Progress - Flitter vehicle stat block

I am working on things, and as proof: a stat block for a Flitter! (a simple spelljamming ship)

Jammin' in Barovia preview- Strahd's Flying Yacht: The Bloodmoon

I think it is about time I reveal my super secret Spelljammer project: Jammin' in Barovia! Similar to my previous project based on Descent into Avernus, this will be a full supplement on the DM's Guild featuring various ships and other Spelljammer goodies that you can add to your Curse of Strahd campaign.

My original intention was to have the supplement completed before the release of Curse of Strahd Revamped (which comes out today!), but due to my day job and life being-what-it-is in 2020, I was not able to complete it in time. I didn't want to entirely miss out on the fun of Revamped's release though, so here is a little taste of Strahd's flying yacht: The Bloodmoon.

 

The dark powers pull many strange things into the realm of Barovia and there is almost nowhere that is beyond their reach. Long ago, the mists were used to call an entire ship and crew to Lake Zarovich. However, the crew of purple-skinned men with bulbous heads refused to take their unexpected relocation lying down.  

Despite the enormous cannon that took up over half the ship's length, their peculiar vessel lifted up from the lake like a bird and headed for the sky. But Barovia is not so easy to escape, even if you possess a Spelljamming helm. The mists confused and reversed their course at every turn.

Though most Barovians were terrified of their strange appearance, the crew eventually learned that they could only leave with the permission of the Dark Lord of the land, Strahd Von Zarovich. They immediately flew their ship to Castle Ravenloft and demanded passage through the mists. Should they not be permitted to leave, they vowed to rain terrible destruction upon the castle and its occupants.

However, Strahd was not to be threatened. He invited the captain and his officers to join him for dinner. They refused, but for all their bluster and grandstanding they failed to notice the distant look in their cannoneer's eyes. When the order to fire the ship's massive cannon went ignored, the vampire and his minions swarmed the would-be attackers before they could regroup. The brief but furious battle ended as all struggles against the Dark Lord must, with his victory.

Strahd learned many interesting things from the few survivors, before adding them to the ranks of his undead minions and claiming their fascinating ship as his own. Now, stained a deep crimson, The Bloodmoon haunts the skies of Barovia. Strahd has had the interior of the ship renovated to his liking as well, converting it into a flying ballroom with guest rooms below and a balcony to watch the dancers from above. Though usually employed by the Dark Lord for masquerades and other dubious celebrations, on occasion he will swing open the large doors in the side of the ballroom for an execution or two.

As for the enormous cannon that once featured prominently on the Bloodmoon's main deck, nobody seems to knows what Strahd has done with it...




I hope you have enjoyed this little preview. I will try to finish writing and polishing it so I can get it on the DM's Guild as soon as I can! I am aiming for a Halloween publication date, but with the hours at my current job, mid November seems a little bit more likely. Keep your eye on this blog for updates!

And if this little taste of Spelljammer goodness has piqued your curiosity, you can learn more about it in my Spelljammer 101 post, or check out my first Jammin' supplement: Jammin' in Avernus!

Projects update

Times being what they are, I've gotten rather behind on my posts and projects. Progress is a bit slow, but I am still working on several of them as much as I can. So, here's a little update on where I'm at, and what kinds of things I'm excited to share with you all... hopefully soon!

Of course, we'll be starting with the Spelljammer stuff first.

Jammin' in Wildemount

Ever since The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount came out, I've been thinking about different ways I could slide a bit of Spelljammer flavor into such an already rich setting. It's been a few months since I posted the first installment of my Jammin' In Wildemount series (The Crown of Wind and Stars), but don't worry, more posts are on the way! In the next installment I'll talk about The Cobalt Soul and the Cerberus Assembly getting their hands on spelljammer helms and racing to be the first to explore wildspace. That means not one, but two ships! After that will be Darktow's secret weapon- a vessel made of cobbled together broken ships, covered in cannons. Will it also be capable of flight, due to a spelljamming helm? Very probably.

I'm currently only planning three posts in this series, but it could easily expand in the future. I have so many ideas!

Jammin' in Avernus Art Update

JiA has been sorely needing something a bit more eye-popping to catch people's attention while they are scrolling the DM's Guild, so I've been practicing my drawing! I'm hoping to give it a snazzy new cover image and character/ship art for each of the entries.

Top Secret Third Jammin' Project!

I have plans in the works for another Spelljammer inspired supplement bound for the DM's Guild. I don't want to give too much away at this point, but I'm aiming to have at least part of it ready to go by the end of October. Keep your eye on the blog for a special sneak peek!

The Bonded Class

After the Spelljammer stuff, the second biggest project that I am working on is a new class: The Bonded. Almost since we started playing 5th edition, my wife Jenn has been wanting a class that would let her live out her summoner dreams. Unfortunately, running around befriending monsters and forging summoning contracts is very difficult to balance, but over the last couple of years I've been working to build a companion based class that offers a similar sense of shared growth and a deep connection with your bonded spirit. I also wanted to make the Bonded feel like it could fit right in with other classes in the PHB. So, I've done my best make sure it is built on the mechanics and philosophies of 5e.

We're in the home stretch at this point. I will be posting the Bonded to DM's Guild when we clear the last few hurdles, but expect some at least one lore post here before it goes up. Possibly even a guest post by my lovely wife/editor.
 

Monster Archetypes

On a similar class-building note, I've been wanting to release some archetypes that are based on certain enemies from the Monster Manual and various adventures. Sort of a companion to my Monster Weapons supplement. Hopefully you'll find them as fun and interesting as I do!

