My DM Sandbox

A side blog dedicated to turning images, quotes, and random thoughts into playable (if Homebrew) ttrpg material. Mostly DnD and pathfinder as those are the ones I am playing/GMing in.

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Swordtember Day 9: Glistening

“These are my friends, see how they glisten. See this one shine, how it smiles in the light, my friends!”

In honor of a beloved Sondheim musical… The Barber’s Silver Straight-Razors

Wielded by an infamous mad barber, each one of his silvered shaving razors was infused with a portion of his thirst for blood and vengeance. They were supposed to have been destroyed upon his death, but a little corruption and a lot of profit saw most end up in the cupboards of collectors…and copycats. Each +1 dagger deals slashing damage that counts as silver and magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances. 

If the wielder is attuned to the razor, when it is used as part of an attack against a surprised or unsuspecting opponent, it deals critical damage on a natural roll of 19 or 20. In addition, if the wielder is proficient in medicine or barber’s tools, they deal an extra 1d6 sneak attack damage regardless of whether the hit was a crit. 

Due to their unwieldy nature, the daggers cannot be thrown. “Speak to me, friends. Whisper, I'll listen”

Fragments of the mad barber’s spirit inhabit these blades to this day, urging violence, especially upon those who have wronged the wielder or the barber while he was alive. These weapons are cursed. The curse applies only when attuned, but the wielder will not be aware of its nature until…

“Soon you will drip precious rubies…”

When presented with the opportunity to use their power, such as an unsuspecting victim, or anyone requesting a shave, the wielder must restrain their hand from spiling ruby blood to assuage the razor’s thirst. Make a Wisdom saving throw, on a 5 or less, you must attack them! On a 10 or less you can resist, but you have to visibly strain and struggle to do so, which observers may notice. You have disadvantage on this saving throw if you, a loved one, or the Mad Barber’s spirit has been wronged in any way by the target. 

“Feel how well it fits as it floats across the throats of hypocrites”

After any will save failure or kill made with the blade, their thirst is sated, for a time. This curse will not take effect for 24 hours.  Adventure hook: The mad barber’s ghost has been spotted around town as people start dropping dead with their throats cut. People blame the ghost, but the people being killed are innocents and the deep wounds are exceptionally real…something does not add up!

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Swordtember Day 8: Opalescence

The cloth falls away from the blade as you lift it free of the velvet-lined case only for the light of your candle to pool and ripple along the mother-of-pearl sheen it reveals…fascinating. Next thing you know the guards are cuffing you and dragging you away from that beautiful sword…

Pearldeep Blade

The surface of this eternally sharp and clean sword is covered in the most intricate patterns which captures both light and the attention of any foolish enough to stare upon it. The secret of these enchantments is long lost to time, or as myth would have it, the depth of the ocean, but fortunate adventurers or foolish treasure seekers may come across such blades of all shapes and sizes. 

Each such magic blade, whether it be a dagger or greatsword, has a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, and glows with a constant iridescence in the faintest of light, raising the visibility around it by one step (from darkness to low-light, or low-light to bright). Additionally, if held still as an action and used to reflect the nearest light source towards an onlooker’s eyes, the blade can be used to captivate and enthrall them. 

An opponent so targeted must make a wisdom saving throw, DC 13 for a low-light source, 15 for a bright light, or be incapacitated as long as you hold the blade still. They may repeat this saving throw at the end of each minute, and any amount of damage will snap them out of the effect. Curse: Sun’s Gleam.  These blades were made for the ocean depths or dark dungeons, in the bright light of day, their shimmering sheen is such that even its wielder can be caught in its spell. The blade's magic does not function outside in bright daylight. Additionally, on a critical failure on an attack roll, the wielder is caught in the blade’s spell, and will be incapacitated until they take damage or an ally uses an action to shake them out of it. 

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Swordtember Day 7: Flow

“I have you cornered, scum. Did you think I would ever permit the finest swordsman in the kingdom to get remotely near to me??”

