A Brief History of Multiclassing

To multiclass or not to multiclass? That is very good question, and not an easy one to answer.

Multiclassing, or advancing in more than one character class, has been implemented in many different ways over the long history of Dungeons & Dragons, as well as in other RPGs derived from it.  Multiclassing is a way to expand your character's abilities, but there is always a price or drawback to doing so, usually involving slowing (or even halting) advancement in your other class(es). 

Multiclassing in D&D

In 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D, you had to choose whether to multiclass when you first created your character. Only certain combinations of classes were allowed (determined by your race), and except for elf fighter/magic-user/thieves, you were limited to two classes. The costs of multi-classing were that your XP were divided between your classes, and your hit points were averaged between your classes. Typically, a multiclass character lagged behind their single-classed companions by a level or two (or more, if triple-classed), and had fewer Hit Dice and HP as a result. Also, in those editions, some classes cost more XP to advance in, so multi-classed magic-users lagged behind even more than usual. 

In 3rd Edition D&D, the choice to multiclass was made when you advanced to a new level. Each level you advanced was one level in one class, so your levels in all classes added up to your overall character level. You had to keep your classes within one level of each other or take a penalty to XP, but you ignored that limit for your "favored class" (which was determined by race, or was your first class for humans). This method was well integrated with the introduction of feats and skill ranks based on level, and allowed for the introduction of prestige classes. These special classes were slightly more powerful than a base class, but required characters to meet certain prerequisites before entering them (which could not be met before 6th level at minimum, and sometimes much higher). They otherwise used the multiclassing rules, and ignored favored class limitations.

Multiclassing in 3E (and the later v.3.5 revised rules) allowed for a more customized approach to character concepts. Some adventurers would split their levels fairly evenly between their two (or more) paths. Others might only take a level or two in another class (informally called "dipping a class") to pick up an entry-level ability, such as new armor and weapon proficiencies, or a few useful low-level spells. But every level in one class slowed progression in all others you took, which delayed access to higher-level abilities. Casters in particular sacrificed a significant amount of power by slowing down their spell progression. To offset this, a few prestige classes were designed to allow spellcasters to progress in caster level, but not their other level-based class features. And one prestige class, the mystic theurge, attempted to make advancing in two spellcasting classes a more viable option, with mixed results.

(I did not play much 4th Edition D&D, so don't recall how multiclassing worked in that version of the game, or even if it was an option at all.)

In 5th Edition D&D, multiclassing became an optional rule. This iteration of the game keeps the idea of character level equaling the total of your class levels, but adds prerequisites of minimum scores in the new class's key ability score(s), and has some special rules for acquiring spell slots that are shared between spellcasting classes. Prestige classes were removed from the game, though a few survive (in theme, at least) as subclasses.

Multiclassing in Other d20 Games

Most of my gaming experience these days is with Pathfinder and Starfinder, so with one exception, I'll be focusing on them for the rest of this column.

D20 Modern, which was based on the v.3.0 rules, made multiclassing central to every character's career. All characters started in one of six base classes (one focused on each ability score) for their first few levels, then chose an advanced class to distinguish themselves from other characters. I played very little d20 Modern (and only ever as a GM), but the core assumption that every character would multiclass was rather unique and memorable.

Pathfinder First Edition was a direct offshoot of D&D v.3.5, so its rules for multiclassing and prestige classes were almost identical to that game. The primary change was removing the XP penalty for uneven levels. Instead, your favored class (now always your first class) gave 1 bonus HP or skill rank at each level, which gave a new incentive for staying single-classed. Some classes were adjusted to avoid "front-loading" their class features, making it harder to cherry-pick signature abilities by "dipping."  All classes were given powerful capstone abilities at their highest levels, which could only be acquired by single-classed characters. (Pathfinder characters were strictly limited to 20th level.) Finally, some class options and feats could grant a few of the low-level abilities of another class (such as a few minor spell-like abilities, a bonus combat feat, etc.), which could help avoid the need to multiclass.

Starfinder was derived from Pathfinder 1E, but introduced many new rules of its own. It, too, allows multi-classing by choosing one class to advance at each level. However, it provides even more incentives to follow a single class. Most notably, spellcasting progression is slower in Starfinder than Pathfinder, so multiclassing is even more of a sacrifice for casters than in Pathfinder. Most other classes will quickly fall behind in effectiveness, too, particularly the operative and solarian, whose damage output scales with their level in the class. If a character does multiclass, it's strongly advised that they wait until after they've reached 3rd level in their first class, because that's when every class gains Weapon Specialization, which adds bonus damage to weapons with which they are proficient.

Starfinder also offers a new alternative to multi-classing: Archetypes replace some class features at specific levels, but give new abilities instead. This may cause the character to lose or delay access to some class features, or it may simply take the place of a class option like a soldier's bonus feat or an operative exploit. For casters, they typically have fewer spells known at their highest spell levels but their access to those levels isn't delayed. Overall, you retain the full benefits of your class level for purposes of level-based effects and access to most higher-level abilities. Archetypes are also not specific to any one class, but some have prerequisites, particularly if they expand upon the uses for a given skill or proficiency, or modify spellcasting. Finally, unless the GM adopts an optional rule, characters are limited to one archetype (or one per class, if multiclassed).

In Pathfinder Second Edition, multiclassing strongly resembles Starfinder's archetype rules, but you only ever advance in level in one class. However, when you get a new class feat, you can choose to spend it on an archetype dedication feat, which gives some minor initial benefit and allows you to spend future feats on that archetype's feats. Multiclass archetypes give you some (but never all) of the abilities of another class. Other archetypes are unique unto themselves, and may focus on a fighting style, altered ways to cast magic, new ways to use one or more specific skills, or some other theme. (Numerous 1E prestige classes have reappeared as archetypes in 2E, but without the multiclass tag.) Much like in Starfinder, archetypes may be taken by members of any class who meet the prerequisites for the dedication feat, but they are more flexible because you can invest as much or as little in the archetype as you want. There are limits to how many archetypes a character can take, because you can't take another dedication feat until you have taken at least two of that archetype's other feats. That usually means that you can't take a second dedication until at least 8th level, or a third before 16th. (A rare few archetypes include some feats that replace skill feats instead of class feats, allowing faster acquisition.)

When Starfinder Second Edition is released (in playtest at this year's GenCon, and in full next year), it will use the same game engine as Pathfinder 2E, making it fully compatible with that system. Presumably this means that multiclassing will follow the same archetype rules.

My Own History with Multiclassing

In pretty much all of the RPGs I've mentioned above, I prefer to remain single-classed in order to get faster access to the higher-level abilities of my character's first class. There have, of course, been some notable exceptions:

D&D 3E: I once played a fighter who multiclassed entirely for story-based reasons. He took a couple levels of ranger when the party started doing a lot of cross-country travel, and later took some levels in psychic warrior because the campaign's overall story arc involved the emergence of psionic powers among the oppressed classes in a tyrannical empire. I eventually regretted taking so many classes, because while he had an amazing Fortitude save from stacking three martial classes, his Will lagged behind too much, even after taking Iron Will.

At the other extreme, a player in one of my 3E campaigns created a cleric of the god of magic, who multiclassed into wizard. She didn't initially intend to aim for mystic theurge, but once she did, she also picked up a level of loremaster because that class was more interesting than a third wizard level would be. Out of all the characters that I've ever played or GMed, she had the most classes, at four (all by 9th level).

Pathfinder 1E: I have built a handful of characters with the intention of qualifying for a prestige class as soon as possible, including a brawler/living monolith and a rogue/shadowdancer, and a diviner who I never played enough to reach harrower levels. Beyond those, I can only think of four characters offhand who have multiclassed:

• A rogue who took a level of cleric out of thanks to his god for granting him enough luck to survive that long. He later retrained that level back to rogue when it became clear that he could serve his god better by being a better rogue.
• A cleric of Calistria, who multiclassed into rogue as soon as he could. He was originally built as part of an all-cleric party, and they needed to diversify their skill set at 2nd level. (One multiclassed into fighter; the rest stayed single-classed clerics.)
• A ranger who dipped fighter to gain heavy armor proficiency and some bonus feats. 
• A hunter/rogue whose teamwork feats plus sneak attack made for very effective flanking tactics with her animal companion.

Starfinder 1E: Out of my 14 Starfinder Society characters, only one is multi-classed. Shortly after acquiring a creature companion, my gnome envoy took a level of xenodruid mystic so that he could speak with animals, like his ancestors once did. That made his companion easier to control, and allowed him to use his language-dependent abilities to help it as well as his PC allies.

I have more characters who have taken archetypes: 

• An explorer operative who took the Starfinder forerunner archetype. Her specialization and archetype compliment each other nicely (both do interesting things with Culture and Survival skills). I also already had a high-level operative combat monster, so I felt that sacrificing a few exploits to further differentiate this one was perfectly acceptable.
• A phrenic adept whose species communicates primarily via telepathy, but very slowly (using telepathic message). This archetype solved that problem by giving him limited telepathy (on par with other telepathic PC species), and gave some interesting new abilities as well. The character is a mechanic, so suffers less from investing in an archetype than some other classes would.
• A soldier who became a powered armor jockey. (His archetype starts at 6th level, which he only very recently reached, so I am still waiting to see how effective it is.)
• Another soldier who became a Star Knight.

