"Greetings, foundlings, and salutations! You have decided to enter the mystical halls of the ’Brews, where you might learn some most astonishing mysteries and solve the most tangled of puzzles. Your task is to present us with something we haven't seen before, and have it make us look upon it with delight. You have but a few tendays to create your product and show it to us, so we suggest you get to work!"
- Meyonmon Merridith, Ex-Candlekeep Scholar
If this is your first time joining us, welcome. The purpose of this thread is to spread a little bit of fun in the form of a friendly competition! Your task: Create an item of homebrew (see below) that is totally original and makes us go “wow!” The end products will be rated by members of the community, and the victor of each category will help create the next Finest ‘Brew contest! Now, onto the important stuff:
Timeframe
Entries must be submitted before Noon (Eastern time) on September 20th to be considered part of the competition.
Contest Categories
In each Finest Brew contest, there are three categories. These are so that people with skill in creating, say, monsters, don't end up stuck having to make dungeons. Each category is judged separately. There can only be one entrance per category per person. The category types are as follows:
DM Options: Things that provide tools for DMs to make encounters more interesting and rewards more enticing - such as dungeons/encounters, magic items, monsters, random tables, or even optional rules/mechanics.
PC Options: Things that help a player will build and develop their character - such as homebrew classes, subclasses, spells, feats, backgrounds or race/lineage/species options.
Interactive Options:Things that affect how characters interact with the world, exploring both its social structure and environment - such as NPCs, puzzles, stories/lore, terrain, traps/hazards or even institutions like shops or taverns.
This time, our category themes are:
DM Options: Catalysts of Change
In a world of magic, change is the only constant and nothing may be as it seems at first glance. For this challenge, your creations should exhibit some kind of dramatic transformation in response to a specific condition or trigger. The trigger can be anything: a change in the weather, the utterance of an unknown word, or even the presence of a particular kind of magic. This challenge is not just about power--rather, it is about possibilities. Your goal is to craft triggers and transformations that twist the narrative, spark the imagination, and open new doors for play. Whether it’s a creature that takes on a new form under the moon’s glow, or a dungeon that reconfigures its passages based on the emotions of those who enter, your creation should leave players wide-eyed and eager for what comes next.
Player Options: The Doomed
Cursed from birth, your life is a saga of misfortune and catastrophe. You might find strength in the suffering around you or wield the power of doom as a double-edged sword. Even your noblest acts, driven by the purest of intentions, ripple outwards, causing upheaval and awakening ancient terrors. Your destiny is an enigma, a dark prophecy waiting to unfold.
Your player option should support the archetype of a hero cursed by ill fortune. Consider options that allow a character to gain some benefit when their companions fail, curse their enemies with uncannily bad luck, or gain tremendous power when their doom is near.
Good luck, and may your character's doom be legendary! (This theme was chosen by Gnomarchy)
Interactive Options: Positively Looney
Across the course of their lives, adventurers will happen across places, objects, and people they can only describe as "absurd". Whether it be a deceptive trickster from the Feywild or some vestige of chaos stemming from the outer plane of Pandemonium, these things stand out as strange. For this challenge, aim to create something which acts in a way which is silly, counterintuitive, or down right cartoon-ish. Seek to create that which is not bound by the same day-to-day rules and laws as the rest of us. (This theme was chosen by Kaboom979)
Voting will start September 22nd (or thereabouts, once the survey is made) and will end at Noon (Eastern Time) on October 5th. A Google Forms poll for each category will be posted on this thread, and all may vote on it - including and especially contestants. Contestants are encouraged to vote 5 and 5 on their own submissions; all scores will have 5 subtracted from both voting categories. Scores are assigned using a numerical value from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).
Balance/Playability - This score is about how well the entry would run in game. If this entry is overpowered or underpowered, consider subtracting points. Also, consider subtracting points if it is poorly written or unclear, since that would make it a lot harder to understand and use in game.
Idea/Creativity- This score is about cool, interesting and unique the entry is. If someone's idea does not fit well into the contest category it is submitted for, consider subtracting points. If someone has put alot of extra work into the submission reflected by its length or artistic pieces, consider adding points
Written Feedback - You have the option to give written feedback, should you choose, for any entries on the forms. Written feedback does not factor into a contestants score.
We are hoping that by giving everyone more criteria to vote on for each entry, you will think about each aspect and not feel the need to cram all of your thoughts into a single number. We are also hoping that having multiple scores contribute to the total will make ties less likely to occur.
Please try to take the time to review and vote for every entry, except for your own, in the categories you vote in, as even one vote can easily sway a competition like this. If there's anything you feel very strongly about, also feel free to review it in the thread! Reviews won't count for anything, but it's nice to get feedback!
Determining Winners
Category Winners: Each of the two final scores will be added together to constitute the entry's total score, with the highest score determining the winner of each category.
The winner of each individual category will pick the theme for that category in the next competition. If there is a tie, then they can work together to come up with a theme. If you pick the theme for a category, then you cannot compete in it in the next competition.