You tire of his monologue and press your thumb against the sapphire in the crossguard of your scimitar. You watch the baron’s eyes go wide with horror as you strike him down from halfway across the room with a whip-like lash of water.

Seafoam Scimitar

Popular among pirates and adventurers the Seafoam Scimitar is a +1 rapier that deals exclusively slashing damage. Three times per day it can be activated as a bonus action to turn into a whip-like tendril of woven water with an edge as sharp as steel. This whip lasts for a minute, during which you can make melee weapon attacks against targets up to 20 feet away, these attacks ignore cover penalties. To maintain its power, the blade requires regular cleaning with salt water, though sea brine is preferable. 

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Swordtember Day 6: Entangling

You grimace. The girl circles you with a calculating eye. Her dagger if it can even be called that, is little more than a thin iron spike, your claymore will cut her in two. If she will stop dodging for half a second and fight. But she keeps ducking and weaving around your powerful strokes, feinting small jabs that barely brush your tunic. Soon she will make a mistake and…your arms won’t lift…your legs catch against one another and then are bound fast to each other. Somehow your own clothes have been turned against you… The Witch’s Stitch This deceptively simple poignard is, in fact, a cursed knitting needle. Devised by an enterprising mage who sought to render the tedious hobby laughably easy, a batch of “enchanted” needles was created that would animate threads and get them to bind to one another. The moronic mage forgot to limit the needles’ power to a specific type of thread. Whenever you strike a foe with The Witch’s Stitch, provided they are wearing some form of cloth garment or armor that includes laces or other string or fabric, the targets’ clothes will begin to awaken. The enemy must succeed at a dexterity check (DC 14), or gain a temporary level of exhaustion which represents the clothing hampering their movement. A hit on a subsequent turn to an affected foe will force a strength save (DC 14) or suffer the grappled condition. A grappled foe must succeed on a constitution save (DC 14) or be restrained. All effects last two rounds, but are renewed if a new blow is struck regardless of the saving throw result. If not, they lower by one step. They can also be ended if the target is able to remove all garments that might be affected.

[regal-bones]

SWORDTEMBER DAY 5: PUZZLE

CrosSword, of daily distraction and loyal streak🙏🧩 A puzzle of mysterious origin inscribes itself upon the face of this blade each day, and as you turn it around in your hands, you notice something etched upon the other side: DOWN 1: A month long festivity, the blacksmith's hammer can be heard in the air as the daily blades are forged. 4: Once dull, I breathe life into your edge. 6: Words carved into a monument, runes carved into a blade. Can be split into three words - (interior)(an actors anchor)(a charged atom) 7: Quenched in this when fresh from the forge, used to care and maintain a blade as its life continues. 9: A blade that has felt the touch of magic within its steel. Perhaps it has acquired a new ability with this blessing. 12: The incorrect answer to the question “should I get a sword?” ACROSS 2: To push something to perfection. 3: One in a million. 5: Are you looking here for a clue? What do you expect to find? 6: Blood of the Earth. 8: Any good adventurer has a spool of this laying around. 10: A blade of plasma and a shield of light? This all sounds very hi- 11: The forge of the household. 13: Wildly impractical for a sword, but looks lovely.

Anyway shoutout to puzzmo 🙏🙏🙏

Yesterday’s sword!

You can support me on Patreon for £1 and help me make stuff like this!

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Tentative answers under the read more!

1. Swordtember 2. Hone 3. Odds 4. Sharpen 5. Meta 6. Iron 6. Inscription 7. Oil 8. Rope 9. Enchanted 10. Tech 11. Oven 12. No 13. Gold?

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Swordtember 2024 Day 5: Puzzle

At last you face your foe, you draw your crooked blade, its odd shape a testament to the twisted minds that must have enchanted it centuries ago. They charge, and you bring your blade up to parry. But what is this? Their blade is made of the same bluish steel, and the jagged form almost matches yours…once you take it off their corpse there will be able time to study it!