Pathfinder 2E: Out of 9 Pathfinder Society 2E characters, I have 4 with archetypes (only one of them a multiclass archetype):

• A bookish (but still very social) sorcerer who became a linguist. 
• An investigator with the ancient elf heritage, which gives a free multiclass dedication at 1st level. (Normally those are 2nd-level feats.) He took rogue, which provided a few more trained skills to fill in gaps in his already diverse knowledge base. 
• A fighter who took the mauler archetype, which focuses on big, two-handed weapons.
• A rogue who took the juggler archetype because of her background as a circus performer.

The release of the Remastered rules last year means that I will eventually be rebuilding these characters, but I will most likely keep the archetypes they have. The first two have classes that did not appear in Player Core, but that I expect to see in Player Core 2, which releases later this summer. The only archetypes in Player Core were the multiclass ones for that book's classes, so I also have to wait to see how many other archetypes get Remastered in the new book before I rebuild my linguist and mauler. The juggler archetype is from an Adventure Path, so I don't expect that to ever get the Remastered treatment, but will continue to exist as-is.

Update 9/15/2024: See Let Me Tell You About My Character: Remastered Edition about the changes I've made to my PFS 2E characters since writing the column above. The short version: The linguist and juggler kept their archetypes; the investigator changed from rogue multiclass to archaeologist; the fighter lost her archetype; and my champion gained one.

The Tome of Beasts and Freeport

For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index. 

The Tome of Beasts is a collection of new monsters for D&D Fifth Edition published by Kobold Press. A diverse selection of monsters from that bestiary are showcased in the Book of Lairs from the same publisher. I first encountered the Book of Lairs in a used bookstore, and found it intriguing enough to seek out the Tome of Beasts. 

Tome of Beasts

At 430 pages, this creature collection is too large to give an in-depth treatment in a single blog post, but I wanted to highlight some content that seems especially appropriate for campaigns set in the World of Freeport. 

Several monster entries reference Kobold Press's Midgard campaign setting, but these monsters can be used in any D&D setting with minimal changes. For example, one of the new languages introduced here is Void Speech, which is spoken by creatures originating in, or influenced by, "the Outer Darkness." The sidebar about it suggests that any ancient language with an evil reputation can be substituted. This sounds a great deal like the Aklo language, spoken by aberrations and evil fey in the Pathfinder RPG, which is in turn drawn from Cthulhu Mythos literature--and, in fact, Aklo is a common language among Pathfinder's Lovecraftian monsters, just as Void Speech is among the Mythos creatures presented in the Tome of Beasts. Deep Speech fills a similar niche in the core 5E rules, but Void Speech is presented here as a distinct language.

Speaking of the Cthulhu Mythos, this book presents several creatures suitable for enhancing that element of the Freeport setting. Deep ones easily could be encountered in or near Freeport, having infiltrated the city or parts of the Serpent's Teeth. The folk of Leng are accomplished travelers, but would probably avoid Freeport in favor of its hated enemy Mazin due to their trade in slaves. More exotic monsters (gugs, mi-go, shoggoths, spiders of Leng, and star-spawn of Cthulhu) would be found in  more distant lands or other worlds, but are frequently sought out by the kinds of mad cultists who plague the City of Adventure.

The Tome contains numerous monsters that could be encountered in Freeport itself or the waters around it. Many new snakes and other reptiles--a defining feature of the Serpent's Teeth region--are included, and the Villain Codex appendix includes a variety of humanoid foes. GMs wishing to further explore The Ironjack Legacy will find a wealth of new constructs, including many types of clockworks. Fabulous aquatic creatures, such as sea dragons, krake spawn, and zaratans, are also well represented here.

Fey in the Serpent's Teeth are almost exclusively reptilian, but other types can be found in the wider World of Freeport, particularly in Rolland, the forest kingdom of the elves on the Continent. The shadow fey elves, and the fey lords and ladies who rule them, are most commonly encountered on the Plane of Shadow (known as the Shadowfell in official 5E sources). This plane likely has links to the Feywild and fey-touched regions of the Material Plane (such as Rolland). The legendary Lord Bonewrack, who dwells in Shadow Freeport, might very well be a powerful shadow fey elf.

This book also contains a wide variety of desert-dwelling creatures suitable for encounters in Hamunaptra (see Egyptian Adventures: Hamunaptra). Many of these even have a strong Egyptian flavor to them, such as the shabti, subek, and a few new mummy-like undead. In the World of Freeport, the Nurian language mentioned in those entries would correspond to the common tongue of Hamunaptra. 

Monsters inspired by Norse myths (einheriar, jotun giant, ice maiden, lindwurm, rattatosk, rusalka, and valkyrie) would be appropriate for the Viking-like land of Druzhdin, in the far north of the Continent.

The imperial ghouls might be a holdover of the power of the ancient Necro-Kings, driven (literally) underground following those undead warlords' defeat. (See the "Beyond Freeport" chapter in either The Pirate's Guide to Freeport or the Pathfinder edition of Freeport: The City of Adventure.) The ghoul god Mordiggian, mentioned in the "Lords Subterranean" sidebar, gets a chapter in Cults of Freeport.

Finally, some of these creatures can be used for converting monsters from past Freeport adventures or bestiaries, either as-is, or as a starting point:

• Bastet Temple Cat: Malkin (Creatures of Freeport, Freeport Bestiary)
• Blemmyes: Blemmyae (3rd Era Freeport Companion, Freeport Bestiary)
• Clockwork Abomination: Infernal Automaton (Hell in Freeport, Freeport Bestiary)
• Clockwork Beetle: Goldbug (Freeport: The City of Adventure, both editions)
• Dopplerat: Doubling Rat (The Lost Island)
• Gearforged Templar: Manikin (Hell in Freeport)
• Golem, Hoard: Treasure Golem (Black Sails Over Freeport)
• Ratfolk: Ratfolk (mentioned in Freeport: The City of Adventure, Pathfinder edition)
• Ravenfolk: Tengu (Return to Freeport)
• White Ape: White Gorilla (Black Sails Over Freeport)

Book of Lairs

This book contains two dozen monster lairs, arranged by increasing character level, from 1st to 15th. Each entry is 4 pages long, with one page being a full-color map of the lair. The lairs are a very diverse collection, including numerous dungeons but also city buildings, underwater spaces, forest camps, and a handful of truly exotic locations (stairs going miles up a steep mountainside; a citadel on the edge of space; and even the branches of Yggdrasil). All stand completely on their own, but a few form logical sequels to earlier lairs (such as the stairs and citadel just mentioned). A few of the inhabitants of these  lairs appear in the Monster Manual, but most are pulled from the Tome of Beasts, making that book necessary in order to use these short adventures, unless the DM wishes to repopulate the maps themselves.

A few of the lairs are set in cities, and could be adapted easily for use in Freeport. Others, such as The Pirate's Cove or Temple of the Deep Ones, could be hidden elsewhere in the Serpent's Teeth with little effort. 

Most of the other lairs would best be set on the Continent, or even further away. The forest lairs seem most appropriate to Rolland, while the desert lairs would fit Kizmir or Hamunaptra. The two ghoul adventures could be set almost anywhere in the Underdark, but the DM should give some thought to how the Ghoul Imperium fits into the World of Freeport (see my suggestion above about the Necro-Kings).

Overall, the lairs in this book seem to be interesting short adventures suitable for dropping into a campaign whenever the DM wants a brief change of pace from the regular campaign (or just shorter chapters in a campaign that is largely a series of modules). Most should be playable in a single session, though some higher-level adventures might take longer due to featuring more complex foes. 

"Let Me Tell You About My Character..." (An Index)

Abe Sapien (used for my Buffy RPG character
Baz Olmstead when in Triton form)

The following pages are devoted to stories, artwork, and miniatures for my own player characters in various RPGs. They do not include the snippets of character info buried in my RPGaDay, Drawloween, and Inktober posts (except for those on Trick's personal index page), nor do they include PCs or NPCs from games I've GMed.

D&D 5E

Taphos (1/13/2016): Converted to 5E from a friend's homebrew RPG system.

Lendri (1/28/2016): Converted to 5E from a friend's homebrew RPG system.

A Brief History of Multiclassing (7/11/2024): How multiclassing changed across editions of D&D, Pathfinder, and Starfinder, with a few examples from my own PCs.

Grey Angels (Buffy/Angel/Fate)

Nightwatch Dossier: Patricia "Trick" Tillinghast (started 4/17/2020): This page is an index for columns about my PC, Trick Tillinghast, and the "Grey Angels" campaign in general.

Pathfinder Society

How do you go about creating a character for play? (8/30/2018): Uses some of my PFS PCs as examples.

Cassilda Tillinghast (11/13/2018): Art, stats, and bio for my first psychic caster PC.

Pathfinder Iconics Minis (12/5/2018): LEGO minis of the iconic characters for each core class.

A Baker's Dozen of Pathfinders (2/5/2019): Artwork and capsule bios of my PFS characters.

Pathfinder Society LEGO Minis (3/16/2020): Minis for my PFS characters (including new additions since 2019).