Contest Winner: The entry with the highest individual score across the three categories will then be coronated as the contest winner and become the judge of the next competition. To clarify, this means that the highest of the 3 high scores is the winner.
If one person wins two or more categories, they win, regardless of if any of their individual scores are the highest.
If two or more entries are tied for highest score, the contestant with the highest total score for all of their entries will take the crown - so be sure to try and put something forward for every category to win a tiebreaker
Guides & Mini-FAQ* & Changelog
WAIT! Before you see the 5th level Wall of Text in this FAQ’s* & Guides section, and decide not to submit to the competition because you don’t want to read it, remember that reading this section is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. You do not need to read any of this to submit something for the competition, to pick a category, or to become the next judge. This is merely a helpful tool if you’re confused. You have no obligation to read or use it!
Guide for Competition & Category Winners.
Competition Winner: The competition winner becomes the next judge, they are responsible for doing the following:
They must start a private message thread between all the other category winners to figure out what themes the next categories will have. The judge must also pick the themes for all the categories they won. When possible, it is best to avoid reusing the same theme for the same category multiple times, though repeating themes for the same categories will be unavoidable eventually.
The judge must start the next competition thread. They can copy & paste most information from the previous competition thread, but must change the relevant information, such as dates and category themes. If you are the next judge and don’t know how long a given part of the competition, such as voting, should last, then just look at how long it lasted in the last competition, and have it be the same length for your competition. The judge should also update the “Contestants” section of their competition with links to each entry, and the name of the user who submitted it.
Once the time to submit entries ends, the judge is responsible for starting the google form for voting. If a judge doesn’t know how to do this, there will most likely be someone from the previous competition who would be willing to help if asked.
The judge should remove troll votes if there are any, and announce the scores and winners of the previous competition, after voting ends. It’s alright not to be able to do this immediately after voting ends, but the judge should try to do it as quickly as they can.
The judge, just like any other category winner, cannot submit anything to a category they created, or significantly impacted the creation of.
Category Winners: A category winner must do the following:
They must pick the next competition's theme for the category they won. Other category winners can help advise you or give you ideas for the theme, but ultimately, it’s up to you to pick it. The judge should start a private message thread with you and the other category winners, and that’s where you tell them your next category idea.
If you pick a category's theme, you cannot participate in it in the next competition. In addition, if you played a very, very significant role in picking another category’s theme, it is best for you not to participate in it. For example, if another contestant gives a list of their five ideas for the next competition and lets you pick it, then you probably shouldn’t participate in that category for when that theme comes up. However, if you just say something like, “Ooh, that sounds like a cool category idea,” or, “I like that idea but it is a little confusing, maybe you could word it differently?” Then you didn’t play that significant of a role in choosing that category, so you can still participate in it.
Mini FAQ* for competition contestants:
Q. Wait, how do I submit?
A. You just make a post in the competition thread with either a link to your entry, or your entry typed out in it. It helps to add what category you’re submitting to, but it is not strictly necessary since it’s pretty easy to figure out what type of category the entry is for.
Q. Can you vote on your own submission?
A. Yes. Contestants are encouraged strongly to vote, and to vote 5 & 5 on their own submissions, as 5 will be subtracted from each score while being calculated. This is to maintain fair voting while encouraging votes.
Q. Where can I find the forms for voting?
A. When the competition submission time ends, voting will start soon. You vote on a google form. The judge should link the forms near the voting section when they’re up, and they will probably also make a post on the thread announcing that voting’s started with the link.
Q. Can I have multiple submissions in the same competition?
A. Yes, you can have multiple submissions for the same competition. HOWEVER, as described in the “Contest Categories” section of this competition, you can only have one entry per category. For example, you can make something for the DM’s Options, PC Options, and Inspirational Options, but you can't make two things for PC Options and one for DM’s.
Q. I’ve already submitted something for X category, can I change my submission for it?
A. Yes, you can change your submission for a specific category as long as the deadline for submissions has not yet been reached. Do remember that if you’re changing your submission, it is best to edit your original post with your first submission to say that it is obsolete, and necessary to make a new one to announce & link your new submission. Also, do keep in mind that it does create a bit more work for the judges when you edit your submission, because they have to update the links. However, it is alright to do so.
Q. Is written feedback optional and does it effect an entries score?
A. Yes, written feedback is optional. No, it does not effect an entries score.
Q. Is the scoring by total score, or by average score?
A. The scoring is done by both average scores (Balance/Playability, Idea/Creativity) being added together for a final score. All scores have -5 when being calculated for reasons stated elsewhere.
Q. How do I know if my submission is more appropriate for the DM category or the Interactive category?
A. If it is not obvious which of the two categories your submission would make sense for, then it really comes down to which pillar of the game you seek to explore. DM Options are more closely tied to combat whereas Interactive Options are more closely tied to exploration and social encounters.
