Seven Cosmic Rumors

Might as well try to write something.

• Illithids once had an empire that spanned worlds. Why have they degenerated and devolved into a handful of enclaves deep within the earth? Because the dead god on which the Githyanki built their astral capital is Ilsensine, their patron. What the Githyanki don't know is that sooner or later Ilsensine is going to stop playing possum.
• It's easier to get to the Astral Plane from the elemental planes of water and air than the planes of fire and earth. Water and Air elementals are known to brag about this in mixed company.
• It's said that there's one location in the world that is a natural gate to each outer plane. Mount Celestia is a particularly tall mountain range on which an order of Lawful Good monks live forever in pursuit of spiritual alignment, the Abyss is a massive gorge shrouded in scalding-hot steam and noxious vapors, Mechanus is an elaborate space station that has sat in orbit since time beyond memory, and so on and so forth. Regardless, all are hopelessly remote and it would be a fool's errand to try to journey to them... unless one were a great hero.
• The best way to get to the Moon is by ethereal travel. Somehow it manages to be the one part of the Ethereal that's really scenic. The moon itself is ethereal stone and exists equally in both planes.
• Ilepho, a gnome philosopher, once wrote that the Feywild and the Shadowfell are not separate planes unto themselves, but that the material plane, like many outer planes, has overlapping layers (if you must know, he compared it to a Spanakopita). His half-sister Argia the Elder disagreed, she wrote that the Feywild is the ancient, mythic past and the Shadowfell is the aftermath of some future catastrophe yet to be seen. Their disagreement culminated into a duel to the death.
• The stars are roughly divided (in increasing order of frequency) between being the distant suns of other worlds, holes in the dome of the sky through which the radiance of distant planes leaks, the eyes of unfathomable entities that coolly and enviously regard the earth, and ordinary rocks with Continual Light spells cast upon them that slipped the surly bonds of earth to float in the sky. Depending on who you ask, this list might be in a different order.
• There used to be other elemental planes. No one has seen them in centuries.

And here I am, three months later.

Don't worry, it hasn't been anything too horrible. But when my depression and stress claw at my life, gaming in general is the first thing to give and this blog in particular suffers as my creative juices slow to a crawl and what inspiration does come gets constantly second-guessed. It's no way to live, but we all keep trying like fools. Now that all three core books for 5e are out, and hopefully, I'll be getting for Christmas, maybe I'll get the chance to flex my gaming muscle a little more... But by saying that I've probably jinxed it.

I have been gaming a little, in a Forgotten Realms campaign over at the BFRPG forums. I may have mentioned that earlier this year. But it's been a big help to me. It's given me a little bit of creative outlet, and my pair of halflings in that game has been a much-needed opportunity to spread my wings a little bit.

That's the paradox of depression, isn't it? It sucks all the joy out of doing things, but then if you actually knuckle down and do them it turns out to not be so bad after all. This blog is probably the same way. If I got back in the swing of things I bet it'd come as naturally as anything.

13 Monstrous rumors

Some ideas I had while paging through the 5e Monster Manual (which I'm quite impressed with, I may have to write a review later.)

• The basilisk is the female of the species. The cockatrice is male. To stumble upon them as they mate is not a pleasant experience.
• There once lived an albino red dragon whose favorite amusement was battling wizards who, believing him to be a white dragon, had filled their minds with fire spells.
• Erelhei-Cinlu and Menzoberranzan are the drow equivalent of the (ahem) Deep South. While dark elf society is decadent and duplicitous, other drow mock their excessive devotion to Lolth and cultural obsession with slavery.
• Dryads love to ride on the shoulders of treants. It makes them feel safe.
• Gargoyles only move when no one is watching... or so they believe; they are in fact rather poor judges of other creatures' visual acuity.
• All genies are able to grant wishes, but only nobles are authorized to do so.
• Ghouls and ghasts are actually a living race, not a type of undead, they merely recoil from holiness as if they were.
• Ice devils are not truly devils, but have lived in the nine hells so long as to work their way into the hierarchy anyhow.
• It is a mercy that the Invisible Stalker cannot be seen, and an even greater one that enchantments to see the invisible relay only a vague, formless outline. Those under the effects of truesight who have seen an Invisible Stalker uncloaked invariably retreat beyond the farthest shores of madness.
• "Blibdoolpoolp" is just an approximation of the name of the Kuo-Toa's lobster-headed goddess. Her real name is pronounced identically to the last three bubbles of air that leave a drowning man's lungs.
• In the far north, the deathless creature we call a mummy is known as a draugr.
• A shadow that impresses Orcus may become a shadow demon.
• All wraiths are bound to a magical item they coveted in life, all wights are bound to the tomb in which they were buried, and all spectres to a particular bloodline they wish to exterminate.

