Adventure Book Examples

This is an example of how I plan people, places, and quests in my D&D campaigns. The premise is essentially:

1. This is the introduction, or first impression of a thing.

2. This is the development, or what is revealed upon investigation of a thing.
3. This is the false appearance, or what is revealed upon certain interactions with a thing.
4. This is the resolution. This part is entirely dependent on how players interact with the first three parts, although I
may make notes on potential factors.

I’ve tried to add enough detail that these make sense without the context of my campaign. Nonetheless, there are still a lot
of references to people, places, and things that are not in this document because they are on paper somewhere or written
in shorthand. I hope this is helpful to people!

Village: Cliffside

1. Cliffside is a minor stop along the Mara River. It has a small population. It’s primary source of income is the
gnomish elevator that moves ships up and down the nearby waterfall. Something is obviously wrong in the village.
There are multiple ships docked with no crew. Captains say their crews went in for a drink and haven’t returned.
2. Almost the entire town is in the Swamp Fog Tavern. They sing loud and lewd songs and repeatedly consume a
new ale. They are enjoying a festival that has apparently lasted for almost a week. No one remembers how they
got there, how long they’ve been there, or what they’re celebrating. The ale, obviously, is enchanted out the wazoo.
The owner, Barriman, dimly remembers picking it up on the edge of town. There are lizardfolk footprints there.
3. The lizardfolk are not hostile but will fight if attacked. They live in a shoddy, recently constructed hut. They are
actually hiding from a coven of green hags who have taken up residence in the lizardfolk’s ancestral home. The
lizardfolk requested help from Cliffside, but the people of Cliffside ignored the plea. Now, the lizardfolk plan to use
enchanted ale to enthrall the people of Cliffside to help them defeat the green hags.
4. The players might slay the hags, slay the lizardfolk, parlay with the lizardfolk, disenchant the ale and let the people
of Cliffside solve the problem, burn down the tavern, etc. If the lizardfolk are pleased, the shaman will offer some
pre-Calamity treasures and a token that will grant help from any lizardfolk clan. If attacked, they will fight to the
death unless calmed. If the hags are pleased, they will offer the players a level-appropriate magic item. If the hags
are defeated but remain alive, they will cause as much suffering as they can as they flee (probably killing NPCs)
and continue to haunt the area. The people of Cliffside will have no memory of being enchanted and will not offer
any reward. Whatever the solution, the gnomes will stay in the tavern because PARTY HAAAAARD!

NPC: Airell

1. Airell is the only villager not in the tavern. He runs a small general store across the street.
2. He is eager to talk about the festival. He asks customers if they’ve been in the tavern, what the new drink is like,
how good the musicians are, etc. He catches himself occasionally and gets a distant look in his eyes. He fidgets
with his wedding ring.
3. He is a recovering alcoholic. He used to drink until he passed out. His wife’s dying wish was that he get clean. Now
he’s lonely because everyone else is in the tavern.

NPC: Barriman

1. Barriman is the owner of the Swamp Fog Tavern. He is a burly man with conventional Maranese features.
2. He knows he’s part of a larger scheme. He sells enchanted ale for high prices. He is relatively forthcoming with
information about it.
3. He is in debt to the Ninth (Misterian thieves’ guild). He believes that the enchanted ale will help him pay off the
debt, so he doesn’t question it. He has convinced himself that the Ninth is giving him the ale, but he’s dimly aware
that isn’t true.

NPC: Centehua

1. Centehua is a lizardfolk shaman with beautiful green scales.

2. She is the leader of a small group of lizardfolk, who are utterly devoted to her, but she does not lead the entire clan,
most of whom have fled the forest. It was her idea to force the Cliffside villagers to fight for them, although she tried
diplomacy many times first.
3. She is a refugee from the Akali Empire. She lost her home because Lizardfolk look like caiman. She refuses to run
from her home a second time.

NPC: Granny Middenheap

1. Granny Middenheap is a green hag. Half her skin has sloughed away, and she has scales on one arm.
2. She is hateful, vengeful, and delights in misery. However, she cares deeply for her two daughters, one of whom is
injured from attacking the lizardfolk.
3. She hates that she is a hag. She despises humanoids for the love she can never experience and seeks to destroy
it at every opportunity. She is also displaced from Feluria, where she has little power over its primarily fey citizenry.
She likes Mistery better, where people are vulnerable.

City: Mistery

1. Mistery is a relatively advanced city and capital of the kingdom of the same name. The city has incredible
technology, including some black powder weapons.
2. The monarchy is strongly opposed to magic, which is heavily regulated. There are only a handful of establishments
permitted to use or sell magic. The monarchy believes that overuse of magic was the cause of the Calamity. They
are partly correct. They also believe that restraint from magic can prevent fallout from another catastrophe. This is
also partly true. All mortal magic stopped working during the Calamity. The first king of Mistery was a survivor when
the floating city of Altan fell out of the sky onto Mezzoxan below it. This brings them into direct conflict with the Akali
Empire, who has reconstructed Altan and Mezzoxan exactly as they were.
 3. High officials in the Misterian government are encouraging the royal family’s fear in order to maintain political
power. Many nobles have magic in their own households. Some hold secrets to high magic beneath the city.

