#ysgard

[bolloxtothat]

Finally finished drawing my bariaur bardbarian/skald, Frida!

[justavulcan]

Airmark's Guide to Planar Vegetables: Wanderpine Cone

The cones of the Wanderpine Tree are, perhaps, more recognizable than their parent. They resemble conventional pinecones in shape, appearing as obling, woody creatures with overlapping plates they can open or close. However, they use these plates as their primary form of locomotion, creeping along the earth like a caterpillar.

Dull-witted and lacking the ability to speak, wanderpine cones travel Ysgard far and wide in search of an open flame to spur their growth into adults. They have been known to settle for campfires, but generally seek out great conflagrations such as bonfires, wildfires, and areas bordering fiery Muspelheim or the elemental planes associated with fire.

Via Speak with Plants, I was able to interview one such cone in exchange for delivering it to a prime location to germinate. It displayed the expected preoccupation with flame and its explosive germination, but indicated that it remembered events that occurred in previous incarnations- that is, the tree from which this cone sprang.

This would seem to indicate that wanderpine trees have some sort of ancestral memory or consciousness that passes from cone to tree and back to cone again, and has the potential to prove a great source of information. They are, as expected, highly knowledgeable about incendiary events they've experienced, but this also includes a great many acts of heroism or warfare, even planar incursions from Limbo, and there may yet be a deep untapped pool of knowledge to draw from here.

[desertdruidcrafts]

The Lookers in the Stars, also known as the Rainbow Runners, is a faction of self-improvement. Its members hone their crafts, their minds, their bodies – often fighting for guts and glory along the way. Herbalists and healers use magic to bring eager Rainbow Runners in tune with the cadence of the universe, teaching each upstart athlete, warrior, and druid how to act and do battle through pure instinct.

Ideal. Intuition. In fighting and in learning, honing your intuition goes a long way. By tapping into the 'cadence' of the planes and acting through pure instinct, one can achieve a higher state of being.

Headquarters. The Great Gymnasium

Leadership. The leader of the Lookers in the Stars is an Ysgardian warrior spirit named Britheva the Hunter, who was a powerful warrior and adept druid in her day, and even more so as her learning and training has transcended mortal life.

[noblecrumpet-dorkvision]

Sorcerer Week: New Subclasses

image credit: Patriartis

Crystalline Soul

The Crystalline Soul is a sorcerer whose power stems from an inexplicable connection to the Crystal quasielemental plane of minerals and crystals. This plane rests between the positive energy plane and the plane of elemental earth. The Crystalline Soul uses crystals and gemstones as conduits of magical energy, focusing and magnifying power through their many facets. Different gems enhance different powers, so the sorcerer tends to collect them or adorn themselves with them. Channeling all of their gemstones allows them to radiate a rainbow of prismatic power.

This looks like a lot for a subclass, and it is. Thankfully, most of it is in its variety rather than having more things each day. Crystalline Growth requires spell slots and Gemstone Power requires forethought to be effective. Prismatic Ward is difficult to control as it requires someone to attack you and each effect has to happen in order.

Crystalline Growth: At 1st level, you can grow crystals on earthen objects. Using your Action, you can spend either a sorcery point or a spell slot to cause an area of stone within 60 ft. no greater than four 5-ft. squares to become difficult terrain. Creatures passing through or starting their turn in this area must make a DEX saving throw against your spell save DC. Affected creatures take 3d4 piercing damage or half as much on a successful saving throw. The damage increases by 2d4 and you may affect an additional 5-ft. square for each spell slot above 1st or each sorcery point above 1 that you spend. You also add the Mold Earth cantrip to your spells known if you don't already know it.

Gemstone Power: At 1st level, during a short or long rest, you may attune your magic into a crystal of your choice. You may then use the crystal as your arcane focus. In addition, while the crystal is held, it grants benefits to you based on the color of the crystal used. You must have such a gemstone in your possession to gain its benefits. Your DM might have rarer gemstones grant larger or different bonuses, if they desire.

