life. When you use your
Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Plants. When you Channel Divinity for this feature, at the beginning of your
use your Channel Divinity for this feature, it affects not next turn, all plants within 30 feet of you are healed for a
only beast or plant creatures, but also elementals who number of hit points equal to your Wisdom modifier, and
speak or understand the Terran language. all living creatures within 30 feet suffering any kind of
Divine Strike. Instead of choosing to inflict cold, fire, or thirst are relieved of it, as if they had just drunk 8 ounces
lightning damage with this feature, you select one of the of water.
following damage types: acid, bludgeoning, or thunder. If Blessed Healer. This effect is not only triggered when you
you choose bludgeoning damage, that damage is cast healing spells as described in this feature, but also
considered magical. when you cast one of your domain spells of 2nd level or
Master of Nature. This feature also affects elementals higher.
charmed by your Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Divine Strike. This feature inflicts cold damage instead of
Plants feature. radiant damage.

Fire Domain
The Fire Domain works exactly as the Light Domain
does, but you replace the list of spells provided by
that domain with list below, and some of the
features are changed, as described below under
“Altered Features.”
Fire Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st burning hands, fiery wrath*
3rd flaming sphere, scorching ray
5th fireball, flame arrows**
7th conjure minor elementals, wall of fire
9th conjure elemental, immolation**
Altered Features
Clerics of the Fire Domain use the features of the Light
Domain, but alter some of them as follows:
Bonus Cantrip. You gain the produce flame cantrip
instead of the light** cantrip. You also learn the Ignan
language.
Channel Divinity: Radiance of the Dawn. This feature
inflicts fire damage instead of radiant damage.

68
 more commonly associated with folktales of
Druid witchcraft or the Vistani. They do little to discourage
this, often referring to themselves as “witches” and
In the Domains of Dread, druids seldom revere or their magical talents as “witchcraft.” They can curse
draw power from a traditional deity, sustaining their their enemies with ill luck, and strange creatures
druidic magic through their bond with nature itself. are said to attend them. An Circle of the Equinox
According to tradition, the first druids entered the druid favoring Autumn is more vengeful, enforcing
Land of Mists with the domain of Forlorn, but they natural balance by correcting wrongs committed and
spread to many other lands in the centuries that seeking to keep any particular sort of creature from
followed. Druids are the guardians of the untamed dominating the wilderness. They dwell deep in the
wilds. Most druids are secretive about their faith savage places of the world, seldom keeping company
and avoid civilized lands, for good reason: not only with the civilization. Ancient pacts tie druids of this
do druids find the cities of humankind unsettling, Circle who are currently in the aspect of Autumn to
they often face hostility from ignorant locals. In most the Winter Court of the fey, in his company they are
domains, the natives know of druids only through often found.
the filter of folklore, and they often confuse druidic Spring druids are more likely to be found on the
magic with “witchcraft,” a feared and poorly borders of civilization, dealing with humans and
understood form of magic said to be the plaything of elves and the like, than their autumnal
hags and warlocks. To avoid danger, many druids counterparts. They also keep company with fey of
pass themselves off as clerics of "modern" gods when the Summer Court, who honor old oaths binding
passing through settled lands. them to druids of this Circle who are currently in the
New Druid Circle: aspect of Spring. The often refer to themselves as

Circle of the Equinox “beastlings” or “skinchangers.” These druids

function as something like midwives to beasts of the
Given their closeness to nature, druids have a wilds, helping new mothers through difficult births.
special relationship with the cyclical passage of time. When passing by, they can never resist offering the
Balance is central to the ethos of many druidic same aid to any expectant mother, whether she is a
orders, and this reflects the duality of the year, the dairy cow or a nobleman’s wife. Druids favoring
changing nature of the world as light grows and Spring seek natural balance by encouraging large
recedes. Druids such as you believe that to exist in populations of all animal and plant species, on the
true balance is also to exist in state of flux, changing notion that such bounty aids all living things, so
your nature as the seasons change. Even compared long as no one type of life overwhelms the others.
to druids of the Circle of the Moon, you adapt to The Circle of the Equinox in Ravenloft
your surroundings more easily than any other kind Among Forfarian druids (those arising from the lost
of druid, because your capabilities change from day domain of Forlorn), your ways are practiced by druids of
to day. Your druidic tradition shares much with the two different orders: the Oak Faction, who favor the
religions of ancient sylvan cultures, which predated powers of the Spring seasonal aspect, and the Rowan
many modern churches, and you may refer to Faction, who favor those of Autumn. A sizable group of
nature spirits and the archfey as “the old gods.” these druids dwell in Barovia as well, among the Forfarian
immigrants outside the village of Immol.
Other druids may gather at standing stones, but
those of your Circle always do, using the position of The Circle of the Solstice
these megaliths to track the passage of time with Another druid circle, the Circle of the Solstice, exists as
this one’s natural counterpart, favoring seasonal aspects
exact precision. You also believe ancient members of
of Summer or Winter just as Equinox Circle druids favor
your order built the stone circles that stand in
Spring or Autumn. These druids embrace extremes in
Barovia and many other domains to this day, using their behavior, pushing the far ends of the natural
them for more powerful purposes than the keeping balance, in the esoteric belief that doing so somehow
of the yearly calendar. You have ancient bonds to strengthens both sides of any equilibrium. Strangely, they
spirits of nature, and the fey in particular, that do not have pacts with the Courts of the Fey the way
relate to the time of year and which of your Circle’s druids of the Circle of the Equinox do. Instead, they have
aspects you currently favor. unique ties to other types of creatures most druids seldom
Most druids of this Circle favor one of two seasonal truck with. Members of other Circles find the Solstice
druids esoteric and strange; some even consider them
aspects: Autumn or Spring. Autumnal druids are
downright insane.
less well trusted in many domains, having ways

69
A particularly erratic group of Winter-aspected druids of changing into the listed creature types. You do not need to
the Circle of the Solstice dwell in Barovia, in the area of have seen these creatures before. When you transform
Yester Hill. These druids actually worship the darklord into one of the listed creature types using your Wild
Strahd von Zarovich, believing his powers over the Shape, you can choose to do so as a bonus action, rather
weather and elements in his domain represent a divine tie than as an action.
to the forces of nature. Spring Seasonal Aspect Wild Shapes
Rites of the Fey Druid Level Wild Shape Options
2nd black bear, needle blight, satyr (no pipes)
At 2nd level when you choose this circle, you learn
3rd brown bear, dire wolf, vine blight
the quickling step and uncanny balance druid 6th cave bear, centaur, giant constrictor snake
cantrips. They do not count against your number of 8th mephit (any kind), hippogriff, sprite
cantrips known. You also learn find familiar as a 9th displacer beast, hook horror, owlbear
druid spell. When you cast the spell, you can choose 12th chuul, lizard king/queen, manticore
one of the normal forms for your familiar, or you can 15th bulette, gorgon
18th chimera, wyvern
choose one of the following special forms: blink dog,
In addition, while you have this seasonal aspect, you can
pseudodragon, sprite, or wolf. Additionally, when substitute your Wisdom modifier for your Charisma
you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your modifier when making Charisma checks related to fey of
own attacks to allow your familiar to make one the Summer Court.
attack of its own with its reaction. Natural Healing Powers
Seasonal Aspect Starting at 6th level, your connection to the natural
Beginning at 2nd level, your ties to changes of world provides you with a pool of healing power that
seasons and the fey creatures of the wilderness replenishes when you take a long rest. With that
grant you additional abilities that change like the pool, you can restore a total number of hit points
seasons. Whenever you finish a long rest, you equal to your druid level × 5. As an action, you can
choose one seasonal aspect: either Autumn or touch a creature and draw power from the pool to
Spring. You cannot change your chosen seasonal restore a number of hit points to that creature, up to
aspect until you finish another long rest. If you the maximum amount remaining in your pool. You
finish a long rest without choosing an aspect, you can use this feature in any shape you assume using
are assumed to choose the aspect that is closest to Wild Shape. This feature has no effect on undead
the current actual season (Spring during the spring and constructs. When you heal yourself for 5 or
and summer, Autumn during fall and winter). The fewer hit points with this feature, you may do so as
abilities you gain from your seasonal aspect are a bonus action instead of an action. Depending on
described below. your current seasonal aspect, you gain an addition
Autumn. You gain access to certain spells depending on use for this pool of power, as follows:
your druid level, according to the table below. You Autumn. You can expend 15 hit points from your pool of
automatically have the listed spells prepared, and they do healing as a bonus action to cast the hex spell as a 1st
not count against the number of spells you can prepare level spell, without using any components.
each day. Any listed spells are always druid spells for you Spring. When in a shape you assumed by using your Wild
while you have the Autumn seasonal aspect. Shape, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of
Autumn Seasonal Aspect Spells healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize
Druid Level Spells one poison affecting it. You can cure multiple diseases
2nd faerie fire, fog cloud and neutralize multiple poisons with a single use of
3rd dust devil**, misty step Natural Healing Powers, expending hit points separately
5th haste for each one.
7th greater invisibility
9th maelstrom** Gifts of the Fey
In addition, while you have this seasonal aspect, you can Beginning at 10th level, you have earned the respect
substitute your Wisdom modifier for your Charisma of the fey and other supernatural beings in the
modifier when making Charisma checks related to fey of wilderness around you, and they teach you some of
the Winter Court. their secrets. When you cast find familiar, you can
Spring. You gain extra options for new types of creatures choose for your familiar to take the form of an adult
you can use your Wild Shape to transform into, depending faerie dragon of any kind, instead of one of the
on your druid level, according to the table below. Many of
normal forms.
these creatures are not beasts, yet this aspect allows you
In addition, you are immune to being charmed or
to take their forms, and you ignore the normal limits on
the challenge rating of a creature you transform into when frightened, and when another creature attempts to

70
charm or frighten you, you can use your reaction to New Druid Circle:
teach them you are not to be trifled with. The
creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw Circle of the Spirits
against your druid spell save DC or take psychic Druids of the Circle of the Spirits are known as
damage equal to your druid level and be frightened shamans, intermediaries between the mortal world
by you until the end of your next turn. You can use and the realm of spirits—the vast multitude of living
this feature in any shape you assume using Wild beings that infuse the entire world with divine
Shape. Depending on your current seasonal aspect, essence. As a shaman, you play a vital role in your
you gain an addition use for this feature, as follows: culture—communicating with ancestor spirits,
Autumn. When a creature fails its Wisdom save against
demons, nature spirits, and the most powerful of
this ability, instead of causing it to be frightened, you can
spirits, who might be considered deities. You offer
choose to expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing as
a reaction to immediately cast the bestow curse spell,
sacrifices, prayers, and services to the spirits, and in
targeting that creature, without using any components. return gain the favor of certain patron spirits who
Spring. When a creature fails its Wisdom save against bestow spells and other magical abilities upon you.
this ability, you can choose for it to be charmed instead of In the Domains of Dread, many believe the Mists
frightened if you wish. If you choose for it to be charmed, prevent spirits from moving on to their final rests.
it is charmed for 1 minute by this feature, and you can Whether this is true or not, the spirits of many of
decide whether or not to inflict the psychic damage as your ancestors remain in the world, sometimes
well. granting omens or changing fortunes, other times
Guardian at the Threshold causing serious trouble. Propitiating such spirits is
At 14th level, you are recognized as a keeper of the a matter of great importance, making your vocation
balance among the fey and other creatures of the a vital one.
wilderness, and can stop them in their tracks with a Druids of this circle often go on adventures not
command. You can cast hold monster at will— because of any desire of their own, but as a direct
targeting a beast, elemental, fey, or monstrosity— result of their unique relationship with the spirit
without expending a spell slot or material world. Ancestor spirits often have their own
components. You must finish a long rest before you agendas—deeds left undone or wrongs unavenged—
can use this feature on the same creature again. and call on their shaman descendants to carry them
You can use this feature in any shape you assume out. Common folk and even nobles often summon
using Wild Shape. shamans like you if evil spirits or undead monsters
Depending on your current seasonal aspect, you cause trouble. Even nature spirits, normally
gain an addition use for this feature, as follows: unconcerned with the affairs of humanity, might
Autumn. Whenever you cast hold monster using this request assistance from you if an evil influence
feature, you can also use it against fiends and celestials. (such as a fiend or a corrupting aberration) troubles
Spring. Whenever you cast hold monster using this the natural world. Shamans who traffic with evil
feature, you can also use it against humanoids. Once you spirits are often driven to commit heinous deeds.
use this feature against humanoids two times, you cannot You are both blessed and burdened by your gifts,
use it against humanoids again until you finish a short or and may sometimes feel like a pawn in the games
long rest. and machinations of the spirit world.

Circle of the Spirits

Multiclassing
If you are using the optional
multiclassing rules, druids of
this circle gain a special
benefit: they can substitute
their Charisma score for their
Wisdom score when
determining if they can be
multiclass druids.

71
Third Eye Open having their own goals, whether to protect their
progeny or seek vengeance for a crime against them
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you may
or their family. Any spirit you summon as your
choose to make Charisma your spellcasting ability
companion seeks to grant you spiritual aid and good
score for this class, instead of Wisdom. This
fortune in a variety of ways.
includes using your Charisma instead of Wisdom to
determine the number of spells your prepare, to Aura. The spirit companion emits an aura within a
calculate the DC of saving throws against your druid 5-foot radius of itself, benefiting all creatures in the
spells, and as the modifier for your druid spell aura that are not hostile to you. Creatures in the
attacks. aura gain advantage on Charisma saves, and also
In addition, you can see 60 feet into the Ethereal benefit from other bonuses depending on what spirit
Plane when you are on the Material Plane, and vice companion you summon (see Spirit Companion
versa. Because you perceive creatures and objects in Types, below). If you are within the spirit
the Ethereal Plane as being limned in an aura of companion’s aura, you benefit from all these
colored light, you can always discern whether bonuses as well.
something you see is in the Ethereal Plane or not, Interceding Spirit. While you have a spirit
and you can always identify if a creature in the companion within 30 feet, celestials, fey, fiends,
Ethereal Plane is a celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, or elementals, and undead can always understand
undead, and which of those types it is. You do not your spoken words, and you can always understand
perceive these auras around creatures or objects if theirs, and you cannot be charmed or frightened by
they are not in the Ethereal Plane. them.
Spirit Companion Types. When you choose this
Aura Color Suggestions
It may be useful to begin with a sense of what the auras circle at 2nd level, choose one of the spirit
seen with the Third Eye Open feature look like. In the companion types listed below. When you summon
author’s own campaign, druids with this feature perceive your spirit companion, the chosen spirit is the type
celestials as having a golden aura, fiends as having a that appears. The type represents the goals of an
black aura, ancestor spirits as having a white aura, other ancestral ghost or the totem of a particular breed of
undead as having a pale gray aura, fey as having a animal. The animal type your spirit companion
kaleidoscoping aura of many colors, and elementals as represents might be an animal related to or similar
having a colored aura based on what element they are
to those listed here, but more appropriate to your
connected to (red for fire, blue for water, a sandy tan for
homeland or culture. For example, you could choose
earth, silver for air, and green if the elemental is tied to
wood as a separate element). All other creatures and
a hyena, hunting hound, coyote, lion, mongoose, or
objects in the Ethereal Plane have an aura of light violet. even a blink dog, in place of the wolf. Each type of
companion spirit grants different bonuses to friendly
Spirit Points. Some of your other Circle of the creatures within its aura.
Spirits features require you to spend a spirit point. Bear Spirit. Non-hostile creatures within this spirit
Whenever you finish a long rest, you gain a pool of companion’s aura add your spellcasting ability modifier
spirit points equal to your proficiency bonus. When to death saves and Strength saving throws.
you reach 17th level, you also regain 1 spent spirit Protective Ancestor Spirit. Non-hostile creatures
point whenever you finish a short rest. within this spirit companion’s aura add your
You regain 1 spent spirit point whenever you cast a spellcasting ability modifier to Intelligence saves and
spell using a 1st-level spell slot. Spells cast with Wisdom (Insight) checks.
higher level slots do not grant you a spirit point. You Vengeful Ancestor Spirit. Non-hostile creatures
within this spirit companion’s aura add your
can never have a number of spirit points higher than
spellcasting ability modifier to saving throws against
your proficiency bonus. When you finish a long rest,
divination spells, being charmed, or any effect that
any unspent spirit points are lost, and you gain new would read their thoughts or which would sense or
spirit points equal to your proficiency bonus. calm their emotions.
Summon Spirit Companion Wolf Spirit. Non-hostile creatures within this spirit
Starting at 2nd level, as an action, you can call forth companion’s aura add your spellcasting ability modifier
to Constitution saving throws against exhaustion and
an ancestral spirit. Some traditions identify
saving throws against effects that would cause them to
ancestors with a certain type of animal, believing
become frightened.
that beast to embody the past and future souls of
Spirit Companion Traits. When it is summoned,
their people. Other ancestor spirits are seen as
your spirit companion enters the Border Ethereal
retaining the identities of their mortal lives, and

72
and manifests in the same space as you, yet it is not • You can substitute your spellcasting ability modifier
visible to anyone who cannot see into the Ethereal for your Strength on your all attack and damage rolls
Plane. It can never affect or be affected by anything with melee weapons and unarmed strikes.
• You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of
not on the Ethereal Plane, except as described under
your unarmed strike, and when you reach 6th level in
your Circle of the Spirits features. The spirit is a
your druid class, your unarmed strikes also count as
celestial creature with 1 hit point. It does not have magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and
physical traits such as Armor Class, it is immune to immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
all damage types and conditions, and it cannot make • Your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier if you are
attack rolls, nor can anyone make attack rolls not wearing armor.
against it. It takes no actions. It only moves, and • Your spirit companion’s aura now emanates from you,
only when you order it to do so. and you and all friendly creatures still gain all the
The spirit inhabits a space you choose within a 30 same benefits from it.
• You temporarily gain proficiency with Strength saves.
foot radius of you, and whenever you move, you can
• When you use the Attack action on your turn, you can
order the spirit to move to a different space within
make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
that radius. It always moves at the same time you • You have advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) checks
move and moves wherever you order it to. It can against humanoids, but disadvantage on Charisma
always enter the same space as you or a creature (Persuasion) checks against them, due to your
that is not hostile to you and stay there, without any inhuman appearance.
effect on that creature. It can move through other • Beginning at 6th level, while you are using your Spirit
creatures and objects. If you order it to end its move Host feature, you can attack twice, instead of once,
to inside an object, or if you end your turn more whenever you take the Attack action on your turn,
and you can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of
than 30 feet away from it, the spirit companion
your unarmed strike
ceases to exist until you summon it again. If you
• You gain additional benefits depending on the type of
lose consciousness, a summoned spirit companion spirit companion you are hosting with this ability (see
remains in existence for one minute. If you regain below).
consciousness at all during that time, nothing This effect ends if you run out of the temporary hit
happens, but after you have been unconscious for 1 points granted by this feature, or you replace them
minute without waking it ceases to exist until you with another source of temporary hit points (such as
summon it again. Otherwise, the spirit companion the false life or heroism spells), It also ends if you
remains until you dismiss it or until you finish a are reduced to 0 hit points, if you fall unconscious,
long or short rest. if you cast a spell using a spell slot higher than 1st
Host Spirit level, or if you die. Otherwise, you can continue to
At 2nd level, you can use your wild shape as a host your spirit companion for a number of hours
bonus action to become one with your spirit equal to half your druid level (rounded down). When
companion instead of changing into an animal. Your this effect ends, you lose the benefits of this feature,
spirit companion must already be summoned and and your spirit companion re-manifests in the same
must be in the same space as you when you use this space as you, functioning as it did before you hosted
feature. This effect changes your body while you are it.
the host. If you host an animal spirit like a wolf Additional Benefits by Companion Type. When
spirit, you look something like the hybrid form of a you use your Host Body feature, you gain benefits
lycanthrope. If you host an ancestor spirit, you look based on your spirit companion type, in addition to
exalted yet inhuman, like a wingless celestial or a the benefits above, as follows:
vampire (if it is a protective spirit, your skin takes on Bear Spirit. You can use your bonus action to gain
a metallic bronze sheen, and your eyes appear gold; resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
if it is a vengeful spirit, your skin looks like white damage from nonmagical weapons until the beginning
marble, and your eyes appear red). of your next turn. In addition, you can spend 1 spirit
point to gain the following benefit for 1 minute: You
Host Spirit Benefits. When you host your spirit
gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic,
companion inside your body with this ability, it poison, and thunder damage, but you cannot take
ceases to exist as a separate entity, becoming only a reactions. The spirit of the bear makes you tough
part of you, and you gain the following benefits: enough to steel yourself against any threat you can see
• You gain temporary hit points equal to 5 times your coming, though it requires great focus and will.
druid level. (You retain any remaining temporary hit Protective Ancestor Spirit. You have advantage on
points after this effect ends.) Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can

73
 see, such as traps and spells. To gain this benefit, you of these abilities reference your pace while traveling,
can't be blinded, deafened, or incapacitated. In as per the normal travel pace rules (as described
addition, you can spend 1 spirit point to gain the under “Movement”). The exact bonus abilities you
following benefit for 1 minute: You can take the
gain depend on your spirit companion type, as
Disengage action as a bonus action.
follows:
Vengeful Ancestor Spirit. When you make an
Bear Spirit. You gain the might of a bear. While you
unarmed strike as a bonus action, you add your
are within the aura of your spirit companion, your
proficiency bonus to the damage roll if you hit. In
carrying capacity (including maximum load and
addition, you can spend 1 spirit point to gain the
maximum lift) is doubled, and you have advantage on
following benefit for 1 minute: you can choose to have
Strength checks made to push, pull, lift, or break
your unarmed strike inflict thunder damage instead of
objects. If you wish, you may substitute your
bludgeoning damage, and creatures who take this
spellcasting ability score for your Strength when
damage must make a Strength save against your druid
making such checks.
spellcasting DC or be knocked prone. When you inflict
Protective Ancestor Spirit. Your protective spirit
thunder damage in this way, it creates an inhuman
roar that is audible out to 60 feet. Any creature that advises you in vigilance. You are considered proficient
hears it has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws in the Perception skill, and double your proficiency
against being frightened until the end of your next bonus when adding it to Wisdom (Perception) checks.
turn. In addition, you add your spellcasting ability modifier
(minimum of 1) to Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Wolf Spirit. Your allies have advantage on melee
Vengeful Ancestor Spirit. This spirit prompts you to
attack rolls against all creatures within 5 feet of you
that are hostile to you. In addition, you can spend 1 visit terrible retribution on enemies. When a creature
spirit point to gain the following benefit for 1 minute: attacks or inflicts damage on you or an ally, you can
when you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, its use your reaction to mark it as your quarry. While that
speed is reduced by half until the end of your next creature is your quarry, you sense the direction to the
turn. The spirit of the wolf makes you a leader of creature's location, as long as that creature is within
hunters. 1,000 feet of you. If the creature is moving, you know
the direction of its movement. This effect lasts until
Circle Against Spirits you mark another creature as your quarry, or until
Starting at 6th level, you can spend 1 spirit point as running water at least 10 feet wide blocks a direct path
an action to ward the area around you against between you and the creature.
spirits. Each time you use this ability, you choose Wolf Spirit. You gain the hunting sensibilities of a
one of the following creature types to affect: celestial, wolf. While you are within the aura of your spirit
elemental, fey, fiend, or undead. A 30-foot radius companion, you can track other creatures while
traveling at a fast pace, and you can move stealthily
circle centered on you, traced in glowing light, burns
while traveling at a normal pace.
itself into the ground at your feet. Each creature of
At 14th level, you can spend 1 spirit point to grant
the chosen type within the circle must make a
whichever one of these benefits you currently
Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On
possess (if any) to another willing creature for 1
a failed save, such a creature is repelled from your
minute, as long as it is within the aura of your spirit
presence for 1 minute, though the effect ends if the
companion.
creature takes damage. A repelled creature must
spend its turns trying to move as far away from you Family of Spirits
as it possibly can, and it can’t willingly move to a At 10th level, you choose a second type of spirit
space within the circle. It also can’t take reactions. companion besides the one you normally summon.
For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try From now on, whenever you summon a spirit
to escape from an effect that prevents it from companion, you select which type you want it to be
moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can from the two types you have chosen. You can never
use the Dodge action. have more than one spirit companion summoned at
This ability does not affect spirit companions. Once a time; if you summon a spirit companion while you
you use this feature, you cannot use it again until already have one, the previously summoned spirit
you finish a short or long rest. companion ceases to exist until you summon it
again. For example, you could choose a Wolf Spirit
Spiritual Insight
Companion the first time you summon a spirit
At 6th level, you gain an additional bonus ability
companion during a day, and then choose a
when you are within your spirit companion’s aura.
Protective Ancestor Spirit Companion the second
Unlike the other benefits of the aura, these usually
time, causing the Wolf Spirit to vanish.
apply only to you, and not your companions. Some

74
At 17th level, you choose a third type of spirit mark a creature as your quarry using the Spiritual
companion, and you can select from all three types Insight feature you gained at 6th level for this spirit
each time you summon one. type, you also have advantage on any Wisdom (Insight),
Wisdom (Perception), or Wisdom (Survival) checks you
Otherworldly Senses make to find it or see through its attempts to deceive
At 10th level, you gain advantage on Wisdom you, and you can use a bonus action to make an
(Insight) and Charisma checks against all celestials, additional melee weapon attack or two unarmed strikes
elementals, fey, fiends, or undead. In addition, if you against it.
spend an action to focus your spiritual senses, you Wolf Spirit. Whenever you spend 1 or more spirit
know if there is any location that is linked to points, you gain the following benefit for one minute:
you can use a bonus action on your turn to knock a
another plane (such as a fey crossing, gate, portal,
Large or smaller creature prone when you hit it with
or teleport circle) within 3 miles of you. You also
melee weapon attack or an unarmed strike.
become aware of what direction it is from
you and to what plane it is linked (the
Nine Hells, the Feywild, the Shadowfell,
the Abyss, the Elemental Plane of Fire,
etc.).
The spirits also grant you portents of
future events. When you finish a long rest,
roll two d20s and record the numbers
rolled. You can replace any attack roll,
saving throw, or ability check made by you
or a creature you can see with one of these
prophetic rolls. You must choose to do so
before the roll. Each prophetic roll can be
used only once. When you finish a long
rest, you lose any unused prophetic rolls.
Incarnate Spirit
At 14th level, whenever you spend a spirit
point, you gain a special bonus in addition
to the other benefits of spending that sprit
point. These depend on the type of spirit
companion you currently have summoned
or are hosting, as follows:
Bear Spirit. Whenever you spend 1 or more
spirit points, you gain the following benefit
for one minute: any creature within 5 feet of
you that's hostile to you has disadvantage
on attack rolls against targets other than
you or another character currently using
this benefit (such as another druid of the
Circle of the Heavens with this ability, or
a14th level barbarian of the Primal Path of
the Totem Warrior with the Bear totem
benefit). An enemy is immune to this effect
if it can't see or hear you or if it can't be
frightened.
Protective Ancestor Spirit. Whenever you
spend 1 or more spirit points, you gain the
following benefit for one minute: when a
creature within 30 feet attacks you, you can
use your reaction to give them disadvantage
on that attack.
Vengeful Ancestor Spirit. Whenever you
spend 1 or more spirit points, you gain the
following benefit for one minute: When you

75
 New Fighter Archetype:
Fighter Prescient Defender
Fighters are often seen as "everyman" heroes: men,
women, and others who don’t rely on a particular Like a paladin, it is your devotion to a cause that
supernatural gift, preferring to face their obstacles makes you extraordinary—granting you insight into
head on. Fighters can be found in every settled the future. Yet your cause is an individual, rather
domain and can fill any niche requiring martial skill than a faith, nation, or way of life. Early on, you
and physical prowess. They serve as armored figured out that protecting others would be your
knights in Darkon and Nova Vaasa and toil as calling, and you’ve focused on doing so with single-
soldiers in the armies of Invidia and Falkovnia, but minded vigilance.
their ranks may also include anything from a In fact, focusing your mind so completely on your
constable or a bodyguard to a thuggish bandit, or goals awakened a hidden potential in your mind.
even just a peasant with long practice in defending You have mystical powers fueled by your devotion to
her livestock from cunning wolves. Like anyone else, keeping those in your charge safe. Combined with
they seek to better their stations in life and secure your martial training, these abilities make you both
their happiness. A fighter might pursue fame and uncannily aware of possible threats and
fortune, quest for justice or vengeance, or simply preternaturally formidable when dispatching them.
follow their own moral imperatives. Fighters are Fighters with this archetype train to put their own
often invaluable when battling physical threats, but bodies in harm’s way whenever necessary to shield
without magical aid, they can find themselves all but those under their guard, and to slow the advance of
helpless against some unnatural foes. The most any enemy who would threaten their charge.
legendary fighters were known for extraordinary Many fighters of this archetype are members of
allies as well as their own great deeds. ancient mystical orders devoted to the protection of
members of bloodlines destined for important
New Fighting Styles for Fighters, Rangers, things. These prescient defenders learn their
and Paladins techniques at the fight of learned masters. Others,
The following fighting styles are available to fighters and however, are so dedicated to protecting their charges
rangers in Ravenloft campaigns, in addition to those
that their determination is the spark which ignites
already available in the normal D&D rules. Paladins also
their psychic talents,
gain access to the Mounted fighting style, but not Mobility.
No matter how many times class features allow you to
Prescient Defender Spellcasting
choose, you can never select a particular fighting style Max.
more than once. Fighter Cantrips Spells
Spells Spell Slot
Psi
Level Known Known Slots Level
Points
• Mobility
3rd 4 3 1 1st 2
When you are not using a shield or wearing any kind of
4th 4 4 1 1st 4
heavy armor, you receive a +1 bonus to AC, and you gain
a swimming speed and climbing speed equal to your 5th 4 4 1 1st 5
walking speed. 6th 4 4 1 1st 6
• Mounted 7th 4 5 1 2nd 11
When mounted, if you inflict damage with a successful 8th 4 6 1 2nd 12
weapon attack on an unmounted creature smaller than 9th 4 6 1 2nd 13
your mount, that creature can’t make opportunity attacks 10th 5 7 1 2nd 14
against you or your mount for the rest of your turn, and
11th 5 8 1 2nd 15
you can re-roll any weapon damage die that rolls a 1. You
must use the new roll. 12th 5 8 1 2nd 16
13th 5 9 1 3rd 19
14th 5 10 1 3rd 20
15th 5 10 1 3rd 21
16th 5 11 1 3rd 24
17th 5 11 1 3rd 24
18th 5 11 1 3rd 24
19th 5 12 1 4th 24
20th 5 13 1 4th 24

76
Spellcasting Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Intelligence modifier
At 3rd level, your all-encompassing focus on
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your
protecting your charge has awakened your mental
Intelligence modifier
potential, allowing you to cast Metaphysician spells
Spellcasting Focus. You can use the crystal type of
(see the new Metaphysician class in this document).
arcane focus as or the emblem type of holy symbol
Cantrips. At 3rd level, you learn four cantrips.
as a spellcasting focus for your spells.
These cantrips are challenger’s mark*, minor
Spell Components. Because they draw on their own
telekinetic weapon*, and two other cantrips of your
psychic power rather than outside forces, prescient
choice from the metaphysician spell list. You learn
defenders do not require spoken words or gestures
an additional Metaphysician cantrip at 10th level.
to catch their spells, and spells they cast do not
Spell Slot. You gain one spell slot to cast a spell.
have verbal or somatic components.
You can spend psi points to gain additional spell
Limited Ritual Casting. You can cast divination
slots. The Prescient Defender Spellcasting table
spells you know as rituals if they have the ritual tag.
shows what the level of your spell slot is. To cast one
of your spells of 1st, you must use a spell slot. You Unlocked Mind
regain your expended spell slot when you finish a At 3rd level, your use of psychic spells has evolved
long rest. to give you greater versatility in their use than many
For example, when you are 7th level, you have one other spellcasters enjoy. This increased spellcasting
2nd-level spell slot. To cast a 1st or 2nd-level spell, ability is represented by psi points, which allow you
you must expend a spell slot, and you cast it as a to create a variety of magical effects and cast spells.
2nd-level spell. You have 2 psi points, and you gain more as you
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know increase your fighter level, per the Prescient
three 1st-level spells: the predictive focus* spell, plus Defender Spellcasting table. Any spent psi points are
two more 1st level metaphysician spells of your regained when you finish a long rest. You may later
choice. At any given point in your career, at least discover ways to acquire additional psi points. You
half the spells (rounded down) of 1st-level or higher can never have more psi points than shown on the
you know from this class must be divination spells. table for your level. When you finish a long rest,
The Spells Known column of the Prescient Defender your number of psi points resets to your maximum.
Spellcasting table shows when you learn more You can use these psi points for a variety of effects
metaphysician spells of 1st level or higher, beyond described below. Many of these effects enhance an
the three spells you know at 3rd level. Each of these attack in some way. You can use only one effect per
spells must be from the metaphysician spell list, and attack.
must be of a level no higher than what's shown in Chosen Charge. You can expend 1 psi point to
the table's Slot Level column for your fighter level. perform a meditative ritual lasting one hour to
For instance, when you reach 7th level in your designate one willing living creature who is known to
fighter class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or you as your Chosen Charge. The creature does not
2nd level. need to be present, but if they are not willing, the
Whenever you gain a level in this c1ass, you can ritual fails. You can only have one Chosen Charge at
replace one of the metaphysician spells you know a time.
with another spell of your choice from the When your Chosen Charge takes damage, you
metaphysician spell list. The new spell must be of a always instantly know the amount and type of the
level no higher than what's shown in the Prescient damage it took. When you cast a spell with a range
Defender Spellcasting table's Slot Level column for of touch, your Chosen Charge can deliver the spell
your level. as if it had cast the spell. Your Chosen Charge must
Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is your be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its
spellcasting ability for your metaphysician spells, reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the
since your psychic magic comes from the power of spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack
your own mind and your personal discipline. You modifier for the roll.
use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your In addition, while your Chosen Charge is within 100
spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your feet of you, you can communicate with it
Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw telepathically. As an action, you can see through
DC for a metaphysician spell you cast and when your Chosen Charge's eyes and hear what it hears
making an attack roll with one. until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits

77
of any special senses that the Chosen Charge has. melee attack against a creature that moves more
During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard than 5 feet while within your reach.
to your own senses. Focused Totality. When you hit a target with the
You cannot have a familiar and a Chosen Charge at weapon created by your minor telekinetic weapon
the same time. If you cast the find familiar spell cantrip or by the major telekinetic weapon spell, you
while you have a Chosen Charge, you stop having a can spend 1 psi point to inflict an additional 1d8
Chosen Charge the moment the familiar arrives. If radiant damage on that creature. If the target is not
you finish the Chosen Charge ritual while you have a living creature (such as if it is an undead or
familiar, the familiar disappears until you cast the construct), the radiant damage is increased by an
find familiar spell again. amount equal to your Intelligence modifier. If you
The creature ceases being your Chosen Charge if are 7th level or higher in your fighter class, you can
you die, if you perform the l hour ritual on a spend up to 3 psi points on a single use of this
different creature, or if you use a l hour ritual to effect, inflicting an extra 1d8 radiant damage for
break your bond to that creature. each additional psi point spent. If you are 13th level
Creating Spell Slots. You can use your psi points you can spend up to 5 psi points, and if you are
to gain additional spell slots. You learn other ways 19th level you can spend up to 6, increasing the
to use your psi points as you reach higher levels. damage by 1d8 for each extra psi point.
You can transform unexpended psi points into one Living Wall. When a creature within 5 feet of you is
spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The attacked, you can spend 1 psi point as a reaction to
Creating Spell Slots table below shows the cost of grant them half cover against all attacks and effects,
creating a spell slot of a given level. The highest level including against the triggering attack, until the
spell slot you can create is shown in the Highest start of their next turn. This effect ends immediately
Level Spell Slot column of the Prescient Defender if you and the creature are more than 5 feet away
Spellcasting Table. from each other, or if you are incapacitated. If you
Creating Spell Slots choose, you may grant three-quarters cover rather
Spell Slot Level Psi Point Cost than half-cover to the creature, but if you do so, you
st
1 2 take disadvantage on all attack rolls, Dexterity
nd
2 3
3
rd
5 checks, and Dexterity saves until the beginning of
th
4 6 the creature’s next turn. If the creature is your
You cannot convert a spell slot into psi points. It is a Chosen Charge, it also gains 1d8 temporary hit
one-way transaction for you. points when you spend the psi point.
Cover Escape. As a bonus action, you can spend 1 Liberating Strike. When you hit a creature with
psi point to enter a defensive stance that lasts until a weapon attack, you can expend 1 psi point to
the start of your next turn. While in this stance, you maneuver one of your comrades out of harm’s way,
can make opportunity attacks without using your You add your Intelligence modifier to the attack's
reaction, and you can use your reaction to make a damage roll, and you choose a friendly creature who
can see or hear you, That creature can use its
reaction to move up to half its speed without
provoking opportunity attacks from the target of
your attack. If the creature is your Chosen Charge,
it can move its full speed rather than half.
Slowing Strike. When you hit a creature with a
weapon attack roll, you can spend a psi point to
reduce its speed by half until the beginning of your
next turn.
Unfocusing Strike. When you hit a creature with a
weapon attack roll, you can spend a psi point to
disrupt the creature’s focus in combat with your
mental attack. The creature can’t take reactions
until the end of your next turn, and if it is
concentrating on a spell, that creature has
disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to
maintain its concentration.

78
Defensive Foresight
Beginning at 7th level, you are adept in using your
mystic powers to defend your charge. Whenever a
Monk
In some ways, monks have much in common with
creature takes damage from a cantrip you cast, it clerics. They primarily concern themselves with
has disadvantage on attack rolls against allies of matters of the spirit. Unlike clerics, however, monks
yours within 5 feet of you until the beginning of your are more concerned with their own spiritual
next turn. For the same duration, it also has experience, rather than with the activities of a larger
disadvantage on attack rolls against your Chosen church. A monk turns her eyes inward, seeking to
Charge, no matter how far away your Chosen use strict discipline, intense meditation, and
Charge is. If a creature under this effect inflicts focusing exercises to perfectly purify her spirit (or ki)
damage on your Chosen Charge, it takes psychic and, through it, her flesh. In the Domains of Dread,
damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. monastic traditions vary across many different
You also learn the augury spell and one extra cultures, not merely among those with philosophies
cantrip from the following list: booming blade***, far based around ki or the martial arts. Such
hearing*, mage hand, mindspeak*, quickling step*, monasteries are nestled in realms as varied as
project object*, remote viewing*, shifting shadow*, Barovia, Rokushima Taiyoo, Sri Raji, and Paridon.
steal speed*, uncanny balance*, wall run*, or Barovia’s hidden monastery—the Order of
warning roar*. The spell and cantrip you learn from Contemplative Thought, outside the village of
this feature do not count against your number of Immol—conceals monks who have thus far avoided
cantrips known or spells known as shown on the Strahd’s ire (though not his notice) as they explore
Prescient Defender Spellcasting table. their own psychic potential (practicing the Way of
Uncanny Protection the Boundless Mind, described below). The
Starting at 10th level, when an ally within 10 feet of Rokushiman monks are spread in many different
you is hit with an attack, you can spend 1 psi point monasteries, practicing all the monastic traditions
as a reaction to halve the damage inflicted. If the ally common on other worlds, all drawn into that
hit is your Chosen Charge, you can also make a domain’s endless strife. Sri Raji’s monks test their
weapon attack against the creature that hit them. If inner strength by inflicting sometimes-grotesque
the creature is within 15 feet, you can make that physical punishments on themselves, such as
attack with a melee weapon you have in hand as if piercing their flesh with iron skewers and hooks. In
the weapon’s reach were 15 feet. the lonesome city of Paridon, the local adherents
meld monastic practices with occult lodge traditions
Constant Protector
to create the "theological philosophy" they call the
Starting at 15th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit
Divinity of Mankind (another version of the Way of
points and are not killed outright, you can choose to
the Boundless Mind). Tales also exist of lone monks
drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this
who wander other domains. Rather than joining
ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long
monasteries, these monks often learn under a single
rest. Additionally, no effect can cause you to fall
master and pass on their teachings to a single
asleep unless you choose to sleep, and you have
apprentice. Some monks are selfish, purifying their
advantage on death saves.
spirits in the
Mystic Warrior pursuit of
Starting at 18th level, when you use power, but
your action to cast a cantrip or 1st- other monks
level spell, you can make one weapon wander to
attack as a bonus action. In addition, help steer
you learn the premonitory vision spell those souls
if you don’t already know it (if you do who lack the
know it, you learn another 4th-level enlightenment
divination spell of your choice from to protect
the Metaphysician Spell List). This themselves
spell does not count against your from
number of cantrips known or spells corruption.
known on the Prescient Defender
Spellcasting table.