Complication: Mistery, after the Festival of Flowers

1. A massive airship has appeared over the city. It covers all of the Mergens in shadow. It is emblazoned with
beautiful designs of red and gold.
2. The airship belongs to the Akali Empire. Escalating tensions and the spread of the Akali Rebellion to The Rock
have prompted Mistery to invite the Akali ambassador. The Akali ambassador has brought an entire host of drow,
who live in the shadow of the airship, and sun elves, who are attempting to move into Middown. This obviously
upsets the Misterians. The Misterian royal family has employed the Academy to construct anti-magic fields around
most of The Crown (the hill upon which sits the royal palace).
3. The Akali Empire is trying to provoke Mistery into declaring war. They believe they can conquer Mistery quickly,
which will give them the fields they need to feed their army (most of the Akali Empire is non-arable desert).
However, they can’t attack Mistery without provoking Feluria, who would be difficult to conquer and probably cause
the Empire to fall to the Rebellion, so the Empire needs Mistery to attack first. Simultaneously, a faction of
Rebellion-sympathizers has infiltrated both the Imperial envoy and the Academy. They will attempt to assassinate
the Misterian king during the Summer Festival. They believe that if the Misterians wage war, the Rebellion may
have an opportunity to capture Ojan, the historical capital and 2nd-largest city in the Akali Empire. Additionally, they
believe it will convince Feluria and the Ottho Confederacy to ally with the Rebellion.
4. Without PC intervention, the rebels have a 90% chance of success. If the rebels are successful, Mistery will
officially declare war on the Akali Empire. Feluria will remain neutral, but the Ottho Confederacy will send soldiers
to the Southern Wastes to attack the Empire’s southern border. If Mistery discovers the Rebellion plot and the king
survives, they will declare war on the Akali Rebellion, and all other countries will remain neutral. If Mistery discovers
the plot but fails to save the king, the new king will refuse to declare war on the Empire but also lack the political
capital to declare war on the Rebellion, regardless of evidence. Other countries will remain neutral. Regardless, if
the king is assassinated, violence will erupt in the streets, the city will enter martial law, and Mistery will enter civil
war. The duchy of Maran and the Eylur Plateau (human duchies who dislike sun elves) will side with the Rebellion.
The Saeas (a dwarven duchy that dislikes sun elves but dimly remembers that there was a reason for the Akali
Empire being the way it is) will side with the Empire. The Eylur Wood and the Manman Wood (moon elves and
wood elves respectively who want nothing to do with the sun elves) will remain neutral. The Rock will continue with
its current infighting.

District: Skywell

1. The Skywell is an affluent and extravagant district in the part of Middown closest to The Crown and the Seven Hills
(where all the palaces are).
2. There are lots of establishments that use magic. It is the only place in Middown where elves are allowed. Nobles
and royalty come down from the Seven Hills to visit.
3. Many people in the Skywell believe they have the right to form noble houses. They will join in nearly any kind of
intrigue against the current noble houses. Many of them were born in Mistery but have formed stronger ties to the
Akali or Felurians than people who were born outside Mistery. They also (obviously) plan to bring back magic.

District: Temple Row

1. This area features opulent temples to the Divine Twelve. The Temple to the Allfather is the largest, but there are
still temples to less popular gods in Mistery, such as Corellon, Moradin, and the Raven Queen.
2. The temples to less popular gods are being relocated to less wealthy districts of the city. None of them are happy
about this. The Temple of the Raven Queen is particularly upset because their new temple in the Northern Fields
was not properly hallowed and is now overrun with ghouls (quest hook).
3. The king of Mistery is secretly giving money to The Temple of the Allfather to make it look like they’re receiving
more tithes. He is then using this as justification to move the other temples away. He hopes to eventually make
Mistery a monotheistic country. Most of the priests of the Allfather aren’t even aware of this. Father Lloyd is the
exception.
4. If the gambit is successful, people will join the Church of Nerull’s Death as a symbolic statement that even gods get
their comeuppance. This will prompt religious crackdowns. Regardless, all the temples of the Divine Twelve have
considerable money and power to reward their faithful. They can cast cleric spells up to 5th level as long as
someone provides material components. Only the followers of Kord and Avandra might seek vengeance against
their enemies.

