Sweetheart D&D Masterpost

Daniel Romanovsky

(Note to Anni: you have shared my table with me, and so I prevail on that acquaintance to beg you to be kind with these my early works. When I put this together I was two years younger than I am now, and thus a fool. I have never played a game such as this article describes. I had not found a confidence of voice or basic understanding of the blogging format. I leave these to show my progress, as you say that is part of your analysis. But worry yourself not with explaining the depth of the depths I’ve crawled up from. )

Overview

Base Rules and Races

Skills

optional Feats

Combat, Weapons, Armor

Language

Weapon Materials

Some Magic Items

Classes

Fighter

Thief

Errant and Errant Spells

Sorcerer

Priest, gods and Priest Spells

Loresage and Loresage Spells

Binder, Patrons and Binder Spells

Initiator and Signature Moves

Prodigal

Ultimate Punch

In old 3.5 parlance, "initiator" referred to three classes from the Tome of Battle. They were martial classes
that used stances and maneuvers that they studied like spells. Proponents appreciated that they could play
a strictly nonmagical character with interesting options. Detractors, among other things, said the classes felt
like cheesy wuxia or anime characters who called out their attacks before connecting. The initiator class
below somewhat embraces that, while also subsuming classes like 3.5's spellblade and duskblade, and
Pathfinder's magus. It can lean into magical moves or be purely mundane.

INITIATOR (warblade, magus, spellblade, crusader)

1	Technique, Armor Focus (light)
2	Second Magnitude, attack +1
3	Armor Focus (medium)
4	Third Magnitude, attack +1
5	Minor Resistance
6	Fourth Magnitude, attack +1
7	Armor Focus (heavy)
8	Fifth Magnitude, attack +1
9	Cut Down
10	Sixth Magnitude, attack +1

Starting Skills: Any one expertise, acrobatics, and one other.

Technique: You train in a martial tradition to refine dueling techniques. Every level, learn a signature move that you can integrate into your repertoire. Unlike spells, signature moves can be performed any number of times per day. You can learn additional moves with a relevant skill test, either by training with a master or studying a fighting folio.

Armor Focus: You can concentrate on moves while wearing light armor, and at later levels can concentrate while wearing medium and heavy armor.

Minor Resistance: Choose a peril on the table below or roll randomly. Add half your level to rolls to resist it (rounded up.)

Table 3, again: perils

1. Fear
2. Poison (including alcohol)
3. Pushing
4. Cold
5. Heat
6. Charms
7. Disarming
8. Tripping

Cut down: You can slay lesser combatants with a thought. As a free action, you may slay any character with fewer than half of your hit dice. They must be within range of one of your attacks and susceptible to it. You may do this multiple times in a round, but the total levels of characters slain cannot exceed your own.

Daniel Romanovsky

SIGNATURE MOVES

The signature moves of an initiator encompass several fighting traditions: the formal techniques of duelists, the stances (or wuxia special attacks) of martial artists, the showmanship of gladiators and luchadores, or the spells of the fighting mage. All signature moves require concentration. While some signature moves are magical, they are unlike spells in some respects. For one, they do not require spell slots to use. Rather, they can be used as often as the initiator gets the opportunity. Magic users cannot learn signature moves, nor may initiators learn spells. Finally, many moves do not requires an action, instead augmenting attacks.

However, moves which are, in fact, magical, should be treated as such. They cannot be performed in an anti-magic field, for instance.

In broad strokes, signature move magnitudes have the following structure to give them a “combo” feel:

1. 1. General, minor
2. 2. Specific, inflict condition
3. 3. Payoff based on condition
4. 4. Counter interference, set up next step
5. 5. Specific, inflicts severe condition
6. 6. Finisher