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New Monastic Tradition: Ki of Thought
Way of the Boundless Mind At 3rd level, you can manipulate your mental ki to
create a variety of magical psychic effects. As a
A small and esoteric monastic tradition, these reaction when you would take psychic damage, you
monks learn to channel their ki through the can spend 1 ki point to give yourself resistance to
unlocked psychic capabilities of an awakened psychic damage until the end of your next turn.
consciousness. They teach that the boundaries that In addition, you can spend 2 ki points to cast one of
isolate individuals are illusory, and that all mortal the following spells, using the normal casting time
minds are linked, both to each other and to the required for that spell, without the need for any
divine. Through focused meditation, telepathic material components: catapult**, command,
instruction, and a combination of physical comprehend language, frightful strike*, and telepathic
deprivation and exercise, they unite their minds and link*.
bodies while learn to link their own thoughts with Swift Mind
those of others around them.
At 6th level, when you use your action to make an
Spell Equivalents. Some of your abilities with this
unarmed attack or attack with a monk weapon, or
monastic tradition may allow you to cast the take any action that requires you to spend one or
equivalent of a spell, which may require you to make more ki points, you can use your bonus action to
a spell attack. Your attack bonus with such a spell cast a cantrip you learned from this monastic
attack equals your proficiency bonus + Wisdom tradition that normally has a casting time of 1
modifier. If the spell calls for a saving throw, the DC action.
is the same as the DC for other saving throws In addition, choose two of the following spells: beast
against your ki features. sense, blur, calm emotions, crown of madness,
Barovia’s Secret Psychic Monks enthrall, hold person, levitate, phantasmal force,
In Barovia, an order of lawful good monks called the Order silence, spider climb, or suggestion. You can spend 3
of Contemplative Power practice this monastic tradition in ki points to cast one of the two chosen spells, using
a hidden monastery outside Immol. Strahd has suffered the normal casting time required for that spell,
them to live within the confines of Barovia so long as they
without the need for any material components.
do not challenge his authority. (Secretly, he is curious
about their psychic powers as well.) Once, their sacred Psychic Monk
icon was a two-foot-long crystalline rod they called the At 11th level, choose two of the following spells:
Sacred Barrier, their symbol of hope against the forces of clairvoyance, haste, invasive id*, magnetism*, or
darkness that hold sway over them, and though their sending.. You can spend 5 ki points to cast one of
understanding of it was limited, they psionically imbued
those chosen spells, using the normal casting time
it, over several generations, with the power to protect both
its location and the minds of those who bow to it.
required for that spell, without the need for any
However, the Sacred Barrier was stolen by the vampire material components. At 13th level, you can also
Lyssa von Zarovich, making life that much more hopeless spend 7 ki points to cast Rary’s telepathic bond or
for this embattled monks. (See the 2nd Edition D&D telekinesis in the same way. In addition, as long as
adventure Thoughts of Darkness for details.) you have 1 or more ki points, you have advantage on
all Intelligence and Charisma saving throws, and on
Contemplative Focus Wisdom saving throws against become charmed.
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level,
you have mastered the rudiments of your traditions
Unassailable Mind
psychic training. You learn the catfeet*, mage hand, At 17th level, as long as you have 1 or more ki
and mindspeak* cantrips, and choose one more points, you are immune to psychic damage and the
charmed condition, and whenever a creature hits
cantrip to learn from the following list: fist of rage*,
you with a melee attack, you can spend 1 ki point as
friends, minor illusion, quickling step*,
a reaction to force that creature to make an
prestidigitation, steal speed*, thought blast*, uncanny
Intelligence saving throw. If the creature fails, it
balance*, wall run*, or warning roar*. At 6th level,
takes 2d10+5 psychic damage and its speed is
and again at 11th level, you learn one additional
reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn. If
cantrip of your choice from that same list. Whenever
the creature succeeds, it takes psychic damage
you cast the mage hand cantrip, the spectral hand is
equal to your 5 plus your Wisdom modifier.
made of invisible force and cannot be seen.

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New Monastic Tradition: those you choose. Choose one or two creatures within
5 feet, and roll an attack roll against each target as if
Way of the Five Deadly you were attacking with your unarmed strike. On a
hit, instead of your normal unarmed strike damage,
Venoms the target takes 2d10 poison damage and must make
a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it is also
Your monastic tradition is for those who have been poisoned until the end of your next turn. You can
wronged, and the path to righting those wrongs is spend 1 extra ki point when each attack hits to cause
not always clean. You seek vengeance for a deeply that particular target to take an extra 1d10 poison
held grudge, or you have already claimed vengeance damage.
• Merciless Reprisal. As a reaction, when a creature
and seek to help others claim theirs. It may be that
within 5 feet hits you with a melee attack, you can
the wrongs which motivate you are long-standing,
spend 1 ki points to make an unexpected unarmed
and it is your larger quest to visit a final retribution
attack against that creature. If the attack hits, it
on those who committed them, or on those who inflicts necrotic damage instead of bludgeoning
continue to benefit from such sins. To this end, you damage, and if you spend 1 ki point when the attack
study not only how to marshal your ki for greater hits, it also deals an extra 1d10 necrotic damage.
health and martial prowess, but how to disrupt ki, • Redirect Disruption. As a reaction when you would
how to taint it, poison it, reverse it, or turn it against take damage, you can spend 1 ki point to give yourself
itself. As such, you are an expert in poison and resistance to acid, poison, and necrotic damage until
disease, well-studied in medicine but as adept at the end of your next turn.
causing harm as healing it. Your deep study of • You can spend 2 ki points to cast one of the following
spells, using the normal casting time required for that
others’ ki gives you the insight to impersonate them
spell, without the need for any material components:
as well, and members of this order supplement their
create poison*, detect poison and disease, disguise self,
skill in stealth with a master of disguise. lesser restoration, and protection from poison. You gain
In the Domains of Dread, it is said the first monks of more of these spell-like abilities as you gain levels. At
this tradition came from the cursed creatures known 6th level, you can also spend 3 ki points to cast alter
as the ermordenung, whose venomous natures self, greater acupuncture*, or spider climb. At 11th
alienate them from other mortal creatures. Fleeing level, you can spend 5 ki points to cast lesser water to
their home domain of Borca, they founded a secret poison* or vampiric touch. At 17th level, you can spend
monastery in Rokushima Taiyoo, where they taught 6 ki points to cast greater water to poison* or
contagion.
disciples to emulate their poison in their own flesh.
It is common for orders devoted to this tradition to In addition, you learn the cantrips punishing strike*,
have various ways for common people who seek lesser acupuncture*, and reaver’s touch if you did not
reciprocity to petition them, whether via direct already know them.
contact or detailed written messages. If it suits their (“*” indicates a new spell appearing in this
criteria, the monks will make such a cause their document).
own, and woe to the target who receives their Vengeful Assassin Kata
vengeance. At 3rd level, you master your ki both internally and
Spell Equivalents. Some of your abilities with this externally, helping you to seek a reckoning for
monastic tradition may allow you to cast the wrongs. Your spells and attacks treat immunity to
equivalent of a spell, which may require you to make poison damage as if it were only resistance to poison
a spell attack. Your attack bonus with such a spell damage. In addition, you gain proficiency with
attack equals your proficiency bonus + Wisdom disguise kits and the Deception skill.
modifier. If the spell calls for a saving throw, the DC Perfect Retribution Technique
is the same as the DC for other saving throws Starting at 6th level, you can spend additional ki
against your ki features. points to increase the level of spells you cast with
Disrupting Ki your Vengeful Assassin Kata feature, provided the
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, spell has an enhanced effect at higher level (as
you can manipulate ki in yourself and others for a create poison does). The spell’s level increases by 1
variety of magical effects. By spending ki, you can do for each additional ki point you spend. The
any of the following: maximum number of ki points you can spend in this
• Deadly Venoms Poison Fist. As an action, you can way (including the base cost of the spell and any
spend 2 ki points to cause your fists and feet to additional ki points you spend to increase its level)
blacken with a devastating poison that harms only is equal to 1+ your proficiency bonus.

81
Venomous Metabolism saving throw immediately once they have not been
in contact with you for over an hour. If they fail,
At 6th level, your body produces powerful corrosive
their Constitution score is reduced by 1d4, and they
poisons that are as much a part of you as your
must make another Constitution save whenever they
blood or tears. You have resistance to poison
finish a long rest, reducing their Constitution by an
damage and acid damage, and advantage on all
additional 1d4 whenever they fail. Success on any
saves against the poisoned condition. In addition,
Constitution save against the effect ends it
poison damage that your attacks, spells, and class
immediately, though reduced Constitution must be
or monastic tradition features would inflict is
regained normally. If a creature under this effect
automatically converted to acid damage if that would
makes skin-to-skin contact lasting more than a
increase the amount of damage the creature takes.
minute with you again, you can attempt to
Living Poison manipulate their ki to help them if you wish. You
Beginning at 11th level, you can exude poison from may spend 1 ki point to cause their next saving
your very flesh. You are immune to poison and throw against this effect to be made at advantage.
necrotic damage, and if a creature touches you
continuously for more than 2 rounds, or if it
Ki Reversal
At 17th level, you can disrupt your own ki to reverse
succeeds in a grappling you, you can spend 1 ki
the flow of ki in another’s body entirely. You can
point without using an action to force the creature
spend 7 ki points to cast finger of death, but the
to make a Constitution saving throw. If it succeeds,
it only takes poison damage equal to half your monk range of the spell is reduced to touch, and when you
level. On a failed save, it takes poison damage equal do so, you must instantly spend three of your own
to your monk level and is poisoned until the end of Hit Dice, but you do not regain any hit points from
spending them.
your next turn. If a creature fails the saving throw
by 5 or more, its Constitution score is reduced by Lingering Poison
1d4. At 15th level, when you successfully grapple a At 17th level, you have an absolute mastery of the
creature, you can use this ability against them as a poison within you. You are immune to the poisoned
reaction. condition, and when an opponent fails its saving
This ability comes with a price. Any friendly creature throw against your Living Poison feature two rounds
with which you make skin-to-skin contact lasting in a row, you can spend 3 ki points as a reaction to
more than a minute must make a Constitution infect it with an unnoticeable lingering poison,
which lasts for a number of days equal to
your blood hunter level. This lingering
poison is harmless unless you choose to
activate it. To do so. you and the target
must be on the same plane of existence.
When you use this action, the creature
must make a Constitution saving throw. If it
fails. it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it
succeeds, it takes 5d8 poison damage and
5d8 necrotic damage. You can have only
one creature under the effect of this feature
at a time. You can choose to expend the
lingering poison harmlessly without using
an action.
If you touch the corpse of a humanoid you
have killed with this ability, you can choose
for it to rise at the start of your next turn as
a zombie that is permanently under your
command, following your verbal orders to
the best of its ability.

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 almost always wear cloaks or similar garments, both
Paladin for practical reasons and as tokens of their work.
The traditional symbols of freedom and justice—
In the Lands of Mists, no one simply decides to including the torch of liberty, the scales of justice,
become a paladin. They are extremely rare, the an eagle or other bird in flight, the gavel of a just
chosen ones of divine forces, selected for their judge or magistrate, a blindfold, or the
spiritual purity. These divine forces imbue paladins anthropomorphic representations of liberty or blind
with holy powers, appointing them to champion justice as divine female humanoids bearing one or
justice and live their sacred oaths. Of course, true more of the other symbols—are also important signs
paladins understand the difference between the they use to recognize their allies, and such heraldry
pure, unremitting evil of a vampire and the is often worked into their arms or armor.
misguided wrongs of a drunken bully, and they react
appropriately. Like clerics, paladins do not feel the
Loyal Equivocation
As part of the protocols by which they protect themselves
same divine guidance here they do in other worlds,
and their comrades, paladins of this oath practice a
and in many ways the deck seems stacked against philosophy that they refer to as "Loyal Equivocation.” This
them. The forces that grant paladins their special system of belief requires them to speak only truth.
abilities are as faceless as the Dark Powers However, it also assumes that when they are asked a
themselves—in fact, some believe the Dark Powers question that could affect someone’s safety, there is a
grant paladins those gifts in the Domains of Dread. fundamentally different question behind the words being
The proof offered for this is how often and quickly posed to them. They respond to what the person is truly
paladins blinded by hubris become servants of the asking, rather than what the mere words of their question
evil that rules these lands. Other scholars, however, seem to say.
An example of this might be if a loyal subject of a lord
point to evidence that paladins are an aberration in
whose domain had been invaded by enemy soldiers were
the grand tapestry the Dark Powers have woven for
hiding that lord in her home, and those enemy soldiers
themselves. They may seek to destroy paladins in came to her door, asking "Is your lord here?" Under the
their realm, or provide them with fitting challenges philosophy of Loyal Equivocation, the sinister purpose of
to test, tempt, and corrupt them. It is the rare the soldiers makes their deceptively simple question a
paladin indeed who dies of old age here; many mask for what they really want to know. What they’re
become fatalistic as they proceed through life, truly asking when they say "Is your lord here?" is "May we
knowing that the examples they leave after their murder your houseguest?" Thus, it is both ethical and
deaths will be as important as the actions they took honest for the loyal subject to answer, "No."
Conversely, the situation is very different if a knight
in life.
following these tenets is approached by someone with no
New Paladin Oath: ill intent—such as a scared commoner seeking help—and

Oath of Defiance asked "Are you a Knight of the Shadows?" To such a

question and such a questioner, the paladin is honor-
bound to answer "Yes, I am."
The Oath of Defiance binds a paladin to resist In the Domains of Dread, these techniques and ideals
tyranny and oppression with all their might. were developed by members of the knightly secret society
Sometimes called knights of the shadows, known as the Circle. As the archetypal examples of this
liberators, paladins of freedom, or cloaked knights, oath in the Land of Mists, they now lend this practice and
these paladins cannot respect the laws of the also their nickname—the knights of the shadows—to all
province in which they dwell, because they are paladins who swear the Oath of Defiance.
incompatible with their own code of conduct. Such
Tenets of Defiance
laws may represent cruelty, arbitrary punishment,
Clarity. The better future you fight for is more
crushing tyranny, illegitimate usurpation,
blasphemous abominations, or the rule of evil. important than the difficulties of the present, and
Instead, those who swear the Oath of Defiance are though you may not live to see it, keeping that vision
sworn to undermine that authority, preserving at the forefront of your mind will sustain you in
common folk from its injustice and overthrowing spite of dungeon, fire, and sword. They can kill you,
such a regime if they can. but no one can kill your vision.
There are quite a few adherents of this oath who Conviction. Do not entertain doubts about your
serve gods of chaos and good, and express their cause, but devote yourself to freedom and justice for
deity’s teaching in resistance to unjust rule. Because those around you. Never surrender to an unjust
they must often work in secret, these paladins authority.

83
Discretion. The lives of those who fight alongside failed save, the creature takes psychic damage equal to
you are in your hands, and their silence preserves your half your paladin level, and they must choose to
either take some other action—one that would not attempt
your life as well, earning your devotion and loyalty.
to discern such information—or waste their action second-
You must tender their secrets as dearly as your own,
guessing themselves. They do not realize you are the
and sacrifice when necessary to help your allies fight source of this effect. When you reach 5th level in your
on. paladin class, you can use this effect as a reaction when a
Equivocation. Never speak words you know to be creature attempts to discern information of the types
lies in your heart, but when your revelation could described above. When you reach 7th level in your paladin
cause evil to occur, answer the real question behind class, when a creature takes psychic damage from this
your enemies’ interrogations. (See Loyal effect, you may choose to expend one spell slot to do
additional psychic damage to that creature. The extra
Equivocation, on the previous page, for details).
damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each
Tradecraft. You practice a trade as practical and spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8.
specific as any artisan or guildmaster, but your Prayer of Liberation. You can use your Channel
vocations are spying and armed resistance. Never Divinity to liberate those around you from fear, hatred,
deviate from the procedures and protocols that keep and other effects that would enslave or entrap them. As an
you and your co-conspirators alive. action, you present your holy symbol, and for 1 minute,
each creature of your choice within 30 feet is immune to
Oath Spells being charmed or frightened, and they gain advantage on
You gain oath spells at the paladin level listed. saving throws against effects that would reduce their
Oath of Defiance Spells speed or cause them to be restrained or paralyzed. If a
Paladin creature you target with this effect is already charmed or
Level Spells frightened, any effect causing them to be so is suppressed
3rd disguise self, illusory script for the duration. When the duration ends, any suppressed
5th calm emotions, invisibility effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired
9th beacon of hope, nondetection in the meantime.
13th freedom of movement, hallucinatory terrain
17th modify memory, hold monster Divine Freedom
Channel Divinity Beginning at 3rd level, you add your Charisma
modifier to all ability checks to avoid being grappled,
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the
and all saving throws against effects that would
following two Channel Divinity options:
Hidden Purpose. You can use your Channel Divinity to
reduce your speed or cause you to be charmed,
dissuade enemies from attempting to discern your secret frightened, or restrained.
cause. You use your action to pray silently for good Aura of Escape
fortune, and At 7th level, creatures of your choice within 10 feet
for 1 minute
of you have advantage on ability checks to avoid
any creature
being grappled, and opportunity attacks against
that takes an
action to those creatures are made at disadvantage. At 18th
discern level, the range of this effect increases to 30 feet.
information Justice Unfettered
about you,
Beginning at 15th level, you are always under the
your plans,
effects of a freedom of movement spell.
your location,
or your Unbound
thoughts When you reach 20th level, your prayers for
(including liberation are answered with the power to defy all
effects that
tyranny and restraint. Using your action, you gain
would read
the following abilities for one minute:
your thoughts
• You gain the benefits of the mind blank spell.
or compel you
• Any creature within range of your weapon that makes
to speak the
an opportunity attack against you or an ally within 10
truth) must
feet of you provokes an opportunity attack from you.
first make a
• You have advantage on all saving throws against
Wisdom saving
divination and enchantment spells.
throw against
your paladin Once you use this feature, you can't use it again
spell DC. On a until you finish a long rest.

84
 you. At some point, however, you made a choice to
Ranger embrace the strange roots of your family line.
Many rangers come to this path out of a desire to
Like the barbarian and druid, rangers are most at protect their favored wilderness from the
home in the wilderness. Unlike those classes, encroachment of civilization, or to seek justice for a
rangers are often welcome in civilized lands, great wrong against those they care about.
particularly rustic communities where the wilds Regardless of your reasons, you got more than
press close. Like druids, rangers strive to maintain bargained for. By means of practice, ritual, a dark
an uneasy balance between nature and civilization. pact, or other means, you can now take on the
Where the druid protects nature from the intrusions amphibious traits of your hybrid family entirely, at
of mankind, however, rangers often guard civilized will, but their instincts and otherworldly ways of
peoples from nature's savagery. thinking challenge your sanity and self-control. You
Rangers in settled lands are usually employed as have a strange yearning to spend entire days, weeks,
game wardens for noble estates. In Sithicus, elven or even years in this alternate form, under the sea,
rangers patrol the deep forests astride monstrous listening to seductive whispers borne on the current,
stag beetles, hunting evil creatures and discouraging and that urge ebbs and flows with the cycle of the
foreign visitors. In untamed lands like Vorostokov, tides. Most troubling of all, a bestial thirst for
they may hunt game to provide for their clans or violence is never far beneath your surface thoughts,
scout out new territory. Most folk consider rangers and the thrill of assuming your more powerful form
somewhat rustic, but their skills are generally to devastate your enemies is a constant temptation.
respected. Some patrol the wilds to protect or
provide for their homelands. Others—particularly
Blood of the Depths
the lycanthrope rangers who infest many domains— When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you
prey on the innocent, becoming more dangerous gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed,
than any beast. you can breathe both air and water, and you have
advantage on saving throws versus cold. You gain
New Ranger Archetype:
darkvision out to a range of 60 feet, unless you
Deep Dweller already have darkvision, in which case you increase
the range of your existing darkvision by 30 feet. In
You always knew that you had the taint in your addition, you are naturally adapted to cold climates,
flesh. At some point, your forebears mixed their and you gain the following Flaw: “I can hear the
blood with the offspring of an ancient aberration, for waves calling to me, especially in my dreams.”
reasons best left uncontemplated. The community
your ancestors came from was on the coast of a sea Transformed Hybrid
or great lake, and some of their relatives spent more Starting at 3rd level, you can use your bonus action
time beneath the waves than on land. These aquatic to transform into your Batrachian Hybrid form, a
kin brought their neighbors plentiful fishing as well warm-blooded amphibious shape reminiscent of a
as mysterious wealth from the depths, and the land- muscular sahuagin with shining, slippery, greyish-
dwellers protected and hid them from any outsiders. green scales. This form lasts for 10 minutes or until
The less amphibious ones showed only minor signs you use an Action to revert to your normal form. You
of their heritage, perhaps slightly bulging fish-like can speak, use equipment, and wear armor in this
eyes, a narrow aspect to the skull, diminished ears, form. If you are underwater, this form’s duration is
or rougher texture to their skin. Those with more of increased, and you may remain in this form for
“the Look” would develop gill-like folds on their neck, longer than 10 minutes as long as you stay
small down-turned mouths, and even scales, and it submerged in water. If you leave the water after
is said that they built hidden metropoli in deep being in this form for 10 minutes, you automatically
trenches and reefs. Yet they were all united by the revert to your normal form. You also revert to your
secret of their descent, and by a strange religion normal form at any time if fall unconscious outside
with ways alien to more established faiths. of water, drop to 0 hit points, or die. You can use
Whatever path your own parents and grandparents this feature twice. You regain expended uses when
walked, it put you in a position to choose a life you finish a short or long rest. When in your
separate from that history if you wished. You Batrachian Hybrid form, you gain the following
could’ve lived among untainted members of your traits:
race, with your features overlooked by those close to • Hybrid Strength. You have advantage on all Strength
checks and Strength saving throws, and your carrying

85
 capacity (including maximum load and maximum lift)
Call of the Sea
is doubled.
At 11th level, the bestial instincts of your
• Cunning Grab. You add your Wisdom modifier to
grapple checks and checks to avoid or escape a Batrachian Hybrid form are becoming a part of you
grapple, and your speed when moving a grappled in your normal form as well. When you reduce a
creature is not halved unless they are larger than you creature to 0 hit points on your turn, you gain
are. temporary hit points equal to your ranger level plus
• Scaly Hide. You have resistance to nonmagical your Strength modifier, and you can use your
slashing damage, and while you are not wearing heavy reaction to make a weapon attack against another
armor or using a shield, you gain a +1 bonus to your creature within range of your weapon. Additionally,
AC. When you reach 11th level, you have resistance to if you are surprised at the beginning of combat and
nonmagical bludgeoning damage and piercing damage
aren’t incapacitated, you can act normally on your
as well.
first turn, but only if you are in your Batrachian
• Vengeful Strike. When you hit a creature with a
Hybrid form or enter that form before doing anything
weapon attack that has inflicted damage on you
within the last minute, or that is your favored enemy, else on that turn.
it takes 1d4 additional damage. This damage Drowning Hold
increases by an extra 1d4 when you reach 5th level At 11th level, if you are within 20 feet of a body of
(2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4). You can
water large enough to contain both you and the
deal this extra damage only once per turn.
creature you have grappled, you can use your bonus
• Bloodthirst. At the start of your turn, if you've taken
action to move your speed with a grappled creature
any damage since the beginning of your last turn, you
must make a Wisdom saving throw or you will lash your size or smaller in the direction of that water.
out in rage. The DC is 10 unless you are below half Retaliatory Instinct
your hit point maximum, in which case it is equal to At 15th level, when you take damage from a
your ranger spell DC. If you fail, before taking any
creature that is within 5
other actions this turn, you use your bonus action to
feet of you,
make a melee attack against a randomly determined
creature within your reach. If there is no creature you can use
within reach, you use your bonus action to attack an your
object within reach, with preference for an object reaction to
smaller than yourself. If there is no object within make a
range, you use your bonus action to move 5 feet closer weapon
to something you can attack (this moevement may attack
provoke opportunity attacks), unless there is no empty against
space into which you can move, in which case you
that
lose your bonus action.
creature. In
Growing Taint addition,
At 7th level, the taint in your blood grows more you can
powerful, quickening your instincts and infusing you now use
with greater endurance, but making the use of your your
hybrid form more tempting. You gain resistance to Batrachian
cold damage, the range of your darkvision increases Hybrid form
to 120 feet, and opportunity attacks are made three times
against you with disadvantage. between
At the start of your turn, if you've taken any damage rests,
since the beginning of your last turn, and if you are instead of
not in your Batrachian Hybrid form but have uses of just once.
your Batrachian Hybrid form remaining, you must
make a Wisdom saving throw to remain in your
normal form. The DC is 10 unless you are below half
your hit point maximum, in which case it is equal to
your ranger spell DC. If you fail, before taking any
other actions this turn, you use your bonus action
to assume your Batrachian Hybrid form.

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 New Roguish Archetype:
Rogue Psychic Cult Master
Few are born to become a paladin or a sorcerer, but
anyone with the aptitude and the desire can be a You have become a leader—or the leader—of a
rogue. Beyond cleverness and skill, the only hermetic cabal with secret fanatical beliefs.
requirement is a preferrence for solving problems Together, you’ve explored the rare gifts of your own
through guile, stealth, and cunning rather than awakened minds, using the lore of ancient mystics
direct confrontation or supernatural powers. There's as your guide. You learned how to move objects with
no point in battling a chamber full of zombies if you your mind, cloud others’ thoughts, and predict an
can find the secret passage that bypasses them. Like enemy’s moves before they make them. At the same
fighters, rogues are often seen as an “everyman” sort time, the secretive group’s activities taught you
of adventurer, and the heroes of tales told in the other skills, less mystical but just as useful. You
Domains of Dread are almost never spellcasters, but honed your talents for stealth and uncovering
overwhelmingly fighters and rogues. With extensive hidden secrets, working your way up to a level of
expertise in skills, usually accompanied by an authority. Maybe you left a larger cult to found a
impressive bag of tricks, rogues can be invaluable cabal of your own, or you worked your way up in the
when creeping through ancient tombs or interacting ranks of a group you joined before your psychic
with suspicious locals. Rogues are commonly abilities developed—perhaps you even took over
associated with thieves and tricksters, but they can leadership from a previous leader, by peaceful
just as easily be explorers, investigators, or even a means or otherwise.
mere—if sharp-witted—townsperson. Rogues often At the level you’ve reached, any leader sees that that
adventure in the name of personal gains—they like an esoteric conspiracy like yours thrives by finding
to know "what's in it for them”—yet a rogue is just the right mix of deep occult truths and creative
as likely to adventure to ensure the safety of a loved theatricality, and the ratio between the two varies
one or to gain the satisfaction of a mystery solved. greatly based on the particular cult. Whether you
are true believer doing what you must to keep the
Psychic Cult Master Spellcasting group unified and devout, an opportunistic
Rogue Cantrips Spells
Max. charlatan bilking obedient followers, or a pragmatic
Spells Spell Slot
Psi leader straddling the balance between real eldritch
Level Known Known Slots Level
Points
secrets and necessary propaganda for the good of
3rd 4 3 1 1st 2
the larger group, your own capabilities are very real.
4th 4 4 1 1st 4
To enemies of your order, you are a deadly enemy.
5th 4 4 1 1st 5 You are an expert in acquiring information that
6th 4 4 1 1st 6 ensures your cult’s security. Your ability to wait
7th 4 5 1 2nd 11 undetected until just the right moment, combined
8th 4 6 1 2nd 12 with your talent for avoiding detection and your
9th 4 6 1 2nd 13 uncanny psychic gifts make you a force to be
10th 5 7 1 2nd 14 reckoned with. As an adventurer, you support your
cult’s day-to-day needs as required, seeking esoteric
11th 5 8 1 2nd 15
lore, occult relics, allies and opportunities for
12th 5 8 1 2nd 16
expansion, and even operating funds if times get
13th 5 9 1 3rd 19
tough. However, you know that your investment in
14th 5 10 1 3rd 20 this cabal will be repaid many times over when the
15th 5 10 1 3rd 21 time is right.
16th 5 11 1 3rd 24 Occult Knowledge
17th 5 11 1 3rd 24 When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you
18th 5 11 1 3rd 24 gain proficiency with the Arcana skill (if you are
19th 5 12 1 4th 24 already proficient in that skill, you gain proficiency
20th 5 13 1 4th 24 in another Intelligence-based skill of your choice).

87
Spellcasting the three spells you know at 3rd level. Each of these
spells must be from the metaphysician spell list, and
At 3rd level, the deep internal discipline you
must be of a level no higher than what's shown in
developed as a rogue has eveolved into the psychic
the table's Slot Level column for your rogue level.
ability to focus your mental energies into casting
For instance, when you reach 7th level in your rogue
Metaphysician spells (see the new Metaphysician
class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd
class in this document).
level.
Cantrips. At 3rd level, you learn four cantrips.
Whenever you gain a level in this c1ass, you can
These cantrips are minor illusion, psychic shock*,
replace one of the metaphysician spells you know
and two other cantrips of your choice from the
with another spell of your choice from the
metaphysician spell list. You learn an additional
metaphysician spell list. The new spell must be of a
Metaphysician cantrip at 10th level.
level no higher than what's shown in the Psychic
Spell Slot. You gain one spell slot to cast a spell.
Cult Master Spellcasting table's Slot Level column
You can spend psi points to gain additional spell
for your level. you can choose one of the
slots. The Psychic Cult Master Spellcasting table
metaphysician spells you know and replace it with
shows what the level of your spell slot is. To cast one
another spell from the metaphysician spell list,
of your spells of 1st, you must use a spell slot. You
which also must be of a level for which you have
regain your expended spell slot when you finish a
spell slots.
long rest.
Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting
For example, when you are 7th level, you have one
ability for your metaphysician spells, since your
2nd-level spell slot. To cast a 1st or 2nd-level spell,
psychic magic comes from the power of your own
you must expend a spell slot, and you cast it as a
mind and your personal discipline. You use your
2nd-level spell.
Charisma whenever a spell refers to your
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know
spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your
three 1st-level spells: the predictive focus* spell, plus
Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw
two more 1st level metaphysician spells of your
DC for a metaphysician spell you cast and when
choice. At any given point in your career, at least
making an attack roll with one.
half the spells (rounded down) of 1st-level or higher Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
you know from this class must be enchantment Charisma modifier
spells. Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your
The Spells Known column of the Psychic Cult Master Charisma modifier
Spellcasting table shows when you learn more Spellcasting Focus. You can use the crystal type of
metaphysician spells of 1st level or higher, beyond arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your spells.

88
If you have thieves’ tools on your person, you can Mental Weapon. When you make a weapon attack
also use any one item held in your hand from that roll, you can spend 1 psi point to imbue your strike
set of tools (such as a lockpick) as a spellcasting with mystical power. The target does not benefit
focus for your metaphysician spells. If you hold a from half cover or three-quarters cover, and the
weapon in the same hand, you cannot use this kind damage from your attack is considered psychic
of focus to cast spells. damage.
Spell Components. Because they draw on their own Mesmerizing. When you cast an enchantment spell
psychic power rather than outside forces, psychic that forces a creature to make a saving throw to
cult masters do not require spoken words or resist its effects, you can spend 2 sorcery points to
gestures to catch their spells, and spells they cast do roll 1d6 and subtract the number rolled from the
not have verbal or somatic components. saving throw one target makes against your
Unlocked Mind enchantment spell. You must choose to use this
At 3rd level, your focus on using your mental ability before the saving throw is rolled.
potential to dispatch those who darken your Occult Stealth. When you use the bonus action
homeland has awakened hidden psionic potential granted by your Cunning Action feature to take the
within you. This increased spellcasting ability is Hide action, you can spend 1 psi point to roll 1d4
represented by psi points, which allow you to create plus your Charisma modifier to the stealth check.
a variety of magical effects and cast spells. Occult Strike. When you hit a creature with an
You have 2 psi points, and you gain more as you attack and had neither advantage nor disadvantage
increase your rogue level, per the Psychic Cult on the attack roll, you can spend 1 psi point to use
Master Spellcasting table. Any spent psi points are your sneak attack on that creature, even if another
regained when you finish a long rest. You may later enemy of the target is not within 5 feet. All the other
discover ways to acquire additional psi points. You rules of the sneak attack feature still apply to you.
can never have more psi points than shown on the Unfocusing Strike. When you hit a creature with a
table for your level. When you finish a long rest, weapon attack roll, you can spend a psi point to
your number of psi points resets to your maximum. mentally disrupt the creature’s focus in combat. The
You can use these psi points for a variety of effects creature can’t take reactions until the end of your
described below. Many of these effects enhance an next turn, and if it is concentrating on a spell, that
attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it
per attack. makes to maintain its concentration.
Creating Spell Slots. You can use your psi points Esoteric Mastery
to gain additional spell slots. You learn other ways Beginning at 9th level, when you cast the psychic
to use your psi points as you reach higher levels. shock* cantrip, you can spend 1 psi point to to
You can transform unexpended psi points into one change the casting time to 1 bonus action (instead of
spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The 1 action) for this casting. Also, when a creature you
Creating Spell Slots table below shows the cost of target with your psychic shock cantrip is also the
creating a spell slot of a given level. The highest level subject of your predictive focus* spell, your psychic
spell slot you can create is shown in the Highest shock cantrip inflicts additional damage on that
Level Spell Slot column of the Psychic Cult Master creature equal to your Charisma modifier.
Spellcasting Table. Also, whenever you cast the minor illusion cantrip,
Creating Spell Slots you can use both options (sound and image) if you
Spell Slot Level Psi Point Cost
wish, rather than just one. When you cast minor
1st 2
2nd 3 illusion, you can still spend 1 psi point to use the
3rd 5 Cloud Minds option of your Unlocked Mind feature if
4th 6
you wish, changing the casting time to 1 bonus
You cannot convert a spell slot into psi points. It is a action for that casting.
one-way transaction for you. Finally, you learn one extra cantrip from the
Cloud Minds. When you cast the minor illusion following list: catfeet*, far hearing*, mage hand,
cantrip, you can spend 1 psi point to use both mindspeak*, quickling step*, prestidigitation, project
options (sound and image) if you wish, rather than object*, remote viewing*, shifting shadow*, steal
just one. When you do so, you may also choose to speed*, uncanny balance*, or wall run*. This cantrip
change the casting time to 1 bonus action (instead of does not count against your number of cantrips
1 action) for this casting.

89
known as shown on the Psychic Cult Master Psychic Summons
Spellcasting table. Starting at 13th level, you are such a revered cult leader
Lurker in the Shadows that higher-level followers with real occult powers will
answer your summons whenever necessary, even crossing
Starting at 13th level, you can psychically enhance
great distances to fight by your side. At the beginning of a
your sneak attack, inflicting less damage but giving
game session, or at another time the DM deems
yourself an edge in some other way. When you inflict appropriate, you can spend 15 downtime days to perform
the damage from your sneak attack, if you have a psychic ritual which summons a total of three cult
spent at least one psi point this turn, you can fanatics to serve you in completing your current quest.
choose to roll d4’s instead of d6’s for your sneak The cult fanatics stay with you until they have performed
attack damage dice, in order to inflict one of the their assigned task, provided it is reasonable and possible
following additional effects on the target: for them to perform, or until they have assisted you in
• The target falls prone if it is your size or smaller, combat on two separate occasions, after which time they
and you may push it up to 10 feet away from you return to your legion and report what has occurred.
if you wish Political Intrigues
• The target’s speed is reduced by half until the At 17th level, your leadership of your cult makes you an
end of your next turn, and your speed is influential mover-and-shaker in your region. By spending
20 downtime days whenever you are in a settlement with
increased by 15 feet for the same duration
at least 1,000 inhabitants,, you can cause an assassin
• The target decreases one of the following ability
loyal to you and your cult’s beliefs to target and attempt to
scores of your choice by 1 point: Intelligence, kill a humanoid of your choice. It is up to the DM to
Wisdom, or Charisma. At the end of this turn, determine how long the assassination attempt takes to
you regain one of the psi points you spent. plan and execute, whether or not it succeeds, and how
Eldritch Prophet long it takes you to get word of the result.
Starting at 17th level, whenever you finish a short
rest, you regain 3 of your expended psi points.
Psychic Cult Master Downtime Features
The abilities below are intended to represent the psychic
cult master’s true power: their network of fanatical
followers. However, because they use less common game
mechanics and can have larger effects on your party’s
ability to defeat encounters, they require your DM’s
approval before you acquire them in-game.
Fanatical Follower
At 3rd level, whenever you are in a settlement with at
least 1,000 inhabitants, you can spend 4 downtime days
to summon a cultist from your cult to perform a task
you assign to them. The cultist stays with you until they
have performed their assigned task, provided it is
reasonable and possible for them to perform, or until
they have assisted you in combat on two separate
occasions, after which time they depart to see to other
matters.
Recruit Believers
At 9th level, your ability to sway others sensitive to your
belief system has grown so much that you can recruit
new followers even when far away from your cult’s base
of power. At the beginning of a game session, or at
another time the DM deems appropriate, you can spend
10 downtime days to recruit three cultists to your
cause, as long as you are within 100 miles of a place
where humanoid creatures dwell. They stay with you
until they have performed their assigned task, provided
it is reasonable and possible for them to perform, or
until they have assisted you in combat on two separate
occasions, after which time they return to their previous
lives, but await the opportunity to serve you again.

