A (Mostly) Comprehensive List of Fantastic Terrain in 4e D&D
Mudflats
(By request, it is now also available as a PDF)
FANTASTIC TERRAIN BY ALPHA
| Aberrant Structures | Desiccated, long-dead structures in ruins left over from Nihilath. | Underdark (p.82) |
| Abyssal Wellspring | A suppurating wound in reality where the raw madness and evil of the Abyss bulges into another plane. | Manual of the Planes (p.21) |
| Acidic Mire | Seas composed of flesh-dissolving liquids bordered by shores riddled with moors that churn with acid bubbling up from below. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.12) |
| Angelic Lantern | These small, pulsating balls of light are faint manifestations of divine will. | Manual of the Planes (p.21) |
| Armorfields | Where Moradin’s exalted tread, armorfields spring up. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.50) |
| Ash Field | Defiling magic withers verdant areas, dissolving plants into a fine powder and creating extended areas of lifeless ash. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 34) |
| Astral Flame | A fountain of fiery liquid, an astral flame is the burning essence of the Astral Sea. | Manual of the Planes (p.21) |
| Barbed Cacti | The barbed cactus has wicked hooks that cling to a creatures flesh. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 34) |
| Black Sand | When defiling magic is used to slaughter innocents, a residue mixes with the ground to create black sand. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 34) |
| Blast Cloud | The rust-hued dust particles conduct and amplify energy and elemental forces. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.58) |
| Blinkrock | Nondescript gray-black stone with texture similar to granite and the ability to warp space. | Underdark (p.65) |
| Blood Grate | Hideous contraptions that revitalize formorians and their allies with the blood of intruders. | Underdark (p.103) |
| Blood Midge Cloud | A swarm of biting insects. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.58) |
| Blood Rock | The site of ceremonial sacrifices, a great slaughter, or some other calamity. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.67) |
| Bolt Stone | Lightning energy fused with rock to form a highly unstable, dangerous mixture. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.58) |
| Bonepowder Haze | Strange haze of fine, white powder, crackling with necrotic energy that saps the life force of creatures within and empower nearby undead | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.13) |
| Brainmoss | Tissue seeded from living brains growing on cavern walls and floors. Wild brainmoss picks up and retains strong emotional impressions of sentient beings around it and have significant effect on the minds of living creatures. | Underdark (p.83) |
| Brainswell Nebula | Gigantic cloud formations resembling a diseased and pulsating brain often encountered in githyanki-controlled sectors of the Astral Sea. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.28) |
| Brambleweed | Brambleweed has finger-length thorns, sharp and sturdy enough to rend flesh. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 34) |
| Carpet of Serpents | Swarms of serpents (or other venomous creatures) that dart in and out of various hidden dens. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.86) |
| Caught Breath | Tinkling crystals of warm breath frozen in air. | Underdark (p.120) |
| Cave Slime | Thin blue slime. Harmless but extremely slick. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.67) |
| Chainstorm | Phantasmal, shrieking chains are thought to be the echoes of an imprisoned deity’s rage manifesting in the Astral Sea. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.29) |
| Chaos Breath | Powerful, unpredictable wind gusts that extend high into the atmosphere. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.13) |
| Chaos Spots | Certain locations in the dominion are in constant flux. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.109) |
| Choke Frost | Light, white mist, which congeals into thick ice as creatures move through it. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.67) |
| Choking Vapors | The fumes rise from volcanic vents. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.86) |
| Cloudspore | Strange Underdark mushrooms that create a thick cloud of spores when disturbed. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.67) |
| Combustibles | Some treasures (paper, scrolls, precious wood) are flammable and can go up in flames. | Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (p.60) |
| Crawling Earth | Ground that animates when stepped on, then quiets after a few moments. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.13) |
| Creeping Ice | Areas infused with cold energy that slowly drain living creatures of life. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.58) |
| Cursed Obelisk | These black, stone obelisks are usually covered in runes. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.87) |
| Darkrock | Darkrock drinks in illumination, weakening the light and creating strange, unpredictable shadows. | Underdark (p.14) |
| Dazzling Treasure | A mirror, shield, or other shiny surface reflects and intensifies light shined upon it so that those nearby are temporarily blinded. | Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (p.60) |
| Dead Magic | The most powerful arcane magic completely drains an area of plant an animal life. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 35) |
| Defiled Ground | The dead do not always rest in peace. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.59) |
| Defiled Terrain | Defiled terrain is created by the use of powerful defiling magic. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 34) |
| Demon Jags | Sharp, rugged stone formed when demons are trampled by other demons or are otherwise violently absorbed into the surrounding surface. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.13) |