Move Name	Magnitude	Effect
Agrippa’s Mechanical Supremacy	Fifth	If an adjacent opponent would test a dexterity skill, they roll with disadvantage. If they fail, they are knocked prone and disarmed.
Bear Brunt	Sixth	You gain one point of DR for each point of attack your opponent has less than you.
Best	Sixth	If an adjacent foe is prone and unarmed, you may demand their immediate surrender. If they don’t comply, your next attack against them is an automatic critical. If they comply, you must treat them fairly.
Bonetti’s Defense	First	Ignore the negative effects of difficult terrain.
Break	Sixth	As a free action, you may slay any character with fewer than half of your base strength. They must be within range of one of your attacks and susceptible to it. You may do this multiple times in a round, but the total strength of characters slain cannot exceed your own.
Burning Blow	First	Magic. Your attacks are fiery, and deal an additional 1 point of damage. This can also start mundane fires.
Capo Ferro	Third	When you make a free attack for an opponent’s movement through difficult terrain, you may also make a free combat maneuver.
Chill Touch	Second	Magic. You may take -2 to hit. If you do, a damaged target gets -2 to dexterity tests and -1 to hit. This does not stack with itself.
Creative Knots	First	Reduce the dex skill penalty of your armor by two. Also, you’re really good at tying knots.
Drag Down	Fourth	If an adjacent target would knock you prone or stun you, you may make a free combat maneuver check to do the same to them, for at least one round.
Drill Break	Third	Ignore a stationary target’s armor bonus to AC.
Eggshell Footwork	Second	Anything within reach of your weapon counts as difficult terrain for your foes.
Engram Maneuver	Fifth	You may spend a round winding for a sweeping strike. Until your next turn, you get a -4 penalty to AC. Then, when it is your turn your first attack also deals 1d6 temporary strength damage.
Engram’s Focus	First	You automatically detect the source of any apparent non-charm spells within 30 ft. of you.
Explosion	Fifth	Magic. When damaged, you may burst with magical energy. If you do, you and everyone within 15 ft. take 2d6. Others are blinded for 1 round. They may test constitution to ignore the blindness and halve the damage.
Faruk	Fourth	For one round after you attack a target, if they target you with a spell they must test dexterity or fail.
Float like a Butterfly	First	As long as you move more than 10 ft., get +1 to AC until your next turn.
Forceful Arms	Third	Magic. When you disarm a weapon, you may magical send it into another foe within 40 ft., rolling to hit and damage as normal.
Formation Stance	Third	Whenever an ally makes a free attack against a target, if you haven’t already since your last turn, you may make one as well.
Grab Blow	Second	If an adjacent foe would attack an ally, you may redirect the attack to you, with +2 AC. If the foe damages you, your ally may make a free attack agains them.
Groundless Stance	Fourth	You hover a foot off the ground, and cannot be tripped or affected by most difficult terrain, etc.
Harry Hand	Second	When you damage a foe, until their next turn they incur a point of fatigue if they use a hand for fine manipulation, such as casting a spell.
Juke	Fourth	If an opponent would charge you, you may go prone to evade their attack, instead allowing them to run past you.
Karoma’s Brilliant Blowback	Sixth	Magic. If an unarmed foe is knocked prone, you may send them flying back 50 ft. If they hit something before that distance, they take 1d6 damage for every 10 ft. they had to go.
Lunging Swan Strike	Third	If you don’t move on your turn, you may extend the reach of your weapon by five feet.
Mercy Stroke	Sixth	When you strike a stunned opponent, they must test constitution or gorily die. They get a -4 penalty if they half less than half of their maximum hp.
Nage-Waza	Second	Whenever you deal unarmed damage, the foe must test dexterity or be moved 5 ft. in one direction of your choosing.
Oozing Wound	Second	Magic. When you damage an opponent, the area around them bursts with gore, making it difficult terrain until your next turn.
Outlast	Third	When you damage a fatigued foe, gain one hp for each point of fatigue they possess (maximum 5.)
Parry	Fourth	Once per combat, you may reduce the damage of an incoming attack by 1d12.
Phoenix Finish	Sixth	Magic. When you would die, you may test constitution. If you succeed, you lose one constitution and stand up at 1 hp.
Pressure Points	Fifth	Your unarmed attacks deal 1d6 damage. When you roll a 5 or more on an unarmed attack, the enemy must test strength be stunned for one round. They get a penalty on this roll equal to the number of times they’ve been damaged by your unarmed attacks.
Recurve Dance	Sixth	Magic. When you damage a foe wearing sundered armor, get a bonus to damage equal to their armor bonus. Additionally, shattered fragments of their defenses begin to float around you, giving you +2 AC with a further +4 AC against ranged attacks.
Reverberation de Laroch	Fifth	If an enemy hits you but deals no damage, their turn immediately ends and they get -2 AC until their next turn.
Ring the Bell	Sixth	When you damage a stunned opponent, they must test constitution or be knocked out. They get a penalty on this roll equal to their armor bonus.
Roland’s Bowl	Second	You get a bonus to combat maneuver checks equal to the AC bonus of your armor.
Shatter	Fifth	Get +2 to combat maneuvers to sunder armor. If you fully sunder the armor, its wearer must test dexterity or be stunned for one round.
Shocking Slash	Third	Magic. When you attack a target you may take -3 to hit. If you do, they and adjacent foes must test dexterity or take an additional 2d6 damage.
Spirit Dash	Fourth	Magic. You may fly through the air when charging, which allows you to charge straight up or at angels from the ground. Ignore half of the fall damage incurred when charging.
Sting like a Bee	Second	If you hit a target who is wearing heavier armor than you, they get -1 AC for every 10 ft. they move, rounded up.
Talhoffer Doctrine	First	Once per round, when you hit an opponent with a manufactured weapon, deal an additional 1d4 unarmed damage as you add a quick jab, elbow, headbutt, or knee.
Thibault’s Dart	Fourth	Whenever a foe would make an attack against you during your own turn, you may test acrobatics to negate the attack.
Tiger Waits	Third	When an opponent steps forward 5 ft. to attack you, get +3 AC.
Valenzetti’s Blatance	Sixth	When you hit a blind opponent, it is automatically a critical hit.
Vampiric Touch	Fifth	Magic. When you successfully damage a foe on a charge, they temporarily lose 1d4 constitution and you gain that much temporary constitution.
Wide Guard	First	If you do not move on your turn, you may get -2 to grant adjacent allies get +2 AC.