The Interlocking Blades Of MacScheer A unique set of five blades, though a sixth is rumored to exist, each of which is of an unusual and interlocking shape, though no two are identical in size or design. They include a greatsword, longsword, shortsword, rapier and dagger each of which has a +1 enhancement bonus, this increases to +2 if you wield more than one at once.

In addition, the swords can be “combined” in a strangely shaped puzzle, assuming you have at least three, into something resembling a shield. This shield has a +1 enhancement bonus, gains the “missile snaring” property if 4 blades are used, and the “animated” property if all five are used.

Who knows what powers might be unlocked with the sixth...

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Swordtember Day 4: Dolphin

Swortember Day 4 Prompt: Dolphin Above the water, this simple single-edged broad blade with its distinctive finn-shaped back is just a heavy, unwieldy sword. But beneath the waves, it is the perfect brutal and ruthlessly elegant killing machine. Bottlenose Broadsword

Wider than most swords, and heavy, this +X longsword loses its enhancement bonus and all magical abilities outside the water. Underwater, though, the extra weight is easy to manage and helps it cut through the water’s resistance with ease.  Better suited for cutting than stabbing with its rounded end and wide blade, this longsword can only deal slashing damage.

When wielded beneath the waves, the Bottlenose Broadsword ignores all penalties for underwater combat and strikes with vicious brutality. All extra damage from the blade’s enhancement bonus is thunder damage, and on a critical hit, the blade deals an extra Xd6 amount of thunder damage.

The blade comes with a maximum of X charges. A charge can be spent as a bonus action to cause the effect of a Thunderwave spell of level X, DC 12+X, whose sound is too high pitched for most humanoids to hear, but will nevertheless damage all creatures in the area. A charge is only restored when a creature is killed by the blade.

+1 (Uncommon) +2 (Rare) +3 (Very Rare)

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Swordtember 2024 Day 3

Prompt: Sentient

A knife blade flashes in the darkness. You dodge. It barely grazes your skin and embeds itself in your cloak and the door. Pinning you temporarily. You haven't had your hinges oiled in so long, you scream as you try to move, every red-dyed fiber of your being resisting being torn asunder…for one brief moment you are not sure where the door starts, the cloak begins, and you stop, a moment which gives your attacker just enough time to strike again and end the conundrum for good. 

Dagger of Awakening (attunement optional) 

Crafted to resemble the interlocking vertebrae of a spine sharp and hard enough to cut glass and pierce stone, this cursed stiletto was designed to siphon a slain or injured foe’s knowledge into the wielder, unfortunately, it also transmits thoughts from everything it touches into the target, for better or for worse.

On the surface, this blade appears to be a +2 Dagger of Interrogation. Three times per day it can be used to glean the answer to a specific question of a target it has tasted the blood of in the last hour. The dagger’s emotionless voice answers just as the target would, but devoid of all emotion and humanity.

The curse of the dagger activates the first time its wielder asks a question to which the answer turns out to be “I do not know”. In its search for the answer, the dagger will get more and more desperate, seeking answers from everything it pierces, even inanimate objects.

Once the curse is active, whenever the dagger’s wielder strikes a target creature or object, both the wielder and the target risk being overwhelmed by the thoughts of any objects touched by the dagger in its trajectory. They must succeed on an Intelligence DC 15 saving throw or be affected as if by the spell confusion for one round, they may repeat the saving throw at the end of each round. The wielder has advantage on all such saves as long as they are attuned to the weapon.

While the curse is active, the weapon may not be put down or sheathed. It will be subdued only when its normal property is used and obtains a straightforward and clear answer.

[regal-bones]

SWORDTEMBER DAY 2: SAKURA

Serrulata, of falling petal and beloved bonsai 🌸🎀 “She’s fussy - will need pruning daily. Don’t overwater, a gentle misting should be enough. The blade will need oiling, and please take great care not to blunt or chip the edge. When sharpening her, leave a gentle stream of water running across the wetstone, and mind that none of her branches get caught as you’re out on your adventures. When on display please do not leave the blade in its sheathe, and make sure that her leaves get enough sunlight.”