Location: Academy Library

1. The library is about fifty feet wide but hundreds of feet tall. It’s obviously a magical flex.
2. All levels contain lots of books on magic and history. There are no ladders to reach the upper levels. Students
occasionally walk in and Levitate up to them. There are narrow poles (unlikely to support a medium person’s full
weight) to help students access the medium levels, but the upper levels are intended to be accessible only by
wizards capable of casting Fly. In the lowest levels, the magic books contain elementary magical theory, and the
history books contain milquetoast government propaganda. There are no books on necromancy and few books on
divination, enchantment, or illusion. The medium levels contain more advanced magical theory, reasonable arcane
and divine histories, and spellbooks for all 1st and 2nd-level spells of the 4 primary schools (abjuration, conjuration,
evocation, and transmutation). There are a few spellbooks for 1st-level divination or illusions spells. The uppermost
levels contain deep arcane lore (including theories about the Lost School), censored religious knowledge (including
the origins of the Allfather, Asmodeus, and Tharizdun), comprehensive histories (including varied accounts on the
Calamity, the Awa, and the Smith), and spellbooks for all 3rd-level spells of the 4 primary schools, all 1st through
3rd-level divination spells, all 1st and 2nd-level enchantment and illusion spells, and all 1st and 2nd-level
necromancy spells that don’t involve reanimation.
3. The uppermost levels conceal a puzzle relating to the schools of magic (probably the Lost School puzzle). The
actions required to solve this puzzle are suggested by messages carried by the archmages or by notated passages
in books adjacent to the puzzle. The actions are probably suspicious to anyone watching below. Solving the puzzle
opens a portal to an extradimensional laboratory containing research items and active experiments directly related
 to the Lost School. It also contains The Complete Calamity, Vol. 2: The School of Apocalypse, entirely written in
magical ciphers or alternating between Old Akali and Ancient Awa. Either way, it can only be read by means of
magic.
4. There are some magic items to be stolen. Bans to be written. Probably other things that could happen too. Lots of
mages around...

NPC: Boson

1. Boson is an out-of-work drunk in the slums. He is suspicious of the party. He inspects them closely and says "Not
fwiends."
2. Boson behaves irrationally, growls, scratches if insulted. He occasionally pickpockets others completely out of
habit. He makes no complex statements. He will walk to the Weeping Maiden and disappear (into the Golden Bee)
in the evenings.
3. Boson is a high-ranking member of the Ninth (a local thieves guild) under the effects of a Feeblemind spell, which
happened during a major heist.
4. If cured by the players, Boson will offer them entry to the Golden Bee (a secret tavern for members of the Ninth) or,
if the players have already discovered the Golden Bee, will offer them assistance/a favor in the form of a minor
burglary. If helped but not cured, he will remember when the curse wears off. He may help them negotiate with the
thieves' guild. If ignored, he will not care. Players may encounter him in the Golden Bee later and be surprised at
his faculties. He is not reluctant to share what happened and may hire the party to help him with a heist on the
person who cursed him.

Quest: Monster in the Sewers

1. The King’s Watch has put a bounty on an unknown monster in the sewers. Several sewer workers drowned.
Another team found some of their bodies washed further down the sewers. Several watchmen were sent to
investigate and did not return.
2. There are slimes and diseased rats in the sewers. Near where the original bodies were recovered, one of the
missing watchmen lies dead. He was clearly drowned, but his face was badly burned (by acid). The water is also
significantly polluted, even for a sewer. This comes from the new factories. The monster’s lair is beneath the
mage’s college.
3. The workers and watchmen were killed by a water weird, animated by stray magic and turned malevolent by foul
water. However, the bodies attracted a hungry mimic. The two prowl the sewers as a symbiotic pair. The mimic is
intelligent enough to understand the arrangement. The water weird knows only that it can’t drown the mimic.
4. The players can purify the water to make the water weird fight alongside them. They can also negotiate with the
mimic. Or they can fight both. Or not. The creatures’ presence is disturbing to characters wary of magic.

Battle: Sewer Beasts

1. There is brown mold on the walls and/or tunnel ceilings. There are large lumps of sewage buildup. The mold will
attack anyone who gets too close.
2. The sounds of conflict will attract diseased giant rats, which previously blended in with the sewage buildup. The
molds inflict massive cold damage and grow as they suck the heat from whatever is around them. The rats have
the potential to inflict disease on players.
3. The molds and slimes and rats will also attack each other. The molds are easily killed with cold damage.
4. The rats will scatter if just one is killed. Neither creature will pursue difficult prey.

Battle: Monster in the Sewers

1. The water weird and mimic are twenty feet apart. Both are indistinguishable from their environment and attack the
first person who steps too close.
2. They fite real gud.
3. The water weird attempts to drown anyone it successfully grapples. The mimic attempts to devour anyone it
successfully grapples. The water weird changes its behavior near water magic.
4. The water weird can be recruited by purifying the water. The mimic can be bargained with. The mimic runs away if
badly injured. Both creatures dissolve if killed.

