EN5ider Magazine for D&D

Enchanted Trinkets: Pipes Galore

Why should grey wizards be the only people with awesome pipes? Take a moment to peruse these fine pieces and get one of your own from this collection of 8 unique enchanted pipes—whether made from briar, dragon tooth, ivory, walnut-burl, or orc tusk they all offer something a little more than the average smoke. Diligently designed by William Murakami-Brundage, illustrated by Jesse Mohn. 

Monstrous Menagerie: Ogres Three

If there's one thing we can always use more of it's ogres! This entry in the Monstrous Menagerie series features three such ugly giants: the CR 11 dream ogre, CR 12 ice ogre, and CR 13 laughing ogre. Whether the party is due for a nightmare of a fight, need to be chilled out with a frosty battle, or are just in need of a good time these monsters will deliver. Dubiously designed by Mike Myler, illustrated by Hannah Seakins. 

Intriguing Organizations: Unpinned Scales

The Unpinned Scales are an urban thieves’ guild with a mission: to improve the lot of the downtrodden through crime. This makes them both popular with the population in general and extremely unpopular with the wealthy merchants and nobility who are on the receiving end of their heists. But the Unpinned scales have a dark secret too for they are an infernal front, and their fiendish leadership uses the organization to maintain the status quo while recruiting dangerous agents from the local u...

Adventure: Revenge of the Green Dragon

As a youngling the green dragon Aghrun was tormented by a group of adventurers, only barely able to escape with her life—now in adulthood, her wounds have healed but her pride has not. It is not all humanoids who bear the burden of her vengeance however, and she seeks only to torment the cruel breed of cowards who call themselves adventurers. To that end she's created a maze in her home in the overgrown Fernholm Forest, stocking it with all kinds of traps and tricks, and kobolds loyal to he...

Dangerous Scenarios: Bite and Seek

It's not atypical for vampires to play with their food and this wicked encounter fully embraces that lethal situation! A pack of children turned vampire spawn descend on the adventurers amidst a forested glade. Spots of sunlight can give the party an edge but it's not a simple battle, their foes delighting in the thrill of the fight and eager to take a few pounds of flesh along the way. Deliciously designed by Elizabeth Orchard, illustrated by Xanditz.

Archetypes: Weird Warlocks

Sometimes after making a deal with the devil, a powerful fey, an entity from the great beyond, or whatever terrible thing has offered a sliver of its essence in exchange for a mortal soul, a warlock realizes what a terrible mistake they've made. That doesn't need to be their last terrible mistake though! There are two ways to get out of this peculiar arcane predicament—the Laughing Death patron and the Pactbreaker archetype—and though one involves a good bit of laughter neither is to be t...

Intriguing Organizations: The Vultures

Adventuring can be a messy business and when there's a lot of loot to deal with—the armaments of a wight queen's many skeletal soldiers, the silver bullion of a dragon's hoard, and the like—the logistics of turning a profit can be a hassle. Or the party can hire the Vultures to take care of it all for just a small percentage! These professionals are happy to handle whatever salvage is thrown at them no matter how bloody or gruesome the task may be. In fact they're quite comfortable with g...

Sickness & Health: We Have A New Kickstarter!

Hey folks! We have a new mini-quickstarter compiling 5 EN5ider articles in one softcover. This 30-page 5E supplement includes 16 diseases and 2 adventures ready to be used in your 5th Edition games!

• 6 new mundane and supernatural diseases, including bottle fever, demonic plague, and walking rot.
• 5 new sicknesses from beyond the confines of the material realms for planar travellers, such as adverse ascension, fey longings, and spectral thought worms.
• 5 diabolical ...
  2022-05-24 23:27:44 +0000 UTC View Post

Spells of the Holy Mission

It is often the nature of a divine spellcaster (clerics especially) to seek truths of one kind or another, to be the divine and moral compass for others that lack their wisdom. It is for these spellcasters that magic such as conscience exists (to force an evil foe to see the wickedness in their ways, at least for a while), though even an arcane investigator has use for final moment or speak easy, and every adventurer is sure to find something to like in this collect...

Adventure: Burning Bitterpeak

A panicked child bursts down onto the path with a pair of modestly dressed adults chasing after saying, “there you are Audrey, we was looking for ya’, come on home with your Ma’ and Pa’ now.” Their words sound hollow, coming out of their mouths stilted and as though arranged by someone unfamiliar with language. The little girl backs away while uttering, "it ain't them—they’re just wearing skins,” and as she speaks the words the things disguised as her parent ...

