Glad to know that, despite the many months it's been since I officially released the Unofficial D&D Guide to Minecraft Diaries, that there had been a mistake in the Community category without me ever noticing ^-^;
I'm so terribly sorry! I only clocked this in because I was going to use the Community Cards again in the Unofficial D&D Guide to Genshin Impact pdf.
So, although indirectly me promoting this again, here's an updated version of the PDF! There may be a few typos, but at least those ones aren't as important as the one I decided to fix ^-^
The chaos that can ensue if I don't PROOF READ MY DAMN NOTES
There are no drastic changes compared to the last version, so if you have the previous one, it's still pretty much the same. I just updated the Loreborne Community Card (sourced from Daggerheart by Critical Role) to ACTUALLY have its proper words instead of it being an unintentional copy and paste of Wildeborne
Bringing Your NPCs to Life: Tips for Creating A Believable Character Backstory in D&D
As a dungeon master, one of the most important parts of your job is creating believable and interesting NPCs (non-player characters) for your players to interact with. These NPCs can range from shopkeepers and guards to quest givers and powerful villains, and they play a crucial role in bringing your campaign world to life.
However, creating NPCs that feel real and relatable can be a challenging task. In this blog post, we'll be discussing some tips and tricks for creating believable NPCs in D&D. From giving NPCs a backstory to making them react realistically to the players, we'll show you how to make your NPCs feel like real, living people. So whether you're a seasoned dungeon master or just starting out, read on to learn how to create NPCs that will keep your players engaged and invested in your game.
Family and Relationships
Family and relationships are an essential element of an NPCs backstory and can give insight into their personality and motivations. For example, an NPC who has lost a loved one might be more likely to be driven by grief and a desire for revenge.
Family and relationships can also provide hooks for the players to interact with the NPCs, creating interesting and dynamic interactions. It can also create conflicts for the NPCs and the players, and the NPCs can have different types of relationship with the player characters like friends, enemies, mentors, allies, and more.
Additionally, NPCs can have complex relationships, for example, an NPC who has a love-hate relationship with one of the player characters. Knowing the NPCs family and relationships can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different roles in the family or society and it can affect their actions and motivations.
Childhood Experiences
Another crucial component of an NPCs biography is their early life, which has the power to influence their personality, worldview, and moral principles. An NPC who was raised in poverty, for instance, might be more motivated by a desire for money and status. Childhood memories can also serve as springboards for the players to engage with the non-player characters (NPCs), resulting in engaging and dynamic interactions. The early experiences of the NPCs might influence their beliefs, values, and worldview, and it can also lead to disputes between them and the players.
In addition, NPCs early life experiences can affect their talents and aptitudes; for instance, an NPC who grew up in a conflict zone may be better at surviving and engaging in warfare. Additionally, it can affect how they feel and think. For instance, an NPC who experienced abuse as a youngster may struggle with trust or develop PTSD. As NPCs can have diverse perspectives on life and the world based on their experiences, knowing the NPCs early experiences can also aid the DM in crafting believable dialogue.
Education or Training
An NPCs education and training can give meaning to their talents and abilities and are a significant part of their narrative. Knowing what an NPC has studied or received training in might help determine their level of skill and knowledge. A skilled wizard NPC, for instance, may be more motivated by a quest for power and knowledge.
The players' interactions with the NPCs may be made more fascinating and dynamic by means of education and training. As the education and training of the NPCs may impact their views, values, and worldview, it can also lead to disputes between the NPCs and the players.
Additionally, NPCs education and training can shape their career and occupation, for example, an NPC who is a trained engineer might be more likely to be a successful inventor or architect. It can also shape their social status, for example, an NPC who has received a noble education might be more likely to be a member of the upper class. Knowing the NPCs education and training can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different perspectives on life and the world based on their education and training.
Career or Occupation
An NPCs career or occupation can also play a role in shaping their backstory and provide context for their skills and abilities. Knowing what an NPC does for a living can give insight into their skills, abilities, and motivations. For example, an NPC who is a shopkeeper might be more likely to be driven by a desire for wealth and success. A career or occupation can also provide hooks for the players to interact with the NPCs, creating interesting and dynamic interactions. It can also create conflicts for the NPCs and the players, as the NPCs career or occupation can shape their beliefs, values, and how they perceive the world.
The NPCs career or occupation can shape their social status, for example, an NPC who is a noble might be more likely to be a member of the upper class. It can also shape their reputation, for example, an NPC who is a notorious thief might be feared or respected by other NPCs. Knowing the NPCs career or occupation can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different perspectives on life and the world based on their career or occupation.
Life Events
Life events that shape an NPCs personality are also an important element of an NPCs backstory and can give insight into their personality, beliefs, and values. For example, an NPC who has experienced a traumatic event, like a war, might be more likely to be driven by a desire for peace and safety. Life events can also provide hooks for the players to interact with the NPCs, creating interesting and dynamic interactions. It can also create conflicts for the NPCs and the players, as the NPCs life events can shape their beliefs, values and how they perceive the world.