Quest: Deserters from the King’s Watch

1. The King’s Watch has put a bounty on a number of deserters sent north of the city.
2. The soldiers were known for being outstandingly loyal both to their units and to each other. Anyone who knows
them is surprised they left. They were investigating a rumored mage when they disappeared. Some reason that
magic is terrible enough to make anyone run.
3. The soldiers abandoned because one of them was hit by a Feeblemind spell. They don’t realize that the spell will
wear off. They fear that the soldier will be executed due to the city’s position against magic.
4. The watchmen feel guilty and are willing to return to the city and face justice. Captain of the Watch will informally
pardon the soldiers and help fabricate a reasonable cover story. The watchmen remember the mage being a moon
elf (lead to Eylurian Civil War).

Quest: Hunting Elves

1. A notice has been put up all over the city: WANTED: GOLDSKINS DEAD.
2. There is no information about anyone to talk to or ways to collect a reward.
3. It’s been put up by an anti-Akali Misterian named Turi. He wants to agitate violence so that Mistery might finally
destroy the “stupid goldskin fascists.”
4. Turi is an absolute coward.

City: Akalan
 1. The city is populated mostly by sun elves. It floats above the city of Mezzoxan, a drow city that thrives in Akalan’s
shadow. Emperor North-of-Smoke rules over the entire Akali Empire from Akalan. He takes some counsel from
Queen Quelena of the drow.
2. The Empire practices human sacrifice in the Temple of the Sun. Most of the sacrifices are half-orcs or lizardfolk
from other cities. The half-orcs are believed to have colluded with Tharizdun during the Calamity. The lizardfolk are
believed to be descended from the Great Caiman, who was slain by the Creator Gods and whose body became the
world. It is believed that the two must be sacrificed in order to maintain this iteration of the world. There is a large
rebellion in the western part of the Empire as a result.
3. The sacrifices actually feed an ancient blood magic ritual from before even the Calamity. There is a tarrasque at the
center of the world, and the sacrifices keep it asleep. However, the sacrifices could come from any race. Lizardfolk
and half-orcs are simply good scapegoats, and certain Akali officials want to keep them weak. They believe that
rebellion is inevitable as long as human sacrifice is the only way to uphold civilization. They might as well isolate
the rebellion to a single group by only taking sacrifices from that group.

City: Karroxan

1. Karroxan is an impressive city of stone just outside the Akali border wall. It was clearly built by magic. It is also
home to a massive trade of slaves and beasts of burden.
2. The slaves are actually criminals from all over the Empire. They are sold to nearly every country in some capacity,
usually relating to war. The beasts of burden are mostly animals that have threatened villages and otherwise would
have been hunted.
3. The city is run by duergar slavers. Their ancestors had actually given up slaving, but shortly later became victims of
a near genocide. The Calamity allowed them to escape, so they view it favorably. They have developed the belief
that slaving is the duergar niche in world society. It is the only thing that preserves their survival.
4. A group of Akali rebels will set dangerous beasts loose in the city. The resulting civil unrest will ensure the collapse
of the city. (potential Save the City questline)

NPC: Duran

1. Duran is a slender, almost graceful half-orc baker. He appears to be quite successful.

2. Duran sells his bread for less than the other bakers. He is clearly smart and somewhat cavalier. His bread tastes
kind of like dirt.
3. DC 15 investigation reveals that there is a larger amount of dirt in his bread than is usual (medieval bakeries were
not sanitary). He also has ties to the local thieves’ guild.
4. If confronted, he will accuse the PCs of slander, regardless of their evidence. If the players try to blackmail him, he
will offer to refund their payment. If the players assault him or continue to harass him, he will not fight back, but he
will hire Grito (elf assassin) to poison (but not kill) the players and leave an antagonizing note.

Faction: The Waterguard

1. The Waterguard are a moderately trained police and military force in the city.
2. The city is in the middle of the desert, and the waterguard is positioned around sources of water. They appear to be
literally guarding the water.
3. The water comes from Feluria, a land of wild magic. Elementals and other monsters rise from the river with
regularity. The waterguard is guarding the city from the water.

Quest: Madre Owlbear

1. The Waterguard has put a bounty on an owlbear spotted near some old farms. Owlbears are not common in the
desert.
2. There are a few farms in the area. The owlbear appears to have raided only one farm, mostly pillaging its silos.
However, the owner of that farm (Owain) was not the one who reported the owlbear to the Waterguard. He
discourages people from investigating and has tried to sweep away the owlbear’s footprints. His nosy neighbor
(Keren) is the one who reported the owlbear.
3. The owlbear is sheltered in a nearby cave with its newborn cub. It still has chains on its limbs, as it escaped its
masters only recently to give birth to its cub in the wild. Owain suspects this.
4. The owlbear will continue east if possible. The captain of the waterguard is suspicious like Owain and will happily
pay anyone as long as the owlbear is gone. The bounty is suspiciously high (link to Secret Slaver quest).