"Clever" Character Names Often...Aren't (2/9/2022): Origins of a few of my PFS & SFS PCs' names.

Pathfinder Society Minis and Artwork Update (2/23/2022): Some new artwork, plus my PFS 2E characters' minis.

A Brief History of Multiclassing (7/11/2024): How multiclassing changed across editions of D&D, Pathfinder, and Starfinder, with a few examples from my own PCs.

Let Me Tell You About My Character: Remastered Edition (9/15/2024): How the PF 2E Remaster affected my Society characters, plus a few updated LEGO minis.

Pathfinder (other campaigns)

The "Dungeon Interludes" Party (11/3/2016): LEGO minis for one of my wife's campaigns.

Starfinder Society

"Clever" Character Names Often...Aren't (2/9/2022): Origins of a few of my PFS & SFS PCs' names.

My Starfinder Society Minis and Artwork (3/3/2022): Bios and LEGO minis for my SFS PCs to date.

A Brief History of Multiclassing (7/11/2024): How multiclassing changed across editions of D&D, Pathfinder, and Starfinder, with a few examples from my own PCs.

Unearthed Arcana and Freeport, Part 16: In Tasha's Wake

Welcome back to my ongoing series of capsule reviews of "Unearthed Arcana" with an eye for how to use them with the Freeport setting. This column covers UA articles from October 2020 to October 2021. (None had been released in 2022 at the date of this post.)

The book which I alluded to in my last UA & Freeport post (a year and a half ago!) turned out to be Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, which I have since acquired and reviewed (Part 1; Part 2). That book incorporated nearly all of the playtest material that I reviewed in UA & Freeport, Parts 10-15, except for "Subclasses, Part 4," which appears to have missed the cut-off date for inclusion.

Note that all of the new races (or lineages) presented in UA since Tasha's was released have referred the player to the "Customizing Your Origin" rules in that book rather than dictating ability score increases, languages, and tool proficiencies.

For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index.

Subclasses, Part 5 (10/26/2020): This installment introduces just two new subclasses, both with a dragon theme. The Way of the Ascendant Dragon allows monks to do energy damage with their unarmed strikes, and also bestows a breath weapon. Higher levels gives additional draconic abilities. The Drakewarden ranger gains the ability to summon a small drake companion. The stat block for this drake includes the ranger's proficiency bonus for its AC, good saves, and attack rolls, using the same "+PB" notation used for summoned creatures in Tasha's.

The Way of the Ascendant Dragon is very appropriate for monks from the Eastern Empire. The drakewarden is most likely from the wilds of the Continent, though the Serpent's Teeth is also home to many reptilian monsters. 

Gothic Lineages (1/26/2021): This article presents three new races with Gothic horror origins. Each lineage has two creatures types to reflect its in-between status. The text points out that if an effect would affect one of their types, it affects the character normally (so a dhampir--humanoid and undead--would be healed by cure wounds).

The dhampir is part humanoid, part undead, with a vampiric bite and a hunger for blood (or some other manifestation of life force). The hexblood has ties to hags, making them part fey, with some innate magic and advantage against charm effects. The reborn represents a variety of characters unnaturally suspended between life and death, either through surgery or implanted machinery (making them a construct) or necromantic magic (undead). In both cases, being reborn helps the character resist disease, poison, and dying.

Freeport is a horror setting, so all three lineages are appropriate there, though all remain rare. The Pathfinder RPG has rules for dhampirs and hag-descended changelings, so the dhampir and hexblood would be useful for converting those races' abilities to 5E. (Offhand, I don't recall any examples of either in Freeport canon, but they are popular with some players.)

Folk of the Feywild (3/11/2021): This article presents four races whose origins lie within the Feywild. Fairies are a small race similar to pixies or sprites, but larger. They can fly (even without wings), and cast a couple of innate spells. The version of hobgoblins presented here gives an alternative to the race traits given in Volo's Guide of Monsters, which reflected a more militaristic world-view. Owlfolk are humanoid owls with winged flight, the ability to sense magic, and the night vision and silent feathers of their owl kin; they may be Small or Medium. Rabbitfolk are humanoids with hare-like senses and reflexes, and may also be Small or Medium. The choice of size has no effect on either race's traits, but will affect things such as the ability to use heavy weapons.

(The official versions of three of these races have already been released: The owlin in Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos, and the fairy and harengon in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight.)

One of the defining characteristics of the Freeport setting is that the native fey of the Serpent's Teeth are almost universally reptilian in nature rather than the elf-like creatures found elsewhere. That means that these four fey races would be very rare in the City of Adventure, and they would be highly unlikely to have come here directly from the Feywild. Freeport does have an enclave of hobgoblins, but these are transplants from the Continent, and most fit that race's stereotype of regimented military training (making the traits in Volo's more appropriate).

Draconic Options (4/14/2021): This article presents several new character options manifesting draconic magic, and was obviously meant as a companion piece to "Subclasses, Part 5," above. These include three variant dragonborn races (chromatic, metallic, and gem) that provide a more direct connection between the dragonborn and the dragon type matching their scale color. The chromatic and metallic races are only superficially different from the standard PH dragonborn, but the gem dragonborn gives access to more unusual breath weapon damage types, has innate psionic telepathy, and can briefly manifest spectral gem-like wings once a day. 

A new version of the kobold race is also included, which lacks the racial Strength penalty given in Volo's (a rarity among 5E races to begin with, and entirely dispensed with if you use the "Customizing Your Origin" rules in Tasha's). This variant leans into their draconic ancestry, rather than being the cowardly pack creature presented in the MM and Volo's.

Three new feats provide some abilities of chromatic dragons (energy-infused attacks and limited resistance), metallic dragons (cure wounds and protective wings), and gem dragons (a mental stat increase and a telekinetic counterattack). Finally, the article details seven new spells. The most noteworthy of these are probably draconic transformation (giving draconic senses, flight, and a force damage breath weapon), Raulothim's psychic lance (which adds a new psionic-themed spell to the handful in Tasha's), and summon draconic spirit (which follows the format of the new summoning spells in Tasha's).

All of these options could be used in a Freeport campaign. The new version of the kobold is particularly attractive as a more heroic interpretation of that race, and dragon-themed spells will appeal to a wide variety of casters.   

Mages of Strixhaven (6/8/2021): This article presents five subclasses appropriate to the Strixhaven plane from the Magic: The Gathering multiverse. These subclasses are probably most noteworthy for the fact that each was designed to work with two or three different spellcasting classes. Because classes gain their subclass features at different levels (and give different numbers of features), these subclasses' features have a minimum level required to choose them, rather than a set level. (To my knowledge, these subclasses were not used in the final Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos book, probably largely due to this more complicated implementation.)

A Mage of Lorehold is a historian who bonds with an ancient companion spirit inhabiting an animated statue. A Mage of Prismari infuses their own movements with elemental energy, and specializes with a chosen energy type at later levels. A Mage of Quandrix is a mathematician who can manipulate probability. A Mage of Silverquill channels their magic through their words, demoralizing foes and bolstering allies. A Mage of Witherbloom taps into the endless cycle of life and death.

Both the Magic-specific context of these subclasses and their unusual implementation make them difficult to adapt to a Freeport campaign. A GM who wishes to make use of them would probably want to  rename or reflavor the background somewhat to match a magical college in their setting. The only such organization that receives much attention in the Freeport product line is the Wizard's Guild, which has a much more secretive, even sinister, reputation than Strixhaven's more genuinely collegiate atmosphere. A school on the Continent (like the Arcane Blade Academy I mentioned in connection with bladesingers in Part 1 of "Tasha's Cauldron and Freeport") is likely a better choice, despite the lack of details.

Travelers of the Multiverse (10/8/2021): This installment presents six new races for 5E, all of which fit a planar traveler theme. Astral elves are descended from elves who left the Feywild to be closer to the homes of their gods. Autognomes are constructs built in their rock gnome creators' image. Giffs are tall, powerfully built humanoids with hippo-like heads. Hadozees are simians with feet that are as dexterous as hands, and gliding flaps between their limbs. Plasmoids are intelligent oozes who can mimic a humanoid form well enough to use other races' equipment. Thri-kreen are insectoids with telepathic and chameleon abilities.

Most of these races have appeared in past editions of the D&D game, though not necessarily as playable PC races. The hadozee and giff (and possibly autognomes?) originated in the Spelljammer setting, which has caused quite a bit of speculation about whether Wizards is planning a full setting book for this edition. Thri-kreen have been part of D&D at least since the the AD&D 2E Monster Manual II, and featured prominently in the Dark Sun setting. Three of the races have also reminded me of TSR's Star Frontiers game: the hadozee, plasmoid, and thri-kreen could easily be used to convert that game's yazirians, dralasites, and vrusk to D&D 5E.

Determining how many of these races are appropriate for a Freeport campaign depends in part how much travel between worlds and planes the GM feels is appropriate for their game. The 3E book Stormwrack presented the hadozee as a race most commonly found aboard ships, with all references to the Spelljammer setting removed. (It was this version that I allowed for one of the PCs in my last Freeport campaign, so I'm very pleased to see 5E stats for them.) The thri-kreen could be native to another continent--perhaps the forests of Rolland or the arid lands of Hamunaptra. The astral elf, giff, and plasmoid would probably be rare in a world without spelljamming ships or frequent planar travel. On the other hand, the giff have always been associated with firearms, and often find work as mercenaries, both of which provide reasons for encountering them as exotic troops passing through Freeport.