Additionally, NPCs life events can shape their skills and abilities, for example, an NPC who has been through a shipwreck might be more skilled in survival and navigation. It can also shape their emotional and mental state, for example, an NPC who has suffered a great loss might have trust issues or PTSD. Knowing the NPCs life events can also help the DM to create a believable dialogue, as NPCs can have different perspectives on life and the world based on their experiences.
In Summary
Giving your NPCs a backstory is an essential step in making them feel like real and relatable characters
A backstory provides context for an NPC's actions and motivations, making them more believable and interesting to the players
Family and relationships are an essential element of an NPC's backstory and can give insight into their personality and motivations
Childhood experiences are another important element of an NPC's backstory and can shape their personality, beliefs, and values
Education and training are an important element of an NPC's backstory and can provide context for their skills and abilities
An NPC's career or occupation can also play a role in shaping their backstory and provide context for their skills and abilities
Life events that shape an NPC's personality are also an important element of an NPC's backstory and can give insight into their personality, beliefs, and values
By including these elements in an NPC's backstory, you can create characters that feel real and relatable to your players
Additionally, it will help you to understand the motivations and actions of NPCs, making the game more interesting and dynamic
When I finish writing/setting up my call of cthulhu fear and hunger stuff, would it be appreciated if I left a link to the work so others who want to also run something similar can?
I've seen a few people talk about running their own campaign/one shot of F&H in DND. Hopefully this helps those who are planning on doing this.
And since I know tumblr likes polls, have a poll! <3
Getting Started: A Beginner's Guide to D&D | Medieval Collectibles
Dungeons & Dragons is a popular roleplaying game all over the nation. Let’s look at things you need to know when getting started with a beginner’s guide to D&D.
What Is Dungeons & Dragons?
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. It was since published by Wizards of the Coast in 1997. Originally derived from miniature wargames, a variation of the 1971 game Chainmail served as the initial rule system. However, D&D departs from traditional wargaming by allowing each player to create their own character to play instead of a military formation.
The goal is for the characters to embark on imaginary adventures in a fantasy realm. They form a party and interact with the realm’s inhabitants and each other. They resolve issues, engage in battles, explore the world, and gather treasure and knowledge from everything and everyone around them. Through this process, the characters earn experience points (XP) to level up. They continue to gain powers and strength over several gaming sessions.
How to Play
D&D is normally played indoors with the participants seated around a tabletop. However, nowadays many people also use online resources like Discord, Roll20, and D&D Beyond to play together across great distances.
One player takes on the role of Dungeon Master (DM). The others each control a single character, representing an individual in a fictional setting. This group of individuals, when working together, is described as a “party” of adventurers. Each character often has their own area of specialty which contributes to the success of the whole group. Throughout the game, each player directs the actions of their character. They choose how to interact with other characters in the game. This is performed through verbal impersonation of the characters by the players, also known as role-playing. Many players also use miniature figures on a grid map as a visual aid, particularly for combat.
Keep reading the full article below or click here to read it on our website.
What Do You Need to Play?
If playing D&D in the general tabletop setting, players will need the following:
A character sheet – To keep track of their stats, weapons, abilities, and their character background information.
A rule book – Players can check out the Dungeons and Dragons: 5th Edition Rule Book. The official Dungeons and Dragons website also provides a free PDF version of the Basic Rules. It’s their version of a beginner’s guide to D&D.
One set of polyhedral dice – A set of these dice typically comes with 7 different dice. These include d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and d100. The “d” refers to the die itself, while the number refers to the number of sides on the die. This excludes the d100 as it has 10 sides. It is generally used as a percentile die by the DM rather than the players. Different polyhedral dice coincide with different actions. A d20 is used to see whether a hit was made in combat. However, a d8 is used to determine how much damage was dealt.
A pen or pencil – To keep track of their character’s information, and any important notes from the storyline.
Equipment for playing will be a little bit different if using online resources for gameplay. Sites like Roll20 and D&D Beyond allow players to have virtual character sheets, so there’s no reason to use pen and paper. If playing online, some DMs would rather their players use virtual dice as well to maintain honest gameplay. However, others may be lenient and allow players to roll their own physical dice. It’s still a good idea to have a copy of the rules on hand, whether physical or virtual.
Joining a Campaign or a One-Shot
Some D&D groups prefer short one-shots, while others prefer much longer campaigns. Most groups play a combination of both. A one-shot is a single-run adventure. These sessions are usually unconnected from a storyline or game world and can be finished in only a few hours. There is no connected plot, and the players can play different characters in each session. A campaign is a series of adventures that take place over multiple sessions. The player’s characters often remain as elements of the continuing story arc unless they meet an unfortunate demise. The DM can either use one of the many pre-made adventures that have been published throughout the history of D&D, or they can design their own original adventure. These are typically referred to as homebrew.
Should I Be a DM or a PC?
