Table of
Contents
Ch.1: Races of Vernestus, 2
- Bot.....................................................................3
- Chrone.................................................4
- Ibakyubakog.......................................5
- Steamcore...........................................5
- Cragfar.............................................................6
- Gem......................................................7
- Nomad..................................................7
- Dragonborn....................................................8
- Dwarf................................................................9
- Elf......................................................................10
- Genasi..............................................................11
- Gnome.............................................................12
- Halfling............................................................13
- Human.............................................................14
- Kenku...............................................................15
- Koven...............................................................16
- Orc....................................................................18
- Sundrian..........................................................19
- Tiefling.............................................................21
- Triton...............................................................22
- Undergolem...................................................23
Page numbers beyond this point mean NOTHING
Ch.2: Class Options, 25
- Subclasses......................................................43
- College of the Homefront (Bard)....43
- Automaton Domain (Cleric)............44
- Way of Hulking Earth (Monk).........45
- Sniper Conclave (Ranger)...............46
- Desperado (Rogue)...........................47
- Fragment Origin (Sorcerer)............48
- The Giga (Warlock)...........................49
- School of Slinging (Wizard)............50
- Guerrilla..........................................................36
- Avenger Form....................................40
- Rigger Form.......................................40
- Voodoo Form......................................41
- Optional Class Changes...............................52
- Spells................................................................52
Ch.3: Backgrounds, 56
- Inventor............................................................56
- Luddite.............................................................57
Ch.4: Equipment, 58
- Industrial Weapons......................................59
- Dune Vehicles................................................60
- Common Magic Items.................................60
Ch.5: Customization Options, 63
- Multiclassing.................................................63
- Feats................................................................63
- Racial Feats...................................................65
Ch.6: Adventures in Vernestus, WIP
- Planes of Existence
- Resting Difficulties
- Diseases
- Gods of the Universe
Chapter 1: Races of Vernestus
Of a land forged with machines and covered in and endless sea of sand, the Crown of Vernestus is a kingdom occupied by unique and exotic inhabitants. Some of these races may be found outside the realm of Vernestus and across the multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons, but are quite at home within the Crown. Rich cultures of a multitude of races from the present and past toil across the land. As a player character, you get the chance to embody a member of these peoples. See chapter 2 of the Player's Handbook and chapter 2 of Volo's Guide to Monsters for more race options when you are creating a character. This chapter also provides details about the races found in those books in regards to their unique roles in Vernestus.
If you're a player, consult with your DM before using any of the newly introduced races found in this chapter, especially if you are playing in a setting other than Vernestus. These races may not be present in all worlds, and a DM ultimately has creative control over the races that exist in their setting. It takes a significant amount of effort to incorporate a rich backstory and history of a race into a preexisting campaign. Your DM may allow you to use one of these races or they may modify it in some way.
The following races are detailed in this chapter:
- Bots are constructed creatures dating back to before the creation of Vernestus. Certain tinkerers have been able to create their own bots to do their bidding.
- Cragfar are a race of warmongers originating from the Plane of Earth. They have the ability to meld their feet with stone and walk along cliffs.
- Dragonborn are mighty travelers from the Plane of Air. They are popular among the people of Vernestus for their oddities and mercantilism.
- Dwarves are hardy, pragmatic folk that value their clan's name above all else. The largest businesses in Vernestus are run by competing clans of dwarves.
- Elves are exotic creatures from the Fey Reflection. Although they rarely settle in Vernestus, elves influence the Material Plane from their eternal thrones.
- Genasi are denizens of the elemental planes. Genasi use their elemental powers to reshape the deserts of Vernestus to suit their needs.
- Gnomes are the shortest people of Vernestus. What they lack in physique they make up for with intellect. Rock gnomes paved the way for the rise of technology, coinciding with the start of the Second Era of Vernestus.
- Halflings are happy go lucky valley dwellers that are notoriously lucky. They have a natural predilection for astrology and despise the rise of technology.
- Humans are indigenous to Vernestus and have lived in the area for centuries. They form close connections with the spirits of the land.
- Kenku are wily birdfolk from the Plane of Air. Kenku are known for their cunning, skillfulness, and loyalty. They can be found trolling about city centers or Vernestus' deep overgrowth.
- Kovenesses are caprine witches created by the wiles of mortals. They torment all who may pass through their domain.
- Orcs came from a faraway land when Vernestus' ocean turned to desert. Orcs commonly sell themselves as mercenaries in order to make a living, as they are well suited for combat.
- Sundrians are desert dwelling cactusfolk with a bad reputation of piracy. Sundrians have a wide array of adaptations that let them overcome the harsh desert environment.
- Tieflings are nefarious nomads from throughout the Planes. Unaccustomed to the Crown, tieflings traveling throughout Vernestus are often up to no good.
- Tritons are somber natives of the Plane of Water. Plagued by a demon of undeath, tritons are forever in the gloom of its dominion.
- Undergolems are natives of the Plane of Earth who live solitary lives underground. The most important part of an undergolem's life is learning of their duty.
Height and Weight
You may roll for your character's height and weight on the Random Height and Weight table for any races that are introduced in this chapter. The roll in the Height Modifier column adds a number (in inches) to the character's base height. To get a weight, multiply the number you rolled for height by the roll in the Weight Modifier column and add the result (in pounds) to the base weight.
Random Height and Weight
| Race | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bot, chrone | 5'4" | +1d8 | 105 lb. | x (2d4) lb. |
| Bot, ibakyubakog | 3'8" | +2d4 | 100 lb. | x (1d4) lb. |
| Bot, steamcore | 5'8" | +1d12 | 340 lb. | x (1d4) lb. |
| Cragfar, gem | 4'8" | +2d4 | 160 lb. | x (1d8) lb. |
| Cragfar, nomad | 4'8" | +2d4 | 140 lb. | x (1d8) lb. |
| Koven | 2'10" | +2d8 | 35 lb. | x 1 lb. |
| Sundrian | 4'8" | +2d10 | 110 lb. | x (2d4) lb. |
| Undergolem | 7'6" | +2d6 | 750 lb. | x (2d6) lb. |
Bot
"Ready! Aim! F—"
Bang!
"I got 'im, cap'n."
—Killbot, Powderkeg Lake
Bots are creatures unlike any others present in Vernestus. They are constructs with the sentience of any organic race, but have the benefit of lacking squishy organs and breakable bones. Bots can be anything ranging from renowned poets to fearsome warriors, effectively able to do anything any other race can, and sometimes better. Although bots aren't alive in the literal sense, they possess free will and ambition, and just maybe have souls of their own.
Mutiny of Metal
The introduction of bots to Vernestus has forever changed the country's social make-up and politics. Bots are able to perform certain tasks better than others because they can work without rest and without valuable food and fresh water. One tricksy gnome took advantage of this fact and has forever left his mark on history.
Tom Gillycrest, a rock gnome, was known for being the inventor of the firearm. Shunned by luddite forest gnomes, the idea of power granted by firearms became popular among the rock gnomes, and word spread like wildfire. In time, nearly every rock gnome was tinkering with firearms, and it wasn't long before they sent each and every luddite forest gnome running for the hills. Gillycrest was pleased with his success, and his mind became corrupted with delusions of grandeur. He set to work, and after many years of hard work, the first prototype steamcores were built.
The decades that followed became known as the Gnomish War of Establishment, as steamcores were mass produced by rock gnomes and they asserted their dominance over the other races that paid them little attention before. The steamcores easily trampled over the fleshy races, and gnomes were finally given a coveted seat on the world stage.
Before the War
Of course, Tom Gillycrest had to come up with the idea of the steamcore from somewhere. He based his inventions off of the bots that already existed in Vernestus. First, there were the chrones; amicable clock-faced bots with a penchant for chitchat. Chrones, friendly as they are, often found themselves taking on leadership positions and were beloved by their followers. Secondly, there were the ibakyubakogs, childlike bots that used to be toys in a former life. Ibakyubakogs are formed from a number of blocky, geometrical structures, with vague analogues of a head, torso, limbs, and a face of sorts. No two ibakyubakogs look quite the same, even if they have the same fundamental shapes, due to differences in locations of joint attachments, extra structures orbiting their bodies, or color.
Wear and Tear
Bots are awakened golems created by skilled golemancers, or, in the case of steamcores, a mix of golemancy and tinkering. Because bots aren't made from flesh, they aren't constrained in their years like the fleshy races are. As long as a bot can find someone to repair them, they can effectively live forever. Another benefit to being a bot is that they can replace parts of themselves that are broken beyond repair. Indeed, bots can even replace parts of themselves for aesthetic purposes and customize their bodies to their liking.
Bot Names
Bots, unlike other races, don't possess typical families, and thus have unique naming structures. The way that a bot is named, or chooses a name, also depends on the type of bot.
Upon being constructed, chrones are aware enough to know their likes and dislikes, and begin developing ambitions and life goals. Infant chrones choose a name in line with their goals.
Ibakyubakogs that were passed down by an angel may have been given a name by their owner in the Celestial language. Constructed ibakyubakogs may also take a Celestial name, adopt a word or phrase resembling a certain virtue as their name, or use the name of a human deity.
steamcores may be given a nickname by their creator or by a companion. Their name reflects the reason why they were built or a particular accomplishments of theirs.
- Chrone Names: Copperleg, Finder, Firespell, Gooddoctor, Hunter, Ironsmith, Lightsout, Mindtrick, Noblejudge, Pickpocket, Punctuality, Smartwrite, Whitefaith
- Ibakyubakog Celestial Names: Aster, Azazel, Baro, Gul, Krahmiel, Laralim, Lazarus, Mazgzagel, Ophadim, Quiriel, Sarsazi, Seraph, Tohammanah, Vigil
- Ibakyubakog "Virtue" Names: Dissonance, Grace, Hearth and Home, Hymn, I Stand Among, Karma, Order, Piety, Prudence, Sunder, Tact, Tenacity, Utter the Truth
- Steamcore Nicknames: Altar, Arbiter, Banner, Bull, Cannon, Chief, Conqueror, Delta, Donkey, Flagship, Galley, Honcho, Mer, Mother, Packer, Pierce, Pulley, Quilt, Rebel, Reel, Rigger, Scout, Shaman, Snake, Steel, Thirteen, Trek, Treads, Trover, Viking
Bot Traits
With bodies vastly unlike those of other races, bots can come in a wild variety of shapes and forms. You do, however, have certain traits in common with all others of your kind.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Bots are constructed as adults, and do not age like other races. Bots can viably live forever with proper maintenance, but can live to be around 50 years without regular upkeep.
Alignment. Typically constructed for a purpose, bots tend to be lawfully aligned. Defected bots or those constructed for nefarious deeds may have different alignments, however.
Size. Bots come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes depending on their model. If you are a chrone or steamcore bot, your size is Medium. If you are an ibakyubakog bot, your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Construct Nature. You are immune to poison damage and you automatically succeed on saving throws against disease. Additionally, you do not need to breathe, eat, or drink, but you may do so if you wish.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Digit, the language of constructs.
Subrace. Depending on how you came into the world, you likely fall into one of three constructed subraces: chrones, ibakyubakogs, or steamcores. Choose one of these subraces.
Chrone
Chrones are one of several construct subraces dotting the Crown of Vernestus. Extroverted, hospitable, and happy-go-lucky, chrones make ideal companions, as they do officials, nobles, adventurers, and leaders. Like clockwork, chrones effortlessly chisel away at everyday tasks — work made easy with heritage drawing all the way back to quite literal cogs in a machine.
In an event that marked the beginning of the Second Era, also known as the Era of Constructs, large pieces of the Real God Machine were torn from its body and discarded into the Material Plane by the trickster god Lok. Where the pieces of the Machine fell, they mingled with the life found there, and produced the first chrones that possessed souls. To the present day, most chrones are devoutly religious towards the Real God Machine and protect these sites as holy grounds and as the ancestral land of their people.
Many chrones exhibit a runaway curiosity. They are quick to make friends so they can learn of others' family and talents. Chrones often have niche hobbies such as pigeon breeding, fern collecting, or training as mediums so they can sate their curiosity of the world.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Natural Administrator. You gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: History, Insight, Performance, and Persuasion.
Timekeeper. You always know the precise time of day on your current plane of existence.
Vigilant. When you would fall asleep, you remain aware of your surroundings. You appear inert but you aren't rendered unconscious.
Ibakyubakog
From a distance, they look more like a shambling form of shapes than people with rich personalities and a fondness of others. Ibakyubakogs are the discarded childhood toys of angels living within the Real God Machine. As their guardianship becomes unnecessary, they are let free into the Material Plane to find a life of their own and carve their own path through the sandy deserts within.
Now, they've established their own societies, mainly within the boggy swamps of Vernestus' interior. The ramshackle town of the Lost Toy Chest is where most ibakyubakogs call home; a strange place on the fringes of becoming a myth.
Ibakyubakogs have natural healing abilities. This makes them excellent caregivers, especially for tending to children, as although they are bots, they aren't very foreboding.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Celestial. You can speak, read, and write Celestial.
Holy Guardian. Your people were built as guardians, and as such you are equipped to deal with life threatening emergencies. As an action, you can summon a number of healing orbs equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1), which orbit around you. As a bonus action, you can channel the magic from an orb, causing a creature of your choice within 5 feet of you to regain 1d4 + 1 hit points. After channeling an orb, it is destroyed. Any unused orbs vanish after 1 minute. Your healing orbs have no effect on constructs or undead.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Youthful Link. You have advantage on any ability checks using Charisma to interact socially with humanoids that haven't reached maturity.
Steamcore
Flared with elegant gnomish motifs and armed with the mightiest of weapons, steamcores are well deserved of their namesake. Crafted by rock gnomes, the steamcores were essential in the gnomish power grab known as the War of Establishment. Since then, this synthetic race has reaped the benefits of gnomish ingenuity and have developed as a culture and society of their own. Bereft of their original soldier roles, many steamcores have become laborers or mercenaries to make a living.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Integrated Weapon. Choose a weapon that lacks the two-handed property. You are proficient with the weapon you choose, and it is integrated into either your left or right hand. You can use a bonus action on your turn to transform your hand into the weapon or the weapon back into your hand.
Steam Exhaust. As an action, you eject roiling steam from your body. Each creature within 10 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes fire damage equal to 2d4 + your level. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage.
Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Cragfar
Hum drum, hum drum —
This is how the cragfar run.
—Hanadi the Songstress, Children of the Desert
Hearty screams can be heard as droves of cragfar leap from atop mile high cliffs, plunging into battle from above. Hundreds of warriors open their makeshift wings and circle like vultures while hurling spears at the enemy below. Cragfar are a people imbued with the magic of elemental earth, making them naturally rugged and ready for war.
Elemental Natives
Cragfar originated in the Sheets of Tectonica – manifestations of the wealth of magic found on the elemental Plane of Earth. The Sheets of Tectonica are seemingly boundless vertical cliffs with a slew of dangers found nowhere else, but the most prevalent is the risk of falling. Nevertheless, cragfar are masterfully adapted to deal with these unusual conditions.
The main advantage that a cragfar possesses is their ability to glide along vertical surfaces made of stone, referred to as "stonewalking." Such an ability allows for a cragfar to treat a cliffside as solid ground, as long as they never detach their feet from the stone. In regards to falling, many cragfar adorn themselves with makeshift gliders fashioned out of rope and feathers. A skilled cragfar can maneuver their body back towards the cliff in time with the use of a glider to prevent any injuries.
Resources are sparse among the Sheets of Tectonica, forcing cragfar living there to use what little resources they do have sparingly. Objects such as the bones of the dead and inedible food parts are turned into clothing and tools. The Sheets of Tectonica are unable to support plant life, so cragfar must eat items such as fungi and insects as staples to survive.
Federated Enclaves
Cragfar civilization is organized into two levels, those being the enclave and the federation. Enclaves are equivalent in size to small towns, each having a specialization of their own, such as smithing, training mounts, clothing production, or holding administrative positions. Enclaves act as organs to a federation, the overarching tribe, drawing on the unique resources provided by each enclave. Banded together, federations hold a fearsome amount of power due to the efficiency of the system and the might of the cragfar.
Enclave Motif
As part of cragfar culture, individuals will adorn their bodies with dyes according to the style of their enclave. The particular designs depend on the history and specialty of the enclave. You can use the Enclave Motifs table to determine a motif for your cragfar character.