| Demon Slick | Odd, vile smelling slime that makes footing treacherous. Widespread where demons congregate. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.13) |
| Despond’s Draining Waters | The Lake of Despond has a diminishing effect upon living creatures that touch it. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.69) |
| Devouring Cloud | A chittering cloud of bright-red astral beetles. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.29) |
| Dimensional Turbulence | Instability in the fabric of a plane making teleportation difficult and inaccurate. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.59) |
| Distracting Prisoner | A dragon’s charisma and terror can unravel the minds of its prisoners. These fools might try to hamper or distract their would-be rescuers. | Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (p.60) |
| Divine Blood | Wreckage from the ancient war between the gods and primordials still litters the planes. | Manual of the Planes (p.22) |
| Doomlight Crystal | Glowing rock formations that trap a volatile gas that explodes in contact with air. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.59) |
| Dragon-Cursed Treasure | These treasures carry the maliciousness of its owner to such an extent that anyone that handles them fall under a mild curse. | Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (p.61) |
| Drainer Lichen | The Foothill’s rockier slopes are mottled by drainer lichen. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.50) |
| Earth Flow | In the Elemental Chaos, earth moves constantly in rivers of rock, dirt, or mud. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.13) |
| Earthen Maw | Parts of the broken badlands open and close like jaws, seeking to snare passersby. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.87) |
| Eldritch Influx | Magical energy pools in this area flowing into the void left behind by the expenditure of magical item powers. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.59) |
| Elemental Seepage | A strange, viscous mass that pulsates and quivers with the energy of the Elemental Chaos (elemental fire, cold, thunder, lighting, or some combination of the four). | Manual of the Planes (p.22) |
| Elemental Spout | Eruptions of material or elemental energy issuing forth from solid surfaces, bodies of liquid, raging storms, or empty air. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.13) |
| Elemental Windchurn | Elemental turbulence crackling with energy, its swirling winds making flying difficult. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.59) |
| Ember Moss | A strange Underdark moss that is highly flammable and burns brightly. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.67) |
| Energy Alteration Field | The air sparkles and the ground buzzes in chaotic energy alteration fields. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.15) |
| Energy Crystals | These weird crystals collect and store energy of all kinds. | Manual of the Planes (p.22) |
| Energy Node | A particularly strong confluence of arcane, divine, or other forms of power. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.59) |
| Erratic Portal | When the magic of a portal finally fails, it may transform into an erratic portal. | Manual of the Planes (p.22) |
| Eye Unblinking | Magic weapons made from ritually enlarged evil eyes and nourished by the blood of wounded foes which loose beams of arcane energy at invaders. | Underdark (p.103) |
| Fey Circle | A location empowered with the extraordinary energy of the Feywild. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.60) |
| Font of Power | Planar energy, a powerful artifact, or some other power boost attacks. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Frozen Fire | Portions of the Elemental Chaos experience cold so intense that even fire freezes, forming a highly unstable substance. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.15) |
| Glimmering Mirage | Glimmering mirages are crafted by cruel primal spirits to confuse and distress wanderers. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 35) |
| Glowstone | Glowstone provides patches of dim light that break up the darkness. | Underdark (p.14) |
| Godrock | Where fragments of Torog’s bones struck the earth, formations called godsrock sprouted. | Underdark (p.119) |
| Godsblood | The divine energy remaining within this godsblood temporarily supercharges the natural healing capability of any creature, but at the cost of its own stamina and sanity. | Underdark (p.102) |
| Godsdream | The energy remaining from Torog’s passage through the Shallows provides creatures with the certainty of one incredible blow against a foe, but hides everything beneath a filmy layer of a dream. | Underdark (p.33) |
| Godsrage | An echo of Torog’s ancient fury, a terrible and appalling anger, infect travelers with a raging power. | Underdark (p.64) |
| Grab Grass | Thick, tough grass of the deep forests of the Feywild. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Gramble | The Foothills’ rugged heaths are covered in patches of gramble, a dense, thorny bush with carnivorous instincts. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.50) |
| Grasping Bog | An area of deep, viscous mud that hampers movement. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.60) |
| Grasping Slime | Black, viscous goo whose clingy surface can cause a creature to become stuck. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Grasping Vines | Vines, roots, and other vegetation that have become infused with aberrant energies that entangle those that come near. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.107) |
| Ground Swarms | Masses of rats, beetles, tiny drakes, or other nuisance creatures. | Underdark (p.100) |