Red (Ruby): Fire spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You gain +1 to all attack rolls.

Blue (Sapphire): Cold spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You gain proficiency in DEX saving throws.

Green (Emerald): Poison spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. Up to one creature targeted by each spell you cast gains disadvantage on attack rolls until your next turn.

Orange (Tigerseye): Acid spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You gain a +2 bonus on DEX-based skill checks.

Yellow (Topaz): Lightning spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You gain a +2 bonus to INT-based skill checks.

Clear (Diamond): Thunder spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You gain proficiency in WIS saving throws.

White (Opal): Force spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You can spend a sorcery point and use your Action to heal a creature you touch for 1d4 HP + your CHA modifier.

Black (Onyx): Necrotic spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You gain a +2 bonus on CHA-based skill checks.

Purple (Amethyst): Psychic spells deal +2 damage to one damage roll. You gain 2 temporary hit points at the end of each of your turns. You can’t have more than three of these temporary hit points at any one time.

Prismatic Ward: At 6th level, you can shield yourself once per day with charged gemstones that emit different energy effects. The ward lasts for one hour. Your ward has seven charges. Each time a creature makes a melee attack against you, you may use your reaction to expend one of the ward's charges and one of the following effects will occur. The same effect can't happen twice and they occur in numerical order.

The creature takes 2d6 fire damage (DEX save halves)

The creature takes 2d6 acid damage (DEX save halves)

The creature takes 3d6 lightning damage and the creature can't take reactions until your next turn (DEX save negates)

The creature takes 1d6 poison damage and becomes poisoned for 1 minute (CON save negates)

The creature takes 3d6 cold damage and their movement speed is halved for 1 minute (CON save negates)

The creature becomes restrained (STR save made at the start of each turn to end this effect)

The creature is struck blind for 1 minute (CON save negates)

Improved Crystalline Growth: At 14th level, you can use your action to do one of the following (this costs no spell slots or sorcery points but you must target one or more 5-ft. squares affected by your crystalline growth ability. 

Imprison: One creature of your choice that is fully within the area you target must make a DEX saving throw or become restrained and unable to take any actions except for purely mental ones or to make a STR saving throw against your spell save DC at the start of each of their turns to escape.

Wall: Each 5-ft. area you target grows into a 10-ft. tall and 5-ft. diameter crystal pillar. A pillar can be destroyed if it takes more than 35 damage. It is vulnerable to bludgeoning and thunder damage and immune to poison, necrotic, radiant, fire, and cold damage.

Erupt: Each 5-ft. area you target explodes, sending crystal shards in all directions out to 10 ft. Creatures in at least one area take 5d6 piercing damage (DEX save halves).

Prismatic Wall: At 18th level, you may cast Prismatic Wall once per day.

image credit: Wayne Reynolds

Worm that Walks

The worm that walks is a supernatural hivemind of tiny wormlike creatures whose collective consciousness enables it to cast spells. The creature's worms knit themselves tightly together to mimic a humanoid form to a point where they look like a scarred or disfigured version of a humanoid race. They assume one humanoid form more than any other, which allows them to keep the regular bonuses of their base race. They simply identify naturally with that form and assume it instinctively. They do, however, wear concealing outfits and masks or veils to hide their true nature should someone look too closely.

I’m not really sure how to treat healing a Worm that Walks, but maybe the positive energy is enough to resurrect any dead worms still hanging around inside the swarm. This class doesn’t get a ton of bonuses because it is so difficult to kill with its damage resistance, but I ensured that it still acts, for the most part, like a single humanoid entity to make things easier.

Worm that Walks: At 1st level, your bodily composition gives you certain bonuses. Each worm is always on the lookout for danger. Add your WIS modifier to all Perception skill checks. You have advantage on saving throws against effects that would impose the frightened condition.