The Dungeon Master (DM) is the storyteller and host of the campaign or one-shot. They act as every NPC or BBEG that the party will encounter on their adventure. NPC stands for non-player character. BBEG stands for Big Bad Evil Guy. Their job is to set the scene for the party. They describe what other players perceive in this imaginary world, and how their actions affect the world around them. Typically, the Dungeon Master is someone who has a bit more experience playing D&D than the rest of the players, but don’t let that discourage you from giving it a try.
Player Characters (PCs) are the members who make up the party. Their job is to explore the imaginary world, traverse dungeons and forests, and unravel the stories around them. They make the decisions that will drive the story along, whether it be good or bad. Anyone can be a player character, no matter if they are new to the game or well-versed.
Character Creation
Players record the details of their character on a Character Sheet. A player will determine their character’s ability scores by rolling a d20 for each ability. Afterward players decide on a race for their character and their character’s class or occupation. They choose an alignment of morality and many other features to round out a character’s abilities and background. Some races give characters different advantages, like dark-vision, hereditary spells, or speaking other languages. Classes add to what characters can do on all fronts; stat improvements, proficiency in weapons or languages, or whether a character is able to use spells. For example, a cleric is well-versed in magic that comes from an in-game deity. A monk is more proficient in unarmed combat and can harness ki’s mystic energy. These two characters would have very different abilities.
The difficult part of character creation is usually coming up with a detailed background. Creating a background for a character allows the other party members to get to know the character better. It also helps the DM to weave a character’s story into the narrative more thoroughly. Most players will go into an adventurer without knowing a lot of the backstory if any at all. Depending on what kind of character the player created, the background could cause a character to act a certain way. This could be around friendly NPCs or foes, which in turn affects the rest of the party. For tips on creating your first D&D backstory, check out Crispy’s Tavern’s guide on Youtube, 6 Tips for Your First D&D Backstory – Tabletop Tavern Tips.
Abilities and Proficiencies
A character’s abilities include strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma. The stats for these abilities are initially rolled during character creation. Each ability score will determine an ability modifier that characters can apply when rolling an ability check. Let’s say a player rolls a d20 for an ability score. If they were to get a 14 or 15, their ability modifier would be +2. Proficiency bonuses are also determined by character creation. However, these depend on race or class and are only applied when rolling for specific skill checks.
Role-Playing My Character
Once the characters are made and the first session is decided, it’s time to prepare to become the character. Depending on the background and character, different players will roleplay in different ways. A Lawful Good Wizard and a Chaotic Evil Paladin would not act the same. And if one was an elf and one was a paladin, they would have different accents. But getting into character can be hard for a first-time player. Keeping the same accent for an entire campaign can be difficult. Some people recommend recording the character’s “voice” to listen to before the session to get into character. For other tips on role-playing in D&D, check out Crispy’s Taverns guide on Youtube, How to Start Roleplaying in D&D (Making RP Easier) – Tabletop Tavern Tips.
Actions and Combat In-Game
Depending on what actions a character takes, they will have to make a roll to see how their action prevails. Certain actions a character chooses to do are automatically successful. This could be picking ale up at the tavern or opening an unlocked door. Other actions, liking attacking an opponent or picking a lock, must be discussed with the DM. The player will then roll a dice to see if it is successful or not. This is where ability modifiers and proficiencies come into play. Before combat the DM will ask the player to roll initiative, which is a d20 plus your dexterity modifier. Initiative is how players decide what order the characters will go in during combat.
Let’s say during combat, an opponent has an Armour Class (AC) of 17. The player rolls a 15 on a Strength attack. They will have to add their ability modifier to their roll to successfully hit the opponent. After a successful hit, the player will roll for damage. The dice they roll for damage depends on the weapon they use to attack. For example, a quarterstaff causes a d6 of bludgeoning damage.
In this article, we looked at the things you need to know when getting started with a beginner’s guide to D&D. We explored how to play, the tools needed for play, character creation, and other important topics when deciding to join a session of Dungeons & Dragons.
“sorry for being an ex brony” “some crimes cannot be forgiven”
Goals
Dance Magic Dance - Main thing we need is magic. It is your element after all!
Everyone's a Princess - Twilight's role is more of a diplomat, so I'm gonna say we need good diplomatic skills
Leader of the Pack - Yes L Faust said MLP FIM didnt have a main character but Twily was the protag
Ability Scores
15; Intelligence - You're a smart cookie, and even when you become God Empress of Equestria, you're still learning things
14; Charisma - Yes, you were a reclusive introvert to begin with, but you are still polite and quite magnetic, how else did you get five friends on your first day in town???
13; Wisdom - Friendship is about knowing and understanding people, which is what Wisdom is for
12; Constitution - You held the magic energy of three god empresses and didn't break a damn sweat. That's a good con stat – although this could just be high Intelligence or Wisdom instead of Con
10; Dexterity - You're not a fast flyer, but you can keep your feet -- hooves -- off the ground. Although you don't wear armor, so make this stat higher if you want
08; Strength - You can move things with your mind. Strength isn't that necessary
Racial Background
Now while I could go with centaur because horses, I have a weird pick for this -- that being Aasimar, specifically Protector Aasimar. It doesn't work for pre ascension Twilight but this is post ascension Twilight. (note: if you wanna do a pure Twilight build I'd suggest an elf/half elf!) You gain +2 to Charisma and +1 to Wisdom, as well as having resistance to Celestial and Necrotic damage with Celestial Resistance. You fought a literal magic sucking demon and managed to survive, you need some resistances for that!
