Space Fantasy Backgrounds

Priorities.

Space Fantasy Backgrounds 

These ideas were crowd-sourced HERE with aid from:

+Chris P. +Harald Wagener +Reece Carter +Andrew Y. +Reginald Mc Reynolds 

For use with any Space-fantasy game, a list of 64 archetypes or backgrounds. Entries are listed by title / trait / additional gear.

Just roll 2 D8s!

Roll d88:

11. Space Lawman / always gets his mark / robotic horse and laser sixshooters

12. Displaced Whately Family Member / disgusting character and horrid unibrow / a dangerously flawed copy of the Necromomicon and your degenerate sibling sealed in a can

13. Big-eared space merchant / greedy but shrewd negotiator / Ross Perot Fan Club card

14. Hairy Sasquatch bodyguard / 'RRRAARGGH"  ( only speaks in animalistic screams, but is seemingly still understood) / a big honkin' laser cannon and gun-belt

15. Moon dwelling club owner / smuggler / freeze dried chihuahua (a small but vicious dog)

16. Clone of a jazz musician / clone blues / trophy signifying the worst use of a trope pun ever

17. Clone of a clone of a.../ wonky and wicked / a picture of a photograph

18. Mad gnome tinkerer / eccentric genius with a few random obsessions / a toolkit of various bits and bobs

21. Space samurai or knight / follows a code of honor / an heirloom sword made of stronger-than-titanium metal

22. Grown-up Former Boy Genius / brilliant but lazy and neurotic / doctoral degree of dubious quality and decaying corporate empire

23. Tech-worshipping Ubersoldier / "I AM THE LAW!" / BFG 3000 and a pair of shades

24. Bounty hunter / badass professionalism but secret Achilles' heel / power suit and laser blaster

25. Sagely psychic warrior / views passion as weakness / energy sword

26. Unethical smuggler / jerkass with a (secret) heart of gold / space vessel

27. Psionic Dark Overlord / preaches embracing negative emotions in private but pretends to be an altruistic government official in public / anachronistic dark robes

28. Gluttonous, obese alien crimelord / hedonistic but shrewd / CHOOSE: a flying platform OR mechanical legs OR a set of chains to keep slaves in line

31. Wimpy communications droid / Nervous Nelly / built-in polyglot language module

32. Multitool droid that appears as a garbage can on legs / Communicates via snarky beeps and boops / built in tools such as razor saw and laser welder

33. Self-rescuing Princess / tough, foul-mouthed / disguise kit

34. Former galactic herald / regretful about the past / hover board

35. Color-coded ring-bearer / Strong ideals / Cosmic ring that manifests power in all one color

36. Menacing space dictator / Obsession or love affair with vague cosmic entity or force / gauntlets of power

37. Cloned flunky / can't hit the broad side of a barn / white armored uniform and energy rifle not proficient in

38. Unnamed subordinate / highly disposable / red shirt

41. Musclebound outlander hero / Always appears just in the nick of time / Mystical sword to transform back into innocuous civilian