As an example, if you have an NPC with a stat block and you are not sure where to submit, consider whether the goal of incorporating the NPC into a game would be to fight the PCs or for the PCs to gather information from it. Its possible to write a strong, social-focused NPC who still has a stat block just in case things turn towards combat, but if your desire for the NPC is to interact with the PCs through roleplay, then it likely is more fitting for the Interactive Category. If your desire is for the NPC to maybe roleplay a little, but ultimately engage the party in combat, then it would be closer to a "monster" and fit in the DM category.
Choose one creature you can see within range, you and they are cursed with terrible misfortune. Both you and the target make attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws at disadvantage for the duration. While you concentrate on this spell you can use a bonus action to change the creature (other than yourself) that is targeted by the spell to another creature you can see within range, or choose to end the spell.
If a creature dies while affected by this curse, the curse becomes permanent affecting any reincarnations or resurrections of them. If the curse becomes permanent it can only be removed by a remove curse cast at 7th level or higher.
Well, i've loosely followed some of these for a while now, so I figure I should throw my hat in the ring. At the risk of blatantly helping my opponents, check out the Harbinger of Doom from 4e DND (don't give me that look. Epic Destinies were cool!). It was in the PHB 2 from that edition, and I think it could provide great inspiration for the Player category
I'll have entries for all three categories, but I need to work on them, so for now I'll just say I'm excited to compete and see all the great 'brews!
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Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brorminthe Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner;Theathe Rebellious Beauty;
Well, i've loosely followed some of these for a while now, so I figure I should throw my hat in the ring. At the risk of blatantly helping my opponents, check out the Harbinger of Doom from 4e DND (don't give me that look. Epic Destinies were cool!). It was in the PHB 2 from that edition, and I think it could provide great inspiration for the Player category
You've got me all figured out! The 4e flavor text for the harbinger partially inspired me to create this theme, and I've been working on related homebrew for 5e. The other was the "catastrophist" master path from either Shadow of the Demon Lord or Shadow of the Weird Wizard (I forget which). I would copy their contents directly here, but that would be a copyright violation.
Well, i've loosely followed some of these for a while now, so I figure I should throw my hat in the ring. At the risk of blatantly helping my opponents, check out the Harbinger of Doom from 4e DND (don't give me that look. Epic Destinies were cool!). It was in the PHB 2 from that edition, and I think it could provide great inspiration for the Player category
You've got me all figured out! The 4e flavor text for the harbinger partially inspired me to create this theme, and I've been working on related homebrew for 5e. The other was the "catastrophist" master path from either Shadow of the Demon Lord or Shadow of the Weird Wizard (I forget which). I would copy their contents directly here, but that would be a copyright violation.
NAT 20 on that RL insight role. I know all your secrets, Gnomarchy! I know what you did.
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Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brorminthe Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner;Theathe Rebellious Beauty;
You found yourself transported to the lower planes as a sacrifice in some cursed ritual or as part of a dark cultists whim. Caught in the middle of the war between Fiends you managed to scramble for survival and wandered the lower planes. You survived there for many years, maybe even decades as your flesh refused to age. The experience was harrowing and you might have had to do morally reprehensible things to survive. But somehow you made it and found a way back to the material plane.
But turns out that after such an experience it is very hard to pick up your life as if nothing happened. And so you began to wander. Your dark deeds and the stink of the underworld upon you.
Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from Arcana, Intimidation, Persuasion, Religion, Stealth or Survival Tool Proficiencies: Choose one tool proficiency
Languages: Choose between Infernal and Abyssal
Equipment: A set of traveler's clothes, a memento from your old life, a ritual dagger, a monster hunter's pack, and a purse containing 10 gp
Harrowing Encounter
During your time in the underworld you had a harrowing run in with one of the archfiends. Roll on the below table to determine who you encounterd, or decide with your DM. You and your DM determine what the encounter looked like.
d8
Archfiend
1
Asmodeus
2
Zariel
3
Glasya
4
Tiamat
5
The Oinoloth
6
Orcus
7
Graz’zt
8
Fraz-Urb’luu
Feature: Crawling Sense
Your time in the lower planes left you with a crawling dread which tells you about nearby danger from unholy activity. You can somewhat sense the involvement of devils, demons and other fiends giving you advantage on detecting these creatures. In addition you have a mild understanding of infernal rituals and might have some insight in these things when encountered, upon your DM's discretion.
Suggested Characteristics
As a survivor of the lower planes, your experiences have not left you unmarked. How does this form your haunted ways?
d8
Personality Trait
1
I have difficulty talking to those who have not faced death or trauma.
2
I strive to protect others from my fate and must stand strong.
3
I cope with gallow's humor and often say the wrong things when talking to those that are not of the same dark wit.
4
I take great pains to not be noticed by those around me.
5
I am prone to fits of paranoia and fear.
6
I prefer never to be alone.
7
I get easily annoyed at the mundanities of normal life.
