Wood elves prize connection to nature, stealth, and self-sufficiency in the wilds, and their choices of equipment reflect all of these realities.

Bowblades. A kit that can be added to a longbow, bowblades are a pair of shortsword-like blades that emerge from a specialized grip attachment on the bow. They run parallel to the limbs of the longbow, but do not directly attach to them, preserving the draw and accuracy. A set of bowblades allows you to use a longbow as a two-shortsword double weapon. They are typically treated with dark colors to aid in stealth. Blowblades are a martial weapon for anyone of a wood elf culture, but otherwise are considered a rare weapon.

Ironleaf. The ironleaf plant is cultivated by wood elves in and around their communities. The leaves are so sharp and so rigid that they can be used as throwing daggers. Once harvested, a leaf from an ironleaf plant lasts a month, after which point it deals half damage and is destroyed on its next use. Three leaves per week can be harvested from an ironleaf plant without harming it. Leaves sold at market are usually within 3 days of their harvest time. Ironleaf seeds can occasionally be found at market as well, and with proper care grow into a mature plant after 4 months.

Scout’s Hammock. These lightweight hammocks are camouflaged from below and are designed to allow wood elf scouts to sleep securely in the branches of a tree, rather than down on the ground where predators and vermin are more likely to accost them. Setting one up requires climbing a suitable tree (with a DC dependant on weather conditions and the tree itself) and 10 minutes of work.

Those living under oppressive rulers often must acquire a modicum of what people living in less dire circumstances would consider covert skills just to survive. Their possessions often reflect this unfortunate reality.

Liar’s Lozenge. These candies contain some herbs that lower the signs of nervousness in those that consume them. After you eat it you gain an expertise die on Deception checks for 1 hour. They are typically flavored in ways the oppressors don’t favor and thereby passed off as “inferior local fare.”

Scourge. An implement of cruelty more than a true weapon, a scourge is a multi-headed, short whip tipped with shards of jagged metal, glass, or bone. A scourge deals 1d4 points of slashing damage, and on a hit, the target must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffer 1 point of ongoing slashing damage due to a bleeding wound. This damage can stack with successive hits up to the wielder’s proficiency bonus. A scourge is a martial weapon for anyone of a tyrannized culture, but otherwise is considered a rare weapon.

Smuggler’s Wagon. This ordinary-looking wagon has a concealed chamber large enough for a medium-sized creature to fit inside. If the wagon is empty, Perception and Investigation checks to locate the chamber in a normal search or inspection are made with disadvantage . If the wagon is fully loaded, there’s no chance to locate it at all unless it is emptied. Outfitting an existing wagon in this way costs 15 gold and adds an additional 100 lbs to its weight.

Weaponized Tool. This item is an ordinary tool that has been sharpened, reinforced, or rebalanced to function as a weapon. It can function as a dagger or mace (as appropriate to the original tool) for a character proficient in that weapon and does not count as an improvised weapon for the purposes of proficiency, but will also not be identified as a weapon unless inspected closely. It also functions as a tool of its type. Purchasing such a tool costs 50% more than the cost of the weapon it functions as.

Stoic landings are a refuge for the distressed and traumatized but also for the mystical and wise (though this can be a distinction without a difference in many cases). Their unique equipment tends to support this mix of mysticism and calm.

Meditative Incense. Lighting a stick of meditative incense takes an action and it continues to smoke for up to an hour, covering a 5-foot space in fragrant smoke. While in the smoke, you are lightly obscured and have disadvantage on Perception checks, but gain a 1d6 expertise die on Concentration checks to maintain spells you have cast. The smoke can be dissipated and the stick extinguished by a wind of moderate or greater speed. The stick is segmented into 6 pieces, at least one of which is used each time it is lit. Meditative incense is usually very difficult to come by outside the stoic landings, which may further increase the price.

Scholar’s Slate. Popular among scholars who have been to the stoic landings, these small slate panels in sturdy reinforced frames and some ordinary chalk are mostly used for short-term notetaking and quick sketching of ritual symbols. The more artistic among the residents of the landings sometimes use them as a short-term artistic medium with multiple colors of chalk.

Suppressive Herbs. These bitter but calming herbs must be chewed for a minute to take effect. Afterwards, they suppress the effects of a single short-term mental stress effect for 2 hours.