An Hundred Times Made Plain

LANGUAGE
A character starts play knowing a very small amount of languages, conceivably one. Each language they know can be fluent, accented, or broken. If they start play only knowing one language, they are fluent in that language. If they start play knowing more than one, they are fluent in one and accented in all others. If they have a positive intelligence modifier, they gain two language points. These may be spent to learn a new language brokenly, advance broken knowledge to accented, or accented to fluent.
Fluent speakers can hold conversations comfortably and seldom run into the borders of their vocabulary. Most native speakers of a language are considered fluent, even if they are not especially eloquent. “Accented” speakers not only have an accent but incomplete vocabularies. Broken speakers cannot create any but very simple sentences. An example of broken speech is Aldo Raine “speaking” Italian in Inglorious Basterds.
Every month in which a character is studying a language:

• They may test diligence to gain a point. 
• If they are immersed in a culture that primarily speaks that language, they may test nonverbals to gain a point.
•  If they are studying formal or ancient documents, they may test implicature to gain a point.

Languages will not be listed here, because that should vary with the world in which the game is set.

The Real Friendship Was the Treasure We Found Along the Way

A lot of these items are very basic, and are shown mostly just to give you an idea of how crafting them works. I know you know what a bag of holding is.

MAGIC ITEMS

    Many magic items require some degree of magical ability to use. In general, only the magic of classes with the “spells” class feature count, since the magic of binders and priests is borrowed, and the moves of initiators is too niche.

    When creating a magic item, a magic user should note their progress made in hours every day. If they want to spend more than five hours in a day, test diligence every additional hour, with a -2 penalty per hour after the sixth. If they fail any such roll, they only count the first five hours of work that day. For each hour of work they must expend 2 gp. Some items have additional caveats or bonuses that should be considered in the construction.

    Magic items with domains listed after their names require a crafter to be able to cast at least one spell of one of those domains. The following list of items are merely those whose instructions for creation are either well-known or easily found. Excepting scrolls and wands, they do not represent even half of the magical items known to exist. If a PC wishes to make a specific magical item of their own, it is likely possible, but they should have to experiment with the principles of magic before they known enough to actually construct it.

