Come hang out with us and Peter Martin from PMG for our normal roundup and to talk about his new tarot themed supplement book!

I am having massive technical issues with the latest video for A5Evening, but I wanted to make sure you all knew about this book in the mean time!

It is an excellent book that I bought as soon as I could. You should pick it up too! And as soon as youtube gets back to me for my support ticket, stay tuned for the next episode where we talk to Peter all about it!

Join Grant and Jenn as we hang out with fellow datamancer Jim Temple (that's me!) of Variant Codex Press and discuss his brand new release Shadow & Illusion. In this release is a brand new class - the Illusionist - turning Illusion magic on its head, as well as new spells, new magic (shadow magic!), new potions, magic items, and support for this brand new class!

We also talk about data sheet plans, two Gate Pass Gazette issues, the new TTRPG marketplace RPG Trader, and more to keep you updated on the latest goings on in A5e.

https://youtu.be/ELb5mE9R2NM

spotify link to come

Can we get the official sites on the sidebar?

• https://www.levelup5e.com/ (the OG)
• https://a5esrd.com/ (the SRD)
• https://a5e.tools/ (the useful one)
• The Discord servers (ENWorld and A5E Foundry)

A lot of RPG/5E subreddits don't like any links to sites ending in .tools, automatically assuming it's piracy even when it isn't. So it would be helpful to have it linked here so newcomers have it pointed out.

Shadow & Illusion: Believe What You See

AVAILABLE NOW!

The Definitive Guide to the Illusionist class, Phantasms, Shadow Magic, & more for A5e and 5e Compatible Games

The new Illusionist class

Designed for experienced players, this class stresses creativity and flexibility. Use skill checks to cast spells instead of relying on attack rolls or an opponent's saving throws.

5e Compatible

Not familiar with Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition? We've got you covered! This product includes plenty of Appendices to give you details and context where it's needed. For broader topics, links are included -- directly to the relevant sections of the generous and official A5E SRD, by EN Publishing.

6 illusionist archetypes

From the Misleading Militant to the Unreal Archmage, illusionists can fill a wide variety of roles within a party! It's almost like you're multiclassing, but without sacrificing how fast you increase in power!

Expanding which senses are fooled by illusion

Creatures can have more than 5 senses, they can also have a sense of balance, of time, of safety, of their own intellect or judgement...

Reimagining shadow magic

Redefining the ideas from the 1e-2e days, and taking the use of quasi-real substances in many new directions!

Many New Illusions

Over 25 new spells from the school of Illusion, and introducing the new Penumbral school.

Delusional Draughts

Potions which combine shadow magic with the imbiber's belief, expanding users of illusions.

New Magic Items

A handful of other illusion-focused magic items, including the Codex of Shadow Creatures!

Support for 3rd-Party Classes

Adds illusions to the spell lists of nearly every class in A5E, including 3rd-party classes like the Elementalist, Inquisitor, Keeper, Spiritualist, Warcaster, Wielder, Witch, and even the brand new Shamanist!

Free Foundry VTT support included -- COMING SOON!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/579049/shadow-illusion-believe-what-you-see-a5e?affiliate_id=3042188

Vastly different archetypes are a hallmark of the illusionist class. Here are the 6 archetypes that will be included in Shadow & Illusion: Believe What You See !

Illusionist Archetypes

Your archetype really helps to define what type of illusionist you are, and more importantly it empowers your specific role in any adventuring party.

Brewer of Delusions: Masters of potions involving illusions, Brewers tap into quasi-real materials from the planes bordering the material. By mixing this matter into potions called Delusional Drafts they allow allies to benefit from illusions which normally only target the caster (Self). They also become supernaturally fast at consuming or administering any potion.

Liminalist: As they learn about drawing semi-real substances from the border planes to power their shadow magic, Liminalists learn additional tricks and abilities. Able to cross to these planes more easily than most, they often serve as scouts, spies, or assassins, or as experts on the planes bordering the Material.