Pretty n pink :} thank you so much for everyone’s support and nice comments yesterday, and an extra special thank u to everyone who is joining in on the challenge! If you wanna join it’s never too late, we have a whole month ahead of us :D

Yesterday’s sword!

You can support me on Patreon for £1 and help me make stuff like this!

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Only the best challenge of the year! A slightly different take on the prompt for those who wish to integrate such a blade in your dnd or other ttrpg games...

Swordtember #2  Prompt: Sakura The raider charges the frail old warrior. With a flash of steel, a flurry of pale pink petals fills the air. The burly man crumples to the floor, dead with no visible injury as the sage sheaths her elegant Katana with a sad shake of her head as the blossoms fall about her. 

The Blossom’s Kiss Crafted by a great blade master for a warrior who did not wish to sully his clothes with blood and viscera, the Blossom’s Kiss is a magical Katana that severs the soul from the body without harming flesh.

This +1 longsword deals psychic damage instead of slashing and leaves trails of cherry blossoms in its wake instead of blood or gore. This property functions only against living opponents; undead, or other creatures without souls, receive normal slashing damage when struck.

Three times per day, the wielder of the blade may swing it in a great arc as a bonus action or reaction and fill a 15-foot radius area around themselves with a flurry of cherry blossoms. These provide light cover to all creatures within the area when targeted by foes outside the space. Any invisible creatures within the area will be outlined by the gently falling blossoms until the end of the wielder's next turn by which time the blossoms will have fallen to the ground.

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

What kind of paladin do you play (Musicals Version)?

Which Paladin Are You?

Don Quixote

Lancelot

Javert

Voting ended onDec 7, 2023

Which song speaks to the heart of what drives your paladin? 1. To Dream The Impossible Dream. From Man of La Mancha.

2. C'est Moi. Camelot.

3. Stars. Les Miserable.

Because I am a huge DnD and musicals nerd and for too long have questions like these boiled in my mind. And because it is me...I will make an item for the winner. Or the top two if it gets 100 interactions. Or all three if it gets 500. And a subclass for the winner if it gets over 1000.

[the1920sinpictures]

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Dawnflower Bracelet Bearing the image of a long-dead saint or god, this holy relic reflects and refracts light and seems to glow with its own inner fire. When worn on the wrist of a character with access to divine magic, the bracelet acts as a spell-storing ring, allowing the wearer to store a single 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-level spell. While there is a spell stored within it, the bracelet seems to shine more brightly and leave dappled colored lights dancing across nearby surfaces. When attacked while the item is charged, the wearer of the bracelet may decide to unleash the power of the Dawnflower as a reaction, casting shield, color spray, and entangle around themselves in a burst of light and magical plant growth that does not harm the wearer. Doing so burns whatever spell is stored in the bracelet, however, and it cannot be refilled until the next dawn.

[nightingbell]

Another insect-themed sword

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Dirk of the Dragonfly This thin bright blue sword is adorned with Quillions that resemble the delicate wings of a dragonfly. Strong as steel, they give the blade its name, and flutter when its powers are active. This +1 shortsword seems to dart about of its own accord in battle, distracting opponents and allowing the wielder to seize advantage of every opening to strike or escape. Four times per day, the wielder may use a bonus action to feint in battle, giving the next attack against that enemy advantage. If the next attack is made with the Dirk of the Dragonfly the target enemy cannot take reactions against the wielder until their next turn.

[yunisverse]

yknow what i’m just going to give a quick bit of advice for any DnD or whatever tabletop players: if you’re trying to create a character and are stuck on their background, give them a job. Like a normal-ass job.

We have a witch in our party, but his greatest contribution to our campaign so far is that he’s also a fucking lawyer. The fact that in any given situation he can read the legality of our actions, the punishments for digression, the loopholes through it, it’s turned out to be absolutely vital to how we get through our dumbass shenanigans.

Our fighter, meanwhile, has a job as a professional dominatrix, and you’d be amazed how often it comes up? Her intimidation checks are through the roof she can just slam the butt of her spear against the floor and everyone shuts up and listens to her, it’s fantastic.