| Haunted Terrain | Haunted terrain radiates negative emotions, ranging from vague unease to crippling sorrow to virulent hatred of life. | Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead (p.29) |
| Healing Ground | An area infused with primal energy that allows life of all sorts to flourish. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.60) |
| Hellfire | Fire found predominantly in the Nine Hells. | Manual of the Planes (p.22) |
| Hungry Void | Some places in the unending night below sap existence and unravel the threads of life. | Underdark (p.120) |
| Ice Maws | Expanses of permafrost that come alive with mouthlike openings. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.15) |
| Illusions | Illusions can mimic any terrain. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Illusory Wall | An illusory wall blocks line of sight. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Infectious Pallor | Pockets of diseased air that drift through the Abyss. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.16) |
| Infernal Fumes | Great clouds of gray smoke that drift as if alive. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.60) |
| Insect Cloud | Swarms of flying, blood-drinking bugs, searching for targets for their hunger. | Underdark (p.100) |
| Insect Swarms | Swarms of biting, sucking insects, drawn by fresh blood and looking for their next source of food. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.107) |
| Jade Flame | Strange, vibrant green fire that burns everything it comes near, yet protects them from other sources of heat. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.60) |
| Lifedrinker Caverns | Strange, black-speckled lichen that feed on nearby injuries. | Underdark (p.64) |
| Lightning Mist | Fields of gray-blue fog that drift slowly through the Elemental Chaos and are hazardous to traverse quickly. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.16) |
| Lightning Pillar | The pillar hums with elemental power and is clearly an otherworldly formation. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 35) |
| Liquid Thunder | Highly volatile liquid pools coalesced from the force of a powerful elemental storm. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.16) |
| Living Stone | Rock formations that grow on their own. | Underdark (p.13) |
| Loadstone | This strange rock dramatically increases the weight of all objects. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Martyr’s Monument | The life energy of an ancient and powerful champion of the gods, embodied in a statue or some other holy icon. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.60) |
| Mask of Zorthos | This Gargantuan phantasmal clay mask, believed to be the hollowed-out head of Zorthos, the slain god of doubt and lassitude, spins endlessly through the Astral Sea. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.29) |
| Mercyfields | Locations visited by Bahamut’s exalted dragons develop into mercyfields. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.51) |
| Mirror Crystal | Mirror crystals cause strange twists and turns in space. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Mudflats | Underground water reservoirs seep up though the soil to create a dusty sludge. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 35) |
| Mushroom Arch | A series of glowing mushrooms that grow together to form an arch over a corridor. | Underdark (p.101) |
| Necrotic Ground | An area infused with necrotic energy, draining those that enter. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.60) |
| Needle Hedge | Sharp-needled bushes that grow in the dark forests of the Shadowfell. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.61) |
| Nihilath Shroud | This roiling wave of gray ectoplasmic matter continually sprouts tentacles, which pull and tear at each other and are then reabsorbed into the larger mass. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.29) |
| Phase Crystal | Related to phase rock, this translucent silvery crystal can be induced to discharge the extradimensional energy and shunt a creature out of phase for a short time. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.17) |
| Phase Mist | A hazy cloud of swirling color connected to the strange spaces that exist between the planes. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.61) |
| Phase Rock | Phase rocks are slightly out of sync with reality. | Manual of the Planes (p.22) |
| Pillar of Life | This tall stone pillar is infused with life energy. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Pocket of Night | In the darkest places of Samaragd, the shadows have an unnatural weight, and no natural light can penetrate the darkness. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.87) |
| Primal Mud | Organic sludge which forms where life force rises up through the Feydark into the Feywild. | Underdark (p.101) |
| Primordial Font | Volatile fountains of liquid elemental energy that change those who bathe in them. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.17) |
| Psychic Reservoir | Odd violet crystals grow in caverns or rocky terrain, psychic reservoirs containing latent energy. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 36) |
| Psychic Storm | Psychic storms darken the astral clouds and reach the size of earthly hurricanes. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.29) |
| Quick Sear | A viscous, silvery green liquid, resulting from the mixture of acid and quicksilver. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.61) |
| Rage Stone | An expanse of black-veined crimson stone infused with the psychic residue of pitches battles and brutal atrocities. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.61) |
| Razorvine | This hardy creeper plant ubiquitous throughout the planes has serrated leaves that unfold from black stems. | Manual of the Planes (p.22) |
