We discuss race stats and features and what classes get the most bang for the buck.
We have been doing the show for over two years, and some how, we have missed covering the races in the book. So we decided to make a new episode 0. One that showcases the show's newest format as well as the improvements we've made over the years.
Follow us on https://www.twitch.tv/critacademy and join us live on Sundays at 7pm est.
Show Notes:
Hello and welcome Heroes to the “Crit Academy!” I am your host Justin and I’m your guest(name). This D&D podcast was created to provide you, our Heroes, with new and reusable material for both, players and DMs. We hope to inspire you with creative content that you can bring with you on your next adventure. Our show may not be suitable for young children, but neither are our D&D games.
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Today’s Highlights:
Segment 1: In the Realm: (Where we discuss anything of interest going on in our personal lives.)
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Segment 2: Crit Nation Feedback: Let’s talk about Blank! (Answer questions!)
Bret Thompson
Leveling characters based on the player’s ability to manage their character sheet. The Gary said “never let a player level up, if they don’t understand their character sheet.” Obviously all the players at the table will get a handle on their sheet at different times. When the whole team has it they level up. Designing encounters to make all the players use all their shit...if players wonder why its taking so long, give inspiration/reflavor abilities ect.
Segment 3: Main Topic:
DWARF
Features of Note:
Con + 2
Darkvision
Dwarven Resilience
Dwarven Combat Training
Tool Proficiency
Stonecunning - Does this really come into play?
Sub Races:
Hill - Wis increase, Toughness - hit point increase
Mountain: strength increase OMG +2? And +2 Con? Damn! Proficiency with light/medium armor
ELVES:
Features of Note:
Dex + 2
Age - can live to over 700 years. Experiences many world changes
Darkvision
Keen Senses - Prof in Perception, great bonus, powerful skill
Fey ancestry, advantage on saves against charm and can’t be magically put to sleep? YES PLEASE!
Sub Races:
High - Int bonus +1 and prof with short/longswords and bows
Free cantrip! - This is an amazing feature - minor illusion and prestidigitation are fantastic options, especially if you’re a non caster.
Wood Elf - Wis increase +1 prof with short/longswords and bows
Fleet of foot: increased base move speed
Mask of the Wild: Hide in lightly obscured areas, FANTASTIC
Drow - Cha increase +1, extended darkvision
Sunlight sensitivity...fuck.
Drow magic...dancing lights, faerie fire and darkness.
Proficiency with rapiers, short swords, hand crossbows
HALFLING
Dex +2
Lucky. Reroll 1’s? FUCK YEAH!
Nimbleness: move through spaces of any creature that is larger than you. Awesome for escapes.
Sub Races:
Lightfoot- Increase Cha +1
Hide behind bigger creatures..yes please.
Stout: - Con increase
Resilience- advantage against poison saves and resistances to poison damage.
HUMANS:
+1 to all states or variant + 1 to two stats and a feat
DRAGONBORN:
Str +2
Draconic Ancestry - heritage and flavor: effects breath weapon type and resistance
Dragon breath - can be used while wild shaped or raging, as well as works inside of anti magic fields, since it's not magic.
GNOME:
+2 int score
Darkvision
Gnome cunning. Advantage on all int, wis and char saving throws against magic(this is fantastic)
Subrace:
Forest: +1 to dex
Illusionist, gives minor illusion cantrip(amazing tool)
Speak with small beasts, great for reconnaissance
Rock: +1 Con
Artificer’s lore, expertise when recalling knowledge about artificer stuff.
Tinker - prof with tinker tools create 10 gp worth of material to make tiny device - great con man sells, before it breaks.
Clockwork toy, fire starter, music box(you can get creative with these.
HALF-ELF
+2 cha and +1 to two different stats - amazing for getting extra modifiers!
Darkvision
Fey Ancestry
Versatility, two skills of choice
Half ORC
+2 str and +1 to con - fantastic for melee builds
Darkvision
Menacing - prof in intimidation
Relentless Endurance - once a day… avoid going unconscious, great feature
Savage attacks- extra damage on a crit? Yes please!