Like maybe this is an obvious thing to a lot of players, idk, but i have just been utterly charmed by how much you can get out of it–both in terms of utility and personality–if you have your character paying the bills not with dragon slaying, but with regular human professions.

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

I recommend this to all players...but also to the DMs who can encourage and reward it! Back in 3.5 and even sometimes in pathfinder I would actually give out a free skill point at level 1...on the condition they put it into a craft or profession. These skills were often seen as ‘less useful’ in the game and players would rarely choose them, but after a memorable instance where my brother put a rank in profession lawyer...I realized that their real wealth is adding depth and dimension to the character. 5e of course shows that the designers also understood this by bringing in the background idea, and DMs could quite easily retrofit the background system to pathfinder or 3.5, or just offer a couple free skill points to be put into those ‘less optimal’ but highly flavorful skills. You can also easily add a mechanical effect for players doing what the OP listed above, combining their profession with their other checks. Simply add their ranks (in pathfinder) or half their ranks (in 3.5) to the other check (or a flat +2 if you wanna be simple) IF the player can justify bringing in their profession. The lawyer uses diplomacy on the kind...and adds in legal arguments from the code of laws. The fisherman wants to use survival to predict the weather, and adds his experience on the sea. And so for, this also gets the players thinking about HOW they do the checks, rather than just blind dice rolling, which tends to help immersion and enjoyment!

[adndnerd]

More great advice from Pink Dice GM. I definitely suggest following them.

[adibaby96]

And, if you have the time, consider having a solo session with that player where their PC is in the afterlife and they’re allowed to go back if they want to, but have to complete a quest first. This, of course, has the option of them failing that quest and being stuck there, which is doubly embarrassing for them. But usually you can fudge a few dice rolls and be fine

[adndnerd]

Okay that’s fucking cool, hell yes

[jaz-fireforge]

I kinda want to make up rules for these now, for each of the damage types…if that sounds interesting to folks? I was thinking of having the permanent injury depend on two factors, one, the type of damage that took them down, and two, the number of failed saving throws (3 being the max). I would love to hear feedback from GMs on the idea!

A d8 could also be used to determine the location of the injury, if that is relevant. (GMs could just pick and choose or go with the flow of description instead). 1 being the head, 2-3 the legs, 4-5 arms, 6-8 torso.

#2

Now onto another staple of the genre…Piercing!

One failed saving throw: Deep Gouge. A small scar doesn’t do justice to the depth of damage from that blow that almost cost you everything.     - Legs: Stiff getting up, when standing from prone, reduce speed by 10ft.     - Arms: Chronic weakness, reduce carrying capacity by 15lbs     - Torso: Stitch in your chest, Disadvantage on saves against fatigue.     - Head: Mental gap, you forget a basic task, name or memory, GM discretion. Two failed saving throws: Critical Injury. The deep wound hit an organ, joint or vital tendon, a constant invisible reminder of the encounter that slowed you down.     - Legs: Bad leg, -2 penalty on acrobatics or athletics checks.     - Arms: Busted elbow -1 damage on attack rolls with this arm.     - Torso: Never fully healed, Lose one HP per level.     - Head: same as with 1, but character also loose a single proficiency.

Three failed saving throws: Still In there (weapon fragment, bone chip wtv) The magic healed the wound around it, the surgeon said it had to stay…you carry with you physical evidence of your own mortality…and it hurts.      - Legs: Arrow in the knee, 10 feet less move speed.      - Arms; Limp and Useless, cannot use the arm.      - Torso: Inches from the heart, half HP from all healing, as your body fights constantly for survival.      - Head: characters lose access to a key ability or spell, GM discretion. Bonus: whatever is stuck still in there could also give a minor bonus, iron might give a bonus saving against fey, a magic weapon fragment a sliver of its power, etc etc.

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Oops accidentally reblogged this to my main blog, my bad!

[adndnerd]

More great advice from Pink Dice GM. I definitely suggest following them.