| Rocky Badlands | The canyons and wastes of Athas’s rocky badlands are rugged and arid. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 36) |
| Sacred Circle | A sacred circle is dedicated to a specific deity and infused with divine energy. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Salt Flats | Bleak plains encrusted with saline deposits and bone-dry sand. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 36) |
| Sandy Wastes | The wastes of Athas stretch for miles in every direction, largely featureless but for sand, wind, and relentless heat. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 36) |
| Sehil’s Guts | Legend suggests that this Huge phantasmal knot of blood-red tubes is the remains of the intestines of Sehil, a primordial that Kord slew barehanded during the Dawn War’s final battle. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.29) |
| Shifting Piles and Slippery Coins | Loose coins can be treacherous to move through, since they create unstable footing. | Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (p.61) |
| Sickening Heat | Athas’s sun burns with peculiar intensity in areas where magic has defiled a copious amount of plant life. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 35) |
| Silt Pool | Natural dips and crevasses in the land can fill up with extremely light, powdery silt that acts like quicksand. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 36) |
| Slides | A slide is coated with a slick substance. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.68) |
| Super Fun Happy Slide | Stone stairs convert into a slide leading straight to the monsters. The PC’s shouldn’t but, c’mon, when are they going to be back here? | The Simpsons (ep. 1F04) |
| Slipsand | In sandy areas where magic, primal power, or psionics have been used heavily, the ground becomes saturated with high quantities of glass particles. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 37) |
| Soul Shard Clusters | Remnants of living creatures slain in the Shadowdark linger as soul shards. | Underdark (p.121) |
| Soul Venom | These areas of Samaragd contain tainted atmosphere. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.87) |
| Soulshocked Ground | Patches of the Kalandurren arena have become soulshocked ground to keep arena fights bloody. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.115) |
| Spiderwebs | The webs of giant spiders. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.69) |
| Spore Field | Intoxicating spores that rapidly decompose organic matter. | Underdark (p.109) |
| Strangling Wind | The pressure of this wind is so great, and its blasts so turbulent, that it slows and even suffocates those who push themselves too hard. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.17) |
| Teleporters | Magical gates that whisk characters from one spot to another. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.69) |
| The Weeping Lady | The heart-wrenching sobs of a seemingly female voice haunt the Deeps. | Underdark (p.64) |
| Thunder Shards | Crystalline shards of solidified thunder energy which are both unstable and dangerous. | Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.61) |
| Tree of Life | A tree of life is mystically infused with primal forces of life. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 37) |
| Valorfields | When Kord’s exalted gather to fight, they leave valorfields in their wake. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.51) |
| Venomous Air | These are clouds of nigh-undetectable poisons that hang in the air and amplify other poison attacks. | The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.87) |
| Vicious Treasure | Caches containing weapons, armor, and other such sharp objects can snag and cut the unwary. | Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (p.61) |
| Whirlwind | Whirlwinds form in areas infused with elemental energy. | Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.69) |
| Wormrock | Porous orange rock that is easy to dig through. | Underdark (p.14) |
| Wrath Mud | Eerie mud that saps the sanity from creatures within it, pushing them to violence through psychic pain. | The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.17) |
| Z’Tal Horde | Colonies of z’tal lizards gather in a mass exuding a slippery ooze and a noxious vapor. | Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 37) |
FANTASTIC TERRAIN BY SOURCE BOOK
| Dark Sun Creature Catalog (p. 34) | Ash Field | Defiling magic withers verdant areas, dissolving plants into a fine powder and creating extended areas of lifeless ash. |
| (p.34) | Barbed Cacti | The barbed cactus has wicked hooks that cling to a creatures flesh. |
| (p.34) | Black Sand | When defiling magic is used to slaughter innocents, a residue mixes with the ground to create black sand. |
| (p.34) | Brambleweed | Brambleweed has finger-length thorns, sharp and sturdy enough to rend flesh. |
| (p.35) | Dead Magic | The most powerful arcane magic completely drains an area of plant an animal life. |
| (p.34) | Defiled Terrain | Defiled terrain is created by the use of powerful defiling magic. |
| (p.35) | Glimmering Mirage | Glimmering mirages are crafted by cruel primal spirits to confuse and distress wanderers. |
| (p. 35) | Lightning Pillar | The pillar hums with elemental power and is clearly an otherworldly formation. |
| (p. 35) | Mudflats | Underground water reservoirs seep up though the soil to create a dusty sludge. |
| (p. 36) | Psychic Reservoir | Odd violet crystals grow in caverns or rocky terrain, psychic reservoirs containing latent energy. |
| (p. 36) | Rocky Badlands | The canyons and wastes of Athas’s rocky badlands are rugged and arid. |
| (p. 36) | Salt Flats | Bleak plains encrusted with saline deposits and bone-dry sand. |
| (p. 36) | Sandy Wastes | The wastes of Athas stretch for miles in every direction, largely featureless but for sand, wind, and relentless heat. |