In which the last horse crosses the finish line, or "Hey Rachel, why come so many dungeons?"

You may not know this, but I spend a lot of time around Reddit. One of my favorite subreddits is /r/AskScienceFiction, where people ask questions about sci-fi, fantasy, and occasionally other fictional universes, and the answers are provided from an in-universe perspective. Some of the time the answers come from an obscure bit of canon, but a lot of the time it's just a platform for who can come up with the most interesting speculative answer.

Recently, someone asked what defensive fortifications look like in a high-magic fantasy world. After all, he reasoned, real castles evolved to combat the siege tactics that were being used historically, but a world with magic-users, dragons, and other fantasy elements would present different challenges to a lord looking to protect his holdings.

One common answer we use is that these things are so rare that it seldom presents an issue. But that doesn't quite jive with the assumptions most versions of D&D (really, any versions that I can think of) present about the world by default. But there's another answer that does. To put it simply, the keep as we know it is obsolete as a form of defense in D&D. It is replaced, interestingly enough, by the humble dungeon. A thick layer of earth provides a barrier to many forms of divination, and hinders many magical forms of ingress (teleportation becomes a risky proposition if you can't see where you're going, even with otherwise relatively safe short-range methods like Dimension Door), The narrow, twisting passages of a dungeon reduce visibility, create defensible chokepoints to halt invaders from, and discourage the use of area-of-effect spells by an attacking force, and can be constructed to be a difficult or impossible fit for larger enemies.

More traditional fortifications do retain some use-- after all, moats, palisades and curtain walls will still serve as obstacles for an approaching army, and towers offer a vantage point for spotting any approach, as well as high ground for archers and mages to rain death from above on. But the construction of these will differ. I would expect to see, rather than the more conventional open roofs with parapets, a wide room or machicolation with a sturdy roof and many arrow slits, the better to protect the defenders from being snatched up or dive-bombed by flying monsters.

Most people, and most domesticated animals, will still prefer to live aboveground, so there will likely be buildings inside the bailey. Generally these will be made from cheaply-replaceable wood, as the auxiliary buildings of many real-world castles are, but even the main hall stands a good chance of being made of wood. Any strategically-important business must be conducted underground where prying magical eyes and ears will have a harder time spying on it.

In short, the reason your campaign setting is peppered with underground complexes is because the dungeon is the natural evolution of a castle to defend against the kind of threats unique to a fantasy world. Much as abandoned or ruined castles are scattered across the countrysides of Europe today, so will the remains of an old or conquered fortress be a common sight for travelers and explorers. The advantages of underground fortifications against magical or monstrous assault will have been realized early, probably even before the advent of masonry, so the dungeon will remain even when the wooden structures and fortifications of more ancient castles are gone.

As always, questions, critiques, or further insights are welcome.

In which a 5e Background is introduced: The Fey-Touched

FEY-TOUCHED

When you were very young, you were kidnapped and taken to the Feywild to be raised in the court of a fairy noble, and a changeling left in your place. Were you raised as a princeling? A pet? A slave? You were set free, escaped, or simply allowed to leave the nest when you grew up and have come to the material plane to seek your fortune.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Persuasion

Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set or musical instrument

Languages: Sylvan.

Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a token to remember your birth family by or a small favor from your patron, and a purse containing 15GP

Feature: Fairy Courtier
You grew up among the fey, and are used to their bizarre customs, strange manners, and frequent shifts in logic. When interacting with fey, you can keep up with them as easily as you can with material plane societies.

Personality: 
1. I am only really familiar with the customs and habits of the Feywild, so I seem strange and unusual.
2. People mistake me for being highly superstitious because I take every opportunity to appease any of the Fair Folk that might live nearby.
3. I grew up around such strange beauty that I find myself somewhat blase about the world.
4. I was treated harshly as a slave of the Lords and Ladies, and am somewhat fearful and submissive.
5. I was a favored child of the fey and have a spoiled and entitled attitude.
6. I am bizarrely joyful and prone to jokes, songs, or dance.

IDEAL:
1. Stringency: I hold myself and everyone I make deals with to the exact letter of their word, as the fairies do. (Lawful)
2. Cruelty: My masters treated me as a plaything, and I will do the same if I can to others. (Evil)
3. Freedom: I escaped the Feywild, and I encourage others to escape what is holding them. (Chaotic)
4. Unpredictability: Things in my home were often strange, and I always expect the unexpected. (Chaotic)
5. Wonder: Things in the Feywild are so amazing, I wish to share that beauty with the world! (Good)
6. Curiosity: The Material Plane is so different from the Feywild, it's exciting to see what it has to offer. (Neutral)

BOND:
1. I am on the run from my wicked faerie captors.
2. My patron owes me a favor that one day I'd like to collect if I see them again.
3. I was betrothed to one of the fey before I left.
4. I won my freedom in a game-- and the loser isn't happy.
5. I bargained away something irreplaceable, like my memories of my birth family or the color of my hair.
6. My birth family weren't fooled by the changeling left in my place, and have never given up searching for me.

