I feel I’m going to begin juggling round somewhat bit about how I current subscribed content material like materials launched through Patreon, partly as a result of the main target is a little more on why these are or aren’t one thing it’s possible you’ll need to contribute to month after month, based mostly on content material that’s popping out. Successfully it received’t be an excessive amount of totally different than a First Impression, however I’ll most likely relate the person launch again to different Patreon content material from that creator’s Patreon.
With all of these establishing phrases out of the way in which, right now we’re going to take a look at the third launch for the Vodari Voyages patreon, Skyborn. Simply in case you haven’t learn my earlier articles on this Patreon, that is in assist of the excessive seas swashbuckling fantasy setting Seas of Vodari, designed for the 5e SRD.
Disclaimer
Whereas I’ve obtained assessment materials from Angryfish Video games up to now, I’m not working from a assessment copy for this text, and am a supporter of the Patreon. I’ve not had the chance to play or run for anybody utilizing these choices in a recreation, however I’m very acquainted with the D&D 5e system as a participant and a DM.
Vodari Voyages Situation No. 3: Skyborn–New Participant Choices and Gazetteer
Designer: Shawn Ellsworth
Modifying: Brandes Stoddard
Graphic Design: Dave Jumaquio
Paintings: Mariam Trejo
Playtesters: Chris Markcit
That is an eight web page PDF, together with a canopy, introduction, three pages of data on the ancestry, a two web page dialogue of the Skyborn city of Cloudreach, together with a piece with NPCs and journey hooks. There may be additionally a web page of maps displaying the a number of ranges of the city, because it stretches upwards by totally different layers of bushes.
First off, extra Marian Trejo artwork. I adore it. It is rather interconnected with how I view the setting at this level. I’ve at all times preferred how the Vodari merchandise are laid out, and this one follows the identical conventions as earlier releases.
I’m a subscriber on the $5 tier, which will get entry to the problem and the extras which are produced for it. On this case, the additional materials contains the next:
- Tokens, in two totally different sizes of PNG formatted pictures of parrot, macaw, heron, raven, and sparrow skyborn
- Giant dimension art work in PNG format for the heron, macaw, and sparrow skyborn
- A two web page doc of species traits for the Skyborn, which reprints the data inside the problem, but in addition has a model of the species made for the 2024 D&D guidelines
Chook’s Eye View
The Skyborn are a species of birdfolk with totally different expressions based mostly on the kind of fowl they resemble. Whereas there have been references to birdfolk within the authentic Vodari marketing campaign setting, my assumption on the time was that it was a non-IP method to check with the birdfolk species that exist already in D&D 5e, like Aaracokra and Kenku. However, because it seems, there was meant to be a Vodari particular birdfolk species, which didn’t make the minimize when the marketing campaign setting got here out.
There may be materials that offers them some setting lore, as descendants of inhabitants from the Elemental Aircraft of Air that accepted one of many setting deities’ invitation to stay on the Prime Materials Aircraft, however they gave up the reward of flight when making the transition.
Within the part giving the sport statistics for the species for PC use, we do get some instance names for people in addition to flock names. That’s a pleasant piece of lore that’s lacking within the 2024 guidelines for the usual choices within the recreation.
Whereas the present design development is to keep away from giving a species ability associated bonuses, since that suggests one thing about tradition, and never simply bodily traits, a number of of the official species have had skil proficiencies added to them to point a bodily adaptation that will make that ability simpler, whereas others have been framed as a blessing from a divine being. In right here, the Skyborn are given a selection between 4 ability proficiencies, implied to be a present from the god who invited them to the setting within the first place. I’d argue that three out of the 4 abilities may nonetheless simply be based mostly on a bodily adaptation as an alternative of a divine reward, however both manner, it really works out.
Considerably like Kobold and Shifters from Monsters of the Multiverse, Skyborn have an ancestry choice to decide on when they’re first created, from the next:
- Hunter
- Mimic
- Nocturnal
- Performer
- Swimmer
There are numerous birds listed as examples underneath every of those sorts, so in the event you actually need to play an anthropomorphic duck, Swimmer has you coated. These all include a trait or two that matches the theme, however one among them employs a mechanic I want obtained extra use, that being including a d4 to a selected ability test fairly than escalating experience far and wide.
You additionally get claws, and the power to glide. When you can’t fly, your glide does afford you a sooner motion charge that, for instance, the Hadozee from the Spelljammer launch, and is a separate glide pace, versus tying it to strolling pace.