Cosmetic Spell Changes

And finally, one project that has been gathering dust for too long now is my Cosmetic Spell Changes supplement. It goes through most of the spells in the PHB and gives alternate visual themes for your spells depending on where they are cast or who/what you learned them from. I'm also planning to add more spells from other sourcebooks later.


Thanks for taking a look at this update/project round-up! I hope you will enjoy seeing these when they are complete.

Jammin' In Wildemount: The Crown of Wind and Stars

Welcome to the first in a series of posts featuring Spelljammer themed content designed to be used in a Wildemount campaign. This one is a Vestige of Divergence, a powerful artifact that can be given to players fairly early on and they can unlock it's full powers as they progress through the game. At first it is simply a means to travel by sea more quickly (though it will effect any wind powered vehicle), but once it awakens this item allows a ship to fly though the sky or even leave Exandria to explore the crystal sphere that I currently refer to as "Critspace".

If this sounds intriguing, but Spelljammer, crystal spheres, or space travel in D&D is unfamiliar to you, please check out my Spelljammer 101 post!

The Crown of Wind and Stars

Long ago, perhaps even before the age of Arcanum, Sehanine the Moon Weaver gifted a powerful magic diadem to her champion, a brave sea captain wrongfully parted from their lover by dark magic and the Ozmit Sea. It made the wearer's ship swift as the wind, helped them find their way across the seas, and even allowed them to travel where a normal ship could never go. No space touched by the Moon Weaver's gentle light would stand between them and their love ever again; not even the sky, or beyond.

This wondrous artifact became known as The Crown of Wind and Stars. Passed down from one Sehanine worshiping captain to the next, it has been kept a closely guarded secret for generations, rarely seen by any besides its wearers. As centuries passed, the crown's true abilities were slowly forgotten and the artifact became dormant. Relegated to a pretty status symbol, few would guess that it is the same artifact that appears in folktales throughout the coastal lands of Exandria.

The Crown:

Crown of Wind and Stars

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

A silver diadem with rose gold accents and adorned with aquamarines, the Crown of Wind and Stars was gifted to a sailor of Exandria by Sehanine sometime around the Age of Arcanum.

Dormant. While wearing the crown in its dormant state, you gain the following benefits:

• The speed of any wind propelled vehicle you are riding on is doubled.

• You know the location of the stars and constellations even if time of day and weather would normally prevent viewing the stars.

Awakened. When the crown reaches an awakened state, it gains the following properties while you are aboard a vessel weighing between 1 and 100 tons:

• The crown generates an envelope of fresh air around the ship while it is in the void of space (but not underwater). This envelope extends out from the edges of the hull in all directions for a distance equal in length to the vessel's beam, so that creatures aboard and near the ship can breathe normally in space. The temperature within the air envelope is 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

• The crown generates an artificial gravity field while the ship is in the void of space, so that creatures can walk on the ship's decks as they normally would. Creatures and objects that fall overboard bob in a gravity plane that extends out from the main deck for a distance equal in length to the vessel's beam.

• You can use the crown to propel the vessel across or through water and other liquids at a maximum speed in miles per hour equal to half the level of your highest-level unexpended spell slot.

• You can use the crown to propel the vessel through air or space at a maximum speed in miles per hour equal to your highest-level unexpended spell slot × 5.

• Provided you have at least one unexpended spell slot, you can steer the vessel, albeit in a somewhat clumsy fashion, in much the same way that oars or a rudder can maneuver a seafaring ship.

• Drawback. While using the crown to propel the ship, you cannot expend your own spell slots.

Exalted. When the crown reaches an exalted state, it gains the following properties:

• The maximum speed you can propel a vessel in water using the crown is increased to miles per hour equal to the level of your highest-level unexpended spell slot and the maximum speed you can propel a vessel through the air in miles per hour is equal to your highest-level unexpended spell slot × 10.

• While aboard a vessel, you can use the crown to cast the dimension door, disguise self, and fog cloud spells. You can cast each of these spells once, regaining all uses after a long rest. When you cast dimension door or disguise self in this way, they affect the vessel and all creatures and objects aboard, and when fog cloud is cast in this way, it is cast at 9th level.

Where to find the crown

Whether your players are sent to retrieve it or simply stumble across it, there are many possible places to slip The Crown of Wind and Stars into your Wildemount game. Here are some ideas that I came up with:

1. The Retiree: Welens Antoura, elf captain of The Woven Path and current wearer of the crown, is looking to retire soon, but does not have a suitable heir. He and his ship are currently docked in Nicodranas

2. Lost at Sea: The last known wearer of the crown was lost at sea some time ago. They were believed to be somewhere in the Mother's Sigh Reef when their vessel mysteriously disappeared.

3. The Unfaithful: At some point the crown fell into the hands of someone who was less than faithfully devoted to the Moon Weaver. The current wearer is Lawson Whitley, a smuggler on the Menagerie Coast, who has enough magical power to utilize the crown's dormant abilities, and is impossible to catch while at sea.

Final Word

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this artifact and feel inspired to use it in your game! The crown itself is inspired by a type of spelljamming helm known as a "Crown of Stars". It is unusual among spelljamming helms in that it is actually a wearable item (not always a crown), instead of a chair like most other helms.

If you like this article then you might want to check out my Balder's Gate: Descent into Avernus supplement. Jammin' in Avernus is where I put my Spelljammer obsession to work adding some 'Jammery goodness to the wastes of Avernus. I'm still working on getting a better cover, but I had a lot of fun making it, so please give it a look!