Motifs
| d8 | Enclave Motif |
|---|---|
| 1 | Charm. You are covered in simple, charming shapes painted in bright colors. |
| 2 | Conformity. You were raised among members of another race. Your markings relate to a foreign culture, if you have any markings at all. |
| 3 | Cunning. Your enclave emphasizes mental acuity. Your head is adorned in complex purple and pink markings to resemble your intellect. |
| 4 | Elegance. You have markings of shimmery silver or white lines and circles that lack any unnecessary complexity. |
| 5 | Glamour. You are covered in brightly colored, flashy markings that easily draw the attention of others. |
| 6 | Might. Streaked with war markings of black and red, your enclave focuses on martial superiority. |
| 7 | Obscurity. With dusky browns and sandy oranges, your enclave's markings are perfect for blending into your natural environment. |
| 8 | Tradition. You are adorned with traditional tribal markings and are covered in baubles made of feathers and bones. |
Cragfar Names
A cragfar has a name given to them at birth by their elders, typically containing unique and harsh sounding syllables. A cragfar also has an enclave name, which functions as a surname, and has some meaning in the Terran language. All cragfar of a given enclave share the same enclave name.
- Male Names: Aharaka, Jrort, Lithor, Maekra, Mortow, Omis, Oztu, Portrek, Qagar, Rubra, Scarazzi, Tok, Zedfarde, Zokkolo
- Female Names: Absihot, Daesik, Fenike, Gomisi, Kemo, Larken, Linekin, Mik’atao, Myrkett, Pinia, Quee, Volkiki, Zayas
- Enclave Names: Astilliakka (Starseer), Dyawajak (Strongleader), Errifinj’wan (Wayfarer), Liarrayan (Proudwarrior), Nana'u'ryxal (Scorpionrider), Ryanar (Gemscout), Xr’akul (Spearmaster)
Cragfar Traits
Your cragfar character has intrinsic abilities that allow them to live in barren, rocky enclaves.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Age. A cragfar reaches physical maturity around the age of 40, and the eldest of cragfar can live to be 400 years old.
Alignment. Due to the hierarchical structure of cragfar society, cragfar are almost always lawful. Discipline and obedience are core values instilled in cragfar as infants and maintained as tenets in the military and elsewhere.
Size. Cragfar typically stand slightly taller than 5 feet, rivaling the height of dwarves. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Stonewalk. You can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and ceilings made of stone while leaving your hands free. The bottoms of your feet must be exposed to use this ability.
Sturdy. As a reaction to being forcibly moved by an attack or spell, you can brace yourself and remain in place. Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Terran.
Subrace. Likely depending on your place of birth, you belong to one of two subraces of cragfar: gem cragfar or nomad cragfar. Choose one of these subraces.
Gem Cragfar (Duskrinde)
The duskrinde are renowned for their warmongering nature and unfathomable brutishness. They are greatly in tune with the elemental power of earth, lending their might to this connection.
Duskrindes often have dusky gray or black skin. Additionally, the hair, shoulders, and arms of a duskrinde are covered in gems. These gems grow along with the duskrinde, meaning that elderly duskrindes that have retain their gems naturally amass a collection of wealth.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Brawn. When you make an attack roll with a simple or improvised melee weapon, you can choose to add 1d6 to the attack roll. You can wait until after you make the attack roll before deciding, but you must decide before the DM says whether the attack hits or not. On a hit, you deal an extra 1d6 damage.
You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (minimum of 1), and regain all expended uses of this ability when you finish a long rest.
Duskrinde Weapon Training. You have proficiency with improvised weapons.
Stone Studded. Your body is covered in 4d6 precious stones, each worth 5 gp. Once a stone is removed, it doesn't regrow.
Nomad Cragfar (Netterinde)
Netterindes exist in the deserts of the Material Plane, treating the duskrindes of the Plane of Earth as distant ancestors. Federations consisting of netterindes have foggier boundaries than those of their brethren, although netterindes tend to have closely knit enclaves that travel together as nomadic groups. These cragfar are able to sprint across vast expanses of deserts in the search of oases without risking exhaustion.
Netterindes have orange, yellow, and brown sandy colored skin, allowing them to blend in with the desert around them. As they are native to the Material Plane, they are able to harvest greater amounts of resources than those that are found in the Sheets of Tectonica. Netterindes often enjoy adorning themselves with jewelry, trinkets, and fine clothing when given the chance.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Desert Stride. While you are standing on sand, you can use a bonus action to cause the sand to propel you up to 10 feet in any direction.
Endurance Runner. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet. Additionally, you can travel for 12 hours in a day before risking exhaustion.
Nomadic. You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Athletics, Nature, Perception, and Survival.
Dragonborn
"The oath I swore I shan't soon forget."
—Gambex the Unbridled, dragonborn paladin
In Vernestus, and indeed in most settings where dragonborn reign, the mighty beasts are symbols of majesty, strength, and passion. Although they aren't a people native to Vernestus, they are revered as oddities and welcomed with open arms.
Wardens of Wind
Dragonborn were created from the same elements as dragons from the Plane of Air. They revere Aus as their creator, and believe they were once dragons that were given a permanent humanoid form so they could mingle with civilization. Common among dragonborn are virtues such as friendliness to outsiders, a curiosity of those unlike themselves, and mercantilism, which is a result of wishing to integrate themselves within the cities of others.
In fact, a great majority of the dragonborn residing in Vernestus live within the Capital Spire trading foreign spices, magical secrets, mesmerizing trinkets, fanciful clothing, and the like. Dragonborn items are so popular that well-to-do customers practically eat out of the hands of the outlandish merchants.
Dwarf
"From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, I swear I'll make you regret those words, you rotten ninny!"
—Goduppi Sunderwall, dwarf warrior
The mightiest inhabitants in Vernestus, the dwarves, have a longstanding legacy of tradition and honor. Their immense magical and martial capabilities are bound only by their oaths of good. Dwarves are noteworthy for bringing trade to Vernestus and flooding the land with dwarven crafts.
Legacy of the First People
Through the Planes of Jeevalla, the question of who came first is a well studied inquiry. Scholars agree that dwarves were the first beings, created by Ker, the god of creation, in his image. Although Ker abdicated his position in favor of the Real God Machine, dwarves still refer to their patron god by his name.
The date of the creation of dwarves is unknown, and may well have been before time itself existed. Regardless, dwarves have walked the Planes for an exceedingly long time, and in that time have created strong traditions in which modern dwarves root themselves in. Upholding the legacy of one's family is the utmost priority of a dwarf. The oldest record books in the Planes are bardic epics detailing the lives of great dwarves of yore.
The hill and mountain subraces of dwarves have little to do with heritage or appearance and are instead grounded in a dwarf's family upbringing. Hill dwarf clans have a strong legacy of artistry, history, and piety, while mountain dwarves pride themselves on their might, honor, and commerce.
Master Artisans
To many a proud dwarf, they value their self worth based on the quality of the crafts they produce. From infancy, a dwarf living in the land of Vernestus will begin an apprenticeship with a clan member to learn the tools of the family trade. The rest of their life will be dedicated to perfecting their craft.
The loftiest of craftsmen will pursue the art of artifice and imbue their work with magical enhancements. Since magic weapons and trinkets are ritualistically passed through generations as heirlooms, and dwarves as a race have been around for such a long time, many clans have accrued troves of these items of power to outfit their members. Although dwarves are known for their fairness, goodness, and honor, their sheer magical might still instills a lingering fear in the other peoples of the land as they question what may happen if the dwarves were to shift their priorities.
Feats of Industry
When dwarf clans come together in unison, they can accomplish unthinkable feats of industry in the name of dwarvenkind. One such example is the intricate system of railroads stretched across Vernestus, the fulfillment of several generations of dwarf metalworkers. Another is the great city of High Gate, a major mountain pass and trade route into Vernestus from the other provinces of Jeevalla. High Gate rivals the size of the Capital Spire and is built to accommodate people of every race that the dwarves have encountered.
Elf
"This way, I can smell that drow babbler for miles. Just kidding, look at those tracks? Unmistakable."
—Captain Simismo, elf ranger
A race as old as druidic magic, the elves have withstood the test of time. Most elves reside in either the Fey Reflection or the Dusk Reflection, and those living in the Material Plane serve as the feeling tendrils of their archfey masters.
People of the Fey
In the early days of creation, the Fey Reflection was a repository for the life that was to be scattered across the other Planes. At the request of Aus, the fey spirits became the caretakers of life on the plane. The fey were incorporeal and relied on primordial druidic magic to bequeath health unto their innumerable plant and beast subjects.
As a reward to their unwavering dedication to their burden, the fey were gifted corporeal forms by Aus. Thus, the first of the elves were born alongside faeries, sprites, nymphs, and the rest of the fey races. These forerunner elves were eight in number, and went on to develop the eight eternal realms of the elves, which still exist today. The different subraces of the elves don't typically align themselves with a certain elven lord or lady, so any sort of elf can be found in any elven realm. There is one exception, however, in the case of the drow, which have entirely fled to the Dusk Reflection with their patron, Lady Drohfist.
Lament of the Drow
The Dusk Reflection is a place of miasmia, undeath, and squalor. It serves as a repository for the profane. And in that place, Lady Drohfist saw an opportunity.
Since her conception, Lady Drohfist was disliked by her elven companions. Death, she knew, was a natural part of life. Although the fey could enjoy timeless eternity, the beasts of elsewhere could not. To prove herself to the other lords and ladies, she embraced death alongside her children to slay the unholy undead of the Dusk Reflection. However, in time the undead she had slain had rerisen under her command. Corrupted by the power that lay before her, she turned her back on her remaining fey principles and began to use undeath as a tool. Her children, the drow, live in her murky realm as her servants.
The Material Expanse
Most elves living in Vernestus belong to the realm of Lady Clarion, an elven archfey seeking to reconvene with Aus's creations which she dearly cared for. Her denizens are sent to visit the Material Plane to connect with the plants and creatures that can be found within. In the particular case of Vernestus, a land that has been stripped of its verdant landscape, elven druids are tasked by Lady Clarion to restore the badlands with the flora and fauna found in the repository of the Fey Reflection.
The Eight Elven Lords and Ladies
Below is a list of the eight elven archfey that govern the elves. Unless an elf is an outcast or a child of runaways, they typically belong to an empire run by one of the lords or ladies. Additionally, the eight elven lords and ladies make suitable patrons for the warlock's Pact of the Archfey.
The Eight Elven Lords and Ladies
| Lord or Lady | Apptitude |
|---|---|
| Lady Clarion | Expanding fey influence into the Material Plane |
| Lady Drohfist the Fey-Blight | Raising legions of the dead against the light fey |
| Lady Mudali | Devising enchantments of arousal |
| Lady Purthady | Ruling the River Styx with a mighty navy |
| Lord Aenwin | Fey trickery and deception |
| Lord Argozel the Light | Slaying the drow |
| Lord Bycis | Amassing knowledge of the occult |
| Lord Silverel Many-Hands | Collecting one of every object |
Half-Elves in Vernestus
In Vernestus, humans are unable to hybridize with elves. As a result, half-elves don't exist in Vernestus. You can use the statistics of a half-elf, however, when creating an elven character for this setting.
Variant Earth Genasi Traits
The statistics for the earth genasi presented in the Elemental Evil Player's Companion doesn't quite meet the power level of the other subraces. When creating a genasi character in Vernestus, you can use the following traits instead.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Earthen Resilience. When you take bludgeoning damage, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to that instance of damage.
You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Earth Walk. You can move across difficult terrain made of earth or stone without expending extra movement.
Will of Stone. You know the mold earth cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the earth tremor spell once with this trait as a 1st-level spell, and you regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Genasi
"From my abode to the edge of my vision, I see not but scars and tumbleweeds. I say, let the earth drink!"
—Vardelle, water genasi wizard
Genasi are the most common folk that can be found throughout the Crown of Vernestus. They originated from the elemental chaos that bore the Planes of Existence, and the genasi continue to utilize their elemental ties to manipulate the Material Plane to their liking.
Out of this World
Genasi are a people of their own in Vernestus, unlike some genasi of other Dungeons & Dragons settings where they are the offspring of genies. Legend says that the genasi, or some form of them, were in existence since the beginning of the universe when chaos gave way to the elemental planes, sometime after the creation of the Real God Machine. Genasi societies across the Planes are extremely diverse. Despite their differences, each subrace of genasi are known for their determination and triumphant perseverance.
The genasi were the first people to form spellcasting into a science. The most sacred and powerful tomes of arcana were written by progenitor genasi that committed their sorcerous studies to written word. The genasi's long history of wizardry has engendered some of the mightiest wizards to have ever lived, such as Nos Sapphos, the fire genasi that turned the seas of Vernestus into empty desert by opening a gigantic portal to the Plane of Fire.
A People United
When the Material Plane was formed by the Real God Machine at the beginning of the First Era, the genasi were among the first peoples to settle its land. When they came across others, they made peace with gifts of magical items and the secrets to arcane spellcasting. Genasi are generally liked by members of the other races due to their generosity and investments. If a kingdom is starving, plagued by spies, or facing hardships, they can generally rely on the genasi to have their back.
Changing Landscapes
Genasi explorers entered Vernestus some time after the beginning of the Second Era in order to take advantage of the unexplored land south of the mountains. Most had good intentions, but some, like Nos Sapphos, desired conquest. Nos Sapphos boiled the Vernal Sea away, creating the Desneran Desert, in order to create an environment more palatable to the fire genasi.
Vernestus' capital city, Capital Spire, is a marvel of genasi engineering. Capital Spire was once a hunk of the Real God Machine cast into the Material Plane. Each subrace of genasi made contributions to the site in order to make the spire habitable. The water genasi made a river flow down the spire, the earth genasi made a supporting pillar for the spire and built homes, the air genasi opened trade from the agricultural Plane of Air to the city, and the fire genasi built defenses and formed a garrison to protect the city.
Gnome
"I walked into the Copper Pipe, and whaddaya know, that rotten Nogar was there and drunk and angry like usual. The big guy comes over and has the audacity to take my prosthetic arm and dangle it over my head and wouldya believe it he started demanding ransom money of me. Well, no problem I say, 'cause I pulled out my handy six shooter and after he dropped my arm I had him dancing out of the saloon like a whelp monk on the coals for the first time."
—Red Gogackle, gnome trickster
Once upon a time, gnomes lived deep within forests or far underground, going unnoticed and neglected by the people of the land. Since their victory in War of Establishment, a war brought upon by the gnomes to gain recognition, gnomes are some of the most powerful players in Vernestus.
Once Forgotten
Before the modern times of Vernestus, the two subraces of gnomes, the forest gnomes and the rock gnomes, led very similar lives. Underestimated and shunned by the other races, the little gnomes had no land of their own and produced no goods that anyone cared about. They kept to themselves in undiscovered groves or shallow caves, tending to each other and their families and hoping that no prefecture or township would remove them from their homes.
Even according to gnomish myths, they were invisible to the gods. At a confluence of the breath of life Aus was exhaling into the universe and the surge of knowledge permeated by Mis, a hiccup occurred in a valley north of Vernestus. There, shrubs and stones in the valley became the first forest and rock gnomes. Created on accident, the unaccompanied gnomes fended for themselves, using their wits to eek out a ramshackle society in the shadows.
Rise to Power
The clandestine life of gnomes changed when a rock gnome by name of Tom Gillycrest invented the first firearm. Suddenly, the gnomes had an edge in combat that none others possessed. At the behest of his forest gnome detractors, Gillycrest went on to develop the steamcores and soon plunged the whole of Vernestus into the Gnomish War of Establishment.
To some, Gillycrest is revered as a hero and idol. Rock gnomes, especially, enjoy the fruit of his labor as they have ascended to the ruling class. steamcores have Gillycrest to thank for their very existence, and many others strive to match his mechanical ingenuity. However, the majority of peoples cast a dark shadow on Gillycrest. In the War of Establishment, many thousands of humans were killed, reducing them to a small minority in Vernestus. The rule of genasi across the prefectures was dismantled and replaced by gnomes, and when they rallied in rebellion, the genasi and their allies were also slaughtered. Tensions after the war have since lessened, but an underlying resentment lingers in the minds of many. None resent the rock gnomes more, however, then the forest gnomes.
A Great Divide
The first recipients of the rock gnomes power were the forest gnomes. The forest gnomes were defenders of their old way of life, having preferred to live simply in nature. The forest gnomes were the first to launch technological rebellions when firearms were being distributed among the rock gnomes, but they failed to evaluate the newfound strength of their kin, leaving many of them dead. Nowadays, luddite forest gnomes lead the ever growing contingency of those who oppose the widespread use of firearms and bots.
