Unnatural Twenty

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This carved wooden wand has 1-3 charges when found. As an action the bearer can expend spell slots with total level 3 or more to return one charge to the wand. The bearer may also, as an action, expend one charge to regain one first level spell slot. The wand may hold a maximum of 3 charges.

Armor (shield), uncommon (requires attunement) This shield appears to made from wood and leather. Upon attunement it merges with the arm of the bearer, and can move of its own will. The bearer can benefit from the armor bonus of the shield even when using a two-handed weapon.

Warhammer, uncommon (requires attunement by a cleric of the tempest domain) This warhammer is a magic weapon made of shining steel. Whenever you roll minimum damage with it, it gains a charge. It can only have one charge at a time. When you hit a creature with this weapon you may expend a charge to smite the target. Your attack deals an additional 2d6 thunder damage, and the target is knocked prone.

Weapon (quarterstaff), uncommon This is, to all forms of examination, a plain hickory staff. The bearer can hold the staff upright while resting it on the ground and make a mental command (an action), and the staff becomes immobile and unbreakable. The bearer can touch the staff and mentally will it to become movable again (an action).

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement) This brass ring requires the bearer to look through it at a scene for one minute to become attuned to it. Thereafter, looking through the ring shows the bearer a view of that scene as it currently looks.

I've been thinking of a system that lets me as the GM keep an RPG very simple, but still lets the players have the freedom to enjoy the complexity of the rules. I'm thinking of D&D5 here, but it would hopefully apply to any RPG I happen to run. In a combat scene, I might have a big boss monster, a few mooks, and the environment itself. All these elements can move around, attack, get hurt, and potentially be killed or incapacitated. If I can simplify the management of all these elements then I think I can run a more interesting encounter. So first off, I wanted to have a single number that defines the 'difficulty' of the overall encounter, and any element of it. So in a class 6 encounter, the armour class of all the enemies is sixteen (base 10 + 6), the DC of any special abilities is fourteen (base 8 + 6), any attacks do six damage, and it takes six hits from the party to defeat the encounter. If an element of the encounter has to make a skill check, saving throw...

I seem to be thinking about the end of campaigns and character death a lot lately. I remembered the idea of rolling or your character's life expectancy around the time I was using the D&D Rules Cyclopaedia. I just had a look through the Dungeon Crawl Classics book and saw something about wizards burning through ability scores. Warriors in DCC get to perform mighty deeds, and I'm sure there are other aspects to the character classes to make them all interesting and cool, but I straight away found myself coming up with a new homebrew mechanic for getting yourself killed. This whole concept might need to exist in a campaign where the player characters are headed for some great destiny. At the very least there needs to be collaboration among the players to get everybody moving towards the same goal: the end of the story. So, I initially thought that warriors would have an ability to deal a massive blow to a single enemy. Something like "reduce a target to 0hp, and...

I want to have a list of areas ready to go, that can be accessed by random magical portals. I'll put the first two here and hopefully add to it over time. I'll then be able to use it for planned adventures, or for randomly determined ones. Example 1: The portal opens into a cramped shop with many tiny creatures in cages. The shopkeeper is a clockwork automaton, who offers to buy any small PCs to add to his stock. Example 2: The portal emerges into a bandit camp. The leader has just finished a speech rousing the bandits to ride off and attack a caravan. The PCs find themselves standing among the tents and galloping horses.

Weapon (rapier), very rare This weapon seems incredibly thin, but is hard and durable enough to serve as a weapon. You have resistance to lightning damage. This rapier is a magic weapon that grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. You can ignore resistance and immunity to this weapon’s damage.

Uncommon companions include animals that are not commonly found among humanoids, such as a snake, wolf, hawk, and monkey. Wolf Companion, uncommon (requires attunement) Wolves are pack animals, and they adapt easily to fighting alongside groups of humanoids. You have advantage on melee weapon attack rolls when an ally is adjacent to your target. Hawk Companion, uncommon (requires attunement) Hawks hunt by eyesight over long ranges. You have advantage on Wisdom (perception) checks that rely on eyesight. Monkey Companion, uncommon Monkeys generally live in large groups, and survive by sharing food whenever possible. You may make a Dexterity (sleight of hand) check to take an item within 50’, if that item weighs less than a monkey. Viper Companion, uncommon (requires attunement) Vipers are small venomous snakes. When you do piercing damage to a creature with a melee weapon attack, you may use a bonus action to inflict an additional 1d6 poison damage....

Companions are like magic items from a mechanical point of view. A character finds one, attunes to it, and gets some kind of benefit. Beyond that it’s just assumed that you have a dog or whatever following you around, but it’s not a major character in the story. If it were, then it would be a PC (which I’ll cover later). Asking your dog to run up and attack a demon is not part of this design. Also a companion is not a familiar, and does not gain any magical abilities beyond what a normal animal of its type could do. Companions can be used as an alternative to magic items, for example in a low magic campaign, or alongside magic items. If one character finds a magic shield, and another gains a wolf companion, they both gained some benefit. Companions have rarity, just like magic items, including common, uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary. Common companions include normal animals, such as a cat, dog, mouse, or sparrow. Sheepdog Companion (dog), common A sheepdog is ...

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) These lenses appear as common spectacles that a scholar might wear. When a creature you can see speaks in a language you do not understand, the lenses cause a written translation to scroll past your eyes. The text is visible only to you, and provides a literal translation as per the spell comprehend languages .

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This cloak appears to be made of swirling mist, which draws the eye of all who meet the bearer. You can use a bonus action to give a creature within 30ft that you can see disadvantage on their next attack against you.

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) These well worn leather boots are plain and unadorned, but sturdy. The bearer has advantage on saving throws caused by a forced march. After twenty four hours spent wearing the boots the bearer removes one level of exhaustion. The bearer can use an action to determine which way is north.

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This functions as a periapt of wound closure. Curse . This item is cursed. When the bearer suffers a critical hit from a bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing weapon attack, the curse is activated. They are immediately wracked with intense pain, falling prone and are incapacitated. They remain incapacitated until they receive healing. Thereafter, whenever the bearer takes bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from a critical hit from a weapon attack, they must make a constitution saving throw, DC 15, or become incapacitated until they receive healing. It cannot be removed unless a remove curse spell is used.

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This hat is plain but stylish, and seems to suit any occasion. If the bearer ever suffers from the frightened condition, they can use a bonus action to toss the hat at the source of the fear, and the frightened condition ends.

Ring, uncommon (requires attunement) This ring is made of heavy gold with gaudy jewels. The ring has 3 charges. Once per round, the bearer may expend one charge to add a d6 to a saving throw made by a creature within 30’. You can do so after seeing the initial roll but before any of the roll's effects occur. The ring regains 1 expended charge whenever you fail a saving throw.

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This light robe causes a continuous fresh breeze to blow around the bearer, keeping them relatively cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. You have advantage on saving throws against fire and cold based effects, such as a red dragon’s breath weapon, or a cone of cold spell .

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) When worn these spectacles allow the bearer to read any written language. Only the literal meaning is revealed, similar to the spell comprehend languages .

Wondrous item, uncommon This cape appears to be made from the skin of a lizard or other scaly beast. While worn, it causes the wearer to appear to transform into a draconic humanoid in battle. Attacks with slashing weapons appear to be claw attacks, piercing attacks appear as bites, and bludgeoning attacks as tail slams. A spell such as burning hands appears as dragon breath. Depending on the viewer, this may grant advantage on Charisma (intimidate) checks, at the DM’s discretion.