William Dvorak Archives - Page 2 of 2

Johydee Hero-deity Warlock Patron

2022-03-03T16:55:41-05:00August 8th, 2020|

Johydee Hero-deity Warlock Patron Johydee, the 2nd in my series of turning the Hero-deities into warlock patrons for 5th edition. One thing I feel that is equally important for a warlock of Johydee’s ability to change shape is their ability to gather information. Being a patron of espionage information is critical. So, while the shapechanging aspect of the warlock was covered through their spells, I focused the information gathering through their patron granted abilities. What do you like or dislike about the concept? If you have suggestions, go ahead and leave a comment, and maybe I’ll adjust it if we get a better idea.

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Theocracy of Dimre, A Brief History, Part 1

2022-03-03T17:02:36-05:00August 7th, 2020|

Theocracy of Dimre, A Brief History, Part 1 As I dive into one of my favorite places in the Bandit Kingdoms, and the Flanaess, I have to say that the history I put forth is one of my own devise. Much of what I have written here was influenced by the writings of Tom Harrison, Erik Mona, and many authors of the Living Greyhawk community. While I try to stay true to canon where I find it, I do alter some events slightly from the materials I find, most of which are not canon. I hope you enjoy this first installment as I take a look at The Theocracy of Dimre. Out of the chaos that would birth the kingdom of Nyrond, also came the formation of the Theocracy of Dimre. While other lands were in the throws of transition from the rule of the neglectful Great Kingdom to independence, Dimre emerged a small but strong nation. The seeds of what would become the Theocracy of Dimre were sown in the towns and villages of Wintershiven, Holdworthy, and Hawkburgh. In this area, the religion of Pholtus was growing and becoming more influential. Members of city governments and even lords were turning to this orderly faith. By 300 CY, tensions had been increasing for nearly a century, and the threat of a civil war was brewing. In response, the people who lived there turned to the ridged order of the religion of Pholtus for security. As the influence of the main sect of the cult of Pholtus, the Blinding Light, grew, the once overt repression of other minor sects turned into open religious persecution. Chief ... read more!

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Kelanen, Hero-deity Warlock Patron

2022-03-01T15:10:08-05:00August 5th, 2020|

Kelanen, Hero-deity Warlock Patron So, Leachim the Learned shot an idea past me that I liked so much that I took it and ran with it. What if the Hero-deities of Greyhawk were Patrons for Warlocks in 5th edition D&D. Leachim was speaking of Kelanen, which would have been my first choice as well, and with collaboration from the Learned one, I wrote up this version of a Patron. These are all works in progress, so if you have any ideas, changes, or suggestions, fire away, and I might alter them. I intend on making a Warlock Patron workup for each of the Hero-deities in the future, which one should I do next? Art by William Henry Dvorak

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A Gnome Origin Myth

2022-03-01T15:15:14-05:00August 3rd, 2020|

A Gnome Origin Myth Gnomes in D&D have always lived in the shadows of the other races, yes, even in the shadow of halflings. Where Halflings can draw their evolution from one of the most beloved series of books in the fantasy genre, Gnomes's development in role-playing isn't as clear. In early D & D, they were simply referred to as distant cousins of dwarves and loosely based on some European myths. Not bad, but nothing spectacular either.Later we did see some more unique interpretations of Gnomes develop in specific settings. We got tinker gnomes from Dragonlance, which played off the Gnomish myths of their industrious natures. We got the Forest Gnomes with their zeal for life. These Gnomes were given wild hair and tied to the wild, much like druids. Then there are the Deep Gnomes, who lived in the Underdark and provided a bastion of good in those dark lands. More somber than the other types of Gnomes, this variation was more like Dwarves than the other Gnome races. So how did these variations of Gnomes come to be? No creation myth, no unifying thread that explained how Rock, Forest, Tinker, and Deep Gnome were related. In short, gnomes in D&D are pretty much a hot mess. Gnomish gods are pretty cool, but most of them are still the original ones that we got out of Deities and Demigods. Sure, Garl Glittergold is great, but he still seems more like a dwarven god in gnomish clothing. It's almost as if by the time 5th edition came around, the people over at Wizards of the Coast simply threw up their hands and said screw it. ... read more!