You also get Healing Hands which lets you touch a creature and have them gain a number of hit points equal to your level. It's not really an in character choice for Twilight but if they gave her healing magic she'd be op as heck
art by imdrunkontea on dA
Background
This one was obvious -- Cloistered Scholar. You gain proficiency in History and Arcana, as well as two languages! Go wild with these, you never know who's next going to become a friend!
You also gain Library Access, basically a universal library card allowing you to gain free and easy access to your organization's library. You lived in a library. This makes so much sense if I'm being honest
The Build
Level One - Wizard One
Obvious choice is obvious, Twilight is a Wizard first and foremost. You get to pick two skills from the Wizard list – go with Investigation and Insight – and you get to pick spells! You get three cantrips from the Wizard list; Light lets you or your allies see in the dark. You most likely won’t need it, however Twilight has been shown to use her horn as a torch. Mage Hand lets you summon a spectral, floating hand to do small, non-attacking tasks; such as opening or closing a door in range. Mending lets you repair an object with a single tear or break in it, use this to fix Ms Smarty Pants after she gets destroyed when you charm the town out of deadline stress.
For your first level spells; Charm Person allows you to charm a person who fails a Wisdom saving throw. This can neutralize a big baddie and have bronies claim that you support brainwashing, apparently. Detect Magic lets you sense magic within 30 feet of you for 10 minutes. Feather Fall lets you slow a creatures rate of descent by 60 feet, because not everyone in the Mane 6 can fly (just three). Identify lets you learn the properties of a magic item, how to use it, if it requires attunement and how many charges it has, as well as what spells are affecting it. Magic Missile is going to be your main attacking spell as Twilight mainly uses magic beams – this lets you create three glowing magical darts to hit creatures of your choice within range, dealing 1d4 + 1 force damage to a target. You can direct the darts to one creature or several, and they all hit simultaneously. Shield lets you create… A shield as a reaction, this will help with your awful AC. Finally, Silent Image creates a visible image that lasts for 10 minutes with no other sensory effects sans image. You can alter the image if it moves.
You also get Arcane Recovery, allowing you to regain spell slots once per day when you finish a short rest. The spell slots that can be recovered can be equal to or half your Wizard level - rounded down if it's an odd number - however this can’t be used to recover spell slots over 6th level
Level Two - Wizard Two
Level Two Wizards can pick an Arcane Tradition and this… Is hard. To be honest, Twilight is multi-disciplinary and doesn’t have a specific tradition. So for that; I’m going with War Mage. War Mages get Arcane Deflection, allowing them to add +2 to their AC against an attack that hits them, or allowing them to add 4 to a saving throw that they failed. The drawback is that you can’t cast spells other than cantrips until your next turn, so save that Magic Missile until later down the line.
You also get Tactical Wit, which allows you to add your Intelligence modifier to your initiative roles. This is insane, considering right now you have an Intelligence modifier of +2 meaning that you get to make up for your lack of dex. Hopefully.
For this levels spell, Longstrider increases your or a target’s speed by 10 feet until the spell ends. Again, your dex is not very good, so anything that increases your mobility is excellent
Level Three - Wizard Three
Third Level wizards get to learn 2nd level spells. Keep in mind you’re pretty much a prepared spellcaster, so pick and choose spells if you wish. Alter Self lets you assume a different form for an hour – letting yourself breathe underwater, changing your appearance or giving yourself natural weapons. You’re not really gonna need that last one, but the first two are quite useful, Aquatic Adaptation being very useful for the movie.
Misty Step lets you teleport to an unoccupied space within 30 feet and I’ve put this in three builds now. Guess what my favourite superpower is? Teleporters. How did you know?
art by Light262 on dA
Level Four - Wizard Four
Fourth Level Wizards get to pick an ASI or Feat, and while an ASI would be good, we have an uneven Intelligence mod. Let’s go with Feat this time around, and Keen Mind is a great feat to up your intelligence – it also basically lets you become a walking, talking encyclopedia, always knowing which way is North, knowing how many hours until the sun rises, and being able to recall information that you’ve seen or heard within the past week. Twilight is just Caleb Widogast but without dead parents, don’t @ me.
You also gain an additional cantrip. Let’s continue the Caleb comparisons by picking Fire Bolt – a ranged spell attack on a target within 120ft that, on a hit, causes them to take 1d10 fire damage. It also ignites flammable objects that are hit by it. Fun!