Theurgic Focus. These specialized spellcasting foci can function as a focus for two types of magic. They can come in any form that a normal spellcasting foci would, but are combinations of two different forms, such as a piece of sacred wood carved with the emblem of a deity or a grimoire bound with the hide of a sacred animal. The price of the most expensive focus component is increased by 20 gold due to the unique nature of this item. Very rare theurgic foci may enable the bearer to use it for three kinds of magic, but this increases the price by 75 gold.

Those without a culture to call their own frequently rely on the protection anonymity and guile can bring, and their equipment reflects this.

Derringer. This miniature, two-shot pistol is easy to conceal and is a favorite back-up weapon. It deals 1d8 piercing damage, has a range of 10/30, and the loading property. It holds two shots, after which it must be reloaded, requiring an action.

Filtering Scarf. These lightweight fabric scarves have a tight but breathable weave that filters out some hazardous particles. While it is wrapped over your mouth and nose, the scarf grants you an expertise die on saves against inhaled hazards such as poisonous gas, spores, and smoke.

Mysterious Cloak. A cloak in a nondescript earth tone, it also has an exceptionally deep hood. While the hood is up, heavier panels of fabric at the top of the hood ensure your face is obscured by shadows and imposing disadvantage on Perception or Investigation checks to recognize you. The weave is considerably more open on the sides, especially at the front of the hood, allowing you to still have peripheral vision and not muffling sounds near you.

Obscuring Tobacco. A strange smoking herb with no classic intoxicating properties at all, it instead clings to the memory of those who smell it, crowding out all else. If you exhale the smoke from this tobacco in the general direction of a single creature within 5 feet, it makes a DC 13 Constitution check. On a failure, it suffers disadvantage on checks to remember anything about you other than the pleasant—but distinctive—smell of the smoke.

Those from the eladrin culture have a stronger connection to the fey than other societies, and this is reflected in their unique equipment, which tends to skirt the line between magical and mundane.

Eladrin Dueling Blade. These fearsome, thin, slightly-curved swords are always considered masterwork and always made of mithral, as its properties are necessary for the blade’s unique structure to function. An eladrin dueling blade has base damage of 1d8, and has the defensive (any), finesse, parrying, and versatile (1d10) properties. It counts as a longsword, rapier, bastard sword, and saber for any feats, class features, or similar mechanics that reference those weapons. An eladrin dueling blade is a martial weapon for anyone of the eladrin culture, but otherwise is considered a rare weapon.

Fey Tobacco. A common smoking herb of the eladrin, fey tobacco is not notably different from normal tobacco in terms of its effects on the person smoking it, but the smoke itself has the curious property of clinging to invisible creatures, making them easier to locate. When smoking fey tobacco (which takes 1 minute to pack into a pipe and an action to light), you gain an expertise die on attempts to locate invisible creatures within 10 feet of you. A single use lasts for 10 minutes of smoking.

Ladder Seeds. These small, unassuming seeds, when planted in soft earth and watered with just a few drops of water, will grow into a stout vine with regularly-spaced branches over the course of a minute. The vine functions as a 10-foot ladder and can support up to 500 pounds. The vine must be planted adjacent to the obstacle that will be scaled; if it is uprooted, it crumbles instantly. The ladder has an AC of 10 and 5 hit points. After an hour, the vine withers away and crumbles to dust.

Accustomed to large, diverse communities, cosmopolitans have developed an array of specialized tools to deal with the unique challenges and nuisances of living in a densely populated community.

Mending Kit. This small folding case contains needle and thread, various buttons, small scraps of different colored cloth and other small items useful for repairing garments. You can use it to quickly fix clothing that has suffered minor damage or wear and tear. Minor damage requires 5 minutes to fix, and a pant leg or sleeve that’s torn off at the seam can be reattached in an hour. You can also use it to make items or repairs that require a full sewing kit, but you must take twice the time and suffer disadvantage on crafting rolls if you do.

Money Belt. This pocketed wrap goes underneath your clothing and can hold up to 50 coins or up to 1 lb of miscellaneous small items such as spell scrolls, documents, thieves tools, or the like. Accessing or adding anything to the money belt requires 1 minute and possibly some partial disrobing, but unless you are unconscious or otherwise incapacitated , anything in there is safe from attempts to pickpocket you with Sleight of Hand. Perception checks to notice a money belt are made at disadvantage .

Phrasebook. A phrasebook is an extremely basic primer to a specific language, and allows slow, imprecise conversation in that language if you are not proficient with it. Each one has two languages listed: a native language and a translated language. You must be proficient in the native language to use the phrasebook. Because the language is so basic, even extremely simple conversations using the phrasebook take at least a minute and usually considerably longer. Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion checks relying on the use of the phrasebook suffer disadvantage or may not even be possible at the Narrator’s discretion.

