Divine Gift

A Divine Gift is a gift handed from a god, deity or a powerful vestige of one.

• House_rules#DnD_5e
• Divine Gift
• Addiction
• Healing 5e

. .

This article contains SPOILERS! Continue read at risk of spoiling the experience for yourself.

Show spoilers

Notes

https://www.fraternityofshadows.com/wiki/The_Evening_Glory

also
https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/8vl442/fleshing_out_curse_of_strahd_part_4_more_on_the/

https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/jgz1l6/dark_gifts_from_puffin_forests_cos_campaign/

Essentially, the rules I used for these gifts were:

    Death before lvl 5 resulted in a Dark Power intercepting the PC's soul in the mist, giving them the option of resurrection with Stage 1 of their gift.
    At lvl 5, a PC can reach out to their Dark Power to receive Stage 1 their gift
    At lvl 7, a PC is asked by their Dark Power if they would like more power.
        If they say yes, gift progresses to Stage 2
        If no, the offer stays open.
    At lvl 9, it's the same as lvl 7, but gift progresses to Stage 3.
    At any point during this process, a character who has not received their gift yet can call upon their Dark Power and receive all the gifts their level allows
    At the Amber Temple, they can visit their Dark Power and choose to make a Pact, this unlocks the rest of their gift, but also may have a price to pay. It also condemns them to being trapped in The Domains of Dread.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about and would like to see our playthrough, you can find the series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRriJ4swzIY&list=PLruqoIF23LV910443_s_j9tygFEotfukE






https://tabletopjoab.com/a-full-guide-to-every-dark-gift-from-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft/

https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/9zswmf/fleshing_out_curse_of_strahd_running_the_dark/


Level 1
https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/jgz10i/dark_gifts_from_puffin_forests_cos_garo/
Language/special/skill
Perma spell (lvl 2)
Cantrip x2

OR
https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/jgz0xn/dark_gifts_from_puffin_forests_cos_gouda/
lots of little spells eye magic
spell lvl 1

OR
https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/jgz0lt/dark_gifts_from_puffin_forests_cos_krusk/
Bite/claw
Orc traits ("charge"/carry)


Level 2
Spell lvl 1
Cantrip
Spell lvl 4?
Spell lvl 1

OR
more wild magic
more eye magic

OR
feat
+orcish fury
feat ish
spell ish lvl 4

Level 3
Permanent lvl 4 spell
Spell lvl 4

OR
more wild magic
more eye magic

OR
see in magic darkness
cast darkness 1/rest

Pact
Transport via Plants (lvl 4)
Knowledge of how to Re-Consecrate the Fanes

OR
Gain non-attune items
feats x2
Reincarnate 1/day
extra eye

OR
demon armor
change race

Gifts

https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/9uf047/dark_powers_in_barovia/

• Channelled Boon - At times, you will gain a small boon from your gift-giver. Boons to choose from:
  • Reroll (stacks with inspiration and can be used on the same roll)
  • 2d8 + lvl healing
  • 1d8 + lvl temporary hit points
  • If you at any point have Channelled Boon Reroll and then receives Inspiration from any source you gain 1 temporary HP per level (cumulative with other temporary hp).

https://www.elventower.com/the-dark-gifts-the-amber-vaults/

Dahlver-Nar

He of Many Teeth

Gift: The gift of many lives - Resurrection, at the cost of teeth

By the Skin of Your Teeth

If given upon death, it's painful but instead of a 25% hp and con damage your maximum HP is doubled for 1 hour and you gain full HP to that limit.

If given in an agreement, your maximum HP is doubled for 1 hour and you gain full HP and you may cast Revivify once without any material component during the next hour.

• Change: You choose a tooth to give up, become heterochromatic with one eye of your old colour and one turning purple. The eyes stay if you are resurrected into a new body. The lost tooth is a Greater Tooth Component.
• Innate Reincarnate: If you die you are affected by a modified and painful Reincarnate spell.
  • Extended race list 2.
  • Your new body starts with 25% of its maxium hit points and you take 1d3 Con damage. If this brings your con to under 1, you are unconscious (not dead) and you will regain 1 Con after one hour.
  • If you Reincarnate, a tooth is lost (keep track, 32 to start with!) and the new body also lack it.
  • Lose physical racial features except for ability scores such as darkvision or breath weapons (consult GM).
  • Gain +1d2 on a thematic ability score appropriate to the new race. Gain all other racial features. Consult the GM.
• Soul Drinker: You can absorb some life essence from foes showing as whispy mist leaving their bodies and entering your eyes, nose and mouth, granting you a Channeled Boon. This happens if a sentient creature that has a soul dies within 5 ft of you or a creature you have marked (like a Hex or Hunter's Mark) is killed while you are on the same plane of existence.
• Boon of Dahlver-Nar - The Channelled Boon choices changes to:
  • Dahlver-Nar's Reroll: When the Reroll is used, it also casts Bane on a other target of your choice within 30ft (no concentration). If there is no other character nearby, you are the target.
  • 2d8 + lvl healing and half that to another character of your chocie within 30 ft (if there is no other character you only gain half).
  • 1d8 + lvl temporary hit points and half that to another character of your chocie within 30 ft (if there is no other character you only gain half).
  • You gain a temporary spell slot of 3rd lvl that lasts until your next long rest. If you don't have spell-casting abilities, the spell is a 3rd lvl Hex.