42. Mineral Rhinoceros / surprisingly gentle / many rocks to shoot out its horn

43. Brain in a bulky artificial body / trademark annoying laugh / laser blaster and hover chair

44. Invertebrate medical doctor / creative ideas of human anatomy / a scalpel, hacksaw, and medical bag

45. Intelligent ooze being / Makes hilarious semi-human grunting noises / A smaller buddy of its kind

46. Diminutive alien wizard / Comedic incompetency / Hat that always overshadows face and a jawa-lookalike costume

47. Cat-Ninja / cheerfully vengeful / black suit and starlight knife

48. Swashbuckling Space Captain / Acrobatic and a smile so shiny it makes a "plink" sound / a fancy sword and hat

51. Burly hippo-man / Speaks in a surprisingly good British accent / guns, guns, and more guns

52. Cat-eating next-door neighbor from space / smarmy attitude / TV remote control

53. Comedic relief blue monkey / insufferably annoying / attempt-at-cutesy jumpsuit

54. Cargo hauler / put your back into it / exo suit for lifting

55. Tentacled Alien / Just wants a hug / many tentacles.

56. Red-blooded earthman / arrogant / leather vest (no shirt)

57. Scientist / over-prepared / scanalyzer unit

58. Pointy-eared pacifist / trustworthy / portable communications array

61. Metal man / infallibly logical / rocket feet and heat-ray eyes

62. Solar crusader / self-righteous / plasma sword

63. Alien savage / brute strength / pouch of alien herbs and iron club

64. Green-skinned incubus / irresistibly attractive / fans and veils (for sexy dancing)

65. Space Dandy / dumb luck / fashionable jacket and boots

66. Gunslinger / true grit / blaster and a great hat

67. Earth Animal / incredibly smart / wired into a computer

68. Military Advisor / shrewd tactitian / Impressive Uniform, Tool Watch

71. Space Ranger / dashingly fearless / K9 Robot Companion

72. Grey Alien / dangerously intelligent / Telepathy Pendant

73. Laser Princess / defiantly independent / bubble helmet and twin laser pistols

74. Scoundrel / smarmy charm / blaster and vest

75. Tech Savant / "Mr. Fix-it" / tool belt

76. Void Monk / inscrutably mysterious / robe with hood

77. Space Sorcerer-ess / imperious gaze / repository of mystical power (a locket, bracelet, box or...)

78. Spaceport Urchin / "... like the back of my hand" / strange memento of parents

81. Killbot / "Exterminate" / defective disintegration ray (only deals mortal wounds, no longer disintegrates)

82. Damsel / distress and deception / so many clothes, durable luggage

83. Bio-wizard / a flair for aberrations / jPad with a library of eugenics texts, diminutive mutant assistant

WHY NOT ZOIDBERG?!?

84. Irregular Militia / scrounging and jury-rigging / patched medium armour and rifle, memento of your sweetheart back home

85. Former Redshirt / calculated cowardice / military issue weapon and a red shirt folded up in your pack.

86. The Saviour / power of vague prophecy / mundane object of indiscernible power (meant to destroy the Dark One or lay low the greatest evil in the known universe)

87. Courtesan / persuasion and wiles / attire for any occasion

88. Roll twice. Combine the entries.

The Ten-foot Hearth

Inspired by musings in a +Kasper Blomdell DCC game, with +Jenna Kramer +Joshua Blackketter and +Richard Balmer

Pubs, taverns and inns across the realms are notoriously run by former adventurers. This is nothing new. The hearths of these adventurer-run taverns are often decorated with the shields and swords of these former warriors as a memento of their glory days. However, a new trend is overtaking the inns and taverns along the way. The ten-foot hearth is a powerful reminder of the near-miss, the party members lost, the strange traps of wizards and worse. Ten-foot poles are appearing with greater frequency above the hearth, a new replacement to the swords or spears or axes of old.

The Ten Foot Shop is always restocking shelves.

This table makes describing that ten-foot reminder all the easier.

1. Eight-foot pole, yew: lightning-scarred and cleanly clipped at a slight angle at one end. Plaque reads: Beware the ways of Wizards and Djinn.
2. Twelve-foot pole, oak: ivy continually grows from both ends of the pole filling the inn with the pleasant scent of small purple flowers. Plaque reads: For my beloved and her beloved grove
3. Three three-and-a-quarter-foot poles, birch: Cleanly cut at each end. Plaque reads: Sometimes the trap is the set-up for the real trap.
4. Ten-foot pole, bronze: Rows of tiny runic markings are etched in painstaking detail. Plaque reads: Beware the ways of wizards and gin.
5. Fragments of pole, maple: Resting on a shelf above a copper urn. Inscription reads: X. D. C., esq.
6. Ten-foot pole, walnut: Impeccable condition, completely unscarthed. Plaque reads: Lady Luck.
7. Two five-foot poles, elm: linked by a short piece of iron chain. No plaque.
8. Six-foot pole, pine: both ends appear to have been severely singed. Plaque reads: BeWare the Wayes of Ginne-Wizardes.
9. Ten-foot pole, fur: the entire shaft is made of fur, unsettling yet pleasing to touch. Plaque reads: Cat-sorcerer… weird traps.
10. One-and-a-half-foot pole, cherry: splintered tip remains. Plaque reads: The Unlucky Basterds
11. Shards of mahogany: resting on a blue silk sheet are the remains. No plaque.
12. Eleven-foot pole, chestnut: splintered, cracked, chipped, charred, but mostly intact. Plaque reads: The Wizard.

5e Character Sheet

A few months back I made some hand-drawn character sheets for 5e. They are hardly perfect and each time I have tried to perfect it, something has gone horribly wrong - like some Curse of the 5e Mummy. So I am putting up just one of them for now.

Anyway, enjoy!