Variant Rock Gnome Traits
Since rock gnomes are closely associated with the rise of technology in Vernestus, many are trained in the craft from a young age. If you are creating a rock gnome character in Vernestus, you can replace your Artificer's Lore trait with proficiency with an industrial weapon of your choice.
Halfling
"Is that pumpkin bread I smell? It is? Listen, butler, give the chef a great big kiss on the lips for me then!"
—Dominiq "Two Stomachs," halfling bard
As the quintessential, pastoral people of the land of green, halflings lead simple lives and are made uncomfortable by the rapid rise of technology in Vernestus. Their origins are shrouded in the fog of mystery, and their obsession with the stars leads many to believe their arrival may be extraterrestrial.
Happy Go Lucky
The halflings of Vernestus are portrayed similarly to the many halflings of other Dungeons & Dragons settings. They are a simple, pastoral people that mainly concern themselves with what to have for breakfast instead of conquering land or building alliances. Halflings live in small, insular villages and shires across the sparse woods in the north of Vernestus.
Muddled History
The subject of the history of halflings in Vernestus is a controversial one. There are no records of their arrival, no human accounts of early contact, and so far no halflings have been found elsewhere across the Planes. When confronted, halfling loremasters have detailed conflicting hypotheses on their race. Perhaps halflings are a lost breed of humans, or more fantastically, they came from the stars.
Astrological Signs
If you are playing as a halfling in Vernestus, you can choose one of the following astrological signs to have been born under or pick one at random. Depending on your choice, your character will receive a small boon. Each star can only be seen in the sky during a single month out of the traditional halfling year, so your choice will reflect what time of year your character was born.
Sommer, the Summer Star. You have advantage on saving throws against being blinded by nonmagical light.
Falrider, the Stalwart Star. When you fall and aren't incapacitated, you can subtract up to 5 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage.
Marti, the Home Star. You can choose for your reflection to not appear on a reflective surface when it otherwise would.
Griff, the Harvest Star. Crops you sow and tend to yield double the harvest.
Goldeyes, the Gilded Star. You start with an additional 15 gp.
Grimyoth, the Winter Star. You can choose for your body heat to not melt ice or snow that you come in contact with.
Jorn, the Druid Star. While you are in the wilderness, you can always find harmless beasts such as chipmunks and songbirds.
Dollaia, the Arcane Star. You start with a trinket of your creation.
Pitir, the Warming Star. If you reroll a 1 on the d20 using your Lucky trait and the new roll is a 1 on the d20, you can reroll the die again.
Watchers of the Stars
Halflings have an innate connection to the stars. The most anticipated halfling holidays are the changing of the months when the next sacred star can be spotted in the night sky. Each halfling is imbued with the essence of their star, which can manifest in many different ways. For example, a halfling born under Sommer, the Summer Star, may have bright red hair and a saucy attitude while a halfling born under Jorn, the Druid Star, may have mossy green eyes and the hairy feet of a bear.
Fear of Technology
For as long as halflings have been in Vernestus, they have adamantly defended their simple way of life. Mundane uses of technology, such as using oxen for plowing fields, is looked down upon by halfling society. Needless to mention, the rise of firearms and bot golem technology is upsetting to halflings. This has spurred many luddite halflings to defend their shires' simple ways of life from the change that technology promises.
Human
"They watched upon me from the sky. I could feel each and every one of their gazes meet my face."
—Elder Orn, human shaman
Humans were the first inhabitants of Vernestus, existing for thousands of years before making contact with colonizers of the other races. Modern humans struggle to maintain their traditional identity among the swirling melting pot of Vernestus.
Natives of the Vern
Before Vernestus was transformed into a desert wasteland by Nos Sapphos, it was a dense jungle wedged between mountains to the north and a boundless sea to the south. This is the land, called the Vern, that humans called home for centuries. Remnants of the Vern jungle remain in the bayous of central Vernestus, where much of the human population of the kingdom can be found as well.
Humans had to withstand intense perils in order to survive in the Vern. A wrong step in the jungle could spell death, so the humans had to get crafty to stay alive. Ancient humans were very closely tied to the spirits found within and among the land, and could use them to navigate the dangers of the land. Adept shamans would routinely call upon nymphs, dryads, and the spirits of ancestors for guidance. Humans developed a method of spellcasting similar to the magic used by warlocks by drawing upon the power of these spirits and manipulating it into the form of spells. Due to their maintained historical and cultural contact with spirits, humans nowadays often use their knowledge to become necromancers or seers.
Followers of the Giga
Traditionally, humans have lived in accordance with the Giga. According to human shamans, each Giga was constructed by a separate deity as an avatar to enact their bidding on the mortal realm. Societies were led by oracles that would speak for the Giga. These warlocks would instruct the masses how to follow the will of the gods, and they were revered as chosen ones.
Waning Identity
Since the end of the First Era, humans have been left to the wayside as the gnomes, genasi, and other races have come to occupy Vernestus. They have been displaced from their original land and forced to be incorporated into the mixing pot of the Second Era Vernestus culture. Humans living in the city centers of the Crown struggle to hold onto their ancestral practices.
The holdouts of human culture practice far away from populated areas of the Crown, such as the remnants of the Vern or the barren Badlands. Most of these vestiges are unwelcoming to visitors, for fear of losing what little they have left.
Human Deities
Humans don't typically worship the pantheon of Jeevalla. They have their own traditional pantheon of gods that they devised before intermingling with the other races. Below are some of the most common human deities.
Human Deities
| Deity | Suggested Domains |
|---|---|
| Anubis, god of judgement | Grave, Death |
| Aphrodite, goddess of love | Light |
| Ares, god of war | War |
| Artemis, goddess of hunting | Life, Nature |
| Athena, goddess of wisdom | Knowledge, War |
| Dionysus, god of wine | Life |
| Hades, god of the underworld | Death |
| Imhotep, god of crafts | Forge |
| Loki, god of trickery | Trickery |
| Odin, god of knowledge | Knowledge |
| Poseidon, god of the seas | Tempest |
| Set, god of the desert | Tempest, Trickery |
| Thor, god of thunder | Tempest, War |
| Zeus, god of the sky | Tempest |
Wild Kenku Subrace
In Vernestus, there are two subraces of kenku: the urban kenku and the wild kenku. The kenku described in Volo's Guide to Monsters perfectly portrays the urban kenku of cities such as Capital Spire. You can use the following traits for creating a wild kenku character, which replaces the kenku's Expert Forgery and Kenku Training traits. Wild kenku have gaudier plumage than their urban counterparts, which lets them stand out among the drab browns and greens of Vernestus' many swamps and deadlands.
Big Crop. You have an expansive crop which is useful for storing items. Your crop has a storage capacity of 1 cubic foot. You can consume items such as food or potions from your crop while keeping your hands free.
Natural Survivor. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill.
Tools of the Wild. You gain proficiency in one of the following artisan's tools of your choice: cartographer's tools, leatherworker's tools, potter's tools, weaver's tools, or woodcarver's tools. You add twice your proficiency bonus to any check you make with the chosen tools.
Kenku
"I told you the truth all those years ago, Rango. I am, in fact, a very bad bird."
—Sizzle, fiery kenku warlock
Vernal kenku are like their cousins in other settings in that they are the perfect conniving cutthroats, with their ability to mimic any sound they have heard. However, kenku living in Vernestus thrive in both the untamed wilds and in dense urban environments, making them effective generalists working throughout the land.
Ancestors of Air
Long ago, when humans were the mightiest sentient creatures walking among the Material Plane, the kenku kingdom of Aetherin sprawled over the Plane of Air. Entire villages built out of lighter-than-air stone floated about on whispy clouds, steered by the jet currents of the plane. Aetherin, the mightiest kingdom to ever control territory in the Plane of Air, met its fate when the Material Plane was discovered. The kingdom was divided between expansionists and abstainers, and eventually fell to rebellion.
Today, nearly all kenku exist within the Material Plane, as their ancestors have since moved there and become adapted to the more moderate climate. They typically live in kenku-only communities, emulating flocks of birds.
Freedom of the Birds
Unlike in some settings that feature kenku, the kenku of Vernestus are not the subject of a horrid curse that hinders creativity or free-thinking. Vernal kenku can be as innovative as a member of any other race, and they aren't limited to mimicry when speaking. In fact, some of the brightest minds to be found in Vernestus are kenku, although they typically use their cunning for nefarious purposes.
Skillful Operatives
Kenku are naturally quick learners, and can pick up new skills with ease. Combined with their sense of loyalty to the flock, kenku make ideal followers for those in need of manpower. Although kenku are able to become master artisans, adventurers, and explorers, oftentimes they are found enacting the bidding of some ring leader as their minions.
Espionage is practiced by many ill-meaning kenku, especially those found in cities. Their dark plumage, keen eyes, and flawless mimicry allows them to sneak about and get away with crimes. In the merchant districts of Capital Spire, one can find a kenku spy for hire without much difficulty, as they are eager to sort out disputes in exchange for some shiny coin.
Koven
"Toss it in, girls!
Goblin's tongue and eye of newt,
mottled hoof and elder root.
By end of harvest, boil it hotter —
We bequeath thee life, O dear daughter!"
—Grim Sister, koven vatwitch
Created by mortals, the koven were unleashed upon the world under malevolent orders. They hide in the shadows, manipulating their neighbors without their notice to subtly carry out their bidding. Kovenesses thrive on underhandedness. They're always on the lookout to scrape ahead at the cost of anyone else, even close accomplices. They use a profane form of alchemy as a means to their grizzly goals, the same sort that birthed them in the first place.
The koven are a blight to the world around them. They transform woods into swamps, farmland into bramble, and coastline into crag. Animals living around them grow sick from the fumes of their cauldrons. Their evil suffuses into the air, drifting about and demonizing all who may bear witness.
Godless Parentage
The koven is a race created by the dark toils of mortals, rather than by divine creation. In the time of yore, in a shadowy place beside the Material Plane, a hag witch by name of Piglicker the Twice Widowed was trapped there by clerics for her twisted deeds. Piglicker, a depraved and immoral soul, sought her freedom at any price, begging into the cosmos for any patron that would liberate her from that timeless prison. For decades, she heard no voice, and her desperation grew, but she refused to repent to any god. In a final attempt for freedom, she pledged the devotion of her soul and the souls of her progeny to any creature that would free her. Finally, she heard a response, which came from a notorious and noxious demon by name of Laeagon, a prince of the underworld and an advocate of mischief. Laeagon freed Piglicker through death, and used morsels of her body to create the koven. Laeagon ordered the koven into the Material Plane to torment mortals in his name.
Through the chaotic nature of the koven, the names of Piglicker and Laeagon are rarely spoken among them as they've been forgotten to history. However, the depravity of Piglicker and the trickery of Laeagon continue in the blood of the koven today.
Hoofed Feet and Spider Silken Hair
Members of the koven, known as kovenesses, are twisted by their demonic parentage. Their bodies are short and impish, shrouded in doughy skin ranging in color from sickly green to fungal orange.
Kovenesses are vaguely reminiscent of mountain goats. Below the waist, their bodies meld into goat legs, ending in cloven feet. Above the ears of the koven grow short curved horns, and their eyes sport horizontal pupils. Kovenesses even have a penchant for climbing atop structures for seemingly no purpose other than to survey their surroundings.
The most vile attribute of the koven is their great mane of hair. A koveness's mane is more voluminous than she is, and it drags in the muck behind her as she walks. As she climbs through trees, all manner of twigs and forest debris get caught in it. Before long, a young koveness's mane is growing mold and algae, housing webs of spiders, and acrawl with beetles. Their manes even serve as convenient repositories for insectile potion ingredients.
All kovenesses are female. In order to reproduce, koven alchemists called "vatwitches" brew new children in a cauldron. The ritual can take a day or more of intense chanting and swirling, and the profanity of the birth stains the location forever with lingering demonic magic. Once the ritual is complete, the young koveness crawls out of the vat, fully formed with a mane of hair on her head and a covering of fur on her legs.
Fairytale Villains
Members of the koven, either alone or in small groups, adopt a small region as the subject of their torment. This region could be as small as a trail through the woods, a lakeside shanty town, a mushroom grove, a fishing pond, or a jungle canopy. Kovenesses patrol their domains under the guise of night, keeping the terrain to their liking. Any denizens within are likely unaware of the koven watching over them, speaking of their ungodly presence only as rumor.
Hushed whispers of the koven become folklore, given time. Concerned parents tell their children to obey their curfew, lest the nocturnal koven snatch them and boil them in a stew. The thought of koven witches hiding under the bed keeps younglings up at night.
The koven relish such villainous reputations. A frightened town does little to stop a subversive witch, allowing her to carry out her nasty plots. The exact goal of a koveness's plot may only make sense in her own, twisted mind. Sometimes, a koveness may enact evildoings out of spite alone.
You can work with the DM to create a villainous plot for your koven character if you wish to have one, or you can use the Evildoings table to determine your character's malicious intents.
Evildoings
| d8 | Evildoing |
|---|---|
| 1 | You whisper mean spirited advise to a young noblewoman, corrupting her to your own ends. |
| 2 | With fairy lights and glowing mushrooms, you lead intrepid travelers into dangerous woods. |
| 3 | You teach children witchcraft when their parents think they are playing in the woods. |
| 4 | Your foul brews stink up the entire countryside with the odor of evil. |
| 5 | You dump the toxic waste of your experiments into drinking water. |
| 6 | You train an army of rats and squirrels to steal food from a cozy halfling village. |
| 7 | You treat the local burial ground as a market. |
| 8 | You sell hazardous creatures as companions to gullible customers. |
Koven Names
A koveness names herself as soon as she learns to speak. In order to instill a sense of dread in all who may hear her name, a koveness will name herself something evocative of wickedness. Koven names usually include a descriptor or a title to augment its fright.
- Koven Names: Aoife the Wicked, Bluejay the Liar, Greenblight Gurdo, Lilikela the Ice Witch, Mean Marbla, Nasty Newteye, Pesky Piggut, Ratty Patty, Rotten Grindy, Smelly Suzie, Squirrelpicker, Yowza the Spiteful, Zena Toegobbler
Koven Traits
As a koveness, you share certain traits in common with your alchemical sisters.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Age. Kovenesses mature at the same rate as humans and can live a couple decades longer.
Alignment. Kovenesses are most often evil. The evil in their hearts is innate and runs deep in their heritage. The demonic influence over the koven inclines many towards a chaotic alignment as well. Only a few kovenesses are good, and those few are shunned by their sisters and remain feared by all others.
Size. A typical koveness stands between 3 and 4 feet tall and averages about 50 pounds. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Caprine Eyes. Your eyes are fine tuned to react to danger. When you roll for initiative and you aren't surprised, you can roll a d6 and add the number rolled to the total.
Cloven Feet. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Additionally, you can climb slippery vertical surfaces or ones with few handholds without having to make a Strength (Athletics) check.
Darkvision. From hiding in the murky shadows where no one else peeks, you have superior vision for seeing in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Witch's Brew. Over the course of an hour, you can perform a ritual to learn a spell from the warlock spell list (you can also learn the find familiar spell with this trait). The ritual can be performed during a short rest and it requires to you create a witch's brew by boiling a liquid and tossing in ingredients. Once you drink the brew during the ritual, you can choose a 1st-level spell from the warlock spell list to learn (or find familiar). You can cast a spell once with this trait at its lowest level and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. You use Charisma as your spellcasting ability modifier for this spell.
If you perform the ritual again, you can replace the spell you know with another 1st-level spell from the warlock spell list (or find familiar).
Your brew is toxic to other creatures. When a creature other than you drinks your witch's brew, they must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, that creature is poisoned until the end of their next turn.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Abyssal.
Orc
"You don't like sand? Of course it's rough and it gets everywhere, but you get used to it. Best part is, say, you got a gash on your hand and your gloves fill up with the stuff. Sooths the pain, really."
—Chief Balaarg Sandwalker, orc barbarian
Orcs are outsiders in Vernestus, and are often met with distrust and xenophobia. Their arrival from across the sands is shrouded in mystery and superstition – a fact which doesn't quell the doubts and fears of the locals.
Across the Desert
After the Second Era of Vernestus, the Vernal Sea to the south of Vernestus was boiled away. In its place the vast Desneran Desert opened up. The land was deeply inhospitable, and any who were to cross it were marked for death. Orcs, however, are the one exception.