Quest: Nothing is Free

1. The Unnumbered is a criminal organization with ties to the Akali Rebellion. Although Karroxan is outside the Akali
Empire, there is an Unnumbered house in the city. This particular Unnumbered house is less concerned with the
events of the Akali Empire than with the local slave trade. They will attempt to protect criminals and escaped slaves
from capture.
2. They do not necessarily provide these services for free. They blackmail fugitives into helping them. There are
currently multiple members of the Unnumbered who are in slavery. The most immediate concern is Vice of the Iron
Tower, a tiefling sold to an unknown high lord. The Unnumbered must find out who bought him, destroy the record
of purchase (two copies - one at the store, another likely at the noble’s house), destroy the record of his crime (Hall
of Records), and rescue him. The tiefling was sold to a cousin of the royal family as a personal attendant. The
house is very difficult to get into normally, but there are many workers allowed for maintenance and nobles invited
for grand parties.
3. The tiefling is not in the main part of the house. He is being used as a spy on rival nobility because the master
respects Vice’s skill.
4. Vice detests the notion of being owned but is not opposed to his current master’s employment. The master has
resources to be both a powerful ally or a powerful enemy, including some lands to give away and the right to
enslave anyone without question. Deaths of nobles are investigated very seriously, and people involved become
the property of the royal family. The Unnumbered reward their friends with work and are known to steal from those
who take advantage of them but do not seriously wrong them. They will attempt to have serious threats arrested.
People and Places

Nucnok’s Emporium (anywhere except Mistery)

1. Nucnok is an easily flustered halfling enchanter. He has a chaotic and cluttered magic shop. He welcomes
customers: “Welcome to Nucnok’s Emporium! Traffickers, tourists, traders excluded.”
2. He quizzes his customers on basic arcane trivia. He carefully watches how people interact with his items.
3. He despises Misterian travelers who buy his items and bring them back to Mistery. He has a massive pile of
Misterian fines on his counter. He he does not have to pay because he is not a Misterian citizen, but they frustrate
him on principle.

Otto’s Infusions (Mistery)

1. Otto is a medium-sized gnome artificer. His shop is filled with miniature items. They are all magical but have only
basic enchantments. There are no weapons or other combat items. He sells paper, ink, spellbooks, and spell
scrolls at low prices.
2. His miniature items are actually regular-sized, but they’re Reduced. He will Enlarge them when a customer makes
a purchase. He has clear ties to and is near the Misterian Academy (one of few places where magic is allowed in
Mistery). He also gives discounts to poot farmers and sailors.
3. He constantly Enlarges himself. He is a master magician, on par with some archmages. He was kicked out of the
Academy for attempting to mix technology and magic, which the archmages fear would heighten tensions with
Mistery. He helps students in hope that they will follow his lead and fix Mistery’s ills.
4. He would love few things more than to obtain more permits for item enchanting and other magical experimentation.

Aelar’s Emporium (Mistery)

1. Aelar is a grandiose half-elf (moon tribe). He flamboyantly welcomes players into his shop. It is covered with arcane
glyphs, but few items are on display. Most of them appear to be magical purses, dresses, capes, etc.
2. He caters mostly to nobles. His prices are notably but not outrageously elevated (~10%). He will ask customers to
describe what they want. If it’s something beyond what is shown but that he has in stock, he will cast Fabricate on
the stones in his floor, which encase his more valuable inventory.
3. He is paranoid and caters only to nobles because he is a fugitive from the Akali Empire. He was a battlemage in an
Akali flower war. He is always afraid that they will try to assassinate him or ruin his business.

Lief’s Curiosities (anywhere)

1. Lief is super goth and creepy. He scares a lot of customers away. He has only a few items in stock, mostly minor
artifacts from before the Calamity that Mistery wouldn’t bother to regulate (if in Mistery). He loves pranks.
2. Lief has a twin, who is the actual shop owner and is also called Lief. He is much more inviting but not without
quirks. He has a soft spot for literally everyone.
3. Goth Lief is a simulacrum of Shop Owner Lief. He is distressed over the possibility that he is not a real person and
intentionally acts differently from Shop Owner Lief to prove that he has free will.
4. Shop Owner Lief knows that Goth Lief is a true clone because he imagined the same course of action when he first
learned of the spell. He acts extra nice to people because he feels guilty that his clone has no free will or real
personhood. He is fully aware that it is irrational to feel that way.