Reincarnate

• Change: You lose a tooth. You start growing teeth, eyes or other oddities in odd places. The pains involved with Reincarnation are significantly lessened.
• Innate Reincarnate: If you Reincarnate, your new body gains 50% of its maxium hit points and you take 1 Con damage instead. You may take 2 Con damage instead of 1 to add or subtract up to 7 from the race selection roll.
  • As an action, you may use your gift to Reincarnate someone else.
    • Lose a tooth and expend a Greater Tooth Component then your ability stops working until recharged.
    • The target is reincarnated as per the lower level of this ability.
    • Following a long rest you may attempt to recharge the reincarnate ability; make a flat DC 15 check. On a success, or after at most 5 long rests, the ability is recharged.
    • You may voluntarily take any number of Con damage to give yourself a circumstance bonus on the roll (see Healing 5e for how to regain it).
• Teeth of Dahlver-Nar - Every time you lose a tooth to Innate Reincarnate, make a flat DC 11 check; on success the lost tooth becomes a tooth of Dahlver-Nar (DM's call) that you may reinsert, keep or give away.
  • Any number of implanted teeth of Dahlver-Nar in your mouth together count as ONE attuned item.
• Soul Drinker - Increase range to 10 feet and now also includes "marked" creatures killed by others.
• Boon of Dahlver-Nar: You can now stack up to three Boons.
• Innate Spellcasting: Gain the ability to innately cast spells at will. If you have spell slots you may choose to use one to cast one of these spells without their modifications.
  • Inflict Wounds at spell level 3 (3d10). When you deal damage in this way, you deal the same amount of unpreventable necrotic damage to someone within 30 ft you consider an ally or yourself (consult GM), you heal 1d10 hp to yourself and gain 1d10 temporary HP.
  • Life Transferrance. After rolling damage and reducing your HP, remove the highest die before giving double the remaining 3d8 to the recipient. You may reverse the use on a willing target or a target failing a DC 15 Con save rolled with advantage to drain someone else's life energy but the damage and gain are the same. If you kill someone in this way, every ally within 120ft gain a Boon of Dahlver-Nar unless they are beyond a barrier of at least a foot or a thin skeet of lead.

Notes

• Luna. Opposition to Ceithlenn.
• https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Teeth_of_Dahlver-Nar
• http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:teeth-of-dahlver-nar
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T_C5ZkfB13GJcH_RuvG3d_gEHI37T3Ra/view

Completing the pact includes two parts; a prompt in the Amber Temple and to defeat Ceithlenn's hold of Barovia

• Terrence

Drizlash

the Nine-Eyed Spider

Gift: The gift of wall-walking - Spidery gifts

First

• Gain permanent effects of Spider Climb as well as Darkvision up to a range of 30 feet
• Gain the ability to cast Web once per long or short rest
• Gain the ability to cast Gift of Alacrity or Identify once per long rest
• If given upon death, you are revived with full HP and also enjoy tremorsense 30 feet for 1 hour
• If given in an agreement, gain full HP, enjoy tremorsense 30 feet for 1 hour, and for one minute become aware of all life forms, undead creatures and extraplanar creatures within 60 feet

Changes

• First: Gain an extra eye somewhere on your body. The eye is blind and always open.

Delban

the Star of Ice

Gift: The gift of deadly cold - Cold-related powers

First

• Gain the ability to cast Frost Fingers twice per long or short rest.
• Gain the ability to cast Rime's Binding Ice once per long rest.
• Gain Resistance to cold and Weakness to Fire. Effects of temperatures is skewed one step towards cold (comfortable in cold, uncomfortable in hot)
• After killing a target with cold damage, gain a Channeled Boon.
• If given upon death, you are revived with full HP and under the effects of Armor of Agathys cast at a level 2 spell slot
• If given in an agreement, gain full HP and under the effects of Armor of Agathys cast at a level 2 spell slot, reapplied up to two times if the shield is used up within the first 10 minutes

Second

• Gain the ability to cast Armor of Agathys once, recharged after a long or short rest. The spell is cast as a level 3 spell slot.
• Gain the ability to cast Ice Storm at will. If so cast, you take 3d8 unpreventable necrotic damage.

Changes

• First: Your eyes turn icy cold. You randomly gather frost on your hair, brow or beard

Notes

Ireena?