5e Character Sheet

Elemental Paladin Oath: Water (5e Paladin Subclass)

The Oath of the Deluge

Your worship of the elemental has made you a merciful and wise paladin; you know the powerful cleansing magic of water and the strength of a surging tide.

How you came to serve Water:

1) Childhood Accident: you survived a brush with a watery death. The divine touch of your god kept you from death’s door.

2) The Spirit’s Call: the water spirits come to you in your dreams. They teach you how to shape water.

3) Purified: you were poisoned or diseased. A paladin in services to the Water Lord washed away your ailments.

4) Avenging the Fallen: a demonic invasion has claimed your family, town and nation. You seek to end the threat.

5) Legacy of Water: your father was a paladin, and his father before him and his before as well. Your bloodline has always served.

6) Auspicious Birth: you were born under auspicious signs or conditions; perhaps you washed ashore in a seashell or were found inside a nest of seaweed or river reeds.

Servitors of the Primordial, Zaban'shaa, are called the Namishi. They have a commitment to protecting places of power for their watery lord. The Namishi are accomplished healers and warriors. The fighting style of the Namishi is ebb and flow, waiting for a weakness. They provide healing to any community in need and harbour the infirm at their strongholds. Water plays a great role in healing. Strongholds are always in places when fresh water is plentiful. Paladins carry many waterskins to fuel their healing spells.

The Namishi have a deep connection to the spirits of their ancestors. They revere the dead and honour them with offerings at family altars: a serving of food, the catch of the day, tokens won in battle. This connection grants the water paladins protection and insight.

The Namishi and Köz Esgar are enemies locked in an ancient, primordial feud. Diplomacy between the factions is never successful and allying with one makes an enemy of the other.

Tenets of the Deluge:

Soothe the Wounded: bring the healing grace of water to those in need.

Extinguish the Rampant Flame: take battle to those that spread flame or heinous destruction in their wake.

Sure as Surging Seas: be steadfast, decisive and forthright. A wave never turns aside until it breaks on the shore.

No Elemental Alliances: you can serve no other Primordial force.

Oath of the Deluge Spells

You gain oath spells at the levels listed.

3rd: Healing Word, Armor of Agathys

5th: Hold Person, Misty Step

9th: Water Walk, Spirit Guardians

13th: Conjure Minor Elementals, Control Water

17th: Conjure Elemental, Cone of Cold

Lay on Hands and Healing Waters

Water enhances the soothing touch of healing provided by the paladin. This water calms the spirit of the healed and frees them from suffering, washing away pain. When a paladin uses water to Lay on Hands, the target may make a saving throw against any of the following condition effects, if permissible by the DM: blinded, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, stunned.

If water is used in the casting of any healing spell of 1st level or higher, add two to the total amount healed.

Channel Divinity

At 3rd level you gain the following two CD options:

Elemental Weapon: as Sacred Weapon (p86), the weapon deals cold damage.

Turn the Unholy: You can censure elementals or fiends. Within 30 feet of you, each elemental or fiend must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage.

Aura of Frost

At 7th level, you are surrounded with an aura of cold. You are immune to cold damage.  Friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to cold damage.

Spirit Call

At 15th level, the paladin can call ancestral spirits to answer questions, as a Commune spell. This ritual calls upon the collected wisdom of the entire paladin bloodline. Unlike the Commune spell, the process of calling ancestors is long (at least 1 hour, but all day and night could garner better results) and in addition to the listed spell components requires an ancestral altar or powerful magic item once belonging to an ancestor. During the ritual, the paladin calls out the great deeds of the ancestors and invokes the names of his bloodline as far back as possible. His ancestors come to him and answer his three questions, they are not omniscient and their knowledge is limited to what they knew in life. When the communing ends and the ancestors return to rest.  The cumulative failure for Spirit Call is 10% (not 25% as Commune).  

Elemental Form

At 20th level, you gain the blessing of Zaban’shaa. Using your action, you can assume a watery or icy behemoth form for 1 minute and gain the following benefits:

• You gain 50 temporary hit points. You regenerate 5 of these temporary hit points at the start of each turn.
• Enemies that start their turn within 5 feet of you suffer 5 points of cold damage.
• Spells of cold and healing can be cast as bonus actions.

New Paladin Spell

Frost Smite

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.