Along with offering species within the extra generally accepted format from present D&D 5e design, many of the Vodari choices even have a piece on the finish of the entry that provides in a number of the older materials that was tied to species. For instance, they provide the common skill rating that’s sometimes larger amongst Skyborn, in addition to the languages most frequently discovered in Skyborn communities. That is mainly there to determine a default, and isn’t binding.
The entry additionally contains random top and weight in addition to maturity and lifespan. Whereas I can respect not desirous to constrain gamers an excessive amount of, it’s at all times good to see how the creators envision a species to mature and the way lengthy they stay, fairly than omitting these particulars like the present D&D entries for species do.
If you would like flying Skyborn, they provide you two choices, both swapping out the gliding skill for flight, or permitting a species feat that Skyborn characters can take which permits the Skyborn to fly. One among these choices adjustments numerous the assumptions in regards to the species, however permitting flight with a feat maintains the concept it’s not frequent for Skyborn to have the power to fly, and I like that. Within the 2014 guidelines, so long as you don’t give your Skyborn a way of getting a feat at 1st stage, that also means you don’t have the potential complications of a flying PC till 4th stage, which is simply a stage sooner than spellcasters would possibly begin utilizing the fly spell.
Futureproofing
Within the doc displaying the 2024 model of the species, there aren’t numerous adjustments. There may be some change in wording to match the presentation of the 2024 phrases, often leaning to the utilitarian fairly than the descriptive. The Flyer feat has the extra prerequisite of Stage 4+, which is normal for the 2024 guidelines, to indicate the distinction between this feat and an origin feat or one that’s meant to be obtainable from the beginning of the sport.
Nesting
Whereas Cloudreach canonically exists within the setting, it doesn’t have a canonical location, however it’s given a advised one. The city exists in three tiers, the port stage, the cover stage, and the treetop stage, which means that there are platforms above the bottom stage sections of city with extra buildings, properties, and so forth. I like that despite the fact that the city is constructed to accommodate gliding species used to residing in bushes, there’s a logical concession for the dock stage, permitting for interplay with different species, particularly in a nautically themed marketing campaign setting.
There are a selection of NPCs described, from the Chief Elder, an essential native service provider, the city guard captain, a Dwarf that relocated to Cloudreach, the proprietor of a magic store, a wandering performer, and the native prison naer’do properly.
Each the gazetteer and the journey hooks make use of the NPCs launched on this part, utilizing the Chief Elder as a patron for jobs, varied NPCs concerned in covert exercise, and a heist which will align the PCs with the prison factor on the town.
I like that the dragon utilized in one of many hooks desires one thing thematic to the city, fairly than simply saying {that a} inexperienced dragon has arrived within the woods close by. Not solely does it really feel like a draconic quirk demand singers as tribute, however it additionally makes excellent sense to demand from a city of Skyborn.
As a result of I’m outdated, I have a tendency to evaluate gazetteers by the town entries within the AD&D 2e Forgotten Realms Adventures entries. Not that it must be in that format, or that it must have all the identical info these entries had, however what they typically had was a named place for guests to remain, the native wizard, probably the most distinguished clerics, who’s in cost, any thieves’ guilds, and if there’s a native sage and what experience they’ve. Whereas there isn’t a proper thieves’ guild, we have now probably the most distinguished native prison, so the one factor actually lacking is the sage. I do know, I’m preventing an uphill battle. No one has cared about going to a sage for analysis since AD&D 2e. However sometime, they’ll need their sages again, and I’ll be right here to welcome them with open arms.
Last Ideas
This Patreon is continuous to be worth, and doing precisely what I need it to do, and that’s to flesh out a setting that I like, in smaller, significant methods. I like that we’ve advanced from a standard journey, to an journey template, to a brand new species, as a method of protecting some selection in content material.
On the subject of the particular species itself, I just like the method of getting quite a few birds underneath the umbrella of a single species. I’ve stated that I feel Kobold Press’ Beastkin are somewhat too broad contemplating the vary of creatures that may match underneath that heading, I feel an identical, however extra constrained, method, like “birdfolk,” works nice.
Whereas I understand a number of the species talked about within the Further Race Choices within the Seas of Vodari marketing campaign setting e book are basically examples of the place official D&D creatures match into the setting, I’m truly curious to see Vodari particular takes on Felines, elemental people, giant-blooded, and even turtlefolk. I don’t assume it hurts to place your personal spin on the walled off parts of the D&D ruleset, particularly in case you have the chance to handle parts of the official species that will not sit proper with you (like giving a species the power to develop to massive dimension out of the blue as a result of that’s the one factor you may consider to cement that they’re associated to giants . . . as a common instance not referring to something particularly).