90
 them, but your parts are well-matched and artfully
Sorcerer assembled. No remnants of wire or metal staples
mar your fleshly visage, and your movements are
The spells of a sorcerer arise from neither pact nor neither clumsy nor artificial.
study, but from their own nature. Depending on Your soul is as mortal as any other, but like your
one's point of view, these inherent magical powers body it has been rejuvenated by the crackling power
may be a fantastic gift or a wretched curse. As a of the tempest, and that arcane potential grows
rule, natives of the Domains of Dread are highly every day. In some ways, as you must teach yourself
suspicious of any beings with inherent magical what it is to walk as one of the living once more,
powers, viewing them as both more and less than magic comes more easily to you than the everyday
human. Common folktales, however misguided, activities of your former life. The one who created
claim that sorcerers are changelings left by the fey, you is no longer a part of your existence—perhaps
or reviled practitioners of witchcraft, or even that they were gone before you woke up alone in their
they gain their powers through trafficking with laboratory, or you fled from them in shocked
fiends—in short, that they are warlocks, who are revulsion at what you had become, or some other
mistrusted in almost all domains, and in some even quirk of destiny sent out into the world on your own.
hunted and killed. Even sorcerers not tainted by Whatever purpose drove your creation, you are now
such superstitions are wise to reveal their magical free to choose your own path.
gifts only to those they trust. As supernatural
anomalies themselves, sorcerers are often fascinated Lightning Vitality
by other strange phenomena. Though the dark At 1st level, the lightning used to return you to life
nights in the Lands of Mists hide dire threats, continues to sustain your reanimated state.
sorcerers frequently seek to explore distant domains Whenever you are subjected to lightning damage,
and places spoken of only in tales, hoping to unravel you take no damage, and you may also choose to
the riddle of their own existence. regain a number of spent Hit Dice equal to the
New Sorcerous Origin: highest level spell slot you have remaining. Once you
choose to regain Hit Dice this way, you may not do
Reanimated so again until you finish a short or long rest.
In addition, you are below half your hit point
You died, but that wasn’t the end. Before your
maximum at the start of your turn, you regain 1 hit
death, you were no sorcerer, but now you have
point as long as you have at least 1 of your Hit Dice
become something else. Driven by madness, genius,
remaining. Whenever you regain hit points by any
passion, or all three, a magical artificer re-created
means, if you place a severed body part on the place
your body and infused it with ghoulish life. Using a
from which it was removed, the part reattaches as
combination of alchemy, necromantic knowledge,
you heal.
and blasphemous medical lore, they stitched a new
Finally, you learn the shocking grasp cantrip. It does
body together for you, replacing portions of you that
not count against your number of cantrips known as
could not be revived with pieces of a half-dozen
listed on the Sorcerer table.
other corpses. Yet the final ingredient was lightning,
a primal elemental spark that reignited life in your Reanimated Flesh
constructed form, but also imbued your soul with At 1st level, your flesh was once dead, but is now
magical power. alive and has been reassembled, making you more
You are much like a flesh golem, but represent a far resilient in some ways but more vulnerable in
more advanced and subtle level of magical others. You gain the following traits:
craftsmanship, allowing you to retain the mental • Even though you were re-constructed from dead
faculties you knew in life, and perhaps even some or tissue, you are a living creature. You are immune to
all of your former memories and personality. Your disease. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you
scars are hard to miss unless you endeavor to hide

91
 can ingest food and drink if you wish, and you rest your bonus action to move 5 feet away from the
each day just as you did when you were alive. source of fear (which may provoke opportunity
• You have resistance to bludgeoning and poison attacks), unless there is no empty space into which
damage, but also vulnerability to slashing and fire
you can move, in which case you lose your bonus
damage.
action.
• If you are below half your hit point maximum when
you take slashing damage from an attack, you must Spark of Life
make a Dexterity save. The DC equals 10 or one
Starting at 14th level, you can use the life-giving
quarter of the slashing damage you take, whichever
lightning that keeps you alive to increase the power
number is higher. If you fail, some small part of your
limbs—a quarter of your foot, half your hand, the top of some lightning spells. When you cast a wizard
of your shoulder, etc.—has been cut from your body. spell of 1st through 5th level that deals lightning
This reduces your speed by half for 1 minute, and the damage, you can deal maximum damage with that
end of which time, the dismembered part has found spell. The first time you do so, you suffer no adverse
its way to you (by rolling, creeping, or some stranger effect. If you use this feature again before you finish
means) and reattached itself, and you regain your a long rest, you decrease your maximum hit points
speed. The part cannot be prevented from rejoining by 2d8 for each level of the spell, immediately after
you by any means unless you wish it.
you cast it. Once that happens, for each additional
• If you are below half your hit point maximum when
time you use this feature before finishing a long rest,
you take fire damage, you must make a Wisdom save.
The DC equals 10 or one quarter of the fire damage you decrease your maximum hit points by 1d8 plus
you take, whichever number is higher. If you fail, you an additional 1d8 for each previous time you’ve used
are frightened until the end of your next turn. this feature since your last long rest.
• Living creatures sense something frightening about Rampaging Golem
you, even if you hide your scars. You have advantage
When you reach 18th level, you can give in to your
on Charisma (Intimidate) checks against living
humanoids and beasts, but disadvantage on nature as a construct temporarily, becoming a
Charisma (Persuasion) rolls against them. brutal engine of destruction. Whenever you are
reduced to less than half your hit point maximum,
Flesh Golem Strength you can spend 7 sorcery points as a reaction to
At 6th level, the energies sustaining your consciously unleash your instincts while attempting
reconstructed form have caused it to become to retain control, which requires your concentration
superhumanly strong and tough. You have (as if you were casting a concentration spell). For 1
advantage on all Strength checks and Strength minute or until you lose your concentration, you
saving throws, your carrying capacity (including gain the following traits:
maximum load and maximum lift) is doubled, and • You are immune to poison damage and to
you can roll a d6 in place of the normal damage of bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from
your unarmed strike. nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine.
In addition, whenever you cast a cantrip or spell • You are immune to the charmed, exhausted,
that inflicts lightning damage, you can spend 1 paralyzed, petrified, and poisoned conditions, and to
any spell or effect that would alter your form.
sorcery point to enter a state of increased resilience.
• At the beginning of your turn, you regain hit point
While in this state, you have resistance to piercing
equal to 5 + your Constitution modifier if you have
damage, you are immune to poison damage and the been subjected to lightning damage since the
poisoned condition, and when you aren’t wearing beginning of your previous turn.
armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier. • You can roll a d12 in place of the normal damage of
your unarmed strike, and your unarmed strikes are
Berserk Construct considered magical, and inflict extra damage equal to
Starting at 6th level, if you become frightened, it your Charisma modifier.
affects you differently. You do not have disadvantage • You become a construct, and are no longer affected by
on attack rolls from the frightened condition, but effects that target humanoids (though you are affected
while you are frightened, the first thing you do at the by effects that target constructs).
beginning of each turn is use your bonus action to • When you take damage from a creature that is within
make a melee attack against a randomly determined 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a
melee weapon attack against that creature.
creature within your reach. If there is no creature
• If your turn ends and you haven’t attacked or
within reach, you use your bonus action to attack
damaged a hostile creature since your last turn, you
an object within reach, with preference for an object must use your reaction to make a melee attack
smaller than yourself. If there is no object, you use against a randomly determined creature or object

92
 within your reach. If there is no target within reach, each target. These attacks do not use any action,
you must make a Constitution saving throw against and they are made against all creatures, regardless
your own spellcasting DC. If you fail, you lose of if they are friend or foe. After these attacks, you
concentration on this effect.
immediately lose all the traits gained from this
• If you cast a spell with a range of touch that inflicts
effect. You then fall unconscious until the beginning
damage, you can add your Strength modifier to one
damage roll of that spell. of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you
When this effect ends, you do not lose these traits can't use it again until you finish a short rest.
right away unless you are not conscious. If you are
conscious, you must immediately make a melee
attack against all creatures or objects within 5 feet
when this effect ends, with a separate attack roll for

93
 rule. You know your patron has ambitious beyond
Warlock even their current status—perhaps they seek to
ascend to some greater state of arcane power, or
Of all the classes, none is more distrusted or feared simply wish to escape the curse of the Dark
in the Domains of Dread than the warlock. Powers—and one way or another, your pact furthers
Populations that live under the mercy of dark forces those ambitions. You may willingly act as the agent
have good reason to distrust those who draw power of the Realmbound Tyrant who holds your pact,
from such things. Those bargaining for power in the helping keep the peace among their subjects and
Mists risk more than just their soul, as their pacts enforce laws, or you perhaps you are secretly
might twist their body and mind as well. In these connected to a clandestine resistance. Either way,
benighted realms, warlocks are sometimes uncertain the power—both temporal and arcane—granted by
of the name or nature of their patron, simply your connection to your patron is undeniable.
knowing it as a voice in the wind, a figure in a
vision, a smiling shadow in the corner of the eye, or
Expanded Spell List
a spirit of nature. Some warlocks believe their The godlike power of your tyrant patron within their
patron is benevolent, such as a nature spirit or realm lets you choose from an expanded list of spells
animistic being, but most sages name this as a lie. when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells
Wiser warlocks know their pact-holders by name, are added to the warlock spell list for you.
but this is often little advantage and even less Realmbound Tyrant Expanded Spells
comfort. In realms such as Tepet and Nidala, Spell Level Spells
1st catapult**, sanctuary
inquisitors exist to actively hunt warlocks and the
2nd aid, calm emotions
sorts of beings associated with them. Folk wisdom 3rd invasive id*, wall of sand**
tends to attribute a warlock’s power to fey, fiends, 4th pain*, premonitory vision*
and other dark powers, even the Mists themselves— 5th modify memory, telekinesis
illustrating that folk wisdom is not always mere Psychic Armor
mythology. Depending on the particular Domain of Starting at 1st level, the power you draw from your
Dread in which they find themselves, warlocks often pact strengthens your mind, allowing you to protect
seek to disguise them as the spellcasting abilities of both your body and your mental sovereignty. You
a class less likely to be seen as anathema by the are immune to being charmed, and when you aren’t
locals. Of course, in some regions, all spellcasters wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity
are tarred with same brush, and warlocks become modifier.
adept at hiding their true natures entirely.
New Otherworldly Patron:
Vigilance of Fear
At 1st level, since you live in constant fear of both
The Realmbound Tyrant your patron and your patron’s enemies, you are
always wary of sudden attack. You can substitute
The immortal entity you made your pact with does
your Charisma modifier for your Dexterity modifier
not watch you from some distant realm, but
when rolling initiative, and when you are surprised,
physically dwells with and rules over the people of
you can still take a single action or bonus action
your homeland. Your patron could be Strahd von
(but not both) during the surprise round. You
Zarovich of Barovia or another darklord of a Domain
cannot move with this action unless you take an
of Dread, an undying sorcerer-king draining arcane
action that specifically allows you to move (such as
might from the dwindling life of the city-state around
the Dash action).
him like Kalid-ma of Kalidnay, or a dragon overlord
whose malicious will reshapes the very geography of Implacable Pursuer
her dominion. It has been proven to you time and At 6th level, you are highly adept at apprehending
again that rebelling against the Realmbound Tyrant those who defy your authority. When you hit with an
is pointless, because a supernatural bond bends the attack roll, the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet
land itself to their will. The holder of your pact may until the end of its next turn, and while its speed is
have rivals outside the borders of their realm, but reduced, opportunity attacks against it are made at
within it, their connection to the land make their advantage.
rule absolute beyond what any mortal dictator could Intimidating Presence
imagine. Recognition of this reality has made you an Beginning at 10th level, you can use your action to
extension of their power, even if you oppose their frighten someone with your menacing presence.

94
 New Warlock Pact Option:

Pact of the Gloom

This pact option is an alternative to
the Pacts of the Blade, Chain, or
Tome. The Pact of the Gloom allows
you to call upon the magical
substance of shadow, said to have
been infused into all things at the
beginning of time, from pieces of
primordial chaos rejected in the
creation of matter. When in
darkness, you can weave shadows
into a cloak that helps you hide
from enemies.
Pact of the Gloom
When you are in dim light or
darkness, you can use your bonus
When you do so, choose one creature that you can
action to create a gloom cloak, a magical mantle of
see within 30 feet of you. If the creature can see or
shadow that appears on your person. When you
hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw
create this garment, you can choose its style and
against your warlock spell save DC or be frightened
appearance, which can be in the form of any sort of
of you until the end of your next turn. On
cloak, cape, long coat, or jacket, but it always has
subsequent turns, you can use your action to extend
an inky black color. Your gloom cloak disappears if
the duration of this effect on the frightened creature
it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or
until the end of your next turn. This effect ends if
more. It also disappears if you use this feature
the creature ends its turn out of line of sight or more
again, if you dismiss the cloak, or if you die.
than 60 feet away from you. If it succeeds on its
While you wear your gloom cloak, you can
saving throw, you can't use this feature on that
substitute Charisma for Dexterity when rolling
creature again for 24 hours.
Stealth checks. In addition, whenever you use your
Defiling Drain reaction to cast a spell or cantrip, you can take the
Starting at 14th level, when you hit a creature with Disengage or Hide action as part of the same
an attack, you can stop it in its tracks, then drain reaction.
its life force into yourself. The creature takes 6d8 You can transform one magical cloak into your
extra psychic damage, and until the end of the next gloom cloak by performing a special ritual while you
turn, its speed becomes 0 and it can’t benefit from wear that cloak. You perform the ritual over the
any bonus to its speed. course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short
At the end of its next turn when the speed reduction rest. You can then dismiss the cloak, shunting it
ends, that creature (and only that creature) is into an extradimensional space, and it appears
targeted as if by an Abi-Dalzim’s horrid wilting** whenever you create your gloom cloak thereafter.
spell, so that it must make a Constitution saving You can’t affect an artifact in this way. The magic
throw against your warlock spell DC, taking 10d8 item ceases being your gloom cloak if you die, if you
necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on perform the 1-hour ritual on a different item or if
a success. (Per that spell, constructs and undead you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The
aren’t affected, and plants and water elementals magical cloak appears at your feet if it is in the
make the saving throw with disadvantage.) extradimensional space when the bond breaks.
However much necrotic damage the creature ends
up taking from the Abi-Dalzim’s horrid wilting**
effect, you immediately regain hit points equal to
half the amount of that necrotic damage.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again
until you finish a long rest.

95
 and you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation)
Wizard checks.
Step into Darkness
What a sorcerer gains through reluctant birthright,
and a warlock receives through an eldtritch pact, At 6th level, you add the darkness spell to your
wizards must earn through years of study and toil. spellbook if it is not there already. Whenever you
Able to call on an astonishing variety of arcane cast darkness, for 1 hour you also gain the ability to
spells to bend reality to their will, wizards must step from one shadow into another. When you are in
trust themselves to control that power without even dim light or darkness, as a bonus action you can
the veneer of spiritual guidance divine spellcasters teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you
receive. Endless years of research and practice, can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You
combined with their need for forethought, often can take the Hide action as part of the same action.
result in wizards developing at least mildly obsessive Unraveling Shadows
and controlling personalities. Some wizards grow Beginning at 10th level, you can sense and
drunk on their own power or are corrupted by the sometimes direct a silent malevolent awareness in
evil forces inherent in their spells, believing they are the magical currents of shadow magic, a presence
the sole arbiters of their fate. Wizards are respected that seeks out weakness. When you cast a spell that
or even admired in some domains, such as Darkon inflicts necrotic or psychic damage, you can choose
and Hazlan, but often conceal their arcane powers in one target of that spell. If the target has vulnerability
less accepting lands. Wizards can be found in nearly to any damage types, the damage is of those types. If
any domain, however, often lurking in remote towers the target has no vulnerabilities, you inflict extra
or secretly using magic to further their goals in other damage on that target equal to your Wisdom
arenas. modifier. You know how much extra damage you
New Arcane Tradition: inflicted, but you cannot tell what damage types the
target is or is not vulnerable to from this effect; the
School of Nethermancy hungry shadows hide what kind of damage they
You focus your studies on shadow magic, a method inflict, even from you.
for extricating the magical substance of primordial Shadow Summoning
shadow from various environments, then blending it Starting at 14th level, you can choose to substitute
with arcane forces to create magical effects. Among shadowy apparitions for creatures you would
other manifestations, such spells excite or dull the conjure with magic. Whenever you summon or
senses, spin creatures from raw shadow, and punch create a creature with a conjuration spell, you can
holes through reality. Many are quick to distrust a choose for the space in which that creature appears
wizard who uses the substance of shadow, but to be heavily obscured by magical darkness until the
shadow magic’s apologists defend their art by end of your next turn. When you summon or create
claiming that the spells are no more evil than a a creature in this way, if that creature can see, it
hammer or a knife. The spells are simply tools or also gains 15 temporary hit points, darkvision out to
weapons, depending on how they are used—it is the a range of 60 feet for 1 minute, and advantage on
misapplication of any magic that makes it evil. Yet Dexterity (Stealth) checks until the end of its next
the association between darkness and evil is so turn. However, while in sunlight, creatures you
strong in the minds of most mortal creatures that summon or create in this way have disadvantage on
nethermancers face mistrust and hostility regardless attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception)
of their inclination. checks that rely on sight.
Umbral Sight Dusk Elves and Shadow Magic
Beginning at 2nd level when you choose this arcane According to legend, both the Nethermancy school of
tradition, you can see normally in darkness, both wizardly magic and the warlock Pact of the Gloom were
magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet first researched and developed by dusk elves, during the
era when they were first separated from their elven kin.
Casting Shadows Many of them were already the finest illusionists and
Starting at 2nd level, nearby shadows assist you in white necromancers among their people, and they sought
concealing your spellcasting and scaring your further magical means of hiding from those who would
enemies. When you are in dim light or darkness, hunt them. For more details, see the Dusk Elves section of
spells you cast do not require verbal components, the Races chapter.

96
 a sudden epiphany. As the inhuman cannibals

New Class: entombed in these tunnels for generations break

down the barricaded door, he uses his new insight
to cloud their minds. They tear the chamber apart

Metaphysician seeking him, but he calmly walks behind them and

exits invisibly through the demolished doorway,
bearing a backpack full of ancient secrets.
Stepping over the unconscious bodies of the Charging headlong into the trio of undead, the dusk
defeated cultists, the human constable puts away elf runs up the wall of the alley to avoid their
her hand crossbow and buries both hands in the grasping arms, conjuring a blade made of her own
pockets of her coat. As her unblinking stare thoughts to behead the tallest one before she
mesmerizes the lone zealot still standing, her fingers somersaults to the pavement behind them. She puts
find a carved shard of crystal. The mad cult leader down the other two before they can even turn
swears to himself that he’ll never reveal his master’s around to attack her, then takes to the rooftops to
hidden lair, and the constable manages not to smile rush back her laboratory. She stows the severed
as she sees its image in the fanatic’s mind. head in her pack, confident she can use it to cure
Deep in the buried library of a forgotten order of the zombie plague infecting the city.
mystics, a bespectacled tiefling looks up wide-eyed Metaphysicians are sages, scholars, and scientists
from the dusty scroll in his gloved hands, struck by devoted to the study of mystical powers. These
experts are neither true users of psionic power nor
traditional arcane spellcasters, but driven academic
investigators whose studies unleash the psychic
potential of their own minds as a source of
spellcasting power. These experts on the occult view
all supernatural phenomena—from psionic powers
to arcane spells to the nature of the undead—not as
esoteric mysteries or mystical philosophies or
mysticism, but simply fields of science that
have yet to be fully explored.
Fearless Logic
In all dealings with the supernatural, the
metaphysician remains cool and calm. They try to
examine every encounter with the dispassionate
eye of the scholar. They believe that the application
of logic, reason, and learning to the macabre and
the unusual will eventually result in a complete
understanding of that which seems to defy
explanation. This approach has allowed them to
unlock the inner mysteries of the self and use
psychic powers in the form of magic spells.
Unlike wizards and warlocks, magic and power are
not the point of their researches. The quest for
knowledge is what drives them. The energies they
seek to understand don’t emanate from distant
entities or unknowable dimensions, but from their
own minds and bodies, and the hidden potential in
all living things. They’re curious about
everything, of course, from the nature of
deities to fiends of the Abyss, but they
do not give themselves up to forces
they do not understand. By drawing
power from their own minds—
trained and disciplined minds

97
strengthened by years of study and rigor—they betterment of all. Do you seek to share what you’ve
believe they can study mystical phenomena without learned? How do you deal with blind ignorance or
getting lost in the temptations of power or the superstition with which others approach your
fanaticism of blind faith. This is not to say that discoveries?
metaphysicians are never religious—many begin by Bookish by nature, at one point or another most
studying as students in theology or novices in metaphysicians preferred the comforts of the lab and
monasteries—but they do not rely on anything they library to the rigors of field research. Do you still
cannot explain or understand for themselves. long for such a life? Or did that end when you began
While they endeavor to keep up-to-date with the your adventuring career? One day, do you intend to
latest research and findings by other leading return to a less dangerous lifestyle, where you can
scholars, metaphysicians also spend their much of focus on cataloging, testing, and analyzing your
their time looking for records and relics from times findings, or teaching your unique abilities to others?
long past, seeking clues to historical mysteries as What keeps you out adventuring? Is it dire
well as searching for ancient texts and rituals. In necessity, a yearning for excitement, a
their studies, they also search for ways to cast more groundbreaking theory that can only be proven by
spells or knowledge about how to cast spells more unorthodox methods, the camaraderie of their
effectively. companions, a need for wealth to finance your
To the disciplined mind, no mystery is so dark, no research, or some other reason?
creature so fantastic that it cannot be mastered Metaphysicians tend to be lawful, given the
through application of the scientific method. discipline their studies require, and they are seldom
Observe, hypothesize and test; that is the motto of of evil alignment, since there are easier routes to
the metaphysician. selfish power and personal gain. For you, knowledge
The Truth is Out There is more often an end in itself than a means to an
end. Some unscrupulous researchers will permit no
These scholars devote their entire lives to the
ethical concerns to restrain their quest for
pursuit of knowledge and education. As a rule, such
knowledge, but even they have a higher sense of
characters almost always have some affiliation with
purpose. How does your alignment affect your quest
a college, museum, or similar institution devoted to
to uncover hidden truths? What is the personal
research and learning.
motivation that drives you? How do you want your
No matter how bizarre the situations in which they
discoveries to change the world?
find themselves, metaphysicians do not lose sight of
the many academic disciplines their investigations Quick Build
might advance. They drive themselves to discover You can create a metaphysician quickly by using
new knowledge using precise methodology. Their these guidelines. First, Intelligence should be your
insistence on logic and consistency is off-putting to highest ability score, followed by either Constitution
some, and some metaphysicians may also be seen or Wisdom. Second, choose the Sage background.
as introverted and cold. Yet they pursue their work Third, choose the thaumaturgy and thought blast*
with passion and two-fisted determination. cantrips, and the charm person and ego lash* and
Creating a Metaphysician spells.
As a metaphysician, you had the skills and (“*”=New spells or cantrips appearing this
education to be a well-respected sage or leading document.)
researcher in any field, but you chose a far less Class Features
understood path. What did you see, learn, or As a metaphysician, you gain the following class
experience that led you to analyze the nature of features.
mystical powers so deeply that you unlocked your Hit Points
own mental potential? Hit Dice: 1d6 per metaphysician level
Metaphysicians tend to be a mix of the insecurity of Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution
an outsider and the arrogance of a visionary. Their
modifier
discoveries make sages who do not recognize the
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your
supernatural as a valid area for research seem like
Constitution modifier per metaphysician level after
ignorant fools. Seeing the truths of arcane
1st
phenomena and psychic powers firsthand, and
mastering them for your own use, you know that Proficiencies
your techniques can be taught to others for the Armor: Light armor, shields

98
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows spectral hand is made of invisible force and cannot
Tools: Alchemist’s supplies and any one other set of be seen. You learn additional cantrips of your choice
artisan’s tools of your choice from this list at higher levels, as shown in the
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom Cantrips Known column of the Metaphysician table.
Skills: Choose three skills from Arcana, History, Spell Slots. The Metaphysician table shows how
Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st
Religion, and Survival. level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you
must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You
Equipment regain all expended spell slots when you finish a
You start with the following equipment, in addition long rest.
to the equipment granted by your background: You do not need to prepare your spells; you can cast
• (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a mace or (c) a handaxe any spell of a level which you have slots to cast. For
• (a) a hand crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) 5 javelins example, if you know the 1st-level spell ego lash and
• (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack or (c) have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available,
a monster hunter’s pack (from Curse of Strahd) you can cast ego lash using either slot.
• Leather armor Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. You know
Spellcasting two 1st-level spells of your choice from the
As a disciplined scholar of psychic phenomena and metaphysician spell list.
the power of the mind, you’ve developed the ability The Spells Known column of the Metaphysician
to focus your mental energies into casting spells. table shows when you learn more metaphysician
New Spell List. Your cantrips and spells come from spells of 1st-level or higher. Each of these spells
the Metaphysician spell list. This new spell list must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For
appears at the beginning of the Spells chapter of this instance, when you reach 3rd level in this class, you
document. can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Cantrips. 1st level, you learn four cantrips. These Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you
cantrips are mage hand, mindspeak, and two other can choose one of the metaphysician spells you
cantrips of your choice from the Metaphysician spell know and replace it with another spell from the
list. Whenever you cast the mage hand cantrip, the metaphysician spell list, which also must be of a

The Metaphysician
—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
Level—
Proficiency Spells Cantrips
Level Bonus Features Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +2 Spellcasting, Psychic Armor, 2 4 2 — — — — — — — —
Supernatural Scholar
2nd +2 Metaphysical Archetype 2 4 3 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 Learned Expertise, Psychic Senses 3 4 4 2 — — — — — — —
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 5 4 3 — — — — — — —
5th +3 4 5 4 3 2 — — — — — —
6th +3 Metaphysical Archetype feature 4 5 4 3 3 — — — — — —
7th +3 Memory Palace 4 5 4 3 3 1 — — — — —
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 5 5 4 3 3 2 — — — — —
9th +4 Psychic Resonance 5 5 4 3 3 3 1 — — — —
10th +4 Intellect Barrier 6 6 4 3 3 3 2 — — — —
11th +4 6 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 7 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 — — —
13th +5 Memory Fortress 7 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
14th +5 Metaphysical Archetype feature 7 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 — —
15th +5 Greater Supernatural Scholar 8 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 8 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 —
17th +6 9 6 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1
18th +6 Metaphysical Archetype feature 9 6 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 10 6 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1
20th +6 Living Library 10 6 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1

99
level for which you have spell slots. Psychic Armor
Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is your Beginning at 1st level, your psionic energies help
spellcasting ability for your metaphysician spells, protect your person from harm, compensating for
since the power of your magic comes from your your lack of heavy armor. When you are wearing no
disciplined mind and rigorous studies. You use armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 12
your Intelligence whenever a metaphysician spell + your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier (whichever
refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you is higher). When you are wearing light armor, you
use your Intelligence modifier when setting the receive a +1 bonus to AC.
saving throw DC for a metaphysician spell you cast
and when making an attack roll with one.
Supernatural Scholar
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your At 1st level, you are a leading scholar of linguistics
Intelligence modifier among other fields, and you are aided in your
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your studies by your psychic abilities. You learn 1
Intelligence modifier additional language of your choice, and you also
Ritual Casting. You can cast a metaphysician spell know the comprehend languages spell. This spell
as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag. does not count against your number of spells
Spellcasting Focus. You can use the crystal type of known. Whenever you cast comprehend languages
arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your spells. as a ritual, you can choose to do so in 1 minute
If you have alchemist’s supplies on your person, you instead of the hour a ritual normally requires.
can also use any one item held in your hand from However, when you do so, the spell’s duration is
that set of supplies as a spellcasting focus for your reduced to 10 minutes.
metaphysician spells. This item used as a At 2nd level, 4th level, and 8th level, you may
spellcasting focus is too large or delicate for you to choose to learn one additional language or gain
hold a weapon with the same hand. (This is proficiency with one additional set of artisan’s tools.
assumed to be a beaker or decanter of some Metaphysical Archetype
alchemical concoction, that you either imbibe or At 2nd level, you choose a Metaphysical Archetype, a
inhale fumes from, but can be described in another focus for growth in your burgeoning vocation as a
appropriate form with the DM’s permission). metaphysician, as detailed at the end of this class
Spell Components. Because they draw on their own description. Three metaphysical archetypes are
psychic power rather than outside forces, described in this document: the Eradicator, the
metaphysicians do not require spoken words or Mentalist, the Materialist, and the Savant.
gestures to catch their spells, and spells they cast do Your choice grants you features when you choose it
not have verbal or somatic components. at 2nd level, and again at 6th, 14th, and 18th level.

100
Learned Expertise Psychic Resonance
At 3rd level, choose up to two of the following skills At 9th level, whenever you cast a spell that inflicts
with which you are proficient: Arcana, History, psychic damage, you can add your Intelligence
Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, modifier to one damage roll of that spell.
Religion, or Survival. Your proficiency bonus is Intellect Barrier
doubled for any ability check you make that uses
At 10th level, your supernatural willpower and
either of the chosen skills.
unfailing vigilance make your mind near
Psychic Senses impregnable to assault. You gain proficiency with
Beginning at 3rd level, your mental powers and Charisma saving throws, and whenever you apply
disciplined mind give you a preternatural eye for your proficiency bonus to an ability check or saving
detail. If your passive Perception, passive Insight, or throw you make to resist any attempt to discern
passive Investigation score includes your proficiency information about you, your plans, your location, or
bonus, you double your proficiency bonus when your thoughts, you double your proficiency bonus
including it in those passive scores. for that roll. This includes effects that would read
In addition, you learn the detect thoughts spell, and your thoughts or compel you to speak the truth.
it does not count against your number of spells Recovery Trance
known. whenever you are using it to detect a You can use a brief meditation to cause your body to
creature or sense its thoughts, you do not need to recover more efficiently. Whenever you spend two or
see that creature to affect it with a metaphysician more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, you can
spell that normally can only target creatures you also choose to do one of the following:
can see, as long as the creature is within range of • Regain additional hit points equal to the total number
that spell. of Hit Dice you spend.
Finally, if you have directly communicated with a • Gain resistance to psychic damage for one hour.
creature using a metaphysician spell since the • Recover one spell slot of 3rd-level or lower. The level of
beginning of your last turn, that creature does not the spell slot recovered cannot be greater than the
need to be able to hear you in order for you to affect number of Hit Dice you spend.
it with a metaphysician spell that normally can only Memory Fortress
target creatures who can hear you, as long as the At 13th level, the intellectual rigor and focused
creature is within range of that spell. willpower you apply to your memory palace are truly
Ability Score Improvement superhuman. You gain the following benefits:
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, • Whenever you make an Intelligence check that lets
you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20
16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability
roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two
• When you make a roll that gains the bonus from your
ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you Intellect Barrier feature, you also gain advantage on
can't increase an ability score above 20 using this that roll. If you succeed on the roll, you choose one
feature. creature whose attempt to discern information about
Memory Palace you prompted that roll and force them to make an
Intelligence saving throw against your Metaphysician
At 7th level, you have organized your mind using
spell DC. The creature takes psychic damage equal to
your spatial memory, creating an imaginary palace your Metaphysician level on a failed save, or half as
in your mind where you associate pieces of your vast much damage on a successful one.
knowledge with the palace’s features, allowing you to
Greater Supernatural Scholar
call up learned information on demand, giving you
Starting at 15th level, your psychic abilities and
the following benefits:
• You can accurately recall anything you have seen or
mastery of linguistic principles allow you to
heard within the past month. If you gain this feature understand all spoken and written languages.
again from another feature or feat, you can accurately Moreover, any creature that can understand a
recall anything you have seen or heard within the past language can understand what you say, and if you
year. use your Recovery Trance feature to regain a spell
• Whenever you fail a Wisdom or Intelligence check that slot when you spend Hit Dice, that spell slot can be
lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can re-roll 4th level or lower.
that roll and use the higher of the two rolls. You can
use this ability twice. You regain expended uses of
this ability when you finish a short or long rest.

101
Living Library Because the vistas opened by this new field of
inquiry are so vast, metaphysicians channel their
At 20th level, your mind is a repository of knowledge
studies through certain vocations and specialties,
comparable to entire academic institutions rather
known as metaphysical archetyops.
than mere individuals, unifying your intellect with
your body and soul and allowing you to unlock the In selecting your metaphysical archetype, you
greater psychic potential within your physical form. choose not only a focus for your research—both
This grants you a number of benefits: supernatural and mundane, though you approach
• You can always accurately recall anything you have both with the same scientific methodologies—but a
seen or heard since you became 20th level. particular area of growth for your psychic abilities
• You can add your proficiency bonus to any and a viewpoint for your understanding of the
Intelligence check you make that doesn’t already uncanny. You know that even seemingly impossible
include your proficiency bonus. phenomena have a rational explanation, and it is
• When you fail any saving throw or any Intelligence,
this approach that will guide you in finding it.
Wisdom, or Charisma check, you can treat the d20
roll as a 20. Once you use this feature, you can’t use Casting Bonus Action Spells
it again until you finish a short or long rest. An often-overlooked rule for all spellcasters that especially
Metaphysical Archetypes bears repeating here is the following:
If you cast a spell of 1st-level or higher using a bonus
The science of the metaphysician is new,
action, you can’t cast another spell during the same turn,
representing both a bold frontier in the exploration
except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.
of the mind and a novel paradigm through which to
examine the arcane powers of magic rationally.
Eradicator
Deep studies of the realm you call home
have revealed a hidden truth: the world is
sick. As a plague takes hold of the body,
a darkness has infested the land. It takes
many forms: undead. lycanthropes, hags,
fiends, unclean spirits, and the like. You
do not view these horrors superstitiously,
but clinically. They are a disease that
must cured.
You have become an expert on these
shadowy threats. Like a naturalist
cataloguing plant and animal specimens,
you use a variety of techniques to discern
the true nature of the infection. From
stealthy observation to researching poorly
understood ancient writings, capture to
vivisection, you use any tool you can to
extract every secret. How does mortal
flesh sustain a zombie’s unlife? Why is
silver better than steel against a
werewolf? How does a mummy infect its
victims with rot? You need these answers
in order to turn the tables on these
unnatural predators and eradicate them
for the good of all mortals.
Your psychic powers are a means to this
end, and you fight fire with fire. You learn
how to influence another’s mind, the
better to free victims charmed by the gaze
of a vampire. Mastering disguise yourself
helps you to pierce a doppleganger’s

102
deceit. When a poltergeist hurls objects around a Once during your turn, when you inflict damage
room, you can resist it with your own telekinetic with a metaphysician spell or with a magical weapon
strength. You may be driven by a personal grudge or on a creature that is your species focus or the
a sense of calling, or even mere curiosity, but you subject of your predictive focus spell, you can choose
don’t let your feelings cloud your rational mind. one such creature to take an additional 1d8 psychic
Of all metaphysicians, eradicators are the most damage. At 6th level, any creature that takes this
likely to have deep religious beliefs. Seeing the way damage cannot benefit from advantage on any
divine power can be channeled to defeat undead, Intelligence or Wisdom saving throw until the end of
fiends, and other formidable monsters leaves a your next turn.
lasting impression. Whatever you believe, you tend Absolute Effort
to be just as rational about them as you are about
At 6th level, you can marshal your own life force to
everything else. Eradicators always find a way to
empower your psychic vigilance. When you cast the
reconcile faith and science, and they have a natural
detect evil and good and intellect barrier* spells, you
suspicion of zeaotry. In many ways, your drives to
may choose to lose 1 hit die to change the casting
understand divinity and the forces of darkness are
time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
two sides of the same coin.
Psychic Turning
Exorcism Spells Starting at 6th level, you can attempt to repel dark
When you choose this archetype at 2nd level, you
forces with the strength of your convictions. As an
learn the detect evil and good, protection from evil
action, you present a spellcasting focus you can use
and good, and predictive focus* spells.
for your metaphysician spells (such as a holy
At 4th level, you learn the gentle repose and major
symbol), and each creature within 30 feet of you that
telekinetic weapon* spells. is undead or your species focus must make an
At 6th level, you learn the intellect redoubt* spell. Intelligence saving throw against your
At 7th level, you learn the locate creature and Metaphysician spell DC. On a failed save, such a
staggering smite spells. At 9th level, you learn the creature is repelled for a number of rounds equal to
dispel evil and good spell. At 17th level, you learn your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1), though
the imprisonment spell. Spells learned from this the effect ends if the creature takes damage. A
feature do not count against your normal number of repelled creature must spend its turns trying to
metaphysician spells or cantrips known. move as far away from you as it possibly can, and it
Monster Hunter can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you.
At 2nd level, you can use a holy symbol as a It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use
spellcasting focus for your metaphysician spells, and only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect
you have advantage on Intelligence and Wisdom that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to
checks to discern information about any creature move, the creature can use the Dodge action.Once
that is an aberration, construct, elemental, fey, you use this feature once, you cannot use it again
fiend, or undead, as well as any other creature that until you finish a short or long rest.
you know to be a shapechanger. You also learn the Serenity of Spirit
shillelagh cantrip, and when you cast it, you can At 14th level, you are an island of calm resolution in
choose for a wooden weapon you cast it on to a sea of fear and aggression. You cannot be charmed
sharpen, becoming a piercing weapon for the or frightened, and you can cast the calm emotions
duration of the spell (this allows you to be used as a spell at will.
wooden stake for the purpose of defeating vampires
and similar creatures).
Hunting the Hunters
At 18th level, you are immune to psychic damage,
Species Focus and hostile creatures you choose who take psychic
Starting at 2nd level, you choose a type of monster damage during your turn must roll Intelligence
you know more about than any other. You can saves against your Metaphysician spell DC or
choose one species focus from the following: become frightened of you until the end of your next
aberrations, constructs, elementals, fey, fiends, turn.
giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead.
Alternatively, you can shapechangers of any type as
your species focus. Work with your DM to determine
an appropriate type of monster for the campaign.