Phrasebooks are useless in the translation of magical texts, engineering documents, and other texts with specialized jargon; their verbiage is centered around everyday communication, such as greetings, requests for directions, and commerce.

A small southern town, a delicious wine, and a holiday all share the same name; Erstwin. The small sunny town of Erstwin, situated far to the south, is famous for its various wines and surrounding vineyards. The town’s economy relies almost exclusively on winemaking, its supporting trades, and the celebration of the holiday, which draws many visitors.

The vintners that form the town’s ruling council spend a lot of time each summer assessing a special variety of grapes, known as erstleas. Small pale yellow fruit without seeds, this variety is prone to bursting if left on the vine too long. The vintners do this to determine the perfect moment to harvest the grapes, and therefore the date of the festival shifts every year depending on weather conditions. For a week before the forecasted day, the town’s streets are cleaned and swept, with fines for those that purposefully dirty them again.

At dawn on the day of the festival, most of the town and its many guests turn out to take part in the harvest while those left sweep the streets clean one last time. Plucking the vines bare, a great number of baskets are filled with yellow fruit and carried into the town before being emptied into long stone troughs. As only water is available between noon and dusk, a sense of urgency fills the morning as everyone hopes to finish in time to enjoy a glass or two of last year’s wine before the noontime bell at the center of town is rung. This bell signals the start of a food fight using the grapes, and it erupts on every street. With no alliances or victors, the fight is purely for the joy of it, lasting an hour before the bell sounds again.

When the second bell rings, combatants cease their conflict and work together to scoop up the shattered grapes, dumping the remnants back into the troughs. The vintners and their workers then spend the afternoon placing special lids on the troughs, using them to press the grapes, and preparing the results for fermentation. While this is done other revelers enjoy a generous feast of fruits, nuts, bread, and cheese. At dusk, the roasted meats are served and a great deal of wine flows.

Game Mechanics

The wine created on Erstwin takes at least 6 months to mature, but once bottled this delicate white wine has magical effects. A bottle of Erstwin contains sufficient liquid for four glasses, each of which grants the imbiber immunity to fear effects for the next two hours.

Though none now remember the name of the king he betrayed, Hals Lyle’s name lives on in infamy, and this tale—or something close to it—is taught to children across the land: Centuries ago a prince named Hals Lyle was discovered engaging in unholy practices and was cast out by his brother, the king. In his exile, he brooded and drew to himself the power-hungry, the disloyal, and those determined to overthrow the rightful king. Hals Lyle continued his studies in his banishment creating an army of clay guardians, with a plan to invade and make himself king.

His apprentice Lagen, fearful of the destruction such creatures would cause, sent warnings to six of his friends, providing them with secret words that would prevent the guardians from attacking. These citizens shared the details of the attack and the passwords with the king and have ever since been remembered as the “loyal six.” With these words, the king’s magicians were able to gain control of thousands of guardians. The Pottery War that could have destroyed the nation, ended in mere moments as half of Hals’ army turned against their master and destroyed the other half. Hals was captured by the king, and this time he was shown no mercy. After days of torture, during which he revealed the names of his co-conspirators, his tongue was torn out and two of his own guardians were used to hold him in a bonfire as he was burned alive.

Each year the loyal six and the death of Hals Lyle are celebrated across the land on the first full moon of the fall. As night falls, selected celebrants (often children or young adults) dress up as the six, wearing long-sleeved black gowns that hang loose at the shoulder and are tied with yellow cordage. Carrying an effigy of Hals wearing a long robe and with its chin painted red, they take it through the settlement. Stopping at each house along the way, they collect hard candied sweets from householders—tokens of respect for the loyalty of the six.

Finally, the dummy is added to a communal bonfire alongside several rough-made clay figures no bigger than a human’s head. A special dough is placed in these figures, and as the fires die they are removed and broken open. The cooked bread inside is consumed by those present and is believed to strengthen the eaters, fortifying their ability to remain loyal and true.

Game Mechanics

For a week following Halsyle Day, any Deception checks made against a creature that ate the bread are made with disadvantage . In addition, when such creatures share a meal lasting at least an hour they each gain 1d6 temporary hit points. A creature can only benefit from this effect once per short rest .