| (p. 35) | Sickening Heat | Athas’s sun burns with peculiar intensity in areas where magic has defiled a copious amount of plant life. |
| (p. 36) | Silt Pool | Natural dips and crevasses in the land can fill up with extremely light, powdery silt that acts like quicksand. |
| (p. 37) | Slipsand | In sandy areas where magic, primal power, or psionics have been used heavily, the ground becomes saturated with high quantities of glass particles. |
| (p. 37) | Tree of Life | A tree of life is mystically infused with primal forces of life. |
| (p. 37) | Z’Tal Horde | Colonies of z’tal lizards gather in a mass exuding a slippery ooze and a noxious vapor. |
| Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.67) | Blood Rock | The site of ceremonial sacrifices, a great slaughter, or some other calamity. |
| (p.67) | Cave Slime | Thin blue slime. Harmless but extremely slick. |
| (p.67) | Choke Frost | Light, white mist, which congeals into thick ice as creatures move through it. |
| (p.67) | Cloudspore | Strange Underdark mushrooms that create a thick cloud of spores when disturbed. |
| (p.67) | Ember Moss | A strange Underdark moss that is highly flammable and burns brightly. |
| (p.68) | Font of Power | Planar energy, a powerful artifact, or some other power boost attacks. |
| (p.68) | Grab Grass | Thick, tough grass of the deep forests of the Feywild. |
| (p.68) | Grasping Slime | Black, viscous goo whose clingy surface can cause a creature to become stuck. |
| (p.68) | Illusions | Illusions can mimic any terrain. |
| (p.68) | Illusory Wall | An illusory wall blocks line of sight. |
| (p.68) | Loadstone | This strange rock dramatically increases the weight of all objects. |
| (p.68) | Mirror Crystal | Mirror crystals cause strange twists and turns in space. |
| (p.68) | Pillar of Life | This tall stone pillar is infused with life energy. |
| (p.68) | Sacred Circle | A sacred circle is dedicated to a specific deity and infused with divine energy. |
| (p.68) | Slides | A slide is coated with a slick substance. |
| (p.69) | Spiderwebs | The webs of giant spiders. |
| (p.69) | Teleporters | Magical gates that whisk characters from one spot to another. |
| (p.69) | Whirlwind | Whirlwinds form in areas infused with elemental energy. |
| Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 (p.58) | Blast Cloud | The rust-hued dust particles conduct and amplify energy and elemental forces. |
| (p.58) | Blood Midge Cloud | A swarm of biting insects. |
| (p.58) | Bolt Stone | Lightning energy fused with rock to form a highly unstable, dangerous mixture. |
| (p.58) | Creeping Ice | Areas infused with cold energy that slowly drain living creatures of life. |
| (p.59) | Defiled Ground | The dead do not always rest in peace. |
| (p.59) | Dimensional Turbulence | Instability in the fabric of a plane making teleportation difficult and inaccurate. |
| (p.59) | Doomlight Crystal | Glowing rock formations that trap a volatile gas that explodes in contact with air. |
| (p.59) | Eldritch Influx | Magical energy pools in this area flowing into the void left behind by the expenditure of magical item powers. |
| (p.59) | Elemental Windchurn | Elemental turbulence crackling with energy, its swirling winds making flying difficult. |
| (p.59) | Energy Node | A particularly strong confluence of arcane, divine, or other forms of power. |
| (p.60) | Fey Circle | A location empowered with the extraordinary energy of the Feywild. |
| (p.60) | Grasping Bog | An area of deep, viscous mud that hampers movement. |
| (p.60) | Healing Ground | An area infused with primal energy that allows life of all sorts to flourish. |
| (p.60) | Infernal Fumes | Great clouds of gray smoke that drift as if alive. |
| (p.60) | Jade Flame | Strange, vibrant green fire that burns everything it comes near, yet protects them from other sources of heat. |
| (p.60) | Martyr’s Monument | The life energy of an ancient and powerful champion of the gods, embodied in a statue or some other holy icon. |
| (p.60) | Necrotic Ground | An area infused with necrotic energy, draining those that enter. |
| (p.61) | Needle Hedge | Sharp-needled bushes that grow in the dark forests of the Shadowfell. |
| (p.61) | Phase Mist | A hazy cloud of swirling color connected to the strange spaces that exist between the planes. |
| (p.61) | Quick Sear | A viscous, silvery green liquid, resulting from the mixture of acid and quicksilver. |
| (p.61) | Rage Stone | An expanse of black-veined crimson stone infused with the psychic residue of pitches battles and brutal atrocities. |
| (p.61) | Thunder Shards | Crystalline shards of solidified thunder energy which are both unstable and dangerous. |
| Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (p.60) | Combustibles | Some treasures (paper, scrolls, precious wood) are flammable and can go up in flames. |
| (p.60) | Dazzling Treasure | A mirror, shield, or other shiny surface reflects and intensifies light shined upon it so that those nearby are temporarily blinded. |
| (p.60) | Distracting Prisoner | A dragon’s charisma and terror can unravel the minds of its prisoners. These fools might try to hamper or distract their would-be rescuers. |
| (p.61) | Dragon-Cursed Treasure | These treasures carry the maliciousness of its owner to such an extent that anyone that handles them fall under a mild curse. |
| (p.61) | Shifting Piles and Slippery Coins | Loose coins can be treacherous to move through, since they create unstable footing. |
| (p.61) | Vicious Treasure | Caches containing weapons, armor, and other such sharp objects can snag and cut the unwary. |
| Manual of the Planes (p.21) | Abyssal Wellspring | A suppurating wound in reality where the raw madness and evil of the Abyss bulges into another plane. |
| (p.21) | Angelic Lantern | These small, pulsating balls of light are faint manifestations of divine will. |
| (p.21) | Astral Flame | A fountain of fiery liquid, an astral flame is the burning essence of the Astral Sea. |