Also; two more spells are nice! Borrowed Knowledge lets you give yourself proficiency in a skill you aren’t proficient in for an hour. Detect Thoughts lets you read surface level thoughts of a creature within 30 feet of you, if they fail a Wisdom throw, you can go deeper. Read minds, bother your friends, be the worst!
Level Five - Wizard Five
Fifth Level Wizards can learn 3rd level spells. Counterspell is the sexiest spell in DND and the ultimate ‘no you’ spell, it lets you pretty much prevent a person from casting a spell. If you cast it against a 4th level or higher spell, you have to make an ability check using your spellcasting ability with the DC being 10 plus the spell’s level. On a success, the spell fails! Fun!
Blink is another teleportation spell, but with a twist! On a roll of 11 or higher, you vanish, and at the start of your next turn, you can teleport to an unoccupied space within 10 feet of the space you previously were. You can also dispel the spell as an action
Level Six - Wizard Six
Sixth Level War Mages get Power Surge, allowing them to empower their spell attacks with extra damage equal to half their wizard level. For Magic Misslle, your main ranged spell attack, it is 1d4 + 1 + 3 damage. That’s pretty good, and on a high roll, you can get 8 damage instead of the spell’s usual 4 when casting it with a 1st level spell slot. You also can store a maximum of power surges equal to your Intelligence modifier (at this level Twily’s modifier is +3) and you gain additional surges with varying caveats – such as a successful counterspell. If you finish a long rest, your surges default to 1.
For this level’s spell, Melf’s Minute Meteors creates six tiny meteors that you can expend letting them streak towards a point or points within the spell’s range. Once the meteor reaches its destination, it explodes upon impact, forcing people within five feet of the explosion to make a dex saving throw. They take 2d6 fire damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one
art by GhostlyMuse on dA
Level Seven - Wizard Six Sorcerer One
Let’s move into another spellcasting class! Yay! This time let’s go with Sorcerer’s and immediately pick a Sorcerous Origin; Divine Soul makes sense due to your Alicorn-ness being granted by a literal god emperor. You get Divine Spellcasting, allowing you access to an additional spell based off your affinity; we’ll go with Bless due to Cure Wounds not really being in character for Twilight.
You’re also Favored by the Gods, letting you add 2d4 to a failed saving throw or missed attack roll. This is pretty cool, basically giving you a luck point once per short or long rest.
You also get cantrips from the Sorcerer list; Dancing Lights is also on the Wizard list yet I somehow missed it – this gets you four small lights that create dim light in a 10 foot radius. This is more accurate to Twilight’s mini horn torch. Gust lets you control the air to force a target to make a strength save or get pushed 10 feet back. You can also use it to push an object with enough force to cause damage, or to create a harmless sensory effect. Shape Water lets you well… Shape water within a five foot cube. And Sword Burst lets you create a circle of energy blades around you, forcing creatures within five feet of you to succeed on a dex saving throw or take 2d6 force damage.
Also; Sorcerer spells! You only get two 1st level spells, but they’re both quite useful. Mage Armor lets you buff you or another creature’s AC to become 13 + it’s Dexterity modifier. For you that is just 13, which is unfortunate, but I imagine Rarity has better Dex than you. Witch Bolt is a ranged spell attack that if it hits forces your target to take 1d12 lightning damage, and at the end of each of your turns you can use an action to deal an additional 1d12 lightning damage. This ends if you lose concentration or perform another action
Level Eight - Wizard Six Sorcerer Two
Second level Sorcerer’s are a Font of Magic, granting them access to Sorcery Points. You can’t do much with them now, but you can burn Sorcery Points to gain expended spell slots, just in case you need them.
For this level’s spell, Catapult let’s you basically fling an object weighing 1 to 5 pounds using magic. If an object strikes someone, they have to make a Dex saving throw, and on a failed save they take 3d8 bludgeoning damage
Level Nine - Wizard Six Sorcerer Three
Third level Sorcerer’s gain access to Metamagic, the most important part of a Sorcerer’s kit. For your options, Subtle Spell lets you spend a sorcery point to cast a spell with only somatic components. Distant Spell lets you spend a sorcery point to double the range of a spell that has a range of five feet or greater, also allowing you to make a touch-based spell have a range of 30 ft.
You also get 2nd level spells – Enhance Ability helps one of your friends with a magical upgrade, such as increasing their carrying capacity, preventing them from taking damage after falling from 20 ft or less, and granting them 2d6 temporary hit points. It also gives them advantage on checks of that nature for the spell’s duration. Everybody say thank you Critical Role!
Level Ten - Wizard Six Sorcerer Four
Fourth level Sorcerers get an Ability Score Improvement -- lets keep bumping that Intelligence for better Initiative rolls and harder to dodge saving throws.
