Sir Alkian's Guide to the Surviving the Apocalypse
Sir Alkian's Guide to the Surviving the Apocalypse
You have found the notebook and journal of Sir Alkian Bowguard, a knight of the highest honor and with an unbreakable code of chivalry. At least, he likes to boast about that. Or... liked is probably the more accurate word.
Sir Alkian's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse is a guidebook for those who are looking to run apocalyptic scenarios in their 5e D&D games, ranging from an immediate danger that threatens the very structure of the world to cases where the apocalypse struck a long time ago and people have lived in its wake for decades or centuries.
The guide can be used to shape worlds touched by any kind of calamity, not just those of an apocalyptic nature. If a realm is ravaged by the powers of a cruel god or if society has fallen victim to a horrific disease, this book can serve as a guide on how an area responds to such forces
Anne Gregersen joins us to give us the inside scoop, and allows us to poke her brain on her creative process and the challenges she ran into with creating this fantastic best-selling Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition supplement.
What's in this thing?
The book contains guides on creating an apocalypse, including classics like the zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion, advice on how characters respond to different world-ending scenarios, additional survival mechanics, and much, much more!
Inside you will find:
Ten premade apocalyptic scenarios, including the zombie-infested Horde, the plant-based monsters of the Growth, and the clashing of angels and devils in the Rapture.
Seven creature templates to change the creature type of nearly any published monster - examples could be making dragon zombies, custom vampires, and robot dinosaurs.
Several optional rules for enhancing the apocalyptic themes of your world and campaign, including rules for altered rests, stress and trauma, and scavenging.
Three playable races - the Fey'ri, the Husks, and the strange and alien Voidalka.
Five subclasses - the Barbarian Path of the Psycho, the Cleric Plague Domain, the Druid Circle of Embers, the Roguish Enhancer Archetype, and the Sorcerer Cursed Bloodline.
Six new backgrounds - Afflicted, Cultist, Doctor, Raider, Runner, and Scavenger.
14 new monsters, including the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as well as their mounts.
Notes and (sometimes useful) comments from Sir Alkian about various aspects of the world's end.
... and of course, guides and advice on how to create a world that has been affected by the apocalypse.
If you enjoyed this product, make sure to check out more of my work below. Follow me on Twitter for updates on upcoming projects @AnneofManyNames
Unearthed Tips and Tricks! We bring you new and creative content for you to bring with you on your next adventure
Monster Variant:
Frostmare
Origin: Nightmare
New features:
Change confer fire resistance, to cold
Icy Step: The frostmare has a 5-foot aura that causes ice to form on the terrain around it. Any creature who enters the aura or starts its turn there must succeed a Dexterity saving throw DC 13 or fall prone.
Icy Touch: All attacks are cold damage in addition to their other types.
Innate Spellcasting. The frostmare’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The Frostmare can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
1/day each: lightning bolt(cold damage)
Encounter:
Michael A.
Encounter: The Bank Heist
There's been a series of bank robberies in the city. Each time a robbery occurs, people in the area have heard a large boom and found the vault empty (or nearly empty) with a large hole in the floor leading to a tunnel. Some of the tunnels were filled in by the time the investigators reached the area.
The party could either investigate an existing tunnel, which connects to a maze of tunnels which wind, branch, and recombine like a maze, or they could do as my party did and wait for a robbery to occur and quickly track and pursue the robbers down the tunnels.
The robberies are being conducted by a wererat and her thugs. The wererat is using the enchanted skull of a giant ant queen to control a horde of giant ants, which she uses to tunnel under the banks and drop the floor of the vault, as well as the coins and gems inside, into a portable hole which is quickly retrieved for a speedy escape. The ants cover their escape by filling the tunnel when they have time. My party ended up herding the ants into choke points to minimize the herd tactics of the ants and defeat a few waves as they tracked the robbers deeper into the tunnels to their hideout (which they thought would be secure behind the maze) and ultimately won by destroying the queen ant skull to turn the tide of the final fight (the ants reverted to mindless wandering and digging at that point). They got to keep the portable hole (and some of the recovered cash) as a reward and now we have a good reason to not worry about encumbrance rules (which I find tedious and annoying).
Alternate: Limited resources The adventuring party comes across a village that is lacking a resource they need to survive and the residents as a result are too weak to venture forth and locate it. It could be something as simple as another source of water that is not contaminated or even a cure for a disease. The party locates it in short order but encounters another group who need it for another party for the same problem. There is only enough of the resource in question for one group and any chance of dividing it well only save a small number on both sides if none at all.
Magic Item:
Flamedrinker Shield
This shield swirls with gold and ruby hues around the hellish skeletal head mounted to it. The head drinks in the tongues of flames meant to sear your flesh.
Armor(shield, rare(requires attunement))
While wearing this armor, you have resistance to fire damage.
If an ally within 5 feet of you would take fire damage, you can use your reaction to speak shields command word, the target gains resistance to fire until the end of turn.
Dungeon Master Tip:
Starving the Characters in a Survival Setting!
“If the theme of surviving against the odds and battling other people for the precious resources that remain in the world, the ability to conjure food and water on a whim can take a bit of the edge off in terms of having to look and search for food. The adventurers no longer have to worry about it, as the party’s cleric or druid can just create them a starch but filling meal without them having to risk their lives for it.
If you play in a game where hunger and thirst plays a large part, consider removing spells such as create food and water and similar spells that offer the adventurers food in exchange for a spell slot. The same is the case for the Outlander background, which allows for a character to easily find food for their party if they are given the chance to explore an area. Consider either changing the feature granted by this background, or baring it from the game entirely if you do not wish for your players to have an easy time finding food and water.”
Sir Alkain’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse -
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick
Human Identity!
All humans may be classified the same, but do you think they just refer to each other as humans?
Probably, not. More likely they reference their ethnicity and culture.
In the PHB there are 9 identified...which one are you?
Are you a Calishite? With
a thin frame, dusky brown skin and light brown eyes?
Maybe you’re a Mulan? From the south eastern shores of the inner sea, tall slim, with amber skin and hazel eyes.
What about Illuskan? Stocky with fair skin, steely gray eyes and auburn hair?
Maybe for a more intimidating character, you choose to play a Turami, that's tall and muscular, with dark mahogany skin, and curly black hair, with dark eyes?
When playing a human move away from the human reference and refer to your ethnicity and where you’re from. It will set you apart from every other human in the world. And can make for interesting roleplay if you push your DM to include it in the story.
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