Tasha's Cauldron and Freeport, Part 2: Everything Else

 For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index.

Last time, I reviewed the new origin rules, the artificer class, 26 new subclasses, new feats, and other character options in Chapter 1 of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. This column tackles the rest of the book.

Chapter 2: Group Patrons

Patrons give a way to build connections between PCs through their shared relationship with a powerful organization or influential NPC. Having a patron grants a number of perks, and they can be the source of quests. This chapter also gives rules for being your own patron, for characters more interested in running a new organization themselves. Freeport has examples of every type of patron presented here, and the patron rules would be an excellent way to enhance a campaign centered around one of the city's institutions, whether a temple, guild, or syndicate.

Chapter 3: Magical Miscellany

Spells: A few cantrips presented here (booming blade, green-flame blade, lightning lure, sword burst) are reprinted from Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Most of the others first appeared in Unearthed Arcana.

Psionic casters, like the Aberrant Mind, gain a few new spells fitting that theme, including intellect fortress, mind sliver, and Tasha's mind whip. The book's purported author also has two other spells in this chapter (Tasha's caustic brew and Tasha's otherworldly guise).

Several new summoning spells presented here come with a special stat block to use with that spell. The spell's level determines the summoned spirit's AC, hit points, and number of attacks. The caster chooses one of two or three options that determine some of its other stats; for example, a bestial spirit can be an air, land, or sea creature, with appropriate movement types. These spells provide an interesting alternative to the handful of summoning spells in the Player's Handbook, where the player needs to be familiar with the relevant Monster Manual entries. Summoning spells are frighteningly commonplace in Freeport, so using these spells could save the GM some effort when running summoner NPCs.

This section ends with a brief section about personalizing spells, which encourages players to get creative about the cosmetic manifestations of their spells.

Magic Items: This section presents a new type of magic item--magical tattoos--which take up an amount of space on the body determined by its rarity (from a few inches for common tattoos, or half your body for legendary ones). The sample tattoos presented include a variety of effects, from enhancing attacks to storing a spell to changing your appearance. Magical tattoos are highly appropriate for Freeport, where mundane tattoos are common among sailors, exotic martial artists, and other groups.

The other new magic items here include several artifacts, including Tasha's own Demonomicon of Iggwilv, and her adoptive mother Baba Yaga's mortar and pestle. Most of these artifacts are tied to a specific campaign world (the Crook of Rao belongs to Greyhawk, for example) so will need some adapting for Freeport campaigns not set in those worlds. Some, however, beg to be used in a high-level campaign that explores parts of Freeport's past, such as forging links between the Mighty Servant of Leuk-O and the Ironjack.

Other notable categories of new items include:

• Magic books could be found in the libraries of the Wizard's Guild or Temple of the God of Knowledge, or could be sought by those organizations, or by other lore-seekers. The atlas of endless horizons seems thematically appropriate for Freeport's mystic navigators.  
• Magical instruments of various types can enhance a bard's class abilities.
• Magical shards contain the essence of another plane, and give sorcerers the ability to add extra effects when using their metamagic options. 

Chapter 4: Dungeon Master's Tools

Session Zero: "Session zero" refers to the practice of using the first session of a new campaign to establish expectations, outline the group's social contract, and share house rules. Sometimes this also includes creating characters together, so that players will choose options that will useful in the campaign. 

Sidekicks: This section provides rules for sidekicks--creatures befriended by the PCs, who accompany them on adventures, and who improve by gaining levels alongside their PC friends. The sidekick must be CR 1 or less, but gains levels in one of three sidekick classes (warrior, expert, or spellcaster). Most of the class abilities are borrowed from PC classes, but are simplified. A few seem very powerful, and hard for even a PC to qualify for (such as the warrior's Improved Critical), but in general they seem to be in line with characters of their level. 

These rules seem overly extensive for someone who is essentially a henchman or follower. But these rules could be very helpful in providing stats to a knight's retainers, or a more robust animal companion for a druid or ranger. They also seem perfect for small groups of players who want to round out a party with more heroes, but still want to keep the focus on each player's primary character.

(Nitpicky rules note, because I'm "the errata guy": Creatures of CR 1 or less already have a proficiency bonus of +2, so that bonus will not improve until they reach 5th level in their sidekick class. That might not be obvious from reading the rules, but it is critical for preserving 5E's bounded accuracy.)

The urban setting of Freeport: The City of Adventure makes acquiring townsfolk as sidekicks rather easy to justify. (In some cases, perhaps too much so, if a new friend embodies the label "follower" too literally!) These rules could also be useful at sea, to detail a friendly ship's captain who helps the heroes out from time to time, or important NPC officers if the PCs have their own ship.

Parleying with Monsters: This section gives some ideas for adjudicating social encounters with monsters of various types. Of particular interest for long time players of other d20 System games is the Monster Research table, which lists suggested skills for learning more about monsters based on their creature type, with a DC based on CR. This kind of check is an integral part of the knowledge skill rules in D&D 3E and Pathfinder, but was conspicuously missing from the 5E core rulebooks.

Environmental Hazards: This section provides random tables of events that may happen in regions where the supernatural has a strong influence (such as haunted places, areas corrupted by the Far Realm, or a location with a powerful psychic aura). This is followed by rules for various kinds of magical phenomena, such as eldritch storms, enchanted springs, magic mushrooms, and even mimic colonies. A brief section on natural hazards introduces rules for a few new situations, plus a table suggesting spells to use to model other environmental effects or disasters.

Many of these hazards are well-suited to Freeport: the Far Realm and hauntings fit the setting's horror aspects particularly well, while travelers may have to weather eldritch storms or navigate unearthly roads, or simply survive falling into water on a not infrequent basis. 

Puzzles: Finally, the last section of the book presents some sample puzzles that can used as-is or as a template for your own puzzles. Suggestions are given for skill checks that will provide hints, which is a useful idea to remember when creating other puzzles. None of the examples strike me as being out of place in Freeport, but they will need some customizing to integrate them into the setting.

Tasha's Cauldron and Freeport, Part 1: Character Options

For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index.

Tasha's Cauldron of  Everything introduces a slew of new character options, from subclasses to spells to feats, as well as a number of new magic items and several tools for the GM. Much like Xanathar's Book of Everything, a significant fraction of the content of this book appeared in playtest form in Unearthed Arcana, and thus I have commented on those earlier iterations in past installments of this blog. I'll be compiling and revisiting those comments here, as well as reviewing brand-new additions. And as with Xanathar's, I'll be splitting my review into two parts, with this first part devoted to just Chapter 1: Character Options.

As the book's introduction points out, everything in this book is optional. Use as much or as little of it as you see fit for your campaigns.

Customizing Your Origin 

These rules allow you to customize the ability score increases, languages, and proficiencies you receive from your race or subrace. This option allows for a greater diversity among the members of each race, and makes it easier to represent an upbringing that might be radically different from the stereotypical standard. A sidebar gives simple rules for playing a custom lineage instead of one of the game's races.  

The Freeport setting frequently plays up the typical racial stereotypes built into the game (dwarves are known for craftsmanship and warfare, elves for magic and stealth, half-orcs and orcs for rage and bloodlust). However, the City of Adventure is also home to many NPCs who very much play against expectations about their ancestry (such as a half-orc noble, a half-orc lawyer, and a goblin wizard) and is something of a melting pot as well, despite all its racial tensions. A party of adventurers could easily include PCs built with the standard race packages as well as PCs with customized origins.

(While strictly optional, the customized origin rules have become the default assumption for all new lineages presented in Unearthed Arcana.)

Artificer

Artificers are master crafters who use their tools to imbue objects with magical power. They may create magical elixirs, enchant armors or weapons, or build mechanical servants. Even their spells manifest as wondrous effects produced by their inventions, rather than traditional spellcasting.

This class has four kinds of specialists (subclasses): Alchemists create elixirs and enhance their spells using their alchemist's supplies. The Armorer creates a powerful bond with their armor, turning it into fully enclosed power armor. The Artillerist is accompanied by an eldritch cannon, and gain potent battle magic. The Battle Smith focuses on protective enchantments and crafts a defensive construct companion.

Artificers work very well with Freeport's unusual mix of eldritch magic and experimental technology. The Armorer seems especially appropriate for experimenters who blur the lines between man and machine, such as the Manikins (Hell in Freeport) or Ironjack (The Ironjack Legacy). 

Optional Class Features: Each of the next 12 sections begins with a selection of Optional Class Features for that class. Some replace a standard class feature, while others are available at the discretion of the GM. This might mean they're given for free, after a quest, or in place of a standard class feature, but no real guidance is given for determining that. The Unearthed Arcana article in which they originally appeared did provide more explicit instructions (typically, the character gave up a class feature of the listed level in order to gain the new feature), but much of that language was cut from the final print version. Players can be a greedy, pushy lot at times, so more explicit guidelines would have been welcome here.