Swarm Form: At 1st level, you can enter a swarm form for up to 10 minutes at a time using a bonus action. While in swarm form, you can’t cast spells and your STR score is halved. Your space increases to Large and you can move through the spaces of other creatures or through an opening no less than an inch in diameter. Your equipment and items do not move with you while in swarm form.  While in swarm form, you deal 1d8 piercing damage to each creature that starts its turn inside your space. At levels 5, 11, and 17, this damage increases by 1d8. You can return to your humanoid form using a bonus action. Discorporating into your swarm form is taxing on your collective consciousness. Once you use this ability you must complete a short or long rest before you can do it again.

Commune with the Hivemind: At 6th level, you can cast Speak with Animals and Animal Messenger at will, but only targeting invertebrates. In addition, you may cast Commune with Nature once each day.

Swarm Body: At 6th level, your body is able to anticipate and move around weapon attacks, reducing the damage. You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Mutable Form: At 14th level, your personal identity becomes resilient and you can take on different forms without losing yourself. You can cast Polymorph on yourself once per day. Your form summons more worms from your surroundings to compensate for larger forms and you likewise dismiss worms for smaller forms. For smaller forms, your equipment does not meld with you as normal for the Polymorph spell and is instead left behind. You can also cast Disguise Self at will.

Improved Swarm Form: At 14th level, you can spend your action and all of your movement while in Swarm Form to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 Action.

Fear Aura: At 18th level, as an action, you can spend 5 sorcery points to exude an aura of fear to a distance of 60 feet. For 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were casting a concentration spell), each hostile creature that starts its turn in this aura must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the aura ends. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to your aura for 24 hours.

image credit: A J Nazzaro

Seed of Yggdrasil

Your sorcery originates from a seed planted within you from the World Ash known as Yggdrasil that spans from Gladsheim in Ysgard to Niflheim in Hades. The tree's powers of nature, knowledge, and planar travel bloom within you. Some sorcerers might have a metaphysical seed and not exhibit physical symptoms while others have a literal seed that grows with them, giving them tree-like growths on their skin. Such sorcerers often view death as a natural part of the cycle of life and might be seen as distant. They also tend to have a broader view of the world. When a Seed of Yggdrasil dies, a fully grown ash tree grows from their corpse within 1d10 days. This tree becomes a Warden Tree (see below).

Note the Natural Cycle ability can deal necrotic damage at will but healing requires sorcery points. Also note that Nature's Ally does not allow you to command a creature, but only applies the Charmed condition. Nature’s Ally seems weak unless there’s an animal companion or a mount in the party, but I figured giving a variety of spells was more than enough of a 1st level bonus. If they prove too weak, add the Nature Spells to their spells known instead of just making them available to learn.

Nature Spells: At 1st level, you learn the Druidcraft cantrip and add the following spells to your sorcerer spell list. This doesn't increase the number of spells you know but does allow you to learn spells not normally on the sorcerer spell list.

Nature's Ally: At 1st level, you can use your action to empower a beast or plant creature for 1 minute. The creature then becomes charmed by you for the duration. The creature adds your CHA modifier to the their attack rolls, damage rolls, and to their armor class for the duration. Once you use this ability, you must take a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Warden Tree Travel: At 6th level, you can locate Warden Trees, trees connected magically to Yggdrasil and one another, and can use them to teleport throughout material plane. After one minute of meditation, you learn the direction towards the closest Warden Tree. Once each week, you and up to 7 creatures with their hands linked can enter the Warden Tree using an Action. You emerge from the next closest Warden Tree in a cardinal direction you choose. Each Warden Tree is about 5d10+10 miles from one another. In particularly arid regions, add 20 to this roll.

Natural Cycle: Additionally at 6th level, your connection to Gladsheim and Niflheim allows you to manipulate life force. Your touch either withers or heals creatures. If a creature is unwilling, you must succeed at a melee spell attack to deliver your touch. You can choose to either deal 2d10+your CHA modifier necrotic damage to the creature plus 1d10 per sorcery point spent, or heal the creature for 1d8+your CHA modifier per sorcery point spent.