TIEFLING
+1 to int and +2 to cha
Darkvision
Hellish resistance
Infernal Legacy - thaumaturgy and hellish rebuke and darkness
Sponsor: Loresmyth
Winner: choose winner from twitch audience
Segment 4: Unearthed Tips and Tricks! (We give you creative content for your next adventure)
Character Concept:
Arjade/Game Masters Stash
Gnomish Blackguard
The worship of gnomish god Nisse saw the ancestors of the Gnomish clans safely to their afterlife for many millennia. Nisse teaches respect for elders and to gain wisdom from the past. For many Paladins of Nisse, this is entirely respectful and acceptable practice. But for some few who find their ancestors or orders corrupted, following such traditions is a little harder to bear.
300 years ago a chapel of Nisse in the mountains of lost souls was slowly infiltrated by dark and corrupting spirits of the demon realm. The head of the order was corrupted and slowly sought about corrupting other members of the clerical elite. They began to manipulate the paladins into morally grey positions and forcing them to choose between the lesser of two evils. It was only once they had crossed the line into the dark of evil influences that the truth of the treachery came out. The paladins had fallen from their path of good and hour and were forced to slaughter the evil clerics of their order.
Now they ride the land, searching redemptions and vengeance. Some seek to atone for their wrongs, whilst others seek to take a more violent path to absolution by murder the creatures who corrupted them.
Monster Variant:
Trapdoor Spider: Comes from Charles K and his friend Christian M.
These creatures are able to build and shape their bodies to look like various objects. While traditionally they construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, plants and their webbing, they’ve adapted over the years to incorporate objects they’ve found used by their favorite prey, humanoids. These could be crates, chests, barrels, etc.
Origin - Giant Spider
New Features:
Burrow speed of 20 feet.
False Appearance. While spider remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object.
Grappler. The spider has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.
Encounter:
The Carrion Climb
This encounter takes place in any area thats dark and preferably a mine shaft or large ravine the PCs have to climb down. This is an especially interesting combat scenario as the party must hold onto and climb down or up a rope while engaged with a Carrion Crawler. These bastards have spider climb and climbing speed of 30 ft. Making them often much faster than a PC climbing up and down the rope or ladder. And, to top it it off, their tentacle attack can poison the party, causing paralysis. Potentially leading to a character falling during the climb.
Likewise, you could toss some Giant spiders in there for the webbing feature and really lock down the PCs.
Magic Item:
Blood Cut Armor
Armor(leather), uncommon
This armor has a crimson tinge that flares with a blood red aura when activated.
While wearing this armor, if your total number of hit points is brought down to less than half your hit point maximum you can use a bonus action to speak the command word, if you do, you lose one Hit Die and gain a +2 bonus to your armor class for up to one minute.
Once this special action is used, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Dungeon Master Tip:
Crafting: Maps! Ryan Delp.
My players will be presented with a map of a new world that they purchased from a cartographer in a dwarven city of Dol’Margath
Printed in grayscale on standard printer paper, painted with strong cooled coffee, and baked at 220 degrees F for 10 minutes. Then a follow up of coffee grounds directly on the map, add water and mix/spread to make a paste that covers the whole sheet. Bake again for 15 minutes at 220F, then check for dryness.
Should feel stiff with the grounds being easily brushed away. Now gently crumble, and roll. I did a map roll and bound it with twine to present to the group.
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick
Flavor your Pact Weapons
Making a pact weapons or even a hexblade can be a lot of fun. Flavoring it to fit your patron gives it that extra unique touch.
Examples:
If you choose an Archfey such as Queen of Air and Darkness: Your weapon may have blade made of a swirling black wind with a hilt with intricate leaves carved into it.
Or if you pick the frost prince: Your weapon is formed from jagged white and blue ice with wisps of fog constantly rolling off it.
A Fiend such as the archdevil Asmodeus. The weapon appears to be made of a collection intertwined bones with the blade being a giant devil's claw or maybe a mace head that's the skull of a barbed devil.
A Great old one: Cthulhu, your weapon could be covered in barnacles, with slimy twisting tentacles dangling from it, dripping water the enter time its in use. Maybe even the smell of the ocean fills the air.
Sponsor: Jeff Stevens
Winner: Toyotatrucker15
Closing: Please join us on our next episode where we hear feedback from you our Heroes.
If you have any feedback, unearthed tips and tricks or topics you would like us to discuss, please send them to us. You can email them to us at critacademy@gmail.com or find us on twitter and facebook @critacademy.
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