EN5ider #500 Megadungeon Megapoll!

We are a ways off (more than half a year) from this incredible milestone and really want it to be something truly spectacular so planning for it is already underway. We know we're making a megadungeon, but we want your help on figuring more about it! 

Usually EN5ider pitches are blinded then scored and commissioned—that's not what we're doing for issue #500. Instead this megadungeon will feature encounters and rooms from over a dozen of our most talented designers all working in ...

Enchanted Trinkets: Eldritch Items

We are thrilled to present to you 20 of the most flavorful, unique enchanted trinkets we've seen since the series started years ago! These run the gamut from the humble chicken icon to the not at all unsettling rapier of many eyes or very trendy tentacle tattoo, though no matter the type of game you're running you will absolutely find at least a few of these magic items (if not more!) are well-suited to play a part. Discerningly designed by Sarah Breyfogle, illustra...

Dangerous Scenarios: Abode of Unending Comfort

It's common for mages to instill a bit of magic into their homes—it's far easier to study and make the most of one's arcane talents when daily chores are taken care of by an enchanted broom or some empowered cutlery—but what happens when they shuffle off the mortal coil? What if they've really enchanted that wizard tower? Mische was one such enchanter, filling her home with a host of animated objects and artificial pets that haven't stopped at their tasks since she passed away. N...

Villain Spotlight: Lavinia the Wight Shepherd

Necromancy is rarely shown in anything but the coldest light, the undead created by such magic almost universally shunned. Lavinia refuses to engage in such cruelty. Have these creatures—already subjected to life's gravest injury—not suffered enough? This noble discovered her natural talents as a medium at a young age but has rejected the usual arcane or divine methods of employing her gifts, wholeheartedly embracing them and the undead they can create instead. So it is that Lavinia trave...

Dangerous Scenarios: Trollguts

We've all thought about it: if trolls can regenerate, how much of the troll is required? Alright maybe only some of us have thought about it. Specifically someone undertaking experiments to learn the answers to that question and so many more. Of course they may never get the chance—the wagon transporting their specimens has tumbled over and the reforming monsters are on the loose! This dangerous scenario for 4–5 PCs of 3rd–4th level was deviously designed by Andrew Engelbrite, illustrat...

Adventure: DEEVA's Rescue

The inventor and merchant Fizzwing has many hobbies but he cherishes nothing more than scientific exploration with his finest creation: the Dirigible Examination and Evaluation Vehicle Assembly, or 'Deeva' as he likes to call it. Unfortunately his enthusiasm can get the best of him, and Fizzwing has gotten into a bit of a debacle with his favorite device. Now to get it back he needs the help of some brave adventur...

Mini-Adventure: Town of the Dead

As the party gets into town they realize it's eerily silent, and there's nary a villager to be seen in the whole place either. Then suddenly a figure emerges from the shadows, lunging forward to attack: an undead! Zombies and skeletons start appearing from all around, surrounding the adventurers and forcing them to take shelter—though they can't hide for long, and to save themselves and Mortam they must act quickly, intelligently, and most of all bravely! Decisively designed (for 4–6 PCs ...

Enchanted Trinkets: Thread & Thimble

The famous Thread & Thimble has just received its newest collection and with it a dozen of the finest, most fashionable, and newest magic items for your adventuring needs. Take for example Belenzee's hat—not just an excellent chapeau, but an indispensable tool for your next beach or coastal outing! If you are instead a more conservative sort with your coin purse, consider picking up a miser's belt because not only is it chic, but you're unlikely to ever lose another go...

Spells: Cosmic Power

Mortal mages naturally gaze to the heavens, their mastery of arcana touching upon the firmament of a cosmos denied them—but no more! This small grimoire of magic includes 9 brand new spells to wrangle the power cosmic whether to bring low the minds of others with a cosmic pulse, call down a bit of the heavens' fury with a meteor strike, send someone up there with launch into space, or to bring forth the darkness of void. Didactically designed by Andrew En...

Dangerous Scenarios: Slaughterhouse Deathtrap

Maybe a comrade was kidnapped, something of particular value has been purloined, or the party's quarry has fled inside—whatever the reason, the adventurers are headed into a lethal abattoir that will test them to their limits! From trap doors to ichor-soaked floors and exploding corpses galore, Artyom "Fleshtaker" Lench (CR 5) has prepared this place specifically to suit his deadly talents and it does not disappoint. Dangerously designed by Peter Martin, illustrated by Xanditz, and featurin...