Greater Warden Tree Travel: At 14th level, you can use your Warden Tree Travel ability to teleport directly to Yggdrasil's central trunk in either the Material Plane (the bottom of the tree), in Nifleheim (the roots of the tree), or in Gladsheim (the top of the tree). You may also teleport to precise Warden Trees you have visited before.

Body of the World Tree: Additionally at 14th level, you become immune to disease, poison damage, and the poisoned condition.

Form of Yggdrasil: At 18th level, you can change yourself into a Treant once per long rest. This effect is similar to a Shapechange spell. After the spell is finished, the treant's body becomes inert and you step out of it. The treant "shell" lives on as a normal ash tree where the spell ended.

image credit: Dave Rapoza

Cosmic Sorcery

The Cosmic Sorcerer gains power from a connection to the universe and the celestial bodies that inhabit it. Your power is ever-changing with the movement of planets, stars, the sun and the moon, and your fighting style changes to compensate. You are an imposing force to be reckoned with. Unlike other sorcerers who rely solely on their force of personality and charisma to use their abilities, you must also use your physical strength to fuel your power. With a perfect body and soul the cosmos is yours to manipulate.

The Cosmic Sorcerer needs a good STR score as well as a good CHA score to be successful. They are something like an Eldritch Knight but leaning more towards spells than combat. The Celestial Body ability is intended to compensate for their need to have a high STR and a high CHA score, but if spending sorcery points to buff your attacks and damage proves too much, that would be the first ability I would nerf.

Astrology: At 1st level, you can divine information from the position of celestial bodies. This allows you to cast Augury once per day. During certain astrological events, such as a full moon, new moon, or solar/lunar eclipse, solstice, or equinox, you may instead cast Commune. During especially rare events like a planetary alignment, meteor shower, or comet’s passage, you may cast either Commune or Legend Lore. You can predict common astrological events with certainty, and can predict rare astrological events successfully with a percentage of accuracy equal to 5 times your sorcerer level.

Celestial Body: At 1st level, the power of the cosmos infuses your body and equipment, making them stronger. You gain proficiency in Light and Medium Armor as well as non-heavy martial weapons. In addition, weapons you wield and armor you wear are treated as magical. You may spend up to 1 sorcery point as a bonus action to grant yourself a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with melee weapons for each sorcery point spent this way for 1 minute. At level 6 you may spend up to 2 sorcery points for this ability, and at 14th level you may spend up to 3 sorcery points for this ability.

Soul of the Cosmos: At 6th level, your connection to the movement of the cosmos strengthens. You gain an ability based on which cosmic phase you are in, and advance to the next phase at the end of each short or long rest. The phase order is Sun, Moon and Stars and loops indefinitely.

Sun: You gain resistance to cold damage. You gain an aura that deals fire damage equal to your STR modifier to creatures starting their turn within 15 ft. of you.

Moon: You gain resistance to psychic damage. Whenever you cast a sorcerer spell using an action, you may make a melee weapon attack as a bonus action.

Stars: You gain resistance to radiant damage. When an attack roll fails to hit you, you may spend your Reaction to teleport to a location up to a number of feet away equal to 5 x your STR modifier.

Cosmic Journey: Starting at 14th level, once every 7 days at midnight, you and up to 6 other creatures can journey into the Astral Plane or transport from the astral plane to the material plane.

Gravity Manipulation: Also starting at 14th level, you can manipulate the gravity within your spells' affected areas. When you cast a damaging spell with an area effect, you may spend 2 sorcery points. If you do, you may choose to have your spell affect the gravity around it. You can choose to either attract or repel. If you chose attract, all creatures that fit completely in the area are pulled into the spell's area. If you chose repel, all creatures completely inside the spell's area are pushed away from the center of the spell's area until they are 15 ft. away from the edge of the spell's area.