For this level's spells; Guidance allows a willing creature to add a d4 to an ability check of their choice. Calm Emotions does exactly what it says on the tin -- you can do it on a willing creature to give them advantage on being charmed/frightened, or on an unwilling creature who failed their Charisma saving throw to make them apathetic towards their allies! The former is more in character for Twilight tbh
art by @colorful-horses
Level Eleven - Wizard Seven Sorcerer Four
Back to Wizard for fourth level spells; Confusion forces targets within a 10ft sphere to make a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail, the affected target must roll a d10 at the start of their turns and pick behaviour from a table -- this can be anything from walking in a random direction, to not moving or taking actions, to even making a melee attack against a random creature. At the end of each turn the target can make a Wisdom saving throw and if they succeed, the spell ends
Level Twelve - Wizard Eight Sorcerer Four
Eighth level Wizards get another Ability Score Improvement; cap off your Intelligence modifier here!
For this level's spell, Tiny Servant lets you animate a tiny object for a minute, just so long as it’s not being carried by another person. This causes it to become a creature under your control, which you can order as a bonus action. If you don’t order it to do anything, it just avoids conflict. When the creature drops to 0 hit points or you end this spell, the creature reverts to its original form, and all damage is sustained.
Level Thirteen - Wizard Nine Sorcerer Four
Ninth level Wizards get 5th level spells; Dawn lets you summon a 30ft radius cylinder that is 40ft high. When the cylinder appears, creatures within it must make a Constitution saving throw, they take 4d10 radiant damage on a failed save and half as much damage on a successful save. They must also make this saving throw when they end their turn in the cylinder. And if you’re within 60 ft of the cylinder, you can move it up to 60 ft as a bonus action
Level Fourteen - Wizard Ten Sorcerer Four
Tenth level Battle Mages get Durable Magic, allowing them to gain a +2 bonus to AC and all saving throws while concentrating on a spell.
You also get an additional cantrip – Encode Thoughts lets you transform your thoughts into a thought strand, a stationary weightless ribbon made up of your thoughts. I haven’t given you any of the other thought spells that take advantage of this, like Modify Memory, because that isn’t really in character for Twilight, but just have some nifty little thought strands following you around as you study!
For this level’s spell, Legend Lore basically forces the DM to give you information on a person, location or object of legendary regard. The more information you have about the target, the easier and more concise the information is. Just get your DM to infodump, they love that!
Level Fifteen - Wizard Eleven Sorcerer Four
Eleventh level Wizards get 6th level spells. Arcane Gate creates linked portals that you can teleport between, you can also rotate the rings as a bonus action so that the active side faces in a different direction.
Level Sixteen - Wizard Twelve Sorcerer Four
Twelfth level Wizards get another ASI - lets start upping Charisma for better sorcery spells and resistances, as well as better friend-making!
For this level’s spell, Rary’s Telepathic Bond lets you create a telepathic bond with 8 creatures within range. If they have an intelligence of 2 or less they aren’t affected by this spell. Sorry Owlouicious, you get to miss out on this bond
Level Seventeen - Wizard Thirteen Sorcerer Four
Thirteenth level Wizards get 7th level spells – Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion has you create an extradimensional mansion that lasts for the spell’s duration. You can create any floor plan you want, but it can’t exceed 50 cubes, each cube being 10 feet all around. You can design it however you wish, but remember to not go off and let your friends make your Mansion more home-like without you permission. At least you get a cool non-permanent punk haircut for your troubles!
art by Yulyeen on dA
Level Eighteen - Wizard Fourteen Sorcerer Four
Fourteenth level War Mages get an upgrade to their Arcane Deflection known as Arcane Shroud. When you use Arcane Deflection, up to three creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you take force damage equal to half your wizard level. At the moment, this is 7 points of force damage, which is quite good! You won’t be able to get 10 points because we multiclassed, however, it’s still pretty good for this level.
Level Nineteen - Wizard Fifteen Sorcerer Four
Fifteenth level Wizards get Eighth Level spells – let’s go with Antimagic Field, which creates a 10-foot radius sphere wherein magic can’t be cast, and magical effects are suppressed by the field. The time these spells or effects are suppressed count against their duration, so you can essentially shut down dangerous spells like Power Word Kill using the field - although you can’t cast other spells out of the field. This is perfect if you want to conserve your energy for more important things
Level Twenty - Wizard Sixteen Sorcerer Four
Our capstone is the Sixteenth Level of Wizard (fun fact; it was going to instead be the 1st level of bard because I thought it was funny but changed my mind when I remembered how many bard, sorcerer and wizard spells overlap) which gets us one last ASI – let’s finish off that Charisma! I’m pretty sure as a god empress, you’re going to need it.
For this level’s spell, Sunburst is an upgraded version of Dawn, forcing a creature to make a con save. If they fail, they take 12d6 radiant damage and are blinded, while on a successful save, they only take half the damage and don’t suffer the blinding condition. Considering your mentor is a literal sun goddess, I think this makes a lot of sense.
art by @peskypawz
Build Summary
This was actually quite fun! I will admit there were several other class options, that I will describe below;
Bard - Music is a major part of MLP: FIM, with Twilight having several songs in the series. However, I imagine Bard would be a better choice for Pinkie Pie or Twilight’s ‘evil’ counterpart, Sunset Shimmer - who’s voiced by Twilight's singing voice!
