Skip's the DM

A side blog for my homebrew D&D 5E campaign.

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A dragonborn paladin I did for a fellow player!

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Another miniature I painted!

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Thought I would post some of my favorite D&D mini's I have painted!

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A miniature of a fellow player's bard that I painted

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Knight of flames

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Print and sticker versions

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Campaign Factions: The Crimson Caravan

CRIMSON CARAVAN

An interplanar traveling caravan that specializes in transporting goods and people across the world and planes of existence faster than anyone else. Distinguished by their red and black fanciful tights they use as the caravan uniform. The caravan is represented by a black dragon that is painted or embroidered on their wagons and banners. 

Founded by Skaris Amakos nearly 100 years ago the caravan was created as a way for Skaris to get his homebrewed alcohol from one city to another on the southern continent of Shira. Shira is known to be a place of dangerous beasts and outlaws, to combat this Skaris made it his mission for the caravan to be as swift as possible in hoping to avoid most dangers it would face as well as train its members in magic and self defence. With this plan the Caravan soon became more than just a way for him to transport liquor, and many different individuals and businesses of Shira came to use the Caravan. 

The Crimson Caravan became world wide when Skaris’ Grandson Sharut Amakos returned from sea to lead the family business. With his contacts made from traveling the world the Caravan grew to increase its capacity and reach. Now they run jobs across the world and even to some interplanar dimensions such as the Feywild and the Hells. 

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Campaign World Lore

The world lore that most common people would know. Of course there are different creation stories and deities depending on each individual but the world is basically understood the same way.

The story takes place on the Continent of Theana. To the north of the continent is a great chain of mountains known as the Ashwen Mountain Range, but many people also call them the Dragon’s Spine. The mountain range separates the bulk of the main continent from the frozen north. A mysterious place thought to be mostly inhabitable due to unending bitter cold and monsters. Past the Continent of Theana is a vast ocean with warm water home to many diverse creatures and even a kingdom of sea people. Beyond the ocean is the Continent of Shira, a tropical place with vast jungles, deserts and volcanoes. 

South of the Ashwen Mountains is the rest of the continent of Theana. For a long time it was separated into 3 countries, however it became 1 united empire after one of the countries, Markania, annexed the other countries. This annexation became known as the Unification War. The Unification War was generally quick and bloodless as it was mostly won by subverting public perception, strategic power grabs and decisive battles. The 3 countries became the Empire of Markania ruled under Markania’s king at the time King Arno Villacorta the First.  

There was a long period of peace under King Arno the first. After his death his eldest son Arno the 2nd became king of the empire. The new young king began to weave a message that there was corruption & evil in the magic & people of The Blackwood. 

The Blackwood is a large forest located in the heart of the continent. It is vast and untamed with many explorers and experts calling it a primordial forest, a remnant from the creation of the universe. It is home to many magical creatures and societies as well as possibly portals to the feywild. There is one creature in particular that calls The Blackwood home and that is a figure known simply as The Enchantress. She is mostly known to people like the great witches and fairy kings and queens of old fairy tales and she operates as a pseudo leader for The Blackwood. 

Arno the 2nd’s crusade against The Blackwood and The Enchantress started 20 years prior to when our story begins. This war was violent and bloody unlike The Unification War and its scars are still reflected on the land and people of the empire. The crusade lasted about 5 years until The Blackwood forces could no longer withstand the onslaught. The Enchantress took the remaining Blackwood forces and fled into the deepest reaches of the forest. The forest was then sealed off with a great show of magic by The Enchantress. Now what remains of the standing forest is a cursed wooded area. Those who find themselves in The Blackwood now get lost never to return. 

The war was unofficially ended after The Enchantress fled to the deepest part of The Blackwood, however King Arno the 2nd has not let this go and for the years following he and his court has steadily increased suspicion that The Blackwood is rising again with an army of monsters, as well as fear about the mysterious north beyond the Ashwen mountains and the continent to south beyond the ocean.

With threats of a possible war or crusade looming the empire maintains a powerful standing army with its presence felt across the land in big cities and even to smaller villages in some capacity. Despite the war and fear, life goes on as normal for a vast majority of people in the empire. There are several large cities that have colleges of magic and different ports that see traders and wares from across the globe. There are many guilds and groups across the empire that have widespread reach and influence. 

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My 2nd player character was a drakwarden ranger i had flavored like a rodeo star. She was super fun even if my DM try to thawrt me every time! (Don't worry it was all in good fun) I obivously have a sweet spot for the ranger class!

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My first player character ever, Fionn Cadogan! i was a no nonsense fey wanderer ranger who was unfortunatly cursed to be undead but my party was none the wiser. Unfotunately our group quit meeting so this character didn't get to see the light of day but i hop to play him again one day!

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Our D&D Tables House Rules

A list of house rules i have implemented for the campaign im running. What do guys think? Some of these are pulled from other places and are not my original idea, so credit where credit is due!

CRITICAL HITS: On a nat 20 attack roll PC will Auto hit and double the total damage of the attack. ON CHECKS: Will cause the best possible outcome.

CRITICAL MISSES: On a nat 1 attack roll PC will Auto miss and roll a D20. on a 1 or 2 PC will drop their weapon. ON CHECKS: fail the check with the worst possible outcome or receive unreliable information.

NAT 20 ON INITIATIVE: Rolling a nat 20 on initiative will have PC avoid the surprised condition (If applicable) and they will get to choose their placement in the initiative order. 

“I KNOW A GUY”: Players will each get 1 pass known as “I know a guy”. Players may use this pass anytime during the campaign to contact a NPC their PC would know (HAS TO BE RELEVANT TO YOUR PC) to get help with a question or task . Players will roll a D20 and depending on the roll will determine how helpful their NPC will be. Question/Task cannot be time sensitive. 

“A CALL FROM BEYOND” : After any D20 roll a player or the DM can prompt this roll, if both parties agree the roll can turn into a critical hit or critical miss, whatever benefits the player at the time. However this will give the DM the ability to change a future D20 roll (EXCLUDING DEATH SAVES) to a critical hit or miss. There is also an unseen corruption that grows in the PC that will be relevant in the future.

DEATH SAVES: Rolling a nat 20 is automatically 2 saves, rolling a nat one is 2 fails. Rolls are made privately by the player character unless a free action is used by another player to do a wellness check.

1 UNCOMMON STARTING ITEM Players are allowed 1 uncommon starting item in addition to items gained from backgrounds.FEATS: Players are allowed 1 feat to start. Then can choose to add another feat if a level up would give the PC an ability score increase instead.

FEATS: Players are allowed 1 feat to start. Then can choose to add another feat if a level up would give the PC an ability score increase instead.

Will you guys be implementing these at your table?