Sublime Alignment: At 18th level, you gain new abilities that can be used only during their respective cosmic phases (as detailed in the Soul of the Cosmos ability) and only once during each phase. You must spend 1 sorcery point to use each ability.

Sun: Solar Flare: You can use your action to send out a fiery flare that deals 8d6 fire damage to all in a 60 ft. cone. Creatures that succeed at a DEX saving throw against your spell save DC take only half damage.The 60 ft. cone becomes an area with properties like an Antimagic Field for a number of hours equal to your STR modifier.

Moon: Phase Shift: You can use your action strengthen one creature with the cosmic power of the moon and weaken another creature. You empower a creature with a bonus to their attack rolls equal to your STR modifier and weaken another creature with a penalty to their attack rolls equal to your STR modifier. A creature that succeeds at a CON saving throw against your spell save DC resists this effect. These effects persist for 1 minute.

Stars: Starmantle: You conjure a cloak of starry points of light. The cloak deflects the next seven attack rolls made within the next 1 hour, diffusing them into harmless flashes of light.

[justavulcan]

Airmark's Guide to Planar Vegetables: Wanderpine Tree

These enormously tall, exceptionally straight-trunked pine trees are often found in places touched by regular natural flame.  Valleys untouched by streams, forests troubled by regular fires in Ysgard’s extreme summers, and the borders of Muspelheim are their natural habitats.  Planar travelers experienced in nature craft can tell by the presence of these trees that wildfires or other pyroclastic phenomena are regular dangers in the area.  The wood, needles, and sap of the wanderpine are all, naturally, highly incendiary once the tree reaches full maturity, allowing their life cycle to propogate neatly after they drop their halfling-sized cones.  The cones often either wander off, drawn to campfires or natural conflagrations, or stay near their parent trees while fire giant raids, ysgardian druids, or extreme storms bring them the fire they need to germinate.  Renowned for their fast maturation- a cone transforms directly into a juvenile tree in seconds- wanderpine is a fine source of lightweight, soft wood for crafts, although it is unsuitable for uses requiring great durability.

[justavulcan]

The Heavens Are Empty: Celestial Herald

The being standing before you has perfect dark skin from the shoulders down; it’s clad in loose, colorful robes and bears a trumpet in one hand and a javelin in the other.  It has four feathered wings coming out of its back, but most shocking is its total lack of a head; instead, it has a white flame, which oddly casts no light; surrounding the flame are two wheels covered in eyes, of many different colors and sorts.  Its voice is majestic and smooth.

Celestial Heralds are the ambassadors of the Upper Planes.  Tied to no particular god nor court of the realms of good, heralds instead serve as their name suggests wherever they are needed.  More than capable of protecting themselves with their trumpet and javelin, Heralds only seek to deliver messages that must be sent in person, alert mortals of the coming of greater emissaries of cosmic Good, and serve as courtiers to those same greater celestial powers.

Few things motivate Heralds to true combat; as their duties usually involve delivering a message, escape is often their higher priority if their own personage is threatened.  Typically a Horn Blast will be sufficient incentive to leave them be, but their high fly speed and returning javelin mean that if they are pursued or circumstances force them to defend themselves with more than a hasty departure, they are sufficiently equipped to do so.  Like many celestials, Celestial Heralds are well-intentioned and can be convinced to aid those truly in need, although their mandate may come first depending on the urgency of the message.  They have a special affinity for couriers, messengers, and heralds, however, and may go out of their way or even delay their own delivery if they see a like-purposed mortal in distress.

Celestial Heralds can be found throughout the Upper Planes, although they are more common on the planes further from Elysium as these planes have more contact with the forces of Law, Chaos, and ultimately, Evil.