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 6th 6 16th 16
Mentalist 7th 7 17th 17
When you first began to study the powers of the 8th 8 18th 18
mind, you focused on a particular kind of psionic 9th 9 19th 19
spellcasting. Like a surgeon or healer discovering 10th 10 20th 20
they want to specialize in a certain region of the
Creating Spell Slots. You can use your psi points
body, this focus was determined by both your
to gain additional spell slots. You learn other ways
intellectual curiosity and an intuitive level of
to use your psi points as you reach higher levels.
understanding. You don’t just see your own psychic
You can transform unexpended psi points into one
powers as a means of gaining knowledge—rather,
spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The
they are the specific subject you seek knowledge
Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating
about. You strive to be the world’s most advanced
a spell slot of a given level. You can create spell slots
authority on your chosen specialty.
no higher in level than 5th.
Mentalists achieve greater mastery of their
Creating Spell Slots
supernatural abilities than other metaphysicians, Spell Slot Level Psi Point Cost
and tend to be the most physically formidable. They 1st 2
are also the metaphysicians most comfortable with 2nd 3
accepting weirdness for which they don’t have a 3rd 5
4th 6
rational explanation yet—emphasis on the yet, as
5th 7
they view their mastery of their chosen area of
You cannot convert a spell slot into psi points at
mentalism to be the key to eventually unlocking all
this level. It is a one-way transaction until you
supernatural mysteries.
attain greater mastery.
Psychic Specialist Empowering Meditation
When you choose this archetype at 2nd level, you
Starting at 6th level, as a bonus action on your turn,
gain a magisterium, an area of specialty which
you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of
grants you a list of new cantrips and spells.
psi points equal to the slot's level. If you wish, as
Magisteria are listed at the end of this archetype
part of the same bonus action, you may also cast a
description. In addition, you gain proficiency with
spell that has a casting time of 1 bonus action.
one martial melee weapon of your choice that does
Whenever you spend 1 or more psi points, you can
not have the heavy or two-handed qualities.
spend 1 additional psi point to gain resistance to
Awakened Mind psychic damage for 10 minutes.
At 2nd level, your specialized studies of your branch Swift Spell
of psychic magic have unleashed hidden psionic
At 6th level, when you cast a spell of 1st-level or
potential within you. This increased spellcasting
higher that has a casting time of 1 action, you can
ability is represented by psi points, which allow you
spend 2 psi points to change the casting time to 1
to create a variety of magical effects and cast
bonus action for this casting.
additional spells.
In addition, if the cantrip you learned from your
Psi Points. You have 2 psi points, and you gain
magisterium has a casting time of 1 action,
more as you increase your metaphysician level, per whenever you cast it, you can change the casting
the table below. Any spent psi points are regained time to 1 bonus action for that casting. Casting the
when you finish a long rest. You may later discover cantrip you learned from your magisterium in this
ways to acquire additional psi points. You can never way does not require any expenditure of psi points,
have more psi points than shown on the table for but this ability only applies to that particular
your level. When you finish a long rest, your number cantrip.
of psi points resets to your maximum.
Metaphysician Max. Psi Metaphysician Max. Psi Psychic Metamagic
Level Points
Points Level Points At 14th level, your careful study of spells cast with
1st - 11th 11 psychic energy allows you to tailor your spell effects
2nd 2 12th 12 to the situation at hand. When you cast a spell, you
3rd 3 13th 13 can spend 1 psi point to do either of the following (or
4th 4 14th 14 spend 2 psi points to do both):
5th 5 15th 15

104
Careful Spell. When you cast a
spell that forces other creatures to
make a saving throw, you can protect
some of those creatures from the spell's
full force. To do so, you spend 1 psi point
and choose a number of those creatures up
to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one
creature). A chosen creature automatically
succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.
Mindbending Spell. When you roll damage for a
spell that inflicts psychic damage, you can spend
1 psi point to reroll a number of the damage dice
up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of
one). You must use the new rolls.
Master Psychic
At 18th level, your nearly perfected
understanding of psychic energy allows you
to empower your own spells, and also to resist
the psionic powers of others. When you cast a
spell that forces a creature to make an Intelligence
saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 psi
points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on
its first saving throw made against the spell.
In addition, you learn the psychic shield spell (or
another 1st-level metaphysician spell of your choice
if you already know psychic shield). As a reaction,
whenever you make an Intelligence or Charisma
saving throw or would take psychic damage, you can
spend 2 psi points to cast the psychic shield spell,
even if you have no spell slots remaining.
Finally, when you inflict psychic damage with a spell
of 1st-level or higher, once per turn you can choose
one creature who took that damage. That target
must roll an Intelligence save against your
metaphysician spell DC. If they fail, they are either
charmed by you or frightened of you (your choice)
until the end of your next turn.
Magisteria
Certain metaphysicians specialize in a magisterium,
a regimen of training and meditation that allows
them to learn certain related spells in addition to
those they acquire from being a metaphysician.
Cantrips and spells gained from your magisterium
do not count against your normal number of
metaphysician spells or cantrips known.
The spells you gain from your magisterium are listed
by your level in this class. When you gain the listed
level in your metaphysician class, you gain those
spells. When you gain a magisterium, if it lists one
or more spells or cantrips you already know, you
immediately replace those spells or cantrips with

105
new spells of the same level from the metaphysician In addition to the spells below, you learn the shifting
list. shadow* cantrip, and if you have navigator’s tools
The magisteria also offer additional options for on your person and are proficient with them, you
spellcasting foci in using your metaphysician spells. can also use any one instrument held in your hand
In all cases, the object used as a focus is too large or from that set of tools as a spellcasting focus for your
delicate for you to hold anything usable as a weapon metaphysician spells.
in the same hand. Metaphysician
Level Spells Learned
Magisterium of Atmokinesis 2nd longstrider, sanctuary
You are a student of the weather, including how 3rd misty step, rope trick
elemental forces interact to create it and how
5th blink, nondetection
psychokinetic energies can impact those processes.
7th dimension door
You are very careful with your abilities, as
9th teleportation circle
manipulation of the skies in one place can cause
droughts, storms, or floods in another. Sometimes, 11th
11th arcane gate
you even worry that you unintentionally affect 17th
17th gate
nearby weather with your moods. These concerns
Magisterium of Ectopsychosis
prompt you to exercise a deeper level of self-control
Even among other mentalists, your studies are
and personal detachment than even your fellow
considered esoteric and unorthodox. You have
mentalists practice. With the precision of a
gained insights into other planes and the
mathematician or an architect, you track weather
intelligences that inhabit them, threatening your
patterns in your local region, both to understand the
sanity not with disorienting delusions, but the
limits of your own power and be able to predict the
clarity of truths beyond mortal ken. Sharing your
effects of your interference.
enlightened perceptions can expose others to these
In addition to the spells below, you learn the gust**
same knowledge, as well as the eldritch forces
cantrip, and you can use an abacus as a
attached to them. Even as you struggle to resist
spellcasting focus for your metaphysician spells
Metaphysician madness, you can blast the sanity of others by
Level Spells Learned unleashing otherworldly forces, or simply by helping
2nd fog cloud, feather fall them see the world from a perspective like your own.
3rd gust of wind, warding wind** In addition to the spells below, you learn the
5th call lightning, sleet storm reaver’s touch* cantrip, and you can use the orb
7th storm sphere** type of arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your
spells, but that orb must be made of clear, colorless
9th maelstrom**
crystal (this does not change the cost of the item).
11th
11th chain lightning Metaphysician
17th
17th storm of vengeance Level Spells Learned
2nd alienated mind*, dissonant whispers
Magisterium of Disapparation 3rd augury, crown of madness
Unlike those who master powers that propel objects
5th hunger of Hadar, invasive id*
through space, you’ve become convinced of an
7th confusion
alternate theory: that space itself is malleable via
9th contact other plane
psychic arcana. You first apply this ability to move
short distances, sometimes while standing still, and 11th
11th eyebite
to bend the world around you to hide your very 17th
17th gate
presence in it. Growing in this field of study allows
Magisterium of Phantasmagoria
you to link places together with your mind, traveling
Your intense examination of the workings of the
impossible distances, perhaps even transcending the
mortal mind have led you to explore the powers of
mortal plane. The chief mental flaw that
perception, and how they can be misled. You begin
accompanies such studies is a tendency towards
with the simple ability to project the input of a single
egocentrism, believing that the visible world revolves
sense, such as hearing or sight, but eventually you
around you. After all, when everything around you
can compose complex hallucinations. Over time, you
can move and change, the only fixed point you can
learn how to discern exactly what sensory input will
perceive is yourself.
frighten or perplex a certain creature. Getting

106
insight into others’ fears and misunderstandings Magisterium of Psychometabolism
helps you relate to them, but sometimes knowing
Your own body is the focus of your studies, and you
how inaccurate even your own senses are makes the
seek to perfect it through knowledge and discipline.
world around you seem dreamlike and
These kinds of mentalists often eat special diets and
insubstantial.
practice strict routines of regular exercise as part of
In addition to the spells below, you learn the minor
their mastery of their own bodily energies. They also
illusion* cantrip, and you can use an item from any tend to be among the most unstoppable of all
one of the following sets of artisan’s tools as a metaphysicians in direct hand-to-hand
spellcasting focus for your metaphysician spells: confrontation. You have to be careful to remain alert
calligrapher’s supplies, painter’s supplies, a disguise to danger, as your growing personal fortitude means
kit, or a forgery kit. you sometimes fail to notice more insidious threats,
Metaphysician
Level Spells Learned or serious danger that could harm others. You
2nd color spray, silent image sometimes have trouble connecting with common
3rd mirror image, phantasmal force folk, as their seem so fragile and short.
In addition to the spells below, you learn the blade
5th fear, major image
ward cantrip. You can use a vial of antitoxin or the
7th phantasmal killer
emblem type of divine focus as a spellcasting focus
9th Mislead
for your spells, but if you use an emblem, it must
11th
11th programmed illusion feature an alchemical symbol of your own design.
17th
17th Weird Metaphysician
Level Spells Learned
Magisterium of Psychokineticism 2nd frightful strike*, speed of thought*
The ability to move objects and exert force with your 3rd enhance ability, enlarge/reduce
mind via the mage hand cantrip is where you began 5th feign death, sustaining meditation*
your studies, but you have grown greatly in
7th stoneskin
knowledge and power since. The strength of a
9th greater restoration
hulking warrior is dwarfed by the increasing
11th
11th unleash instincts*
physical potency of your mind. With but a thought,
you learn to move the heaviest objects in your 17th
17th Foresight
presence, and use them defensively or aggressively. Magisterium of Psychovelocity
The earth itself becomes your plaything as you Either time or space would be a massive field of
advance in mastery. Often these mentalists become study in itself for any scholar, but your psychic
so accustomed to manipulating the physical world abilities give you deep insights into both. Your
with their thoughts that they barely lift the fingers of
particular interest is the speed of objects in motion,
their actual bodies. You have to be vigilant about not and you increase your own swiftness to superhuman
neglecting the needs of your flesh and blood form, or levels. Eventually, you learn to manipulate time
else your health may decline, as you wither into a itself, decreasing or increasing the speed of others,
mere shell containing an increasingly inhuman moving so quickly you generate vortexes of wind,
power.
and eventually learning to move on a completely
In addition to the spells below, you learn the different scale of time from those around you. Your
thunderclap** cantrip, and you can use the wand own perceptions of time can alienate you from
type of arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your others, as the slow-moving and predictable
spells, but that wand must be made of wood (this creatures around you become sources of boredom
does not affect the cost of the item). and frustration. The feeling is something like that of
Metaphysician
Level Spells Learned a practiced artisan, waiting impatiently for an
2nd catapult**, telekinetic slam* unschooled apprentice to slowly blunder through a
3rd cordon of arrows, levitate task they themselves could execute quickly and
easily, except you feel that way about practically
5th erupting earth**, wind wall
everyone. When you move at the upper limits of your
7th animate objects
speed, there is a strange feeling of temptation to
9th telekinesis
push past even those boundaries, moving on
11th
11th move earth permanently to some as yet undiscovered plane of
17th
17th Imprisonment existence, so that is a call you must resist as well.

107
In addition to the spells below, you learn the steal truly answer even one such question, but it is your
speed cantrip, and you can use an hourglass as a life’s work to try. In that pursuit, you discover ways
spellcasting focus for your metaphysician spells. to externalize expressions of your own soul as
Metaphysician disembodied entities or the animating force behind
Level Spells Learned constructs, to transubstantiate your own body into
2nd expeditious retreat, speed of thought*
something more like spirit, to communicate with the
3rd blur, spider climb departed. The heights of power may allow you to
5th haste, slow leave your body, whether to walk in others’ dreams,
7th freedom of movement possess the body of another sentient creature, or
9th swift quiver even take others with you to explore the astral
11th
11th investiture of wind plane. Yet definitive answers always seem to linger
17th
17th time stop beyond reach, and your unsatisfied curiosity may
propel you to reckless risks and making trouble for
Magisterium of Pyrokinesis your comrades.
You focus your psychic studies on controlling the In addition to the spells below, you learn the spare
element of fire. At first, you can only manipulate the dying* cantrip, and
existing fire, but eventually you learn to cause Metaphysician
combustion in flammable items around you, and at Level Spells Learned
2nd soul homunculus*, unseen servant
higher levels you can ignite fire out of thin air from
your own mental energies. You know have chosen 3rd invisibility, pass without trace
an area of psychic power where it is easy to lose 5th gaseous form, speak with dead
control, for many reasons. Often, creating flame with 7th greater invisibility
your mind requires you to summon up intense 9th dream
feelings of rage within yourself, and mentalists of 11th
11th magic jar
this magisterium are often seen as short tempered. 17th
17th astral projection
Fire also behaves in ways not unlike a living animal,
and sometimes it is hard not to think of it as a living Magisterium of Telecognition
thing that must be calmed and placated or, at times, You have mastered techniques for contacting the
fed. Its purity is seductive, and the instinct to minds of other intelligent creatures, sharing your
unleash it everywhere is a lure you must resist as thoughts directly with them and thinking their
well. thoughts as your own. At higher levels of mastery,
In addition to the spells below, you learn the control you can use this ability to exert influence over
flames** cantrip, and you can use a container of thoughts as well, sometimes even taking total
alchemist’s fire as a spellcasting focus for your control. When you encounter another mind directly
metaphysician spells. with your own, keeping track of the boundaries of
Metaphysician your own identity requires deep self-knowledge and
Level Spells Learned strength of will. Your powers may threaten the very
2nd absorb elements**, fiery wrath*
concepts of free will or privacy, and you must be on
3rd heat metal, pyrotechnics** guard against the temptation to use them in
5th fireball, flame arrows** mundane situations and personal relationships. If
7th wall of fire friends and loved ones feel as if they cannot trust
9th immolation** their own thoughts around you, you will quickly
11th
11th investiture of flame become an isolated pariah.
17th
17th meteor swarm In addition to the spells below, you learn the psychic
shock* cantrip, and you can use an unbroken mirror
Magisterium of Spectrology as a spellcasting focus for your metaphysician
Like other mentalists, you study the mind, but you spells.
do so as a means for divining the secrets of the soul. Metaphysician
In your chosen field, you delve into deeper mysteries Level Spells Learned
2nd command, telepathic link*
than any other kind of metaphysician. How do souls
migrate from the mortal body they once inhabited? 3rd hold person, suggestion
Do spirits have any substance or weight? Is the soul 5th control thoughts*, sending
one whole, or does it have parts? You may never 7th compulsion

108
 9th Rary’s telepathic bond In addition to the spells below, you learn the
11th mass suggestion warning roar* cantrip. You can use a vial of
17th
17th power word kill antitoxin or the emblem type of divine focus as a
spellcasting focus for your spells, but if you use an
Magisterium of Telempathy emblem, it must feature a totemic symbol
You focus not on reading others’ thoughts, but on representing an animal with which you feel an
sensing their emotions. Beyond the ability to intuit affinity.
the feelings of those around you, you can project Metaphysician
your own emotions into other creatures, causing Level Spells Learned
them to feel as you wish them too. Eventually, you 2nd animal friendship, beast bond**
can overwhelm the passions of others to the point 3rd alter self, beast sense
where they are inspired to heroic deeds—or past the 5th conjure animals, fly
point at which they can move or function. At the 7th dominate beast
same time, it becomes harder and harder to tell 9th commune with nature
where the emotions of others end, and where your 11th
11th unleash instincts*
own begin. Those who would dare this path must
17th
17th shapechange
have the ability to overcome great fear, rage, desire,
and other powerful emotions. They require Mentalist Multiclassing
increasing levels of willpower to remain in control. If you are using the optional multiclassing rules, you may
In addition to the spells below, you learn the fist of eventually gain psi points from another class. If you do,
rage* cantrip, and you can use a lantern (hooded or the maximum number of psi points you can have at once
bullseye, whether or not it is lit) as a spellcasting is equal to the total of the maximum psi points permitted
by each of your classes that grants them, added together.
focus for your metaphysician spells.
Metaphysician
Level
2nd
Spells Learned
charm person, Tasha’s hideous laughter
Savant
You know things, and that’s it—but that is more
3rd calm emotions, enthrall
than enough. Unlike other metaphysicians, you
5th beacon of hope, hypnotic pattern don’t claim to have any magical powers, your
7th pain understanding is that you are simply well-educated
9th hold monster and extremely practiced in certain techniques. Even
11th
11th Otto’s irresistible dance the most miraculous seeming feats you can perform
17th
17th weird have a more mundane explanation, which you can
discuss at depth. You’re convinced that the magical
Magisterium of Zoopathy powers of wizards and the like have less mystical
Your studies have unlocked the
more primal and animalistic
energies of your mind, and you
are in touch with the instincts of
beasts around you. At first you
can only calm or communicate
with them. Over time, however,
you learn to emulate bestial
traits to your advantage,
swimming like a fish or striking
with the claws of panther. Later,
you can summon groups of
animals and control them, and
empower yourself far beyond the
normal abilities of mortals.
Retaining control over your
instincts becomes challenging,
as the primal urges within you
grow stronger as your
connection to nature deepens.

109
explanations as well. You seek to understand those • Influential. You gain proficiency in one Charisma-
phenomena, but your worldview does not allow for based skill, and you can add half your proficiency
the kinds of irrational superstitions others rely on to bonus, rounded down, to any Charisma check you
explain phenomena such as spirits or the walking make, whether it already includes your normal
proficiency bonus or not.
dead. Logic, applied with rigor, can explain
• Intuitive. You gain proficiency in one Wisdom-based
anything. The universe is not an inexplicable game
skill, and you can add half your proficiency bonus,
played with dice by unknowable gods. It is a place of
rounded down, to any Wisdom check you make,
deep yet comprehensible wonder, where some whether it already includes your normal proficiency
creatures and forces are so great and powerful that bonus or not.
they currently seem beyond mortal ken. In time, • Tactical. You gain proficiency with medium armor
however, if enough knowledge is collected, analyzed, and all martial weapons. Weapon attacks you make
and understood, the scientific method will yield outside of your own turn inflict +2 damage.
understanding of everything. You do your part to Genius Intellect
bring that future closer. Beginning at 2nd level, your spell progression
You love a challenge, and no challenge engages your changes from that shown on the metaphysician
faculties more than unraveling what others don’t table. When you choose this archetype, you do not
want you to know. The combination of your gain spell slots of 2nd level or higher from your
deductive reasoning, encyclopedic education, and metaphysician class. Instead, you receive intellect
ability to improve the efficiency of your body with dice, special dice you use to perform prodigious acts
your powerful mind make you more than a mere that mark your genius. As you grow in your
investigator or detective. You have an uncanny metaphysician class, you gain different numbers of
ability to read people and situations, allowing you to dice, which can be of various types (d6’s, d8, d10’s,
predict your opponent’s moves before they happen, d12’s). The various dice you gain are shown in the
uncover complex conspiracies with a bare handful of Intellect Dice per Day table, below.
clues, and act with preternatural quickness before Intellect Dice per Day
anyone else realizes what has happened. Metaphysician -Intellect Dice-
Dice-
Most who see you believe your extraordinary Level d6's d8's d10's d12's
capabilities to be magic. You know that even your
2nd 1d6 - - -
most miraculous leaps of intuition or uncanny feats
of prediction are merely byproducts of a level of 3rd 2d6 - - -
education, intuition, and self-discipline any person 4th 3d6 - - -
of intelligence could achieve—you’re sure magic has 5th 3d6 1d8 - -
nothing to do with it! 6th 3d6 2d8 - -
Due to the loss of spell slots that is a consequence of 7th 3d6 3d8 1d10 -
choosing this archetype, you gain an extra archetype 8th 3d6 3d8 2d10 -
feature at 11th level, as well as the levels at which 9th 3d6 3d8 3d10 1d12
other Metaphysician archetypes gain a feature. 10th
10th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
Deep Proficiency 11th
11th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
When you choose this archetype at 2nd level, you 12th
12th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
gain a deep level of mastery in certain skilled 13th
13th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
pursuits. You gain proficiency with two tool or 14th
14th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
vehicle types of your choice (you could choose 15th
15th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
thieves’ tools and water vehicles, disguise kits and 16th
16th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
calligrapher’s supplies, etc.) In addition, you choose 17th
17th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
one of the following Deep Proficiency options: 18th
18th 3d6 3d8 3d10 2d12
• Cautious. You gain proficiency with medium and
19th
19th 3d6 3d8 3d10 3d12
heavy armor. When wearing medium or heavy armor,
20th
20th 3d6 3d8 3d10 3d12
you gain +1 to AC.
• Cerebral. You gain proficiency in one Intelligence- You can use these intellect dice for a variety of
based skill, and you can add half your proficiency exploits, stunning demonstrations of your mental
bonus, rounded down, to any Intelligence check you discipline. Exploits are listed at the end of this
make, whether it already includes your normal archetype. If an exploit requires a saving throw, it
proficiency bonus or not. uses your metaphysician spellcasting save DC. You

110
can never spend more than one intellect die during When you use this ability on a creature, you can
the same turn. also cast predictive focus* on it without any
You regain all expended intellect dice whenever you components and without using a spell slot. Once
finish a long rest. you cast predictive focus* on a creature without
In addition, you are able to use a magnifying glass using a spell slot in this way, you cannot do so again
as a spellcasting focus for your metaphysician until you finish a short or long rest.
spells. If you wish to use this ability more quickly, or in
Narrowly Focused Spells combat, you may do so as an action without the
At 2nd level, you focus on certain talents that are minute of interaction, but must succeed on a
effectively spells, but which you know are merely Wisdom (Insight) check opposed by the target’s
demonstrations of mental discipline. You learn the Charisma (Deception) check as part of that action.
dread mercy*, predictive focus* and psychic shield* You gain advantage on the roll if the creature is
currently Friendly towards you. If you fail, this
spells, as well as the adept skill* and vicious mockery
creature is immune to your analyzing gaze feature
cantrips.
for 1 minute.
From now on, whenever you learn a new spell per
If a creature you have used this ability on within the
the Spells Known column of the Metaphysician
last hour is the target of your predictive focus* spell,
table, it can never be a spell of 2nd level or higher.
Spells gained from other sources (such as class you roll 1d12 for your bonus damage from that spell
features, racial traits, of the features of this against the creature, instead of a d6.
archetype) are not affected by this feature. Unequalled Insight
Starting at 4th level, whenever you inflict psychic At 11th level, the uncanny unity of body, mind, and
damage on a creature with a cantrip, that damage is senses granted by your unparalleled self-discupline
increased by your Intelligence modifier. grant you extraordinary powers most would consider
Martial Determination magic, but which you know to be extraordinary feats
At 6th level, focused meditation and an increased of mental clarity. Once per day, you can cast true
level of martial training make you a more resilient seeing (on yourself only) without spending a spell
combatant, capable of acting and reacting with slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do
preternatural speed. Your hit point maximum so again. At higher levels, you gain more
increases by 6, and increases by 1 again whenever metaphysician spells of your choice that can be cast
you gain a level in this class. In addition, you can in this way, as follows:
• At 13th level, once per day, you can cast regenerate
take a bonus action on each of your turns in
(on yourself only) without spending a spell slot.
combat. This bonus action can be used only to take
• At 15th level, once per day, you can cast glibness
the Disengage action, to cast the vicious mockery without spending a spell slot.
cantrip, or to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand), • At 17th level, once per day, you can cast foresight (on
Intelligence (Investigation), or Wisdom (Perception or yourself only) without spending a spell slot.
Insight) check. You regain all uses of your unequalled insight spells
Sleuth’s Insight whenever you finish a long rest.
Starting at 6th level, if you spend at least 1 minute First Blow
observing or interacting with another creature Beginning at 14th level, your preternaturally quick
outside combat, you can learn certain information mind gives you a crucial edge when a fight begins. If
about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM you make an unarmed strike against a creature who
tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or has not yet acted in the combat, you can roll a d6 in
inferior in regard to two of the following place of your normal unarmed strike normal
characteristics of your choice: damage, and you can use Intelligence instead of
• An ability score of your choice Strength for the attack and damage rolls. If the
• Armor Class unarmed strike hits, the target must succeed on a
• Current hit points Dexterity saving throw against your metaphysician
• Total class levels (if any) spell DC or be knocked prone.
• Levels in a particular class (if any) Unexpected Response
At the DM’s option, you might also realize you know
At 14th level, you are always one step ahead of
a piece of the creature’s history or one of its
danger. When you roll initiative, before anyone else
personality traits, if it has any.
can act, you can immediately take an extra turn.

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During this turn, you can only take one action, and Exploits
you can only use it in certain ways. You can take
The exploits available to this archetype are described
the Dash or Hide action, make an unarmed strike,
below, in alphabetical order.
or take any one of the bonus actions permitted by
Alchemical Salve. You can use this exploit to create
your Insightful Action feature. special alchemical salves that have healing power
If more than one creature in an encounter has a comparable to some potions. You can spend 10 minutes
feature that allows them to take an extra turn before (which can be part of a short rest) making these salves by
anyone else can act, then all creatures with such gathering and mixing ingredients. At the end of those 10
abilities act first, in order of initiative, then the minutes, you may expend a number of your intellect dice
regular initiative order begins. equal to or less than your Intelligence modifier. Each
If you would normally be surprised at the start of an intellect die spent creates a separate alchemical salve,
which heals an amount of damage dependent on the
encounter, you are not surprised, but you do not
intellect die spent, as follows:
gain this extra turn.
Alchemical Salve Healing
Foreseen Possibility Intellect Die Spent Healing Value
At 18th level, your ability to predict events and 1d6 2d6
actions around you is psychically infallible and 1d8 3d8
practically omniscient, allowing you to predict your 1d10 3d10
1d12 4d12
near future like moves on a chessboard and change
These alchemical salves cannot be applied effectively by
your own choices in response. Once per day, at the anyone but you. As an action, you can apply one of your
end of your turn, before anyone else acts in the alchemical salves to yourself or a creature within 5 feet of
combat, you can announce that what just happened you. The creature to which you apply the salve instantly
during your turn was not what actually occurred, regains hit points equal to the healing value shown on
but was simply your character visualizing what table above. Your alchemical salves lose potency within a
might happen and psychically sharing that day or so. The next time you finish a long rest, all
information with their comrades. At that point, alchemical salves you have created lose all healing
properties, becoming a tingly unguent with no exceptional
everything that has happened since the beginning of
healing properties (though it can ease muscle pain).
your turn—including dice rolls, any damage inflicted
Reusing expired salve halves the time required the next
or healed, movement, conversation, spellcasting, time you create a batch.
even death and the passage of time itself—is When you reach 5th level in your metaphysician class,
undone, because in the world of the game, it never alchemical salves you create with this exploit confer
actually happened. That turn never took place at all. additional healing equal to twice your Intelligence
You then immediately take your turn again, making modifier.
new choices or similar ones as you wish, with Battlefield Geometry. You can expend a intellect die as a
entirely new actions, responses, dice rolls, effects, bonus action during your turn to move up to half your
and outcomes. In game terms, you have effectively walking speed. When you expend a intellect die for this
exploit, until the end of your turn you add half the result
taken a “mulligan” on that turn, ignoring what
of your intellect die roll to your AC (rounded down to a
occurred and playing it over again. You must use
minimum of 1) and do not expend extra movement when
the results of the re-played turn, even if at the end moving over difficult terrain. Once you use this exploit
of it you realize you prefer the previous version. twice, you must finish a short or long rest before you can
Every player character that had perceived your use it again.
original turn in-game still remembers what might When you reach 7th level in your metaphysician class,
have been, because they are also magically aware of you add the full roll of your intellect die to your AC until
what would have happened if that turn had actually the end of your turn, instead of half. When you reach 11th
taken place. In order to make such an accurate level in your metaphysician class, you can use this exploit
to move up to your full walking speed, instead of half.
prediction, your character had to psychically reflect
Brew Acid and Alchemist’s Fire. If you are proficient
his own observations to and from his allies’ minds
with alchemist’s supplies, you can use them make special
as well as his own. Non-player characters, however,
temporary versions of alchemist fire or basic acid for your
do not know what the turn that never happened was own use. You can spend 10 minutes brewing these
like, unless they are Friendly towards you and you alchemical concoctions (which can be part of a short rest).
choose for them to have seen it. At the end of those 10 minutes, you may expend a number
Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again of your intellect dice equal to or less than your Intelligence
until you finish a long rest. modifier. Each intellect die spent creates a separate
canister of improvised acid or alchemist’s fire like those

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described under Adventuring Gear in the core rules. ingredient. Instead of making an attack roll, you
Instead of inflicting the normal damage, however, each choose a point within 75 feet of you. Each creature
canister inflicts damage based on the intellect die spent, • in a 20-foot-radius sphere eentered on that point
as follows: must make a Dexterity saving throw against your
Brewed Acid/Alchemist’s Fire Damage metaphysician spell save DC. A target that succeeds
Improvised on its saving throw takes the normal damage for
Improvised Alchemist’s
Alchemist’s alchemist’s fire you create with this exploit; targets
Intellect Die Spent Acid Damage Fire Damage that fail their saves take double damage. The fire
1d6 4d6 2d6 spreads around eorners. It ignites flammable objeets
1d8 4d8 3d8
in the area that aren't being worn or earried.
1d10 4d10 3d10
Clockworks. If you are proficient with tinker’s tools, you
1d12 4d12 4d12
Otherwise, the acid works as normal, but the alchemist’s can expend one intellect die to use them to make a single
fire works slightly differently. use of the rock gnome’s Tinker racial ability, spending 1
When a creature is struck by your improvised alchemist’s hour and 10 gp of materials to create one Tiny clockwork
fire, it immediately makes a Dexterity saving throw against device. You may add the number rolled on your Intellect
the effect. The DC for this first Dexterity save is your die to the clockwork devices’s base Armor Class of 5. You
metaphysician spellcasting DC rather than the normal can only have three clockwork devices at once, which all
alchemist’s fire save DC. On a successful saving throw, work as per the Tinker ability description. If you already
the creature takes half the fire damage both for this round possess the Tinker ability (probably from being a rock
and any subsequent round in which it takes fire damage. gnome), you gain an additional bonus when you use this
On a failure, it takes the full damage. Either way, it takes exploit: you may add the number rolled on your Intellect
this damage when struck as well as at the beginning of its die to the clockwork devices’s base 1 hp, as well as to its
next turn. If a creature succeeds on its initial saving base Armor Class.
throw, it has advantage on its subsequent Dexterity saves Discern Vulnerability. When you make a weapon attack,
to extinguish the flames from this effect. you can expend one intellect die to inflict extra damage if
The improvised acid and alchemist’s fire you create lose the attack hits. You must choose to do this before you
potency within a day or so. The next time you finish a long make the attack roll. You choose whether the extra
rest, they become an inert and useless gelatinous liquid. damage is psychic damage or damage of the same type as
Reusing this expired alchemical concoction halves the the weapon. The extra damage inflicted is determined by
time required the next time you create a batch of acid or the size of the intellect die you spend, as follows: d6 = 4d6
alchemist’s fire. extra damage, d8 = 4d8 extra damage, d10 = 4d10 extra
When you reach 4th level in your metaphysician class, damage, d12 = 4d12 extra damage.
you can throw acid or alchemist’s fire created with this Mnemonic Fortification. Whenever you use a spell slot to
ability up to 50 feet instead of 20 feet. Once during your cast a spell of 1st level, you can spend a intellect die to
turn, you may do so as if throwing a weapon with which recover that spell slot, as if it had never been used. In
you are proficient, rather than an improvised weapon. addition, whenever a spell you cast with this exploit has
When you reach 5th level in your metaphysician class, an enhanced effect when cast with a higher level spell slot
when you throw acid or alchemist’s fire prepared with this (as frightful strike* does), you cast it at a higher level if you
exploit, once during your turn you can quickly add an use an intellect die of a certain type, as follows: d6 = 2nd
additional ingredient that gives the acid or alchemist’s fire level spell slot, d8 = 3rd level spell slot, d10 = 4th level
different properties, as follows: spell slot, d12 = 5th level spell slot. Wheneve you expend a
• Spraying Acid. This acid reacts when it consumes intellect die for this exploit, you also gain temporary hit
flesh or other substances, spraying acidic droplets points equal to your intellect die roll.
and caustic vapor in directions you can precalculate. As you gain higher levels, you can use intellect dice to cast
When you make your ranged attack roll, choose up to certain spells of higher level as well, but the types of
three other creatures within 10 feet of the target. You intellect dice you can use in this way are limited, as
may make this ranged attack roll using your follows:
Intelligence modifier in place of your Strength of • At 3rd level, you can spend an intellect die as an
Dexterity modifier if you choose. If the attack hits, any action to cast the calm emotions spell or the detect
of the other three creatures you chose whose Armor thoughts spell as an exploit.
Class would’ve been struck by that attack roll also • At 5th level, as an action, you can spend a d8, d10, or
take the acid damage. When you reach 11th level in d12 intellect die to cast the haste spell as an exploit,
your metaphysician class, you may choose up to four or to cast the read object* spell (using its usual
extra creatures instead of three, so long as all are casting time of 10 minutes).
within 10 feet of your target; when you reach 17th • At 7th level, you can spend a d10 or d12 intellect die
level in this class, you choose as many as five. as an exploit to cast the premonitory vision* spell as a
• Explosive Alchemist’s Fire. This alchemist’s fire reaction or the prescient sense* spell as an action.
explodes almost immediately after you add the extra • At 9th level, you can spend a d12 intellect die as an
action to cast the dominate person as an exploit, or to

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 cast the legend lore spell (using its usual casting time metaphysician class, when you use this exploit, the ally
of 10 minutes). may move up its full walking speed as part of its reaction,
If any of the above listed spells are rituals, you can cast instead of half. When you reach 11th level, you add your
them as rituals normally, without having to spend an Intelligence modifier to the extra damage. When you reach
intellect die, just as any other spellcaster would. 17th level, all extra damage from this exploit is doubled.
Read Evidence. While you are or a companion are The Challenge of the Savant
tracking or about to begin tracking one or more other
If you choose to play a metaphysician with the Savant
creatures, you can spend an Intellect die as an action to
archetype, you get to play a kind of character often
touch an imprint or mark left on your environment by the
depicted and fantasy and historical fiction: the intellectual
touch of one of the creatures and sense information about
hero of reason, often skeptical of superstition (and magic)
them. When you do so, you get an image of that creature’s
but trusting absolutely in knowledge and education. This
appearance, its relative size, whether it was traveling
type of protagonist or ally includes types as diverse as
alone, and a sense of its emotional state, as if you had
George R.R. Martin’s Maesters of the Citadel, Vizzini and
used the read object* spell on an object it had touched.
Miracle Max in The Princess Bride, Leonard of Quirm in
For the next 10 minutes, you add your Intellect die roll to
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series (paralleled by his
all Wisdom checks you make to find that creature or gain
Roundword counterpart, Leonardo da Vinci), the
insight into its motivations.
Craftmasons in the role-playing game Mage: The Sorcerer’s
Tactical Insight. By imparting advice or instruction to an Crusade, Cid in the Final Fantasy video game series, and
ally, you allow them to move and make an extra attack. many assorted alchemists, steampunk inventors, and
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can others. The main examples in D&D come from the
forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to direct Dragonlance setting, including gnome inventors like
one of your companions to strike, When you do so, choose Gnimsh and the Ascetics who serve Astinus the Historian,
a friendly creature From sleuths like Sherlock Holmes to mad scientists like
who can see or hear you and expend one intellect die, That Victor Frankenstein (and his Ravenloft equivalent Victor
creature can immediately use its reaction to make one Mordenheim), this archetype is part of a rich tradition.
weapon attack, adding the intellect die to the attack's However, it is also comes with a challenge. Unlike other
damage roll. You choose whether the extra damage is metaphysicians, savants do not learn spells above 1st
psychic damage or damage level, but in terms of the rules, they do still cast “spells” of
of the same 1st level or lower. It’s up to you whether your character
type as the believes they don’t use magic but actually does (and
weapon. thereby must have a nonmagical explanation for every
The spell they do cast), or if your cantrips and 1st-level spells
creature only appear to be magic to the superstitious, and are in
can also fact merely astounding feats of physical training and
move up mental discipline. Whatever the case, you need a logical
to half its rationale for any spels you do cast, Some are more easily
walking speed explained than others: the adept skill cantrip is just you
as part of the displaying the concentration and personal genius that let
same reaction. you achieve superior results, The jump spell represents
When you your amazing athletic ability, charm person is merely
reach 7th leveraging your studies of human nature, psychic shield is
level in
just your personal force of will, etc. Others are harder to
your explain—perhaps you describe your character as hurling
some tiny alchemical object as part of casting the
thunderclap cantrip, or hypnotizing an opponent with a
swinging pocketwatch before they believe your silent
image. This added level of creativity is part of the fun, but
it’s also a bit of extra effort, so when choosing this
archetype—and choosing the limited number of spells you
learn from it—make sure flexing those extra imaginative
muscles is part of the experience you want in play.

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 The Ba’al Verzi
Chapter 5: “In these civilized times, it is difficult for us to
imagine the kind of society that had assassins as
open, thriving members of the community. For

Secret much of our country's turbulent history, being an

assassin, or Ba’al Verzim, was comparable to being
a politician or popular artist. One could name
one's price and did, often receiving huge sums of

Societies money from individuals for protection...The Ba’al

Verzi wore colorful, decorative clothing, with
their symbol-- the bleeding skull-- prominently
No one knows exactly how many secret societies displayed. Their weapon was a blade of great
hide in the shadows of the Domains of Dread. An beauty and frightening significance. The hilt was
ancient Vistani verse, roughly translated, states “The made of the skin from the Ba’al Verzi's first victim,
Mists hide truths and lies, heroes and villains, and the assassin himself crafted it. The first kill
triumphs and tragedies. Most of all, the Mists hide the
had to be someone the Ba’al Verzi knew. That was
demanded by tradition, to discourage all but the
secrets of a thousand tortured souls.”
most hardened from knowing the secrets-- and
For centuries, the most observant men and women
earning the protection-- of the Ba’al Verzi...”
of these benighted lands have known that there was
—Skin and Steel: A History of the Ba’al Verzi,
more to the world around them than met the eye. a tome found in the library of Strahd von
Many Barovians have long suspected that Strahd Zarovich at Castle Ravenloft
von Zarovich is not the normal man he pretends to The Ba’al Verzi (bay-AL VAYR-tzee) was a legendary
be. Some have similar suspicions about the guild of assassins before Strahd von Zarovich’s rise
darklords of Valachan, Darkon, and others. to power. They operated openly, but used disguise
However, when it became clear that it was as and deception to kill, and it was said that anyone
dangerous to be astute as to be unobservant, the could be a Ba’al Verzi. The paranoia the assassins’
wisest of these citizens decided to close ranks and legend instilled made their work all the easier.
keep their secrets to themselves. This was the origin Thriving amid the game of betrayal and vengeance
of many secret societies. waged by three of Barovia’s most powerful families
Using Secret Societies in Your Game during the reign of Strahd’s father, the cabal later
These cryptic allegiances can fulfill many roles in a declined, but never vanished completely. In 350 BC
campaign. In most cases, the way in which a secret society The signature weapon of the Ba’al Verzi is a curved
fits into a given storyline depends upon the actions and dagger, with a hilt wrapped in black, red, and gold.
alignments of the player characters. If the organization One such dagger was used to kill used to kill
shares alignments or goals with the player characters,
Strahd’s brother, Sergei von Zarovich. Though they
then it can serve as a patron. Indeed, it might even be
enchanted these weapons and many of their other
possible for the heroes to join the order and fully embrace
its ultimate plans. A fine example of such groups might be tools, the Ba’al Verzi assassins relied on merciless
the Circle or the Keepers of the Feather. A member of an cunning, not sorcery, for their deadly edge.
evil secret society (or one that merely seeks to accomplish The Ba’al Verzi is all but forgotten in present-day
things the heroes find objectionable) can make a fine Barovia because Strahd has gone to great lengths to
villain for an adventure. In such scenarios, it might even exterminate the order and, for the most part, has
be possible for the heroes to confront their enemies been successful. A small cohort of the Dilisnya
without ever learning the society's true nature or family, a noble house of old Barovia, have kept the
objectives. Of course, a secret society can also be used
traditions of the Ba’al Verzi alive along with their
merely as a distraction or red herring. In the course of the
bloodline. The Dilisnyas and other Ba’al Verzi
adventure, the characters might come across members of
a mysterious order who get in their way but are not the leaders were trapped in Barovia when it was claimed
actual focus of the adventure. This type of encounter can by the Mists, but the cabal’s resurgence has come
easily foreshadow future plot twists. only recently. For years, fearing Strahd’s wrath, the
assassins who had once been so brazenly open
about their trade acted with utmost secrecy, taking
only a few promising students as apprentices. It was
a contract on a wicked Barovian boyar that changed

115
 everything. The boyar, Nicu Moldonesti,
was also a vampire, and had been an The Circle
assassin himself before his undeath, and he Few families have suffered as much at the hands of
toyed with those who attempted to kill him. the dark powers as the Shadowborn clan. For
Their tenacity amused him, and he decided centuries, this proud and noble line produced some
the Ba’al Verzi could be a useful tool. Nicu of the most pious heroes and heroines imaginable,
made himself the leader of the cabal, and yet their scions have met dark and cruel ends in
turned some of its most elite members into their struggle. Much of this misfortune was suffered
his vampiric servants. due to the influence of the intelligent and
Today’s Ba’al Verzi are even more amoral, diabolically evil sword known as Ebonbane.
cunning, and greedy than their forebears, Despite the tragic history of this family, their
and the vampires who lead them descendants remain dedicated to the service of truth
dominate unwitting innocents into and justice. To that end, young Alexi Shadowborn
carrying out truly diabolical founded an order of knighthood known as the Circle,
murders. They use their mind based on an extinguished order of paladins his
control powers on trusted friends, family had been members of the past. Members of
beloved relatives, or loyal servants the Circle became known as Knights of the
of their intended quarry, Shadows. Since its inception some decades ago, the
sometimes never even setting Circle has been one of the few bright spots in the
eyes on the victim themselves. Demiplane of Dread. Because directly facing and
They accept any target for the defeating a domain lord is almost impossible, they
right price, and will work for even the most depraved often attempt to cripple them by destroying their
purposes, but have one line they refuse to cross: chief lieutenants.
No matter how high the price, they never accept a Alexi Shadowborn is gone, but the Circle seeks to
contract to kill Strahd von Zarovich, nor will they bring the light of truth and justice into a world
ever work on the undead Count’s behalf. seemingly devoid of such virtues. They do so by
Ba’al Verzi Dagger opposing the evil of the Dark Lords wherever they
Weapon (dagger), uncommon (requires attunement by a can. Such activities would be almost suicidal if
non-good creature) members of this order did not take such great care
Crafted via an unholy rite practiced by an allegedly extinct to protect themselves.
order of brazen assassins, this blade has a wickedly While these Knights do not conceal their identities,
curved blade and a hilt bound in the skin of a humanoid. as they are constrained by their vows to speak the
A Ba’al Verzi assassins made their dagger using the
truth, they rely heavily on safehouses and subtle
remains of their first victim, and wrapped the handle in
strategies to remain one step ahead of the lords who
black, red, and gold colors.
To most attuned users, this dagger grants a +1 to attack would see them exterminated. Yet a Knight of the
and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. To unlock Shadows is easily recognized by those familiar with
its full powers, you must be proficient in the use of a the organization and others of their order.
poisoner’s kit, and in the following skills: Deception, While they preserve their secrecy by using the
Disguise, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth. philosophy of Loyal Equivocation (described under
If you are attuned to this weapon and fulfill these the Paladin Oath of Defiance, allowing a truthful
additional requirements, you receive a +2 to attack and person avoiding revealing information that would
damage rolls when wielding it. In addition, a critical hit
cause harm to their allies or cause by speaking on a
made with this weapon inflicts an additional +2d6 poison
higher level of truth), that same philosophy also
damage when the wielder fulfills all its requirements
(whether they are attuned to the dagger or not). constrains them never to tell a flat lie. A Knight of
Whether or not you meet the proficiency requirements, the Shadows never speaks words they know in their
this dagger grants you one additional power when you are heart to be untrue in the context of that moment.
attuned to it: When you hit with a melee attack using this Even in the most perilous of situations, a member of
magic dagger and reduce the target to 0 hit points, if the this society will take no steps to directly hide their
target is a living creature (not undead or a construct), you membership in the Circle from anyone asking with
have advantage on all ability checks and saving throws to honest and innocent intent. Because of this, they
avoid being found, detected, or noticed until the end of
are the most famous of the secret societies in the
your next turn.
Domains of Dread.