[adibaby96]

And, if you have the time, consider having a solo session with that player where their PC is in the afterlife and they’re allowed to go back if they want to, but have to complete a quest first. This, of course, has the option of them failing that quest and being stuck there, which is doubly embarrassing for them. But usually you can fudge a few dice rolls and be fine

[adndnerd]

Okay that’s fucking cool, hell yes

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

I kinda want to make up rules for these now, for each of the damage types...if that sounds interesting to folks? I was thinking of having the permanent injury depend on two factors, one, the type of damage that took them down, and two, the number of failed saving throws (3 being the max). I would love to hear feedback from DMs on the idea!

Optional: A d8 could also be used to determine the location of the injury, if that is relevant. (GMs could just pick and choose or go with the flow of description instead). 1 being the head, 2-3 the legs, 4-5 arms, 6-7 torso, 8 roll again but with one less failed save.

Lets start with the classic...Slashing!

One failed saving throw gives you a Long/Jagged scar. This scar is an ugly reminder of a scrape with death, it occasionally hurts when you push yourself.     - Legs: dash action move speed reduced by 10ft.     - Arms: one bonus attack per turn is denied ability bonus to damage.     - Torso: once per day GM may impose disadvantage on a check.     - Head: -1 penalty to persuasion, +1 bonus to intimidate. Two failed saving throws gives you a Missing Digit (ear, toe, finger, etc). The missing digit is a stark sign of your violent past, and took some getting used to living without.     - Legs: move speed reduced by 5 ft.     - Arms: -1 penalty on attack rolls with this arm.     - Torso: up to 3 times per day GM may impose disadvantage on a check.     - Head: disadvantage on perception checks with 1 sense (ear, eye or nose)

Three failed saving throws gives you a Missing Limb (hand, foot, etc) When you floated between life and death you might have given anything to return to the living, after seeing the price, you are not so sure.      - Legs: Half move speed, cannot dash.      - Arms; Cannot use weapons two handed or wield two weapons or shield. Cannot carry anything and use Spell casting actions with somatic components.      - Torso: Disadvantage on Con saves and checks. DM may impose disadvantage 5 times per day.      - Head: Disadvantage on all perception checks and initiative.

[littlealienproducts]

Opal Ring by Gemologies

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

Crystalline Floral Ring

Requires attunement The metallic petals on this ring begin the day closed, and open slowly to reveal the crystal within as the wearer takes damage during the day. Every time you take damage of a new type the flower gains a splash of color, make a tic next to the item’s name on your sheet to keep track . At any time you may whisper the command word and the flower will drain of color, healing you 1d4+1 damage per type sustained, it will then remain closed until the next dawn. optional complication:

Additionally you gain a benefit for ‘collecting’ damages of different types: Blood and steel: If you have taken slashing, bludgeoning and piercing damage the hand you wear the ring on becomes steadier and strong. +2 weapon damage, or +1 AC if you have a shield in that hand.  Primary power: if you collect at least two of cold, fire, thunder or lightning, your hand crackles with power. +1 on spell attacks, +2 with all 4. Forces of Darkness: If you have taken acid, poison and psychic damage your raised hand shields you from evil, you may use a reaction to gain +1 bonus on a given saving throw. Cosmic Balance: if you have suffered both radiant and necrotic damage your ring may be used one additional time during the day, either to heal another character, or damage an enemy with a successful unarmed attack.  Prismatic Pulse: if you collect damage of every type at any point, the ring shatters in an explosion of devastating color, every creature within 15 feet must save against the Prismatic Spray DC 16. The wearer is healed 12d4+12 but automatically fails their save against the spell effect.

[fantasticalrealmsandlands]

hiiii I love all your content, but I don't know where else to find you online in case tumblr disappears?? sorry am kinda panicked and I don't want to lose all the stuff you've posted

I have no Idea who you are but am highly enthused by your appreciation! i do not currently have any other social media platform related to dnd, but probably should look into that...any suggestions from friends or followers are welcome (or from you) I am not too tech savy so if anyone knows a good way to back up tumblr content (esp my large likes and draft folders) that would be awesome!