8
I might forgive, but I will never forget.
d6
Ideal
1
Protection. Those that do not know need to be protected from those that wish to harm them. (Good)
2
Responsibility. It is my duty to warn or help those around me, I must do anything I can to keep them on the right path. (Lawful)
3
Life. Who cares about the rules, I want to live my way now that I am back. (Chaotic)
4
Blood. I will sacrifice others, to guarantee it is not me who will end up on the altar again. (Evil)
5
Zealotry. I need a god or patron that can protect me and fully devote myself to them. (Any)
6
Survival. The only virtue is being alive at the end of it all. (Neutral)
d6
Bond
1
I will protect my comrades at any cost.
2
I made a deal with a necessary evil and must minimize the damage.
3
Nothing is more important than the safety of others.
4
I am afraid I can never make a genuine connection again.
5
My loyalty to my faith is unwavering.
6
I can only trust those that bled for me.
d6
Flaw
1
I consume copious amounts of liquor or substances to deal with life.
2
I have been tempted before, and might be again.
3
I’m quick to anger when things don't go my way.
4
I fear I am already doomed and will see the worst outcome in any situation.
5
I did fine on my own, I earned my right to be stubborn!
I'm really excited about my idea for the third category. It's a throwback to an obscure adventure form 2e, meaning that Raccoon_Master must already know what it is. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
When consumed, the potion remains active within you for one full day. At any time during that day, if you take damage of one of the following types, you immediately polymorph into the listed creature, gaining its resistance to the triggering damage. If a single attack does multiple types of damage, which one becomes the triggering damage is determined randomly. You remain in this polymorphed form for 1 minute, or until the form's hit points are reduced to 0. Your game statistics, including mental ability scores, are replaced by the statistics of the listed creature, but you retain your alignment and personality. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before being transformed. If you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. The potion remains active even while you are polymorphed, so a new source of damage can trigger a new transformation before the previous one has ended. Any lingering effects of the polymorphed form, such as slaad egg infestation, continue even after you have reverted to your normal form or been polymorphed into a different form.
Created by a mage with an exotic menagerie of specimens he could experiment upon, as well as a cruel sense of humor, this potion promises to protect the drinker from almost any type of damage. The way it does so may not be exactly what the imbiber had in mind, however. Purlivon's Potion of Protection is often used as a prank or dare among students in their final year at elite wizarding colleges.
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Quick question, what's the rarity? I'm having a really hard time judging the balance. Suppose I know the effects of the potion. The red slaad is the most powerful monster on the list. So I'd have my party wizard just cast booming blade or thunderwave or whatever on me whenever I'm knocked out of that form to stay in red slaad form for the entire day at the cost of a few hp each time. You see where I'm going with this?
Is it possible that you intend for the effect to wear off completely within a minute of the first transformation? If so, that's not clear.
Quick question, what's the rarity? I'm having a really hard time judging the balance. Suppose I know the effects of the potion. The red slaad is the most powerful monster on the list. So I'd have my party wizard just cast booming blade or thunderwave or whatever on me whenever I'm knocked out of that form to stay in red slaad form for the entire day at the cost of a few hp each time (which the red slaad regenerates anyway). You see where I'm going with this?
Is it possible that you intend for the effect to wear off completely within a minute of the first transformation? If so, that's not clear.
Sure, if you want to leave a red slaad infestation in your wake, go for it...
TBH I only picked the slaad because there was nothing I could find in the CR 1-3 range that had thunder resistance and was a "normal" living creature (i.e. not undead or some form of dragon). I might just drop it from the list
Rarity added
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Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Sure, if you want to leave a red slaad infestation in your wake, go for it...
Sure, but ditto with the strigoi. The point isn't that the slaad is overpowered. It's that being able to almost freely transform into a CR 3-5 creature for an entire day is.
Again, was that your intention, or was your intention for the potion to be exhausted a minute after the initial transformation?
Sure, if you want to leave a red slaad infestation in your wake, go for it...
Sure, but ditto with the strigoi. The point isn't that the slaad is overpowered. It's that being able to almost freely transform into a CR 3-5 creature for an entire day is.
Again, was that your intention, or was your intention for the potion to be exhausted a minute after the initial transformation?
Strigoi don't create other strigoi
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Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Sure, if you want to leave a red slaad infestation in your wake, go for it...
Sure, but ditto with the strigoi. The point isn't that the slaad is overpowered. It's that being able to almost freely transform into a CR 3-5 creature for an entire day is.
Again, was that your intention, or was your intention for the potion to be exhausted a minute after the initial transformation?
Strigoi don't create other strigoi
Lol Anton, I'm not really arguing with you here--I'm trying to help you out.
My point in that last comment is that the strigoi would also be a very powerful option for the transformation. But what's more important is your answer to the highlighted question, that I've now asked twice!
I haven't answered the question because it's very clear in the description of the item already. It's literally the first sentence
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Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I haven't answered the question because it's very clear in the description of the item already. It's literally the first sentence
Okay, so then I'll just be very obtuse here because I do not see it as clearly as you do. I will go forward understanding the following series of events as RAI:
I drink the potion, starting the 24 hour timer.
While the 24-hr timer is ticking, when I take damage, I transform as appropriate for one minute.