Pink Folio (anywhere, most comical in Mistery)

1. The Pink Folio is a lowkey bookstore in the slums. People are hesitant to talk about it, and the customers are
furtive.
2. The Pink Folio sells pop art (paintings that magically rise off the pages), “animated novels” (magical graphic
novels), and the Akali equivalent of “weird anime crap.” All three of these genres include subgenres of softcore
porn. A few of the books are illustrated histories containing relatively obscure knowledge usually censored by most
governments. Oh yeah, and there are five copies of the hit illusion game Caverns & Couatls.
3. Hardly anyone actually buys the books. It’s a front for the local thieves’ guild.
4. They have lots of cheap magical stuff for the taking.

Huǒ Clan (火)

Also known as the Fire Clan

Governing Yokai Salamander

Clan Weapon Glaive

 Symbol Salamander

Ethics & Beliefs Everyone pulls their weight

Main Activity Smithing, Crafting, Foraging (Very military

focused)

Clan Skill Proficiency Athletics

Other Bonuses or STR+1

Burdens

Fire and Steel +3 to all fire damage sources, if from a

weapon +6

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Intimidation
● Scholar / Officials: Martial
● Worker / Artisan: Investigation
● Merchant / Servant:
Persuasion

Shuǐ Clan (水)

Also known as the Water Clan

Governing Yokai Turtle (Solomon)

Clan Weapon Three-section staff

Symbol Rain on a Stone / Turtle

Ethics & Beliefs Water is sacred

Main Activity Fishermen, weavers, sailors

Clan Skill Athletics

Proficiency

Other Bonuses or CON+1

Burdens

Icy Veins Immunity to non-magical cold damage and

resistance to magical cold damage

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Perception
● Scholar / Officials: Religion
● Worker / Artisan: Animal Handling
 ● Merchant / Servant: Insight

Fēng Clan (风 / 風)

Also known as the Wind Clan

Governing Yokai Kun (Large Bird)

Clan Weapon Tonfas

Symbol Bonsai

Ethics & Beliefs Don't use bladed weapons

Avoid killing if possible

Believe in Joy & Meditation

Most open to incorporating new members and

letting them leave

Main Activity Maintain the skyways of Glies

Clan Skill Acrobatics

Proficiency

Other Bonuses or DEX+1

Burdens

Above the Clouds Proficiency with battle kites

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Athletics
● Scholar / Officials: History
● Worker / Artisan: Performance
● Merchant / Servant: Persuasion

Mùtou Clan (木材)

Also known as the Wood Clan

Governing Yokai Fox

 Clan Weapon Longbow

Symbol 3 white trees in tri cross pattern

Ethics & Beliefs

Main Activity Woodworking. Hunters, Guides,

Rangers

Clan Skill Proficiency Survival

Other Bonuses or DEX+1

Burdens

Fleetest of Foot +15 to base movement speed

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Stealth
● Scholar / Officials:
Nature
● Worker / Artisan:
Animal Handling
● Merchant / Servant:
Persuasion

Jīnshǔ Clan (金属 / 金屬)

Also known as the Metal Clan

Governing Yokai Golden Owlbear

Clan Weapon Great maul, Hammer

Symbol A flipping coin

Ethics & Beliefs It is common custom to keep the first "coin

earned" as a memento

Main Activity Commerce and Currency

Clan Skill Persuasion

Proficiency

Other Bonuses or INT+1

Burdens

Gold Standard Increase wealth rewards by 20% from completed

missions
 Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Perception
● Scholar / Officials: History
● Worker / Artisan: Investigation
● Merchant / Servant: Deception

Yang Clan (阳 / 陽 or 光)

Also known as the Light Clan

Governing Yokai Dove

Clan Weapon Open hand, Close Quarters Combat

Symbol

Ethics & Beliefs Beauty as a measure of a person's value

Main Activity Politicians and Mediators

Clan Skill Persuasion

Proficiency

Other Bonuses or CHA+1

Burdens

Serene Beauty You may use Charisma as your ability modifier when
making a weapon attack

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Perception
● Scholar / Officials: Insight
● Worker / Artisan: Performance
● Merchant / Servant: Intimidation

Yin Clan (阴 / 陰)

Also known as the Shadow Clan

Governing Spider
Yokai

Clan Weapon Shortsword, Wakizashi

Symbol

Ethics & Matriarchal

 Beliefs

Main Activity Shinobis and Ninjutsu

Clan Skill Stealth

Proficiency

Other WIS+1
Bonuses or
Burdens

In The While in darkness, advantages on stealth check and

Shadow ignore disadvantage on stealth checks from wearing
armor

Additional
Skill ● Warrior: Acrobatics
Proficiency ● Scholar / Officials: Sleight of Hand
● Worker / Artisan: Religion
● Merchant / Servant: Deception

Xuè Clan (血)