Fanes of Barovia

The Triade

The Ladies Three

The Weaver, The Huntress & The Seeker

Gift of The Ladies Three

TrustyPeacher (used most): https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/an0fx9/my_notes_on_the_ladies_three_and_the_fanes/

MandyMod (only used some): https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/anird7/fleshing_out_curse_of_strahd_the_fanes_of_barovia/

The Huntress - The Forest Fane

• Domains: Forest/life/death/change
• Appearance: Young, dark haired fair skin maiden with antler crown, leather armor and plenty of flowers and leaves, carrying a large longbow and spears
• True form: Green wood spirit with large antlers
• Personality: Wild, stubborn, arrogant, a little (but now humbled) vain, vengeful, enjoys the hunt, lovemaking, danger, love, anger
• Shrine: Yester Hill
• Coven: Forest folk, mysticists
• Downfall: Betrayed by some, killed by Strahd - cursed them to be werewolves
  • Death avatar: The tree on the hill - Strahd fed it undead to corrupt it and desecrate the Fane
• Werewolves worship in fear
• Wereravens stayed hidden
• Mostly forgotten - forest folk confused
• Ritual on Yester hill is to revive "Old Mother" - Strahd curious
• Reconsecrate: Yester Hill something - survive a journey through the caverns under the Gulthias Tree?

The Weaver - The Swamp Fane

• Domains: Mysticism/magic/wisdom/knowledge/lakes/rivers
• Appearance: Dark woman with 6 black eyes and smooth voice
• True form: Arachnid monstrosity, standing a dozen feet tall
• Personality: Curious, trading, caring, protecting
• Shrine: Berez
• Coven: 8 Witches with sub-networks
  • Elizabeth Durst high ranking watched over the Village of Barovia.
  • Lydia Petrovna descends from high ranking witch killed by Strahd (see below). -> pious over the years -> magic resurfaced in Victor (old witch spellbook)
  • Morgantha's mother mid-ranking member? Dream Pastries is adapted from one of the Weaver’s designs.
• Affinity for spiders and things of complex design - likes human ingenuity
• Downfall: Death of Marina (first Tatyana reincarnation) - captured high-rankings - torture to leave her - hearts out - desecrate - level Berez
• Baba lysaga now owns slain witches and deathlocks
• Reconsecrate: Baba Lysaga's heart into adjacent ethereal realms - sacrifice to phase spiders
  • Answer 3 questions with vivid illusions; remove Strahd's hold over witches and hags; spellcasting during the final battle

The Seeker - The Mountain Fane

• Domains: Fate/weather/foresight/exploration/stars
• Appearance: Young woman with long, black hair and pale white skin
• True form: Gray skin, white eyes and black feathers for hair with a colden jewellery on head
• Personality: Wise, lost in thought, absent-minded, stuck in the future
• Shrine: Old Mill (middle of valley)
• Coven: Mountain folk & ravens/Wereravens
• Didn't interact directly much,. Mostly dreams.
• Friends with the roc
• Gem: Used inside Vasilika
• Reconsecrate: Offer the Symbol of Ravenkind back to the Seeker
  • One menhir clears from debris and rock and show mirror obsidian
  • "Choose" (beast version PC)
  • Once the reflection dies, it disappears. A swarm of ravens flies down and turns into the Seeker. She holds up the Symbol of Ravenkind, which she's now received, and disappears.
  • All players suddenly have pains over their hearts, and gains scar-tattoos od the amulet, one glows white (works like the amulet but can as action transfer to other PC)

My Lore

• The Ladies Three are all neutral, sometimes cruel entities who once held domain over Barovia and its people, originally worshiped by the olden Forest and Mountain folk whose descendants became the barbarians, druids, and witchs of Barovia.
• They mostly appeared to folk in their dreams or in visions, avoiding direct interaction. Worship usually involved spiritual communion, physical offerings, and occasionally sacrifices..
• Their power was shattered when Barovia was swept up until the mists, cutting them off from the realm and sealing the passages between the Feywild and Ravenloft. A vestige of their power remained in the land, severely weakened.

Downfall

• Even during this point the Ladies Three held a largely neutral stance towards Strahd, as he did not make moves against their people at that time. They viewed themselves above him and beyond his reach.
• However, Huntress was slain when her followers, the forest folk, brought Strahd to her shrine in attempt to curry his favor. Arrogant in her belief that she could best him, the Huntress faced Strahd head on, and the blood spilled during her battle with Strahd would one day feed the Gulthias Tree that blossomed from her corpse. In her dying breath she cursed her adherents who had brought him there, turning them into werewolves.
• Careful after the Huntress's death, the Weaver was diplomatic in her relations with Strahd, and he largely paid her and her covens no mind . However, that all changed when Weaver's coven was involved in the death of Strahd's beloved Mariana. Strahd's slaughtered the witches and desecrated the fane.
• Mine: Seeker did not flee but was also destroyed

In the Present

• The greatest remnant of their religion are 3 magical gemstones that were once situated in the three Fanes: The Mountain Fane atop Mt. Ghakis, the Forest Fane in Yester Hill, and the Swamp Fane in Berez. Strahd pilfered these gemstones from their Fanes, and unable to destroy them, planted them in the vineyard of one of his sycophants to provide wine to his castle.
• But the Ladies Three have not left Barovia. Their spirits are trapped in the demiplane like everyone elses. They can try and reach out to players, in the most obfuscated of ways. And if their fanes are reconsecrated, echoes of their power can bleed back into the land, reclaiming the gifts that Strahd had stolen.