When that minute ends, I revert to my usual form.
While the 24-hr timer is still ticking and I take damage again, that minute starts again.
Rinse and repeat until the 24-hr timer ends.
Meaning that the potion stays active, no matter what, for 24 hours.
If that is the correct interpretation, then IMO I think it is overpowered. I think the effect is more reasonable if the one-minute polymorphapalooza burns out the potion, ending the 24-hour timer.
Just to be clear, though, since you've decided to have this discussion in public rather than waiting for the voting form: my fundamental position on the kind of cheese you're talking about -- attacking your own party member to trigger the effect before every combat in that day -- is that it's ultimately on the DM how to handle it
If you're in a hack-n-slash, all-combat, all-optimized sort of campaign, then sure, cheese away. Chances are very good the slaad isn't going to be an upgrade on your actual build when it comes to dealing damage, so it'll be a sub-optimal choice, or at best a bag of extra hit points. Remember, this is a polymorph, not a wild shape. You don't get your class features too. For 1 minute, you are a red slaad, and that's all you are
If you're not playing that sort of campaign, there are plenty of ways the DM can assign consequences to running around as a red slaad all day -- starting with the fact that a red slaad has an INT of 6 (so if you're using booming blade to trigger the transformation, it will absolutely move if it can on its next turn and take the secondary damage too). And again, there's the whole infestation thing
Or they can just hit the red slaad with fire or lightning damage and turn it into a creature with a movement speed of 5
I mean, the prompt for this challenge even says
This challenge is not just about power--rather, it is about possibilities. Your goal is to craft triggers and transformations that twist the narrative, spark the imagination, and open new doors for play
If "new doors for play" to you means attacking your own party member, and you're in a group that's cool with that, then sure, booming blade away
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Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Just to be clear, though, since you've decided to have this discussion in public rather than waiting for the voting form... <snip>
I wasn't going to keep posting, because I think we've come to an understanding, and I mostly agree with you. But in general I think the point of having a discussion thread here is to give each other constructive feedback before the submission period ends so that we can play our best cards and aren't ultimately surprised and disappointed by the votes. I'd rather have you see my feedback up front, even if you disagree with it, than wait until it's all over.
As I see it, this whole enterprise is at its worst when a) people don't give each other feedback while the iron is hot and b) end up arguing with each other ex post when they're disappointed with the outcome.
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If this is your first time joining us, welcome. The purpose of this thread is to spread a little bit of fun in the form of a friendly competition! Your task: Create an item of homebrew (see below) that is totally original and makes us go “wow!” The end products will be rated by members of the community, and the victor of each category will help create the next Finest ‘Brew contest! Now, onto the important stuff:
Timeframe
Entries must be submitted before Noon (Eastern time) on September 20th to be considered part of the competition.
Contest Categories
In each Finest Brew contest, there are three categories. These are so that people with skill in creating, say, monsters, don't end up stuck having to make dungeons. Each category is judged separately. There can only be one entrance per category per person. The category types are as follows:
This time, our category themes are:
DM Options: Catalysts of Change
In a world of magic, change is the only constant and nothing may be as it seems at first glance. For this challenge, your creations should exhibit some kind of dramatic transformation in response to a specific condition or trigger. The trigger can be anything: a change in the weather, the utterance of an unknown word, or even the presence of a particular kind of magic. This challenge is not just about power--rather, it is about possibilities. Your goal is to craft triggers and transformations that twist the narrative, spark the imagination, and open new doors for play. Whether it’s a creature that takes on a new form under the moon’s glow, or a dungeon that reconfigures its passages based on the emotions of those who enter, your creation should leave players wide-eyed and eager for what comes next.
Player Options: The Doomed
Cursed from birth, your life is a saga of misfortune and catastrophe. You might find strength in the suffering around you or wield the power of doom as a double-edged sword. Even your noblest acts, driven by the purest of intentions, ripple outwards, causing upheaval and awakening ancient terrors. Your destiny is an enigma, a dark prophecy waiting to unfold.
Your player option should support the archetype of a hero cursed by ill fortune. Consider options that allow a character to gain some benefit when their companions fail, curse their enemies with uncannily bad luck, or gain tremendous power when their doom is near.
Good luck, and may your character's doom be legendary! (This theme was chosen by Gnomarchy)
Interactive Options: Positively Looney
Across the course of their lives, adventurers will happen across places, objects, and people they can only describe as "absurd". Whether it be a deceptive trickster from the Feywild or some vestige of chaos stemming from the outer plane of Pandemonium, these things stand out as strange. For this challenge, aim to create something which acts in a way which is silly, counterintuitive, or down right cartoon-ish. Seek to create that which is not bound by the same day-to-day rules and laws as the rest of us. (This theme was chosen by Kaboom979)
Voting
VOTING HAS STARTED: CLICK HERE
Voting will start September 22nd (or thereabouts, once the survey is made) and will end at Noon (Eastern Time) on October 5th. A Google Forms poll for each category will be posted on this thread, and all may vote on it - including and especially contestants. Contestants are encouraged to vote 5 and 5 on their own submissions; all scores will have 5 subtracted from both voting categories. Scores are assigned using a numerical value from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).