Also known as the Blood Clan

Governing Yokai Shark

Clan Weapon Greatsword, Nodachi

Symbol

Ethics & Beliefs Uses blood of enemies to paint itself

Main Activity

Clan Skill Performance

Proficiency

Other Bonuses or CHA+1

Burdens

Blood In The Heal character level in hitpoints whenever you kill a

Water worth opponent in combat

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Stealth
● Scholar / Officials: Investigation
● Worker / Artisan: Religion
 ● Merchant / Servant: Intimidation

Tsu Clan

Clan Weapon Sunbladed Morning Star

Symbol Sun

Ethics & Beliefs Winning a battle before fighting it

Main Activity

Clan Skill Martial

Proficiency

Other Bonuses or INT+1

Burdens

Supreme You may use Intelligence as your ability modifier

Excellence when making a weapon attack

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Investigation
● Scholar / Officials: History
● Worker / Artisan: Arcana
● Merchant / Servant: Persuasion

Qi Clan

Clan Weapon War fan

Symbol Dark Red & Brown colors

Ethics & Avoid the need for war in the first place. Far more
Beliefs accepting of individuality and personal rights than other
clans

Main Activity Diplomacy. Building Infrastructure. Clans Relations

Clan Skill Persuasion

Proficiency

Other CHA+1
Bonuses or
Burdens

Reformation Advantage on Persuasion against hostile creatures. +2

and Poise AC against all creatures that share an initiative if used
 in combat

Additional
Skill ● Warrior: Perception
Proficiency ● Scholar / Officials: Medicine
● Worker / Artisan: Nature
● Merchant / Servant: Insight

Cao Clan

Clan Weapon Hidden-brush weapons

Symbol Yellow and Grey colors

Ethics &
Beliefs

Main Activity Calligraphy and Drawing

Clan Skill Deception

Proficiency

Other CHA+1
Bonuses or
Burdens

Tireless When successfully deceiving a creature, detect it's next

Cunning attempt at deceiving you and gain 2d6 untyped damage
against it

Additional
Skill ● Warrior: Insight
Proficiency ● Scholar / Officials: Martial
● Worker / Artisan: Investigation
● Merchant / Servant: Medicine

Hideyoshi Clan

Clan Weapon Glaive

Symbol Mustard, Dark Red and Black colors

Ethics & Beliefs Ideals of Meritocracy

A capable individual can come from any place

 Heavy use of Basket Helmets, symbol of equality

Main Activity

Clan Skill Insight

Proficiency

Other Bonuses or WIS+1

Burdens

From Any Place Stacking bonus on successful attack roll/saving

throw, resets on fail

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Martial
● Scholar / Officials: Persuasion
● Worker / Artisan: Performance
● Merchant / Servant: Nature

Ieyasu Clan

Clan Weapon Reversed-Blade Katana

Symbol Open Helping Hand. Dark Yellow and Green colors

Ethics & Not wanting to kill

Beliefs

Main Activity Scholars

Clan Skill Martial

Proficiency

Other Bonuses CON+1

or Burdens

Peace Can use non-lethal damage with any source. Regain

Endures level hitpoints when non-lethally defeats an opponent.

Additional
Skill ● Warrior: Medicine
Proficiency ● Scholar / Officials: Insight
● Worker / Artisan: Performance
● Merchant / Servant: Persuasion

Masamune Clan
 Clan Weapon Katana

Symbol Golden and Dark Blue colors

Ethics & Beliefs Challenge head-on

Main Activity

Clan Skill Proficiency Athletics

Other Bonuses or STR+1

Burdens

In The Dragon's Eye Immune to death effects and resistant to

necrotic damage

Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Religion
● Scholar / Officials: Nature
● Worker / Artisan: Investigation
● Merchant / Servant: Insight

Sejong Clan

Clan Weapon Repeating Crossbow

Symbol Mask / Scroll and Spyglass crossed

Colors White & Blue

Ethics & Beliefs Wear masks to hide the deception of the personal
Charisma, focus on "objective" truths

Main Activity Scientific Advancement, the most technologically

advanced clan in Glies, closer to Kalkatesh

Able to create Full Plate Mail armor

Clan Skill History

Proficiency

Other Bonuses INT+1

or Burdens

Thirst for Any 2 skills proficiency, Expertise in one proficient

Knowledge skill
 Additional Skill
Proficiency ● Warrior: Martial
● Scholar / Officials: Arcana
● Worker / Artisan: History
● Merchant / Servant: Religion

Haka Clan

Clan Weapon Macuahuitl

Symbol Terrifying masks

Red and Black colors

Ethics &
Beliefs

Main Activity

Clan Skill Athletics

Proficiency

Other STR+1
Bonuses or
Burdens

The Haka When initiative is rolled, may use battle cry with save DC
(10+level) to frighten enemies for 1 minute, they damage
you or you are defeated