Artificer - The only other Intelligence-based class and if I’m being honest, it didn’t fit Twilight. Twilight’s a scientist, yes, but she doesn’t invent things, nor do any of the subclasses really fit
Twilight Domain Cleric - …what? Yes it was just because of the name. Don’t judge me, you thought it too!
There are several regrets I have with this build – the first is the fact I accidentally gave Twilight the light cantrip when she already has it as an Aasimar naturally. The fact that I completely forgot that and doubled up was a big fat oops on my part. There was also the fact I mainly stuck to radiant and force damage, when Twilight also has a habit of using fire – see Rapidash Twilight in Feeling Pinkie Keen. I also didn’t use as many Moon/Star related spells – I was tempted to pick up Dark Star from Matt Mercer’s dunamancy list, but it was too… Extreme for Twilight? In fact, I could have made her a Graviturgist instead of a War Mage!
But aside from all those, this build is pretty fun! I really wanna test this out, especially considering I prefer more martial classes and this will be fun to spread my wings with – no pun intended. Remember, this is all theory, so if you wanna do a different build; go nuts!
A short Introduction to the most common Player-Races in Dungeons and Dragons as given by the DnD 5e Players Handbook:
Dwarf
“Yer late,elf!” came the rough edge of a familiar voice. Bruenor Battlehammer walked up the back of his dead foe, disregarding the fact that the heavy monster lay on top of his elven friend. In spite of the added discomfort, the dwarf’s long, pointed, often-broken nose and gray-streaked though still-fiery red beard came as a welcome sight to Drizzt. “Knew I’d find ye in trouble if I came out an' looked for ye!"
– R.A. Salvatore, The Crysta lShard
Kingdoms rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the roots of mountains, the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges, a commitment to
clan and tradition, and a burning hatred of goblins and orcs—these common threads unite all dwarves.
Elf
“I HAVE NEVER IMAGINED SUCH BEAUTY EXISTED,” Goldmoon said softly. The day’s march had been difficult, but the reward at the end was beyond their dreams. The companions stood on a high cliff over the fabled city of Qualinost. Four slender spires rose from the city’s corners like glistening spindles, their brilliant white stone marbled with shining silver. Graceful arches, swooping from spire to spire, soared through the air. Crafted by ancient dwarven metalsmiths, they were strong enough to hold the weight of an army, yet they appeared so delicate that a bird lighting on them might overthrow the balance. These glistening arches were the city’s only boundaries; there was no wall around Qualinost. The elven city opened its arms lovingly to the wilderness.
– Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.
Halfling
Regis the halfling, the only one of his kind for hundreds of miles in any direction, locked his fingers behind his head and leaned back against the mossy blanket of the tree trunk. Regis was short, even by the standards of his diminutive race, with the fluff of his curly brown locks barely cresting the three-foot mark, but his belly was amply thickened by his love of a good meal, or several, as the opportunities presented themselves. The crooked stick that served as his fishing pole rose up above him, clenched between two of his toes, and hung out over the quiet lake, mirrored perfectly in the glassy surface of Maer Dualdon.
– R.A. Salvatore, The Crystal Shard
The comforts of home are the goal of most halflings‘ lives: a place to settle in peace and quiet, far from marauding monsters and clashing armies; a blazing fire and a generous meal; fine drink and fine conversation. Though some halflings live out their days in remote agricultural communities, others form nomadic bands that travel constantly, lured by the open road and the wide horizon to discover the wonders of new lands and peoples. But even these wanderers love peace, food, hearth, and home, though home might be a wagon jostling along a dirt road or a raft floating downriver.
Human
These were the stories of a restless people who long ago took to the seas and rivers in longboats, first to pillage and terrorize, then to settle. Yet there was an energy, a love of adventure, that sang from every page. Long into the night Uriel read, lighting candle after precious candle. She'd never given much thought to humans, but these stories fascinated her. In these yellowed pages were tales of bold heroes, strange and fierce animals, mighty primitive gods, and a magic that was part and fabric of that distant land.
– Elaine Cunningham, Daughter of the Drow
In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.
Dragonborn
Her father stood on the first of the three stairs that led down from the portal, unmoving. The scales of his face had grown paler around the edges, but Clanless Mehen still looked as if he could wrestle down a dire bear himself. His familiar well-worn armor was gone, replaced by violet-tinted scale armor with bright silvery tracings. There was a blazon on his arm as well, the mark of some foreign house. The sword at his back was the same, though, the one he had carried since even before he had found the twins left in swaddling at the gates of Arush Vayem. Father’s face was as kill she'd been fortunate to learn. A human who couldn’t spot the shift of her eyes or Havilar’s would certainly see only the indifference of a dragon in Clanless Mehen’s face. But the shift of scales, the arch of a ridge, the set of his eyes, the gape of his teeth – her father's face spoke volumes.
But every scale of it, this time, seemed completely still— the indifference of a dragon, even to Farideh.