Strahd's Fane powers:

• Forest Fane:
  • +4 AC
  • Heart of Sorrow HP is 200 instead of 100
• Swamp Fane:
  • Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical attacks and Fire, Cold, and Lightning damage
• Mountain Fane:
  • Permanent Nondetection
  • Free Scry on anyone saying his name
• Combined: waters, winds, and wildlife in the valley
• Vampyr does the magical overcast

A young mage came to Barovia long before Strahd's time and fell in love with the land. She formed a bond with the locals as well as the more nature-based tribes living in the woods (the old druid tribes) and managed to broker a peace between the two factions. Her negotiations brought a beautiful era of peace and understanding between the early settlers of the valley and the forest folk, which impressed the Ladies significantly. To help the mage settle the land and start a bountiful vineyard, they each gifted her with a gemstone to plant in her fields.

Druidic powers

Meeting Huntress

The meeting of the Huntress, the wild and untamed, can be affectionate or scary. One vision is to see the gate to her domain, how she wants it and how it is currently ruined. She has some of herself intact, but fights for every ounce.

A vision of a desertet forest path looms ahead. The path leads to a lovely meadow with a gazebo-like gate, made out of wrought stone. The vision cracks and a darker, run down garden full of lichen emerges with a shadowy figure appearing inside the gate.

Her dark visage suddenly fills your field of view, facing you dead on.

The vision blurs and clears as an antlered woman appears, speaking with a voice as deep as the woods themselves:

"I would have you release me. Cleanse the woods of darkness. Remove the undead poison wrought on me by The Devil. Be my guardian."

You are shown a vision of a hill far away. The voice utters "I am trapped and poisoned on Yester Hill. I give what I have. Don't squander it."

As you are suddenly brought back to where you started, you hear echoing words in the woods: "Give me your word or leave." Your vision fades to darkness, an expectation of an answer hangs in what you presume to be air.

Word: You hear three deep knocks on wood echo in the woords and you wake up, instincively knowing the way.

No: Appropriate event.

Gift of the Woods

If given upon death, you are revived with full HP and gain Stoneskin for 1 hour.

If given in an agreement, gain full HP, gain Stoneskin for 1 hour and you become under the effects of Fire Shield; you choose warm or cold shield

• Changes: Your eye colour becomes emerald, your skin takes on streaks of green and grass and leaves start spontaneously growing in your hair, brow and beard. Animals look at you strangely and seem to heed your words.
• Nature's Loremaster:
  • Gain the ability to speak and understand Druidic.
  • When making any Survival, Handle Animal, Persuasion or Deception checks towards an animal in the forest you roll with advantage.
  • Gain Proficiency in Nature. If you already have proficiency in Nature, check in turn Survival, Handle Animal, Medicine or Perception and pick the first one you lack proficiency in to gain that instead. If you are proficient in all of these you instead gain double proficiency bonus on Nature checks. If you already have double proficiency bonus in Nature, pick a skill like how you would pick a proficiency to gain the double bonus there instead.
  • Gain the Shillelagh and Druidcraft cantrips (or two other Druid Cantrips if you already have these)
• Nature's Protection: Gain the effects of permanent Barkskin, but the feature disappears if you take fire damage. As an action you can dismiss it or you may actively increase the potency of this ability, gaining persistent Stoneskin and Protection from Energy for 10 minutes (choose energy type), not requiring concentration. After 10 minutes, Barkskin, Stoneskin and Protection from Energy all disappear. If removed, Barkskin returns after a long or short rest.
• Nature's Zealot: Gain the ability to Rage like the barbarian class feature. If you already have the ability to Rage, gain one additional use of it between long rests. After you critically hit any abomination against nature (undead, abberations, fiends, devils and demons), gain a Channeled Boon.