Written Feedback - You have the option to give written feedback, should you choose, for any entries on the forms. Written feedback does not factor into a contestants score.
We are hoping that by giving everyone more criteria to vote on for each entry, you will think about each aspect and not feel the need to cram all of your thoughts into a single number. We are also hoping that having multiple scores contribute to the total will make ties less likely to occur.
Please try to take the time to review and vote for every entry, except for your own, in the categories you vote in, as even one vote can easily sway a competition like this. If there's anything you feel very strongly about, also feel free to review it in the thread! Reviews won't count for anything, but it's nice to get feedback!
Determining Winners
Guides & Mini-FAQ* & Changelog
WAIT! Before you see the 5th level Wall of Text in this FAQ’s* & Guides section, and decide not to submit to the competition because you don’t want to read it, remember that reading this section is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. You do not need to read any of this to submit something for the competition, to pick a category, or to become the next judge. This is merely a helpful tool if you’re confused. You have no obligation to read or use it!
Guide for Competition & Category Winners.
Competition Winner: The competition winner becomes the next judge, they are responsible for doing the following:
Category Winners: A category winner must do the following:
Mini FAQ* for competition contestants:
Q. Wait, how do I submit?
A. You just make a post in the competition thread with either a link to your entry, or your entry typed out in it. It helps to add what category you’re submitting to, but it is not strictly necessary since it’s pretty easy to figure out what type of category the entry is for.
Q. Can you vote on your own submission?
A. Yes. Contestants are encouraged strongly to vote, and to vote 5 & 5 on their own submissions, as 5 will be subtracted from each score while being calculated. This is to maintain fair voting while encouraging votes.
Q. Where can I find the forms for voting?
A. When the competition submission time ends, voting will start soon. You vote on a google form. The judge should link the forms near the voting section when they’re up, and they will probably also make a post on the thread announcing that voting’s started with the link.
Q. Can I have multiple submissions in the same competition?
A. Yes, you can have multiple submissions for the same competition. HOWEVER, as described in the “Contest Categories” section of this competition, you can only have one entry per category. For example, you can make something for the DM’s Options, PC Options, and Inspirational Options, but you can't make two things for PC Options and one for DM’s.
Q. I’ve already submitted something for X category, can I change my submission for it?
A. Yes, you can change your submission for a specific category as long as the deadline for submissions has not yet been reached. Do remember that if you’re changing your submission, it is best to edit your original post with your first submission to say that it is obsolete, and necessary to make a new one to announce & link your new submission. Also, do keep in mind that it does create a bit more work for the judges when you edit your submission, because they have to update the links. However, it is alright to do so.
Q. Is written feedback optional and does it effect an entries score?
A. Yes, written feedback is optional. No, it does not effect an entries score.
Q. Is the scoring by total score, or by average score?
A. The scoring is done by both average scores (Balance/Playability, Idea/Creativity) being added together for a final score. All scores have -5 when being calculated for reasons stated elsewhere.
Q. How do I know if my submission is more appropriate for the DM category or the Interactive category?
A. If it is not obvious which of the two categories your submission would make sense for, then it really comes down to which pillar of the game you seek to explore. DM Options are more closely tied to combat whereas Interactive Options are more closely tied to exploration and social encounters.
As an example, if you have an NPC with a stat block and you are not sure where to submit, consider whether the goal of incorporating the NPC into a game would be to fight the PCs or for the PCs to gather information from it. Its possible to write a strong, social-focused NPC who still has a stat block just in case things turn towards combat, but if your desire for the NPC is to interact with the PCs through roleplay, then it likely is more fitting for the Interactive Category. If your desire is for the NPC to maybe roleplay a little, but ultimately engage the party in combat, then it would be closer to a "monster" and fit in the DM category.
Contestants
DM Options: Catalysts of Change
Purlivon's Potion of Protection - AntonSirius
The Archivist - Gnomarchy
Bag of Tricks - spruce56
The Whirlygig - Agilemind
Piece of the Weave - ZomblesKlein
The Clink-Clacks - MilestoGo_24
The Blade of Reincarnated Servitude - Raccoon_Master
Player Options: The Doomed
Curse of Shared Misfortune (Spell - Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer) - Agilemind
Sacrificial Victim (Background) - ZomblesKlein
Mournful (Feat) - MilestoGo_24
The Fate-Stealer Species - Raccoon_Master
Interactive Options: Positively Looney
The Gnomish Machinery Figure-Out Chart - Gnomarchy
Thisis Notfu Nny - ZomblesKlein
Rainbow Arch - Agilemind
Previous Competitions
The Competition of the Finest Brews I - Judged by Yamana_Eajii. (Thread accidentally deleted)
The Competition of the Finest Brews II - Judged by Thauraeln_The_Bold.