Orc nomads were led to oases in the desert by sandgrouses, where they would restock on food and freshwater before continuing their trek. Oral recounts say the journey took several generations before the tribes reached the land of green. Unable to speak the common tongue, the orcs were feared as invaders and were left to deal with sundrian pirates and earthshaking dust storms. To this day, orcs are generally met with fear and uncertainty when dealing with common folk.
The Quetzal Creed
The particular reasons why the orcs left their homeland are not known, but the elder keepers of oral traditions have some clues to bare. Orc legend tells of a secret society known as the Quetzal Creed which ruled the many orc tribes of yore from the shadows. Once the orc tribes realized they were being manipulated, war broke loose. The orcs that remained living after the war left their foul, body-laiden lands behind in search for a new start.
Even among the earliest of the nomads that set foot forward across the desert, concerns lingered that members of the Quetzal Creed still perfused their numbers. To this day, rumors of Quetzal infiltrators make rounds between orc tribes. Masked by anonymity, their intentions are nebulous and secret.
The Way of Spirits
Rather than adhere to the Pantheon, most orcs pay tribute to the spirits of beasts to guide them. When an orc is not strong enough to endure combat, they may study an ox to gleam some of its might. When lost, orcs may follow birds toward safety. And when an orc is hungry, they may hunt with a pack of jackals.
Elder orcs teach their young tribe members how to communicate with spirits. Most young orcs are only able to do so on a basic level, never graduating beyond simple behavioral interpretations. With practice, however, every orc is capable of opening their senses to the spirits of beasts and combining their power with their own.
Vernal Orc Traits
In Vernestus, orcs are unable to produce offspring with humans, so all orcs are pure of blood. When creating an orc character, you can use the statistics of the half-orc found in the Player's Handbook or those found in Volo's Guide to Monsters.
Sundrian
"Ouch!" yelped Melnspur. "You said it wouldn't hurt!"
"You misheard me," said Mr. Jarum. "I said that it definitely would hurt. Now sit still, there's three more to go." With a rather unscrupulous jerk, Mr. Jarum ripped another spine out of the squire's arm.
"Aaach!"
—E.L Gardurman, Tales from the Penultimate Sunset
A thunderous creak is heard in the desert, as if a gargantuan, decrepit door is closing. It's the sound of a sundrian pirate ship cresting over a sandy dune, heavy with the weight of a bounty of gold. Sundrians are natives to the deserts surrounding Vernestus who look towards the sand blowing in the wind to direct them in their nomadic ways.
Trickster Origins
Sundrian culture contains close ties the Aus, the goddess of wisdom, life, and nature. Naturally, this is the case, because sundrians look and act like cactuses. The desert dwelling race are excellent at retaining water, they live in harsh environments, they grow thorns, and they produce seedlings. Thus, many sundrians worship Aus, the mother of plants, as their patron deity. However, sundrians shun the actual origins of their race, as their beginnings sit unwell in the minds of other races.
As the myth goes, Lok, the god of trickery and troublemaking, had grown bored of his usual antics of teasing mortals and prodding at the other gods. He looked down upon the material realm and saw all the feats of the creations of the deities. Ker had solidified the planet in place, Aus had created the plants and wild animals, Mis had breathed sentience and magic into the world, and Lok had only contributed contrived chaos. Wanting to make his own mark on the world, he surveyed the land for the only place that was left untouched by the other deities. Finally, he settled on the desert, and he created the sundrians to spread throughout the world and cause chaos in his name. When the Vernal Sea boiled away, the sundrians crossed the newly created desert into the vulnerable underbelly of Vernestus.
The period of time that followed became known as the Desert Rumble. All establishments bordering the desert were plagued by the sundrian immigrants. The Rumble was brief however, as the sundrians were weak compared to the other races of the time. The sundrians were defeated, and went about their nomadic lifestyles in the desert.
Merchants and Plunderers
There exists and old saying among the people of bordertowns along the Desneran desert. "When a sundrian isn't plundering, they're selling the goods they plundered." One would be lucky to travel through the desert without spotting a sundrian pirate barge, and even luckier to pass such a vessel with all of their belongings still on their person.
It is no more than a stereotype that sundrians suffer that most of them are cutthroat pirates waiting for an opportunity to steal your items. In fact, many are humble merchants that fairly trade in exotic wares.
Blooming Flowers
The greatest distinguishing factor between sundrians is the impressive floral displays atop their heads. Up until the age of maturity, the flowers remain as unopened green buds. The blooming of one's flower is a celebrated day in the life of a sundrian, an occasion of higher importance that one's birthday.
In some sundrian cultures, younglings prepare for their blooming in a coming of age ceremony known as the Match of the Flower. Participants drink potions of blooming and engage in wrestling competitions, with the victor being rewarded with a handsome sum of coin and land to call their own.
Sundrian Personality
Having been created by a god of pranks and tricks, it is no wonder that many sundrians retain an innate quirkiness, regardless of their lifestyle. You can use the Sundrian Quirks table to determine a quirk for your sundrian character.
Sundrian Quirks
| d8 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You eagerly take on quests, no matter how small the reward is. |
| 2 | You use mirages and illusions to get away with theft. |
| 3 | You suffer from a case of wanderlust and must ceaselessly explore the unknown. |
| 4 | You meticulously sharpen your thorns and hate when they become blunt. |
| 5 | You always rely on the same, dusty old weapon. |
| 6 | You seek out meals that are spicier and more exotic than your last. |
| 7 | You undeniably love the feeling of soft sand between your toes. |
| 8 | You always radiate happiness, even in the most dire of situations. |
Sundrian Names
Sundrians are an androgynous race, and thus lack gender specific names. Names are chosen from the sundrian's unique dialect of Primordial, and are often conserved within families. Family names are typically derived from the occupations of the family's ancestors.
- Sundrian Names: Agalder, Bathanai, Desnera, Fel, Gorelda, Grith, K'nithka, Nethai, Ragdid, Rampark, Themien, W'nartan, Yelod, Yembora, Yugdeth, Zeke
- Family Names: Baloranegdi (Bigflower), Degdark'neld (Clothseller), Kontarzekper (Cointaker), Prickelamanai (Thornwrestler), Yarheldbarnem (Dunecrester)
Sundrian Traits
Born from the drifting winds of the desert, you share certain traits in common with all other sundrians.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence scores each increase by 1.
Age. Sundrians are considered to reach maturity by the age of 8, when they sprout flowers from atop their heads. The eldest of sundrians can live to almost 200 years of age, but usually live to be around 100.
Alignment. Bereaved by other races, sundrians struggle to see the wellbeing in the world, and are thus rarely good aligned. Sundrians meander through the desert, literally going with the flow of the wind, and driving many sundrians towards neutrality. Between pirate marauders and vigilantes, all alignments can be found among the sundrians, however.
Size. Sundrians stand as tall as humans, but are often more physically imposing. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Desert Training. You have proficiency with land vehicles and two weapons of your choice.
Dune Rider. You have advantage on all Dexterity saving throws and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks made to resist falling prone.
Heat Tolerance. You have resistance to fire damage.
Mirage. You can cast silent image once with this trait without requiring material components. Once you cast silent image in this way, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Spines. You deal piercing damage equal to half your Constitution modifier, rounded up (minimum of 1) when you grapple a creature or when another creature grapples you.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Auran, and Terran. In normal speech, sundrians speak their own dialect of Primordial, a mix between Auran and Terran.
Tiefling
"You admit to spilling the blood of my brother? You best get prepared for the wrath you have incurred. I shake at the prospect."
—Jetsam, tiefling sorcerer
Across the many Planes of Existence, tieflings are feared for their infernal heritage. Through their ancient blood, they wield the power of great fiends, which they use for whatever deeds they please.
Corrupted Souls
"Tiefling," in the setting of Vernestus, is a catch-all term for a fiendish individual that can trace their bloodline back to a powerful devil. They hail from the Plane of Fire, the fiery hellscape that is home to such beings. There they form
Infernal Bloodlines
If you are playing a tiefling in Vernestus, you can choose one of the following infernal bloodlines or pick one at random. Your choice represents an ancestry with a certain devil. Depending on your choice, your character will receive a small boon.
Dalzabeeb. Dalzabeeb the Ashspawn is the harbinger of smoke and disease. You can see through heavily and lightly obscured nonmagical smoke and fog within 60 feet of you with no difficulty. Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against disease.
Gan. Beneath the acidic Sulphur Sea, Gan taints its waters with the stench of undeath. You can breathe air and water.
Jogarasc. Atop the obsidian mountains in the Plane of Fire lays the den of Jogarasc and its trove of occult lore. You can cast the detect magic spell once using this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. If you detect a spell scroll in this way you automatically know which spell it contains.
Leechfrau. The depraved guardian of the depths of the Plane of Fire, Leechfrau bulges with bodily power. Unarmed strikes made with your hands deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage and your base walking speed increases to 35 feet if both of your hands are free.
Taapophes. As the Keeper of the Primeval Flame, Taapophes breathes fire and destruction across the Planes. You learn the fire bolt cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. If you use your action to cast fire bolt, you can immediately use a bonus action to touch and ignite a flammable object that isn't being worn or carried.
Tadpole. Tadpole, also known as the Face Changer, is the patron devil of deception. Over the course of a long rest you can alter your face to make it unrecognizable to anyone who has seen you before. Once you do so, you can't do so again until 7 days have passed.
loose civilizations with their kin where they practice arcane arts in accordance to their own interests. The life of a tiefling is selfish, for being cutthroat is the only way to stay alive in the land of the dead.
Surrounded by bleakness, necromancy, and abyssal horrors, tieflings are molded by evil to become its planar emissaries. Only rarely may a tiefling be born without the grip of evil upon their heart, allowing them to make their own way in the Planes.
Echoes of the Planes
Tieflings are naturally receptive to the background magic that suffuses the Planes. Wherever a tiefling may travel, they may subtly incorporate parts of their environment into their bodies if they remain long enough. A tiefling that lives amongst elves in the Fey Reflection may grow a set of sturdy antlers, another that lives in the sulfurous pits of the Plane of Fire may bleed acid instead of blood, and the skin one that lives in the deserts of Vernestus may become sandy, hardened, and cracked.
If a tiefling remains in a place for the early years of their life, they are likely to gain sorcerous powers based upon the land in addition to changing their bodies. This makes young tieflings a valuable commodity for evildoers in need of malleable henchmen.
Variant Triton Traits
Since the triton of Vernestus are always near the grasp of death, many develop their spellcasting talents from a young age to stay healthy. When you make a triton character, you can choose to have the following trait, which replaces your Control Air and Water trait.
Clerical Magic. You can cast false life with this trait as a 1st-level spell. Starting at 3rd level, you can cast lesser restoration with it, and starting at 5th level, you can cast feign death with it. Once you cast a spell with this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Triton
"Some holy water will do, yeah. But bring a trident just to be safe."
—Lady Telyarn, triton gravekeeper
Tritons are valiant folk hailing from the Plane of Water where they scrounge a living at the depths of the endless ocean. Life is bleak, especially since the tritons live in the shroud of the demon Xoen the Deepest.
Death from Below
In the olden days of the First Era of Vernestus, the tritons lived in the vast Vernal Sea, where they flourished alongside innumerable species of marine life. They considered themselves protectors of the ocean's bounty, thwarting any evil doers that tried to exploit the rich resources of the sea. When the sea dried, however, the displaced tritons were forced to find a new home.
Nowadays, tritons live on the sea floor on the Plane of Water in sprawling underwater cities. In Vernestus, they are a solemn people. Death constantly looms over the head of the tritons, as somewhere beneath the sea floor is the domain of a demon of cosmic power, known as Xoen the Deepest. The triton's proximity to Xoen has direct effects on their lives. Triton infirmaries are consistently full, as they are quick to catch disease, and even the fittest of their warriors become gaunt and blackened. The dead need constant tending, lest they rise again as zombies or skeletons.
To stave off the grasp of death from the evil demon, most tritons train as monks or clerics. By praying to Aus and training the body, tritons can sustain themselves within the aura of Xoen far longer than they would be able to otherwise.
Clerical Guidance
In the city of Capital Spire, tritons typically make a living by dispensing clerical guidance to those who seek it. Tritons fill the roles of priests and priestesses, fortune tellers, gravekeepers, consultants, and all other manners of religious professions. Tritons may only stay within the city for part of the year and switch out with a triton living in the Plane of Water to give them a respite from the gloom. Oftentimes these tritons make themselves available to adventurers as healers in exchange for coin.
Distrust of the Crown
When dealing with the triton, the Crown of Vernestus treats the fishfolk with scrutiny and distrust. Rumors and prejudice have cemented the triton in the minds of the Crown as being spoiled with undeath. Those tritons practicing their crafts within city walls are often faced with a litany of fines, accusations, and limiting stipulations. Needless to say, this has lead many tritons to reflexively dislike the rulers of the Crown.
Undergolem
Down below, where trust is spread thin
Ire, gore, and misanthropy win.
Through the gloom, I see the rock to my church.
A guiding hand for which I search.
This is the undergolem.
—Tim Gusparkle, The Ballad of Below
Somewhere, connecting the overgrown grottoes beneath the soil, is an unseen and unheard people known as the undergolems. Reclusive and ancient, undergolems are complacent to never venture forth to the surface, and remain in their bleak and dark domain. That is, until an undergolem is bestowed with their duty, a right every undergolem must face upon reaching adulthood. Undergolems are elementals tied to the literal earth of Vernestus, erupting from the ground via the Plane of Earth centuries before others settled the area.
Twilight Caves
Undergolems, known as the "gaana-ib" in Terran, are hulking creatures that would normally tower over most of the races across the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse if not for the fact that they live secluded lives under the ground. Upon reaching the age of maturity, a budding undergolem seeks their own path in life by departing from their familial home and settling in a new cave where they will spend a life of hermitage.
The day to day routines of a typical undergolem is simple, and often includes meditation and tending to fungal gardens. Many members of the race belong to an order of monks or a circle of druids, and pass time by quietly serving their customs.
Undergolems are at home surrounded by rocky caverns and spiny stalagmites, and have adapted to the subterranean environment. Only rarely will an undergolem seek company with other humanoids, and such engagements are usually only to produce offspring. However, if one who is lost happens to stumble across the dwelling of an undergolem, they are notoriously hospitable and willing to help, albeit with some form of compensation.
Many undergolems keep animal companions to pass the sunless days with company, as life underground can get quite lonely.
Awaiting Duty
The most important and sacred part of an undergolem's life is achieving their "gaana," or "duty" as it's known in Common. For many undergolems, their duty comes to them in a dream sometime after they reach maturity, although it may manifest in many ways. Once a duty has been given, the undergolem's life changes drastically from their previously reclusive existence. The undergolem may spontaneously adopt morals and personality traits that were absent beforehand, and they feel an innate desire to rush out into the greater world and fulfill their duty.
In some cases, the gaana of an undergolem may be broad or vague, such as "rid the world of evil" or "find your place among the people." In such cases, undergolems may become adventurers for their entire lives, never fully accomplishing their goal. However, sometimes an undergolem's gaana is a clearly completable task, such as "kill the evil necromancer to the west" or "assassinate the current high king of the realm." Even when an undergolem completes their duty, they are forever changed by the experience, and may opt to not return to a life of solitude, but instead remain a citizen of the broader world.
Spring of Transmutation
Due to their elemental nature, undergolem's are gifted with the power of transmutation magic at birth. With ancestors originating from the Plane of Earth, undergolems have the capability to manipulate mundane stones to aid them in survival.
At birth, their elemental nature isn't fully present, and they appear as hairy humanoids with pointed ears, reminiscent of a baby yeti. As an undergolem is infused with earth magic from their surroundings, their adult body begins to show. Slowly, they replace their hair with gritty stone shards that cover their body, with only patches of flesh left over. An undergolems weight can triple during the process of lithifying.
Undergolem Personality
Living lives of secluded hermitage, many undergolems lack knowledge of the nuances of social interaction. When an undergolem embarks on their life mission, they may be viewed as bizarre and unorthodox to the average person. You can use the Undergolem Quirks table to determine a quirk for your undergolem character.