Gift of the Swamp

• Nature's Loremaster:
  • Gain proficiency in the next skill like the Gift of the Woods.
  • When making any Survival, Handle Animal, Persuasion or Deception checks towards an animal or plant in or near a swamp or forest, you roll with advantage.
  • Gain the ability to speak with plants.
  • Gain the Whip cantrip (or one other Druid Cantrips if you already have these).
• Nature's Protection:
  • You no longer lose the Barkskin effect unless you choose to and can use the higher potency ability twice before a long or short rest. When the potency is activated, Protection from Poison is cast on you with a duration of 10 minutes.
  • Every time you wake up after a Long Rest, one Goodberry has grown on each of your fingers.
• Nature's Zealot: Whenever you activate your Rage ability, you can choose to have Zephyr Strike bestowed upon on you, not requiring concentration.
• Nature's Sage: When you touch a plant you may see its entire life span from now to when it was a tiny sapling, including seeing surroundings and hearing any words spoken near it. You can move forward and backwards in time at will. Recharges 5-6 at the next dawn. You may at will scry on any plant within Barovia that you have received permission to carve the symbol of the Weaver on.

Gift of the Mountains

• Something to do with balance/death and/or lycanthropy

Notes

Bigwig, as a way to attone to his cursed deeds

Aelfric

https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/anird7/fleshing_out_curse_of_strahd_the_fanes_of_barovia/

Fekre

the Queen of Poxes

The gift of disease (Negnal)

Great Taar Haak

the Five-Headed Destroyer

The gift of great strength

Strength-related and using it

About Taar Haak

Former tool or weapon of some Dark Power rebelling and being trapped in amber.

Great Strength

If given upon death, you are revived with full HP and gain a +5 bonus to Strength for 1 hour.

If given in an agreement, gain full HP and gain a +5 bonus to Strength for 1 hour. Your unarmed attacks deal 5 extra damage for 10 minutes and the damage is magical

• Changes: Your voice deepens and you become visibly more muscular. When moving it almost seems like it's slower and more deliberate.
• Physical Prowess:
  • Gain +2 Strength and increase the maximum Strength you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 2.
  • Gain the ability to cast Enhance Ability as a 2nd level spell (but only Strength) once per long or short rest.
  • Gain the Rage feature from the Barbarian class. If you already had the Rage feature, or you gain it later, instead gain +1 use and +2 damage while raging.
  • You now critically hit on 19 & 20 instead of just 20.
• Demand Respect:
  • If you roll a 20 on a Strenght check, attack, or save, gain a Channelled Boon.
  • If you manage to make a person feel belittled (DM's discretion), gain a Channelled Boon.

Notes

5-headed thing

Jormund?

Khirad

the Star of Secrets

The gift of divination

scrying? mind read? [1]

Norganas

the Finger of Oblivion

The gift of creating undeath

Savnok

the Inscrutable

The gift of mind shielding

Seriach

the Hell Hound Whisperer

The gift of beasts

Shami-Amourae

the Lady of Delights

The gift of persuasion

Convincing, seducing, controlling

Amourous Influence

If given upon death, you are revived with full HP and you may use your new gifts at will for up to an hour (duration is also up to an hour from the revival).

If given in an agreement, gain full HP and you may use your new gifts at will like "upon death" and any of your skill checks or saves using Charisma has advantage for 10 minutes

• Changes: Your appearance is altered individually depending on whom is observing you, adding a trait which that particular person finds alluring. In any room, you are noticed and at least some of what you say will be taken very seriously.
• Amourous Authority:
  • Gain the ability to cast Charm Person or Suggestion twice per long rest.
  • Gain the Friends cantrip.
  • When you cast Friends, Charm Person or Suggestion, you do not need to concentrate on it.
• Influence Galore:
  • When a creature within 30 ft of you makes a roll that adds her Charisma bonus to the result or makes a Wisdom save, as a reaction you may force that creature to roll an additional die and you choose which result they use. This ability recharges on a Long Rest.

Notes

Greyhawk actual succubi demon lord

Sykane

the Soul Hungerer

The gift of raising the recently deceased

Raise dead

Greed/fair dues

Tarakamedes

the Grave Wyrm

The gift of flight

Skeletal wings

Tenebrous

the Knowledgeable

The gift of arcane knowledge (Khazan)

Knowledge leading to becoming a lich

About Tenebrous

When in contact with Tenebrous the Knowledgeable it feels like being in a school hall with no other students and the omnipresent feeling of a teacher that has high expectations, ever judging and ever withholding some knowledge until you "are worthy". His voice is dry and calculated slow. He will impart knowledge even if it kills you and you will, eventually, listen.

The halls may show some feeling of countless book shelves with ever more countless books. The sound of dust hitting shelves and floor is almost palpatable.

Tenebrous isn't seeking violence in any way, it's only ever a means to an end. The end being becoming the god of knowledge and in order to do that he has to live forever and will have to have allies to do some of his bidding. He is exceedingly pragmatic and almost alwasy honest and any lies are also mostly by omission. He seeks one (or more) champions to aid him break the bonds of Barovia, mainly powerful arcane users but a brute with force is also acceptable.

Initiate of Tenebrous

If given upon death, you are revived with full HP and +5 to Intelligence for up to an hour.

If given in an agreement, gain full HP, cure any magical disease or poison as well as any intelligence damage and gain +5 to Intelligence for up to an hour and any skill check or save using Intelligence has advantage for 10 minutes.