The Competition of the Finest Brews III - Judged by TabaxiRogueFighterClericWarlock
The Competition of the Finest Brews IV - Judged by Kaboom979
The Competition of the Finest Brews V - Judged by ThorukDuckSlayer
The Competition of the Finest Brews VI - Judged by Semako
The Competition of the Finest Brews VII - Judged by MilestoGo_24
The Competition of the Finest Brews VIII — Judged by Heartofjuyomk2
The Competition of the Finest Brews IX— Judged by IamSposta
The Competition of the Finest Brews X — Judged by Kaboom979
The Competition of the Finest Brews XI - Judged by BoringBard
The Competition of the Finest Brews XII- Judged by ThorukDuckSlayer
The Competition of the Finest Brews XIII - Judged by Kaboom979
The Competition of the Finest Brews XIV- Judged by MilestoGo_24
The Competition of the Finest ‘Brews XV - Judged by IamSposta
The Competition of the Finest ‘Brews XVI - Judged by MilestoGo_24
The Competition of the Finest ‘Brews XVII - Judged by ZomblesKlein
The Competition of the Finest ‘Brews XVIII - Judged by Gnomarchy
The Competition of the Finest ‘Brews XIX - Judged by Dragon_Shark
The Competition of the Finest 'Brews XX - Judged by The_Lost_Leg
The Competition of the Finest 'Brews XXI - Judged by AntonSirius
The Competition of the Finest 'Brews XXII - Judged by ZomblesKlein
Hoorah! Can't wait to participate!
EDIT: You forgot to paste the changelog!
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXIV?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
We didn't make any changes this time around, so I opted to remove it.
Player Options: The Doomed
Curse of Shared Misfortune (Spell - Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer)
LEVEL: 3rd CASTING TIME: 1 Action RANGE: 60 ft COMPONENTS: V/S
DURATION: 1 hour (Concentration) SCHOOL: Necromancy ATTACK/SAVE: None
Choose one creature you can see within range, you and they are cursed with terrible misfortune. Both you and the target make attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws at disadvantage for the duration. While you concentrate on this spell you can use a bonus action to change the creature (other than yourself) that is targeted by the spell to another creature you can see within range, or choose to end the spell.
If a creature dies while affected by this curse, the curse becomes permanent affecting any reincarnations or resurrections of them. If the curse becomes permanent it can only be removed by a remove curse cast at 7th level or higher.
Excitement. Cant wait to participate in the other categories
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Well, i've loosely followed some of these for a while now, so I figure I should throw my hat in the ring. At the risk of blatantly helping my opponents, check out the Harbinger of Doom from 4e DND (don't give me that look. Epic Destinies were cool!). It was in the PHB 2 from that edition, and I think it could provide great inspiration for the Player category
I'll have entries for all three categories, but I need to work on them, so for now I'll just say I'm excited to compete and see all the great 'brews!
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brormin the Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner; Thea the Rebellious Beauty;
Check out my EXTENDED SIGNATUR and don’t forget to join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
"I don't make sense to you, and I don't make sense to myself. Maybe the only one I make sense to is God" ~ Me, trying to sound smart
You've got me all figured out! The 4e flavor text for the harbinger partially inspired me to create this theme, and I've been working on related homebrew for 5e. The other was the "catastrophist" master path from either Shadow of the Demon Lord or Shadow of the Weird Wizard (I forget which). I would copy their contents directly here, but that would be a copyright violation.
NAT 20 on that RL insight role. I know all your secrets, Gnomarchy! I know what you did.
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brormin the Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner; Thea the Rebellious Beauty;
Check out my EXTENDED SIGNATUR and don’t forget to join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
"I don't make sense to you, and I don't make sense to myself. Maybe the only one I make sense to is God" ~ Me, trying to sound smart
Player Options: The Doomed
Sacrificial Victim (Background)
You found yourself transported to the lower planes as a sacrifice in some cursed ritual or as part of a dark cultists whim. Caught in the middle of the war between Fiends you managed to scramble for survival and wandered the lower planes. You survived there for many years, maybe even decades as your flesh refused to age. The experience was harrowing and you might have had to do morally reprehensible things to survive. But somehow you made it and found a way back to the material plane.
But turns out that after such an experience it is very hard to pick up your life as if nothing happened. And so you began to wander. Your dark deeds and the stink of the underworld upon you.
Tool Proficiencies: Choose one tool proficiency
During your time in the underworld you had a harrowing run in with one of the archfiends. Roll on the below table to determine who you encounterd, or decide with your DM. You and your DM determine what the encounter looked like.
Your time in the lower planes left you with a crawling dread which tells you about nearby danger from unholy activity. You can somewhat sense the involvement of devils, demons and other fiends giving you advantage on detecting these creatures. In addition you have a mild understanding of infernal rituals and might have some insight in these things when encountered, upon your DM's discretion.
Suggested Characteristics
As a survivor of the lower planes, your experiences have not left you unmarked. How does this form your haunted ways?
I am also here.
Am snek.