Each spellcasting class is given an expanded spell list, which includes spells from the Player's Handbook as well as new spells from Chapter 3 of this book. Other options include:

• Replaced class features: The character trades away one class feature for a new one.
• Enhanced class features: The existing class feature is expanded to do a little more than before. (The following two items are specific kinds of enhancement.)
• Expanded options: Class features that require a choice from several options (fighting styles, metamagic, invocations, etc.) get new options.
• Retraining: The character can change one of their cantrips, maneuvers, or other class features more easily.

Barbarian

The Path of the Beast barbarian is a partial shapechanger who can grow natural weapons in combat. As they advance, they can adapt to new movement modes, and spread their rage to allies and enemies. This archetype is suitable for characters with a connection to lycanthropes, druids, or fey or animal spirits--of which there are many examples in Rolland and in the more exotic lands of the World of Freeport.

The Path of Wild Magic is a barbarian who is saturated with powerful magic, over which they have little control until later levels. It's very much a martial sibling to the Wild Magic sorcerer. (I'm not sure whether multiclassing between the two would be awesome or obnoxious--or both.)

Bard

Bards who join the College of Creation learn to use the esoteric power of music to manipulate the world around them, from summoning lingering notes that bolster inspiration, to animating a dancing item, to literally creating nonmagical objects out of nothing. The theme of this archetype reminds me of the Finnish creation myth in which the world itself emerges from a bard's song; DMs may wish to take that a step further and tie this tradition to the doomed world from which Lowyatar is the sole survivor (see Cults of Freeport).

The College of Eloquence gives a bard increased powers of persuasion, communication, and inspiration. The effects are less flashy than many other subclasses, but very well-suited to a silver-tongued bard.

Cleric

The Order Domain is designed for gods of law, civilization, and leadership. If you are using The Book of the Righteous with Freeport, then this domain is most appropriate for Maal (LN god of justice) and Asmodeus (LE god of tyranny). However, those two gods already have the Balance and Tyranny domains, respectively, which embody their own takes on law and order. 

The Peace Domain [renamed from the Unity Domain] emphasizes teamwork and emotional bonds. This domain would be an excellent way to translate the Community domain from Third Edition. (That is one gap that The Book of the Righteous did not fill.)

The Twilight Domain is a natural fit for heroes who brave the darkness to combat the dangers that it hides. Two examples in Freeport canon include Tagmata's dualistic light-based faith of Astrape, and the cult of Nut in Hamunaptra.

Druid

The Circle of Spores druid is attuned to mold and decay, gaining poison attacks and eventually the ability to temporarily raise its victims as zombies. These druids might operate in the jungle of A'Val or in the sewers below Freeport. 

The Circle of Stars for druids involves studying the night sky and channeling the power of starlight. Some of the features gained are tied to astrological foretelling, while others alter wild shape to take on a starry form tied to a constellation's power. The powers of this subclass are thematically appropriate for both the Order of Starry Wisdom and the Wanderer, though druids are not obvious candidates for either cult.

The Circle of Wildfire embraces both the destructive side of fire and the new growth that it makes possible. It's imminently suited for druids who live near volcanoes like the one on A'Val--but such a character is likely to inspire a great deal of terror in Freeporters due to painful memories of the Great Green Fire that ravaged the island a few years ago.

Fighter

The Psi Warrior [formerly Psychic Warrior] uses psionic energy to augment attacks and defenses that improve with level. In the World of Freeport, psionics are most common in Naranjan, the land of the Mindshadows setting. 

Rune Knights learn how to imbue their possessions with the power of giantish rune magic. In the World of Freeport, this archetype would be most common among the northern barbarian tribes of Druzhdin. or possibly the dwarves of Vorizar.

In addition to presenting new fighting styles and maneuvers, this class's section ends in a list of Battle Master builds, with suggested fighting styles, maneuvers, and feats for different types of warriors, such as archers, lancers, and pugilists.

Monk

Monks who follow the Way of Mercy tradition are both skilled healers as well as bringers of swift death to the evil and the ailing. Many wear masks to shroud their identities in mystery. These monks would be appropriate for followers of a god of medicine, or one who holds power over life and death.

The Way of the Astral Self provides a way for a monk to manifest their true form using their ki. This astral form is mastered a piece at a time, starting with extra arms that deal radiant or necrotic damage, then later a mask (visage) that enhances their senses. Later levels enhance both the offensive and defensive benefits of this astral self. This subclass seems best suited for an exotic, possibly psionic-flavored, monastic order, perhaps one started by a planar-traveling race such as the githyanki or githzerai.

Paladin

The Oath of Glory [formerly Heroism] is for paladins who are destined for legendary greatness, enhancing their own powers in a way that eventually can be used to inspire allies and frighten enemies.

Paladins who swear the Oath of the Watchers are guardians against extraplanar threats. This manifests as heightened vigilance and methods to punish unworldly foes. This archetype is very well suited to servants of the Inquisition and other champions who hunt the devils and demons who plague Freeport from time to time. 

Most Sacred Oaths suggest one or more alignments common to their members, but these two do not. In Freeport, that might mean these oaths are equally valid for both idealistic crusaders and their more jaded, corrupt associates. The Oath of Glory in particular seems more concerned with personal glory than the greater good, and that kind of egotism does fit Freeport just fine.

Ranger

The Fey Wanderer ranger archetype is a guardian of the borders between the Feywild and the material plane. They are imbued with fey magic that allows them to better negotiate with beings from both worlds, to resist some of the snares of the fey, and to bend the minds of others. This subclass is probably most common in the elven kingdom of Rolland, but might also be appropriate for rangers (human and otherwise) who have learned something about the strange, rare fey peculiar to the Serpent's Teeth.

The Swarmkeeper ranger archetype has a connection to a fey nature spirit that manifests as a swarm of tiny beasts sharing their space. As the ranger advances in level, this swarm can increase their weapon damage and enhance their movement. This subclass is rather bizarre and potentially offputting in social encounters, but could be appropriate to a wide variety of characters, from fey-bonded wood elves from Rolland, to worshipers of insect or plague gods from Hamunaptra, to weird outcasts who dwell in the sewers beneath Freeport.

This class's optional class features include an alternative to the Beast Master's animal companion. That original take has been much criticized for its poor action economy, and Primal Companions help improve that somewhat. (They also don't require the level of familiarity with the Monster Manual that picking a companion can sometimes entail.)

Rogue

The Phantom is a killer with a mystical connection to the dead. That connection gives them a bonus proficiency (which can be changed after a rest), and at later levels it can give them a little bit of the luck or knowledge of those who have died near them. When they sneak attack a foe, they can cause ghostly wails to damage a second target. This subclass would be ideal for the assassins of a death cult, or a haunted loner. It fits in admirably with the horror elements of the Freeport setting.

A Soulknife can create a blade of pure psychic energy, and at very high level, can target an enemy's mind directly. As with the Psi Warrior, Soulknives would be most common in Naranjan.

Sorcerer

The Aberrant Mind sorcerer has had an alien experience that warped their mind and body. This subclass gives them limited telepathy, psionic-flavored additional spells known, and (at higher levels) resistance to psychic damage. Higher levels also give the ability to transform into an aberrant form, and a destructive teleport ability. In Freeport, an Aberrant Mind might have acquired her powers through an encounter with servitors of the Yellow Sign or other eldritch horrors.

The Clockwork Soul is a sorcerous origin tied to Mechanus, the plane of ultimate order. The archetype's powers focus on warding magic and reducing the extremes of random chance (usually by denying advantage or disadvantage). The World of Freeport includes enough constructs (particularly in adventures such as Hell in Freeport and The Ironjack Legacy) that this subclass has a solid place there.

Warlock

The Fathomless is a powerful entity of the deep ocean, or the Elemental Plane of Water. In addition to an expanded spell list with water and weather-themed spells, this patron grants the ability to create spectral tentacles to attack your enemies. At higher levels, these appendages can help defend the warlock, and she can conjure more deadly manifestations of her patron's power. The warlock eventually gains some class features that make it easier to move through and survive in her master's watery domain. The Fathomless is perfectly suited to Yarash and Dagon's cults.

The Genie is an otherworldly patron from among the nobles of geniekind. Warlocks of this subclass actually take on some of the properties of their genie masters: they start with a genie's vessel, in which they can retreat from the outer world to rest. At later levels, they gain resistance based on their master's element, can take others into their vessel, and eventually gain some limited wish magic. Genie-binders are an established part of Freeport history, both in the construction of the Wizards Guild, and among the efreeti-blooded azhar, and this subclass offers an interesting inversion of that master-servant relationship.

Wizard

The Bladesinging tradition melds magic with martial prowess to gain enhanced AC, mobility, and concentration saves. At higher levels, they gain Extra Attack, and can sacrifice spell slots to absorb damage. This subclass originally appeared in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, where it was restricted to elves and half-elves. That limit has been omitted here, but in the World of Freeport, most Bladesingers would come from those races. One prestigious school for Bladesinging is the Arcane Blade Academy at Dragonmont, in Rolland (mentioned in True20 Freeport: The Lost Island).

A wizard of the Order of Scribes can create a magical quill at will, and instills some limited sentience in his own spellbook. At higher levels, they become expert spell scroll makers, and their spellbook gains new abilities. This subclass seems ideal for a lorekeeper at the Wizard's Guild or an archivist at the Temple of the God of Knowledge.