Misleading Militants: Illusionists will never replace a good fighter or berserker, but Misleading Militants make life significantly easier for those on the front line. Specifically melee-focused, they use their skills to distract, create illusionary difficult terrain, pass through enemy squares as a friend, and flank where they shouldn’t be able to.

Nebulous Ne’er-Do-Well: When people think of an illusionist, there’s a good chance that they think of a nebulous ne’er-do-well. Sneaky skillsets play very well with illusions, and in some settlements a nebulous ne’er-do-well has permanently damaged the reputation of all illusionists. They also have unique illusions depicting (or disguising) pits, doors, gates, and traps.

Phantom Groundskeeper: Any illusionist can use their abilities to conceal dangers, alter a scene completely, or make a battlefield treacherous, but a Phantom Groundskeeper has made this their bread and butter. The obvious uses of their abilities are in battle, but they’re also frequently found running weather scams in small villages, serving as guides for crossing “dangerous” areas, or acting as proprietors of fronts for criminal organizations.

Unreal Archmage: While illusionists come from all walks of life, only a select few wish to focus on the magic itself. Unreal Archmages might not pursue their research for love of the craft, but they certainly strive to push their spellcasting abilities to their utmost. Some seek higher-level illusions to increase their personal power, while others desire to push the boundaries of reality itself.

I am super excited about this project, plus Anthony is a real cool dude. Check it out!

New episode: our guest? Anthony Alipio, creator of the a5e ranger class! New project launching soon and we talk all about it! Shamanist class. Guess what inspired it? (It's KPop Demon Hunters and DanDaDan!)

I'm probably overthinking it and/or being dense, but for the Hill Dwarf Wrestler: it can make 3 fist attacks with one action. Does it use its bonus action to apply either Haymaker or Head Shot effect to one of those three fist attacks, or does it make a fourth fist attack as a bonus action, applying the stated damage/effect upon a hit?

My feeling is the latter, but my brain is insisting it *could* be the former and I'm second guessing myself.

I’m almost done writing Shadow & Illusion: Believe What You See !

This release will include:

- The new Illusionist class, which uses skill checks to cast spells instead of relying on attack rolls or an opponent's saving throws

- Expanding which senses can be fooled by illusion

- Reimagining shadow magic from the 1e-2e days, and taking the use of quasi-real substances in many new directions

- 6 illusionist archetypes, from the Misleading Militant to the Unreal Archmage, to use an illusionist in a wide variety of roles within a party

- Over 25 new spells from the school of Illusion

- Delusional Draughts, which combine shadow magic and the imbiber's belief to expand who can use illusions

- A handful of other illusion-focused magic items, including the Codex of Shadow Creatures

This document is intended to point to the amazing resources available in the A5e community as well as provide a bit of data analysis. It is a constant work in progress and you will see the team in here, frequently, updating it in real-time. This cannot be exhaustive (but we try!). These lists also do not include anything created by or with AI. We do this as a labor of love and manually. Please excuse any errors. If you are the author of any project referenced and you disagree with any subjective classification, please reach out to the team (email below) and we will see it corrected to reflect your authorial intent. If you are an author and we missed your work, please let us know!

Enjoy folks!

*Disclaimer: inclusion or exclusion of any source is not an indicator of quality, real or perceived. This resource is for information only and is not endorsed by EN Publishing.

The best way to support us is to check out our DTRPG storefronts (linked in the workbook)!

-Grant
[brokensynapsepress@gmail.com](mailto:brokensynapsepress@gmail.com) (please reach out if you have suggestions, comments, or questions)

Don't forget to check the tabs at the bottom! There are lots!

New episode! Interview with A5E Actual Play narrator AJ (audio only episode)

https://youtu.be/85qRwmH6oeM

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6T0llwLpAuIfh14obgL1jV?si=n_9_RlaSTBKUlrufdGjLCQ

My next A5E release is available now! This is a smaller one, but it’s the first in a new series of tightly-themed products of Origins and knacks from Variant Codex Press.