I am currently judging the Competition of the Finest 'Brews XXIV
I'm really excited about my idea for the third category. It's a throwback to an obscure adventure form 2e, meaning that Raccoon_Master must already know what it is. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
DM Options: Catalysts of Change
Purlivon's Potion of Protection
(potion, very rare)
When consumed, the potion remains active within you for one full day. At any time during that day, if you take damage of one of the following types, you immediately polymorph into the listed creature, gaining its resistance to the triggering damage. If a single attack does multiple types of damage, which one becomes the triggering damage is determined randomly. You remain in this polymorphed form for 1 minute, or until the form's hit points are reduced to 0. Your game statistics, including mental ability scores, are replaced by the statistics of the listed creature, but you retain your alignment and personality. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before being transformed. If you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. The potion remains active even while you are polymorphed, so a new source of damage can trigger a new transformation before the previous one has ended. Any lingering effects of the polymorphed form, such as slaad egg infestation, continue even after you have reverted to your normal form or been polymorphed into a different form.
Non-Magical Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing - grick
Acid - ochre jelly
Cold - ice spider
Fire - assassin vine
Lightning - giant lightning eel
Necrotic - strigoi
Poison - assassin bug
Psychic - psurlon
Radiant - astral blight
Thunder - red slaad
Created by a mage with an exotic menagerie of specimens he could experiment upon, as well as a cruel sense of humor, this potion promises to protect the drinker from almost any type of damage. The way it does so may not be exactly what the imbiber had in mind, however. Purlivon's Potion of Protection is often used as a prank or dare among students in their final year at elite wizarding colleges.
Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Quick question, what's the rarity? I'm having a really hard time judging the balance. Suppose I know the effects of the potion. The red slaad is the most powerful monster on the list. So I'd have my party wizard just cast booming blade or thunderwave or whatever on me whenever I'm knocked out of that form to stay in red slaad form for the entire day at the cost of a few hp each time. You see where I'm going with this?
Is it possible that you intend for the effect to wear off completely within a minute of the first transformation? If so, that's not clear.
Sure, if you want to leave a red slaad infestation in your wake, go for it...
TBH I only picked the slaad because there was nothing I could find in the CR 1-3 range that had thunder resistance and was a "normal" living creature (i.e. not undead or some form of dragon). I might just drop it from the list
Rarity added
Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Sure, but ditto with the strigoi. The point isn't that the slaad is overpowered. It's that being able to almost freely transform into a CR 3-5 creature for an entire day is.
Again, was that your intention, or was your intention for the potion to be exhausted a minute after the initial transformation?
Strigoi don't create other strigoi
Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Lol Anton, I'm not really arguing with you here--I'm trying to help you out.
My point in that last comment is that the strigoi would also be a very powerful option for the transformation. But what's more important is your answer to the highlighted question, that I've now asked twice!
I haven't answered the question because it's very clear in the description of the item already. It's literally the first sentence
Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Okay, so then I'll just be very obtuse here because I do not see it as clearly as you do. I will go forward understanding the following series of events as RAI:
Meaning that the potion stays active, no matter what, for 24 hours.
If that is the correct interpretation, then IMO I think it is overpowered. I think the effect is more reasonable if the one-minute polymorphapalooza burns out the potion, ending the 24-hour timer.
Then you're free to vote accordingly
Just to be clear, though, since you've decided to have this discussion in public rather than waiting for the voting form: my fundamental position on the kind of cheese you're talking about -- attacking your own party member to trigger the effect before every combat in that day -- is that it's ultimately on the DM how to handle it
If you're in a hack-n-slash, all-combat, all-optimized sort of campaign, then sure, cheese away. Chances are very good the slaad isn't going to be an upgrade on your actual build when it comes to dealing damage, so it'll be a sub-optimal choice, or at best a bag of extra hit points. Remember, this is a polymorph, not a wild shape. You don't get your class features too. For 1 minute, you are a red slaad, and that's all you are
If you're not playing that sort of campaign, there are plenty of ways the DM can assign consequences to running around as a red slaad all day -- starting with the fact that a red slaad has an INT of 6 (so if you're using booming blade to trigger the transformation, it will absolutely move if it can on its next turn and take the secondary damage too). And again, there's the whole infestation thing
Or they can just hit the red slaad with fire or lightning damage and turn it into a creature with a movement speed of 5
I mean, the prompt for this challenge even says
If "new doors for play" to you means attacking your own party member, and you're in a group that's cool with that, then sure, booming blade away
Active characters:
Green Hill Sunrise, jaded tabaxi mercenary trapped in the Dark Domains (Battle Master fighter)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I wasn't going to keep posting, because I think we've come to an understanding, and I mostly agree with you. But in general I think the point of having a discussion thread here is to give each other constructive feedback before the submission period ends so that we can play our best cards and aren't ultimately surprised and disappointed by the votes. I'd rather have you see my feedback up front, even if you disagree with it, than wait until it's all over.
As I see it, this whole enterprise is at its worst when a) people don't give each other feedback while the iron is hot and b) end up arguing with each other ex post when they're disappointed with the outcome.