Feats

This section presents 15 new feats. Some grant a small taste of another class's abilities (Artificer Initiate, Eldritch Adept, Fighting Initiate, Metamagic Adept). Others enhance the use of a skill (Chef, Poisoner, Skill Expert). Two represent the influence of another plane (Fey Touched, Shadow Touched). Two give some cantrip-level psionic abilities (Telekinetic, Telepathic). The rest give advantages in combat, usually enhancing attacks (Crusher, Gunner, Piercer, Slasher). All of these feats are appropriate for Freeport, though GMs who don't want to use artificers or firearms in their game will need to restrict access to Artificer Initiate and Gunner, respectively.

Next up: Everything Else! (Chapters 2-4.)

Ghosts of Saltmarsh and Freeport

For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index.

This columns contains spoilers for the adventures in Ghosts of Saltmarsh.

Ghosts of Saltmarsh is a nautical-themed anthology of seven adventures from previous editions of D&D updated to the Fifth Edition rules. Three of these form the original Saltmarsh trilogy (The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, Danger at Dunwater, and The Final Enemy), so the book begins with a much expanded description of that port town. The appendix includes rules for ships, sea travel and encounters, and a few additional encounter locations that are too short for chapters of their own.

This book should be invaluable for a GM running a Freeport campaign using 5E. Some adventures will be easier to adapt to that setting than others (see each chapter's entry below), but almost everything in the appendix will be useful in any maritime campaign.

Saltmarsh

Saltmarsh is a coastal port town with a sizable fishing fleet, but it also serves as a port of call for many merchant traders. It is a far cry from the cosmopolitan, pirate- and cult-infested island city of Freeport, so the three Saltmarsh adventures in this book will require some thought to fit into a Freeport campaign. 

Perhaps the easiest option is to locate Saltmarsh on the Continent, some days' sail from Freeport--but that make the campaign more about the Saltmarsh region than about Freeport, at least for the duration of those adventures. On the other hand, Saltmarsh could be very useful for fleshing out part of the Ivory Ports part of the Continent, for when your Freeporters are passing through and catch a whiff of interesting news and rumors that cause them to tarry a while.

This chapter also includes a few new backgrounds for PCs--fisher, marine, shipwright, and smuggler--that are perfectly suited to a Freeport campaign. Each of the backgrounds from the Player's Handbook gets a few notes about how to tie them into Saltmarsh, which may inspire similar connections for Freeport GMs.

The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

The first Saltmarsh adventure involves investigating a seaside haunted house outside the town, then taking on the crew of a smuggling ship using the site as cover. This is a classic adventure, perfect for starting characters, but difficult to work into a campaign that starts in Freeport. It probably works best if set elsewhere in the Serpent's Teeth, perhaps near Libertyville or one of the handful of plantations on the islands. The house and the ship can also be easily used separately, if the GM needs a creepy hideout or a low-level ship's crew for their own adventures.

Danger at Dunwater

The second part of the trilogy is easier to adapt to a Freeport game. The adventure takes place within a massive lizardfolk lair located in a swamp. Lizardfolk are known to live in the Serpent's Teeth, and a tribe of this size would certainly pose a potential threat to other settlements there (though probably very little to Freeport itself). The other races present for the emerging alliance are also common to the seas near Freeport. 

The new lizardfolk stat blocks in the Appendix should be useful in converting older adventures such as "Dead Man's Chest," in Tales of Freeport.

Salvage Operation

This adventure is easily dropped into any ongoing nautical campaign, and Freeport has no shortage of desperate merchants who need adventurers to do dangerous work for them. Demonic cults are also a staple of Freeport campaigns, though GM who wish to emphasize the World of Freeport over Wizards of the Coast's IP may wish to have the villain of this piece worship the alternate Spider Queen described in Green Ronin's Plots & Poison: A Guidebook to Drow.

Isle of the Abbey

The heroes are hired to clear out evil clerics and undead that guard an abbey, while the cult is weakened from a pirate raid. Much like the Freeport line does, the adventure leaves the identity of the cult's god open-ended, with a few campaign world-specific suggestions given in the "Placing the Adventure" sidebar. 

The Final Enemy

In many ways, the finale of the Saltmarsh trilogy is the easiest to incorporate into a Freeport campaign. The sahaugin fortress is located some distance from the city, and could easily be located on an obscure reef near the Serpent's Teeth. The "sea devils" (as Freeporters call them) are a perennial problem for the City of Adventure, so scouting and then assaulting the site would be a highly appropriate mission for Freeport-based heroes. The module presents the stronghold as a former lizardfolk lair, but in the World of Freeport it might actually be an ancient Valossan ruin.

This adventure also includes many new stat blocks for new sahaugin foes and other undersea monsters (in the Appendices) that Freeport GMs can make use of elsewhere--for example, in converting the sahaugin attack in Crisis in Freeport.

Tammeraut's Fate

An island hermitage has come under attack by undead pirates, and by other monsters drawn to the scent of death. Once the PCs secure the island, they must follow the undead below the waves to stop the real threat that they pose.

The Styes

The Styes is a decaying port slowly sinking into the sea. Overall, the City of Adventure is too prosperous to be a good match, but the major sites of the adventure could be probably be transplanted to the docks of Scurvytown. Mr. Dory might be a gang leader, or a politician with ties to a member of the Captains' Council. The Tharizdun cult might be recast as a followers of one of Freeport's secret cults, such as the Unspeakable One, the Crawling Chaos, or Yarash. This adventure is certainly the most Lovecraftian in feel in the anthology, so may very well be worth the extra effort to adapt to Freeport.

Of Ships and the Sea

The book's first appendix presents rules for ships and ship combat, sea travel, and water hazards. Tables for generating random encounters, ships, and mysterious islands are also included. Finally, a trio of underwater locations are briefly detailed. 

Magic Items

A handful of new magic items are presented here, including a couple classic items updated from older editions of D&D.

Monsters and NPCs

In addition to the new monsters already mentioned above, this appendix includes a number of new undead and constructs that should prove useful in other adventures in the "sword & sorcery" vein of Freeport.

The State of the Blog (and the Tim)

In the process of looking up something that I had shared here a couple of years ago, I realized that I had not posted anything new since August. I've been meaning to post a few things during that time, but lacked the motivation to make it happen. So here's a very quick update of where things stand in the many lands of Studded Plate. (Warning: There's a bit about a friend I lost very recently at the end of this column. I'm still figuring out how to talk about it online...or in general) 

Freeport and 5E: The 5E and Fantasy AGE versions of Death in Freeport were released just as I was finishing up that last post in August. I intend to run one version or the other sometime this year. I also have a few items to compose "Freeport and..." articles about at some point: the latest Unearthed Arcana articles (only two since August), Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and possibly Kobold Press's Tome of Beasts (which I'm slowly making my way through). And whenever I acquire Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, I will almost certainly have something to say about using that book with Freeport.

Time of the Tarrasque: This Pathfinder campaign went on hiatus back in 2019, and to be very honest, I'm not sure if it will ever restart at this point. 

The Kynthiad: The solo Greek myth BESM game that I run for my wife Erika is still going, though the end of the campaign is finally approaching. In our last few sessions, Kynthia has been instrumental in definitively ending the Trojan War--with Troy emerging victorious, and many Greek going home without their kings. Now we just have to figure out how she's going to stop Typhon's return, which will make a fitting conclusion to the story--and free up some headspace for me to run other games. 

Building the Bestiary: I would almost certainly have added another installment or two of this series by now, except that the pandemic has forced us to go online for most of our gaming, which means I'm producing far fewer LEGO minis for games. (We do play occasional games in person within our "bubble," but I've been GMing far fewer of those than I used to.)

On a related note, I have not purchased any of the new Minifigures series that have been released since the pandemic started. If and when I do, I will post reviews, but I don't know if that will happen before the end of mandatory social distancing.

Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society: Erika and I are still heavily involved in organized play for Pathfinder (1E & 2E) and Starfinder. All of these games have been strictly online since March or so, except for occasional games within our "bubble" (such as the Starfinder AP we started recently). I earned my third GM Star for Pathfinder Society 1E just before the end of 2020, but Erika has shot way ahead of me there, and is closing in on her fifth (and final!) GM Star. She became a Venture Officer for our local store about a year ago, so has been running a lot of games for that venue, as well as for several online conventions. We're both playing a lot more PFS 2E and Starfinder now than we have in the past, because it's easier to find games to play in now that we're online. Erika has GMed a couple of 2E scenarios so far, and her first Starfinder game this past month. I haven't tried GMing 2E yet, but have a few Starfinder games under my belt, and intend to run more as I get more familiar with the system. (I still have a ways to go before my first GM Nova, though.)

Grey Angels: I have been intending to write more about the (new and old) adventures of Trick Tillinghast, one of my characters in the long-running "Grey Angels" campaign (using Buffy/Angel Unisystem) that revived for a "reunion arc" at the end of 2019. Sadly, our main GM, Cassandra Lease, died rather suddenly at the beginning of this month. All of us in the game have been close friends with her for upwards of 15 years, so we're all still reeling from this loss. At some future date, we may try to find some way to continue playing in the world that she invited us to help her create, because it would be a damn shame to never again revisit those characters. But we're nowhere near ready to contemplate how to do that yet, apart from agreeing that some day, when we're ready, we very much want to have a long, involved discussion about it. Sharing stories about Cass among her circle of friends has been very helpful to us, and very necessary. When I'm ready to, I will probably share some more stories from the game here, in her memory. She would have liked that. 