• Changes: Your appearance becomes slightly more gaunt and your skin a hue paler. You start to notice the illogical and stupid comments people around you make more clearly.
• Tenacious Knowledge:
  • Gain two additional languages. If you don't already know Tenebrousian, that must be one of them.
  • Gain Proficiency in Arcana. If you have it; Religion. If you have both; History. If you have all three; choose one that does not use Strenght or Dexterity.
  • If you have or gain Proficiency in all of Arcana, Religion and history, gain a +4 bonus to these skills.
  • If you don't have Wizard levels:
    • You gain one level of the Wizard class, but use your highest mental ability instead of Intelligence. A spellbook written in your handwriting appears in your inventory. Your future level gain effects are delayed by 2d4 days but it will not lag more than 1 level and if you take one level of Wizard yourself. The delay goes away and you keep your extra level.
  • If you have Wizard levels:
    • You gain +2 Intelligence and increase the maximum Intelligence you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 2 as well as instantly learn 3d2 valid spells from PHB, added to your spellbook in your own handwriting.
• Innate spellcasting: Gain the ability to cast Warding Bond once without material components. This ability recharges during a Long or Short Rest.
• Arcane Recovery: When you use Arcane Recovery you may restore 1 additional spell level compared to your normal amount.

Student of Tenebrous

• Changes: Your skin turns very light and your eyes grow deeper into their sockets with tiny folds of skin accompanying the change. You have palpable enjoyment from learning new spells, languages or eldritch facts. Any fact learned is a small pleasure but arcane or eldritch tidbits draws your attention more than the need to breathe. Stupid comments from people around you are hard to avoid commenting on and facts ought to be the topic of any conversation. Assumptions is a necessary evil, but blessedly only a temporary one.
• Tenacious Knowledge:
  • Gain two additional languages.
  • If you have at most 1 Wizard level:
    • You gain one more extra level and your Arcane Tradition becomes Necromancy. Your future level ups 3d4 days and you can be lagging behind up to 2 levels. Any delay goes away if you pick Wizard when you gain a level.
  • If you have 3 or more Wizard levels:
    • You gain +2 Intelligence and increase the maximum Intelligence you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 2 as well as instantly learn 3d2 valid spells from PHB, added to your spellbook in your own handwriting.
• Innate spellcasting: Add Life Transference to your list of innate spells and gain one more use of innate spells before a recharge. If used innately, you may reverse your innate spells to work on others; they have to make an Intelligence save or be affected; if the target is willing, the spell automatically succeeds:
  • Warding Bond: You gain resistance to all damage. Your target takes the same damage you do.
  • Life Transference: If not cast on an ally, the HP dealt is 3d6 and half is gained.
• Grim Harvest: Gain the Grim Harvest feature from the Necromancy Arcane Tradition. If you already had it, its effects are instead doubled.
• Arcane Recovery: When you use Arcane Recovery the extra spell levels you may restore increase to 5.

Headmaster of Tenebrous

• Changes: Some of your skin dries and falls off. Just as well, it no longer served a purpose. What is a visual appearance in the weary world of vain venerial people? Knowledge, cumulative comprehension and secrets matter most massively. Of course people need to be tolerated because how would things progress without them but really they are such a hassle!

You thoroughly enjoy your newfound powers but they instinctively feel fleeting. Such a tiny thing as being hit too hard with a rock or falling off a cliff would end it all in an instant. Deep inside you feel the need to protect your powers and life essence and it needs to be put somewhere safer than this frail human body. A strong need to find the Amber Temple grows inside you and slowly drives your every move until you reach it and can find the final secrets to gaining true knowledge without pawltry limitations.