Undergolem Quirks
| d8 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You are uneasy when you are around creatures larger than you. |
| 2 | You enjoy hugs a little too much. |
| 3 | You feel uncomfortable being under full sun and often seek shade. |
| 4 | You prefer to stay silent, even when you are being questioned. |
| 5 | You are very picky when choosing which stones to imbue with magic, and you never let others touch them. |
| 6 | You are hesitant to help others without some reassurance of compensation. |
| 7 | You are blinded by honor or by your ideal. |
| 8 | You constantly remind others of your duty, to the point it becomes your catchphrase. |
Undergolem Names
When an undergolem is born to their parents, they are given a traditional name in the Terran language, which resemble the childhood names of great undergolem adventurers. Beyond reproduction, undergolems see no distinction between males and females and favor gender neutral names. When an undergolem finds their duty, they choose a new name that corresponds with their mission. Most undergolems prefer to be called by their duty name, but keep their childhood name as their true name.
- Childhood Names: Arnatek, Bakin, Crispar, Cunkap, Dyerba, Ert, Hark, Jaunt, Jokull, Koloreln, Korrum, Lagram, Marnar, Nis, Ofelda, Thumi, Welkin, Veyka, Zaik, Zur
- Duty Names: Attends-to-Cats, Bathes-in-Blood, Dances-with-Fire, Hunts-Elk, Hunts-for-Glory, Picks-Daisies, Purges-Sins, Rules-the-Sea, Seeks-the-Unknown, Smiths-Swords, Solves-Mysteries, Tames-Bears
Undergolem Traits
As an undergolem, you share certain traits with your cave dwelling kin.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Age. Undergolems reach the age of maturity at the age of 50 when they are urged to leave their childhood dwelling and seek a new cave. Undergolems are relatively long lived, able to reach the age of 300.
Alignment. Undergolems are notorious for their neutrality and their naïveté towards the bigger world. Self sufficient and reclusive, undergolems care little for good, evil, law, or chaos. However, when an undergolem is struck with their duty, they may adopt an alignment related to their cause.
Size. Undergolems are fairly tall and heavy set, averaging around 8 feet in height and 800 pounds in weight. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Being of a race that dwells in dark caves, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Gaana Stone. You can spend 8 hours creating a gaana stone from a normal stone. You may sleep during this time, but you must remain in contact with the stone for the entire duration. When you do so, choose a color from the Gaana Stones table. The stone becomes the color you choose. As long as the stone is in your possession, you have advantage on saving throws against certain conditions depending on the color of the stone. Only you can gain the benefits of your gaana stone.
If you create a new gaana stone, the previous one ceases to function and loses its color.
Touch of Transmutation. You know the magic stone cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the longstrider spell once per day as a 1st-level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the enhance ability spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Terran.
Gaana Stones
| Color | Condition |
|---|---|
| Green | Poisoned |
| White | Blinded and deafened |
| Pink | Charmed |
Chapter 2: Class Options
Brave adventurers require a repertoire of fantastic abilities in order to thwart the supernatural opponents they face in their day to day lives. The class you choose for your character represents their specialization in the way that they deal with their enemies. You can find the twelve base classes and more about what your class represents in the Player's Handbook.
Subclasses
Since industry has been introduced to Vernestus, people have adopted and perfected its use. This extends not only to the working man, but the adventurer as well. This supplement adds several new subclass options for players setting forth in the Crown. Base classes can be found within the Player's Handbook.
You can choose from among the following subclass options when you choose a subclass from your base class. At which level you choose a subclass varies depending on your class, which is also presented in the following table.
Subclasses
| Class | Subclass | Level Available | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificer | Golemancer Specialist | 3rd | |
| Bard | College of the Homefront | 3rd | Assists comrades both on and off the battlefield |
| Cleric | Automaton Domain | 1st | Dominates constructs with electric reflexes |
| Monk | Way of Hulking Earth | 3rd | Grapples with the might of the desert |
| Ranger | Sniper Conclave | 3rd | Controls wide ranges of land with superior stealth and weaponry |
| Rogue | Desperado | 3rd | Roams the badlands with firearms and saddles |
| Sorcerer | Fragment Origin | 1st | Moves fluidly between the Material and Ethereal Planes |
| Warlock | The Giga | 1st | Draws upon the power of the Giga |
| Wizard | School of Slinging | 2nd | Delivers spells through gunslinging |
College of the Homefront (Bard)
The College of the Homefront reached its peak during the War of Establishment, when countless civilian steamcores defended their nation not through direct force, but by supplying soldiers with the goods and inspiration they needed to succeed. New bards joining this college do so because they are gifted with determination and wit, but not necessarily martial prowess.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you join the College of the Homefront at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with one type of artisan's tools of your choice. You have advantage on all ability checks made with artisan's tools that you are proficient with.
Improved Inspiration
Also at 3rd level, you gain three additional uses of your Bardic Inspiration feature. You can give multiple creatures a Bardic Inspiration die at once when you use your Bardic Inspiration feature, expending an extra use for each creature that receives a die.
Tailored Rejuvenation
Beginning at 6th level, you can tailor your soothing music and restorative abilities to your weary teammates during a short rest. Each creature other than you that restores hit points from your Song of Rest may also gain one of the following benefits:
- The creature regains all of the hit dice they spent during this short rest.
- The creature regains spell slots with a combined level of equal to or less than your Charisma modifier. None of the spell slots can be of 4th level or higher.
- The creature gains temporary hit points equal to twice your bard level.
Once a creature gains an additional benefit from this feature, they can't do so again until they finish a long rest.
Song of Home and Hearth
Starting at 14th level, you can play a lovely song that reminds your companions of the comforts of home. You can play this song while traveling, exploring, or resting. Creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you that can hear the song have advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks, and they have resistance to all damage. Creatures in combat gain no benefit from the song.
Automaton Domain (Cleric)
The Automaton domain encompasses all that is mechanical. In the setting of Vernestus, machinery is a sacred concept. Powered by the electricity of the Real God Machine, some machines have even achieved life, such as the chrones and the steamcores. Clerics of the Automaton domain uphold virtues such as innovation, adhering technology in society, and domination.
Automaton Domain Spells
| Cleric Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | shield, witch bolt |
| 3rd | enhance ability, pyrotechnics |
| 5th | haste, tiny servant |
| 7th | fabricate, dimension door |
| 9th | animate objects, skill empowerment |
Bonus Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain proficiency with industrial weapons. Also, you learn to speak, read, and write Digit, the language of constructs.
Electric Reflexes
Also at 1st level, you can become quick as lightning. As a bonus action on your turn, you give yourself a special reaction which you can use in addition to your normal reaction. The special reaction lasts for 1 minute or until you use it. You can't have more than one special reaction at a time.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Dominate Construct
Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to dominate and control a construct.
As an action, you present your holy symbol and attempt to take control of a construct within 30 feet. The construct must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to your spellcasting ability modifier, or be charmed by you for 1 minute. Constructs that are immune to being charmed can still be charmed by this feature. The construct automatically succeeds on the saving throw if its CR is greater than or equal to your level.
While the construct is charmed, you have a telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use your action to telepathically command the construct to move up to its speed and take an action. The construct moves and takes its actions on your turn. You can also cause the construct to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well. If you don't issue an order, the construct defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability.
Each time the construct takes damage, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw. If the saving throw succeeds, it is no longer charmed.
Channel Electricity
At 6th level, you gain the ability to channel electricity around your body. When you make an attack with an industrial weapon or when you cast a spell that deals lightning damage, you can cause lightning sparks to form a protective shield around your body until the start of your next turn. When a creature hits you with a melee weapon attack while you are covered in sparks, they take lightning damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). A creature can only be damaged this way once per turn.
Divine Strike
At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 lightning damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Improved Domination
Starting at 17th level, you can attempt to dominate greater numbers of constructs when you use your Dominate Construct, as long as they are all within range. You can attempt to control any number of constructs with your Dominate Construct, as long as they don't have a combined CR greater than your level. You choose the order in which the constructs make the saving throws. You can use an action on your turn to telepathically command any number of them. Additionally, when a construct makes a Wisdom saving throw to avoid being charmed by Dominate Construct, they do so with disadvantage.
Way of Hulking Earth
Monks of the Way of Hulking Earth channel the might of the energy stored within the earth. These monks are typical of Vernestus, where they may spend their entire lives wandering the vast Desneran Desert, absorbing the heat given off from the blazing sands and training their bodies to be tougher than stone. Pupils training in monasteries dedicated to the Way of Hulking Earth may be sundrian champions of the Match of the Flower or cragfar and undergolems honing their elemental powers. Even orcs, given the might of their people and their ties to the sands of Vernestus, find refuge in these nomadic monasteries.
Earthen Physique
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you illustrate the might of the earth and the weight behind your step. You gain the following benefits.
Bulky Figure. You count as three-quarters cover for creatures of your choice that are your size or smaller.
Chains of the Earth. You can grapple creatures up to two sizes larger than you. When you use your action to grapple a creature, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Shifting Sands
At 6th level, you gain the ability to summon and manipulate sand by channeling your ki. When you gain this feature, choose a number of spells from the list below equal to half your Wisdom modifier, rounded up (minimum of 1). To cast one of these spells, you expend a number of ki points equal to 1 + the spell's level. Otherwise, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide material components for it.
- Shifting Sands Spells: dust devil, earthbind, earth tremor, erupting earth, flight of dust,* glimmering sands,* wall of sand
Grapple Master
At 11th level, your weighty presence and grip of iron allow you to physically command the battlefield. Your speed isn't halved as a result of grappling a creature, and you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that are grappled by you. Additionally, if you are grappled, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple your grappler.
One with Sand
At 17th level, you have achieved oneness with the desert. As a bonus action on your turn or as a reaction to taking damage, you can spend 1 ki point to become a pile of sand, along with any items you are carrying. While you are a pile of sand, you can occupy the space of another creature. You have resistance to all damage and you can pass through small holes, narrow openings, and even mere cracks. While in your sand form, you can't attack or cast spells, although you retain your ability to speak and interact with creatures and objects. You revert back to your humanoid form after one minute, you drop to 0 hit points, or you choose to do so at any time.
*Introduced in Sage's Guide to Vernestus.
Sniper Conclave (Ranger)
Rangers belonging to the Sniper conclave are experts at using gnomish firearms in long distance combat. Snipers use stealth tactics to their advantage, allowing them to kill without alerting the enemy to them or their allies. By strategically securing locations, snipers are invaluable in large scale combat.
Sniper Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Sniper Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Sniper Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | jump |
| 5th | pass without trace |
| 9th | nondetection |
| 13th | locate creature |
| 17th | conjure volley |
Bonus Proficiencies
At 3rd level, you gain proficiency with cogwork rifles, flintlocks, hipshooters, muskets, pockmarkers, and revolvers. Also, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Perception, Stealth, or Survival.
Rifle Expert
Also at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits when you use a weapon that has the steady property:
- The long range of the weapon increases by a number of feet equal to 5 x your ranger level.
- When you make an attack roll with the weapon while you are hidden, the attack doesn't immediately reveal your location. Creatures that would otherwise automatically spot you can use their reaction to make a Wisdom (Perception) check with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. If a creature fails the check or chooses not to use their reaction, you remain hidden to them.
- After you make an attack roll on your turn with the weapon, you may stow the weapon and draw a single one-handed weapon as a reaction.
High Ground
Beginning at 7th level, you're able to expertly reach vantage points when searching for prey. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
Sniper's Cover
At 11th level, you can expertly hide as long as you are within familiar terrain. While you are within your favored terrain, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Gaert Silvereyes
The most infamous sniper in all of the Crown is undoubtedly a dwarf by the name of Gaert Silvereyes. When Gaert was a boy, he was captured by a dragon, but was given a second chance at life. The dragon bet Gaert to shoot a slug at a wine bottle a mile away, or else he would become the dragon's supper. After tediously testing the wind and preparing the shot, Gaert managed to shatter the bottle. Gaert is now the head honcho of a sniper gang known as the Dragonfire
Crackshot
Starting at 15th level, your precision allows you to decimate entire hoards of creatures at once. On your turn, you can use an action to make up to ten attacks with a weapon that has the steady property. Each attack must be made against a different creature, and you must expend a powder slug for each attack.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Mounts of Vernestus
Mounted combatants from the wastes of the Desneran to the bogs of the Verns rely on horses, camels, and even mastiffs for the smaller folk as steeds to aid them in their travels. Sometimes a more specialized beast is required to carry uncommon burdens. Here are some of the unique mounts one may find in Vernestus.
Greenhoof. The greenhoof uses the statistics of the warhorse. This pale green breed of horse roams the jungles of the Vern, where they've developed a natural immunity to disease.
Silkback. The silkback uses the statistics of the riding horse. These regal horses are used by the upper echelons of knights. Their silky coat is often used to make apparel, but it also lets the rider to easily dismount the silkback by using only 5 feet of their movement.
Stone Mule. The stone mule uses the statistics of the mule. These mules often accompany undergolem travelers from the Plane of Earth. The carrying capacity of a stone mule is 100 pounds greater than that of a normal mule.
Sun Camel. The sun camel uses the statistics of the camel. Sun camels can be found roaming the Desneran, always following the sun. Sun camels only require half the food a normal camel requires and they have resistance to fire damage.
Tower Dog. The tower dog uses the statistics of the mastiff. In ancient times, tower dogs were used by humans to villages of invaders. Nowadays, the breed is used by small folk who have the coin to spare for an exquisite mount. Tower dogs have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Desperado (Rogue)
Your archetype is known by many names – the bandit, cowboy, bronco, and most commonly in Vernestus, the desperado. You fully accept the tools that the badlands have to offer, namely the saddle and the firearm. By horseback, you travel the desolate wastes as an outlaw, fighting either for the greater good or for your personal gain.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with flintlocks, muskets, nets, revolvers, and land vehicles.
Horseback Bandit
Starting at 3rd level, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. While you are mounted, you don't suffer disadvantage when making an attack with a net beyond its normal range.
You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don't need advantage on the attack roll to use your Sneak Attack against a creature if you are mounted, there are no creatures within 5 feet of you besides your mount, the creature is at least one size smaller than your mount, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Hogtie
Starting at 9th level, the escape DC of your nets is now equal to 8 + your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) modifier.
Gunsling King
At 13th level, you've mastered the art of gunslinging. When you make an attack with a firearm, you can choose for the powder slug to ricochet off a point on a surface within range before hitting your target. The powder slug travels from you to the point you choose and then bounces towards the target, potentially ignoring the target's cover if they have any.
Showdown
Starting at 17th level, you can choose to showdown with a hostile creature that you can see whenever you roll for initiative. The showdown lasts until you or the hostile creature drops to 0 hit points or until you choose another creature to showdown with. You have advantage on attack rolls against the creature you are showing down with. Additionally, you have advantage on all saving throws the creature forces you to make.
Fragment Origin (Sorcerer)
The Real God Machine was built by Ker to stabilize the Material Plane in its place, allowing for matter and life to exist. At the turn of the Second Era, the Machine was partially destroyed by Lok, partially destabilizing the world. You are one such entity that was born torn in twain or randomly bereaved of your physical body.
Your magic comes from fluctuations in the balance of the universe, allowing you to tap into the Ethereal Plane at will. With it, you have essential become a partial ghost, a mere shadow of a full being. Others of this origin often lack a complete set of emotions and clear morals, and appear strange and alien to passerby.
Fragmented Body
Starting at 1st level, your body is but a fragment of a whole. You can step into the Ethereal Plane as an bonus action on your turn. You remain there until the end of your next turn, returning to the space on the Material Plane you now occupy. If that space is occupied, you appear in the nearest unoccupied space (chosen at random if more than one space is equally near). You can also return as an action.
While on the Ethereal Plane, you can see and hear the plane you originated from, which is cast in shades of gray, and you can’t see anything there more than 60 feet away. You can only affect and be affected by other creatures on the Ethereal Plane. Creatures that aren’t there can’t perceive you or interact with you, unless they have the ability to do so.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Paranormal Flair
Also at 1st level, you have a well of ghostly power you can draw upon. You know the thaumaturgy cantrip, which doesn't count against your number of cantrips known. You can use a bonus action on each of your turns to cast thaumaturgy.
Wane
Beginning at 6th level, you can momentarily cause your body to become ghostly and intangible. Your limbs can't be bound by nonmagical bindings such as rope or manacles, and you have advantage on any Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks made to stop being grappled or restrained. You can also don or doff any armor or clothing as an action. Additionally, you can spend 1 sorcery point to cast the feather fall spell, targeting only yourself, and without needing any material components or expending a spell slot.
Incorporeal Flesh
Starting at 14th level, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical sources.
Additionally, you can move through other creatures as if they are difficult terrain. If you end your turn within a creature, you take 5 force damage and are shunted towards the nearest unoccupied space.