Animated Object (item, enchantment)

• An object imbued with some simple dog-level intelligence. Usually pretty clumsy, but can be precise in its typical use, such as an animated rope’s ability to tie itself into knots. The object serves its owner faithfully but often develops its own personality. This requires 6 hours to make if it can easily be held in one hand, more as the object gets larger. The cost of a non-magical item is added to the cost of the magic.

Anti-magic Items (dispel, metamagic, transmutation)

• There exists an anti-magic substance, often created with the magic to anti-magic spell. By default, this substance is coarse and unrefined, and a five-pound clump can be dispersed over an ongoing magical effect. Test 14 minus the magnitude of the spell to suppress it for ten minutes. Every five pounds of anti-magic carried gives the target of spells the bearer casts a +1 bonus to resisting their spells.Anti-magic can also be forged into an alloy four times lighter and much harder than raw anti-magic. Targets of attacks by anti-magic weapons cease concentrating on any spells, and anti-magic armor gives a +3 bonus on tests to resist spells. Other items may have other effects. Anti-magic alloy must make up at least a third of a forged item’s metal content to be effective.

Blade of Attuned Essence (strikes, enchantment)

• This weapon allows you to attune it on a turn you don’t move, dealing an additional d6 on its next attack. It also has a neon glow. This is redundant with the attune weapon spell. A successful craft check or investment of 25 gold on the blade gives any attempt to sunder it disadvantage. Both also give any attempt to disarm it disadvantage. This requires 72 hours of work to create, as well as the capacity to cast second-magnitude spells.

Cup of Corth (transmutation, water, poison)

• Water that is poured into this simple cup is turned into wine. Wine that is poured into this simple cup is turned into ecstasy. Ecstasy that is poured into this simple cup is turned into poison. This requires 116 hours of work. Metal melted down from a saintly relic ameliorates double its value in costs.

Devil’s Lens (divination, demon)

• a monocle fashioned from a cursed mirror’s glass fragments. Someone wearing the lens as a monocle always detects that which is bad, evil, ugly, or uncomfortable. This includes the thoughts of those they look at. Every hour in which the lens is used, its user takes 1d6 cold damage unless they are jaded or cynical. This requires 44 hours of work, but also the fragment of a cursed mirror, which is not usually available for sale.

Fertility mask (emotion, charm, enchantment)

• creates an illusory double that represents the wearer’s sexual self. By interacting with this form, they may affect themselves as though with the fertility spell, though there may be other potential effects. With the use of a craft skill, this effect can be imbued into a ring, staff, or other item of power. This requires 44 hours to create, as well as the ability to cast first-magnitude loresage spells, or second-magnitude spells of another class.
  

Gri-Gri (poison, ritual)

• A mystical drug that allows the user to become immune to nonmagical missile attacks, provided they follow three random taboos. Once revealed to an elder in a dream, this miraculous substance requires moral commandments to be effective. A successful survival or craft (drug) test to gather resources negate the additional material cost listed below. A successful expertise (dogma) test will allow the drug to require only two taboos instead of three. A dose requires 1 hour to create, as well as 6 gp of herbal resources.

Ism (charm, poison)

• The subject of much rumor and intrigue, Ism is a poison that perverts the victim’s sense of morality. Those ingested or wounded by an Ism-coated weapon begin to act nefarious and without inhibitions, and make increasingly complicated plans to achieve even simple goals. They may test constitution -2 to resist this effect. The poison lasts up to a month. A successful expertise (nature) at -5 can identify an antidote. A dose requires 5 hours to create.

Lifting Powder (air, force)

• A white powder that, when dispersed over an object, lifts it with the power of a strength 22 human. The height it hovers at is likewise comparable to a human carrying it. The item hovers for the next 4 hours, and can easily be pushed or pulled. A dose requires 2 hours to create.

Magic Bag (dimensions)

• Looks like a satchel or carrier’s bag, but— sike!-- contains up to 10x10x10 in space. This requires 72 hours to create as well as the ability to cast second-magnitude spells. The heart of a moke lizard ameliorates double its value in costs.

Message Arrows (enchantment)

• An arrow with a magical scroll wrapped around it that, rather than piercing a foe, unerringly seeks an ally to deliver its message. Usually takes about one day of flight per 1,000 miles travelled. Cannot be used to track the location of someone intentionally hiding, even if you can travel at over 40 miles per hour nonstop. This requires 6 hours to create as well as the ability to cast second-magnitude spells.