I received this Abe Sapien figure as a gift from Cass early on in the Grey Angels game. She used the movie version of Abe as the visual reference for the Tritons, the sea demon race from which my very first GA character, the mage Baz Olmstead, was descended.

Unearthed Arcana and Freeport, Part 15--and official 5E Freeport news!

Welcome back to my ongoing series of capsule reviews of "Unearthed Arcana" with an eye for how to use them with the Freeport setting. This column covers UA articles from April to August 2020. From the number of subclasses undergoing repeated revisions over the past year or so, along with the many other character options (like feats) appearing in UA, it seems pretty clear that Wizards of the Coast plans to release another book of player-facing crunch along the lines of Xanathar's Guide to Everything sometime in the near future.

For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index.

Psionic Options Revisited (4/14/2020): This article starts with a discussion of the common elements in past editions' treatments of psionics, and the history of psionics rules in 5E. UA has presented many approaches, including a psionics-focused class, the mystic. However, the R&D team has abandoned that model in favor of creating new subclasses for existing classes. They have also abandoned the Psionics tradition wizard, which was just introduced late last year.

Three psionic archetypes, the psi knight (formerly psychic warrior, for fighters), soulknife (for rogues), and psionic soul (formerly the aberrant soul, for sorcerers), have been revised to share the common idea of a psionic talent die used to measure the ebb and flow of the character's psychic energy reserve. The character receives a d6 that they may add to certain rolls. If this die rolls the higher possible result, the die decreases in size (or, below a d4, is lost until a long rest); on a 1, it increases instead (to the character's maximum size). At higher levels, the psionic talent die increases in size, and the subclasses gains new options to use with the die. In some cases, that is simply additive; in others, the die determines an effect's duration, or the die is rolled only to determine if it changes size.

This seems to be a fairly simple, elegant way to track psionic power, rather than imposing some sort of power point rules, as in most previous editions. Because it is separate from spell slots, a character can be considered psionic without necessarily casting spells.

This column also includes five psionic feats. One is Wild Talent, which lets any character gain access to a psionic talent die. The options for using the die are very limited, but there also four other feats available that give new uses for that die (and have this feat or the psionic talent class feature as a prerequisite).

This UA also includes three psionic spells. These are updates of older material, and there is a note that some playtest spells have been abandoned; many of this latter group became subclass features or feats instead.

Subclasses Revisited (5/12/2020): As with the previous article, this installment presents new iterations of previous offerings: the Phantom subclass for rogues (previously the Revived), the Genie patron for warlocks (previously the Noble Genie), and the Order of Scribes for wizards (previously the Archivist, an artificer subclass).

The Phantom is a killer with a mystical connection to the dead. That connection gives them a bonus proficiency (which can be changed after a rest), and at later levels it can give them a little bit of the luck or knowledge of those who have died near them. When they sneak attack a foe, they can cause ghostly wails to damage a second target. This subclass would be ideal for the assassins of a death cult, or for a haunted loner. It fits in admirably with the horror elements of the Freeport setting.

The Genie is an otherworldly patron from among the nobles of geniekind. Warlocks of this subclass actually take on some of the properties of their genie masters: they start with a genie's vessel, in which they can retreat from the outer world to rest. At later levels, they gain resistance based on their master's element, can take others into their vessel, and eventually gain some limited wish magic. Genie-binders are an established part of Freeport history, both in the construction of the Wizards Guild, and among the efreeti-blooded azhar, and this subclass offers an interesting inversion of that master-servant relationship.

A wizard of the Order of Scribes can create magical quill at will, and instills some limited sentience in his own spellbook. At higher levels, they become expert spell scroll makers, and their spellbook's mind gains new abilities. This subclass seems ideal for a lorekeeper at the Wizard's Guild or an archivist at the Temple of the God of Knowledge.

Feats (7/13/2020): This article presents 16 new feats. Some grant a small taste of another class's abilities (Artificer Initiate, Eldritch Adept, Fighting Initiate, Metamagic Adept, Tracker). Others enhance the use of a skill (Chef, Poisoner, Practiced Expert). Two represent the influence of another plane (Fey Touched, Shadow Touched). The rest give advantages in combat, usually enhancing attacks (Crusher, Gunner, Piercer, Shield Training, Slasher, Tandem Tactician). All of these feats are appropriate for Freeport, though GMs who don't want to use artificers or firearms in their game will need to restrict access to Artificer Initiate and Gunner, respectively. 

Subclasses, Part 4 (8/5/2020): This installment includes just two new subclasses: the College of Spirits for bards and the Undead patron for warlocks. 

The College of Spirits bard regularly contacts spirits from other planes to learn their stories and use the knowledge gained to aid his allies. They gain guidance as a bonus cantrip, and can use certain occult objects (such as a talking board or tarokka deck) as spellcasting foci. They can also spend their Bardic Inspiration die to learn a tale from a spirit, which they can then use to aid an ally or attack an enemy, depending on the result. This features uses a random table of 12 results, giving access to more options as the Bardic Inspiration die increases in size with level. At mid-levels, the bard can perform a seance-like ritual to temporarily learn a spell from any class, within certain limits. This subclass could be used to represent a classic occult medium who speaks with ghosts and angels, a lorekeeping shaman who speaks with his tribe's ancestors and totems, or the priest of an animistic religion who intercedes with the spirits of heaven and hell as well as nature. All of these concepts could easily find a place in the Freeport setting. 

The Undead patron may be an arch-lich, vampire lord, or other powerful, ancient undead entity. At 1st level, in addition to an expanded spell list, the warlock can assume a Form of Dread that grants temporary hp, forces creatures you hit to save or be frightened, and makes the warlock immune to being frightened for a brief time. Later class features include changing damage inflicted to necrotic, exploding upon reaching 0 hp then respawning with 1 hp; and projecting your spirit from your body. Each of these features has heightened effects when the warlock is in their Form of Dread. This patron is highly appropriate for the Freeport setting, which includes many necromancers in its history, such as the Ghoul-Lords who reigned over much of the Continent centuries ago, or--closer to home--Lord Bonewrack. However, necromancy is also one of the very few capital offenses in Freeport, so choose this patron only after consulting with the DM!

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Ahoy! Official 5E Freeport News!

Green Ronin has re-released Death in Freeport updated for D&D Fifth Edition! See the announcement on the company blog here, and buy the PDF in the online store here. 

Strongholds & Followers and Freeport

Last summer, I reviewed Matt Colville's Stronghold & Followers sourcebook for D&D 5E. This time, I'll be looking at how to use this new material in a Freeport campaign.

First of all, Freeport is a very highly detailed city that already contains many competing organizations with established strongholds. Any attempt to create a new stronghold in the Serpent's Teeth, much less within Freeport's own city walls, will be sure to experience resistance from the current powers that be. Players and DMs should not let that discourage them from using the stronghold rules--intrigue and political scheming are hallmarks of the City of Adventure, after all! And some bold adventurer is behind the founding of most of the city's iconic organizations, from the Syndicate to the Wizard's Guild to the office of Sea Lord itself. The PCs are just the latest in a long history of ambitious new arrivals, who lack the advantages jealously guarded by the members of the status quo.

In a Freeport campaign, the stronghold rules can also be useful for detailing NPC organizations, from competing guilds to military schools to pirate fleets. Even if the PCs never establish a formal base of operations, NPCs with sufficient political clout will reap the benefits of maintaining their own strongholds: followers to pit against the PCs, easier access to low-level magic items, and improved class features. (On the other hand, when faced with such resourceful enemies, the PCs may eventually seek how to gain those rewards for themselves!)

Most of the rules in S&F can be used as-is in most campaigns, but a few options deserve specific call-outs for Freeport.

The Keep: The barbarian camp option is not appropriate within the Serpent's Teeth, except when they are invading one of the settlements here (as in the northern barbarian invasion during Black Sails Over Freeport). However, this stronghold type is the norm in the more savage parts of the Continent, such as Druzhdin and the Bone Lands.

In contrast, the pirate ship variant is perfectly suited to Freeport. The Mass Combat rules can be adapted for use for sea battles between enemy ships.

The Tower: The Wizard's Guild is the epitome of this type of stronghold, while Gitch's rickety tower in Bloodsalt represents the most humble possible version.

The Temple: Freeport is littered with this type of stronghold, but not every shrine in the Temple District qualifies. (The Fool's Market as a whole might--or it might count as an establishment?--but the individual spaces within it would not.) Naturally, any new temple established within Freeport will face intense scrutiny from other faiths, who may simply be jealous of competition or who might be on the watch for legitimate threats to crusade against.

The druid's grove alternate would be appropriate to establish outside the city, in the jungles of A'Val or elsewhere in the Serpent's Teeth.

The Establishment: This type of stronghold might be the easiest to establish within the city, because Freeport is a city that thrives on commerce and trade. The covert side of the organization will need to be wary of established criminal gangs, who have well-defined territories within the city's districts.