Destabilize Area
Starting at 18th level, you can take up to six other creatures within 60 feet of you to the Ethereal Plane when you use your Fragmented Body feature. An unwilling creature has to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC, remaining in place on a success. Once you leave the Ethereal Plane, so do all of the creatures brought there by you. When you return to the material plane, each creature returns to the space on the Material Plane it now occupies. If a creature's space is occupied, it appears in the nearest unoccupied space (chosen at random if more than one space is available).
Additionally, you gain the ability to extend your time in the Ethereal Plane. You can use a bonus action on each of your turns to extend the duration of your Fragmented Body feature until the end of your next turn, for up to 10 minutes total.
The Giga (Warlock)
You have traded for power with a gargantuan metal being with uncertain origins, capable of demolishing entire landscapes within hours. The Giga are monstrous constructs that roam Vernestus and the surrounding land, taking the vague form of common beasts. Their motivations are enigmatic, but they seem to give little heed to mortals that are in their path, simply crushing entire villages underfoot without even noticing. These metal monsters are large enough to hold entire dungeons within their bodies with untold amounts of alien denizens. Only several Giga live within Vernestus, such as Giga Gerunda, a great rabbit, Giga Vuul, a goat, and Giga Keelaxa, a camel. Null, the eldritch train engine inhabiting Vernestus, is also capable of wielding the power of the Giga.
Expanded Spell List
The Giga lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.
Giga Expanded Spells
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | absorb elements, speak with animals |
| 2nd | find traps, pass without trace |
| 3rd | glyph of warding, spirit guardians |
| 4th | dominate beast, locate creature |
| 5th | commune with nature, passwall |
World Breaker
Starting at 1st level, you deal double damage to objects and structures.
Cloak of the Mundane
Also at 1st level, the power bestowed by the Giga selectively breaks down the magical weave around you, hindering other spellcasters. When you are subjected to a spell that forces you to make a saving throw, you have advantage on the saving throw if you are the only target of the spell.
Unearthly Deflection
Beginning at 6th level, you can absorb enemy attacks and use them to bolster your own. As a reaction to taking damage, you can gain resistance to that type of damage until the start of your next turn. If you make an attack on your next turn that deals that type of damage, you have advantage on the attack roll.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Prevailing Gaze
At 10th level, you gain the uncanny ability to perfectly survey your environment, a trait the Giga use to find approachers. You can see up to 1 mile away with no difficulty, able to discern even fine details as though looking at something no more than 100 feet away from you. Additionally, dim light, heavy foliage, and weather don't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Roar of the Giga
Starting at 14th level, you have been granted the ability to roar with the might of the Giga. As an action, you can emit a thunderous roar which can be heard up to 300 feet away. Creatures in that area must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d10 thunder damage and is stunned until the end of their next turn. On a success, they take half as much damage and aren't stunned. Creatures of your choice automatically succeed on the saving throw.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Eldritch Invocations
At 2nd level, a warlock gains the Eldritch Invocations feature. Here are new options for that feature for any player playing in Vernestus, which are in addition to the options in the Player's Handbook.
Eldritch Engine
Prerequisite: eldritch blast cantrip
When you cast eldritch blast, your speed increases by 10 feet until the end of your turn.
Keelaxa's Tempest
Prerequisite: 5th level
You can cast call lightning once using a warlock spell slot. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
Null's Transport
Prerequisite: 5th level
While you are traveling at a fast pace, you can direct kinetic energy into a Gargantuan or smaller mount or vehicle that you are riding. After 1 hour of directing energy, the speed of the mount or vehicle quadruples. It maintains this bonus to its speed until it stops moving or until you finish a short or long rest. A mount does not tire while you continue to direct energy into it and vehicles that are not built to sustain great speeds do not suffer any wear and tear as a result of this feature.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a rest.
Vive of Gerunda
You can cast jump on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.
Vuul's Pit Sense
As an action, you can activate your pit sense. For 1 hour, you can sense all sources of heat within 30 feet of you. You can't sense sources of heat that are blocked by total cover.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
School of Slinging (Wizard)
Almost as long as there have been firearms in Vernestus, there have been curious students of the arcane trying to figure out how to incorporate them into their practices. By using firearms as a vessel, these wizards, known as slingers, are able to package their spells into powder slugs and use them to deliver the arcane potential. Flintlocks are the weapon of choice to slingers as they are more readily available than other firearms, and as such they are what upcoming slingers learn to use. In addition, they are lightweight and easily concealable, making flintlocks ideal for law enforcement and villainy alike.
Bonus Proficiencies
When you choose this school at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with flintlocks. You can use a flintlock as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells.
Arcane Slug Slinging
Starting at 2nd level, you can choose to cast certain wizard spells from a flintlock. Spells cast in this way must have a casting time of 1 action and deal damage to a creature other than yourself. When you fire a spell from a flintlock the range for the spell becomes the maximum range of your flintlock (typically 60 feet). If the spell requires an attack roll, you can use either your spell attack modifier or your attack modifier for the flintlock to determine the outcome of the roll.
Dark Yembora and the Sand Slingers
A cause of fear for many roaming the Desneran Desert, Dark Yembora is a sundrian renowned the world over for their impressive spell slinging abilities. Raised aboard a salvaged dune galley, it didn't take long for Yembora's aptitude to show. They staged a mutiny and have become the pirate with the greatest and most grim reputation in all of Vernestus.
With little standing in the way of Yembora, they've amassed quite a bit of power throughout the land. The Sand Slingers, agents and students of Yembora, flaunt their power at will in the prefecture of Fuum. Many see Fuum as a breakaway state, as it no longer adheres to the law of the Crown, nor does it heed any attempts of the Crown to regain sovereignty. Yembora and the Sand Slingers control Fuum and use the territory to operate pirating schemes and as their very own well of resources and manpower.
Magic Desperado
Beginning at 6th level, you can choose to fire a powder slug along with a spell you cast from your flintlock. When you roll for damage, you can choose to deal an extra 1d6 piercing damage to one creature that took damage from the spell as the powder slug hits them. Additionally, your flintlock attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical damage.
Perk
By 10th level, you've honed your slug slinging craft into a personalized style. Choose one of the following perks.
Amplify. Once per turn when you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for a spell you cast with a flintlock, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. You must have used a bonus action to steady the flintlock beforehand to gain this benefit.
Deadeye. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with flintlocks if you used a bonus action to steady the flintlock beforehand. If you cast a spell with your flintlock that requires multiple attack rolls, you only gain this bonus for the first attack roll.
Suppress. If you cast a spell from a flintlock that forms a cone or line, the spell extends an extra number of feet equal to 5 x your Intelligence modifier.
Gunmetal Amplifier
At 14th level, your flintlock amplifies spells you cast through it. When you cast a cantrip through your flintlock as an action on your turn, you can immediately cast the cantrip again as part of the same action.
Hit and Run
At 10th level, you gain a bonus to the damage you deal when you hit a creature marked by your Rally class feature with a weapon attack. This bonus equals your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1).
Assault
Starting at 15 level, you triumphantly lead your allies into battle, giving them a swift boost to their speed. When rolling for initiative, friendly creatures within 30 feet of you can add 1d6 to their initiative roll. These creatures also gain a 10 foot bonus to their walking speed on their first turn.
Unwavering Leadership
At 15th level, your unending ferocity and strong leadership holds you and your allies together in combat. Creatures can now deal the extra damage granted by your Rally class feature any number of times per turn.
Additionally, you can use a bonus action on your turn to mark a creature within 60 feet of you with your Rally class feature, instead of having to deal damage to the creature.
Industrial Fighting Style
If you are playing as a fighter, you may choose the following fighting style.
Industrial
You gain proficiency with industrial weapons.
Rogue Proficiencies
As a rogue, you gain proficiency with pockmarkers and knuckledusters.
Spell Lists
Vernestus introduces several new spells to the Dungeons & Dragons catalog. The following classes have spells added to their spell lists. The spell descriptions for these spells can be found below.
- Artificer: abstract dart, artifice ball, Gillycrest's forceful foray, Gillycrest's grim gun, purge
- Bard: gleam, sunshade, twang
- Cleric: gleam, purge, stability
- Druid: glimmering sands, repel pests, roam, swamp gas
- Paladin: stability
- Ranger: flight of dust, repel pests
- Sorcerer: Ausson's aquatic adaptation, flight of dust, gleam, sunshade, swamp gas, unstable trip
- Warlock: sunshade, swamp gas
- Wizard: abstract dart, artifice ball, Ausson's aquatic adaptation, flight of dust, gleam, glimmering sands, Sapphos' sundering, sunshade
Way of the Kensei
When you choose your kensei weapon, the cestus, knuckleduster, tekko, tigerclaw, and vajra are valid choices.
Spells
Several spells can be found in the folds of Vernestus that aren't found in any other campaign settings. Many of these spells were created by the powerful spellcasters of Vernestus' past, and the rest were created to exploit and manipulate Vernestus' resources or protect against the land's inherent dangers.
Abstract Dart
Evocation cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: V
- Duration: Instantaneous
A blocky ripple of abstract shapes streaks towards a creature within range. That creature takes 1 force damage.
This spell's damage increases by 1 when you reach 5th level (2), 11th level (3), and 17th level (4).
Artifice Ball
2nd-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
A 1-foot diameter sphere made of solidified runic magic appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within range and lasts for the duration. You or someone else can make a ranged spell attack with the sphere by kicking it. The attack has a range of 60 feet. If someone else attacks with the sphere, that attacker adds your spellcasting ability modifier, not the attacker's, to the attack roll. On a hit, the target takes force damage equal to 2d10 + your spellcasting ability modifier.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 2nd.
Ausson's Aquatic Adaptation
7th-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 minute
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (a precious shell or pearl worth at least 500 gp, which the spell consumes)
- Duration: 30 days
This spell grants you the ability to breathe underwater until the spell ends. For the duration, you also gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed, you are immune to cold damage from frigid water, and you ignore any of the drawbacks caused by a deep, underwater environment.
While you are under the effects of this spell, you may touch a willing creature and allow them to share some of its power. For the next 24 hours, they are also under the effects of this spell, except they can't give the effects of the spell to another creature. If you choose to end the spell early, it ends for both you and any creatures that share its effects. Once you bestow another creature with the effects of this spell, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest or until you cast this spell again.
Flight of Dust
3rd-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components:
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You summon swirling jets of sand and dust to lift you into the air. You gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, although you fall if you don't end your turn on the ground. As you fly, you leave a 15-foot wide wake of dust in your path, which spreads around corners and its area is heavily obscured. The dust hangs in the air for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it.
Gleam
1st-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You gleam light towards the eyes of a creature that you can see within range. That creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of their next turn. A creature automatically succeeds on their saving throw if you are within darkness.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st. If you use a spell slot of 4th level or higher, a creature has disadvantage on their saving throw if you are within bright light.
Gillycrest's Forceful Foray
4th-level enchantment
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You touch a ranged weapon and imbue it with maddening enchantments. The next time a creature hits with a ranged attack using the weapon, creatures other than the target within 20 feet of the target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, they must use their reaction to make a weapon attack against the target if the target is within range of their weapon. A creature can willingly choose to fail this saving throw.
Gillycrest's Grim Gun
4th-level necromancy
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You touch a ranged weapon and imbue it with a hunger for a grim harvest. Until the spell ends, that weapon becomes a magic weapon if it wasn't already and weapon attacks made with it deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to humanoids on a hit.
When a humanoid is killed by a weapon strengthened by this spell, they must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, their soul is destroyed. They are unable to be contacted with spells such as speak with dead and are unable to be brought back to life by any means other than a wish spell.
Glimmering Sands
3rd-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (five cloths, all of different colors)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Reincarnate: Revised
The reincarnate spell in the Player's Handbook provides a table to determine which race the humanoid takes when restored to life. You can use the following table to determine what race a humanoid brought back to life in Vernestus returns as.
d100 Race 01–05 Bot, chrone 06–07 Bot, ibakyubakog 08–12 Bot, steamcore 13–16 Cragfar, gem 17 Cragfar, nomad 18–22 Dragonborn 23–27 Dwarf, hill 28–32 Dwarf, mountain 33 Elf, dark 34–38 Elf, high 39–43 Elf, wood 44–46 Genasi, air 47–49 Genasi, earth 50–52 Genasi, fire 53–55 Genasi, water 56–58 Gnome, forest 59–63 Gnome, rock 64–67 Halfling, lightfoot 68–71 Halfling, stout 72–75 Human 76–79 Kenku, urban 80–82 Kenku, wild 83–86 Orc 87–91 Sundrian 92–93 Tiefling 94–98 Triton 99–00 Undergolem
You conjure a stream of colorful sand that flows around you for the duration. The sand catches light and reflects it into the eyes of your foes. When you cast the spell—and as a bonus action on each of your turns thereafter—you can choose a creature that you can see and that is within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is blinded until the end of their next turn. A creature automatically succeeds on their saving throw if you are within darkness.
At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, a creature has disadvantage on their saving throw if you are within bright light.
Purge
Abjuration cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Choose a humanoid that you can see within range. That creature can immediately repeat a saving throw against an effect that allows it to make a saving throw on each of its turns. Alternatively, the creature can make a saving throw against a disease that is afflicting it. If they choose to make a saving throw against a disease, that creature is unaffected by further castings of this spell until they finish a long rest.
Repel Pests
2nd-level abjuration (ritual)
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: 8 hours
You prevent intrusion from unwanted pests. For the purposes of this spell, pests are Tiny or smaller hostile beasts, including arachnids, bats, insects, snakes, rats and similar noxious creatures. Choose an area within range that is no larger than a 30-foot cube. Pests in that area are immediately teleported to the closest unoccupied space outside the area. For the duration, pests are unable to enter the area.
Roam
6th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 minute
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (a twinkling mushroom)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You call upon the Fey Reflection and invite it to roam with you. Until the spell ends, the Fey Reflection pours into a 20-foot radius sphere around you, which remains centered on you. The Fey Reflection incites glowing mushrooms, pastel flowers, and twinkles to appear on natural surfaces within the sphere. Bright light and darkness within the area are turned into a sleepy dim light. On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to target another creature within the sphere and attempt to put it to sleep. You can’t target a creature if it has succeeded on a saving throw against this casting of roam. That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or fall unconscious until the spell ends, the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. Undead and creatures immune to being charmed aren't affected by this spell.
Additionally, if any creature attempts to travel to a different plane of existence other than the Fey Reflection from within the sphere, they must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or instead appear at a random location within the Fey Reflection.
Sapphos' Sundering
6th-level conjuration
- Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you drop to 0 hit points but don't die outright
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You glimpse into the deathly hellscape of the Plane of Fire as you approach death and draw it towards your body. For the duration of the spell, you remain conscious and stable even if you are at 0 hit points.
As a bonus action on each of your turns, you can cause an incorporeal effigy of a burning soul to appear in a space you can see within range. The effigy counts as neither a creature nor an object, although it gives off incredible heat. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of an effigy or moves within 10 feet of an effigy for the first time on its turn must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 4d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
The soul of any creature killed by this spell is trapped in the Plane of Fire.
This spell ends early if you regain any hit points. If the spell ends and you still have 0 hit points, you fall unconscious and begin making death saving throws.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 6th.
Stability
5th-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (a cat's eyeball)
- Duration: 1 minute
You collapse the Ethereal Plane into the Material Plane around you. Until the spell ends, a 30-foot radius sphere of stability moves with you, remaining centered on you. Creatures and objects on the Ethereal Plane within the sphere are able to be interacted with from the Material Plane as if they were on the Material Plane. Likewise, creatures and objects on the Material Plane within the sphere are able to be interacted with from the Ethereal Plane as if they were on the Ethereal Plane.
Sunshade
1st-level abjuration
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (10-foot radius)
- Components: S
- Duration: 8 hours
Feeble darkness springs from you, causing bright light within 10 feet of you to turn into dim light. Until the spell ends, the sphere of dim light moves with you, remaining centered on you. Each friendly creature in the area (including you) has advantage on saving throws against being blinded from light. You can use an action to dismiss this spell early.
Swamp Gas
1st-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Baleful bubbles erupt from point you choose within range. Each creature in a 5-foot radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 3d4 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. When you roll a 4 on a d4 while rolling for damage with this spell, you can reroll the d4 and add it to the total damage, up to a maximum of 6d4.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage and the maximum number of d4s increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.
