The Homebrew A Sci-FI D&D 5e Actual Play Podcast
Valory Goodwin’s Book of Heart is a collection of good, pure, and optimistic options for players that expands on the D&D core rulebooks and supplements. 10% of all profits will be donated directly to Doctors Without Borders for their continued good outside of the fantasy world.
This sourcebook provides a glance at what may be contained within the Book of Exalted Deeds including Virtuous Pursuits, subclasses for every class, optional feats, and magic items. Each subclass in the book is commented on by Valory herself highlighting their pure good!
Winner: cdmarshall18
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The Homebrew is a Dungeons and Dragons actual play podcast that takes their game into the future. Filled with veteran Dungeons & Dragons players who love phenomenal stories, endearing characters, and a good adventure. They are currently engaged in a slightly re-imagined 5th Edition Sci-Fi campaign called “Absurdism & A Millennium Abroad"
Homebrew Crew! Thanks for joining us. I’ve given a short introduction, but can you delve a little deeper and tell us a little bit about yourselves?
What is your most memorable D&D moment?
Do you have any moments where you failed as a DM/Player?
Can you tell us about The Homebrew Podcast and how it came to be?
Can you walk us through the process of development?
What kind of challenges did run into when developing a Sci-Fi themed 5e game?
How did you overcome those challenges?
What makes The Homebrew different from other actual play podcasts?
Do you allow followers to help shape the way the story goes?
What was/is your favorite part of creating The Homebrew?
Do you have a favorite resource that you use when DMing or as Player?
For anyone out there looking to start an actual play podcast, what advice would you give them?
Any new secret projects coming up that you can give the listeners a little taste of?
Capes & Crooks a 5e Superhero RPG playtest streams bi-weekly on Fridays. This is our upcoming Kickstarter Project. To sign up for notifications on this project visit our website!
Character Concept: To be Provided by Guests
Monster Variant:
Frost Queen
Origin: Adult White Dragon
Lost Features: Frightful Presence. Cold Breath, blindsight, tail attack, claw, bite wing attack. Becomes Large Size (down from Huge)
New Features:
Chilling Presence. Frost freezes everything within 100 feet of her. After 3 rounds, nonmagical fires up to the size of a campari are quenched. Water freezes within 1 minute. Spells that protect against cold are subjected to an immediate dispel magic (at a +9 spellcasting ability) when within 100 feet of Frost.
Bloodied Nova. When Frost’s hit points are reduced to less than half, it can immediately use its frigid nova feature regardless if it has the legendary actions necessary to do so.
Conjured Ice Lance. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +13 to hit, reach 10 feet. Or ranged 60/90 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 +6) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) cold damage.
Chilling Blast. (Recharge 5-6). Frost releases a blast of frigid air in a 90-foot line that is 10 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) cold damage and 33 (6d10) piercing on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Legendary Actions:
The Frost Queen can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Frost Queen regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. Frost makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Conjured Ice Lance. Frost makes a conjured ice lance attack.
Frigid Nova (Costs 2 Actions). Frost releases a swirling burst of icy wind. Each creature within 10 feet of frost must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or take 13 (2d6 +6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. Frost can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Encounter:
The Shattered Tundra
The characters are hired to seek out Lavinia Brushgather, a spy hafling. She stumbled onto some important information that your benefactor seeks. Your benefactor had hired her to gain knowledge, but she never returned. Instead she went into hiding. Your benefactor’s contacts believe she is hidden in the shattered tundra.
The Shattered Tundra is a maze of shifting sheets of ice and glaciers. While mostly abandoned, there are a few frozen islands with tribes of frost landers (use berserker statblock). The frost landers are a primitive and brutal bunch. Much like the tundra they inhabit, the frost landers are people of strength and culture. They worship their deity, the Frost Queen. A powerful creature that calls the area home. The inhabitants can often be found hunting whales, seals and walruses in the frigid waters. Choosing to live a simple life.
The small inhabited islands are surrounded by a massive thick continent of ice and stone. The area was torn asunder a millennia ago, leaving the area shattered, cracked and broken. Massive splits create a massive labyrinth surrounding and protecting the frost landers from intruders. Only those with guides from the frost lander tribes can easily navigate the complex icy maze. Without a guide, the characters must make their way through the deadly environment.
This encounter is a skill challenge that requires 5 successful skill checks, before gaining 3 failures.
If the party fails, they gain 1 level of exhaustion, and must endure the maze of ice once again. As a Game Master you can choose to include monster encounters here as well. Such as, yeti, polar bear or oozes.
Once they pass the challenge they will then need to convince the frost landers to allow them inside their town. This requires a successful DC 16 Persuasion or Deception check. If a character has the background feature: False Identity. The character can forge a fake identity connecting them to the frost landers and allowing entry.
Once they meet with Lavinia Brushgather, they learn that their benefactor has been secretly blackmailing powerful noble men and women to ensure their political rise in their local government.This includes the murder of innocence. The piece of information she gathered, was of course blackmail material. But when she learned he threatened young triplets, she fled with the information and all of the character's benefactors leverage.
Magic Item:
Cold Snap
Weapon (whip), very rare (requires attunement)
Once you attune to this weapon, its once frigid handle feels warm and welcoming to your touch.
When you hit with an attack using this magic item the target takes an extra 1d6 cold damage.
This frigid whip contains 1d4 +1 charges. When you hit a creature that is not immune to cold damage with this weapon, you can expend a charge to inflict a biting chill, causing the creature to make a DC16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target is restrained until the start of your next turn. On a success, its speed is halved instead.
This item regains 1d4 expended charges at dawn.
Dungeon Master Tip:
Change up the Setting Genre
As you can tell, while it does come with its challenges. Don’t be afraid to dip your toes into other genre settings outside fantasy. While developing your own creations may take much more work, it is very doable in the 5e ruleset. A firebolt can easily become a laser gun if you just change the damage type to radiant for example. Futuristic hacking can easily be a reflavored thieves tools check. Looking for an alien race as the main villians for a level 1 introductory campaign? Nothing fits the bill for little green aliens than goblins. Need rules for floating in space? Take a look at the Astral Plane for mechanical details. Maybe you want a survival horror style game to take place on a ship, much like our favorite Alien movie. Toss a reflavored ankheg with its acid spray and some intellect devourers against a group of level 1 players and you got yourself a terrifying adventure. All of which takes place on a single space station.
Simple adjustments to descriptions can allow you to easily reflavor the versatile 5e mechanics to take your game to the stars.
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick
Seperate the Enemy
In unity there is strength, and this applies to your enemies as much as to yourselves. In many instances, a group of monsters is more than a match for your party, although each individual monster is relatively weak. In such a case, one good tactic is to separate the enemy, drawing them out so you can engage them individually or in small groups. What are some good ways to separate enemies?
For years the town of Brightbank has held an annual tournament open to the bravest and the brightest. The premise was simple: enter the dungeon and emerge with the most Chips of Valor at the greatest speed. The winners would be granted magical items as well as a bounty of gold. There is a chance of death and a guarantee of danger. Does your party have what it takes to become Superiors?
Winner: memnis88
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Closing: Please join us on our next episode. We will discuss Monster Tactics! Hags with special guest Anthony Thomas. Creator of the popular Sages of the Forgotten Realms Community.
If you enjoy the show and want to support us, visit us at www.critacademy.com. Follow us on social media, and leave us a review.
I am your host Justin and I am your guest(name). Thanks for listening.
Keep your blades sharp and spells prepared heroes!
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