Open Post - April Release - Machinations of the Blank

Tier Release Links

• Loremaster Tier Release 
• Acolyte Tier Release 
• Adventurer Tier Release 

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April marks the return of the Blank - the technocratic fascists who have declared war on all magic. First introduced in our "The Death of Magic" release last year (along with their arch-enemies, the freedom-fighting mages of the Arcanuum), this month puts the focus onto the Blank - fleshing out their ranks, their motivations, and their endgame.

We've got 5 brand new encounters of varying challenge ratings and setting, ready to drop right into your existing campaigns, or can just as easily be used as a springboard into a new campaign.

Send your players chasing after a neurograft rat that has found their location and is hurrying back to its Blank commanders to alert them of the party's spellcasters; uncover the hidden base of a Blank Annihilator, guarding a weapons cache and supply post; and take part in a rescue mission after a Blank Synthform has found a secret Arcanuum Spelltower and has worked its way to the top, killing the mages its found.

You get 5 brand new stat blocks of various challenge ratings, centered around the Order of the Blank. Check out our Blank Arcanhile Scientist, the researchers and designers leading the way in their orders technological revolutions; the Blank Mageslayer, individuals that have been “reeducated” by the antimagic Order of the Blank by being pumped full of mind-altering chemicals, along with an infusion of arcanhile, and turning into nearly mindless killing machines; and the Synthform, massive constructs powered by arcanhile and sporting an array of offensive weapons and defensive capabilities that make them incredibly dangerous to any spellcaster.

You also get out latest monster template - the Neurograft template. Neurograft creatures are animals enhanced with augmented physical, mental, and even psychic abilities. Most often these are animals used by the Order of the Blank to spy on Arcanuum mages, act as trackers, or vicious combatants on the battlefield.

We've also got 16 new items to assist your players (or enemies) in tracking down spellcasters - new weapons like the Electrified Chainsaw Blade for up close and personal, and the Blank Longshot sniper rifle and Blank Gatling gun for ranged combat; two new types of ammunition; and utility items like the Jet Pack, Anti-Magic Gag, and Anti-Magic Fingercuffs - perfect for bringing in rebel mages.

And check out our 4 latest grafts - like the Augmented Eye, available in four variations, granting the user different types of eyesight; the Brain Implant, turning your mind into a supercomputer; and the Bionic Heart, letting you leave behind the pesky constraints of being a humanoid.

The Order of the Blank are vehemently opposed to magic, but they aren't stupid - they know that the mages of the Arcanuum often have the upper-hand due to their magical abilities. The arcanhile scientists and other brilliant minds of the Blank leveled the playing field with their invention of Warps - using arcanhile and other technological means to literally warp reality, allowing them to pull off spell-like feats without the use of magic.

To allow you to easily introduce this new game mechanic, we have 23 new Warps included in this release. Check out: Track Caster - allowing the user to track residual magic left behind after a spell has been cast in the vicinity; or Magic Misfire, targeting a caster who must succeed on a check or have their Spell Save DC decreased and their attacks made at disadvantage for the duration of the warp.

We also have you covered with new player options! Check out our latest player race, the biomechanically-engineered humanoids, the Nihilite! Seen by some as the crowning accomplishment of decades of cutting-edge work by the Order of the Blank (and a complete, never-ending hellscape of a nightmare by others, who are often the very subjects made into the nihilites), they were created to be a disposable source of troops for the Mages War. Nihilite can normally be found serving in one manner or another; some acting as attendants to those in positions of power, using the nihilites’ ability to learn and instantly recall information to their benefit, while the majority are used as disposable and perfectly trainable mass-produced soldiers.

You'll also get our latest paladin subclass - the Oath of the Antimage! This oath is taken by paladins who wish to throw off the shackles of magic and divinity, and instead adopt the logic of science and the powers of arcanhile and technology, while casting aside the primitive and corrupt practices of worship and casting spells. Sometimes called Technocrats, paladins that swear this oath set out to rid the world of magic, and have a particular hatred for spellcasters. These paladins lose their holy and magical abilities, replacing them with the power of technology and the energy of arcanhile.

You'll also find 5 new feats and 4 new deficiencies to help flesh out your player characters.

And lastly, we've got 7 new battle maps ready for the included encounters (or just as easily used as standalone maps). Maps like - the decimated three-story Spelltower, under attack from a synthform and riddled with hazards; the secret hideout of a Blank Annihilator; and an empty warehouse that makes chasing down a neurograft rat a real nightmare!

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Comment below what you love most and join the Critical Crafting discord channel to stay in the loop with our growing community, plus to help us brainstorm new content! One of the greatest things about this release was that our Discord community AGAIN rallied behind our call for ideas, and the #Hivemind channel was absolutely flooded with ideas for spells, items, and monsters! If this sounds as cool to you as it is to us, be sure to join in the fun and help contribute to future releases!

Thanks for all the support, and stay tuned for more first-looks at May's follow up where we turn the spotlight onto the freedom fighting Arcanuum mages!

- Dillon, Cameron, Connor, and Sarah