Twang
1st-level evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: S, M (a stringed instrument worth at least 10 gp)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You riff on the instrument used as the material component for this spell and end with a mighty twang that reverberates through the air. When you cast the spell, and as an action on each of your turns until the spell ends, you can make a ranged spell attack against a creature within range. On a hit, the creature takes 1d6 thunder damage. The damage of this spell increases by 1d6 for each attack you make that hits while you maintain concentration on it, up to a maximum of 4d6.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage and the maximum number of d6s increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
Unstable Trip
4th-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you are hit by an attack
- Range: Self
- Components: S
- Duration: 1 round
You slip into the Ethereal Plane, causing the attack to miss you. At the start of your next turn, you return to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of the space you vanished from. If no unoccupied space is available within that range, you appear in the nearest unoccupied space (chosen at random if more than one space is equally near).
While on the Ethereal Plane, you can see and hear the plane you originated from, which is cast in shades of gray, and you can't see anything there more than 60 feet away. You can only affect and be affected by other creatures on the Ethereal Plane. Creatures that aren't there can't perceive you or interact with you, unless they have the ability to do so.
Chapter 3: Backgrounds
Emerging from a history of friends and foes, quests and misdeeds, ups and downs, your character is equipped with the memories and experience that makes them the right choice to become an adventurer. Your character's background reflects all that your character did, learned, and acquired before the moment that your game of Dungeons & Dragons begins. Presented in this chapter are two background options for characters in Vernestus, the inventor and the luddite. See chapter 4 of the Player's Handbook, "Personality and Background," for more about backgrounds.
Inventor
You are among the many bright minds in Vernestus that dedicate their lives to the creation of brand new innovations. You streamline daily life by inventing and manufacturing unique objects. Perhaps you developed a weapon of war and sold it to the highest bidder, you partake in the manufacturing of steamcores for the Crown, or you fancy crafting your own firearms over those made by others.
- Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Insight
- Tool Proficiencies: Tinker's tools, vehicles (land)
- Equipment: A set of common clothes, a book of schematics and musings, tinker's tools, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Area of Expertise
A successful inventor is the expert on a particular subject. Choose or randomly determine your area of expertise that defines you as an inventor.
| d8 | Area of Expertise |
|---|---|
| 1 | Armor |
| 2 | Firearms |
| 3 | Gadgets |
| 4 | Machines |
| d8 | Area of Expertise |
|---|---|
| 5 | Magic items |
| 6 | Potions |
| 7 | Vehicles |
| 8 | Steamcore |
Feature: Masterful Invention
You are the creator of an invention that you built for some group, such as a local county, guild, or company. Because of your invention, this particular group has seen an increase in success. This group acknowledges your contribution by offering you and your adventuring companions with a place to stay, and they may grant you monetary assistance if you are in dire need of it. If you fail to maintain friendly relations, the group is by no means obligated to offer aid. Talk with your DM about the invention you created and which organization adopted it.
Suggested Characteristics
Inventors are often quirky folk, having a reputation of having above average smarts, but poor social skills, although this isn't necessarily the case with all inventors. You have a mind fit for problem solving and critical thinking, even when the threat of an enemy looms near.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I assume that others will understand what I say, even when I speak with jargon and technobabble. |
| 2 | I keep my chin up, even when my plans end in failure. |
| 3 | My mentor taught me everything that I know, and I wish to spread that knowledge to all that I can. |
| 4 | I yearn to help others. |
| 5 | In a formal setting, I can never seem to find the right words. Otherwise, I blather constantly. |
| 6 | I analyze each and every scenario as if it were a problem, and only I can find the solution. |
| 7 | I get so caught up in my thoughts that others assume I have a bad attention span. They're mostly right. |
| 8 | I only share my ideas with others if I know they are without flaw. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Humanism. Invent to solve the problems plaguing us all. (Good) |
| 2 | Entrepreneurship. Don't waste time on activities that aren't profitable. (Neutral) |
| 3 | Advancement. We must push technology further if we want a better society. (Lawful) |
| 4 | Devotion. Once you take on a task, always see it through to the end. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Technocracy. Those that wield the most dangerous inventions are those that ought to rule. (Evil) |
| 6 | Creativity. Always show your true colors. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep my workshop spick and span, as its where I spend my of my time. |
| 2 | Nothing is more important to me than my book of diagrams. |
| 3 | I teach my apprentice all that I know so one day they may take over for me. |
| 4 | My loyalty is to my kingdom and the people within. |
| 5 | No one may know the precious secrets that underlay all of my inventions. |
| 6 | I am eternally grateful for the tutelage of my master. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I rarely get an adequate amount of sleep since I stay up all night working on my inventions. |
| 2 | I think I work best when there's a heavy amount of mead running through my body. |
| 3 | I am a complete sham. |
| 4 | I publicly show myself as an inventor, but its a cover up to hide my true business. |
| 5 | My inventions explode with alarming frequency. |
| 6 | I am slow to trust others, as I think they want to steal my trade secrets. |
Luddite
Many sing the praises for the swift uprise of technology in Vernestus, although it isn't without its dissent. Farming folk, outlanders, and those living on the brink of civilization get along just fine without any fancy technology, even preferring the way that things once were. Luddites band together to advocate for the control and downsizing of technology across the land.
- Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Athletics
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a mess kit, a minor family heirloom, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Old Ways
You have made a living for yourself that relies on deeply rooted interpersonal relationships. You belong to a tightly knit community that thinks highly of you and will readily accept your ideas. Members of your community will give you a place to hide, rest, or recuperate, unless you start to show yourself to be dangerous to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.
Suggested Characteristics
Luddites are often well-meaning, down to earth, family oriented folk. Most lead simple lives in rural environments, resenting the hustle and bustle of cities. Wherever you find yourself, you likely value the traditional way of doings things, as its foolish to try and fix those things that aren't broken.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don't mind getting my hands dirty when the task at hand calls for it. |
| 2 | Nothing calms me down like a clear open sky. |
| 3 | Family comes before any other organization. |
| 4 | Bartering is my preferred method of procuring goods and services. |
| 5 | Magic is much too complicated for me to grasp. |
| 6 | I fret constantly about the advances of technology and how they will undermine my way of life. |
| 7 | I value honesty over any other virtue. |
| 8 | I follow the path laid down by my ancestors. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Protection. I stick up for those that need it. (Good) |
| 2 | Orthodoxy. Stick to the traditional, proven ways of doing things. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Propagandize. Keep the public unwitting, so only the knowledgeable remain in power. (Evil) |
| 4 | Tribute. Respect the deceased and pay homage to those that have done you well. (Lawful) |
| 5 | Rebellion. Strike when its least expected and stir revolution. (Chaotic) |
| 6 | Community. The people around you are the ones that matter the most. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will do whatever it takes to recover my family's stolen heirloom. |
| 2 | I lead a local band of like minded luddites that thwart technological innovation. |
| 3 | My tools define who I am and what I am capable of doing, so I take them with me wherever I go. |
| 4 | I protect the lives of the working man. |
| 5 | Someday I wish to return to my home village and raise a family of my own. |
| 6 | All the treasures and baubles I gather during my adventures go to support my family. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | My dislike of technology extends to all those who use it. |
| 2 | I secretly admire fancy gadgets, but I fear I would be rejected by my community if I were to engage with them. |
| 3 | I'm rather grouchy and enjoy a fine drink. |
| 4 | I destroy machines when I see them, regardless of who they belong to. |
| 5 | I'm not afraid to say what's on my mind, especially if I get a good reaction out of somebody. |
| 6 | I dislike the idea of newcomers entering my community, especially if we aren't of the same race. |
Chapter 4: Equipment
Icons of Vernestus include the grandiose barges of the sundrians barreling over desert dunes and the mountains of powder kegs that power gnomish clockwork guns. This chapter includes new equipment available for the adventurers of Vernestus to purchase in addition to the equipment found in chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook, "Equipment."
Markets across Vernestus are places where culture and livelihoods thrive. The domains of Vernestus depend on trade with each other to succeed, and as such Vernal governments place a large emphasis on supporting the development of trade routes and the protection of caravans.
Copper, silver, gold, and platinum pieces are the most common forms of currency. Gems, artifacts, and magic goods are uncommon commodities, but will often fetch a hefty amount of coin with the right buyer. Many reputable locations may exchange labor or favors for goods.
Starting Wealth
Chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook, "Equipment," describes how much wealth you start with when you create a character if you choose to pass the equipment you gain from your class and background. If you are playing a guerrilla character, see the Starting Wealth by Class table to determine how much gold you have to spend.
Starting Wealth by Class
| Class | Funds |
|---|---|
| Guerrilla | 2d4 x 10 gp |
Industrial Weapons
Industrial weapons are a new weapon type for adventures set within Vernestus. Rock gnomes, blessed with knowledge given by the god of constructs, created the first industrial weapons. With innovations in technology and magic, industrial weapons of exquisite craft have entered the stage along with typical fantasy weapons. Ranged industrial weapons may be referred to as firearms.
Although members of all races have adopted the use of industrial weapons, their design often incorporates gnomish motifs. The percolation of gnomish culture across the world is a point of pride for many gnomes, as well as the steamcore, a race created by the gnomes.
The Industrial Weapons table shows you the new weapons available to you in Vernestus, their price and weight, the damage they deal when they hit, and any special properties they possess. See chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook, "Equipment," for more information about weapons, as well as a list of simple and martial weapons.
Industrial Weapons
| Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Melee Weapons | ||||
| Cestus | 10 gp | 1d6 bludgeoning | 1 lb. | Hand, light |
| Knuckleduster | 10 gp | 1d4 bludgeoning | 1/2 lb. | Finesse, hand, light |
| Tekko | 15 gp | 1d4 slashing | 1/4 lb. | Finesse, hand, light |
| Tigerclaw | 35 gp | 1d8 slashing | 1½ lb. | Finesse, hand |
| Vajra | 15 gp | 1d6 piercing | 1 lb. | Hand, light |
| Industrial Ranged Weapons | ||||
| Blunderbuss | 100 gp | 1d8 piercing | 5 lb. | Ammunition (range 20/60), loud, spread, two-handed |
| Cogwork rifle | 250 gp | 2d6 piercing | 9 lb. | Ammunition (range 150/600), loading, loud, steady, two-handed |
| Crank shotgun | 150 gp | 1d12 piercing | 5 lb. | Ammunition (range 30/120), heavy, loud, spread, two-handed |
| Firebomb | 220 gp | 1d10 fire | 14 lb. | Ammunition (range 10/30), heavy, spread, two- handed |
| Flintlock | 100 gp | 1d6 piercing | 2 lb. | Ammunition (range 20/60), light, loading, steady |
| Hipshooter | 250 gp | 1d8 piercing | 4 lb. | Ammunition (range 80/320), loud, spread, steady |
| Musket | 120 gp | 1d10 piercing | 8 lb. | Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, loud, steady, two-handed |
| Pepperbox | 130 gp | 1d8 piercing | 3 lb. | Ammunition (range 80/320), loud, spread |
| Phoenix | 200 gp | 1d10 fire | 9 lb. | Ammunition (range 100/400), loading, loud, two- handed |
| Pockmarker | 50 gp | 1d4 piercing | 2 lb. | Ammunition (20/60), light, steady |
| Revolver | 200 gp | 1d8 piercing | 2 lb. | Ammunition (30/120), light, loud, steady |
| Ammunition | ||||
| Powder slug (5) | 1 gp | — | 1/2 lb. | — |
Weapon Properties
Some industrial weapons have special properties not found among those in the Player's Handbook, as shown in the Industrial Weapons table.
Hand. This weapon is made to fit over your hand. Your hand is considered free while wielding this weapon, and you can use your hand to provide somatic components or hold another weapon or object.
Loud. When you make an attack with this weapon, it creates a loud noise audible up to 300 feet away, alerting any creatures within the area of your presence.
Spread. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with this weapon.
Steady. You can use a bonus action on your turn to ignore the disadvantage granted from attacking beyond the weapon's normal range. The steadying effect lasts until the start of your next turn.
Dune Vehicles
Sundrians are known for their cunning wit and craftsmanship, but not necessarily for their creativity. Dune vehicles are technological marvels created by the sundrians from reverse-engineered gnomish technology.
Resembling ships you would find at sea, dune vehicles are able to sail across the sand of deserts. Many fear exploring the Desneran desert for fear of meeting a dune barge staffed with sundrian pirates. However, dune vehicles are able to be purchased as equipment for adventurers.
Vehicle Proficiency. If you have proficiency with vehicles (land), you can add your proficiency bonus to any check you make to control a dune vehicle in difficult circumstances.
Dune Vehicles
| Item | Cost | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Caravan boat | 4,500 gp | 1 mph |
| Desert galley | 45,000 gp | 4 mph |
| Dune sailboat | 12,000 gp | 3 mph |
| Dune schooner | 28,000 gp | 3 mph |
| Wind dinghy | 75 gp | 2 mph |
Common Magic Items
Powerful magic items are rare across Vernestus, only belonging to individuals of particularly great privilege or found sprinkled across the land, deep within the most dangerous dungeons and crypts. However, more mundane magic items are commonly seen throughout, often integrated with some form of technology. The following are some of these common items that you are likely to come across in Vernestus. See chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, "Treasure," for more information about magic items.
Arcane Holster
Wondrous item, common
Any firearm weighing 10 pounds or less can fit entirely within the holster, regardless of its volume. Any items other than firearms are unable to fit within the holster.
Antilockpick
Wondrous item, common
This odd key shaped object has 3 charges. You can insert the antilockpick into a mundane lock and expend a charge to permanently transmute the internal mechanisms of the lock to a state that renders all existing keys for that lock unusable. The antilockpick regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
Autoreel
Wondrous item, common
This reel is made to fit around your wrist and attach to a single weapon. The reel has a line that extends up to 60 feet. On your turn, you can cause the reel to draw a weapon on the end of the line back into your hand, no action required.
Bag of Minor Gaana Stones
Wondrous item, common
This bag comes with 1d20+10 shiny black stones. Any creature holding the bag of stones can cast the magic stone cantrip, as long as they use the gaana stones as part of the spell. After a gaana stone is used, it disappears in a silent burst as it planeshifts to the Plane of Earth.
Boots of the Caravan
Wondrous item, common
These boots don't leave footprints in sand.
Candle of Bug Repelling
Wondrous item, common
Used by the canoe traders of Vernestus' bayou, this candle is adept at repelling pesty bugs. Nonmagical insects and arachnids are unable to move closer than 15 feet to the candle while it is alight.
Candle of Ignition
Wondrous item, common
This candle is kept in a glass tube. Once removed from the tube, the candle will automatically ignite after 1 minute.
Celestial Toy Box
Wondrous item, common
This wooden box is decorated with flourishing angelic symbols and contains 2 cubic feet of space. Additionally, it comes with a random fanciful childrens' toy. If the toy is left in the box for 8 hours without the box being opened, it magically transforms into a different toy. You can use the following table to determine the form the toy takes.
| d8 | Toy |
|---|---|
| 1 | Doll |
| 2 | Leather ball |
| 3 | Popgun |
| 4 | Spinning top |
| d8 | Toy |
|---|---|
| 5 | Toy animal |
| 6 | Wooden blocks |
| 7 | Wooden train |
| 8 | Yo-yo |
Cog of the Timekeeper
Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)
These cogs were originally used by the ancestral chrones enacting the functions of the Machine, but have become commonplace as watches. While you are attuned to this item, you always know the time on your current plane of existence.
If you are a chrone, the cog also gifts you certain mental benefits while you are attuned to it. You can perform mathematical operations with ease, and perfectly remember everything that happened within the past 7 days of being attuned to the cog.
Flashpaper
Wondrous item, common
This thick white paper has a glossy sheen to it. If you set fire to the paper while you hold it, it does not burn, but rather the scenery in your field of view appears as an image on the glossy side. Afterwards, the paper loses its magical properties.
Glimmer Slug
Weapon (powder slug), common
When shot, the point this powder slug hits begins to glow, shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. The light fades after 1 minute.
Gnomish War Whistle
Wondrous item, common
When you blow on this whistle, only steamcores are able to perceive the sound.
Hearing Screw
Wondrous item, common
This ordinary looking screw is able to hear your voice. When you instruct the screw to insert itself into an object, it will fly up to 30 feet and do so. After inserting itself into an object, it will no longer listen unless a creature calls its serial number (inscribed on the screw). When called, the screw will fall out of an object and fly up to 30 feet towards the creature that called its serial number and drop at their feet.