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The Druids of the Bone March

2022-03-01T15:30:36-05:00August 1st, 2020|

The Druids of the Bone March The Bone March has a much longer history than most realize. The March's highlands were home to dwarves and gnomes before humans first explored the region and home to tribes of Flan dating back over 1,800 years ago. Unlike the Flan further to the south that established the kingdom of Ahlissa, the Flan that settled in what would become the Bone March preferred to pursue a semi-nomadic lifestyle intricately connected to the land. These druids, while venerating gods such as Beory and Obad-hai, believed in the Old Religion, or the Green Way. In the religion of the Green Way, Beory and Obad-hai are as much a part of the cycle of life as are mortals. These druids that came to the Bone March formed a circle, the Circle of the March, and took it upon themselves to watch over the land and its peoples. Within this culture, the druids acted as spiritual leaders and historians of their tribes. They used the potent ley lines that crossed the land, particularly a junction of two lines at a location called the Green Mouth, to weave potent druidic magics to aid their Flan brothers and sisters. The Green Mouth was a depression within the center of the highlands that was extraordinarily lush and overgrown. How and why this is the case in a moorland is unknown, but it is attributed to a connection to the lands of the Fey. The Coming of the Oeridians Around -190 CY, the Bone March saw the arrival of Oeridians settlers. Unlike the south of the Teesar Torrent, the Oeridians settled in the Bone March in ... read more!

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The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 3

2022-03-03T17:14:47-05:00July 29th, 2020|

The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 3 Bone March by the end of 563 CY. By the end of 563 CY, the whole of the Bone March had settled into a new normal, one of humanoid dominance. All the human settlements had been conquered except for the County of Knurl, which was loosely allied with Breka and the Vile Rune Orcs. Those that could escape had already done so streaming into Ratik, Nyrond, and the Northern Province. Knurl itself saw its population more than double, with a sizable number of those feeling there being men at arms that Countess Salvie quickly Recruited into the county's army. The speed and ferocity of the Cursed Invasion caught all the March's neighbors by surprise. Ratik eventually tried to take advantage of later orcish infighting but wasn't mobilized to lend immediate assistance. The North Province of the Great Kingdom, under the leadership of Herzog Grenell, had higher ambitions and had no desire to assist. It's even been said that Grenell and Breka had worked out an understanding before the invasion. Nyrond had the troop strength to intervene and make a difference, but if they had done so, it would have given the Great Kingdom an excuse to start another war with them. Because of this, Nyrond's troops were never rallied to help, and the March was left to deal with the invasion on their own. While the invasion was quick, it was initially centered around two major hubs for the March, Spinecastle, and Johnsport. The bulk of the invading humanoids were in the area for over a month as they defeated the Bone March's ... read more!

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The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 2

2022-03-03T17:37:40-05:00July 24th, 2020|

The Cursed Invasion of the Bone March, The Humanoids Part 2 The Invasion Begins In 561 CY, the mountain orcs came down from the Rakers in force led by Gergash and the Death Moon tribe. Gergash led his horde north of Spinecastle, skirting the Loft Hills, where he was joined by Degtra, an ogre mage leading her clan of ogres and gnolls. In 558 CY Degtra had wrestled away the Loftwood Gnolls rule from their Pack-master and allied herself with Gorsh. With their new allies in tow, they headed straight to Johnsport to lay siege to the city. Gregash made sure the defenders of Spinecastle knew of his sizable force moving through the area to lure away troops from there, as per Gorsh's instructions. The trick worked, and a day later, Marquis Clement had mobilized Spinecastles heavy infantry and cavalry and sent them in pursuit of Gergash's horde. In addition to the regular military, nearly all of the Knight Protectors who survived the persecutions of Ivid I and fled to the Bone March back in 443 CY accompanied them. The army was under the Command of a Knight Protector named Arnald Stermorn. Two days after Sir Stermorn had departed Spinecastle, Breka, with his Vile Rune orcs and allies descended out of the Rakers. Breka sent several smaller orc tribes into the March to disrupt any rallying of forces from the March's other counties in response to Clement's call to arms. Then Breka left the siege of Spinecastle to his trusted ally, Warlord Kekvar, and his hobgoblins. At the same time, he took the Vile Rune tribe in pursuit of Sir Stermorn's forces. With Sir ... read more!

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