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Writer's pictureJustin Handlin

World Anvil: RPG Campaign Manager




World Anvil is a website www.worldanvil.com founded in October of 201. It is a place where authors, table-top RPG game masters, players and hobbyists can develop, maintain, and display their worlds and creations.


World anvil is essentially a very pretty wiki page for roleplaying campaigns. It is worth noting we’re only looking at the free aspect, it does come with its own premium service which does away with ads and gives some additional features.


First thing we want to note, is the simplistic navigation, just looking at the buttons really sparks the creative juices. What’s cool is that even if you’re stuck, the templates give you some insight to the kind of content each area would have, this is really great for those writer block moments, or when you just want to toss something generic in as filler, and flesh it out later.


We should point out, that as far as we can tell, the products contain many RPG’s SRD documents, which are basically, the open-content that anyone can use in a given setting.


All the players in your game can share their own little files with lore, backstory, images, and more details. What a great way to allow everyone to collaborate. I can totally see the DM giving the players a page to write and flesh out of their own hometown, and even the nearby area.


World Anvils character creation section basically becomes a social media platform where the characters can interact, share stories IN CHARACTER with each other, away from the table.


All in all, it seems like an amazing product. I can’t wait to spend more time on it.


Cons:

Would like to see a built-in chartographer or some such program, it is called WORLD Anvil afterall, but this is minor. Secondly, there is a limit of two settings on the free version, i can see this being an issue with some people, but hey, go buy the premium if you're already filled with two completed worlds.


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Character Concept:

Name: Branden Beekman

The Birdbarian character concept

Concept: flightless Aaracokra

Squawknak the Birdbarian was kicked from the nest while still a fledgling by his father, in what he can only believe to be because of a prophecy given to his father that one-day Squawknak would rise up and kill him. Castaway, Squawnak left his home on foot to become stronger so that one day he could return and take vengeance upon his father.

In reality, his father was trying to teach him to fly and Squawknak is just hot-tempered and dumb. As such, he never learned to fly and gets embarrassed and angry anytime someone mentions him flying. He also gets super defensive about it and will make up excuses as to why he can’t fly at that moment (I.e. the winds not right, he pulled a muscle in his wing, ...etc).


During the night while in his turn for watch, when everyone is asleep he climbs the nearest tree and leaps from the highest branch in an attempt to fly for one day he will learn and then he will become the greatest Birdbarian ever.



Monster Variant:

Bloodworm Zombie

Origin: Ogre Zombie


The simple nature of zombies make them easy pickings bloodworms. The only clue to the presence of these parasitic creatures and the disgusting hidden truth is the visible movement of lumps filling the zombie’s body. By taking up residence inside the corpse of a zombie, bloodworms can spring an ambush, exploding from the corpse to devour any unsuspecting creatures.


Lore:

DC 13 Investigation check reveals the moving lumps under the skin of the zombie as some sort of living creature.


DC 16 Religion/Arcana check reveals the true horror, that the zombie is infected by bloodworms. Creatures that violently burst free to ambush a creature when its host dies.


New Features:

Death Burst: When the zombie dies, it explodes releasing a burst of blood-sucking worms. Each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10(3d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.


Swarm of Bloodworms:

Origin: Swarm of Poisonous Snakes

New Features:

Devour Blood: The swarm deals half its normal damage with its bites. When it hits a creature with its bite attack, it gains hit points equal to the damage it dealt. This effect has no effect on undead or constructs.


Encounter:

Chest Goblin

Patron Charles Koontz

I read this in a book. It’s so evil and awesome.

With a scream, a dagger-wielding goblin was thrown out of the chest; a spring-loaded trap door on the bottom had concealed his hiding place. He impacted the standing human, his weight bringing them both to the ground. The adventurer took a half dozen stabs to the abdomen before the others - who seemed to be in shock - tried to attack the Goblin. Not sticking around to die, the Goblin jumped back into the large chest and slammed the lid shut, slipping into a tunnel underneath and sliding away down an incline. Even if a human found the tunnel under a chest like this, they couldn’t follow.


Magic Item:

Point Blank Bow

The design of this recurve hunter’s bow has tangled vines embossed up and down its length. At the command of its user the vines come to life and defend the wielder, as such, they need not fear wading into the melee.

Weapon(shortbow), rare (requires attunement)

While attuned to this weapon, you have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. As a bonus action you can speak the bow’s command word, until the end of your turn, if you make a ranged weapon attack with this bow, you do not have a disadvantage if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn’t incapacitated.


Dungeon Master Tip:

Simultaneous Effects

Most effects in the game happen in succession, following an order set by the rules or the DM. In rare cases, effects can happen at the same time, especially at the start or end of a creature’s turn. If two or more things happen at the same time on a character or monster's turn, the person at the game table—whether player or DM—who controls that creature decides the order in which those things happen. For example, if two effects occur at the end of a player character’s turn, the player decides which of the two effects happens first.

-Xanathar’s Guide to Everything


Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick

Guilty Pleasure

There are few things that can prevent adventurers from venturing out and saving the day and capturing rare and magical treasures. With the small exception that most adventurers can be enticed away from a set path to their goal...with the exception of that single compulsion, that guilty pleasure. That irresistible need to be satisfy and itch.


Guilty pleasures come in a variety of styles, often times, it’s a bottle of booze, or a whorehouse. While there is nothing wrong with these troupes, get clever with them.


Maybe the bard will stop what he is doing for an opportunity to deflate the ego of some egotistical schmuck.


Rogues traditionally have a guilty pleasure tied to sticky fingers, instead maybe, instead, they have the urge to frame some douche of a noble...just for fun.


The cleric may have a thing for love making, but first thing in the morning, they have to spend time praying and asking for forgiveness.


Gambling is a pretty common troupe as well, make it to the point that it becomes inconvenient.( in a knight's tale)



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