| (p.22) | Divine Blood | Wreckage from the ancient war between the gods and primordials still litters the planes. |
| (p.22) | Elemental Seepage | A strange, viscous mass that pulsates and quivers with the energy of the Elemental Chaos (elemental fire, cold, thunder, lighting, or some combination of the four). |
| (p.22) | Energy Crystals | These weird crystals collect and store energy of all kinds. |
| (p.22) | Erratic Portal | When the magic of a portal finally fails, it may transform into an erratic portal. |
| (p.22) | Hellfire | Fire found predominantly in the Nine Hells. |
| (p.22) | Phase Rock | Phase rocks are slightly out of sync with reality. |
| (p.22) | Razorvine | This hardy creeper plant ubiquitous throughout the planes has serrated leaves that unfold from black stems. |
| Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead (p.29) | Haunted Terrain | Haunted terrain radiates negative emotions, ranging from vague unease to crippling sorrow to virulent hatred of life. |
| The Plane Above: Secrets of the Astral Sea (p.50) | Armorfields | Where Moradin’s exalted tread, armorfields spring up. |
| (p.28) | Brainswell Nebula | Gigantic cloud formations resembling a diseased and pulsating brain often encountered in githyanki-controlled sectors of the Astral Sea. |
| (p.86) | Carpet of Serpents | Swarms of serpents (or other venomous creatures) that dart in and out of various hidden dens. |
| (p.29) | Chainstorm | Phantasmal, shrieking chains are thought to be the echoes of an imprisoned deity’s rage manifesting in the Astral Sea. |
| (p.109) | Chaos Spots | Certain locations in the dominion are in constant flux. |
| (p.86) | Choking Vapors | The fumes rise from volcanic vents. |
| (p.87) | Cursed Obelisk | These black, stone obelisks are usually covered in runes. |
| (p.69) | Despond’s Draining Waters | The Lake of Despond has a diminishing effect upon living creatures that touch it. |
| (p.29) | Devouring Cloud | A chittering cloud of bright-red astral beetles. |
| (p.50) | Drainer Lichen | The Foothill’s rockier slopes are mottled by drainer lichen. |
| (p.87) | Earthen Maw | Parts of the broken badlands open and close like jaws, seeking to snare passersby. |
| (p.50) | Gramble | The Foothills’ rugged heaths are covered in patches of gramble, a dense, thorny bush with carnivorous instincts. |
| (p.107) | Grasping Vines | Vines, roots, and other vegetation that have become infused with aberrant energies that entangle those that come near. |
| (p.107) | Insect Swarms | Swarms of biting, sucking insects, drawn by fresh blood and looking for their next source of food. |
| (p.29) | Mask of Zorthos | This Gargantuan phantasmal clay mask, believed to be the hollowed-out head of Zorthos, the slain god of doubt and lassitude, spins endlessly through the Astral Sea. |
| (p.51) | Mercyfields | Locations visited by Bahamut’s exalted dragons develop into mercyfields. |
| (p.29) | Nihilath Shroud | This roiling wave of gray ectoplasmic matter continually sprouts tentacles, which pull and tear at each other and are then reabsorbed into the larger mass. |
| (p.87) | Pocket of Night | In the darkest places of Samaragd, the shadows have an unnatural weight, and no natural light can penetrate the darkness. |
| (p.29) | Psychic Storm | Psychic storms darken the astral clouds and reach the size of earthly hurricanes. |
| (p.29) | Sehil’s Guts | Legend suggests that this Huge phantasmal knot of blood-red tubes is the remains of the intestines of Sehil, a primordial that Kord slew barehanded during the Dawn War’s final battle. |
| (p.87) | Soul Venom | These areas of Samaragd contain tainted atmosphere. |
| (p.115) | Soulshocked Ground | Patches of the Kalandurren arena have become soulshocked ground to keep arena fights bloody. |
| (p.51) | Valorfields | When Kord’s exalted gather to fight, they leave valorfields in their wake. |
| (p.87) | Venomous Air | These are clouds of nigh-undetectable poisons that hang in the air and amplify other poison attacks. |
| The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos (p.12) | Acidic Mire | Seas composed of flesh-dissolving liquids bordered by shores riddled with moors that churn with acid bubbling up from below. |
| (p.13) | Bonepowder Haze | Strange haze of fine, white powder, crackling with necrotic energy that saps the life force of creatures within and empower nearby undead |
| (p.13) | Chaos Breath | Powerful, unpredictable wind gusts that extend high into the atmosphere. |
| (p.13) | Crawling Earth | Ground that animates when stepped on, then quiets after a few moments. |
| (p.13) | Demon Jags | Sharp, rugged stone formed when demons are trampled by other demons or are otherwise violently absorbed into the surrounding surface. |
| (p.13) | Demon Slick | Odd, vile smelling slime that makes footing treacherous. Widespread where demons congregate. |
| (p.13) | Earth Flow | In the Elemental Chaos, earth moves constantly in rivers of rock, dirt, or mud. |
| (p.13) | Elemental Spout | Eruptions of material or elemental energy issuing forth from solid surfaces, bodies of liquid, raging storms, or empty air. |
| (p.15) | Energy Alteration Field | The air sparkles and the ground buzzes in chaotic energy alteration fields. |
| (p.15) | Frozen Fire | Portions of the Elemental Chaos experience cold so intense that even fire freezes, forming a highly unstable substance. |
| (p.15) | Ice Maws | Expanses of permafrost that come alive with mouthlike openings. |
| (p.16) | Infectious Pallor | Pockets of diseased air that drift through the Abyss. |
| (p.16) | Lightning Mist | Fields of gray-blue fog that drift slowly through the Elemental Chaos and are hazardous to traverse quickly. |
| (p.16) | Liquid Thunder | Highly volatile liquid pools coalesced from the force of a powerful elemental storm. |
| (p.17) | Phase Crystal | Related to phase rock, this translucent silvery crystal can be induced to discharge the extradimensional energy and shunt a creature out of phase for a short time. |