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 Knights of the Shadows always wear plate-mail two (though they have been known to stay up to a
armor adorned with the eclipsed sun that stands as week), and then disappear just as mysteriously.
the signet of the group, based on the sun symbol of Strangely enough, residents seem to always know in
the original Circle. This icon also serves as a clasp to advance that Carnival will be arriving soon, though
secure the distinctive traditional black and gold they can’t say where they heard the news.
cloak that all members wear, so as to hide from their On the surface, Carnival appears to be a normal
enemies, but be seen by those who need them. To enough traveling show. In actuality, it is far more
join, one must have suffered a great loss, and swear than that. Isolde has a very specific goal, though few
to protect a group of helpless people of the Knight's know it. What other members of the Carnival do
choosing. know is that Isolde seems to have no fear of the
The Circle meets once a year at a circle of standing domain lords. Indeed, in her travels around the
stones located in a hidden grove somewhere in the Core, she has harbored enemies of the darklords on
domain of Avonleigh in the Shadowborn Cluster. more than one occasion. It seems, in fact, that the
Failure by a Knight of the Shadows to make this powers of these deadly masters of the Domains of
annual pilgrimage results in dismissal from the Dread cannot affect Isolde or those under her
order. Apart from this, the Circle has no recognized protection. How this might be possible is a question
headquarters. none can answer. Isolde appears to have no loyalty
The Circle’s current leader is an infamous warrior to anyone, though she takes great care to protect
from the world of Abeir-Toril, the rebel Gondegal, those in her employ.
called the Lost King of Arabel. Known for his short- Isolde recruits performers and employees for
lived conquest of a kingdom of his own making from Carnival from all across the Domains of Dread. The
lands taken from some of that world’s most powerful company of outcasts and freaks she has assembled
nations, Gondegal and his army were swallowed by see her as their savior, for she has given them a life
the Mists on the eve of what would have been a great better than any they had before. In order to become
battle. Unlike most outlanders, Gondegal’s time in one of Isolde's performers, a character must have
the Domains of Dread has changed him for the some unusual characteristic or exceptional ability.
better. His former life was one of cynicism and self- This might be a deformity, talent, or even a
interest, but Gondegal is now absolutely devoted to collection of oddities that can be displayed.
the Circle’s mission. His ultimate cause is the The roster of Isolde's employees is not large; at no
welfare of the people of Falkovnia, who live under time does she carry more than sixty people in her
the sadistic military tyrant Vlad Drakov. He spends employ. Many of her performers have a small tattoo
most of his time in that domain, working tirelessly to of a rearing horse on the back of their heads. No
free it from its murderous dictator. record of Carnival exists prior to the Grand
Playing a Member of the Circle Conjunction, but some claim it has actually been
Whether or not they are paladins (and almost all of them around much longer. Isolde and her performers are
are), members of this secret society strive to obey or at very tight-lipped on the matter.
least show respect for the tenets of the paladin Oath of Carnival has no headquarters, unless one considers
Defiance (as described in the Paladin section of the the wagon in which Isolde resides to be such. This
Classes chapter). All members are trained in the art of ordinary looking wagon always sits at the center of
Loyal Equivocation, as described under that oath. the carnival. It is from this grand conveyance that
Isolde operates all of Carnival's affairs. No one, not
Carnival even her performers, has ever seen the inside of this
Carnival is a traveling collection of entertainers, wagon.
merchants, and exhibitors - assembled with an eye The Twisting
toward the macabre and supernatural. Visitors to One of the horrifying truths of Carnival is that it does not
this mysterious festival find tests of skill, games of merely recruit outcasts and freaks—it actually creates
chance, freak shows, dancers, musicians, and them as well. Anyone who remains within the presence of
the Carnival too long is warped physically. Their bodies
countless other ways to pass their time and spend
shift in an expression of their inner nature. The change is
their money.
not permanent, but it takes much longer to reverse than
The master of this carnival is an unusual and the time that it has been in effect.
beautiful woman named Isolde. Isolde and her This does not always happen. It seems that it is Isolde
motley collection of wanderers usually appear who decides if the Twisting happens or not. Whenever a
outside of a town suddenly, perform for a night or creature spends more than a week traveling with Carnival

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or within its boundaries, every time it finishes a long rest members of the Fraternity know more about the
in the Carnival’s company after that week, it must roll a Domains of Dread than anyone else who dwells
Constitution saving throw against a DC equal to 8 plus within them.
the number of days it has spent with Carnival. If it fails,it
Most members of this loosely-knit organization
is affected as if by a Vistani curse. The creature’s
carry out their research in their home domains.
appearance changes in a sinister yet purely cosmetic way.
For example, the Twisting can make the creature’s hair From time to time, however, a member will
look like lifeless snakes, turn the creature’s teeth into undertake an expedition to another domain to learn
yellow fangs, or transform its facial features into those of something their research has not been able to
an animal or goblinoid. If a creature already suffers the uncover.
effects of the Twisting currently, it is unaffected and does While the Fraternity of Shadows maintains no
not need to make future saving throws. The source of the central headquarters, the need for meetings between
curse is Isolde herself, rather than a Vistana (she is not members is recognized. Whenever a number of
one of the Vistani). The curse of the Twisting persists as
members come together, they will do so at a place
long as the creature remains with Carnival, and even after
that represents knowledge and power. Past meetings
it leaves. The change in appearance created by the
Twisting does not end until the creature has been away have taken place (secretly, of course) at the school of
from Carnival for a continuous amount of time equal to magic in Lekar, Falkovnia and at the Great Library
twice the amount of time it spent within it. When the in Port-a-Lucine, Dementlieu.
curse ends, Isolde takes psychic damage just as a Vistana The writings of the vampire hunter Rudolph Van
would from their curse. Richten have revealed that the leaders of the
Once per day, Isolde can use an action to inflict the Fraternity are known as the Umbra. According the
Twisting purposefully. This action forces a creature within Van Richten, the president of the University of
30 feet that she can see to make a Constitution saving
Dementlieu. Lord Balfour de Casteelle, is one of the
throw with a DC equal to 1d4+17. If they fail, they are
Umbra. It is also believed that the Brautslava
affected by the same curse.
If Isolde wishes it, any creature affected by the Twisting Institute in Darkon is a center of their power.
can also experience effects equivalent to those of an alter Due to centuries of tradition, the Fraternity is
self spell when it is changed. However, rather than the strongly slanted to favor those who share as many
creature itself choosing the effects (as the caster of an traits as possible with the members of the Umbra.
alter self spell does), they either reflect the creature’s true As the leading wizards are illusionists, for example,
nature or are chosen by Isolde herself. On at least one they demand some facility with illusion spells as a
occasion, she has used this power to change the condition of membership. Generally, the Umbra rely
appearance of someone who had been transformed by a
upon the tests they administer to all would-be
separate magical effect. This alter self effect lasts as long
members as a way of weeding out those least like
as the Twisting, or can be permanent if Isolde wishes it.
Isolde is said be a moral being, whatever she is, but she
themselves, biasing their questions and required
does not seem to be troubled ethically by the Twisting. She tasks accordingly. Afterwards, the failure of those
has said she deems it to be perfectly appropriate that who fail these rigged tests is privately discussed
one's appearance expresses one's true nature. among members, as proving the inferiority of the
various groups
The Fraternity of Shadows they exclude,
reinforcing their
The Fraternity of Shadows is an alliance of wizards,
institutional
warlocks, sorcerers, and other magic-users devoted
prejudices.
to unravelling the magical secrets behind the
The Fraternity’s
Domains of Dread. They understand that their land
beliefs about
is unique, and they seek to learn why this is the
esoteric paths to
case. If the Fraternity sought only knowledge, they
occult power are
might be considered harmless. Their ultimate goal,
intertwined with
however, is to use the knowledge they acquire to
misogynistic
take control of Ravenloft and become the masters of
conjecture about
all creatures who dwell there.
the inferiority of
All of the members of the Fraternity work toward a
female scholars
single goal: the attainment of ultimate
and spellcasters,
understanding and power. They recognize that the
and so while no
Mists hide many secrets, and they strive endlessly to
formal rule about
increase their knowledge. It is quite possible that the

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rejecting would-be members who are not men exists, When it lifted, the Thaani people were gone. Villages
in practice only males are admitted. In a few rare and towns were left empty, devoid of any human life.
cases, female immediate family members of the Not all were in their homes that day. Those people
highest-ranking leaders have been allowed in, but in the fields or away from their home town or village
they are kept from leadership positions, and their survived. They knew nothing of what had happened
research is approached as naïve or, at best, to their family and friends. Upon entering the towns
precocious. and villages, they found them deserted. There were
Joining the Fraternity of Shadows no clues as to the whereabouts of the other Thaani.
As part of the initation into their order, the Fraternity’s That first night after the discovery of the horror,
leaders perform a ritual that divines if the potential everyone left alive suffered from horrible nightmares.
member is good-aligned. Such members are never Many of them went insane, gibbering about
permitted. The ritual also detects if the would-be initiate unspeakable monsters slithering up from the depths
has a lawful or chaotic alignment, as such members are to devour everything in sight. Those Thaani who
only admitted in special cases. They are not outright were still sane fled the mountain, convinced it was
rejected, but the Fraternity seeks only those members who
haunted by the spirits of the missing.
have no moral or ethical concerns that will restrain their
Their once-friendly mountain was now ringed by a
pursuit of arcane secrets and power at all costs.
The leaders and upper echelons of the Fraternity of
wall of mist. Half-formed aberrations drifting
Shadows are all neutral evil human or half-elf male through the fog convinced the people to keep
wizards devoted to the arcane tradition of the School of moving. Finally they found refuge in the lands of
Illusion. Sharing those traits is not necessarily required to Barovia in the town of Immol. According to the
join the Fraternity, but strong preference is given to legend, there were only 13 survivors of Thaan. Some
candidates who most closely resemble the leaders stayed in Immol, while others moved on, restlessly
(especially in terms of gender). Some level of power over searching for some place to hide from their own
illusion magic is required. As part of the same ritual, the
memories and haunting dreams.
initiate must demonstrate the ability to cast the minor
Before going their own ways, the 13 survivors
illusion cantrip or one illusion spell of 1st-level or higher.
created 13 texts. When gathered together, they
Ring of the Fraternity of Shadows would reveal the whole tale of the Thaani, including
Ring, uncommon, requires attunement by a non-good the secret of their power over the elder masters. If
creature who has been through the Fraternity’s initiation even one text is missing, the rest are useless. Each
ritual and can cast one illusion spell and at least one other
survivor was charged with safeguarding a text.
spell of 2nd-level or higher
Some people still remember the tale of Thaan.
Each member of the Fraternity of Shadows wears a silver
ring in the shape of two intertwined asps. The mouths of Every now and then a madman wanders down from
these vipers form the setting into which an onyx stone is the mountains of Bluetspur into Kartakass, Barovia
placed. The Fraternity presents one of these rings to each or Hazlan. Some mention the Ildi'Thaan as if that
member upon acceptance. were their name for their own race. They jabber
If attuned to the ring, you gain a +1 bonus to your Armor about the elder masters and unspeakable horrors.
Class and can use it to cast the minor illusion cantrip, as This tends to support the theories of those who
well as to cast darkness as a 2nd level spell without using believe in the legends of Thaan.
a spell slot. Once you cast darkness in this way, you must
The Ildi’Thaan was supposedly formed by the only
finish a short rest before doing so again.
known person to get out of Bluetspur sane. The
Demonstrating their ability to cast darkness with the ring
is often used as a test of a Fraternity member’s loyalty and
legend of Thaan was over a century old at the time.
authenticity. He never spoke publicly of his experiences in that
domain, but began to secretly recruit people who
The Ildi’Thaan dreamed of great power and wealth. He spun them a
tale of learning the hidden powers of the mind and
About 150 years ago, in a region known as Thaan on the riches to be found in the hidden passageways of
the slopes of Mt. Makab, a people called the Thaani the elder masters.
somehow lived in the unearthly domain known as The Ildi'Thaan want to discover the lost secret of
Bluetspur. They knew of the horrors that lived below their ancestors via the 13 texts of Thaan, which
the rocks, but were able to survive there together describe how to recover the ancient
nonetheless. They were protected in some unknown knowledge. With this knowledge, they believe that
manner from this danger. they can lay claim to the treasures of Bluetspur and
According to legend, one day a dense mountain fog open the secrets of the mind. Anyone reading the
descended upon their lands, swallowing them whole.

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texts will supposedly be granted power to make arcane form of sign language. It is a complete
wizards tremble. enough system that long-standing members of the
Today, The Ildi’Thaan attracts those who believe in society can carry on entire conversations silently.
the inner power of the mind but shun the practice of Among those who are not fortunate enough to
magic. It spins a seductive web of power and gold for develop the psionic powers to join the echelon, this
whomever is clever enough to obtain the secret. As a is the easiest way to recognize other members. If the
result, there are no wizards in the Ildi'Thaan. There Ildi'Thaan does not get the proper response to his
are also no true mystics, monks, or metaphysicians hand signal query, he knows that he is not dealing
in the society, since they are painfully aware that with another member of the society.
the hidden powers of the mind are acquired through The exact location of the Ildi'Thaan headquarters is
discipline and hard work, not through some mystical unknown. However, it is somewhere in Barovia, near
mumbo jumbo. Ildi'Thaan members tend to be the village of Immol. Only echelon members are
greedy and willing to perform any service for the allowed to go there. Most meetings of the Ildi'Thaan
right price in gold. are held outdoors in hidden groves of trees. Most are
The rumored leader of the Ildi’Thaan is the held in the early morning. In Barovia or Kartakass,
legendary Chorin Mur'Thaan. He is supposedly the it is not uncommon for members to spy a lone wolf
founder of the IldiThaan, and the only sane man to watching from deep under the trees. So long as the
ever escape Bluetspur. Given the dates involved, it is Ildi'Thaan are not a irritant to the lords of these
likely that even if Chorin existed, he is now dead. domains, they are allowed to exist. Besides, why
The membership of the Ildi'Thaan is divided into destroy the society when it may be able to serve you
the echelon and the hopeful. Members of the echelon some day?
are all reputed to some kind of innate psychic Playing the Ildi’Thaan
powers. The hopeful are just normal people. They Many might consider the Ildi’Thaan delusional, but there
never see the faces of the echelon. Echelon members is at least a kernel of truth to their beliefs—The Thaani
always wear blood-red robes and hoods when immigrants of Immol did undoubtedly escape from
meeting with the hopeful. Among themselves, they Bluetspur, though many were experimented upon by mind
do not hide. flayers first. In any case, Thaani and their descendants do
The hopeful who have proved themselves to the have a predisposition for psychic abilities. It is between
DM and player as to whether it is most fun for the
echelon are awarded a red sash, which is to be worn
Ildi’Thaan are gullible dilettantes taken in by lies, seekers
only at ceremonial occasions. They are still
after a true source of occult wisdom, a mix of both, or
considered to be members of the hopeful, but they something else entirely.
are now entrusted with missions of substance and Members of this secret society should not be members of
some small bit of secret knowledge. They are the wizard, metaphysician, or monk classes, or any other
referred to as the hopeful of the sash. class that develops mystical abilities through practice and
Since not everyone who tries develops any kind of discipline—such techniques are antithetical to the
psionic power or psychic wild talent, the society still Ildi’Thaan philosophy. Low-level sorcerers are good fit for
has a place for those who try and fail. They are the echelon, as are warlocks whose Otherworldly Patron is
the Great Old One. Members of the hopeful can be treated
never permitted to sit among the echelon since they
as regular characters, with no specific rules required.
are clearly not worthy. Their sashes are marked with
For a member of the ecehelon, apply one or more feats
a black stripe. Technically they have the same level that grant spells or other powers similar to psionic
of authority as the hopeful, but in practical terms abilities—such as the Magic Initiate feat with the right
they bear more responsibility. Ildi'Thaan lore says spells, or new feats like Living Poltergeist or Mind Reader,
that they shall have another chance to prove introduced in this document. For the DM, such a feat can
themselves when they confront the elder masters. also be added to an NPC pretty easily, without raising
The easiest way for any echelon member to prove their Challenge Rating. If your campaign does not use the
himself as an Ildi’Thaan is to demonstrate his optional Feat rules, a DM can use the capabilities in the
described feats as a suggestion for how to handle the
special power. Of course others may have such
abilities of a member of the echelon. Otherwise, player
powers, but this will convince most members of the
characters can acquire this feat normally as part of
hopeful that they are dealing with a genuine character creation or level advancement.
member of the echelon, not just a liar in a red suit. For more description and details on the Thaani people
The Ildi'Thaan have developed an elaborate set of themselves, descended from the survivors of Bluetspur,
hand signals. The signs are not very subtle. The see the sidebar “Immigrants to Barovia: TheThaani”, in the
person seems to be casting a spell or attempting an Barovia section of Chapter 2.

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The Kargatane remembers their masters drinking directly from their
veins.
One of the most powerful, widespread, and Although the second circle is loyal to the vampire
dangerous organizations in all the Domains of master, they are not enslaved. They can, and do,
Dread, the Kargatane foment discord, murder, steal, have independent goals of their own. The second
and sabotage across the Core and other domaains, circle began to secretly recruit other members,
in accordance with the goals of their leaders. normal humans not privy to the kiss of the Kargat.
The original Kargat vampires were the state police While the vampires controlled the second circle, the
force of the Domain of Dread known as Darkon, outer rim of members was beyond their control. Now
undying servants of its darklord, the lich Azalin. the Kargatane seek immortality. The second circle
Beneath this vile group of spies and assassins was knows that their masters, whom they call the ring of
the Kargatane, an assembly of mortals who did the immortals, have the secret of eternal life. They do
bidding of the Kargat—though they seldom knew the not know that their masters are undead monsters
true nature of their masters. They had been that feed from the living. They seek to steal the
promised eternal life for service, not realizing the formula for eternal life from their masters. The outer
only immortality the Kargat could offer was the rim knows only that if they are loyal and follow
curse of vampirism, and that even this was almost orders, someday they may be invited to sip from the
always withheld. cup of immortality. They know that the second circle
Disguising themselves as normal men, the Kargat is not immortal but possesses unusual longevity.
vampires offered the secret of immortality to a select For a time, the lich Azalin appeared to have been
few. They chose their victims well. Only those whose destroyed, and many thought the Kargatane were
lust for power was great enough to keep them from gone as well. In truth, the organization became more
asking too many questions were invited. They powerful than ever, spreading far beyond any one
performed a ritual using their own vampiric blood, domain and acting in a more covert manner. Serving
drinking from the chosen mortal lightly, then the inscrutable vampiress Lady Kazandra, Azalin's
allowing that mortal to drink a drop of their own most loyal servant, they are now driven by their
blood in turn. This ritual empowers the new agent endless desire for immortality and a fascination with
with both slowed aging and increased physical blood. Although the Kargatane are not what the
prowess, but it also allows the vampire to charm vampires intended to create, the society still serves
that agent permanently. its original purpose. Therefore Kazandra and her
These mortals comprise the second circle of the allies continue to let it exist and even support it on
Kargatane. Second circle members believe that they occasions.
have been inducted into the society and gifted with
unnatural longevity. They know that drinking blood
is part of the secret; however, since they are drugged
with sleeping draughts and the like, none of them

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 Kazandra's goals—which may still be those of The members of the Kargatane have two objectives.
Azalin or could be Kazandra's own quest to become The first is their desire to attain immortality.
a Darklord of her own Domain of Dread—are the Because none of the members know that Kazandra
overriding goals of the Kargatane as well. Certain is a vampire, they remain unaware that she could
rebel leaders of the Kargat, such as the vampiress easily grant their wish. While escaping death is their
Tavelia, who manipulated the Kargatane for her own hope, their reality is merely servitude. The second
schemes until she was thwarted, have directed its goal of the group, although they do not realize it, is
members over the years for other goals as well, to obey the will of Kazandra. Whatever scheme the
though recently it has been united under Kazandra's vampiress might have, the Kargatane are pawns in
rule. As with so much about this secret society, the its execution. Agents are allotted no independence,
truth is unknown. no freedom, and no personal will. Kazandra regards
Although the Kargat were all undead, and Kazandra members as tools, to be used until they die or
is a powerful vampiress, all of its lesser members are otherwise lose their utility.
mortals. Through the rituals of membership, each The Kargatane are scattered across Darkon and
new recruit shares his blood with Kazandra and, into Lamordia, Falkovnia, Tepest, and Dementlieu.
thus, with one look into the pale blue eyes of the All told, there are fewer than 50 members of the
beautiful vampiress, becomes her obedient slave. To second circle. Most of them don't know each other.
mark themselves as pilgrims on the road to There are about 400 members of the outer rim.
immortality, each mortal of the Kargatane carries a Kazandra directs the actions of the Kargatane from
small ampoule of what appears to be blood on a her estate on the coast of the Sea of Sorrows north
slender chain around his neck. In truth, this of Martira Bay. Many of the missions she assigns
ampoule holds a deadly poison that can be used to involve accumulating power in that region.
escape capture or interrogation. Whenever she needs to meet with one or more
No one who seeks to join the Kargatane is accepted members of the order in person, she sends out a
into their ranks. Indeed, such petitioners are telepathic message, summoning them to the
routinely killed, after being tortured for the names of ancestral crypt on that grand estate.
those who led them to the order. New members Playing a Kargarane Member
come into the Kargatane only when that vile order Characters who have been brought into the Kargatane via
decides to recruit them. They prefer humans and the blood ritual all have the abilities described in the
half-elves because of their versatility in infiltrating Blood Bound feat introduced in this document. If your
most communities. Grave robbing, espionage, theft, campaign does not use the optional Feat rules, a DM can
and murder are but a few of the activities asked of use the capabilities in the Blood Bound feat as a
these recruits. None have been given the dark gift of suggestion for how to handle the abilities of a Kargatane
member. Otherwise, player characters can acquire this
vampirism in decades, as Kazandra will not permit
feat normally as part of character creation or level
even the possibility of a rival.
advancement.
Some members of the outer rim have contact with
members of the second circle. Many know only a few
other members of the outer rim. Those fortunate
The Keepers of the Feather
enough to know someone in the second circle may As described in Curse of Strahd, the Keepers of the
meet with him irregularly. These are usually group Feather (also called the Keepers of the Black Feather,
gatherings during the day, where the second circle but only in private by the highest-ranking members,
member whispers of the secrets of eternal life that lest they give away a secret of their order) are based
can be gained, if the initiate is patient and loyal. in Barovia. They seek a means by which the evil
They usually meet in mausoleums or the dungeons vampire lord Strahd can be confronted and
of ruined chapels. Although they do not know about destroyed. It is their belief that the means by which
the vampiric nature of their masters, they they will accomplish this end is the fabled Holy
instinctively seek out places that would appeal to Symbol of Ravenkind (see Curse of Strahd). This
undead. Wherever they meet, it is in secret. In these goal is known to all members of the society, from the
gatherings, there is always the communal sharing of lowliest agents to the highest of the rulership. Thus,
blood. It is usually taken from a sheep, pig, or other a great deal of the organization's time is spent
animal. A cup of the red fluid of life is passed searching for the symbol and trying to learn its lore.
around and each member takes only a small sip Secondary goals exist, however, that allow the
membership to feel that they have made progress in

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their efforts even though the prime object of their infected; they were born what they are, natural
quest eludes them. The most important of these is members of that ancient and mysterious race. These
the study of Strahd himself. Much time is spent in are the source of the organization's power, for their
research and speculation about the nature of his desire to do good and bring about the downfall of the
powers, the roots of his past, and his plans for the despot Strahd is vital to the continuation of the
future. From time to time, the organization even order. Still, there is a level of power beyond even
takes a chance and thwarts some undertaking of the that of the inner circle.
great vampire. The latter, however, they attempt Pyoor Twohundredsummers, the oldest known
only when they are certain that their direct efforts member of the mysterious ravenkin (a new race
will go unnoticed by Strahd. Thus such endeavors described in the Races chapter) is the true leader of
almost always take the form of aid to others outside the Keepers. Pyoor has been searching for the Holy
the group who seek to confront the Lord of Barovia. Symbol of Ravenkind for almost a century and a half.
Many of the spirits who make the midnight march The five holders of the feather recognize Pyoor as
from the graveyard of the village of Barovia to Castle their absolute master and do all they can to carry
Ravenloft each night are the ghosts of adventures out his orders. Outside of the five holders, no
the Keepers of the Feather did their best to help, member of the organization even suspects that the
The group’s third priority, of course, is secrecy. ruling force of the Keepers of the Feather is neither
Given Strahd’s near-absolute power in Barovia, the human nor wereraven.
only thing keeping the Keepers alive is that the The members of this order practice a complex
vampire lord has no idea their society even exists. recognition system that has three levels to it. They
While it is true that all of this group's members believe, and rightly so, that only by maintaining the
understand the goals of the organization very well, utmost limits of secrecy can they survive. If Strahd
there is a secret that is kept from them. What is not were ever to learn that the Keepers of the Feather
known to the lay brothers of this order is the nature existed, he would certainly hunt them down and
of the society's leadership. destroy them.
The rank and file are normal humans from many The first form of identification is visual. Each
walks of life who, as one might expect, desire Keeper of the Feather wears one or more raven
nothing more than to be free of the dread that hangs feathers at all times. These vary from actual
over their lives in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft. If plumage to signet rings, engraved amulets, or even
they are exceptional in any way, it is only in their tattoos.
willingness to stand up for themselves and risk a However, because an outsider might also wear such
horrible death (or worse). As of this writing, there decorations, a verbal code is also used. This second
are 125 members in this level of the society. step in the identification process takes the form of a
Each of the common members of the order is casual question that includes the word "nest" in it.
grouped into "talons" of five confederates each. The response must include the word "feather" or the
These are normal folk who follow the directions of a person is clearly a fraud. Once this secondary
talon chief. Unlike his followers, however, the leader identification has been made, a person can be fairly
of each talon is anything but normal. Rather, he is a confident that he is in the company of a fellow
lycanthrope; to be specific, an infected wereraven member of the secret society.
(see Curse of Strahd). Although he was once Nevertheless, just for the sake of security, a third
human like those who follow him, the talon chief check must be made. Like the second step, this one
was singled out by the ultimate masters of the is verbal. Unlike the previous level, however, it
fellowship and given the opportunity to advance requires that the person being examined take the
within the Keepers. In exchange for vows of initiative. If someone believes that he is being
obedience and service, the individual is infected with checked for authenticity by a fellow member of the
lycanthropy and becomes one of the organization's order, he must say something in the language of
chosen few. Although he is in charge of the affairs of ravens. Upon hearing this, the person making the
those below him, the talon chief is not the ultimate inquiry responds in kind and the process of
power in this organization. recognition is complete.
Above the talon chiefs are the five holders of the In addition to the traditional "membership" of the
feather. These individuals, like the chiefs, are far order, many members of the order can call upon
from human. Indeed, they are also wereravens. normal ravens to do their bidding. The extent of this
Unlike those below them, however, they are nit ability depends upon the nature of the individual.

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 Ordinary talon members have no ability to the Vine Tavern in the village of Barovia, or the Blue
command ravens, but they have a limited command Water Inn in Vallaki.
of the ravens' language. Thus, they can The Nest consists of several rooms and meeting
communicate with ravens fairly well. It is important chambers hewn from the earth and stone beneath
to note, however, that the language of these birds is the building above, including Pyoor’s personal
very simple and generally enables them to express dwelling, and is a vast chamber with a great, domed
only the most elementary of concepts, like "danger roof. This is the Temple of Ravenkind, where
coming" or "food ahead." religious ceremonies are held by Pyoor and his inner
Like many secret societies, this group has a special circle. In the center, a wide ring of standing stones
headquarters. Known as The Nest, its location is a reaches up from the floor, towering over fifteen feet.
secret held only by Pyoor and the five members of The stones are covered with runes and are a vital
his inner circle, the holders of the feather. From part of the religious services. Their importance has
time to time, others may be brought here, but only been lost to all those of ravenkind that do not
in times of absolute need and then only after they partake in the quest for ultimate good. A vast iron
have been blindfolded and otherwise rendered brazier stands at the center of the stones. It is kept
unable to retrace their steps later. Some talon chief’s filled with hot coals at all times, filling the room with
have guessed that the Next is a series of secret an oppressive heat and an eerie red glow.
chambers located beneath one of three locations in Besides secret passages from the building above,
Barovia: the Wizard of Wines winery and vineyard the only way in or out of the Nest is a narrow tunnel,
between Yester Hill and Lake Baratok, the Blood of roughly cut from the earth and very claustrophobic
to move through. It runs for nearly a mile to surface

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in the center of a hollow tree. The tree remains alive was truly the first of his kind to come into being amid the
and lush, due to the skills of Pyoor and his kind as mists of evil.
foresters. This secret entrance serves as an When Pyoor was just over a century old, the majority of
his kin abandoned their search for the holy symbol. They
alternative means of access for people seeking to
decided that it had been destroyed or taken out of the
enter or leave the society’s hidden sanctum.
Land of Mists and that they would never come to claim it
Though the secret society’s purpose is the for their own. Without it, they felt, the ravenkin were
destruction of Barovia’s darklord, its origins are doomed to remain an impotent force for good in the
complicated, beginning before Strahd fell into the Domains of Dread. They accepted this fate, and set
curse of undeath. Many legends of the Holy Symbol about providing what minor light they could in a land
of Ravenkind persist, all disagreeing about its age dominated by shadows.
and origins. But each attests to the legacy of Pyoor refused to accept this. He vowed to search until he
holiness, devotion, hope, and heroism it represents. found the holy symbol and then use it to destroy Strahd
Von Zarovich and remove the lingering curse of Barovia.
At some point, the symbol was hidden away, in the
When his own people called him mad and turned away
hopes that forces of evil such as Strahd would never
from him, he left them and sought out the company of
find it others. Like himself, they sought justice and liberation for
After Barovia was claimed by the Mists, a prophecy Barovia.
circulated, foretelling that the Holy Symbol of Pyoor has borne up well under the oppressive weight of
Ravenkind could be Strahd’s destruction. The the years. He has spent decades searching for a magical
prophecy inspired a quest to recover the lost relic. talisman that many say was destroyed long ago. He is a
Sadly, those who hid the relic did so exceedingly well determined and stubborn creature.
that the symbol eluded them. Eventually, all but one At times, his obsession with success borders on
madness. He has sworn not to die until the holy symbol is
of their number lost hope and abandoned the quest.
his. In Ravenloft, such oaths are not to be uttered lightly.
While they remained a bastion of good in the evil
Pyoor refrains from combat whenever he can. His age
lands of Ravenloft, their ultimate purpose was makes him ill suited for such exertion, but he is a
forgotten. powerful spellcaster, and unexpectedly quick. He pecked
One among them, a creature neither human nor out the eyes of many of Strahd’s agents in his time, and
raven but with traits of both, vowed that he would the fight has never left him completely.
not forsake their destiny so quickly. His name was The Secret Faith of Andral
Pyoor Fiftysummers, and he gathered his most The god to whom Pyoor leads services is Andral, a deity
trusted friends about him and explained what was widely worshipped in ancient Barovia, but now seen only
to be done. They agreed to aid him and the Keepers as a saint by the Barovian commoners, who have nearly
of the Feather was formed. all become worshippers of the Morninglord. Ancient ruins
Over the decades since that time, the organization provide evidence for Andral's worship in Borca, but like in
has grown slowly to its present size. From the Nest, Barovia, his worship has fallen away. The ranking
members of the Keepers of Feather all worship Andral in
Pyoor commands his minions in the search for the
secret, as do most wereraven members of the group as a
ruby and platinum talisman that, he believes, will be
whole. Andral grants his clerics either the Light domain or
the crowning triumph of his two-century-long quest. the Hunting domain (introduced in this document). The
Pyoor Fiftysummers Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and the Icon of Ravenloft (both
Pyoor is the oldest member of the fabled race known as detailed in Curse of Strahd) were both originally holy
the ravenkin. His age shows on him, for he moves slowly, relics of Andral’s faith. Pyoor is Andral’s cleric, and has
he has lost the sheen to his black feathers, and he sees trained and initiated the only other remaining cleric of the
the world far less clearly than he used to. Still, the mind faith, the ravenkin priestess Keeva Sixtywinters.
behind his weak eyes is as keen as ever, and this shows in
Pyoor’s Destiny
their flash and alertness.
Pyoor finally dies of extreme old age in 755 BC. In
Pyoor is fond of jewelry and ornaments that sparkle or
campaigns set after this event, he has been succeeded as
shine. He always has one or more of these items worked
leader of the Keepers of the Feather by Keeva Sixtywinters,
into his plumage at all time. He does not wear the black
who also succeeds him in the office of Andral’s highest
feather of the Keepers, for even those who know that the
cleric. Of course, she is not only the High Priestess of
group exists do not know of his ties to it.
Andral, but also the only remaining cleric of the faith at all
The ravenkin came into Barovia just over two centuries
after Pyoor’s death. Unless adventurers find the Holy
ago. Pyoor was the first of their kind to be hatched in this
Symbol of Ravenkind and bring it to Pyoor (likely after
dire land. When he learned of the creation of the Holy
receiving his help), he dies without having ever seen it.
Symbol of Ravenkind, he became enthralled with it. He
feels that his fate is inexorably bound to this object, for he

125
The Syndicate of cross-purposes. Anchorites, mercenary avengers,
Nova Vaasan nobles, Tepestani clerics of Belenus,

Enlightened Citizens and racist Falkovnian military officers have all

served the Syndicate at one time or another.
Based in Ludendorf, the largest settlement in Though the Syndicate currently numbers less than
Lamordia, the Syndicate of Enlightened Citizens is a thirty members from among the Lamordian elite and
social club, consisting of mostly landowning handful of members in other places, its power has
aristocrats, all human, which claims to extol the grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade and a
virtue of science. Most Lamordians, who do not half. The current Grand High Cynosure, Gerhard
believe in the existence of magic, would consider this Reichenbach, a lawful but ruthless metaphysician,
propagation of reason a laudavble goal. Lamordians is a wealthy moneylender and fishing magnate and
barely even believe in the gods, being either atheists the most powerful man in Ludendorf. Gerhard has
who don’t see gods as necessary, or deists who recently organized the construction of the
believe that any deities who created the universe do Syndicate's luxurious new club in central
not intervene in the affairs of mortals. Given that Ludendorf, and he sent invitations to like-minded
they see the Syndicate as promoting reason, and aristocrats beyond Lamordia’s borders, in places like
that their other main purpose seems merely to be Port-a-Lucine and Martira Ba. By 760 BC, a fair
aristocratic backslapping, your average Lamordian number of these elites have accepted the Syndicate’s
finds the organization laudable. hospitality in Ludendorf, and a handful were
However, some who watch from afar say that the approached with an offer of membership. All but one
Syndicate conceals a conspiracy, and that among its chose to join. The one aristocrat (secretly the father
goals are the elimination of “superstition”—including of a caliban) who politely declined was murdered by
religion and the belief in sorcery of any kind—from brigands on the way back, thanks to Reichenbach’s
all of the Core. They say the Syndicate’s leaders are secret manipulations, thus keeping the
manipulators extraordinaire, and that their subtle organization’s secrets secure. With the addition of
nudges influence people and policy everywhere. members from outside Lamordia, the Syndicate’s
These vigilant obsevers are correct. reach into other domains is longer than ever.
The Syndicate of does indeed harbor a conspiracy, The Sophisticated Village of Ludendorf
built on a steely foundation of reason and duty. The Ludendorf overlooks the Sea of Sorrows from windborn
Syndicate does not deny the existence of magic, cliffs at the mouth of the Musarde River. Recently fortified
monsters, miracles, and the like, as their fellow against piracy, it does prosperous business in shipping,
citizens do. In fact, it believes wholeheartedly in the fishing, whaling, and shipbuilding. Numerous other trades
supernatural, but it also holds that it is a force of are practiced here, with the most prestigious workshops
producing engineering and scientific instrumentation,
chaos and destruction that must be eradicated. The
alchemical substances, and printed books. The harbor lies
organization's members have appointed themselves
outside the old village walls, which effectively seal the
to protect humanity against supernatural forces that town off from the countryside. For a village of modest size
control it or do it harm. (population 930, almost all human), Ludendorf exudes.
The Syndicate has grand designs for all of the The village lighthouse stands proudly at the precipice of
Domains of Dread, designs that include neither the sea cliffs, and the town hall features an enormous
undead horrors nor benign spellcasters, neither clock that displays time, celestial motions, and tides.
rampaging lycanthropes nor unsavory nonhumans. There are no clerics providing magical healing in
It uses its influence to shift policy in universities Ludendorf. In fact, the entire area inside the city walls is
one large dead magic zone (essentially a giant antimagic
throughout the Core, diverting funding from arcane
field). However, the chirugteon, Johanna Zecher (a 9th-
studies. It secretly encourages pogroms against
level human metaphysician of the mentalist archetype
spellcasters and nonhumans in other domains and with the Psychometabolism magisterium) keeps her
sabotages organized religions to discredit them in business out by the harbor, and is capable of casting aid,
the eyes of the masses. The Syndicate's most detect poison and disease, greater restoration, heroism, and
sinister tactic is its sponsorship of monster hunters, lesser restoration for the equivalent prices a cleric would
whom it manipulates or actively recruits to destroy charge. She is also the only seller of potions of healing in
the specific creatures the Syndicate has targeted for town. Inside the walls, nonmagical items requiring
immediate destruction. The organization maintains advanced alchemical or technical knowledge to make
contacts and allies everywhere, but its vision is long- (alchemist’s fire, spyglasses, etc.) can be purchased, and
are 5% cheaper here than the normal price.
term, and it is not above putting its puppets at