The game and celebration of Tarphen has been enjoyed for time immemorial, but is nowadays considered part of a god of war’s festival, which has adopted the name. Held at the end of the week after the first frost, the game consists of several teams with each protecting a champion held aloft on a shield. A team loses when their champion or shield touches the ground or if their champion loses contact with their shield, with the last team standing declared the victors.

In small towns and villages, the game is played for fun and in good spirits, and, while physical in nature, games are rarely more than shoving contests. In these communities, any adult is welcome to take part, meaning teams can contain dozens of individuals. Traditionally the only prize for the winners is a taste of the last of the prior year’s mead, though often the losers receive the same reward.

In more urban areas, leagues have emerged, with games played from midsummer until the finals on the festival itself. Extensive gambling, prizes for winning teams, and sponsorship have led to increasingly serious and brutal competitions. The church, concerned by the number of deaths that were happening, established some additional rules as follows:

• No more than five teams shall compete in a single match, with a maximum of twenty players on each team.
• A field of play is to be designated by four posts flying the war god’s pennants, forming a square no smaller than 50 feet by 50 feet, with the distances increased by 20 feet for each team after the first two.
• A champion leaving the field of play is eliminated as though they had touched the ground or been removed from their shield.
• Use of any form of magical enhancement through spells, charms, potions, or attuned items is strictly forbidden.
• No weapons, armor, non-competition shields, or items of clothing with solid plates, spikes, protrusions, or sharpened edges are allowed on the field.
• Biting, eye-gouging, and ear-ripping are not permitted. Three such infractions disqualify a team.
• A team’s shield must be flat, circular, and no larger than three feet in diameter. It must also have an edge at least two inches wide and no spikes or sharpened edges.
• A champion’s shield must at all times only be supported by players.

Game Mechanics

To simulate a game of Tarphen for PCs wishing to bet or participate, a Narrator should first determine the relative strength of each team. The weakest team is always considered a +1 with the other team at +1–4 depending on the level of discrepancy the Narrator desires. If a character with a Strength bonus higher than a team joins it, they provide a +1 character bonus.

For each round, an opposed d20 roll is made between the teams, adding team and character bonuses. This represents anywhere between five and twenty minutes of struggle between the teams. The winning team increases their team bonus by +1. This increases to +2 if the winning roll was a natural 20.

Once the results of the round have been applied, compare the teams’ bonuses. If one team’s bonus is 5 or more points higher than their opponent they have succeeded in dislodging the opposing champion and win the game. If not, the teams make another opposed roll.

If neither team has won after three rounds the teams move to a final sudden death opposed roll. Whichever team wins that roll also wins the match as both teams collapse in exhaustion. In this case, each competitor suffers 1 level of fatigue.

The comparison of team bonuses for a given round (excluding any character bonuses) also sets the odds for betting, which continues each round of the competition. The odds for a given team are equal to their opponent’s team bonus to their own bonus. The payout for a winning bet is equal to the stake (amount of coins wagered) × the first number of the odds + the stake originally wagered. If possible, odds are deduced to the lowest common denominator.

Example:

The team from the stevedore’s guild, the Red Eagles, is the weaker team (+1) and faces last year’s winners, the Golden Lancers (+4).

Jarek Bloodeye (a player character) joins the Eagles and his +4 strength bonus means he provides a +1 character bonus to the team. Jerak’s player rolls a 12 for the Eagles, to which they add the team bonus (+1) and character bonus (+1) totaling 14. The Narrator rolls a 9, to which they add the team bonus (+4) for the Lancers for a total of 13. Surprisingly the Eagles are giving the Lancers a really tough fight, and their team bonus increases to +2.

The following round the Jerak’s player rolls a 6 for the Eagles, adding their team (+2) and his character bonus (+1) for a total of 9. The Narrator rolls a natural 20 for the Lancers, adding their team bonus (+4), winning the round increasing their team bonus to +6. They are ahead by 4 and just need to win the next round to take the victory.

Because of their respective team bonuses of +1 and +4, betting on the Eagles at the start of the game would get odds of 4-1, while betting on the Lancers would give odds of 1–4. After the first round increases the Eagles’ team bonus to +2, the odds would shift to 2-1 (reduced down from 4-2) on the Eagles and 1-2 for the Lancers. Someone who bet 2 gold on the Eagles in the first round would get 4 gold for every 1 gold they wagered, plus their initial bet, meaning that they win 10 gold total: 8 gold + their stake of 2 gold.