– Erin M. Evans, The Adversary
Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the dragonborn walk proudly through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Shaped by draconic gods or the dragons themselves, dragonborn originally hatched from dragon eggs as a unique race, combining the best attributes of dragons and humanoids. Some dragonborn are faithful servants to true dragons, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and still others find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life.
Gnome
Skinny and flaxen-haired, his skin walnut brown and his eyes a startling
turquoise, Burgell stood half as tall as Aeron climb up on a stool to look out the peephole. Like most habitations in Oeble, that particula tenement had been built for humans, and smaller residents coped with the resulting awkwardness as best they could. But at least the relative largeness of the apartment gave Burgell room to pack in all his gnome-sized gear. The front room was his workshop, and it contained a bewildering miscellany of tools: hammers, chisels, saws, lockpicks, tinted lenses, jeweler's loupes, and jars of powdered and shredded ingredients for casting spells. A fat gray cat, the mage’s familiar, lay curled atop a grimoire. It opened its eyes, gave Aeron a disdainful yellow stare, then appeared to go back to sleep.
– Richard Lee Byers, The Black Bouquet
A constant hum of busy activity pervades the warrens and neighborhoods where gnomes form their close-knit communities. Louder sounds punctuate the hum: a crunch of grinding gears here, a minor explosion there, a yelp of surprise or triumph, and especially bursts of laughter. Gnomes take delight in life, enjoying every moment of invention, exploration, investigation, creation, and play.
Half-Elf
Flint squinted into the setting sun. He thought he saw the figure of a man striding up the path. Standing, Flint drew back into the shadow of a tall pine to see better. The man's walk was marked by an easy grace – an elvish grace, Flint would have said; yet the man’s body had the thickness and tight muscles of a human, while the facial hair was definitely humankind’s. All the dwarf could see of the man’s face beneath a green hood was tan skin and a brownish-red beard. A longbow was slung over one shoulder and a sword hung at his left side. He was dressed in soft leather, carefully tooled in the intricate designs the elves loved. But no elf in the world of Krynn could grow a beard ... no elf, but...
“Tanis?” said Flint hesitantly as the man neared.
“The same.” The newcomer’s bearded face split in a wide grin. He held open his arms and, before the dwarf could stop him, engulfed Flint in a hug that lifted him off the ground. The dwarf clasped his old friend close for a brief instant, then, remembering his dignity, squirmed and freed himself from the half-elf’s embrace.
– Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, Dragons of Autumn Twilight
Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of the elves. Some half-elves live among humans, set apart by their emotional and physical differences, watching friends and loved ones age while time barely touches them. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as children. Many half-elves, unable to fit into either society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.
Half-Orc
The warchief Mhurren roused himself from his sleeping-furs and his women and pulled a short hauberk of heavy steel rings over his thick, well-muscled torso. He usually rose before most of his warriors, since he had a strong streak of human blood in him, and he found the daylight less bothersome than most of his tribe did. Among the Bloody Skulls, a warrior was judged by his strength, his fierceness, and his wits. Human ancestry was no blemish against a warrior – provided he was every bit as strong, enduring, and blood thirsty as his full-blooded kin. Half-orcs who were weaker than their orc comrades didn't last long among the Bloody Skulls or any other orc tribe for that matter. But it was often true that a bit of human blood gave a warrior just the right mix of cunning, ambition, and self-discipline to go far indeed, as Mhurren had. He was master of a tribe that could muster two thousand spears, and the strongest chief in Thar.
– Richard Baker, Swordmage
Whether united under the leadership of a mighty warlock or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, orc and human tribes sometimes form alliances, joining forces into a larger horde to the terror of civilized lands nearby. When these alliances are sealed by marriages, half-orcs are born. Some half-orcs rise to become proud chiefs of orc tribes, their human blood giving them an edge over their full-blooded orc rivals. Some venture into the world to prove their worth among humans and other more civilized races. Many of these become adventurers, achieving greatness for their mighty deeds and notoriety for their barbaric customs and savage fury.
Tiefling
“But you do see the way people look at you, devil’s child."
Those black eyes, cold as a winter storm, were staring right into her heart and the sudden seriousness in his voice jolted her.
“What is it they say?" he asked. “One’s a curiosity, two’s a conspiracy—”
“Three's a curse,” she finished. “You think I haven’t heard that rubbish before?”
“I know you have.” When she glared at him, he added, “It’s not as if I’m plumbing the depths of your mind, dear girl. That is the burden of every tiefling. Some break under it, some make it the millstone around their neck, some revel in it.” He tilted his head again, scrutinizing her, with that wicked glint in hiseyes. “You fight it, don’t you? Like a little wildcat, I wager. Every little jab and comment just sharpens your claws.”
– Erin M. Evans, Brimstone Angels
To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye: this is the lot of the tiefling. And to twist the knife, tieflings know that this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of Asmodeus – overlord of the Nine Hells – into their bloodline. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable.
Now I know this is extremely simplistic and doesn’t offer massive amounts of details, but I hope it’s good enough to help people take the plunge into homebrewing races.