Narcomanta (leadership, tactics, enchantment)

• A magical cloth banner proclaiming your deeds, soaked in incense and mystical drug. You bear it aloft on a flagstaff or wear it from your back like a samurai. While displaying it, you and your allies get an additional +1 to attack or damage rolls when a circumstantial bonus would assist you. Also, your allies may have nonmagical drugs you take affect them as well. This requires 44 hours to create. Any magical drugs consumed in the crafting ameliorate double their value in costs.

Philosopher’s Stone (transmutation, life, radiation, metal)

• This lump of uneven stone can turn any amount of lead into silver and any amount of iron into gold. It can bring an intact dead body to life. It can force a foe to test constitution -2 or be conferred with a cursed illness. This requires 864 hours to create and 300 pounds of irradiated gold.

Potion/Scroll

• When created, the maker specifies one spell with a single target they know, imbuing the spell into a brew that can be activated by consuming it. The potion goes off in time, lasting only as long as one week per magnitude of the spell. It cannot hold any spell of fourth-magnitude or higher. This requires 5 hours to create and the casting of the spell if it is of third-magnitude or lower. If it is a scroll of fourth-magnitude or higher, it requires 10 hours to create and the casting of the spell.

Raiments of Favor

• When created, the maker specifies two first-magnitude spells. Those spells become cantrips for the wearer of the raiments, if they know how to cast them. In essence, they are automatically successful in petitioning or bargaining for those spells. Additionally, as long as the wearer is in good standing with their patron or god, they heal 1 hp every minute. A successful craft check or investment of 15 gold on the raiments gives any attempt to sunder it disadvantage. Both also give any attempt to grapple the wearer disadvantage. A gem or collar ornament of 200 gp or more gives a -1 penalty on tests to resist the raiment’s spells. This requires 144 hours of work to create, as well as the capacity to cast fourth-magnitude spells. Binders and priests may create raiments of favor, and they are the only ones who may do so.

Serpent’s Hide (transformation, animal)

• This olive-tinted leather outfit protects as light armor, and three times per day its wearer can suddenly become as flexible as a snake. They can bend their limbs in all directions, slither along the ground without any penalties for being prone, and take up drastically less space than otherwise, granting advantage on stealth rolls while remaining still. A successful craft check or investment of 50 gold allows the outfitter to enchant a set of scaled metal armor pieces, which protects as medium armor. Both also reduces the armor check penalty by one. This requires 72 hours to create. The skin of a magical reptile ameliorates double its value in costs.

Staff

• When created, the maker specifies three first-magnitude spells, one first-magnitude spell and one second-magnitude spell, or one third-magnitude spell. That spell or spells becomes a cantrip for the bearer of the staff, if they know how to cast it. A successful craft check or investment of 15 gold on the staff gives any attempt to sunder it disadvantage. Both also give any attempt to disarm it disadvantage. A gem or topping ornament of 200 gp or more gives a -1 penalty on tests to resist the staff’s spells. This requires 144 hours of work to create, as well as the capacity to cast fourth-magnitude spells and a material component symbolic of the spells within the staff.

Usurping Blade (emotion, strike, tactics)

• This weapon is forged with a specific kind of target in mind, more particular even than an errant’s target of Those Set out for Smiting. This could be the court of corrupt king, the conspirators of a coup, or one’s family members. When wielding a usurping blade against its designated targets, you get +2 to hit and damage, but with each hit you inflict, you take 2 damage. A successful craft check or investment of 25 gold on the blade gives any attempt to sunder it disadvantage. Both also give any attempt to disarm it disadvantage. The crafter may permanently sacrifice one wisdom. If they do, the weapon is intelligent and can telepathically communicate with its wielder. The crafter may permanently sacrifice one constitution. If they do, whenever the wielder slays a usurpation target, they regain 2 hp per level of the victim. This requires 100 hours of work to create, as well as the capacity to cast third-magnitude spells.

Wand

• When created, the maker specifies one spell domain. Spells of that domain give a -1 penalty on tests to resist them when the caster casts them through the wand. This requires 44 hours to create.