Additional
Skill ● Warrior: Martial
Proficiency ● Scholar / Officials: Perception
● Worker / Artisan: Survival
● Merchant / Servant: Investigation

Cheng Clan

Clan Weapon Hook/Kunai with Chain

Symbol A Fish Head and a Hook

Ethics &
Beliefs

Main Activity Piracy

 Clan Skill Deception
Proficiency

Other Bonuses DEX+1

or Burdens

Well Salted Swim 30 ft, hold breath 4x longer than normal. No

disadvantage when fighting in water or unbalanced
terrain

Additional
Skill ● Warrior: Acrobatics
Proficiency ● Scholar / Officials: History
● Worker / Artisan: Nature
● Merchant / Servant: Persuasion

Hao Clan

Clan Hand Axe

Weapon

Symbol Lotus flower

Golden and Jade colors

Ethics &
Beliefs

Main
Activity

Clan Skill Martial

Proficiency

Other DEX+1
Bonuses or
Burdens

Thorned When attacking with melee weapon or ranged weapon

Flower within 30ft, one ally adjacent to the target can spend his
reaction to attack that target. Can be used up to proficiency
times per short rest.

Additional
Skill ● Warrior: Arcana
Proficiency ● Scholar / Officials: History
● Worker / Artisan: Investigation
● Merchant / Servant: Insight

HOMEBREW ELVES
characteristics
Glien Elves still have typical elven features such as elongated ears, but they are more attuned with nature than their

Kalkateshian equivalents, to the point of having their skin infused with different types of wood. This infusion can often

look displaced, and it is usually easy to see where the skin looks more human, or more wooden. It almost looks like

"the tree growing on them is... like a virus." They are more person than tree, and can grow features such as branches,

vines, bamboo shoots, leaves, flowers and even fruit.

There are three types of Glien elves: Whitewood, Greenwood and Reedwood.

Whitewood

Statistics

ASI

● +1 Constitution
● +2 Dexterity

Genetic Information

Species

Elf

The Whitewood Elf is one of the three known subraces of Glien Elf. They are often found to the north of Glies. These

elves are usually quite serious and are survivalists. They typically live in the harsh environments of taiga and tundra.

Common classes and occupations include rangers and druids, as these elves have a need for an expertise in nature to

survive in their environment.

Appearance
The Whitewood elves have alabaster skin, with a petrified wood look. Their skin has also been described as not pale,

but having an ivory bone coloration. They typically have branches growing up out of their head, and these branches

almost look like antlers.

Typical clothing for Whitewood elves include heavier clothing, with furs and leathers.

As a Playable Race
● +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
● Size: Medium
● Speed: 30 feet
● Eyes of Glies: Glien Elves gain expertise with the Perception skill even if they do not have proficiency in it.
● Vanguard: If you are adjacent to more than one enemy and you have no allies adjacent to you, you gain +1
to your AC.
Greenwood

Statistics

ASI

● +2 Dexterity
● +1 Wisdom

Genetic Information

Species

Elf

The Greenwood Elf is one of three known subraces of Glien Elf. They share similarities with wood elves. They are the

most commonly seen elves by the non-elven races. Common classes and occupations include rogues and clerics, as

the Greenwood elves are more intermingled with the different faiths, cultures and religions of other people.

Appearance
The Greenwood elves often have hues of green on their skin. They typically grow more leaves and flowers compared to

the other Glien elves.

Typical clothing for Greenwood elves include cloth and tunics, and has been described as being closer to traditional

Chinese peasant wear.

As a Playable Race
● +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom
● Size: Medium
● Speed: 30 feet
● Eyes of Glies: Glien Elves gain expertise with the Perception skill even if they do not have proficiency in it.
● Farshot: Increase the distance of effectiveness that projectiles can be by 50% when you wield such
weapons. If it is a thrown weapon, increase its effective distance by 100%.

Reedwood

Statistics
 ASI

● +2 Dexterity
● +1 Strength

Genetic Information

Species

Elf

The Reedwood Elf is one of the three known subraces of Glien Elf. They are often found to the southern coasts of

Glies. They are the most rare Glien elves as their population is the smallest. They are often wanders, and are the most

arcane inclined out of the three types of Glien elves.

Appearance
Reedwood elves typically have more vines in, or as their hair. This hair can even shroud them in a shawl, or take the

form of a mane. Compared to the other Glien elves, these elves typically have more bamboo shoots and vines on their

bodies.

Typical clothing for the Reedwood elves include silks, flowing robes and kimono-like clothing. This is due to them

having access to silks.

As a Playable Race
● +2 Dexterity, +1 Strength
● Size: Medium
● Speed: 30 feet
● Eyes of Glies: Glien Elves gain expertise with the Perception skill even if they do not have proficiency in it.
● Suregrip: If you succeeded on the last attack roll you made, you have a +1 to attack rolls with melee
weapons.