FLAW:
1. I am the adopted scion of a lord or lady of the Feywild. Mere mortals are beneath me.
2. I never quite seem to fit in, no matter where I go.
3. I was... altered, somehow, and not in a nondescript way. People stare.
4. Once, I had to bargain away one or more of my emotions. I no longer feel that way at all.
5. Years of toil in the hostile social environment of the Feywild has embittered me.
6. I've learned all too well to fear what magic, used in anger, can do.

Alternate Feature: Fey Patron (Credit to /u/JRutterbush at reddit)
You have the ability to contact one of the fey who raised you, from whom you may ask favors. They may be unable or unwilling to help, or require repayment in kind.

Another 5e Basic vs B/X comparison: Monster lists

So yesterday the 5e basic rules updated to include several monsters, some DM guidelines for encounter building, and a small selection of basic magic items. Overall I thought it was a bit of a curious list, so, submitted for your consideration: A comparison of the monster selection provided in 5e Basic and in B/X follows. Overall... it's not a terrible list, though I think it's a touch short on fey, aberrations, and undead, and a bit heavy on animals. And only two dragons is a bit of a bummer as well. Special prize for the most WTF inclusion goes to the Spectator, which is there despite the fact that the Beholder is not, and to the Quipper, which I had to look up-- it's a sort of coldwater piranha made up for the 1e Fiend Folio, apparently (I'm surprised they didn't just call it a piranha, mostly.) Also, they swapped out Stegosaurus for Ankylosaurus, which strikes me as pretty weird-- but I think 3.5 and 4e had Ankylosaurs early in the running too. Maybe someone at WOTC just really likes Ankylosaurus?

Another interesting decision is that none of the demihuman races are featured as monsters in their own right, rather you apply their racial traits to a set of default NPC stats. Which is kinda neat, actually.

A-C

B/X	5e Basic
Acolyte	Acolyte
Antelope	Allosaurus
Ape, White	Animated Armor
Bandit	Ankylosaurus
Basilisk	Ape
Bat	Ape, Giant
Bat, Giant	Awakened Shrub
Bear, Black	Awakened Tree
Bear, Grizzly	Axe Beak
Bear, Polar	Baboon
Bear, Cave	Badger
Beetle, Fire, Giant	Badger, Giant
Beetle, Oil, Giant	Bandit
Beetle, Tiger, Giant	Banshee
Berserker	Basilisk
Black Pudding	Bat
Blink Dog	Bat, Giant
Boar	Bear, Black
Bugbear	Bear, Brown
Caecilia	Bear, Polar
Camel	Berserker
Carrion Crawler	Blink Dog
Cat, Great, Mountain Lion	Boar
Cat, Great, Panther	Boar, Giant
Cat, Great, Lion	Bugbear
Cat, Great, Tiger	Camel
Cat, Great, Saber-toothed Tiger	Cat
Cave Locust, Giant	Centaur
Centaur	Centipede, Giant
Centipede, Giant	Chimera
Chimera	Cockatrice
Cockatrice	Commoner
Crab, Giant	Crab
Crocodile	Crab, Giant
Crocodile, Large	Crocodile
Crocodile, Giant	Crocodile, Giant
Cyclops	Cultist
	Cyclops

D-G

B/X	5e Basic
Devil Swine	Death Dog
Displacer Beast	Deer
Djinni	Doppelganger
Doppelganger	Dragon, Green, Young
Dragon, White	Dragon, Red, Adult
Dragon, Black	Eagle
Dragon, Green	Eagle, Giant
Dragon, Blue	Elemental, Air
Dragon, Red	Elemental, Earth
Dragon, Gold	Elemental, Fire
Dragon Turtle	Elemental, Water
Driver Ant	Elephant
Dryad	Elk
Dwarf*	Elk, Giant
Efreet	Flameskull
Elemental, Air	Flying Sword
Elemental, Earth	Frog
Elemental, Fire	Frog, Giant
Elemental, Water	Gargoyle
Elephant	Ghost
Elf*	Ghoul
Ferret, Giant	Giant, Hill
Fish, Giant, Piranha	Giant, Fire
Fish, Giant, Rockfish	Giant, Frost
Fish, Giant, Catfish	Gnoll
Fish, Giant, Sturgeon	Goat
Gargoyle	Goat, Giant
Gelatinous Cube	Goblin
Ghoul	Golem, Flesh
Giant, Hill	Golem, Stone
Giant, Stone	Grick
Giant, Fire	Griffon
Giant, Frost	Guard
Giant, Cloud
Giant, Storm
Gnoll
Gnome
Goblin
Golem, Wood
Golem, Bone
Golem, Amber
Golem, Bronze
Gorgon
Grey Ooze
Green Slime
Griffon