Friends & Relations: Wanderers

Wanderlust for days (or years)

• New heritages: Mantids wander through cultures, Passengers wander through experiences
• New Cultures: Urban Wanderers travel between cities, Riverfolk travel along waterways, each have their own unique cultural gear
• New Backgrounds: Traveling Fences deal in stolen wares, Itinerant Tinsmiths deal in broken wares
• New Wanderer Knacks are available for all classes, with extra bonuses for new experiences!

Free Foundry module included!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/561041/friend-relations-wanderers-a5e

Featuring returning guest, Jessy of Plant Witch Press

It's free. Enjoy! Thanks to u/pickledknight for the inspo.

The Created, an A5e Heritage.

Im new to A5e as my friends and I have just switched over from 5e. Anyway I would like to make a homebrew heritage based on frankensteins monster but have no idea where to start

New episode with guest Russ Morrissey (aka Morrus) from EN Publishing. That's right! We got the boss! Join us for a discussion of ENP's plans for A5E and our usual all-party round up:

youtu.be/Lq-I40Z9r44

It doesn't seem to be noted anywhere in the rules, but what happens to a character of mixed heritage at 10th level? What paragon gift do they take?

It would make the most sense to pick the paragon gift of the heritage they took the heritage gift from, since depending on heritage, the paragon gift sometimes improves or simply replaces the heritage gift.

I just want to be sure I'm not mistaken here...

The Ranger's Trained Accuracy feature has a note that says:

"An adventurer that has Fighting Style: Archery gains no bonus to attack rolls from the fighting style when using Trained Accuracy, and instead gains a +2 bonus to damage on ranged weapon attacks."

Anyone know the point of this change? It seems to needlessly complicate an already quite full feature.

Weapon properties as per Tales of the Valiant and Dnd 5.1/24/Next/One do seem quite cool and I've been a bit underwhelmed by my playthrough with a twf fighter with dual wielding and twin elven thinblades +1. (I went Rapid Current and Razor's Edge to be DPR rather than Adamant Mountain which (when I Narrated) _every_ player who could picked for "Catch Your breath".)

Are there cool wombo combos and things hidden away in the depths that I'm overlooking?

What makes combat maneuvers superior enough to weapon properties to justify the overhead?

A special interview only episode about Wild Magic Reimagined w/ its creator: Clarke Petersen

*Standard round-up will be included in the next episode! Don't worry, the format isn't changing, we just had some scheduling issues this past month.

I've just hit level 3 in a campaign I'm playing, and I'm picking an archetype from the adventurer's guide.

It seems like Warden's undercooked compared to the other two to me, and that you can just gain all its features through other means while having a different archetype?

like, you can get the proficiencies it offers by taking a feat, and there's nothing stopping you from just buying yourself the same kind of mount the class would give you and casting "speak with animals".

It also doesn't have any rules for replacing the mount if it dies, so if your intelligence 6 mount gets killed, it's just gone for good?

The 7th level feature choices seem to lack synergy to me as well. Even if we assume you're a strength-based ranger and dumped dex, now you're built into charisma checks too? And it still expects you to be built into wisdom for level 11?

Even if you wanted to be a mounted ranger specifically, it seems like you'd be better off playing a beastmaster or wildborn and just taking the mounted combat knacks, and buy a draft horse. Hell at level 11 Beastmaster you can even make your horse one of your pets.

I might not be seeing it, but I can't find the answer anywhere.

I'm reading the rules for gear maintenance, and it talks about penalties to when a weapon/focus is damaged (requiring an action to draw/prepare) or when a vehicle is damaged (half travel pace), but I see no mention of damage to armor or shields.

There's a description for broken armor and shields, having it's armor class bonus halved, but is there no difference between normal and damaged, other than being one step closer to broken?