126
 6th Level

Chapter 6:
pain (enchantment)*
premonitory vision (divination, ritual)*
prescient sense (divination)*
unleash instincts (transmutation)*
Paladin Spells
Spells 1st Level
dread mercy (enchantment)*
2nd Level
Spell Lists bastion of clarity (abjuration)*
The new spells introduced in this document can be Ranger Spells
cast by many of the existing classes, as shown in the 1st Level
following spell lists. After each spell, its school of create poison (transmutation, ritual)*
magic is listed in parentheses, as is whether it can
be cast as a ritual.
Bard Spells
Cantrips (0 Level)
mindspeak (divination)*
reaver's touch (necromancy)*
warning roar (evocation)*
1st Level
alienated mind (enchantment)*
create poison (transmutation, ritual)*
dread mercy (enchantment)*
frightful strike (enchantment)*
psychic shield (abjuration)*
3rd Level
control thoughts (enchantment)*
4th Level
pain (enchantment)*
premonitory vision (divination, ritual)*
prescient sense (divination)*
Cleric Spells
Cantrips (0 Level)
blood curse (necromancy)*
challenger's mark (enchantment)*
reaver's touch (necromancy)*
1st Level
dead man’s tell (divination, ritual)*
frightful strike (enchantment)*
2nd Level
bastion of clarity (abjuration)*
Druid Spells
Cantrips (0 Level)
catfeet (abjuration)*
far hearing (divination)*
mindspeak (divination)*
punishing strike (necromancy)*
quickling step (transmutation)*
reaver's touch (necromancy)*
uncanny balance (transmutation)*
warning roar (evocation)*
1st Level
create poison (transmutation, ritual)*
dead man’s tell (divination, ritual)*
fiery wrath (conjuration)*
frightful strike (enchantment)*
4th Level
premonitory vision (divination, ritual)*
prescient sense (divination)*

127
dread mercy (enchantment)*
4th Level
premonitory vision (divination, ritual)*
Metaphysician Spells
prescient sense (divination)* Cantrips (0 Level)
adept skill (abjuration)*
Sorcerer Spells booming blade (evocation)***
Cantrips (0 Level) blade ward (abjuration)
far hearing (divination)* catfeet (abjuration)*
fist of rage (enchantment)* challenger’s mark (enchantment)*
mindspeak (divination)* control flames (transmutation)**
punishing strike (necromancy)* create item (conjuration)*
reaver's touch (necromancy)* far hearing (divination)*
steal speed (necromancy)* fist of rage (enchantment)*
1st Level friends (enchantment)
fiery wrath (conjuration)* gust (transmutation)**
frightful strike (enchantment)* internal compass (divination)*
psychic shield (abjuration)* mage hand (conjuration)
2nd Level mindspeak (divination)*
bastion of clarity (abjuration)* minor illusion (illusion)
3rd Level minor telekinetic weapon (conjuration)*
invasive id (enchantment)* mold earth (transmutation)**
4th Level quickling step (transmutation)*
pain (enchantment)* project object (conjuration)*
premonitory vision (divination, ritual)* psychic shock (illusion)*
prescient sense (divination)* resistance (abjuration)
Warlock Spells remote viewing (divination)*
shape water (transmutation)**
Cantrips (0 Level)
shifting shadow (conjuration)*
blood curse (necromancy)*
steal speed (necromancy)*
challenger's mark (enchantment)*
thaumaturgy (transmutation)
punishing strike (necromancy)*
thought blast (enchantment)*
quickling step (transmutation)*
thought projection (enchantment)*
reaver's touch (necromancy)*
thunderclap (evocation)**
warning roar (evocation)*
true strike (divination)
1st Level uncanny balance (transmutation)*
alienated mind (enchantment)* wall run (transmutation)*
create poison (transmutation, ritual)* warning roar (evocation)*
dead man’s tell (divination, ritual)* 1st Level
frightful strike (enchantment)*
absorb elements (abjuration)**
4th Level alienated mind (enchantment)*
pain (enchantment)* animal friendship (enchantment)
Wizard Spells beast bond (divination)**
Cantrips (0 Level) catapult (transmutation)**
blood curse (necromancy)* charm person (enchantment)
challenger's mark (enchantment)* command (enchantment)
punishing strike (necromancy)* comprehend languages (divination, ritual)
quickling step (transmutation)* dread mercy (enchantment)*
reaver's touch (necromancy)* detect poison and disease (divination, ritual)
shifting shadow (conjuration)* earth tremor (evocation)**
uncanny balance (transmutation)* ego lash (enchantment)*
1st Level expeditious retreat (transmutation)
create poison (transmutation, ritual)* false life (necromancy)
dead man’s tell (divination, ritual)* feather fall (transmutation)
fiery wrath (conjuration)* fiery wrath (conjuration)*
frightful strike (enchantment)* frightful strike (enchantment)*
3rd Level jump (transmutation)
control thoughts (enchantment)* longstrider (transmutation)
magnetism (transmutation)* predictive focus (divination)*
4th Level psychic shield (abjuration)*
pain (enchantment)* silent image (illusion)
prescient sense (divination)* soul homunculus (conjuration, ritual)*
speed of thought (transmutation)*
telekinetic slam (evocation)*
telepathic link (divination, ritual)*

128
2nd Level phantasmal killer (illusion)
aid (abjuration) premonitory vision (divination, ritual)*
alter self (transmutation) prescient sense (divination)*
animal messenger (enchantment, ritual) staggering smite (evocation)
augury (divination, ritual) 5th level
bastion of clarity (abjuration)* antilife shell (abjuration)
beast sense (divination, ritual) dominate person (enchantment)
blindness/deafness (necromancy) dream (illusion)
blur (illusion) geas (enchantment)
calm emotions (enchantment) hold monster (enchantment)
crown of madness (enchantment) legend lore (divination)
darkvision (transmutation) mislead (illusion)
detect thoughts (divination) modify memory (enchantment)
enhance ability (transmutation) Rary’s telepathic bond (divination, ritual)
enthrall (enchantment) scrying (divination)
heat metal (transmutation) seeming (illusion)
heroism (enchantment) telekinesis (transmutation)
hold person (enchantment) wall of force (evocation)
invisibility (illusion) 6th Level
lesser restoration (abjuration) eyebite (necromancy)
levitate (transmutation) find the path (divination)
locate animals or plants (divination, ritual) globe of invulnerability (abjuration)
major telekinetic weapon (conjuration)* investiture of fire (transmutation)**
mirror image (illusion) investiture of stone (transmutation)**
phantasmal force (illusion) magic jar (necromancy)
protection from poison (abjuration) mass suggestion (enchantment)
pyrotechnics (transmutation)** move earth (transmutation)
rope trick (transmutation) primordial ward (abjuration)**
shatter (evocation) true seeing (divination)
silence (illusion, ritual) unleash instincts (transmutation)*
spider climb (transmutation) wind walk (transmutation)
suggestion (enchantment) 7th Level
3rd Level etherealness (transmutation)
clairvoyance (divination) forcecage (evocation)
control thoughts (enchantment)* mirage arcane (illusion)
erupting earth (transmutation)** Mordenkainen’s sword (evocation)
fear (illusion) plane shift (conjuration)
feign death (necromancy, ritual) project image (illusion)
fly (transmutation) regenerate (transmutation)
haste (transmutation) reverse gravity (transmutation)
intellect redoubt (abjuration)* sequester (transmutation)
invasive id (enchantment)* 8th Level
magnetism (transmutation)* antipathy/sympathy (enchantment)
major image (illusion) control weather (transmutation)
protection from energy (abjuration) earthquake (evocation)
read object (divination, ritual)* feeblemind (enchantment)
sending (evocation) glibness (transmutation)
slow (transmutation) mind blank (abjuration)
sustaining meditation (transmutation)* power word stun (enchantment)
tongues (divination) telepathy (evocation)
water breathing (transmutation, ritual) 9th Level
water walk (transmutation, ritual) astral projection (necromancy)
4th Level foresight (divination)
arcane eye (divination) power word kill (enchantment)
compulsion (enchantment) storm of vengeance (conjuration)
confusion (enchantment) time stop (transmutation)
control water (transmutation) weird (illusion)
dominate beast (enchantment)
freedom of movement (abjuration)
greater invisibility (illusion)
hallucinatory terrain (illusion)
locate creature (divination)
pain (enchantment)*

129
Spell Descriptions Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round
All new spells referenced in this document are listed You erect a psychic shield to protect your mind from
alphabetically in this section. assault, and you ward your allies as well. Choose a
Adept Skill number of creatures within range of this spell. For
the duration of the spell, you and the creatures you
Divination cantrip
choose have advantage on Intelligence and Charisma
Casting Time: 1 action
saves (including against the triggering effect).
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Blood Curse
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Necromancy cantrip
Once before this spell ends, you can roll a die and Casting Time: 1 action
add it to one ability check of your choice. You must Range: 60 feet
roll this die before making the ability check. Components: V, S
If you do not already add your proficiency bonus to Duration: 1 round
this ability check, the die rolled is a d4. If you are You gamble some of your own life force on a curse
adding your proficiency bonus to the ability check, that bedevils your enemy but may empower you.
or if you are rolling an initiative check, you roll a You may not cast this spell if you currently have less
different die depending on your level, as follows: than 5 hit points. Choose a target within range that
Level Adept Skill Die Rolled can see or hear you. The target makes a Wisdom
1st-4th d4 save. If it fails, the target takes 1d4 psychic damage.
5th-8th d6 You also take the same amount of psychic damage,
which cannot be reduced or redirected in any way.
9th-12th d8
Before the beginning of your next turn, if the target
13th-16th d10
is hit with an attack, it takes an additional 1d4
17th-20th d12
necrotic damage, and the spell ends. When this
The spell ends when the die is used. happens, you also gain temporary hit points equal to
Alienated Mind your spellcasting ability modifier plus the amount of
1st-level enchantment necrotic damage the creature took. The necrotic
Casting Time: 1 action damage increases by an extra 1d4 when you reach
Range: Self (15-foot radius) 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).
Components: V, S Catfeet
Duration: 1 round Abjuration cantrip
You garble your own thought processes into Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you
maddening chaos, then force those thoughts onto would take damage from falling
everyone around you. Each living creature (not a Range: Self
construct or undead) within a 15-foot sphere Components: V
originating from you must make an Intelligence Duration: Instantaneous
saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes You gain resistance to damage from falling. If you
2d10 psychic damage, and until the end of your next fall less than 30 feet, you land on your feet instead
turn it forgets any languages that it knows and is of falling prone unless you take damage from the fall
incapable of meaningful communication. On a equal to more than half your maximum Hit Points.
successful save, the creature takes half as much
Challenger’s Mark
damage but suffers no other effects.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a Enchantment cantrip
spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage Casting Time: 1 action
increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 1st. Range: 5 feet
Bastion of Clarity Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round
2nd-level abjuration
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you
must make a melee weapon attack against one
roll an Intelligence or Charisma save
creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell
Range: 10 feet
fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal

130
effects, and you exchange a moment of silent, it closely can tell it is not real. When the spell ends,
instinctive communication that expresses your the item disappears.
personal challenge. Before the beginning of your Create Poison
next turn, if the target willingly moves more than 30
1st level transmutation (ritual)
feet away from you or attacks a creature besides
Casting Time: 1 action
you, it immediately takes 1d8 psychic damage, and
Range: Self (one vessel on your person)
the spell ends. This spell's damage increases when
you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the melee Components: V, S, M (a small bottle or other
attack deals an extra 1d8 psychic damage to the container that can hold a draught of water)
target, and the damage the target suffers for moving Duration: Instantaneous
more than 30 feet away from you increases to 2d8. You use some combination of scavenged substances,
Both damage rolls increase by 1d8 at 11th level and focused meditation, and magic to transform the
17th level. water in a container you have on your person into a
Control Thoughts one dose of improvised poison. This dose can be
applied to one weapon, up to three pieces of
3rd-level enchantment
ammunition, or up to three separate portions of food
Casting Time: 1 action or drink. Once applied, the poison retains potency
Range: 90 feet until someone must roll a saving throw against it, or
Components: V, S, M (a metal ring) for 1 minute, after which point it dries or dissolves.
Duration: 1 round If a creature is struck with the poisoned weapon or
You project your thoughts into another creature’s ammunition, or if it ingests the poisoned food or
mind so completely that it takes on your intentions drink, it must make a Constitution save or be
instead of its own for a few seconds. As an action, poisoned for 1 minute and take 1d8 poison damage,
you target a creature within range that you can see or 2d8 if the poison is ingested). Creatures that
or which has communicated with you since the succeed on their save take half damage, but suffer
beginning of your last turn. The target must make no other effects.
an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the A poison you create can only be used by you, and
target is charmed until the end of its next turn, has no value if you try to sell it. If you cast this spell
during which you choose its movement and action. again, any doses of poison you have previously
On a successful save, the target is unaffected, and created with this spell instantly become water again.
you can’t use this ability on that creature again until Otherwise, poison doses created with this spell
you finish a long rest. retain their potency until the next time you finish a
Create Item long rest, at which point they return to being water.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
Conjuration cantrip
spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you create one
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
additional dose of poison for every two levels above
Range: 50 feet
1st. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th
Components: V, S level or higher, the poison gains an extra effect: if a
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, its
From thought, you create matter, equipping yourself Constitution score is reduced by 1d4.
with the simple implement you need. You summon
Dead Man’s Tell
one piece of adventuring gear worth 2 gp or less
which you can hold in one hand, and which must 1st-level divination (ritual)
weigh less than 10 lbs. It cannot be a weapon or a Casting Time: 1 action
piece of armor, and you cannot use it as an Range: Touch (one dead body part)
improvised weapon, or to attack or hinder another Components: V, M (one part of a criminal’s corpse,
creature in any way. If the item is more than 10 feet which must be flexible in some way)
away from you during your turn, the spell ends if Duration: Until dispelled
you are not touching it again by the end of the You imbue a body part taken from a criminal’s
following turn. This object may simulate the effects corpse—such as a hand, finger or head—with
of a tool or tool set which requires proficiency, but it divinatory powers that cause it to react. Choose one
can only be used to make one ability check, for a of the categories of things it can detect and react to
task that takes 1 round or less, after which time the below. When something that falls within the chosen
spell ends. Anyone who holds the item or examines category or selected subcategories comes within 30

131
feet of the body part that has become the dead The same spellcaster cannot have multiple dead
man’s tell item, it activates. You can choose one of man’s tell items affected with this spell at once.
the following categories of things to activate the When you cast the dead man’s tell spell again, any
dead man’s tell item: previous castings of this spell end immediately.
Alignment. Choose one of the following alignments: Dread Mercy
good, evil, lawful, or chaotic. The dead man’s tell 1st-level enchantment
item activates when it is within 30 feet of a creature
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you
that has such an alignment.
reduce a creature within 60 feet to 0 hit points with
Consecration/Desecration. The dead man’s tell
a weapon attack
item activates when it is within 30 feet of a place or
Range: 60 feet
object that has been magically consecrated or
Components: V
desecrated.
Duration: 10 minutes
Creature. Select one or more types of creatures
You offer an opponent mercy in exchange for their
from the following list: aberrations, beasts,
cooperation. Choose one creature within range that
constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants,
you have just reduced to 0 hit points. You instead
monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. You can
reduce that creature to 1 hit point and immediately
also choose one or more races of humanoids (such
command their surrender. It must immediately
as humans or goblins). You can choose as many or
make a Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the
as few of these types as you like. The dead man’s tell
creature is frightened of you for the spell’s duration,
item activates when it is within 30 feet of one of the
and suffers only the normal effects of being
chosen creature types.
frightened. On a failure, the creature is still
Disease. The dead man’s tell item activates when it
frightened, but rather than fleeing, the frightened
is within 30 feet of an object or creature that carries
creature stays where it is and does not move unless
a disease with which it can infect other creatures.
you tell it to. For the duration of the spell, the
Magic. Choose magic items, spellcasting, scrying creature that failed its save will not attack you, and
attempts, or general magical effects. The dead man’s it fearfully obeys any instructions it can hear and
tell item activates when it is within 30 feet of one of understand that will not directly harm it (for
the chosen effects. example, it will not knowingly drink poison or walk
Poison. The dead man’s tell item activates when it is off a cliff). It will not deliberately say anything to you
within 30 feet of poison or poisonous creatures, that it believes to be a lie, though it can simply
Secret Door. The dead man’s tell item activates when remain silent if you do not ask any direct questions.
it is within 30 feet of a secret door. If you ask it a direct question that can be answered
Trap. The dead man’s tell item activates when it is in one or two sentences, it will not give you an
within 30 feet of a hidden trap or disguised pit or answer that it considers false, though it may leave
snare. things out, especially if you ask a question that
The first time the dead man’s tell item detects one or takes more than one or two sentences to answer. It
more of the chosen category or subcategories of may avoid answering questions to which it would
subjects within 30 feet, it activates. When activated, normally respond with a lie by giving short or
the ite violently spasms for one round; a hand evasive answers, as long as what it does say remains
clenches, a finger jerks, jaws chatter and the like. within the boundaries of what it believes to be the
The dead man’s tell item does not indicate the power truth. Whenever you or one of your allies attempt to
or location of the subject it has detected, merely its harm the creature, or if you give it instructions that
presence within 30 feet at the time of its activation. would harm it, or whenever you force it to make a
After being activated, the spell ends, and the body saving throw against another effect, it repeats its
part rapidly decays and dessicates (meaning the Wisdom saving throw against this spell, ending the
same body part cannot be used for this spell again effects of the initial failed save on a success. You
once it has been activated). always know if a creature has succeeded or failed on
Subjects are not detected by the dead man’s tell a saving throw against this spell. When the spell’s
item if they are separated from it by 1 foot of stone, effect ends, the creature is unaware it was ever
1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 affected by this spell, knowing you could have killed
feet of wood of dirt, or if they are protected by an it and believing its fear of you was merely natural.
effect that prevents divination (such as a
nondetection spell).

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 Until the effect ends, you hear as if you were at that
point instead of where you actually are.
Fiery Wrath
1st-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: S, M (a candlewick)
Duration: Instantaneous
You create fire with only the concentrated power of
your inner rage. Choose any flammable object within
range. If it is not on someone’s person, it suddenly
bursts into flames. Each creature within 5 feet of the
point where the fire exploded must make a Dexterity
saving throw. A creature takes 2d6 fire damage on a
failed save, or 1 point of fire damage on a successful
one. You then choose one creature within the
affected area and make a ranged spell attack against
the creature. On a hit, that creature takes 1d6
psychic damage and must choose to either
immediately fall prone or take an additional 1d6 fire
damage at the beginning of their next turn.
If a creature has the flammable object on their
person, you must make the ranged spell attack first,
and must choose to make the attack against that
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a creature. If you hit, it suffers the same effects from
3rd level or higher spell slot, the duration is your ranged spell attack described above, and the
increased to 1 hour. If you use a 5th level or higher object bursts into flames. Each creature within 5
spell slot, the duration is increased to 8 hours. feet of the ignited object must then make the
Ego Lash Dexterity saving throw as normal.
1st-level enchantment At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
Casting Time: 1 action spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the fire damage
Range: 30 feet increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
Components: V, S Fist of Rage
Duration: Instantaneous Enchantment cantrip
You lash out with the power of your mind against a Casting Time: 1 action
creature within range. Make a melee spell attack Range: 90 feet
against the target. If the attack hits, the creature Components: V, S
takes 3d8 psychic damage, and it must make an
Duration: Instantaneous
Intelligence saving throw. If it fails, it cannot take
You focus your thoughts into a burst of aggressive
reactions until the end of your next turn.
emotion that you unleash as a blow of telekinetic
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a force. Make a ranged spell attack against a target
spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage you can see within range. If the attack hits, the
increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st. creature takes 1d6 psychic damage, and if the
Far Hearing creature is Large or smaller, you push the creature
Divination cantrip up to 5 feet away from you.
Casting Time: 1 bonus action This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you
Range: 50 feet reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level
(4d6).
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round Fortifying Cry
For a moment, you hear even distant whispers. Enchantment cantrip
Choose one point within range that you can see. Casting Time: 1 action

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Range: Self spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect
Components: V, S on undead or constructs.
Duration: Instantaneous At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
You assume an empowering stance and give a loud 3rd level or higher spell slot, for every slot level
shout, rousing your own fighting spirit and defying above 2nd you can choose to do one of the following:
fear. (In Rokushima Taiyoo, such a battle cry is Increase the healing by an additional 1d10;
called a kiai.) Roll1d6 when you cast this spell. You Cure the target of one additional disease;
gain temporary points equal to the number rolled, Neutralize one additional poison affecting the target.
and you add that same number as a bonus on the Greater Water to Poison
next saving throw against exhaustion or becoming 5th level transmutation
frightened you make before the end of your next Casting Time: 1 action
turn.
Range: 30 feet
If you wish, when you cast this cantrip, you may
Components: V, S, M (a serpent’s tooth)
also choose a creature within 5 feet of you and force
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
it to roll a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, it takes
1d4 psychic damage. The amount of psychic damage You transform any large quantity of water within a
you inflict with this spell increases by 1d4 when you 10 foot cube centered on a point you choose into a
reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level deadly poison. This spell only affects bodies of water
(4d4). of at least 10 gallons or more within the affected
area, not separate smaller quantities of water. It can
Frightful Strike also be liquid that is mostly water (such as blood,
1st-level enchantment sewage, or wine), but a living creature’s vital fluids
Casting Time: 1 action cannot be affected. Any creature with its head one of
Range: 5 feet its breathing passages (such as a humanoid’s nose
Components: V, M (a weapon with at least one drop or mouth) currently submerged into water you have
of blood on it) transformed with this spell must make a make a
Duration: 1 round Constitution saving throw at the beginning of any
You bark or whisper a terrifying threat to the turn in which they are so submerged. On a failure,
creature your weapon strikes. As part of the action the creature is poisoned for the duration, and they
of casting this spell, you must make a melee attack take 4d8 poison damage. If the creature fails the
against one creature within the spell's range, saving throw by 5 or more, its Constitution score is
otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, in addition to the reduced by 1d4. On a success, the creature can
attack’s normal effect, the creature struck takes an choose to spit the water out and take no damage, or
additional amount of psychic damage equal to 1d4 continue to swallow it and take half damage. If the
plus your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1) and creature failed its save, at the start of each of the
must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed creature's turns before the spell ends, it must
save, it is frightened of you until the end of your succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 3d10
next turn. poison damage. On a successful save, the spell
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a ends.
spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage is Creatures who do not need to save against the spell
increased by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st. but who are within 5 feet of the transformed water
can use an action to apply poison to one weapon,
Greater Acupuncture
piece of ammunition, or portions of food or drink.
2nd-level necromancy Once applied, the poison retains potency for the
Casting Time: 1 minute duration of the spell or until someone must save
Range: Touch against it. If a creature is struck with the poisoned
Components: S, M (acupuncturist’s needles) weapon or ammunition, or if it ingests the poisoned
Duration: Instantaneous food or drink, it must make a Constitution save or
By carefully placing needles into precise centers of ki be poisoned for the duration and take 1d8 poison
in a creature’s body, you purge of it of negative damage, or 2d8 if the poison is ingested. If the
energies. You can cure the target of one disease or creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, its
neutralize one poison affecting it, and it regains a Constitution score is reduced by 1d4. Creatures
number of hit points equal to 2d10 + your

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that succeed on their save take half damage, but Lesser Acupuncture
suffer no other effects.
Necromancy cantrip
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
Casting Time: 1 minute
spell slot of 6th level or higher, you can affect one
Range: Touch
additional creature who is drinking at the same
Components: S, M (acupuncturist’s needles)
time, and the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot
level above 5th. Duration: Instantaneous
Inserting needles into precise centers of ki in the
Intellect Redoubt
body, you energize a creature’s natural healing
3rd-level abjuration abilities. The creature may spend 1 Hit Die, and it it
Casting Time: 1 action can roll 1d4 and add the result to any Constitution
Range: 30 feet saving throws it makes before the end of its next
Components: V, S turn. Once a creature benefits from this cantrip, it
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes cannot be cast on them again until they finish a
You use the energies of your own disciplined mind to short or long rest. As you gain levels, the number of
protect against psychic attack. Choose a number of Hit Dice the affected creature can spend increases.
creatures within range of this spell, You and the When you reach 5th level, the creature can spend up
creatures you choose gain the following benefits for to 2 Hit Dice, when you are 11th level they may
the duration of the spell: spend up to 3, and when you are 17th level they may
• You have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and spend up to 4. This spell has no effect on undead or
Charisma saves constructs.
You gain resistance to psychic damage
•
Lesser Water to Poison
Internal Compass 4th level transmutation
Divination cantrip Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when a
Casting Time: 1 bonus action creature within 30 feet drinks water
Range: 90 feet Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S Components: S, M (a vessel of water or a beverage
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour which is partially water, with which you make a
With a moment’s concentration, you sense which toasting gesture to the target as you both drink)
way is true north. Until this cantrip ends, you Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
always know which way is north and cannot become Waiting for just the right moment, you transform the
lost except by magical means. If you make a Wisdom water someone is drinking into deadly poison. The
or Intelligence check to navigate natural terrain, you quantity of water does not matter, just that the
may choose to roll a d6 and add the number rolled target drinks more than a sip. It can also be a
to your result. If you do so, the spell ends beverage that is partially water (such as wine, beer,
immediately. or juice). The creature who drinks makes a
Invasive Id Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature
3rd-level enchantment is poisoned for the duration, and they take 4d8
Casting Time: 1 action poison damage. If the creature fails the saving throw
by 5 or more, its Constitution score is reduced by
Range: Self (30 foot cone)
1d4. On a success, the creature can choose to spit
Components: V, S
the water out and take no damage, or continue to
Duration: Instantaneous
swallow it and take half damage. If the creature
You project the power of your own darkest thoughts
failed its save, at the start of each of the creature's
against enemies in your path. Each creature of your
turns before the spell ends, it must succeed on a
choice within a 30 foot cone must make an
Constitution saving throw or take 4d8 poison
Intelligence saving throw. A creature takes 4d8
damage. On a successful save, the spell ends.
psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
damage on a successful one. Creatures who fail the
spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can affect one
saving throw cannot take reactions until the end of
additional creature who is drinking at the same
your next turn.
time, and the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot
level above 4th.

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At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a with this spell which you are not carrying, lifting,
spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage pushing, dragging, or wearing to either move with
increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 3rd. you as you go (levitating just above the level of your
Magnetism feet) or remain in the square you moved it to.
Once you have moved an object to your space with
3rd-level transmutation
this spell, you have advantage on saving throws and
Casting Time: 1 action
opposed rolls against effects that would cause you to
Range: 50 feet drop it, and creatures seeking to move the item from
Components: S, M (a lodestone) your space have disadvantage on rolls to do so.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute When the spell ends, if you are holding, wearing, or
This spell allows you to draw iron or steel objects to carrying an object that is too heavy for you, it falls
yourself by projecting a magnetic ray at any object softly to the ground, landing harmlessly at your feet.
within range. Choose one object within range that is At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
nonmagical and made of ferrous metal. This object spell slot of 4th level or higher, the weight limit of
must weigh less than 40 lbs. Each round the spell objects you can move with this spell increases by 10
lasts, you can target one object you can see within lbs. for every spell level above 3rd. When you cast
range of the spell with this effect as an action, this spell using a spell slot of 5th or 6th level, you
If the object isn’t being worn or carried, it can choose up to two objects within range each time
immediately flies into your space, where you either you use your action for this spell, instead of just
catch it with your hand (requiring no action) or let it one. If the spell slot is 7th level or higher, you can
fall at your feet. choose up to three objects instead.
If the object is being held or carried by a creature, Major Telekinetic Weapon
that creature must roll a Strength saving throw. If it
fails, the creature drops the object, and the object 2nd-level conjuration
flies to your space, where you either catch it with Casting Time: 1 bonus action
your hand or let it fall at your feet, as above. If the Range: Self
object is being worn by the creature (like a helm or a Components: V, S
chain shirt), the creature makes the same Strength Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
saving throw, but has advantage on the roll. You summon a simple or martial weapon weighing
If the item is secured in some way (such as being no more than 20 lbs that normally costs no more
chained to a wall or tied down with rope), you make than 75 gp. It appears in your free hand, ready to be
an ability check to break the restraint, as if you were wielded, and lasts for the duration. It is a magical
making a Strength check to break or burst whatever weapon made of your psychic energies. If you let go
is securing it with your own hands. Instead of of the weapon, it disappears, but you can evoke the
making a Strength check, you make a check with weapon again as a bonus action.
your spellcasting ability score (adding your You can use your spellcasting ability instead of
proficiency bonus). If the check succeeds, you free Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage
the item and it flies to your square as described rolls of melee attacks using this weapon, and any
above. damage the weapon inflicts is psychic damage
You can also attempt to move a metal creature that instead of the normal damage type for that weapon.
weighs less than your limit for this spell (such as When the weapon hits a living creature (not an
some kind of tiny construct). The creature makes a undead or construct), it inflicts an additional 1d6
Strength saving throw with advantage against this psychic damage.
effect. If it fails, you can move it to you just as you If the weapon normally has the ammunition
would move an object with this spell. property, this version does not have it, but you must
Until this spell ends, your ability to carry, lift, push, go through the physical motions of loading it
or drag any objects you have moved to your space normally as part of the spell. Doing so creates
with this spell is calculated as if you had a Strength temporary magical ammunition that you use
score of 20 (giving you a carrying capacity of 300 normally as part of the attack, but that ammunition
lbs. and allowing you to push, lift, or drag up to 600 ceases to exist after the attack hits or misses and
lbs. if you are Small or Medium sized). any damage is inflicted.
If you move during the spell’s duration, you can Though it is no more delicate than a common
choose for any object that you moved to your space version of that weapon, it manifests as a semi-

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transparent solid the same color as your eyes. This construct), it inflicts additional psychic damage
weapon has the simplest possible geometric shape it equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.
can have while still functioning as the chosen type of Though it is no more delicate than a common
weapon. At the end of the spell's duration, it version of that weapon, it manifests as a semi-
dissipates harmlessly. transparent solid the same color as your eyes. This
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a weapon has the simplest possible geometric shape it
spell slot of 4th level or higher, it gains a magical +1 can have while still functioning as the chosen type of
bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls. When you weapon. At the end of the spell's duration, it
use a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the bonus dissipates harmlessly.
increases to +2. Pain
Mindspeak 4th level enchantment
Divination cantrip Casting Time: 1 action
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet
Range: 120 feet Components: V, S, M (a live leech)
Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Duration: 1 round This spell strikes creatures with wracking pains and
You send a telepathic message to one creature agony. Roll 12d8; the total is how many hit points of
within range. The target (and only the target) creatures this spell can affect. Creatures within 20
receives the message as your voice whispering in feet of a point you choose within range are affected
their mind. They can send a telepathic message in ascending order of their current hit points
back in reply. This ability to communicate lasts until (ignoring unconscious creatures and constructs,
the start of your next turn. You can’t communicate who are not affected by this spell). Subtract each
with an unwilling creature. creature's hit points from the total before moving on
Creatures with Intelligence scores of 2 or less aren’t to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A
affected by this spell. You don’t need to share a creature's hit points must be equal to or less than
language with a creature for it to understand your the remaining total for that creature to be affected.
telepathic utterances, but the creature must Starting with the creature that has the lowest
understand at least one language in order to current hit points, each creature affected by this
communicate this way. If you cannot see or hear the spell has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability
target, you must be familiar with the target and checks until the spell ends. They can attempt to
know its approximate location with range. If the resist, but only at the risk of making their agony
creature is not within range, the spell fails. even worse. Each creature affected can choose
Minor Telekinetic Weapon whether or not to make a Constitution saving throw
to try resisting this effect at the end of each of its
Conjuration cantrip
turns, ending the effect on itself with a success.
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
However, if the creature fails, it takes 3d6 psychic
Range: Self damage. A creature that fails this saving throw four
Components: V, S rounds in a row is incapacitated with pain, in
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute addition to the spell's other effects.
You summon a simple or martial melee weapon At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
weighing no more than 10 lbs that normally costs no spell slot of 5th level or higher, roll an additional
more than 25 gp. It appears in your free hand, ready 2d8 for each slot level above 4th.
to be wielded, and lasts for the duration. It is not a Predictive Focus
magic weapon, but merely a concentrated extension
1st-level divination
of your own personal energies. If you let go of the
weapon, it disappears and this spell ends. Casting Time: 1 bonus action
You can use your spellcasting ability instead of Range: 90 feet
Strength for the attack rolls of melee attacks using Components: V
this weapon, but unlike a normal weapon, you don’t Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
add your ability modifier to the damage of attacks You devote all your focus to understanding one
with this weapon. However, when you inflict damage particular opponent, tracking their surface thoughts
with an attack using this weapon, if that damage is and body language to predict what they will do next.
inflicted on a living creature (not an undead or Until the spell ends, you deal an extra 1d6 psychic

137
damage to the target whenever you hit it with an
attack, and the target has disadvantage on opposed
Charisma and Dexterity checks against you. If the
target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends,
you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of
yours to move your focus a new creature. If you roll
a Constitution saving throw to maintain your
concentration on this spell due to taking damage
that included psychic damage, you have
disadvantage on that saving throw.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, you can maintain your
concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When
you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can
maintain your concentration on the spell for up to
24 hours.
Premonitory Vision
4th-level divination (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you
finish a short rest or a long rest
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You perceive a series of images which show you
future events. You ask a single question concerning
a specific goal, event, or activity to occur within 7
days. The DM offers a truthful reply. The reply might
be short phrase, an explanation of your own
emotional reaction, or a description of a single image
you saw. Punishing Strike
The spell doesn’t take into account any possible Necromancy cantrip
circumstances that might change the outcome, such Casting Time: 1 action
as the casting of additional spells or the loss or gain Range: 5 feet
of a companion.
Components: V, S
After you cast this spell, unless you treat yourself
Duration: 1 round
with a special calming tincture that uses 25 gp
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you
worth of ingredients, for 10 minutes you have
must make an unarmed strike or melee weapon
disadvantage on Wisdom, Dexterity, and Intelligence
attack against one creature within the spell's range,
checks, and on Constitution saves to maintain
otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers
concentration.
the attack's normal effects, and also a black web of
If you cast the spell two or more times before
necrotic energy radiates across its skin from where it
finishing your next long rest, you receive
was struck until the start of your next turn. If the
increasingly confusing visions that muddle your
target willingly takes a reaction before then, it
mind. For each casting after the first, the duration of
immediately takes 1d8 necrotic damage, and the
the negative effects for not imbibing a calming
spell ends. This spell's damage increases when you
tincture increases by an additional (cumulative) 10
reach higher levels. At 5th level, the melee attack
minutes, and there is a cumulative 25 percent
deals an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the target,
chance that the information you perceive is random
and the damage the target suffers for taking a
and possibly unrelated to the question asked. The
reaction or opportunity attack increases to 2d8.
DM makes this roll in secret.
Both damage rolls increase by 1d8 at 11th level and
17th level.

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Quickling Step Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Transmutation cantrip You extend your senses to perceive the near future.
For the duration of the spell, you gain the following
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
benefits:
Range: Self
• You have advantage on all Wisdom checks and
Components: S
initiative checks.
Duration: 1 round • Once per round, when you hit a creature that
You gain the speed of a magical creature. For the has not yet acted in this combat with an attack
rest of the turn, your walking speed is increased by roll, that attack deals an extra 1d8 damage.
10 feet, and you have advantage on Dexterity • If you are surprised, you can end this spell
(Acrobatics) checks. immediately to no longer be surprised.
Read Object • If you are attacked, you can use your reaction to
3rd-level divination (ritual) end this spell immediately and give yourself a +5
Casting Time: 10 minutes to AC, including against the triggering attack,
Range: Touch (1 object) until the beginning of your next turn.
• If you roll a Dexterity save, you can use your
Components: V, S
reaction to end this spell immediately and give
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
yourself advantage on that Dexterity save and all
You can concentrate on an object you are touching,
other Dexterity saves until the beginning of your
reading psychic impressions left on it by recent
next turn.
events. At the end of the time you spend casting this
spell, you learn of any events within the past 24
Project Object
hours that occurred within 30 feet of the object. You Conjuration cantrip
see the events from the object’s point of view, seeing Casting Time: 1 bonus action
and hearing and smelling those events as if you had Range: 50 feet
been where it was at that time. Components: V, S
You also see a mental image of the last creature that Duration: Instantaneous
handled the object, also from the object’s Your force of will teleports an object a short distance
perspective, no matter how long ago the object was away. You teleport an object you are holding to an
last held. The only information you receive about the unoccupied space within range. Alternatively, you
creature is their appearance at that time (including can teleport the object to a willing creature within
a sense of its size), whether it was alone (although range. You can either cause the object to land at
you can’t see any other creatures that might have that creature’s feet when it appears, or you can give
been with it), and a one or two-word description the creature the option of grasping it with a free
from the DM describing that creature’s emotional hand, requiring them to make a Dexterity
state the last time it touched the object (such as (Acrobatics) check (DC 11). If they succeed, they are
“Enraged”, “Extremely Agitated”, “Relaxed”, instantly holding the object; if they fail, it falls at
“Satisfied”, “Utterly Emotionless”, etc.). If the their feet. This cantrip can only teleport objects that
creature was not capable of emotion, or if it’s mental weigh 25 lbs. or less, and cannot affect objects you
state was too alien for you to understand, the DM are not already holding.
will tell you that instead.
Psychic Shield
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
spell slot of 5th level or higher, if the object has been 1st-level abjuration
handled by multiple creatures within the last week, Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you
you get the same information about each creature roll an Intelligence or Charisma save or when you
who handled it during that time that you would would take psychic damage
normally receive about the last creature who Range: Self
handled it. Components: V, S
Prescient Sense Duration: 1 round
You quickly fortify your mind against a sudden
4th-level divination
psychic attack. You gain 4 temporary hit points, and
Casting Time: 1 action
until the start of your next turn, you gain the
Range: Self
following benefits, including against the triggering
Components: V, S effect:

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• You have advantage on Intelligence and Charisma Until the effect ends, you perceive visually from that
saves point instead of where you actually are. You
• You gain resistance to psychic damage. determine line of sight from that point as well.
Psychic Shock Shadow Missile
Illusion cantrip 1st level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet Range: 50 feet
Components: V, S Components: S
Duration: Instantaneous Duration: Instantaneous
You invade another creature’s mind, and for one When you cast this spell, a wickedly bladed dart or
split second you cause them to perceive some image, throwing star made of black metal appears in your
noise, or memory that would cause them stress. hand, and you hurl it instantly. Make a ranged spell
Choose a target you can see or hear within range. attack against the target. You have advantage on
The creature makes an Intelligence saving throw. If this attack if you are in area that is lightly or heavily
it fails, the creature takes 1d6 psychic damage, and obscured. The creature is considered to have half
it has disadvantage on the next Wisdom check it cover against this attack if it is standing in direct
makes before the end of your next turn. If the sunlight (half cover grants +2 AC). On a hit, the
creature has not yet acted this combat, it suffers an target takes 1d10 piercing damage. Hit or miss, the
additional effect: it makes its next attack roll at projectile breaks and explodes in a shower of
disadvantage. If the creature fails the saving throw shrapnel, The target and each creature within 5 feet
by 5 or more, it does not realize a cantrip caused of it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or
this effect, and believes the flash of emotional pain it take one level of exhaustion and 1d8 necrotic
experienced came from its own mind. damage. When a creature that already has one or
This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you more levels of exhaustion gains a new level of
reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level exhaustion from this spell, it becomes immune to
(4d6). gaining further levels of exhaustion from this spell
Reaver’s Touch for 24 hours.
Necromancy cantrip At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
Casting Time: 1 action 2nd level or higher spell slot, the necrotic damage
Range: Touch increases by ld8 for each slot level above 2nd.
Components: V, S Shifting Shadow
Duration: Instantaneous Conjuration cantrip
The touch of your hand drains a target’s life energy, Casting Time: 1 action
allowing you to sacrifice animals and other creatures Range: Self
to make their vitality your own. Make a melee spell Components: S
attack against the target. You have advantage on the Duration: Instantaneous
attack if your target is a beast. On a hit, the target Too quickly for mortal eyes to perceive, you move no
takes 1d6 necrotic damage, and you gain temporary further than the reach of your shadow. Your
hit points equal to half the damage inflicted movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks for
(rounded up). The spell’s damage increases by 1d6 the rest of the turn, and you instantly move to an
when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and empty space within 5 feet.
17th level (4d6).
Soul Homunculus
Remote Viewing
1st-level conjuration (ritual)
Divination cantrip
Casting Time: 1 hour
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 10 feet
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (10 gp worth of mandragora
Components: V, S
root and other herbal supplies, which become the
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round homunculus and are consumed, and a glass bottle
An image forms in your mind, revealing what you with a tiny laboratory inside that costs 25 gp)
would see if you were standing some distance away. Duration: Instantaneous
Choose one point within range that you can see.