• Grim Knowledge:
  • If your Arcane Tradition isn't Necromancy, add it as a second, additional, Arcane tradition that uses your Wizard level as your original Arcane Tradition.
  • If you already had any Necromancy class features, increase their powers by one factor. E.g. if you were originally a Necromancer, Grim Harvest is now three times as powerful as a regular Necromancer Wizard because it was already improved once as a Student of Tenebrous.
• Tenebrous Houskeepers:
  • Add the spell Animate Dead or another 3rd level or lower Necromancy spell if you already have it.
  • You gain the ability to use Animate Dead with more elegance:
    • The spell now lasts 48 hours instead of 24.
    • If used with a spell level above 3rd you may choose to animate a stronger servant in lieu of numbers. Increase the CR by one step for each additional slot level beyond 3rd (normal = 1/4, 4th lvl = 1/2 CR, 5th = CR 1 etc, 6th = CR 2 etc). DM needs to produce the stat block. A servant animated with one or more higher CR steps counts as one or more extra servants (a 1/2 CR servant counts as two, CR 1 counts as three, etc).
    • You may cast Animate Dead as a Ritual with a small sacrifice: Choose to imbue the ritual by spending one Hit Die or 5 Hit Points from your maximum (regained after 16 hours or after your next Long Rest, whichever is longer).
    • If you reassert control over a servant for a week and a day, it becomes permanent and no longer requires reassertion of control, until they are destroyed.
    • For any mental command longer than three words, you can only use nonverbal control on up to 10 servants. You can verbally announce any combination of orders to all servants who can hear you in a 60ft radius. The radius may be increased if you can enhance your voice in some way.
    • The features of Tenebrous Houskeepers stack with the Necromancer feature Undead Thralls.
    • You can stitch together castings to increase the power of Animate Dead as well as Create Undead if you have or acquire it. The slot to stitch in must be of at least the same level as the main spell and increase the effective spell level by 1 if they are the same and an additional +1 for every level above the original spell's level. Increase the casting time by 10 minutes for every additional spell slot used, regardless of level.
      • I.e using three 3rd lvl spell slots for Animate Dead makes the effective casting level 5 and using three 4th lvl spell slots makes the effective casting level 8.
• Grim Resilience:
  • Gain Damage Resistances: Cold, Lightning, Necrotic and Poison as well as Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical Attacks.
    • After applying resistance to Poison or nonmagical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks, reduce the damage by an additional 5 before subtracting hit points.
  • Gain advantage on any save to avoid gaining the Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed or Poisoned conditions. If any spell or effect normally would not allow a save to gain one for these, you may make a save at an appropriate DC anyway to avoid gaining the the condition.
  • Gain advantage on any Perception check to identify illusions, shapechaning or invisible creatures. Apply proficiency an additional time for passive uses.
• Paralyzing Touch: Grow claws on your fingers and gain this ability: Paralyzing Touch Melee Spell Attack (use melee or spell to-hit bonus). Reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If you successfully paralyze a target, gain either 1d8 healing or 1d8 temporary hit points as you siphon a small amount of their life energy from them.

Notes

Demon lord of undead

Jack, in relation to his bio father and the connections

Goncai?

Orcus?

Vampyr

the Undying

The gift of immortality (Strahd)

Becoming vampire

Vaund

the Evasive

The gift of evasion

Evasion of scrying and dex threats

Vecna

the God of Secrets

The gift of evil

Notes

Not in module

Yog

the Invincible

The gift of resilience

Hit points

Yog's Resilience

If given upon death, you are revived with your maximum HP doubled for 1 hour and gain full HP.

If given in an agreement, you gain your maximum HP doubled for 1 hour and gain full HP. Gain 30 temporary HP until they are used.

• Changes: You gain some weight, height and your gait receives an unconscious swagger. You can't help but feel quite proud of yourpowerful presence.
• Enduring Resilience:
  • Gain +1 Constitution and increase the maximum Constitution you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 1.
  • Following a Long Rest, make a flat DC 10 check. If you succeed, you permanently gain +1 HP (max: +20).
• Armor of Yog: While you have any temporary hit points you gain +1 bonus to AC and you are resistant to all damage except bludgeoning, slashing and piercing.
• Summon Bulk: Gain the ability to cast Enhance Ability (but only Constitution, though you also gain 5 temporary HP) or Armor of Agathys (but damage is necrotic instead of cold) as a 2nd level spell. This ability recharges on a long or short rest.
• Second Wind: Gain the Second Wind Fighter class feature with your character level in place of Fighter levels. If you already had it or get it from a Fighter level replace it with this and gain one extra d10.
• Relentless Endurance: Gain the Half-Orc race feature Relentless Endurance. (When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.)
• Shake it off: As an action, spend Hit Dice equal to half your level (round up) to refresh abilities that refresh on a short rest. If your next rest is a short rest it will refreshes abilities that normally only refresh on a long rest, except for spell slots or psionics.

Yog's Toughness

• Changes: Your weight and height further increases. Your ears increase in size. Your eyes grow darker and your brow thicker, hair starts to grow more agressively on your chest and back. Your voice deepens with a strange organ-like resonance. Your left eye is getting boss-eyed. It's an ongoing struggle to not comment on how small others are.
• Enduring Resilience:
  • Gain +2 Constitution and increase the maximum Constitution you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 2. (Total of +3/+3 now.)
  • Following a Long Rest you automatically succeed on the flat DC 10 check and there is no longer a maximum of permanently increased HP.
• Hand of Yog: While your are under an effect that reduce your ability to take actions (e.g. unable to take a reaction or choose between movement and action) your body is enveloped in a dark silvery shimmer that increases your AC by +5 and grants you resistance to damage until the action-reducing effect passes. Every hit you take feels like you are being hurt inside your soul instead of your physical body. This ability stacks with Armor of Yog.
• Summon Bulk: You may now cast these as a Bonus Action or an appropriate Reaction; Enhance Ability now also activates Strength when used. Add Stoneskin to the list.
• Second Wind: When used, you may choose to spend one Hit Die to gain an additional d10 plus your Constitution modifier (i.e. 2d10+Con+lvl HP). Any HP in excess of your maximum are added, cumulatively, as temporary HP.
• Shake it off: Instead of divide by two, divide by three.