Keystone Cube
Wondrous item, common
This 1-foot stone cube is completely weightless and is only able to be moved from force provided by creatures. Force from objects, spells, gravity, and weather fail to move the cube.
Machinist's Gloves
Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)
As an action, you can cause the tips of the gloves to sprout a set of ethereal tinkers' tools. You can dismiss the ethereal tinkers' tools as an action.
Monocle of Diagnosis
Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)
This monocle has 3 charges. While you are wearing the monocle, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges and target an object of size Huge or smaller. For 1 minute, you perceive the object's strong points to glow green and the object's weak points to glow red. The brightness of the glow depends on how strong or weak each point is. The monocle regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
Rainbow Slug
Weapon (powder slug), common
This special powder slug deals a random type of damage when fired from a firearm. When you hit with a rainbow slug, roll on the following table to determine the type of damage the slug deals.
| d8 | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Acid |
| 2 | Cold |
| 3 | Fire |
| 4 | Force |
| d8 | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| 5 | Lightning |
| 6 | Poison |
| 7 | Psychic |
| 8 | Thunder |
Ring of Sharpness
Ring, common (requires attunement)
While wearing this ring, weapons in your possession never dull. Additionally, body parts such as teeth, claws, and spines never dull.
Ring of Spring
Ring, common (requires attunement)
This ring has 3 charges. While you are wearing the ring, you can use an action to expend 1 of its charges can cause the ring to transform into a spring and leap up to 5 feet away from you, striking with great force. You can use the ring to attempt to knock a creature prone, force open a door, or something else at your DM's discretion, using the ring's statistics (Strength score of 18). After being used, the spring transforms back into a ring. The ring regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
Rod of Hand Extension
Rod, common
This 10-foot long bronze rod has a metallic hand on one end and an ergonomic grip on the other. While holding the rod with one hand, you can manipulate the metallic hand as competently as you could your own hand. The hand is incapable of effectively using weapons, however.
Jar of Shade
Wondrous item, common
This glass jar contains 20 ounces of the essence of shade. As an action, you can spread 1 ounce of shade over an area of up to 1 square foot. The shade remains for 8 hours, or until a creature uses their action to sweep it away.
Phial of Goodpolish
Potion, common
This glossy red phial contains 8 ounces of a sweet smelling liquid known as goodpolish. Dropping 1 ounce of goodpolish onto a metal surface instantly cleans 25 square feet of the metal.
Sack of Loyal Sand
Wondrous item, common
This sack is filled with 100 pounds of seemingly ordinary sand. As an action, you can hold up the sack and speak the sand's command word, causing all spilled loyal sand within 60 feet of you to flow back into the sack.
Sponge Stone
Wondrous item, common
This porous stone is small enough to fit in your hand. If placed in water, it will sponge up to 5 gallons. The stone never leaks, unless you use an action to squeeze the stone and release up to 1 gallon of water.
Silencing Chip
Wondrous item, common
This small black chip can be placed on any metal surface, such as a firearm or loud machinery. Once attached, any sounds originating from within a 1-foot radius of the chip are muffled, only allowing sounds from within to be heard up to 5 feet away.
Also, due to the ability of the chip to silence the area, it grants resistance to thunder damage to any object or creature that fits entirely within a 1-foot radius area of the chip.
Once the chip is removed from a metal surface, its effects stop.
Tinkerer's Coin of Rescue
Wondrous item, common
As an action, you can churn the coin between your fingers, instantaneously ending your attunement to one of your magic items. Once used, the coin disappears. Cursed items are unaffected by this coin.
Wings of Tectonica
Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)
These wings are fashioned out of mystical roc feathers and are used by the mighty duskrinde warriors on the Plane of Earth. When you fall and aren't incapacitated, you can subtract up to 30 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend.
Chapter 5: Customization Options
Your choice of race, class, and background are the core building blocks that make up your character. However, these choices represent broad categories. Your character is a unique individual with a multitude of flourishing qualities. Some character concepts aren't able to be fully realized with the options laid out before you previously. This chapter focuses on ways to further customize your character with optional rules.
Multiclassing
Titles such as clerics, fighters, monks, and wizards do not encompass all of those that call Vernestus their home. Some characters mix the classes presented in chapter 2, "Class Options," and the classes found in the Player's Handbook to create multiclass characters. Multiclassing is an optional rule that your DM may choose to include in your campaign. See chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook, "Customization Options," for more about the rules of multiclassing.
Prerequisites
To qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score prerequisites for both your current class and your new one. See the Multiclassing Prerequisites table and page 163 of the Player's Handbook for the prerequisites necessary to multiclass.
Multiclassing Prerequisites
| Class | Ability Score Minimum |
|---|---|
| Guerrilla | Dexterity 13 and Charisma 13 |
Proficiencies
When you first gain a level in a class other than your initial class, you gain only some of the new class's starting proficiencies. See the Multiclassing Proficiencies table and page 164 of the Player's Handbook for the proficiencies you gain.
Multiclassing Proficiencies
| Class | Proficiencies Gained |
|---|---|
| Guerrilla | Light armor, shields, simple weapons, improvised weapons |
Feats
Your choice of class represents the majority of the abilities that your character possesses. A fighter adeptly wields a sword as a wizard deftly casts spells from a spellbook. However, classes alone do not represent the full breadth of abilities that a character can use.
Feats are an optional rule that your DM may choose to include. At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking that feature to take a feat of your choice instead. Below is a list of feats available to characters adventuring within Vernestus. See chapter 6 of the Player's Handbook, "Customization Options," for more feats and additional rules regarding feats.
Desert Survivalist
You have adapted to life in the desert. You gain the following benefits:
- You're naturally acclimated to hot climates.
- You can go up to a day before beginning to suffer the effects of not eating or drinking.
- You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks you make while you are in a desert.
- You have resistance to damage from natural desert phenomena, which includes sand storms, cactus spines, and burning sands.
Heavy Arms Specialist
You prefer explosions and kaboomery over precision and finesse. You gain the following benefits:
- You ignore the loading property of firearms with which you are proficient and have the heavy property.
- You gain a +5 bonus to damage rolls when you score a critical hit with a firearm that has the heavy property.
Iron Pugilist
Adopting tools of iron, you've honed your fist fighting skills. You gain the following benefits:
- When a hostile creature moves within reach of a weapon you are wielding that has the hand property, you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature with the hand weapon.
- When you use your action to successfully escape from a grapple on your turn, you can use your bonus action to make an attack with a weapon that has the hand property.
- When a hostile creature uses their action to make an unarmed strike or natural weapon attack against you, you can use your reaction to make an attack with a weapon that has the hand property.
Quickdraw
You have carefully perfected the art of the quickdraw, giving you the upper hand on foes attempting ambush. You gain the following benefits:
- On your first turn of combat, you can automatically draw up to two weapons that have the light property.
- When you roll for initiative, you can roll 1d6 and add it to your initiative roll.
- You can use a reaction on your turn to steady up to two weapons that have the light and steady properties.
Scrapper
By spending your time scavenging for abandoned resources, you have become an adept scrapper. You gain the following benefits.
- You gain proficiency with tinker's tools.
- During a short rest, you can use tinker's tools to work up to 3 pounds of metal. For each pound of metal you work, you create 5 powder slugs.
- Instead, you can use tinker's tools during a short rest to repair robotic creatures and machines. You can work on up to five creatures or objects made of metal. At the end of the short rest, the creatures and objects you work on regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your proficiency bonus.
- Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to metal, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Technology Rebel
Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
Either you're an active protester against the rise of technology in Vernestus, or you wish to prove that magic is superior to silly mechanisms. You gain the following benefits:
- You gain a +5 bonus to attack and damage rolls made against objects.
- When you speak, your words become magically scrambled to any constructs that can hear you. When a construct hears you speak, they can make a Wisdom (Insight) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the construct is able to understand your words. Otherwise, the construct perceives your voice as low pitched static.
- You can use an action to mystically become invisible to constructs until the start of your next turn. This effect ends early if you move, attack, or cast a spell.
Racial Feats
Your character primarily changes when they level up by gaining features from their class. If your DM uses the optional feats rule, then your character may also be fine tuned in that manner. Racial feats are similar to normal feats, but they represent developments related to your choice of race. Only truly exceptional members of any given race may have the abilities described by racial feats. In addition to the racial feats below, you can find more racial feats in chapter 1 of Xanathar's Guide to Everything, "Character Options."
Aberrant Orbs
Prerequisite: Bot (ibakyubakog)
The orbs you summon with your Holy Guardian trait have evolved to have new effects, either as a result of your tether to a specific angel or a defect with your functioning. When you channel an orb as a bonus action, you can choose from the following effects or the healing effect described in your Holy Guardian trait:
- The orb crackles with energy, causing a creature within 5 feet of you to take 1d4 + 1 lightning damage.
- The orb pushes with the force of a great winds, causing a creature of your choice within 5 feet of you to be pushed 1d4 x 5 feet away from you.
- The orb defensively flutters around a creature of your choice within 5 feet of you, granting that creature a +1d4 bonus to their AC until the start of your next turn.
Bayou Dweller
Prerequisite: Kenku
As a natural denizen of the musty bayous of Vernestus, you have managed to make a living there despite the hazardous living conditions. You gain the following benefits:
- You are immune to disease.
- You gain a swimming speed of 30 feet.
- You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance to poison damage.
- You have proficiency with waterborne vehicles, and you have advantage on any ability check made to control such vehicles.
Bloom Wrestler
Prerequisite: Sundrian
You are either a champion of the Match of the Flower, or you have innately sharp spines. In either case, you have developed spines much more deadly than those of the average sundrian, granting you the following benefits:
- The damage you deal with your spines is now equal to half your Constitution score (rounded up).
- You have advantage with Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple another creature.
- You can make unarmed strikes using your spines. On a hit, you deal 1d10 piercing damage.
Deepest's Undeath
Prerequisite: Triton
The tendrils of Xoen the Deepest have latently taken their toll on you, sending you into a quasi-undeath. You gain the following benefits:
- As a reaction to taking damage from a magical source, you can gain resistance to all of the triggering damage, unless the damage is radiant. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest.
- As a reaction to being hit by a critical hit, you can turn that hit into a normal hit. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
- When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead, unless the damage that causes you to do so is radiant. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Elemental Attunement
Prerequisite: Genasi
Your innate connection to the elements grows alongside you, developing into a secondary elemental typing. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
You gain resistance to the chosen damage type. Additionally, when you cast a spell that is related to air, earth, fire, or water that deals damage, you can cause it to deal the chosen damage type instead.
Based on your choice of damage type, you also learn a cantrip: acid splash for acid, frostbite for cold, fire bolt for fire, shocking grasp for lightning, or thunderclap for thunder. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip.
Gnome Chattel
Prerequisite: Bot (steamcore)
You have been outfitted with upgrades making yourself more suitable for gnomish biddings. You gain the following benefits:
- You can speak, read, and write Gnomish.
- You have been outfitted to be able to be ridden. A Small or smaller creature can ride on your back if you allow it. In such a situation, you continue to act independently, not as a controlled mount.
- You grant half cover to a creature that is riding you.
- When a creature that is riding you rolls a 1 or 2 on a damage die for a ranged weapon, they can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2.
Greater Orbs
Prerequisite: Bot (ibakyubakog)
The orbs you summon with your Holy Guardian trait have grown more potent. You gain the following benefits:
- You roll a d6 instead of a d4 for determining the effects of your orbs.
- The range for your orbs increases by 5 feet.
- When you channel an orb as a bonus action, roll a d20. On a roll of 10 or higher, the orb is not destroyed.
Might of Tectonica
Prerequisite: Cragfar (duskrinde)
Through diligent training, you have awakened a might within you. You gain the following benefits:
- When you fall and aren't incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage.
- You do not expend a use of your Sturdy trait when you use it while you are on a surface made of stone.
- You roll a d8 instead of a d6 when using your Brawn trait.
Planetouched
Prerequisite: Tiefling
You have spent significant enough time on a certain elemental plane of existence. Due to your natural receptivity to the Planes, you've adapted your physical body to suite that plane. Choose one of the following planes: The Plane of Air, the Plane of Earth, the Plane of Fire, or the Plane of Water. You gain the following benefits:
- You learn one of the following cantrips: control flames for fire, gust for air, mold earth for earth, or shape water for water. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
- As a bonus action on your turn, you can transform into the material associated with the plane you chose until the start of your next turn. While transformed in this way, your speed is 0, you can't take actions or reactions, you have immunity to all damage, and you can't be targeted by spells or attacks. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Sand Bending
Prerequisite: Cragfar (netterinde)
You've tapped into your elemental history, allowing you to bend streams of sand to your will. You gain the following benefits:
- You learn the mold earth cantrip.
- You can cast earth tremor once as a 1st-level spell and dust devil once as a 2nd-level spell. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You must finish a long rest before you can cast either spell in this way again.
- By momentarily conjuring puffs of sand, you can use your Desert Stride feature anywhere, regardless if sand is present or not.
Stability of the Machine
Prerequisite: Bot (chrone)
As a fundamental cog of the the Real God Machine, your position in the universe is inherently stable. You gain the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You have advantage with saving throws against being forcefully banished or teleported.
- While you are on a plane of existence other than your native plane, you can use an action to teleport to the last location where you finished a long rest on your native plane. Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until 7 days have passed.
Superior Gaana
Prerequisite: Undergolem
Your gaana embiggens, strengthening the power of your gaana stones. You gain the following benefits:
- You can now have up to two gaana stones at a time and gain the benefits of each.
- As an action, you can toss one of your gaana stones up to 60 feet to a point you can see, causing it to explode in a burst of colorful smoke on impact. The smoke expands in a 10-foot-radius sphere. The sphere moves around corners and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for 1 minute or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. Any creature that is in the sphere when it explodes must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. On a failed save, the creature is subjected to a condition based on the color of your gaana stone.
Artwork Credit
Cover by phazone
Ibakyubakogs by Andrew S.
Ibakyubakog Background from tokkoro.com
Steamcore Heads by Rusty Locke
Steamcore by Gun Kim
Steamcore Background by Zicuta
Cragfar by artuarts
Cragfar Background by SIERRAREYNA
Gems by LaPetiteMascarade
Dragonborn possibly from Dungeons & Dragons
Dwarves from Wizards of the Coast
Treasure by Leo Hartas
Elf by WillDan
Starry Sky from Vidalcuglietta
Water Genasi by Misanthropester
Genasi Background by LozanoX
Gnome and Steamcore by Reytatouille
Halflings by meekowdesigns
Halfling Village by Lukasz Wiktorzak
Human Shaman from Pathfinder
Wild Kenku by shendin
Kenku Background from Wizards of the Coast
Koveness by nyamesis
Fantasy Jungle Background by kawsarxk
Orc by Eric Belisle
Orc Background by JohanJaeger
Sundrian by oddfolder
Sundrian Background by rambled
Cactus by Plaindealing
Tiefling by Etoli
Hellscape possibly from Dungeons & Dragons
Triton by Korborau
Undergolem by Andrew S.
Undergolem masks by Andrew S.
Undergolem background by Galvin-wolf
Orbs by YoshiGo99
Compass by Tottor
Bard from Pathfinder
Town by Thomas Schmall
Cleric by theDURRRRIAN
Sundrian Monk by Andrew S.
Desert Town from RuneScape
Sniper by Serg-Natos
Sniper Background by Charity A. Lamb
Tiefling Cowgirl by thedustyleaves
Desperado Background by inetgrafx
Ghost from Pathfinder
Ghost Background from wallpapermaiden
Slinger by Zafran Ghazale
Slinger Background from tokkoro.com
Forest Landscape from stmed.net
Guerrilla by NatteRavnen
Forest Path by grrroch
Hay Bales by Cheri Wollenberg
Guerrilla Table Background by anndr
Sun by Suzanne Nicoll
Halfling Martyr by R.M. Jansen-Parks
Desert from Gallsource.com
Voodoo Elf from Pathfinder
Swamp from Magic the Gathering
Well by ArtMari
Chests by Runescape
Coin Pile from Pathfinder
Rifle by City of Steam
Fantasy Guns by puppyvampire
Sundrian by OstrigolCO
Dune Sailboat by Thomas Herbrich
Whistle by Andrew S.
Sand by Andrew S.
Trident by carlgnash
Water Genasi by David Baldridge
Ocean Background by tnounsy
Chrone Woman by Andrew S.
Feats Background by Valery Rybakow
Lightning Orbs from the Elder Scrolls