| (p.17) | Primordial Font | Volatile fountains of liquid elemental energy that change those who bathe in them. |
| (p.17) | Strangling Wind | The pressure of this wind is so great, and its blasts so turbulent, that it slows and even suffocates those who push themselves too hard. |
| (p.17) | Wrath Mud | Eerie mud that saps the sanity from creatures within it, pushing them to violence through psychic pain. |
| Underdark (p.82) | Aberrant Structures | Dessicated, long-dead structures in ruins left over from Nihilath. |
| (p.65) | Blinkrock | Nondescript gray-black stone with texture similar to granite and the ability to warp space. |
| (p.103) | Blood Grate | Hideous contraptions that revitalize formorians and their allies with the blood of intruders. |
| (p.83) | Brainmoss | Tissue seeded from living brains growing on cavern walls and floors. Wild brainmoss picks up and retains strong emotional impressions of sentient beings around it and have significant effect on the minds of living creatures. |
| (p.120) | Caught Breath | Tinkling crystals of warm breath frozen in air. |
| (p.14) | Darkrock | Darkrock drinks in illumination, weakening the light and creating strange, unpredictable shadows. |
| (p.103) | Eye Unblinking | Magic weapons made from ritually enlarged evil eyes and nourished by the blood of wounded foes which loose beams of arcane energy at invaders. |
| (p.14) | Glowstone | Glowstone provides patches of dim light that break up the darkness. |
| (p.119) | Godsrock | Where fragments of Torog’s bones struck the earth, formations called godsrock sprouted. |
| (p.102) | Godsblood | The divine energy remaining within this godsblood temporarily supercharges the natural healing capability of any creature, but at the cost of its own stamina and sanity. |
| (p.33) | Godsdream | The energy remaining from Torog’s passage through the Shallows provides creatures with the certainty of one incredible blow against a foe, but hides everything beneath a filmy layer of a dream. |
| (p.64) | Godsrage | An echo of Torog’s ancient fury, a terrible and appalling anger, infect travelers with a raging power. |
| (p.100) | Ground Swarms | Masses of rats, beetles, tiny drakes, or other nuisance creatures. |
| (p.120) | Hungry Void | Some places in the unending night below sap existence and unravel the threads of life. |
| (p.100) | Insect Cloud | Swarms of flying, blood-drinking bugs, searching for targets for their hunger. |
| (p.64) | Lifedrinker Caverns | Strange, black-speckled lichen that feed on nearby injuries. |
| (p.13) | Living Stone | Rock formations that grow on their own. |
| (p.101) | Mushroom Arch | A series of glowing mushrooms that grow together to form an arch over a corridor. |
| (p.101) | Primal Mud | Organic sludge which forms where life force rises up through the Feydark into the Feywild. |
| (p.121) | Soul Shard Clusters | Remnants of living creatures slain in the Shadowdark linger as soul shards. |
| (p.109) | Spore Field | Intoxicating spores that rapidly decompose organic matter. |
| (p.64) | The Weeping Lady | The heart-wrenching sobs of a seemingly female voice haunt the Deeps. |
| (p.14) | Wormrock | Porous orange rock that is easy to dig through. |
How To Make A Blank Magic Item Card in D&D Character Builder
Blank Item Card
Update: This post applies to the downloadable Character Builder which is no longer officially supported.
The 4th Edition D&D Character Builder is great software tool for creating and printing your character sheet. One of the best features is the ability to print your power and inventory cards for use at the table. Although the Character Builder has an option to print a page of blank power cards, it lacks the ability to print blank magic item cards, and sometimes as a DM (or a player) it’s handy to have some blank cards around just in case.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to get around this limitation. Fire up the Character Builder and load a character. Click on the Shop tab. At the far right where it says “Equipment and Magic Items” you’ll notice a little house icon with an H inside it. Click this and choose Create Custom Element. Since you can’t create an item with no name, simple click on the Name field in the popup window and enter a single space. Near the bottom, be sure to check the Item Card option. Click the Save button and voila, you’ll have a blank magic item card when you view the character sheet.
If you want to print a whole bunch of them, just find the blank card on the character sheet, right click, and choose Duplicate until you have a many as you like.
Creating a blank non-magical item card is a little trickier, but can still be done. In the Character Builder, click on the Shop tab. You’ll have to find a nonmagical item to add to the character’s inventory. Choose Adventuring Gear from the “Item Categories” and then find the Candle in the “Item” list. Click the Add button to add this to the inventory. Find the Candle in the “Your Equipment” list, right click it, and choose Customize Item. In the window that pops up, erase the name candle in the “Name” field and enter a single space. Make sure “Item Card” is checkmarked and click the Save button. You’ll now have a blank non-magic item card in your list of power cards on the character sheet (you make need to go to Options->Show Normal Item Cards in the character sheet to be able to see it).
Again, if you want to print multiple cards, just find the blank card on the character sheet, right click, and choose Duplicate until you have a many as you like.
Caveats: These two methods aren’t perfect. The blank magic item card will have a quantity of “1” and weight of “0” printed on the card. The blank non-magic item card will have a quantity of “1” and weight of “0”, as well as “PH” written in the “Book” field.
More Diseases: A List of 4th Edition Diseases From 3rd Party Sources
A Few Diseases More...