Yog's Carapace

• Changes: Your weight and height further increases. You skin has a slight brown-ish metallic shine at some angles and hair growth increases at the back of your hands/arms, legs and both sides of your torso. Your voice further gains an otherworldly tone, similar to a deep voice spoken in an echoing cathedral.
• Enduring Resilience:
  • Gain +2 Constitution and increase the maximum Constitution you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 2. (Total of +6/+6 now.)
• Summon Carapace
  • Once per Short Rest as action gain a full plate +2 with some resilient ability that can be dismissed as an action

Notes

Garth is approached as it can sense the need for protection

.

Zantras

the Kingmaker

The gift of presence and personality

Pure charisma

About Zantras

Zanthras is an entity that used to have significant power gained through influence and domination. As a vestige, he is a blackened, burning soul who is looking for a champion to become his avatar that he eventually will use to his own ends. He would like to flee Barovia but becoming its new ruler is a second best. He will only look at character with at least a mild charismatic ability and/or a noble or powerful person.

When he contacts a creature he suspects to be worthy, his voice will sound like an echo in a a marble hall spoken with a soft tone. He will compliment some charismatic attribute of the person or how they handled power and say these are like "a diamond in the rough", offering the tools to polish and improve their chances of success.

Any time a person use deception or intimidation, a wave of positivity overtakes the Blessing recipient, likely providing a Channeled Boon (but not guaranteed; GM's decision).

Blessing of the Successor

If given upon death, you are revived with full HP and gain a +5 bonus to Charisma for 1 hour.

If given in an agreement, gain full HP and gain a +5 bonus to Charisma for 1 hour and any skill check or save using Charisma has advantage for 1 hour

• Changes: Your facial and bodily traits are altered to be more chiseled and royal; where you go people notice you. A small scar appears above your right eyebrow that accentuates your look.
• Inner Radiance:
  • Gain +2 Charisma and increase the maximum Charisma you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 2.
  • Gain the Skill Expert feat. You must use the ASI for Charisma, if able, and either Deception or Intimidation must receive proficiency or expertise.
• Charismatic Force:
  • You may use Demoralize without using an action twice, either directly after scoring a hit with a weapon or as a bonus action. This ability recharges on a short or long rest.
  • If you hit a Demoralized creature with an attack you may add your Charisma bonus to damage dealt to it with the same damage type as the other damage.
  • If you successfully decieve, intimidate or demoralize a creature (consult DM), you may impair their Wisdom or Charisma saves by -4 until the end of your next turn and then -2 to the end of their following turn. This ability recharges after a long or short rest.
• Innate spellcasting: Gain the ability to cast spells innately, your casting ability is Charisma. This ability can be used as a bonus action or reaction, and has three uses. Choose between Charm Person (2nd level), Shield or Enhance Ability (but only Charisma). You regain one use after a short rest and regain all uses after a long rest.

Blessing of the Crown Prince

• Changes: Your eyes gain a glowing quality to them and draws onlooker in to their more colorful depths. When you bleed, the blood is blue. A gender-role-related (though maybe not wanted) change occurs such as a slight height increase, broader shoulders, more defined body shape, fuller lips, longer eyelashes or a more generous bust/behind.
• Kingmaker's Moulding: Choose two or three of your abilities. For each, choose to reduce them by 1 or 2. For each reduction, increase Charisma by 1 (up to its maximum).
• Inner Radiance:
  • Gain +2 Charisma and increase the maximum Charisma you can get from Ability Score Improvements by 2 (total of +4/+4 by now).
  • Gain +2 to Deception checks, Intimidation checks, Insight checks, Charisma saves and Wisdom saves.
• Charismatic Force:
  • Gain one more use of Demoralize before it has to be recharged and you may target three creatures within range instead of one.
  • If you hit a Demoralized creature with an attack you may add your Charisma bonus twice as radiant damage instead of once as normal damage.
  • If you impair a creature's Wisdom or Charisma, they also have disadvantage on any such saving throws.
• Innate spellcasting: Add Heroism and Tounges to the innate spellcasting. You gain one more use (total of 4) and if applicable, spells are cast at 3rd lvl.

Notes

Ismark

Kev?

Torbjoern

https://www.reddit.com/r/AmberTempleLibrary/comments/f0ysqu/amber_temple_prisoner_zantras_the_kingmaker/

Blackened, burning soul. Strives for power through 1) charismatic force 2) actual force

Zhudun

the Corpse Star

The gift of raising the ancient dead (notably sought by Kasimir)

Zrin-Hala

the Howling Storm

The gift of lightning (also accepted by Negnal)

Yrrga

the Eye of Shadows

The gift of true sight

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