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You remove a portion of your soul to create an drops to 0 hit points, it falls unconscious, but
alchemical homunculus (see Appendix A) that regains hit points at the beginning of its turn as long
resembles you. This is a complicated process, as it as you are alive. While you are alive, it is not
first requires the creation of special clear glass destroyed unless it takes damage equal to twice its
bottle, wide-mouthed and slightly larger than a wine maximum hit points in a single turn. If it is
bottle, that contains a miniature alchemical destroyed, the bottle laboratory remains intact, and
laboratory. It costs 25 gp to obtain this, whether you you can create a new soul homunculus by casting
create the bottle laboratory yourself or have it made. this spell again. If you do so, you can re-use the
When you cast this spell, you mix an alchemical same bottle laboratory if you still possess it, but
paste and use it to treat a fresh mandragora root, must purchase any other components again. You
which then magically shrinks down to be inserted can’t have more than one soul homunculus at a
into the bottle. Over the course of the hour casting time. If you cast this spell while you already have a
time, the treated root and inserted, and then soul homunculus, you simply recreate a new version
transforms into a small version of an infant of your of the same one.
race. It then matures at an unnerving rate over, Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch,
reaching the same age as you before the end of the your soul homunculus can deliver the spell as if it
ritual, its development ending when it becomes a had cast the spell. Your soul homunculus must be
smaller yet otherwise identical copy of you. During within 120 feet of you, and it must use its reaction
that same hour, the magic of this spell adjusts the to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell
laboratory in the bottle to suit the needs of its requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier
inhabitant, including scribing basic references into for the roll.
the blank books within it and manifesting Speed of Thought
appropriate attire for the homunculus—generally the
1st-level transmutation
garb of a sage, student, or research scholar, but
Casting Time: 1 action
with extra protective layers for experimentation. The
Range: Self
magic also strengthens the bottle, transforming it
from glass into unbreakable crystal. Once this spell Components: V, S
is cast, the bottle cannot be broken or destroyed Duration: 1 minute
while you are alive. You marshal psychic energies to move with speed
Upon creation, the homunculus is ready to work. and acrobatic grace. When you cast this spell, you
While your soul homunculus is within 120 feet of gain two speed points. As a bonus action on your
you, you can communicate with it telepathically. It turn, you can expend a speed point, granting you
can always use the Help action for Intelligence the following benefits until the end of that turn:
(Arcana) or Wisdom (Medicine) checks you make, • Your speed increases by 10 feet.
• You have resistance to falling damage.
whether it is in its bottle or not, as long as it is
• Difficult terrain does not reduce your speed.
within 120 feet of you.
• You have a climb speed equal to your walking speed.
The soul homunculus can leave the bottle, growing • Opportunity attacks against you are made at
to its normal size (approximately one-tenth of your disadvantage.
own height) and appearing in an unoccupied space • You add 10 feet to your long jump distance and 3 feet
adjacent to the bottle, or in a space occupied by you to your high jump distance.
(if you are within 120 feet). The statistics of a soul • You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and
homunculus appear in Appendix A of this Strength (Athletics) checks.
document. As a bonus action, you can summon • You can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces
and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your
your soul homunculus from out of its bottle, or you
hands free.
can send it back. It can also use a bonus action on
• You do not sink when moving over soft or brittle
its own to enter or leave the bottle, but will not do so terrain, such as dust, silt, mud, snow, or thin ice.
against your will. This effect does not allow you to move over actual
Your soul homunculus acts independently of you, liquid.
but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it • If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature
rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. A and then hit it with a melee weapon attack on the
soul homunculus can’t attack unless you use your same turn, that attack inflicts an additional 1d4
action telling it to do so, but it can take other damage.
actions as normal. When the soul homunculus At the end of your turn, the benefits fade entirely
until you spend another speed point. If these

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benefits end while you are still on a vertical surface, amount remaining in your pool. Once all the self-
or anywhere else where you would normally be healing of the pool is expended, it does not replenish
falling or sinking, you immediately fall or begin to unless you cast the spell again. When this spell
sink unless you have some other means of ends, any unused healing in the pool is lost.
remaining there. Alternatively, if you have at least 5 hit points
This spell ends when its duration expires, when you remaining in your self-healing pool, you can use a
cast this spell again, or when you have spent all bonus action to neutralize one poison affecting you,
your speed points. When the spell ends, any or to cure yourself of one disease or one of the
unspent speed points are lost. following conditions: the condition can be blinded,
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell with a spell deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. When you do this,
slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage you the spell ends immediately.
inflict with melee weapon attacks against opponents In addition, for the duration of this spell, you don’t
you moved 20 feet straight towards on that same need to eat or sleep (though you still need to finish a
turn increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st. long rest to prepare spells or regain any abilities that
In addition, if you cast this spell with a spell slot of require a long rest) and whenever you hold your
3rd level or higher, you gain one additional speed breath, you can do so for five times as long as
point for each two slot levels above 1st (giving you a normal. If you have at least 1 hit point remaining in
total of three speed points with a 3rd level spell slot, your self-healing pool, you have advantage on saving
four speed points with a 5th level slot, five with a throws against poison and resistance to poison
7th level slot, and six with a 9th level slot). damage.
Steal Speed This spell ends when you finish a long rest, or when
you cast it again.
Necromancy cantrip
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
Casting Time: 1 action
spell slot of 4th level or higher, the pool of self-
Range: Touch
healing it confers is increased by 5 hit points for
Components: V, S each slot level above 3rd.
Duration: Instantaneous
Telekinetic Slam
You slow an opponent while making yourself faster.
1st-level evocation
Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a
hit, it takes 1d4 psychic damage, and its speed is Casting Time: 1 action
reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. Range: 120 Feet
Until the start of your next turn, you add a number Components: V,S
of feet to your own speed equal to the number of feet Duration: Instantaneous
by which you reduced the target’s speed. You surprise an enemy with an unstoppable
This spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you telekinetic impact. Choose one creature within
reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level range. It takes psychic damage equal to 1d4 + your
(4d4). In addition, the speed you steal increases by 5 spellcasting ability modifier and is moved up to 10
feet as well when you reach 5th level (15 feet), 11th feet in a direction you choose (including up in the
level (20 feet), and 17th level (25 feet). air, which may cause it to fall). You can only move it
Sustaining Meditation in a straight line through space unimpeded by
creatures, objects, or obstacles.
3rd-level abjuration (ritual)
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
Casting Time: 1 action
spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the psychic damage
Range: Self
increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st. If the
Components: V, S
spell slot is of 5th level or higher, you may target one
Duration: Concentration, up to 24 hours additional creature within range for each slot level
You enter a heightened state of consciousness in above 4th.
which you have complete awareness and control of
Telepathic Link
your body’s natural processes. Until this spell ends,
you are able to heal yourself for a limited number of 1st-level divination (ritual)
hit points. You gain a pool of 20 hit points worth of Casting Time: 1 action
self-healing. As a bonus action on your turn, you Range: Touch
can draw self-healing from the pool to restore a Components: V, S
number of hit points to yourself, up to the maximum Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

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You establish a telepathic link with one willing need to share a language with a creature for it to
humanoid you touch. Until the spell ends, the link is understand what you convey, but if you send a
active while you and the humanoid are within line of message rather than an image, a creature must
sight of each other. Creatures with Intelligence understand at least one language in order to
scores of 2 or less aren’t affected by this spell. You comprehend the message.
don’t need to share a language with a creature for it Uncanny Balance
to understand your telepathic utterances, and the
Transmutation cantrip
creature understands you even if it lacks a
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
language. The creature can respond to you
Range: Self
telepathically as well, but it must understand at
least one language in order to communicate this Components: V
way. Duration: 1 round
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a You sense how to shift your weight from step to
spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the duration is 10 step, staying atop a tricky surface. For the rest of
minutes for each slot level above 2nd. When you the turn, you have advantage on Dexterity
cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks, and you
higher, while you are linked, if either you or the do not sink when moving over soft or brittle terrain,
creature you are linked to is surprised, and the such as dust, silt, mud, snow, or thin ice (though
other creature including in that same link is not, you cannot walk on actual liquid with this effect).
neither one of you is surprised. While this spell is active, difficult terrain of those
types does not require extra movement.
Thought Blast
If you are already sinking into soft terrain when you
Enchantment cantrip cast this spell, the spell instantly moves you up to 5
Casting Time: 1 action feet to the surface. When this spell ends, if you are
Range: Self (5-foot radius) standing in a place where you would normally fall or
Components: V, S sink, you do so unless you have some other means
Duration: 1 round of remaining there.
You unleash the psychic power of your mind in a Unleash Instincts
wave that shocks nearby creatures’ minds. Each 6th-level transmutation
living creature (not a construct or undead) other
Casting Time: 1 action
than you within 5 feet of you must make an
Range: Self
Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, a
Components: V, S, M (a piece of animal skin large
creature takes 1d6 psychic damage and has
enough to be worn over both shoulders)
disadvantage on the next Intelligence or Charisma
check it makes before the until the end of its next Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours
turn. Until this spell ends, you unlock the primal nature
This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you of your body and mind, and you gain the following
reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level benefits:
• You can substitute your spellcasting ability score for
(4d6).
your Strength score for purposes of unarmed strikes
Thought Projection (including both attack and damage rolls), ability
Enchantment cantrip checks, and determining your jump distance or
Casting Time: 1 bonus action carrying capacity (including maximum load and
maximum lift).
Range: 30 feet
• You add your spellcasting ability modifier to Dexterity
Components: V, S checks and Wisdom checks.
Duration: Instantaneous • When you make an unarmed strike, the damage you
You broadcast a mental image or telepathic message inflict is psychic damage, and you can roll a d8 in
to nearby allies. Choose any number of non-hostile place of the normal damage.
creatures within range. These targets (and only the • Your speed increases by 10 feet.
• You can use your bonus action to make an unarmed
targets) mentally receive the image or message you
strike or take the Dash action.
chose to convey. If it is a message, it must be 10
• You gain darkvision up to a distance of 30 feet.
words or fewer. Creatures with Intelligence scores of • You can track other creatures while traveling at a fast
2 or creatures unwilling to have you communicate pace, and you can move stealthily while traveling at a
with them aren’t affected by this spell. You don’t normal pace.

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If you end your turn wearing heavy armor, you must must make an Intelligence saving throw. If the target
roll a Constitution saving throw against a DC equal fails, it takes 1d6 thunder damage, and until the
to your own spellcasting DC. If you fail, you lose start of your next turn it has disadvantage on the
concentration and the spell ends. next saving throw it makes against being frightened.
If you roll initiative before this spell ends, if the If that target willingly moves closer to you or attacks
remaining amount of time you can maintain your you before the start of your next turn, it immediately
concentration on this spell is greater than 1 minute, takes 1d8 psychic damage, and the spell ends.
that duration is reduced, and you can only maintain This thunder damage from this spell increases by
your concentration on the spell for up to 1 minute 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6),
after making the initiative roll. and 17th level (4d6).
In addition, when you make a Strength, Dexterity, or
Constitution saving throw, if the number
rolled on the die is 16 or lower, you can
use your reaction to treat the number
rolled on the d20 as a 17. If you do so,
you gain advantage on all Strength,
Dexterity, or Constitution saving throws
until the beginning of your next turn, at
which time the spell ends.
Wall Run
Transmutation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round
For a brief moment, you treat the law of
gravity as a suggestion rather than a
rule. For the rest of the turn, you have a
climb speed equal to your walking speed
and advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics)
and Strength (Athletics) checks, and you
can move up, down, and across vertical
surfaces while leaving your hands free.
This does not allow you to move upside
down along ceilings. If you are on a
vertical surface when you no longer have
a climbing speed, you immediately fall
unless you have some other means of
remaining there.
Warning Roar
Evocation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V
Duration: 1 round
Menacing psychic energies transform
your voice into a louder version of the
natural threat of a predatory beast (such
as the growl of a hunting dog, the rattle
of a rattlesnake, or the roar of a lion)
that is audible out to 60 feet. Choose one
creature within this spell’s range, which

144
 afflicted by indefinite madness as soon as the short-
term madness ends.

Chapter 7: Dusk Elf Stealth

Prerequisites: Elf (dusk elf), Stealth skill proficiency

Optional You are a dusk elf, and the boon of the goddess who
protected your people at the beginning of time helps
hide you from enemies. Shadows gather around you
so that when you move, you blend into them,

Feats making it hard for your enemies to track your

movements. When you strike, you do so with speed
and accuracy, darting in, then melding into the
Blood Bound gloom. This feat confers the following benefits:
• When you take damage that reduces you to half your
Prerequisites: Proficient with the Deception and
maximum hit points or fewer, you can use your
Stealth skills reaction to become invisible until the end of your next
You have partaken of a mysterious secret that turn. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it
grants you long life, and which may one day grant again until you finish a short or long rest.
you immortality. You do not know the true nature of • When you begin your turn invisible or in a space that
the ritual that gave you your gifts, only that it is lightly or heavily obscured, you can take the Dash
involved drinking blood. In exchange for this or Hide action as a bonus action during that turn.
• As a bonus action, you can grant an ally within 30
unmatched generosity, you serve the master who
feet advantage on a Dexterity (Stealth) check on their
granted it to you with unswerving loyalty. You know
next turn, as if you had taken the Help action.
that they still have much to teach, including the • When you take the Dash action on your turn, you gain
secret of immortality, but you cannot perform this resistance to damage from opportunity attacks until
ritual on your own. Because you do not know the the end of your turn.
final stages, you would perform it incorrectly and
Dusksinger
curse yourself, becoming a vampire or worse rather
than attaining true immortality. Prerequisites: Elf (dusk elf variant); Intelligence 13
This feat confers the following traits. Traits marked or higher; must know at least two eldritch invocations
with an asterisk “*” are lost whenever the character You are a dusk elf trained in a particular variant of
goes longer than one year without renewing the the arcane swordfighting art known as bladesong, a
ritual with their immortal master, but are regained unique school of this technique practiced by the
instantly when the ritual is performed again: warlocks of your people. This feat confers the
• Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution following benefits:
score by 1, to a maximum of 20. • Increase your Dexterity or Charisma score by 1, to a
• You add your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1) to maximum of 20.
all Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and • You gain proficiency in either the Performance or
your carrying capacity (including maximum load and Stealth skill.
maximum lift) is increased by half.* • When you choose a new eldritch invocation (or
• You have advantage on all saving throws against exchange one you already have for a new one), you
effects that would age you.* can choose to learn the Bladesong feature of the
• Your aging is slowed, and you only age only three Bladesinger Arcane Tradition (described in the Sword
months for every year that passes.* Coast Adventurer’s Guide) as an eldritch invocation.
• You gain the following Bond: “I know vampires exist, The effects of this eldritch invocation are identical to
but my master could not be one. My master is a true the Bladesong, including all bonuses gained based on
immortal, not undead, and will share their secret with your Intelligence modifier.
me if I earn it, so only they deserve my undying trust • If you are 15th level or higher in your warlock class,
and loyalty.” you do not need to have the Pact of the Blade class
• If you drink any amount of vampire blood within 6 feature to learn the Lifedrinker eldritch invocation,
months of either performing your ritual of longevity and you can apply its effects to any one-handed melee
with your master or having previously drunk any weapon, as long as you aren’t wearing medium or
vampire blood, you must roll a DC 21 Charisma heavy armor or using a shield.
saving throw. If you fail, you are afflicted with short- • When you make a successful Constitution saving
term madness. If you fail by 10 or more, you are still throw to maintain your concentration on a spell, you
afflicted with short-term madness, and are also can use your reaction to expend a spell slot to turn
invisible until the end of your next turn or until you

145
 attack or cast a spell. Once you use this ability, you cast the spells learned from this feat. When you first
can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest. learn this feat, you gain a pool of psi points based on
Eldritch Acrobat your level. Whenever you finish a long rest, any
You possess preternatural powers of movement, unspent psi points are lost, and you gain a fresh
granting you the following benefits: pool of psi points based on your level, as follows:
Level Psi Point Pool
• Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of
20. 1st-4th 2
• You learn the following cantrips: catfeet*, quickling 5th-6th 4
step*, uncanny balance*, and wall run*. 7th-8th 5
• Your walking speed increases by 5 feet.
9th-10th 7
Favored Anchorite 11th or higher 8
Prerequisites: Channel Divinity class feature,
You can spend psi points to cast the spells gained
worshipper of Ezra
from this feat. To cast a 1st level spell costs 2 psi
You are an anchorite, an ordained priest of the
points. You can also spend a psi point to cast the
goddess Ezra. Your goddess is said to dwell in the
cantrip you learned from this feat. If that cantrip
Mists themselves, and you have found true favor
has a casting time of 1 action, whenever you cast it,
with her, allowing you to call on the Mists of
you can spend 1 psi point to change the casting time
Ravenloft for aid. You learn the shield of Ezra* spell
to 1 bonus action for that casting. Once you cast the
(a new spell described in the Religion in the
cantrip as a bonus action in this way, you cannot do
Domains of Dread section of Chapter 1). Once per
so again until you finish a short or long rest.
day, you can cast shield of Ezra* as a 1st-level spell
As you go up in levels, you learn more spells. When
without spending a spell slot. Once you cast the
you reach 7th level, you also learn the two 2nd-level
spell in ths way, you must finish a long rest before
spells provided by the magisterium you chose, as
doing so again.
listed on the second row of that magisterium’s table
In addition, if you are a cleric, you add shield of
of Spells Learned (under “Metaphysician Level 3rd”).
Ezra* to your list of domain spells, meaning you
To cast a 2nd-level spell costs 3 psi points.
always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against If you wish, you can also spend 3 psi points when
the number of spells you can prepare each day. If casting a 1st-level spell to cast it using a 2nd-level
you are a paladin of 3rd level or higher, you add spell slot. You do not learn any spells of a level
shield of Ezra* to your list of oath spells, meaning above 2nd from this feat.
you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count You cast these spells innately, and do not require
against the number of spells you can prepare each verbal or somatic components. You can also use any
day. Finally, when you cast shield of Ezra*, you can kind of spellcasting focus described under the
use your Channel Divinity to change the casting magisterium you chose for this feat as a spellcasting
time to 1 reaction instead of 1 action for that focus for your spells.
casting. When you use your Channel Divinity in this
way, if you wish, you may also choose to create a Living Poltergeist
10-foot radius, 20-foot high cylinder of mist, You have an instinctive ability to affect objects
centered on a point within 5 feet of you. This around you with your thoughts and emotions,
cylinder spreads around corners, and its area is granting you the following benefits:
heavily obscured. The mist lasts until your shield of • You learn the mage hand and thunderclap** cantrips.
Ezra* spell ends, then disperses into nothingness. When you cast mage hand, the spectral hand is made
of invisible psychic force and cannot be seen.
Focused Psychic Talent • You learn certain spells and gain the ability to
You have the innate psychic ability to cast certain innately cast them. You can cast each spell at its
related spells. Choose one of the magisteria listed lowest level without using a spell slot. Once you cast a
spell in this way, you must finish a long rest before
under the Mentalist archetype for the Metaphysician
you can cast it again. The first spell you learn and
class. You learn the cantrip provided by that
cast in this way is catapult**. At 5th level, you also
magisterium, and also learn the two 1st-level spells learn and cast the knock and levitate spells with this
provided by that magisterium, as listed on the first feat. At 13th level, you also learn and cast the
row of that magisterium’s table of Spells Learned magnetism* and telekinesis spells with this feat.
(under “Metaphysician Level 2nd”). You also gain a • If you are 9th level or higher, you may choose to
limited number of psi points, which you can use to calculate your carrying capacity (including maximum

146
 load and maximum lift) as if your Strength score were Uncanny Dodge class feature or the ability to attack
equal to your Intelligence score plus 2. more than once when you take the Attack action on
• Your spellcasting ability for all spells and cantrips your turn without using a bonus action
gained from this feat is Intelligence. You cast these
You defend a persecuted culture in which stealth is
spells and cantrips innately without verbal or somatic
not merely part of your arsenal, but the backbone of
components, though you must still expend any
material components. your martial traditions. Whether you are a gloaming
guardian of the dusk elves, a Vistani whose
Mind Reader defensive precision protects your kin from outsiders
You have a natural ability to touch others’ minds, prejudiced by
granting you the following benefits: false
• You learn the mindspeak* and thought blast* cantrips.
• You learn certain spells and gain the ability to
innately cast them. You can ast each
spell at its lowest level without using a
spell slot.Once you cast a spell in this way,
you must finish a long rest before you
can cast it again. The first spell you
learn and cast in this way is
telepathic link*. At 5th
level, you also learn
and cast the detect
thoughts spell
with this feat.
At 9th level,
you also learn
and cast the
sending spell.
• If you are 3rd
level or higher, you
can telepathically
speak to any creature
you can see within 30 feet of
you. You must share a language with the
creature for it to understand your telepathic
utterances. You can speak telepathically in
this way to one creature at a
time.
• You add your
Intelligence modifier
(minimum of 1) to all
Wisdom (Insight)
checks.
• Your spellcasting
ability for all spells and
cantrips gained from this
feat is Intelligence. You
cast these spells and
cantrips innately without
verbal or somatic
components, though
you must still expend
any material components.
Shadow Sentinel
Prerequisites: Proficient with
Stealth skill, proficient with at least
one martial weapon, Dexterity 17 or
higher, must have either the

147
stereotypes, a crag dwarf or deep gnome in a
besieged settlement, or a ruthless halfling nomad of
the desert wastes, you train at moving unseen not
for cowardly purposes, but as an honored champion
Appendix A:
of your people. This feat confers the following
benefits:
• You learn the minor illusion and prestidigitation
New Monster
cantrips if you don’t already know them. Soul Homunculus
• You gain darkvision within 60 feet. If you already have
Soul homunculi are small constructs the size of a
darkvision, its range increases by 60 feet.
• When you take the Dodge action on your turn, an
squirrel, that function something like a wizard’s
indistinct shadow obscures you. Within the space in familiar, but which resemble their creator rather
which you end that turn, bright light becomes dim than looking like an animal. They appear as
light, and dim light becomes darkness until the end of diminutive humanoids dressed like scholars, but
your next turn. Anything within darkness created by wearing thick clothing to protect them from
this effect is heavily obscured. accidents, and they share their creator’s basic
• If you hit more than once with a weapon attack physical appearance They do not have an
against the same target during your turn, on the
independent existence, but live as extensions of the
second hit, you can choose for the area around the
soul of their creator. They are created by casting the
target struck to darken, as if with twilight. Within a 5
feet sphere centered on the target, bright light
soul homunculus spell.
becomes dim light, and dim light becomes darkness Your Flesh and Blood Duplicate. The soul
until the end of your next turn. The target must make homunculus not only resembles its creator
a Wisdom save (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + physically, but knows everything its creator knows,
your Dexterity modifier) or have its speed reduced by including all the langauges the creator can speak
half until the end of its next turn. Anything within and read. It thinks of itself as a sage, and is driven
darkness created by this effect is heavily obscured.
to solve mysteries with alchemy or scholarship,
Vistani Magic preferably within the safe confines of its laboratory
Prerequisite: Human (Vistani) (see below). It has no larger goals beyond obeying its
You have inherited the supernatural bond with the master’s will and discerning arcane secrets. Though
dark nature of the Domains of Dread that allows it has no physical needs while its master is alive, it
some of your Vistani kin to curse their enemies and also likes to indulge in good food, beverages, and the
use a more powerful version of the Evil Eye. You like, though it enjoys them as luxuries rather than
gain the Curse and Evil Eye abilities described for pursuing them actively. Generally, it likes the same
Vistani on page 28 of Curse of Strahd, with the cuisine and drinks as its creator, and it sleeps,
following limitation: Until you reach 3rd level, breathes, and speaks much as its creator does, but
casting hold person with the Evil Eye ability causes it doesn’t actually require food, water, air, or sleep.
you to take 1d6 psychic damage. When you reach In many ways, it is a very sophisticated flesh golem,
3rd level, this effect no longer applies. but made of alchemical ingredients rather than
corpses and enlivened by a spark of its master’s
Wild Psychic Talent essence.
You have natural psychic spellcasting abilities. You Researching Constructs. Soul homunculi live in
learn two cantrips of your choice from the special bottles that contain tiny alchemical
Metaphysician Spell List. In addition, choose one laboratories and libraries. The bottle is customarily
1st-level spell from the Metaphysician Spell List. You carried or kept by the construct’s creator. The tiny
learn that spell, and gain the ability to cast it once demiplane within the bottle has its own gravity,
at its lowest leveI without using a spell slot. Once remains a comfortable temperature, and maintains a
you cast it in this way, you must finish a long rest pocket of breathable air. The interior of the bottle is
before you can cast it again. Your spellcasting ability generally unaffected by the world outside of it, and
for these spells is Intelligence. can only be entered by a soul homunculus, which
You cast these spells innately, and do not require changes size to fit inside of it. The wax stopper at
verbal or somatic components. You can also use the the mouth of the bottle opens and closes like a door
crystal type of arcane focus as a spellcasting focus when the homunculus passes through it, but a
for your spells. magical field around the bottle allows nothing else to
enter or leave.

148
Soul Homunculus Actions
Tiny construct, lawful neutral
Syringe. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Armor Class 13 (natural armor, padded)
one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage and 1 poison
Hit Points 7 (2d4+2)
damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 12
Speed 20ft. Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the
end of its next turn. If the saving throw fails by 5 or
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
4 (-3) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 9 (-1) more, the target is instead poisoned for 2 (1d4)
minutes and unconscious while poisoned in this way.
Damage Vulnerabilities fire Acid Vial. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range
Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic; 15/30 ft., one target. Hit: 1 acid damage.
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from Enter/Exit Bottle Laboratory. As a bonus action,
nonmagical attacks the soul homunculus enters or leaves the bottle
Damage Immunities lightning, poison laboratory.
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, Assist Research. As long as it is within 120 feet of
poisoned, unconscious its creator, the soul homunculus can take the Help
action to assist its creator with Intelligence (Arcana)
Skills Arcana+4, Medicine +4, Perception+3,
or Wisdom (Medicine) checks, even if it is not
Stealth+3 adjacent to its creator.
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Primordial, all languages known by its
creator, telepathy 120 ft. (creator only)
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Bottle Laboratory. The bottle which the

soul homunculus calls home cannot be
broken or destroyed while the creator of the
construct is alive.
Grow/Shrink. When entering or leaving the
bottle laboratory it calls home, the soul
homunculus changes size. When entering
the bottle, it shrinks down to one half of its
normal height. When leaving the bottle, it
resumes its normal size and appears in an
unoccupied space adjacent to the bottle, or
in a space occupied by its master (if the
master is within 120 feet).
Sustaining Bond. As long as its creator is
alive, the soul homunculus does not need to
eat, sleep, breathe, or drink (though it likes
to do all of those things as often as its
creator does) and it regains 1 hit point at the
start of its turn. If it takes fire damage, it
doesn’t regain the hit point at the start of its
next turn.
Innate Spellcasting. The soul
homunculus’s innate spellcasting ability is
Intelligence (spell save DC 12). It can
innately cast the following spells, requiring
no material components:
At will: vicious mockery, detect magic,
invisibility (self only)

149
 The anarchic and overcrowded metropolis of Nosos
Appendix B: squats amid deforested wasteland, covered in
garbage, poison, and the smoke of a thousand

Domains Beyond chimneys. While the affluent elite debauch

themselves in endless masquerade balls, the pale
and plague-ridden commoners scrounge greedily

the Core among smog-spewing refineries and burning coal

mines.
The information below is a preview of upcoming Ravenloft The small city of Odiare was taken from the
Archetypes content detailing Domains of Dread outside the mysterious plane called Gothic Earth. Here, growing
Core, to be released dependent on demand, as measured by children struggle to support themselves without the
sales milestones for this DM’s Guild product. As those
aid of adults,offering prayers against the day when
milestones are met, this product will grow—with previous
the terrifying construct that massacred their parents
purchasers like you paying no additional price for the new
content—and new products being developed based on returns.
feedback. If you would like to see more on these subjects and Rokushima Taiyoo is a beautiful archipelago
other new content that expands on the previous sections of where ancient codes of honor, delicate philosophies,
this document, please spread the word about Ravenloft and exotic art are being crushed by a relentless civil
Archetypes II: The Core Domains Adventurer’s Guide. war between samurai lords.
The Islands of Terror In the hot and humid river delta of Souragne,
residents of Port d'Elhour and Marais d'Tarascon
Islands of Terror are domains surrounded by the
offer praise to the spirits of the swampland. They
Mists; they do not share stable borders with any
pray that when they die, the Lord of the Dead will
neighboring domains. They are among the most
not come to force their bodies to toil in the fields
secluded of all the Domains of Dread, though
until the flesh drops from their bones
solitary wanderers always seem to find their way to
Vorostokov is a vast and primitive realm of endless
such remote places.
winter stolen from the continent of Cerilia in the
Many Islands of Terror are known to exist, and
world of Aebrynis, where the desperate inhabitants
many others no doubt remain unknown, hidden by
of a dozen villages struggle to survive despite scant
the Mists, their subjects isolated to live in fear of
food stores, the spirits of those who have frozen to
their own unique darklords. Descriptions of known
death in the woods, and packs of ravenous wolves.
Islands of Terror include:
They subsist on the bounty of the boyarsky hunters
The unearthly wasteland known as Bluetspur,
who roam the icy planes and frozen coniferous
where the surface is razed by scorching storms and
forests, ruling with an iron fist.
the underground is ruled by alien intelligences who
enslave humanoids for their eldritch experiments “The Clusters”
and conspire against the stars. “Cluster” is an inelegant term created by scholars of
G'Henna is an arid land consumed by religious the Fraternity of Shadows to describe places where
zealotry. Torn from the Core during the Grand Islands of Terror combine into one connected
Conjunction, its starving populace spirals into territory. Four clusters are known to exist:
despair as it slowly succumbs to a creeping fear that The Amber Wastes comprise a desert landmass of
its bestial god will never appear to relieve its ruins, cities, springs, and nomads which includes
suffering. three domains, Pharazia, Har'Akir, and Sebua,
The small domain of I’Cath consists only of the each ruled by its own terrifying immortal.
shadowy woods surrounding a haunted castle, its The Shadowlands include the dark medieval realms
four attending shrines and groves, and a single of Nidala and Avonleigh, and a single accursed
tower. Its only inhabitants are the foul sorceress house, Shadowborn Manor, that is a domain all its
Tsien Chiang and her cursed daughters. own.
Kalidnay is a city-state surrounded by barren The Verduous Lands are a moonless realm
desert—once part of the apocalyptic world of Athas— combining the seaweed-filled seascape of Saragoss,
where the sorcerer-king Kalid-ma rules oppressed a primal domain ruled by talking animals known as
subjects from a ziggurat palace, aided by the the Wildlands, and Sri Raji, a land ruled by a dark
Templars, an aristocratic secret police granted maharaja and terrorized by human sacrificing
spellcasting powers by his very existence. cultists of Kali.

150
 Zherisia
consists of two
domains: above
ground, the
lonely city of
Paridon, and
below, in its
sewers, the
horrors of
Timor.
Points of
Darkness:
Newly
Uncovered
Domians
Recently, a
group of
adventurers
brought by the
Mists from an
outlander realm
known as the
Nentir Vale have
found their way
to Darkon,
seeking lore of
the new world in
which they find
themselves. One
of their number
has joined the
Fraternity of
Shadows, and
impressed them
by bringing
much new
knowledge—
including
legends of
regions of their
homeworld that,
judging by a
number of well-
documented
details, seem to the city and returned it to the rulership of the
have been annexed by the Mists as their own undead Magroth the Mad.
Domains of Dread. In a place called the Nentir Vale, Death of
Darani was one of the oldest cities in a human Innocence was the last temple of Nerull, the deity of
empire called Nerath, ruled by an evil emperor the dead, until a rival goddess, the Raven Queen,
known as Magroth the Mad, until he was killed by sealed it away from the outside world.
the hero Krondor... then Krondor was murdered in
turn by his own brother Kalaban. The Mists claimed

151
 Histaven (also called the Withered Lands) is ruled odor of charred stone hangs in the air, undercut by
over by the self-deluded tyrant Count Artius and a whiff of vinegar. Anyone who dares sleep in this
plagued by the constant assaults of a wretched land, on the surface or below, endure horrid
avenger known as the Rag Man. nightmares. The dreamer imagines dark foul
During the war between two empires (a tiefling creatures slinking out from the rock and devouring
empire called Bael Turath and the draconic all that is good. Like many dreams, this one reveals
Arkhosia), the silver dragons Arantor and Imrissa much that is true.
attacked a tiefling outpost called Monadhan, only to There are no seasons in Bluetspur, no weather, and
discover they were wiping out a camp of refugees. no true day and night. During the lighter hours,
When the two dragons fell into fighting, Arantor there is no sun in the sky, but the entire horizon in
killed Imrissa, only to find himself claimed by the all directions glows with the russet mantle of dusk.
Mists as Monadhan's undead darklord. Then the ruddy glow fades to pitch black, and
Another Nerathi city, Graefmotte fell in the last “night” falls, the cycle of light and dark waxing and
battle before the empire's fall, and became a Domain waning in perfect, twelve-hour cycles. When the
of Dread after its lord killed his own son rather than domain is shrouded in darknes,, the thunderstorms
see him destroyed with the city. begin. Vermilion strokes of lightning crack in the
Sunderheart, the pleasure garden of the empire of distance, but always grow closer. Sometimes there is
rain as well, but more often not, and either way the
Bael Turath, and ancestral home of the tiefling noble
skies remain completely black—presumably with
houses Dreygu, Zannifer, and Khanebor, was once
indistinguishable clouds. Within minutes of
called the City of Carousing, but now this ruin is
nightfall, the lightning strikes become fatally
known as the City of Curses.
frequent, touching down at least once every minute.
Island of Terror:
Stooping low to the ground, travelers find they can
Bluetspur just make out a relentless drone emanating from
deep within the earth. This horrendous sound,
This sunless, storm-wracked, seemingly muted as it is, causes their temples to throb with
uninhabited wasteland is so unearthly as to be agony. Those who remain under the open skies
unlike any other Domain of Dread. The edges of the when the night falls cannot hope to survive the
domain are flat and featureless plains of dust strewn lightning.
with jagged cobbles and boulders, and the interior is Yet the fate that awaits those who venture
a great mountainous expanse of razor sharp rock underground may be even worse.
and jagged, twisting peaks. Stone arches bridge the No travelers willingly seek out such a hostile,
summits, and corkscrewing spires break through barren land as Bluetspur. Most folk who find
the rocky surface like screws driven violently up themselves here would rather blindly brave the
through the barren landscape. Massive spurs of rock Mists than tarry in a place so forsaken. Visitors who
jut from other features at impossible angles, their have survived this domain have confirmed that the
unsettling spurs, arches, and residents who dominate this land do not live
twists seeming to defy gravity and suggesting the aboveground, but in the endless labyrinth of caverns
handiwork of a mad god. A vast, rocky wasteland beneath the mountains, and they are from human.
stretches out as far as the eye can see, nearly devoid They are mind flayers, and there is no law in this
of life. The mountains are immense, with the peaks cursed land but theirs.
soaring up to culminate in the dizzying summits of The mind flayers—at least the living ones (see
Mount Grysl and Mount Makab, both reaching below)—seldom venture to the surface. Their only
heights of nearly 10,000 feet. purpose seems to be to round up intruders and take
Though various streams drain from the mountains, them beneath the earth to become slaves, adding
vegetation is almost nonexistent due to the absence them to an already well-populated pool of thralls.
of sunlight. A few species of phosphorescent fungi Obviously, no creatures live above the ground in
and sticky slime molds cling to crevices the this domain. The only inhabitants of Bluetspur are
undersides of rocks at lower elevations, but the land the illithids, their brutally dominated slaves, and a
is otherwise barren and stony. There are no animals separate group of other mind flayers who are…
or plants to be seen. Everything is as still as a tomb, different. Changed. They are rabidly insane, and
not so much as a breeze stirring the cool air. A some say they are undead.
starless sky of perfect blackness yawns above, and
the horizon glows with an eerie red color. The harsh

152
Island of Terror: autumns beset by rampaging typhoons. Winters are
brutally cold, burying the domain under endless
Rokushima Taiyoo snow. Springtime is short but comparatively
Also known as the Six Islands of the Sun, pleasant, a time when the islands are covered in
Rokushima Taiyoo (rokoo-SHEE-ma ta-EE-oo) is a pale flower blossoms.
lush archipelago that rises impossibly from the Structures in Rokushima Taiyoo are elegant and
surrounding Poison Sea. The domain's sobriquet possess a distinct aesthetic style. Wood is used
might seem to be a misnomer, as there are only four almost exclusively in construction, fitted together
isles. The Rokuma, however, assert that the two without nails. Decorative gables, eaves, and screens
vanished islands sank into the ocean when their are commonplace. The walls and sliding doors are
shujin, or local lords, were killed. The remaining often made of thin paper on a wooden frame,
isles surround the glassy surface of the Great Mirror allowing for easy repairs following the domain's
Lake, which is fed by clear mountain springs. The vicious storms and earthquakes. The shujin,
waters of the lake rush between the islands, however, dwell in enormous stone castles with
cascading down jagged slopes of coral and into the multiple tiers climbing up to touch the sun. Serene
venomous depths of the Poison Sea. The roiling shrines both magnificent and humble dot the
Nightmare Mists shroud the lake's western outlet to islands; located on sites of natural beauty and
the sea, and ships voyaging into the dread vapors power, they are identifiable by the sacred torii gates.
never emerge. Anything from these islands may be referred to as
The snowcapped peak of Mount Frost soars high Rokushiman—from their exquisitely wrought trade
above the surrounding islands, its slopes goods to the language the locals speak—but the
purportedly riddled with corrupted shrines and people call themselves the Rokuma. The Rokuma are
caches of plundered treasure, but also haunted by slight in stature but blessed with trim builds and
strange and terrible creatures. The island landscape physical grace. Their skin tone varies from creamy
is rugged and picturesque, blanketed by damp white to golden brown, usually with a sallow tinge.
evergreen forests, arching wood bridges, and misty Eye color tends to be dark, ranging from hazel to
waterfalls. midnight black. Rokuma hair is straight, sleek, and
The weather in the domain is fierce and merciless, jet-black. Men and women both grow their hair long,
varying wildly. Summers are oppressive and muggy, arranging it in elaborate fashion with wooden pins,
though commoner men
sometimes prefer a shorter
style. Men are clean
shaven, regarding facial
hair as barbarous. Women
and men alike wear
widesleeved robes belted at
the waist with a sash over
a long shirt or shift. Men
also don loose trousers or
wrapped leggings. Soft
slippers or wooden sandals
are the customary
footwear. Male commoners
are fond of wide straw hats
to keep off the sun and
snow. Black and soft
pastels are favored colors
in clothing.
The Rokuma are reserved
and enigmatic folk,
ascribing great value to
social decorum and
aesthetics. They prize