The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration, your  weapon attack deals an extra 1d6 cold damage and the target is coated in a sheen of ice and its speed is reduced by 10 feet. At the start of its turn until the spell ends, the target makes a Strength saving throw. On a successful save, the target breaks free of the cloying ice and its movement returns to normal. If the target or a creature within 5 feet uses its action to break the ice, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell with a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial extra damage increases by 1d6 for each spell slot above 1st.

Elemental Paladin Oath: Fire (5e Paladin Subclass)

The Oath of Cinders

You have come to worship fire through a god or primordial: you are an anointed champion of flame. Your searing smites burn foes to their hollow, passionless hearts. The heat of your inner flame burns bright to inspire and heal others.

How you came to serve Fire:

1) Childhood Accident: in spite of the severe scarring you suffered, you saw the brilliance, beauty and power of fire.

2) Annihilation of Clan: you were spared the flaming end that the rest of your clan met at the hands of the Burning Order. They were cleansed, but you were reborn.

3) Purified: you were poisoned or diseased. A paladin in services to the Great Flame burned away your ailments.

4) Cleansing the Impure: your homeland has suffered a plague of undeath. Your family was taken (and likely turned) so you have joined up to help end the threat.

5) Legacy of Fire: your father was a paladin, and his father before him and his before as well. Your bloodline has always served.

6) Divine Awakening: in the depths of your mind, there is a voice telling you how to scour away the darkness, disease and evil of the world. Fire walks with you.

The Köz Esgar

Champions of Khazas Ehj (He Who Stands Upon the Sun, The First Flame, The Searing Sunderer, Scourge of the Damned), the Köz Esgar serve their master by spreading the divine word of flame. They know many of the deep secrets of fire and cast terrible spells of destruction all the while maintaining an unorthodox understanding of life. The flame of life burns away disease and poison an cauterizes brutal wounds. Healing of a fire paladin will not be a relief, the heat that surges through the paladin and into the wound can be intense and extremely painful; most cry out when a cinder paladin lay their healing hands of upon them.

Khazas Ehj has a deep hatred for undead beings and creatures of water, his agents are expected to dispatch these foes with righteous fury and fire.

Tenets of Flame:

Ashes to Ashes: all things die. Once death has come, let all pass through fire.

Purify by Flame: heal with warmth and cleanse impurity in the blood and soul with motes of cinder. Where domains of the undead exist, scourge with righteous flame.

Stoke the Fire: live, fight and serve with passion. Burn with passion.

No Elemental Alliances: you can serve no other Primordial force. Our war is eternal.

Oath of Cinders Spells

You gain oath spells at the levels listed.

3rd: Hellish Rebuke, Smoke Cloud (as Fog Cloud, only smokier)

5th: Heat Metal, Burning Step (as Misty Step, only fierier)

9th: Hypnotic Pattern, Fireball

13th: Conjure Minor Elementals, Fire Shield

17th: Conjure Elemental, Flame Strike

Channel Divinity

At 3rd level you gain the following two Channel Divinity options:

Elemental Weapon - as Sacred Weapon (p86), this weapon deals fire damage.

Turn the Unholy - You can censure elementals or undead. Within 30 feet of you, each elemental or undead must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage.

Lay on Hands

When a fire paladin uses the lay on hands class feature, the target of the healing must make a DC 10 Constitution or Wisdom saving throw to avoid crying out in pain as the wounds are closed or toxins are purged. This noise will likely attract all kinds of trouble with the right kind of DM. The paladin has advantage on the check when healing himself.

Improved Divine Smite

The damage for this effect is changed to fire. This does not affect the Divine Smite power which remains radiant.

Halo of Fire

At 7th level, you wear a halo of flame. You are immune to fire damage.  Friendly creatures within 10 feet of you gain resistance to fire damage.

Fiery Surge

At 15th level, you have honed your magic and reflexes to react to danger. When a creature strikes you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to move up to 30 feet away instantly avoiding the attack and negating the effect. This movement is in a straight line through any number of targets. Targets that are passed through suffer fire damage equal to your Charisma modifier. You can not end your movement in another creatures space.

You can use this power once per long rest.

Elemental Form

At 20th level, you gain the ultimate blessing of your god. Using your action, you can assume a fiery form for 1 minute and gain the following benefits:

• You regenerate 10 hit points at the start of your turn.
• Creatures that touch you suffer 10 points of fire damage. (Yes, Fiery Surge just got even more awesome).
• Enemies that start their turn within 10 feet of you suffer 5 points of fire damage.
• Spells of fire can be cast as bonus actions.

You can use this power once per long rest.