After Death

Whether from bad rolls, bad decisions, or a combination thereof every member of the party is dead—but that doesn't mean the campaign is over or that it's time to roll new adventurers! Returned to the beautifully mapped mansion of Scarmanse as ghosts, the PCs are given just 72 hours to uncover the story of the powerful undead that slayed them and turn fate to their favor. Should they succeed and the party might live again, though should they fail the adventurers instead face oblivion! An adv...

Villain Spotlight: Karthus the Fallen God

He is called the Fallen God by some but it might be more apt to think of Karthus as a trickster deity as he aims to see his deific power returned through merciless deception, peerless guile, and exquisite planning. The wisdom with which this once great entity ruled pantheons is now turned upon mortals, adventurers that Karthus uses as pawns in a deadly game to reclaim his place in the cosmos! Divinely designed by Anthony Pryor, illustrated by Rafael Benjamin.

Enchanted Trinkets: Noara's Menagerie

Continuing the game's tradition of animal sculptures imbued with magic, these 15 enchanted trinkets made for the druid queen Noara call forth the gifts of beasts to spectacular effect! An adventurer can wield the power of nature with just the heartwood viper, pyrite fox, zircon shark, or their dozen kin, but like the Plumed Panoply these tributes offer much more when gathered together by a single ...

Spells: Zyxwigg's Abecedary

The marvelous mage Zyxwigg had something of an obtuse obsession with those spectacular spells that are named with as much nuance as their arcane applications employ. Specifically, he loved magic that had a good alliterative ring to it. This perplexing pursuit led to the creation of spells like the off-balancing entropic embrace, the debilitating necrotic needle, the arcana-empowering perilous prediction, the incredible vanishing veil, and 7 other works of m...

Mini-Adventure: Machines in the Deep

This dungeon delve for 4–5 PCs of 5th–7th level takes the party into an unusual underground facility filled with powerful technology gone awry. If the machinery inside of this strange place can be understood they might be able to fix it, but should the adventurers fail to repair the contraptions within it could spell doom for thousands—possibly even more! Discerningly designed by Peter Martin, illustrated by Xanditz, featuring cartography by 2022-02-20 12:52:12 +0000 UTC View Post

Red Fangs in a White Night

The city of White Night is named for the enormous magical dome that surrounds it, a work of magical artifice that not only blocks divination magic—it also dulls the sun in the sky and denies the moon. All of this is due to Klarth the Archmage but he hasn't been seen as of late, his absence filled by the clever vampire Steron. The undead's quiet rule hasn't gone unnoticed however, and a second monstrous threat now lurks throughout the settlement spreading to more of the population with every...

Mythical Meals

Some meals are more than the ingredients involved or the dishes they are served upon—cuisine that is so superb that it does more than just fill the belly. For instance, a serving of bulette on the halfshell can grant tremorsight for the most exquisite supernatural sensations afterward, much like how a plate of owlbear wings makes for the perfect dinner to have before one wishes to possess the keenest sight and hearing. Dive into enchanted gourmet with these 9 exceptional r...

Dangerous Scenarios: Sand & Sky

Slaying the enormous legend Xugeshi is impossible but hardy, disciplined, and determined warriors can force it back into hibernation beneath the sands. Adventures capable of this epic feat are few and far between however, most crushed to death in their insane attempt to quell this terrible and ancient foe! Deadly design by Tyler R. Lee, illustrated by Ellis Goodson, featuring cartography by Dyson Logos.  2022-02-05 23:23:13 +0000 UTC View Post

Traps for Beginners: Traps in 3 Simple Steps

Everyone loves a good trap—even if they're the unfortunate victim! This article focuses on three basic pillars of trap design: bait, trigger, and punishment. In addition there are rules for offering meta rewards when the adventurers overcome a trap, as well as two altogether new traps (the thundering chest trap and watery grave trap). Deviously designed by Jonathan Chung, illustrated by Indi Martin.

Monstrous Menagerie: Elemental Geists

Slain elementals usually dissipate when destroyed on the Material Plane—usually. Some elementals persist, bound to the realms material to haunt the living as a breathless stalker (CR 7), exxorn (CR 6), heat sink (CR 6), or mirage (CR 7). Decisively designed by William Fischer, illustrated by Fabian Parente!