H-M

B/X	5e Basic
Halfling*	Harpy
Harpy	Hawk
Hawk, Normal	Hawk, Blood
Hawk, Giant	Hellhound
Hellhound	Hippogriff
Hippogriff	Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin	Horse, Riding
Horse, Riding	Horse, Draft
Horse, Draft	Horse, War
Horse, War	Hydra
Hydra	Hyena
Invisible Stalker	Hyena, Giant
Killer Bee	Jackal
Kobold	Knight
Leech, Giant	Kobold
Living Statue, Crystal	Lizard
Living Statue, Stone	Lizard, Giant
Living Statue, Iron	Lizardfolk
Lizard, Giant, Gecko	Lycanthrope, Werewolf
Lizard, Giant, Draco	Mage
Lizard, Giant, Horned Chameleon	Mammoth
Lizard, Giant, Tuatara	Manticore
Lizard Man	Mastiff
Lycanthrope, Wererat	Medusa
Lycanthrope, Werewolf	Merfolk
Lycanthrope, Wereboar	Minotaur
Lycanthrope, Weretiger	Mule
Lycanthrope, Werebear	Mummy
Manticore
Mastodon
Medium
Medusa
Men, Brigand
Men, Buccaneer
Men, Dervish
Men, Merchant
Men, Nomad
Mermen
Minotaur
Mule
Mummy

N-R

B/X	5e Basic
Neanderthal	Nothic
Nixie	Ochre Jelly
Noble	Octopus
Normal Human	Octopus, Giant
NPC Party*	Ogre
Ochre Jelly	Orc
Octopus, Giant	Owl
Ogre	Owl, Giant
Orc	Owlbear
Owlbear	Pegasus
Pegasus	Phase Spider
Pixie	Plesiosaurus
Pterodactyl	Pony
Pteranodon	Priest
Purple Worm	Pteranodon
Rat	Quipper
Rat, Giant	Rat
Rhinoceros, Normal	Rat, Giant
Rhinoceros, Wooly	Raven
Rhagodessa	Rhinoceros
Robber Fly
Roc, Small
Roc, Large
Roc, Giant
Rock Baboon
Rust Monster

S-V

B/X	5e Basic
Salamander, Flame	Satyr
Salamander, Frost	Scorpion
Scorpion, Giant	Scorpion, Giant
Sea Dragon	Seahorse
Sea Serpent	Seahorse, Giant
Shadow	Skeleton
Shark, Bull	Snake, Poisonous
Shark, Mako	Snake, Constrictor
Shark, Great White	Snake, Flying
Shrew, Giant	Snake, Giant, Poisonous
Shrieker	Snake, Giant, Constrictor
Skeleton	Spectator
Snake, Spitting Cobra	Spider
Snake, Pit Viper	Spider, Giant
Snake, Sea Snake	Spider, Giant, Wolf
Snake, Giant Rattler	Stirge
Snake, Rock Python	Swarm, Bats
Spectre	Swarm, Insects
Spider, Giant, Crab	Swarm, Poisonous Snakes
Spider, Giant, Black Widow	Swarm, Quippers
Spider, Giant, Tarantella	Swarm, Rats
Sprite	Swarm, Ravens
Squid, Giant	Toad, Giant
Stegosaurus	Thug
Stirge	Triceratops
Swarm, Insect	Troll
Termite, Water, Swamp	Twig Blight
Termite, Water, Fresh	Tyrannosaurus Rex
Termite, Water, Salt	Vulture
Thoul	Vulture, Giant
Titanothere
Trader
Toad, Giant
Treant
Triceratops
Troglodyte
Troll
Tyrannosaurus Rex W-Z
Unicorn
Vampire
Veteran

W-Z

B/X	5e Basic
Weasel, Giant	Wasp, Giant
Whale, Killer	Weasel
Whale, Narwhal	Weasel, Giant
Whale, Sperm	Whale, Killer
Wight	Wight
Wraith	Wolf
Wolf	Wolf, Dire
Wolf, Dire	Wolf, Winter
Wyvern	Worg
Yellow Mold	Wyvern
Zombie	Yeti
	Zombie