153
beauty and harmony, whether in the natural world shrewd brigands called yakuza to protect them from
or in their relationships. They are reverent toward their own noble rulers.
the kami, the spirits that are believed to dwell in all The roots of this conflict were planted in the life of
things, and worship at breathtaking natural shrines. the domain’s previous ruler, Haki Shinpi, the man
The elderly are given great respect, and proper who united Rokushima Taiyoo undr his own rule.
etiquette is imperative even among the poorest Shinpi lived his life according to the dictates of the
commoners. chivalrous code known as bushido, yet often twisted
The Rokuma have a deep respect for the warrior's its principles in order to divide his enemies against
skill with sword and bow. They see beauty in all of themselves and crush them with despair. His
life's pursuits and feel secure in their place in the greatest sense of honor lay in the solidarity of his
natural order. The constant warring between the own clan while others fell apart due to his subtle
island shujin, however, has created an atmosphere treachery.
of terror in the domain's villages. The bloody conflict He began as a minor noble, but used deception to
has cast a fearful shadow over the Rokuma, who pit the feudal lords and their samurai against each
endure harassment and brutality from the prideful other, creating bloody battles where his rivals
samurai of their masters. massacred entire families—and Shinpi was able to
Rokushima Taiyoo enjoyed a period of stability pick up the pieces. He rose in power, becoming the
under the warlord who ruled until his death, but military overlord, or shogun, while the ancestral
has been consumed by internal warfare ever since. It emperor of the archipelago became a figurehead for
is an isolated domain embroiled in its own Shinpi’s total rule. When that emperor moved
exhausting conflicts and unaware of the wider world against him in secret, Shinpi crushed those nobles
beyond its shores. Recent contact with Dementlieuse who might interfere with the shogunate’s authority
and Darkonian sailors has not encouraged the while others who might interfere were at each other’s
Rokuma, who have found these outsiders brutish throats. After the emperor’s death in battle, Shinpi
and disrespectful. Nonetheless, the presence of such used an obscure genealogical pretext to become
travelers may prove to be a wild card in the struggle emperor himself. He conquered the lands of any
between the shujin. The shujin have taken notice of noble who objected, and eventually ruled the entire
these foreign strangers and are even now scheming island chain as his own fiefdom, with every noble
of ways to take advantage of their boorish naivete sworn to his service.
and intriguing weapons. As he aged, Shinpi began to think about his legacy.
Each of Rokushima Taiyoo's four islands is ruled by He instituted civic reforms and infrastructure
a shujin, a feudal warlord with numerous lesser projects. He also drafted laws largely forbidding
noble warriors under his vassalage. The domain's trade with nations outside the islands, so as to
shujin are all brothers, endlessly bickering over the preserve the beautiful culture and traditions that he
birthright each feels was denied him by a deceased truly loved against foreign influences.
father. Although each shujin is ostensibly Shortly before he died, Shinpi called his six sons to
responsible for overseeing his island realm, the him and divided his lands and treasures between
brothers are completely obsessed with breaking one them. Each one was given one of the six islands of
another's power. Their slow, smoldering war wreaks the archipelago to rule, each fiefdom chosen to suit
havoc on the lives of their subjects. Their samurai that son’s strengths and help him overcome his
clash openly in the streets, heedless of the weaknesses. Shinpi’s hope was that his sons and
commoners who are caught in the conflict. Ninja their descendants would preserve the empire he had
clans slink through the shadows, carrying out unified for generations. With his final bequests
sabotage and assassinations. Periodically, the proclaimed, surrounded by his children, Shinpi
struggle explodes into outright warfare as the forces closed his eyes and let out a last hiss of breath.
of each brother slaughter one another in gruesome His body was not even cold when his sons began to
battles. In most villages, there is no longer any civic bicker over their father’s estate and their allotted
order at all. inheritances. It was a portent of the rancorous
In short, the greed and pride of the shujin is conflict that was to come. Each son saw himself as
literally tearing the Six Islands of the Sun apart. The the true heir to his father, turning against his
Rokuma try to carry on with their lives, hoping that brothers as their father had turned his rivals against
adherence to tradition will carry them through the one another. That night, a wall of impossibly thick
dark times. Many folk, however, have turned to

154
fog rolled in from the sea, and the new domain of New Rokushiman Martial Archetype:
Rokushima surfaced in the Mists.
Within a fortnight on Shinpi’s death, a ninja Shugyosha
assassin had walked out of the shadows to slay his As a shugyōsha, you wander from place to place,
younegst son. Before the next full moon, the eldest seeking to perfect your skills with the traditional
son had fallen as well. When each died, a cataclysm weapons of a samurai warrior, especially the paired
earthquake followed within the hour, contorting the katana and wakizashi (longsword and scimitar), as
land so fiercely that the entire island ruled by the well as the daikyu (longbow), and naginata
slain son sank in the ocean called the Poison Sea. (glaive).Once, you trained for a long career of
These same seismic movements caused the other military service as one of the samurai, but that is
islands to shift, so that afterwards, all four not the life you live today. Instead, you ended up out
remaining islands yet formed a closed circle around on the road. In the Core, you might be called a
the Great Mirror Lake. “knight errant”; here, you are a former samurai, a
Today, in fortresses on each of their respective rōnin, which means “one who rides the waves.”
islands, each of the four remaining heirs lives in Yet your training continues. Life as an adventurer
fearful paranoia of his siblings. From time to time, is part of your path to perfect mastery of your
the conflict between the four surviving princes chosen arms. You wander the land in a constant
breaks into a full-blown clash of armies, but most quest to grow and hone your martial skills,
often it involves attempts to undermine or unprotected by any family, feudal household, or
assassinate each other covertly. They hire cunning school. In your travels, you also challenge local
warlocks and ninja monks and seductive bards to champions, test yourself against the leading
kill each other with poison or deceive each other students of fighting academies, study new and
with misinformation. Even when there are no large- different martial arts styles, perform bodyguard and
scale battles, no one in the islands can long escape mercenary work, seek possible service with a worthy
the brothers’ war. new lord, and learn complex arts such as calligraphy
The ongoing horrors of the conflict make in pursuit of discipline and self-control. If you find
Rokushima Taiyop well-suited for the Domains of that you attract students, and do not dismiss them,
Dread, and the Dark Powers show no signs of letting you may eventually found a school of your own, as
it go. It is impossible to say what would happen if the most respected shugyōsha do if they somehow
peace were ever restored. live to middle age.
New Fighting Style for Fighters, Rangers, The tradition of the shugyōsha in Rokushima
and Paladins Taiyoo began with the killings of shujin lords, which
In Rokushima Taiyoo, dominated by rival factions decreased the number of claimants to the shogun’s
maintaining a constant state of military preparation, new throne from six to four and inaugurated the current
martial styles emerge, gain popularity, and then become period of war and chaos. Since then, as the
institutions or fall into obscurity at the same dizzying rate historians put it, “the roads have been choked with
that new trends in noble fashions come and go and in
ronin.” The many warriors sworn to these lords who
domains like Dementlieu and Borca. In addition to the
were outside of their feudal lands when the shujin
fighting styles already available in this document and the
normal D&D rules, fighters, ranger, and paladins trained
fell became some of the first shugyōsha, but the
by the samurai swordmasters of Rokushima Taiyoo have many battles, assassinations, and political intrigues
access to the following additional fighting style. No matter since have created many more. In either case, the
how many times class features allow you to choose, you path of the shugyōsha—known as musha shugyō,
can never select a particular fighting style more than once. or “training in warriorship”—was inspired by
• Daisho wandering monks, who hone their own martial arts
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for your attack in similar ascetic wanderings in pursuit of
and damage rolls with a longsword, as long as you are enlightenment.
only wielding it with one hand. Also, when you wield a Fallen Samurai
longsword in one hand and a light weapon in the other,
Beginning at 3rd level when you take this archetype,
you can still use two-weapon fighting (even though a
you gain the Daisho fighting style (as described
longsword is not light). Finally, creatures you hit with both
a longsword attack and a light weapon attack in the same below). If you already have this Fighting Style, you
round make opportunity attacks at disadvantage until the choose a new one, which can only be selected from
beginning of your next turn. those described below. You can never gain the same
Fighting Style more than once.

155
• Archery modifier to the attack roll. If you succeed, you inflict
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand an extra 1d6 psychic damage. If the weapon is a
and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to longsword, longbow, light melee weapon, or a melee
damage rolls with that weapon. weapon you are wielding with two hands, you regain
• Daisho the ki point you spent on this ability if the attack roll
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for your exceeds the target’s AC by 5 or more.
attack and damage rolls with a longsword, as long as • When a creature hits you or a creature within 5 feet of
you are only wielding it with one hand. Also, when you you with a weapon attack, you can expend 1 ki point
wield a longsword in one hand and a light weapon in as a reaction to reduce the damage inflicted. Roll 1d6,
the other, you can still use two-weapon fighting (even add your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)
though a longsword is not light). Finally, creatures to the number rolled, then reduce the damage by the
you hit with both a longsword attack and a light total. When you use this ability on another creature
weapon attack in the same round make opportunity rather than yourself, if the damage is reduced to zero,
attacks at disadvantage until the beginning of your you regain your ki point as if it had never been spent.
next turn.
• Great Weapon Fighting
Student of Bushido
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack At 3rd level, you learn the challenger’s mark*,
you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding fortifying cry*, true strike, and resistance cantrips
with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use and you gain proficiency with calligrapher’s supplies
the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The as well as one of the following skills of your choice:
weapon must have the two-handed or versatile Athletics, Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Intimidate,
property for you to gain this benefit. Insight, Performance, or Persuasion.
• Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add Accustomed Wanderer
your ability modifier to the damage of the second At 7th level, when you enter any settlement with a
attack. population of 100 or more you don’t remember
Ki Warrior visiting before, you are adept at gathering significant
Starting at 3rd level, your intense training with the information about your new environs, You can
weapons of the samurai is a spiritual discipline spend 1 hour engaged in a seemingly innocuous
comparable to the fighting arts of a monk, giving you activity that allows you to circulate through the
insight into ki, the mysterious elemental energy that settlement. Depending on your current fortunes,
suffuses living things. Though you cannot truly
master ki the way a monk can, you can use it for a
limited number of
effects, which is
represented by
gaining a limited
number of ki points.
You gain a number of
ki points equal to your
proficiency bonus.
Spent ki points are regained
whenever you finish a
short or long
rest. You can
spend ki points to
use the following abilities:
• You can spend 1 ki point to
take the dash action as a bonus
action. When you spend 1 ki
point for this, you also double
your jumping distance and add
your Wisdom modifier to your
AC until the end of your turn.
• When you make a weapon attack roll
against a creature, you can expend 1
ki point to add your Wisdom

156
interests, or proclivities, this can range from begging • Daisho
in the streets to riotous carousing, At the end of 1 You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for your
hour, you gain knowledge of up to three facts of your attack and damage rolls with a longsword, as long as
you are only wielding it with one hand. Also, when
choice about any of the following subjects as they
you wield a longsword in one hand and a light
relate to the settlement::
weapon in the other, you can still use two-weapon
- major criminal organizations and cult activities
fighting (even though a longsword is not light).
- significant underground tunnels or architecture
Finally, creatures you hit with both a longsword
- popular religious groups and places of worship
attack and a light weapon attack in the same round
- powerful figures in government and commerce
make opportunity attacks at disadvantage until the
- individuals who inspire great awe or fear (such as
beginning of your next turn.
archmages or legendary warriors)
• Defense
- basic demographics of the population (percentage of
While you are wearing armor you gain a +1 bonus to
humans and other races, etc.)
AC.
- rumors of monsters dwelling in the settlement or
• Dueling
nearby (including below it)
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand
- any large wilderness areas inside or close to the
and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to
settlement
damage rolls with that weapon.
- other settlements or cultures nearby
• Great Weapon Fighting
For example, if you entered a new city and used this When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack
ability, you could determine its most powerful you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding
thieves’ guild, the locations of temples that can with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use
provide magical healing, and which graveyards the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The
people say are haunted by undead. When you return weapon must have the two-handed or versatile
to a settlement you’ve already visited on a previous property for you to gain this benefit.
• Mobility
day, you can use this feature again, and it only
When you are not using a shield or wearing any kind
takes 30 minutes due to your existing familiarity.
of heavy armor, you receive a +1 bonus to AC, and
Wave-Riding Swordsman Stance you gain a swimming speed and climbing speed equal
At 7th level, you can spend 1 ki point as a bonus to your walking speed.
action to enter a special martial arts stance which • Mounted
When mounted, if you inflict damage with a
lasts for 1 minute. While you are in this stance, you
successful weapon attack on an unmounted creature
gain the following benefits:
smaller than your mount, that creature can’t make
• Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.
opportunity attacks against you or your mount for
• Your weapon attacks inflict an extra 1d4 damage, and
the rest of your turn, and you can re-roll any weapon
count as magical for the purpose of overcoming
damage die that rolls a 1. You must use the new roll.
resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and
• Protection
damage.
When a creature you can see attacks a target other
• Your weapon attacks with longbows, longswords,
than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use
glaives, and light melee weapons score a critical hit on
your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack
a die roll of 19 or 20.
roll. You must be wielding a shield.
• Whenever you score a critical hit with any weapon
• Two-Weapon Fighting
attack, you gain 3 ki points. You retain any unspent
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can
ki points gained in this way after your Wave-Riding
add your ability modifier to the damage of the second
Swordsman Stance ends, but any unspent ki points
attack.
gained from scoring critical hits while in this stance
are lost the next time you finish a short or long rest. Perfected Strike
Once you enter this stance twice, you cannot enter it At 15th level, when you miss with a weapon attack
again until you finish a short or long rest. roll using a longsword, shortsword, longbow, or
Samurai Fighting Style glaive, you can choose to roll it again. You must use
the second roll. Once you do so, you cannot use this
Beginning at 10th level, you gain a third fighting
feature again until you finish a short or long rest. If
style, chosen from the following options only. You
you choose to spend 1 ki point, you can make the
can never gain the same Fighting Style more than
second roll at advantage.
once.
• Archery
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand
and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to
damage rolls with that weapon.

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New Rokushiman Rogue Archetype:

Shinobi
Many legends speak of the ninja, a
warrior-spy capable of impossible feats
of stealth and infiltration, but the nature
and abilities of these powerful assassins
are shrouded in mystery. It is difficult to
separate truth from myth; some say they
wield shadow magic, or that they are
masters of the mysterious power of ki.
Others claim descriptions of the ninja
are only propaganda, stories told by this archetype description), all fueled by special dice
those who claim to have cadres of ninja spies at called discipline dice, described below.
their command. The multi-talented rogues who call Shinobi Techniques. You learn three shinobi
themselves shinobi are happy to know that many of techniques, one of which must require a shuriken
their own exploits—performed without any mystical
pack (described in the New Rokushiman Equipment
abilities at all, but only discipline, patience, training,
rules section), with the other two being any you
and absolute stealth—have been attributed to the
choose. Many shinobi techniques enhance an attack
mystical ninja clans of legend are dismissed as
in some way, but you can only use one shinobi
myth. Anonymity, after all, is a part of their power.
technique per attack. You learn two additional
The shinobi are spies, assassins, scouts, agitators,
shinobi techniques of your choice at 7th level, 10th
and arsonists who have arisen amid the endless,
level, and 15th level. Whenever you learn new shinobi
Byzantine civil war in the island empire of
techniques, you can also replace one shinobi
Rokushima Taiyoo. With the shougun dead, and his
technique you already know with a different one.
sons fighting for power, the shinobi use secrecy and
Discipline Dice. You have two discipline dice, which
stealth to act as the secret weapons of embattled
are d8s. A discipline die is expended when you use
provinces. They first emerged from the lower classes,
it. You regain all of your expended discipline dice
training in the isolation of inaccessible mountain
when you finish a long or short rest. Your discipline
villages. The nobles and samurai they served found
dice become more potent as you gain levels: When
their “irregular” warfare techniques dishonorable
you reach 11th level, they become d10s instead of
and beneath members of higher social classes, so
d8s. When you reach 19th level, they become d12s.
shinobi became indispensable.
Saving Throws. Some of your maneuvers require
Over time, local populations and family groups
evolved into secretive clans, sworn to protect the your target to make a saving throw to resist the
identities of their members and never reveal their maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is
true occupations. Some shinobi clans are sworn to calculated as follows:
Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
serve a particular noble house or daimyo, but others
Dexterity or Wisdom modifier (your choice)
hire their services out, though most maintain
Spell Attack. Some of your shinobi techniques may
absolute loyalty to an employer for at least the
allow you to cast the equivalent of a spell, which
duration of their contract. Despite the opinions of
may require you to make a spell attack. Your attack
the samurai class and their own inclination towards
bonus with such a spell attack equals your
dark deeds, shinobi have a code of honor all their
proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Wisdom
own. Any shinobi risks offending their clan leaders if
modifier (your choice).
they break their code of secrecy, loyalty, and
unwavering commitment to their mission. Such Swift Striking Shadow
transgressions carry a sentence of death. Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd
Shinobi Techniques level, whenever you aren't wearing armor or wielding
a shield, you gain the following benefits:
At 3rd level, when you choose this archetype, you
• Your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier;
have completed your training in a number of secret
• You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the
espionage and martial arts techniques. You learn a attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes;
number of distinct shinobi techniques (which are
described under “Shinobi Techniques” at the end of

158
 You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks
•
Shurikenjutsu
while you are climbing or swimming;
• Your speed increases by 5 feet.
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with shuriken (a
The bonus to your speed increases as you gain new weapon introduced in this document), and can
rogue levels, increasing to +10ft. at 9th level and +15 use shuriken packs with proficiency as well. A
ft. at 15th level. At 11th level, you also gain the shuriken pack is a large quantity of throwing stars
ability to move along vertical surfaces and across which you use as ammunition for your attacks.
liquids on your turn without falling during the move. Certain shinobi techniques require a shuriken pack.

Shinobi vs. Ninja Advanced Shinobi technique

There are a lot of versions of the D&D ninja out there, but At 9th level, when you spend a discipline die for any
probably the best one is simply a monk who follows the technique that does not require a shuriken pack,
monastic tradition of the Way of Shadow. So why include you can choose to automatically regain that
this class archetype for rogues? discipline die as if it had never been spent. Once you
The simple answer is that the pop culture notion of the use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest
ninja is so huge that it contains multitudes, from the before you can use it again. At 15th level, you can
various recent portrayals of the historical figure Hattori
use this feature twice, regaining all expended uses
Hanzo (the best perhaps being in the Japanese Shadow
when you finish a short or long rest.
Warriors, where he was portrayed by the immortal Sonny
Chiba, who thematically reprised the role in Quentin Unarmored Defense
Tarantino’s Kill Bill films) to anime like Ninja Scroll and Starting at 13th level, when you aren't wearing armor
Naruto and video games like Tenchu Stealth Assassin, and or wielding a shield, your AC equals either 13 + your
even westernized portrayals like Snake Eyes and Storm
Dexterity modifier or 10 + your Dexterity modifier+
Shadow from G.I. Joe or the bizarre “Caucasian master of
your Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher.
ninjutsu” genre of 80’s and 90’s American film. There is a
pretty big split between ninjas shown with full magical or Jōnin
mystical powers and less fantastic portrayals that At 13th level, you gain another discipline die. At 16th
basically show them as the historical Japanese equivalent level, you gain one more.
of modern special forces. Most D&D versions of this
archetypal idea, including the original Oriental Ultimate Scout
Adventures, have focused on the magic-using ninja, as is At 17th level, you gain the ranger’s Natural Explorer
appropriate for a fantasy game. class feature, with the following alteration: You
However, the shinobi is an alternative that aims for a choose one additional favored terrain type at 19th
slightly more historical yet still fantastical take, focusing level. In addition, you can accurately recall anything
on the humble origins of these legendary warriors, while you have seen or heard within the past 72 hours.
still including the best-loved pop culture elements (such
as their legendary mastery of shuriken, which in some Unyielding Discipline
versions they practically fire like automatic weapons, Beginning at 17th level, when you roll initiative and
represented here by powers that make a hail of throwing have no discipline dice remaining, you regain 1
stars the equivalent of spells like magic missile). discipline die.
It is the perspective of this document that most campaigns
that include any version of this character type will have
Shinobi Techniques
room for both takes on the concept. There is plenty of The shinobi techniques are presented in alphabetical
room for these two approaches in the same game, and order. If a shinobi technique is marked with an asterisk
neither displaces the other. In fact, a party including both (“*”), it requires a shuriken pack (as described under
a Shinboi rogue and a Way of the Shadow monk would Shurikenjutsu, above).
give D&D adventures a great thematic tone, and Billowing Smoke Meditation. On your turn, if you are
multiclass combo of the two can be a very effective not wearing armor or wielding a shield, you can spend a
character in its own right. A fun campaign idea could be a discipline die to add +1 to your AC, gain a climbing and
whole party who serve a ninja/shinobi clan, with a swimming speed equal to your base walking speed, and
Shinobi rogue, a Way of the Shadow monk, and other double your jump distance. These benefits last for a
thematic classes, such as a Trickery domain cleric, a number of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus plus
Shugyosha fighter, a stealth-focused ranger, and/or an the number rolled on your discipline die.
Illusionist wizard. In conclusion, feel free to use your Docile Prisoner Method. You can spend a discipline die
favorite D&D version of the ninja, monk or otherwise, right to utterly intimidate an enemy you could have killed. This
alongside this rogue archetype, and see what interesting works exactly as if you had cast the dread mercy spell (a
synergies and tensions emerge in play. (In the real world, new spell included in this document) using a 2nd level spell
“shinobi” and “ninja” are just two ways of saying the exact slot. The saving throw is made against your shinobi
same original Japanese word.) technique DC. However, this is not a magical effect, the

159
target subtracts your discipline die roll from its saving longer use this or any other abilities that require a
throw, and the duration is changed to a number of shuriken pack until you obtain another one.
minutes equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). Iron Devotion Meditation. As an action, you can spend a
Ebon Wind Meditation. When you are standing discipline die and gain temporary hit points equal to your
absolutely still in an area that is either heavily obscured discipline die roll plus your rogue level.
or in dim light, you can spend a discipline die as an action *Poisonous Vapor Shuriken. If you have an unexpended
to gain advantage on all Dexterity checks and Charisma shuriken pack equipped, you can spend a discipline die to
(Deception) checks. This benefit lasts for a number of hurl a special shuriken designed to shatter on impact and
rounds equal to the number rolled on your discipline die release a cloud of poison. This works exactly as if you had
plus your proficiency bonus. cast the shadow missile spell (a new spell included in this
Empty Hand Strike. You can use the bonus action document) using a 1st level spell slot. The saving throw is
provided by your Cunning Action to expend a discipline made against your shinobi technique DC. However, this is
die and make an unarmed attack. If an unarmed attack not a magical effect, and it does not inflict the necrotic
made with this ability hits, add the discipline die to your damage described in the spell. Instead, replace the listed
damage, and the target must make a Dexterity save necrotic damage with poison damage equal to your rogue
against your shinobi technique saving throw DC or be level plus the number rolled on your discipline die. As you
knocked prone. When you reach 7th level, using this ability gain levels, the poison damage from this shinobi technique
allows you to make two unarmed attacks as part of the increases. When you reach 7th level, you add an
same bonus action, instead of just one. additional 1d6 poison damage; at 11th level, you add an
Falling Leaf Kata. When you would take falling damage, additional 2d6; at 17th level, you add an additional 3d6.
you can spend a discipline die as a reaction to reduce that Each time you use this ability, if your discipline die rolls a
damage. Roll your discipline die twice and add your rogue 1, your shuriken pack gains the deficient property until
level, then reduce the falling damage you take by the total. you obtain a new one. If you roll a 1 or a 2 on your
Harrying Steel. When you hit an enemy with a melee discipline die with this ability when your shuriken pack is
weapon attack, you can spend a discipline die to disrupt already deficient, the pack is expended and you can no
that opponent’s reflexes in combat. You add the discipline longer use this or any other abilities that require a
die to the attack's damage roll, and the target cannot take shuriken pack until you obtain an unexpended one.
reactions until the end of your next turn. Smoke Pellet. As an action, you spend a discipline die to
Improvised Poison. You can spend a discipline die to throw a special pellet you had hidden on your person and
produce an improvised poison from scavenged substances create a sphere of black smoke centered on yourself. The
around you. This works exactly as if you had cast the radius of this sphere is 5 times your rogue level in feet. It
create poison spell (a new spell included in this document) spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured.
using a 1st level spell slot. The saving throw is made It lasts for a number of rounds equal to your discipline die
against your shinobi technique DC. However, this is not a roll, or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least
magical effect. Instead of inflicting the damage described 10 miles per hour) disperses it.
in the spell, the poison inflicts damage equal to your rogue *Storm of Falling Stars. Using the unique abilities
level plus the number rolled on your discipline die. afforded by your Shurikenjutsu feature, you can fill an
*Shuriken Salvo. Using the unique abilities afforded by area with a hurricane of throwing stars. As an action, you
your Shurikenjutsu feature, you hurl so many throwing can spend a discipline die to throw a seemingly endless
stars at once that they cannot be avoided. As an action, spray of shuriken over a 5 by 20 ft. line. Each creature in
you can spend a discipline die to throw two salvos of the line must make a Dexterity saving throw against your
shuriken. Each salvo automatically hits a creature of your shinobi technique DC. On a failed save, a creature is
choice that you can see within 50 ft., without an attack knocked prone, and it takes piercing damage equal to your
roll, as long as they are not behind full cover. A salvo discipline die roll plus your rogue level.
deals piercing damage to its target equal to your discipline As you gain levels, the damage from this shinobi
die roll (you only roll once, and apply the same result to all technique increases. When you reach 7th level, you add
salvos). The salvos all strike simultaneously, and you can an additional 1d6 piercing damage; at 11th level, you add
choose whether they all hit one target or different ones. an additional 2d6; at 17th level, you add an additional
The number of salvos you can throw at once with this 3d6. This is not considered an attack, and you cannot
ability increases as you go up in levels. When you reach apply sneak attack damage or poison to it.
7th level, you can throw three salvos; at 11th level, you Each time you use this ability, if your discipline die rolls a
can throw four salvos; at 17th level, five salvos. This is not 1, your shuriken pack gains the deficient property until
considered an attack, and you cannot apply sneak attack you obtain a new one. If you roll a 1 or a 2 on your
damage or poison to it. discipline die with this ability when your shuriken pack is
Each time you use this ability, if your discipline die rolls a already deficient, the pack is expended and you can no
1, your shuriken pack gains the deficient property until longer use this or any other abilities that require a
you obtain a new one. If you roll a 1 or a 2 on your shuriken pack until you obtain an unexpended one.
discipline die with this ability when your shuriken pack is Shot from the Void. When you make a ranged weapon
already deficient, the pack is expended and you can no attack while hiding, you can expend one discipline die to

160
increase the attack’s range and accuracy. You add the
number rolled on the discipline die to your attack roll, and New Rokushiman Equipment
the attack’s range is increased by a number of feet equal
to 10 times your rogue level. Rules
Too Loyal to Fail. When you fail a saving throw against
an effect that would cause you to become charmed,
exhausted, frightened, restrained, or unconscious, you New Weapon Properties
can spend a discipline die as a reaction to re-roll that Some new weapons introduced in this section have
saving throw and add your discipline die roll as a bonus. new properties: ancestral, deficient, ensnaring, and
You must use the results of this second roll. guarded. The rules on these weapon properties are
*Unliving Target Method. As an action, you can spend a as follows:
discipline die to make a very precise shuriken attack
Ancestral. An ancestral weapon is masterfully
against an object that is not being worn or carried. You
make an attack roll to hit the object as if you were making forged to create a preternaturally sharp edge, at the
a weapon attack with a simple ranged weapon, adding the cost of being more delicate in some ways than a
number rolled on your discipline die to your attack roll. If normal weapon of its kind. When you inflict damage
you hit the object, you choose one of the following effects: with an ancestral weapon, you inflict extra damage
• If the object is light enough (weighing a number of equal to half your proficiency bonus with that
pounds (lbs.) equal to or less than twice your rogue weapon (rounded down), but if you roll a 1 on the
level), it flies in a straight line up to 30 feet in a die when you attack with it, the ancestral weapon
direction you choose before falling to the ground,
gains the deficient property (described below) until it
stopping early if it impacts against a solid surface. If
is repaired for one-fifth of its purchase price.
the object would strike a creature, that creature must
make a Dexterity saving throw against your technique Deficient. Less of a quality than a condition, this
DC. On a failed save, the object strikes the target and indicates the weapon (or ammunition) is on the
stops moving. In either case, both the object and the verge of no longer being usable, either because it is
creature or solid surface it impacts against take near the point of breaking (if it is a weapon) or
bludgeoning damage equal to your discipline die roll because it is about to run out (if it is ammunition). If
plus your sneak attack damage. This counts as your you roll a 1 or a 2 on an attack roll with this weapon
use of your sneak attack damage for this round. If the
or ammunition, it is no longer usable, and must be
object is not light enough (as described above), it
either replaced or repaired (for the same price as
merely takes damage equal to your discipline die roll
plus your rogue level. If you are hidden when you replacing it). Slashing or piercing martial weapons
make an attack with this ability, the attack does not can be made with the ancestral quality, multiplying
reveal your position. their normal purchase price by 10.
• You can choose to inflict piercing damage equal to your Ensnaring. You can voluntarily reduce this
discipline die roll plus your sneak attack damage. This weapon's damage in an attempt to trip or disarm the
counts as your use of your sneak attack damage for opponent. A damage value in parentheses appears
this round. If the object is reduced to zero hit points,
with the property—this is the reduced damage the
you can choose to try to inflict damage on those
weapon inflicts when you use this property. When
around it. If you choose this effect, either the object or
the throwing stars that struck it (whichever makes you choose to use the weapon in this way, the
more sense given the nature of the object) shatter creature that takes the reduced damage when you
explosively. All creatures within 5 feet of the object hit it must also roll a Dexterity saving throw if it is a
must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Large or smaller creature (if the creature is larger
technique DC or take piercing damage equal to half than you, it can choose to roll a Strength save
the damage that was suffered by the object. instead). If it fails, it falls prone or drops an object of
Each time you use this ability, if your discipline die rolls a your choice that it is holding. The DC for this saving
1, your shuriken pack gains the deficient property until
throw is equal to 11 + your proficiency bonus. If you
you obtain a new one. If you roll a 1 or a 2 on your
are not proficient with this weapon, you cannot use
discipline die with this ability when your shuriken pack is
already deficient, the pack is expended and you can no this property.
longer use this or any other abilities that require a Guarded. This weapon is attached to you in some
shuriken pack until you obtain an unexpended one. way or has a metal guard or basket over the handle,
Vanishing Mist Meditation. When you are hit by an making it hard to disarm. When you fail a saving
attack, you can spend a discipline die as a reaction and throw against an effect that would cause you to drop
add it to your Armor Class against that attack. If the this weapon, you can use your reaction to make an
attack still hits, you take half damage from it. attack roll with this weapon against the same saving
throw DC. If you succeed, no actual attack takes

161
place, but you do not drop the weapon (though any Weight: 1lb.
other effects of having failed the initial saving throw Special: A wielder armed with this weapon can
happen normally). choose to make an unarmed strike instead of a
Weapon Properties weapon attack; if they do so, the unarmed strike
The DM may decide to allow these properties to inflicts slashing damage instead of bludgeoning.
apply to some existing weapons as well. If the DM If a creature would drop this weapon, they can use
chooses to do so, the weapons listed on the New their reaction to not drop it.
Weapons Properties Table, below, replace their Martial Ranged Weapons
existing listings of properties with the new text in
Shuriken
the table. Weapons not listed retain their existing
properties. Also called throwing stars, these small flat pieces of
metal have sharp edges and a variable number of
New Weapon Properties Table
Weapon New Properties Listing symmetrical points.
Listing
Flail Ensnaring (1d4) Damage: 1d4 piercing
Lance Guarded, special Properties: Finesse, light, thrown (20/60), special
Rapier Finesse, guarded
Scimitar Finesse, guarded, light Cost: 5 cp
Sickle Ensnaring (1), light Weight: ¼ lb.
Trident Ensnaring (1d4), thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)
War pick Ensnaring (1d4) Special: Normally, a single shuriken does not
Whip Finesse, ensnaring (1), reach require ammunition, but if you have a shuriken
In addition, longswords and shortswords can be pack (see Ammunition, below), you can throw as
purchased with the guarded property as well, by many shuriken as your abilities allow, or even
adding an additional 15 gp to their purchase price. multiple shuriken at once to inflict increased
Morningstars can be purchased with the ensnaring damage, as detailed under the shuriken pack
(1d4) property by adding 5 gp to their purchase description.
price.
Samurai Weapons
Martial Melee Weapons
Many of the traditional weapons a samurai is expected to Fighting Fan
carry are best expressed as ancestral versions of weapons Disguised as a mere courtier’s fan, this weapon has
already appearing in the D&D rules. The following table
a metal frame and spines ending in razor-sharp
shows which existing weapons have an ancestral version
which is among the preferred weapons of a samurai. points. In addition to the utility of its disguise, it can
be distracting in close range conflict.
Ancestral Weapons Table Damage: 1d4 slashing
Weapon Existing Added Increased
Properties: Finesse, light, special
Name Weapon Quality Purchase Price
Katana Longsword Ancestral 100 gp Cost: 30 gp
Katate-uchi Shortsword Ancestral 75 gp Weight: 1 lb.
Nagamaki Glaive Ancestral 125 gp Special: If a creature rolls to search you for hidden
No-dachi Greatsword Ancestral 175 gp
weapons and succeeds, it must make a second roll
Wakizashi Scimitar Ancestral 90 gp
at disadvantage, If the creature fails, it does not

New Weapons identify this fan as being a weapon. When you have
a fighting fan in one hand and a light or finesse
Simple Melee Weapons weapon in the other, you can use your bonus action
to distract your opponent with the fan, gaining
Razor Claw
advantage on the next attack you make with the
Four or five curved blades are attached to a glove, other weapon.
strap, or metal bar, allowing the wielder to place the Note: Any character proficient with the short sword
blades securely atop or between their knuckles. is also proficient with this weapon.
Various versions of this weapon exist, often with
Hook Sword
nicknames like “tiger claws” or “bear claws.”
Damage: 1d4 slashing The blade of this short sword curves into a hook at
the end, and a sharp metal crescent guards the
Properties: Finesse, light, special
wielder’s hand. These weapons are made in pairs,
Cost: 3 gp
intended to be wielded together.

162
Damage: 1d6 slashing
Properties: Ensnaring (1d4), finesse, light, special
Other New Equipment
Cost: 25 gp Ammunition
Weight: 3 lbs. Shuriken Pack
Special: When you have a hook sword in each hand, Cost: 5 gp
you can use your bonus action to attach them to
Weight: 5 lbs.
each other by their hooks, effectively holding both
This a pack filled with an indeterminate number of
swords in this same hand as one weapon. When you
shuriken that acts as ammunition for throwing
use the weapon in this way, it gains the reach and
multiple shuriken at once. It can be purchased
heavy properties, and loses the light property.
anywhere you can purchase arrows or darts. As long
Kusari-Gama as you have a shuriken pack, you can throw
This weapon is actually two weapons—the first a shuriken as many times as you like, and you do not
large sickle, the second a weighted metal ball or track your use of ammunition except as described
club—linked together by a long chain of here or in certain class features. It is assumed you
approximately 10 feet. quickly recover the majority of your thrown shuriken
Damage: 1d10 (special) immediately after any battle. A medium creature can
only carry one usable shuriken pack at a time.
Properties: Ensnaring (1d6), finesse, heavy, reach,
When you have a shuriken pack, you can always
two-handed, special
throw a single shuriken, using the information in
Cost: 15 gp
the Shuriken weapon description, above. However, if
Weight: 4 lbs.
you are proficient with shuriken, you can also use
Special: When the wielder inflicts damage with this your pack to throw multiple shuriken at once, in
weapon, they choose whether it is bludgeoning or what is called a shuriken volley. When you choose
slashing. this option, the shuriken volley counts as a single
Nunchaku weapon attack, and you inflict a total of1d8 piercing
This is a small flail made up of two wooden or metal damage (instead of the normal 1d4 for throwing a
clubs linked by a short length of chain or rope. single shuriken). You must have a free hand and an
equipped shuriken pack to make this attack. You
Damage: 1d6 bludgeoning
can apply poison to this attack beforehand, the
Properties: Finesse, light, special
same way you apply it to a single weapon.
Cost: 5 gp
However, when you make an attack
Weight: 2 lbs. roll to throw a shuriken volley, you
Special: The nunchaku is a monk weapon (as throw so many so quickly at once that
defined in the monk’s class features). there is a danger you could burn
Note: Any character proficient with the short sword through your entire pack, The first
is also proficient with this weapon. time you roll a 1 on your attack roll
Sectioned Staff with a shuriken volley, your shuriken
pack gains the deficient quality.
This weapon is the length of a larger
polearm, but it is a kind of flail
weapon that consists of two or three
shorter staffs linked to each other by a
cord or metal rings. The staffs can be
made of metal or wood. Some martial
artists are skilled enough to wield a
version of this weapon with even more
sections, with some monks using as
many as seven.
Damage: 1d10 bludgeoning
Cost: 15 gp
Weight: 5 lbs.
Properties: Finesse, reach, two-
handed, ensnaring (1d6)

163
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This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of
the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with
permission under the Community Content Agreement for
Dungeon Masters Guild.
All other original material in this work is copyright 2016 by
Jeremy Forbing and published under the Community Content
Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild
Cover art by NeocoreGames (NeocoreGames) [CC BY-SA 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via
Wikimedia Commons
Most black and white art comes via Sine Nomine Publishing,
who rendered a great service to small publishers everywhere
by releasing all the art paid for by the kickstarters for their
games Scarlet Heroes, Silent Legions, Spears of the Dawn,
and The House of Bone and Amber into the public domain as
a free resource. If you appreciate publishers who take the
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Belenus symbol based on art from obsidiandawn.com
Classic Horror Monsters art (Reanimated) from Publisher' s
Choice Quality Stock Art (C) Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games
Some artwork (Dusk Elf) © 2015 Eric Lofgren, used with
Also from author Jeremy Forbing:
permission. All rights reserved. Al-Qadim Archetypes: Scimitars
Some Metaphysician artwork from JEShields. JEStockArt.com Against the Dark
Savant art by Rob Torno © 2011 This PDF presents six new Forgotten Realms
Spearwielding Ninja/Shinobi art by Rian Trost subclasses as well as new spells, new
Other art from the public domain, or as provided by Wizards
of the Coast for DM' s Guild use with permission. monsters for a wide range of challenge
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the ratings, a new variant race and more,
dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s centered around the southern region of
Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, Zakhara, home of the Al-Qadim old-school
and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA D&D campaign setting. More than just rules,
and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property
of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of
it includes roleplaying descriptions for each
the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the subclass, expanded setting material, and
material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written conversion suggestions to use these
permission of Wizards of the Coast. archetypes in any setting you wish. From
©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. fighters raised in a sworn brotherhood of
Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH.
Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge,
soldiers and rangers born to sail the seven
Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. seas, to scholarly rogues who raid forbidden
tombs armed with a distinctive weapon and
wizards who slowly trade away their sanity for
eldritch might, these archetypes are adapted
from RPG legend Wolfgang Baur’s classic
article “Campaign Journal: Scimitars Against
the Dark” and the original Al-Qadim: Arabian
Adventures book. this lengthy (~30 pages)
document contains everything you need to
role-play these new character options to the
hilt, and join the fight against the ancient
evils that threaten the Land of Fate!
Price: $1.40 Length: 32 pages + cover
Download from the DM’s Guild website at:
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Archetypes-Scimitars-Against-the-Dark