Followers: The stat blocks for retainers are highly abbreviated, since they have a reduced role in combat. However, they can be useful starting points for creating NPC allies and enemies for Freeport adventures, apart from the stronghold rules. Likewise, the sample artisan profiles can be used as-is or as inspiration for new background characters.

The Siege of Castle Rend: This adventure is clearly not appropriate for the Serpent's Teeth. However, it could be used more or less as written in many places on the Continent. The adventure also presents many new stat blocks for orcs, which could add some variety to the inhabitants of Bloodsalt.

New Monsters: This chapter is a rich resource for any 5E game. See below for further discussion.

New Items: The codices are thematically appropriate for Freeport, given the setting's strong Lovecraftian element. However, they require attunement within a stronghold, so should be ignored if the stronghold rules are not being used.

New Monsters

This chapter can be used with any 5E campaign, whether or not the GM includes the stronghold and concordance rules. These creatures are grouped into various extraplanar factions based on the beings' origins and agenda.

Demons and devils are well represented in the Monster Manual, so only a few new fiends are needed to round out the servitors chart in the temple rules.

The remaining factions include:

• The Celestial Court: Angelic beings who (in Freeport's default D&D cosmology, at least) hail from the outer planes of good. These beings are the natural allies of pure-hearted crusaders against demons, devils, and other evils.
• The Court of All Flesh: Chaotic aberrations. "Primordius" is roughly cognate to Limbo, but the Changing Ones are not affiliated with the slaadi or other denizens of that plane. (Slaadi have never been Open Game Content, so Colville had to invent new servitors for this niche.) In a Freeport campaign, this court might have ties to realms corrupted by the Unspeakable One, but are not inherently evil themselves.
• The Court of Arcadia: Chaotic fey (and one dragon), appropriate to the fairy realms (and some elven woods). These are likely to be popular among clerics from Rolland on the Continent, but apart from the oleander dragon, the Court of Arcadia are unlikely to have anything in common with the more reptilian fey native to the Serpent's Teeth.
• The Court of Elements: Neutral elementals, ruled by the Lady of Brass. In a Freeport campaign, may be the noble efreeti ruler of the City of Brass, or the sovereign over all of the ruling class of genies from all four elemental planes.
• Gemstone Dragons: These neutral dragons are the one group of new monsters that were not designed for use as extraplanar servitors. Instead, they form a third category of dragons between the more extreme alignments of the metallic and chromatic species. Gemstone dragons have psionic abilities rather than the usual magical powers of dragons. A limited, self-contained psionics system is presented to support these creatures. This section also includes a gemstone variant for dragonborn (who comprise the only method presented in this book for accessing those psionic powers as a PC). In a Freeport campaign, gemstone dragons might have connections to, or secret forgotten knowledge of, the ancient civilization of Valossa, or its serpent god Yig.
• The Inexorables: Lawful constructs that embody the plane of pure law (called "Axiom" here, which could be considered the same as Mechanus in the default D&D cosmology). They presumably operate independently from the modrons.

For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index.

Unearthed Arcana and Freeport, Part 14: Another Slew of Subclasses

Welcome back to my ongoing series of capsule reviews of "Unearthed Arcana" with an eye for how to use them with the Freeport setting. This column covers UA articles from late November 2019 to March 2020.

For my past columns about using D&D Fifth Edition sourcebooks with Freeport: The City of Adventure, see the Freeport 5E Index.

Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard (11/25/2019): This installment presents the Psychic Warrior archetype for fighters, the Soulknife for rogues, and the Psionics arcane tradition for wizards. Despite Mike Mearls not being listed among the authors, these subclasses are heavily indebted to ideas that were first presented in the Mike Mearls Happy Fun Hour. Essentially, the Mystic class remained unwieldy after multiple iterations, because it was designed to cover too many character concepts under the single huge umbrella of "psionics." The most problematic "edge cases" actually work better as psionic-themed subclasses of other classes. With those elements moved elsewhere, the Mystic (or psion) gets closer to having its own clear, distinct role and feel.

The Psychic Warrior no longer casts psychic spells, but gains augmented attack and defenses that improve with level. A Soulknife can create a blade of pure psychic energy that eventually frightens its victims, and at very high level, can target an enemy's mind directly. A wizard of the Psionics tradition focuses on psychic-themed spells, and as they advance in level, gain the ability to assume a form composed of pure psychic energy.

Finally, this installment introduces some new psionic spells for sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards that essentially translate older editions' "psionic attack/defense modes" into spells. There are also two new feats, Telekinetic and Telepathic, which increase Intelligence and give some cantrip-level psionic abilities.

(My mini-review of the last iteration of the Mystic class provided some context for the World of Freeport. This article merely changes the mechanical options for converting a couple of classes to 5E.)

Subclasses, Part 1 (1/14/2020): The Path of the Beast barbarian is a partial shapechanger who can grow natural weapons in combat. As they advance, they can adapt to new movement modes, and spread their rage to allies and enemies. This archetype is suitable for characters with a connection to lycanthropes, druids, or fey or animal spirits--of which there are many examples in Rolland and in the more exotic lands of the World of Freeport.

Monks who follow the Way of Mercy tradition are both skilled healers as well as bringers of swift death to the evil and the ailing. Many wear masks to shroud their identities in mystery. These monks would be appropriate for followers of a god of medicine, or one who holds power over life and death.

Paladins who swear the Oath of the Watchers are guardians against extraplanar threats. This manifests as heightened vigilance and methods to punish unworldly foes. This archetype is very well suited to servants of the Inquisition and other champions who hunt the devils and demons who plague Freeport from time to time. (Note that while most Sacred Oaths suggest one or more alignments common to their members, this one does not. In Freeport, that might mean this oath is equally valid for both idealistic crusaders and their more jaded, corrupt associates.)

The Noble Genie is a warlock patron who grants powers reminiscent of geniekind: creating a mystical tether between you and a willing ally, gaining elemental resistance, and even creating a conduit to your patron's realm. Genies play a prominent role in the World of Freeport, from the azhar's efreet ancestors to the powerful conjurors who used bound genies to build wonders such as the Wizard's Guild in Freeport.

Subclasses, Part 2 (2/6/2020): Bards who join the College of Creation learn to use the esoteric power of music to manipulate the world around them, from summoning lingering notes that bolster inspiration, to animating a dancing item, to literally creating nonmagical objects out of nothing. The theme of this archetype reminds me of the Finnish creation myth in which the world itself emerges from a bard's song; DMs may wish to take that a step further and tie this tradition to the doomed world from which Lowyatar is the sole survivor (see Cults of Freeport).

The Unity Domain for clerics emphasizes teamwork and emotional bonds. This domain would be an excellent way to translate the Community domain from Third Edition. (That is one gap that Green Ronin's The Book of the Righteous did not fill.)

The Clockwork Soul is a sorcerous origin tied to Mechanus, the plane of ultimate order. The archetype's powers focus on warding magic and reducing the extremes of random chance (usually by denying advantage or disadvantage). The World of Freeport includes enough constructs (particularly in adventures such as Hell in Freeport and The Ironjack Legacy) that this subclass has a solid place there.

Subclasses, Part 3 (2/24/2020): The Armorer artificer specialist creates a powerful bond with their armor, turning it into fully enclosed power armor. This installment also provides some new artificer infusions, most of them involving armor or helms. The Armorer seems especially appropriate for experimenters who blur the lines between man and machine, such as the Manikins (Hell in Freeport) or Ironjack.

The Circle of Stars for druids involves studying the night sky and channeling the power of starlight. Some of the features gained are tied to astrological foretelling, while others alter wild shape to take on a starry form tied to a constellation's power. (At higher levels, this starry form becomes incorporeal. The article includes a useful sidebar about applying damage resistance.) The powers of this subclass are thematically appropriate for both the Order of Starry Wisdom and the Wanderer, though druids are not obvious candidates for either cult.

The Fey Wanderer ranger archetype is a guardian of the borders between the Feywild and the material plane. They are imbued with fey magic that allows them to better negotiate with beings from both worlds, to resist some of the snares of the fey, and to bend the minds of others. This subclass is probably most common in the elven kingdom of Rolland, but might also be appropriate for rangers (human and otherwise) who have learned something about the strange, rare fey peculiar to the Serpent's Teeth.

Spells and Magic Tattoos (3/26/2020): This installment introduces several new summoning spells that come with a special stat block to use with that spell. The spell's level determines the summoned spirit's AC, hit points, and number of attacks. The caster chooses one of two or three options that determine some of its other stats; for example, a bestial spirit can be an air, land, or sea creature, with appropriate movement types. These spells provide an interesting alternative to the handful of summoning spells in the PH, where the player needs to be familiar with the relevant Monster Manual entries. Summoning spells are frighteningly commonplace in Freeport, so using these spells could save the GM some effort when running summoner NPCs.

This article also includes rules for magical tattoos, which take up an amount of space on the body determined by its rarity (from a few inches for common tattoos, or half your body for legendary ones). The sample tattoos presented include a variety of effects, from enhancing attacks to storing a spell to changing your appearance. Magical tattoos are highly appropriate for Freeport, where mundane tattoos are common among sailors, exotic martial artists, and other groups.