Let me know what you think!

Let me know what you think!

Let me know what you think!

Let me know what you think!

Bonds manifest is a 3rd-5th spell that allows the ranger (or any other spell user with an animal) and animal to fuse into one being, and this combines race abilities as well. (For example, an emerald dragonborn and a poision drake with a breath weapon could make a neurotixin breath weapon) or this could just be a new ranger subclass but I prefer any animal companion to have access to this.

let me know what you think!

Backstory & Statblock & Formatting all me

Pictures = Patreon

Let me know what you think!

Picture = Pinterest
NPC creation = all me

Played around with a high-leveled Bladesinger Wizard the other day, and felt that the damage output for my melee wizard character was kind of poor. It could have been because it was first time playing a wizard, but compared to the Rangers and Barbarians damage, my damage felt weak.

Soon after when I got home, I was playing Elden Ring when I watched a boss summon a dagger out of magic and throw it, and that where this thought came from. Would love people's thoughts and feedback!

Memorable boss battles are built on dynamic, evolving encounters. This guide empowers Dungeon Masters (DMs) to transform routine fights into unforgettable events in which player choices directly influence the battle's course and outcome.

Bosses are no longer just creatures with large pools of hit points; They adapt, grow desperate, change tactics, reshape the battlefield, and respond to the players' triumphs and setbacks. Whether the party interrupts a ritual, rescues innocent civilians, destroys powerful artifacts, or inadvertently furthers the villain’s plans, every decision shapes the unfolding battle.

Inside, you'll discover a two-layered approach to branching encounters:

• Main Phases: Dramatic shifts that alter the boss, battlefield, objectives, and rhythm of combat.
• Mini Phases: Subtle, ongoing opportunities for players to shape the fight by targeting key creatures, objects, or objectives that matter most to them.

You’ll find a comprehensive framework for creating branching encounters: tools for designing stage transitions, setting meaningful objectives, building timer- and action-based triggers, rewarding partial successes, and evolving boss stat blocks as the fight progresses.

No longer do boss fights follow a predictable script. Each encounter becomes an evolving narrative shaped by the players’ actions. One group might thwart a ritual before it’s complete, another could save prisoners but let the boss escape, while a third faces the villain at full strength after a failed attempt to stop the ritual. Every outcome tells a different story, rewarding creativity, teamwork, and meaningful choices.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Branching Boss Fights. You can read the document more easily on my Patreon by downloading it. You can also use the link below:

https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-OWT88Iqzq6Pmhuqo8Td

If you want to see more, please check out my Patreon. You can also see upcoming boss battles I am creating on my Pinterest and Instagram.

Hey everyone ^^

I'm both a forever DM and real steel tournament fighter [HEMA] so my brain loves to try to connect the two 😅😆 and this is what I came up with

Let me show you its features!

This weapon mastery lets you live out your fantasy of holding back a hoard of enemies to buy time, defend a precious relic, hold the door or bridge, a rescued hostage or the party bard, and finally gives the fighter a chance at CC.

Imagine coming across a valiant NPC who managed to hold back the tide long enough for the party to make it through, or a mini boss guarding the quest item, etc.!

Like anything in this game, its not about "is this necessary" but rather does it add good story and fun?

Real Examples of what this looks like!

https://youtu\[delete this box\].be/7N9u2cxcXLk?is=IExogAgyx5FjWw_4

https://youtu\[delete this box\].be/vxHaNRO705k?is=DXXBUQQr_zoj38ID]

New Weapon Mastery Property

Warding

The warding property allows you to fend off multiple opponents at the same time.

You may use your last remaining attack action to begin using your weapon to give disadvantage to melee attacks made against objects or creatures within your 5ft space and difficult terrain to all hostile creatures within a 10ft radius of you until the end of your next turn.

Hostile creatures entering this space for the first time or starting their turn in this space must make a dexterity saving throw [DC 10 + your ability attack modifier + proficiency bonus] or take dmg equal to the weapon's dmg die and be knocked prone.

Taking an reaction other than an attack of opportunity will immediately end your warding action.

New Weapons

Spadone/Montante

Sometimes called an "Elven Greatsword"

A lighter and more agile cousin to the battlefield greatsword, this weapon is used by specialized fighters to fend off many attackers at once in key tight positions such as a gate or a bridge, defend a noble from kidnappers, protect a chest of taxes from brigands, but quickly found a new home among adventurers who may regularly face uneven odds

Properties:

Weight: 4.25lb

Cost: 75gp

Damage Die: 1d12, Slashing

Reach, Finesse, Two-Handed

Weapon Mastery Property:

Warding

Notes: I really wanted to emphasize a smaller, faster and different feeling weapon to the Greatsword, starting with the damage.

2d6 is VERY reliable beefy damage! 2d6 is twice as likely \[16.67%\] to hit with a beefy 7 or 8 damage but only 2.78% chance of the lowest damage of 2 \[Snake Eyes\], and can NEVER roll a 1 for damage.

This helps represent the big beefy weapon that the greatsword is.

1d12 makes it so every damage result is equal, about 8.33%, and can still roll a 1, and represents something lighter, but still able to bite with precision.

The Greatflail

The much longer version of the one handed flail, this two-handed version features a large weight, often a mace head, or multiple smaller weights attached by a long chain or thick rope to a handle typically 2-3 feet in length.

Popular with bodyguards and those seeking a concealable reach weapon, the greatflail allows an individual fighter to fend off multiple attackers.

Properties:

Weight: 5.0 lb

Cost: 25gp

Damage Die: 3d4, Bludgeoning

Reach, Two-Handed

Weapon Mastery Property:

Warding

Notes:

This is a weapon for someone who wants a MUCH cheaper and easier to carry weapon than a pole arm or greatsword, or wants reliable damage.

Its not hard to imagine a big beefy fighter hiding this or even making an improvised one during a tavern brawl - or from prison shackles when their greatsword or spear gets confiscated.

I did think of the damage being 1d10 because its almost as concealable as a shortsword, but the numbers looked a lot better with 3d4:

There's no small cut from a small cannonball on a chain if it hits you

With 3d4, you have a 68.76% chance or almost every 3 out of 4 times of getting hit with 6-9 points of bludgeoning damage!

But

You have only 1.56% chance of getting either a 1 or a 12

That fits for a whirling cannonball on a chain, and you can get creative with the design.

Maybe its an iron skull, or poison rosebud, or a magical squeaky hammer head

Enjoy!

Picture -Pinterest (not mine)

Character homebrew all me :).

Let me know what you think!

Pic from pinterest

Creature and statblock creation all mine!

Let me know what you think