[justavulcan]

The Heavens Are Empty: Celestial Introspector

This being looks nothing like the angels you were led to expect.  It resembles a mirror, burnished to a high shine and surrounded by a ring of arms cast from light of all colors.  The whole creature appears somewhat immaterial, but as it approaches, it turns and shows you yourself in its surface- a perfect reflection.  Its mere presence is somehow meditative, and despite its odd appearance, you find yourself at ease.

Celestial Introspectors are a bit more spiritually charged than many of their kin. Equipped to make mortals literally face themselves from the outside, introspectors serve as the therapists and counselors of the Upper Planes, offering their insights on mortalkind to other celestial beings who may be more removed from such concerns.  Introspectors often claim when asked that the greatest goods come from truly understanding oneself, and say they were charged with ensuring mortals have that opportunity.  When asked who charged them thus, they are typically cryptic, leaving their true master unclear.

In combat, introspectors default to their Create Reflection ability to bring an ‘ally’ to the field.  If at all possible, they avoid combat by escaping through solid objects or targeting belligerent groups with Calm Emotions.  Failing this, they make use of their Pacifying Touch on enemy melee combatants, seeking to hit-and-run.  Introspectors can usually only be motivated to combat to defend their charges or patients, or in rare cases when their patient requires a more literal confrontation with themselves than extensive therapy can provide.

Celestial Introspectors frequent realms where the inhabitants are concerned with introspection and self-improvement, and so are most often found on Arcadia, Mt. Celestia, Elysium, and Ysgard.  However, as they are essentially heavenly psychotherapists, they can be found throughout the planes, wherever their services are needed.

[justavulcan]

The Heavens Are Empty Masterpost

To provide easy access to any who would want to use the celestials I made for this project.  Please let me know how it goes if you use any of these creatures, I’d love playtest notes.

Celestial Herald; CR 7; a messenger for when Sending won’t do it.  Excels at ranged and skirmish combat with a magical returning javelin.

Apiarian Worker; CR 1; a bee-like celestial with a healing death burst ability.  Skilled at both ranged and melee combat, particularly in groups.

Apiarian Queen; CR 5; a bee-like celestial civic leader.  Ranged combatant, deadliest when her workers are with her to allow the use of her legendary actions.

Prism Heron; CR 2; a bird with a radiant tail, native to the shores of Mt. Celestia.  Skirmish attacker with a blinding tail attack.

Kinderwachter; CR 1; a child’s guardian taking the form of a stuffed animal.  Good at protecting a target, alone would rather flee than fight.

Bariaur and Bariaur Defender; CR 2 and 4; ram-centaur celestial nomads.  Both skilled charge-attackers with ranged options and many attack types.

Celestial Witness; CR 3; spy, observer, and sometime defender for the heavens.  Flying battlefield controller and debuffer.

Guiding Beetle; CR 4; beetle-like travelers who seek and aid the lost.  Slow but equipped with good defenses and many ranged attack and control spells.

Brux Lightstalker; CR 5; forest warden and hunter in the Beastlands.  Ambush and skirmish attacker with a light-blend ability.

Pax Pollinator; CR 4; conflict-averse heavenly field lurker.  Multiple ways to nonlethally discourage or end combat, a radiant pollen attack for when the enemy won’t take the hint.

Mudsinger; CR 6; salamander-like patron of the arts and mountain wanderer.  Likes to either mix it up in melee or stick to long-range combat, depending on how deadly it wants the fight to be.

Celestial Introspector; CR 7; heavenly therapist and advisor on mortal affairs.  Can actually make you fight yourself, has touch attacks that prevent movement.

Belieren Warden; CR 6; steward of the Upper Planes’ prison on Elysium.  Skirmish attackers specializing in isolating single enemies and locking down their foes.

Winterbird; CR 9; icy stormbird that rescues those in frozen reaches.  Skirmisher with a protective aura of heavy obscuring winter weather.

Tarn Steward; CR 25; elephantine guardian of the Glass Tarn and its prophetic powers.  Powerful charger and melee combatant with many options to shape the battlefield and move enemies around.