D&D Beyond’s August Drop: Sewers and Treasures!

Hello again, everyone! We have lots of stuff to cover for this month’s D&D Beyond Drop, which includes an Errata to boot! Let’s delve in!

Note: Pretend that this blog post is accompanied by your favorite JRPG battle music.

• For DMs
• For Players
• Errata

What is DDB Drops?

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For DMs

Alejandro Pacheco

Detect Thoughts: DM Options

That’s right; we’re getting into Detect Thoughts early!

JRPGs had a massive impact on me growing up - the likes of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Breath of Fire, and more occupied my thoughts and much of my time (much to my parent’s chagrin). It helped foster my love for fantasy and D&D as a whole (as I’m sure many of you can relate).

As Justice and I were thinking through the types of themes we wanted to explore this month, we really challenged ourselves to think of something that’s both familiar to D&D but well off the beaten path. Justice had off-handedly mentioned that we could explore something with sewers - and I had a Ratatouille type flashback (when Ego remembered his childhood), as suddenly dozens of JRPGs from years past flashed through my head. One of the most consistent locations in these JRPGs is sewers! Those sewers weren’t really functional sewers; instead, they were often featured as dungeons (it’s a good thing bathrooms were uncommon in JRPGs back then). 3 of the maps this month reflects that aesthetic and that motif - and when put together, they turn into a full dungeon (there’s also a room for a full boss fight, which is positioned right before the exit out).

Naturally - when you talk about JRPGs, you can’t help but think of the well-known roster of monsters that can be found throughout the genre! We opted to pass on the sentient cacti and fluffy chickens; and opted to go for slimes – or in D&D terms – Oozes! Oozes are criminally under-represented monsters in fifth edition, so we decided to address that!

These are known as the Sovereign Oozes. These Oozes have a drive to find others like themselves. These oozes seek to combine with another sovereign ooze – becoming more powerful if they’re successful. Two CR 4 Sovereign Ooze Vassals can merge and become a Sovereign Ooze Lord. Two CR 9 Sovereign Ooze Lords can merge into a CR 17 Sovereign Ooze Monarch. Two Sovereign Ooze Monarchs can merge into a... well here’s hoping we never find out!

Monsters

Sovereign Ooze Vassal (CR 4). These oozes were once discarded, magical experiments that have been animated and given life by a magical spark. Artist Credit: Alejandro Pacheco

Sovereign Ooze Lord (CR 9). The result of two Sovereign Ooze Vassals merging, these oozes gain a more evolved intelligence and seek to further its agendas. Artist Credit: Alejandro Pacheco

Sovereign Ooze Monarch (CR 17). The outcome of two Sovereign Ooze Lords merging; these oozes carry out the will of a greater power or try to consume all organic matter. Artist Credit: Alejandro Pacheco

Maps

Sewer Dungeon Entrance. One of the many entrances to this sprawling sewer dungeon; can you find your way to the surface? It can be found under Dungeons > Sewers. Cartographer Credit: Gerralt Landman

Sewer Dungeon Inner Chambers. There are many twists and turns within this sprawling sewer system - can you find all the secrets hidden within? It can be found under Dungeons > Sewers. Cartographer Credit: Gerralt Landman

Sewer Dungeon Boss Chamber and Exit. The end is finally in sight! Weirdly, there’s a big open space in the middle before the exit, and piles of skulls that can be found around it... Is that a save point and a chance to regain all my HP?! It can be found under Dungeons > Sewers. Cartographer Credit: Gerralt Landman

Sewer Dungeon Combined. This is a combined version of the previous three maps, placed together for your convenience. It can be found under Dungeons > Sewers. Cartographer Credit: Gerralt Landman

Neighborhood along City Walls. This sprawling urban neighborhood is perfect for a city encounter. It can be found under Urban > Street. Cartographer Credit: Chippy

Stickers

13 Sewer Stickers. We have 13 sewer stickers as part of this Drop as well! These are focused on letting you customize and change things about the sewer maps we’ve provided so that you can tailor it to fit your needs! Artist Credit: Gerralt Landman

For Players

Don’t worry – Players haven’t been forgotten! This month you’re getting plenty of treasure and the companion to the Fey Sentinel feat!

Magic Items

Alarm Pylon. A large post that allows you to set a specific trigger if someone casts a specific type of spell; if a creature takes damage; or if an object takes damage.

Silencing Satchel. A satchel that inflicts a silencing hex on an enemy, sealing their mouth completely shut.

Sync Ring. While wearing this ring, whenever you write something, a copy of the writing will also appear in a specified blank book.

Unraveling Cloak. A cloak that allows you to unravel its fabric to be used as a thread that you can follow. Highly recommended for labyrinths.

Wand of Misdirection. A wand that allows you to cast Mislead up to 4 times a day.

Feat

Fey Tormentor. Develop your Fey pact by learning how to confound and curse your enemies!

Backdrops

And just to make sure that you’re feeling adequately inspired when exploring the sewers – we’ve also added 4 new vermin-inspired character sheet backdrops!

Errata

We also have the first errata for Drops! I want to take another moment to thank everyone for the feedback that we’ve seen over the past few months – especially as a lot of today’s changes will help address that feedback. The team and I will continue to listen to your feedback and adjust the content accordingly. Let’s move on to the updates!

Feats

Fey Pact

• The Honeyed Words benefit text has been updated as follows: “When you fail a Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check, you can reroll the check, and you must use the new roll. Once this benefit turns a failure into a success, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.”

Infernal Pact

• The Infernal Resistance benefit text has been updated as follows: “You gain Resistance to Fire damage or Poison damage (choose when you select this feat).”
• The Infernal Sight benefit text has been updated as follows: “You gain Darkvision with a range of 30 feet. This Darkvision is unimpeded by magical Darkness.”

Shifting Combatant

• The second sentence of the Domino Strike benefit has been replaced with the following: “Each creature makes a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 plus the ability modifier of the score increased by this feat and your Proficiency Bonus), taking 1d10 Bludgeoning damage on a failed save.”

Spells

Astral Flood

This spell has been rewritten to be clearer and makes the following changes:

• Removed the distance restriction on the Blinded condition effect.
• Clarified that the additional effect occurs only when a target fails their Saving Throw.
• The spell now deals half damage on a successful save.
• Astral Flood is now on the Warlock spell list.

Tortoise Shell

• In the second sentence of the spell’s description, the following has been added before the second comma: “while it remains in place”.
• In the third sentence of the spell’s description, the following has been added before the first comma: “ using its action, Bonus Action, Reaction, or movement”

Void Star

• The fourth sentence has been replaced with the following: “Hit or miss, the target takes 3d12 Necrotic damage at the end of its next turn, and you regain Hit Points equal to that damage.”

Magic Item

Salubrious Armor

• The item’s description has been replaced with the following text: “While wearing this armor, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. Whenever you regain Hit Points, the armor takes on a reddish tint, and this bonus increases to +2 until the end of your next turn.”

Monsters

Angel of Slaughter

• Spellcasting. “Disguise Self (24-hour duration)” is now “Shapechange (Beast or Humanoid form only, no Temporary Hit Points gained from the spell, and no Concentration or Temporary Hit Points required to maintain the spell)”

Angel of Vengeance

• Spellcasting. “Disguise Self (24-hour duration)” is now “Shapechange (Humanoid form only, no Temporary Hit Points gained from the spell, and no Concentration or Temporary Hit Points required to maintain the spell)”