THIRD PARTY PUBLISHERS – DISEASES BY LEVEL
|
LEVEL
|
DISEASE
|
DESCRIPTION
|
SOURCE
|
|
Lvl 01
|
Chimney
|
A nuisance at most, sufferers exhibit a loud, dry cough, and breath that smells like soot.
|
Kobold Quarterly 12
(p.57) |
|
Lvl 02
|
Couplet (Curse)
|
Your curse compels the target to speak in rhyme, to your great amusement and their tongue-twisted dismay.
|
Hero’s Handbook: Eladrin
(p.36) |
|
Lvl 02
|
Hobbles
|
Victims of hobbles suffer from swelling of the extremities, tenderness of the feet, and joint pain. Walking becomes uncomfortable and running painful (if not impossible) as the disease progresses.
|
Monsterecology: Orcs
(p.29) |
|
Lvl 02
|
Tumbledown
|
Often spread when the target swims in or drinks tainted water, the disease causes severe vertigo and makes it impossible for the sufferer to stand.
|
|
|
Lvl 03
|
Dark Rot
|
Some say this disease was created in Morgau as a means to speed the living onto the land of dead. Dark Rot appears at random, so its contagion is still not fully understood.
|
|
|
Lvl 03
|
Iron Rot
|
Rusted metal of all sorts, from old sword blades to discarded nails, carries iron rot. The victim’s joints slowly stiffen until movement of any kind, even speech, is impossible…
|
|
|
Lvl 04
|
Night’s Delusions
|
This disease travels on the blades of weapons. At first, sufferers feel a sense of elation, but this gradually leads to dreamlike illusions.
|
|
|
Lvl 04
|
Skinpaper
|
The sufferer’s skin becomes dry and rigid, tearing open at the least scratch. The final stage causes the infected person to suffer horrible wounds when injured.
|
|
|
Lvl 05
|
Bloat Gloom
|
So named because the target’s face and limbs swell noticeably, the disease deadens pain from physical injuries and makes the sufferer oblivious to the severity of his wounds.
|
|
|
Lvl 05
|
Trasmute Emotions (Curse)
|
Your curse robs the target of all normal feelings. You choose to replace all of the target’s emotions with giddy joy and laughter, or deepest misery.
|
Hero’s Handbook: Eladrin
(p.36) |
|
Lvl 06
|
Blood Rotting Sickness
|
Any cut from centaur arrows taints the blood and leaves victims feverish and weak.
|
Kobold Quarterly 7
(p.44) |
|
Lvl 06
|
Bonewrack
|
Spread through insect bites, this disease causes horrible joint pain. A confounding illness, bonewrack seems to get worse just before the target recovers.
|
|
|
Lvl 06
|
The Fugue
|
Stale tomb air and fouled water transmit the fugue. Those afflicted report waking up in places or circumstances in which they have no memory of entering.
|
|
|
Lvl 07
|
Blue Ague
|
Carried on the foul vapors from sewers or through food, this disease befuddles the mind, causing the sufferer to act as if in a torpor.
|
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Angel Fire
|
This disease is so named because the sufferer’s flesh burns with radiant energy that only worsens in the presence of healing magic.
|
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Larval Infestation
|
||
|
Lvl 08
|
Sailor Fever
|
Often thought to be the reaction of a sailor who has lost his mind after too many days at sea, this disease spreads through flea and tick bites and manifests anywhere those vermin are plentiful.
|
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Searing Fever
|
The symptoms of searing sickness include fever, extreme headache, joint pain, and blindness.
|
Monsterecology: Orcs
(p.34) |
|
Lvl 09
|
Bleeding Blights
|
Thinned blood causes the victim to bleed profusely from even the slightest wound.
|
|
|
Lvl 09
|
Necrophage
|
||
|
Lvl 10
|
Fool’s Cap (Curse)
|
Your curse gives the target an ass’s head, matching external reality to essential truth.
|
Hero’s Handbook: Eladrin
(p.36) |
|
Lvl 11
|
Tremors
|
Contracted through addiction to Requiem, this disease is marked by sweating, vomiting, and un- controllable muscle spasms.
|
Kobold Quarterly 9
(p.57) |
|
Lvl 12
|
Bauble (Curse)
|
Your curse causes the target to prize the possession you des- ignate over all other things, an obsession that quickly grows into madness.
|
Hero’s Handbook: Eladrin
(p.35) |
|
Lvl 14
|
Feral Hunger (Curse)
|
Your curse causes the target to become revolted at the sight of ordinary food and crave grass, hay, or blood instead.
|
Hero’s Handbook: Eladrin
(p.36) |
|
Lvl 14
|
Fungal Infestation
|
This disease infects the target with a virulent strain of fungal growth. The fungus slowly poisons the target, and creates a severe, and potentially deadly allergy to sunlight within its host.
|
|
|
Lvl 15
|
Thew Blight
|
A particularly horrid disease, thew blight slowly liquefies muscle tissue until the victim is little more than immobile lump of wither flesh.
|
|
|
Lvl 16
|
Madness of the Wailing Wind
|
The insidious wind whistles in your ears, whispering blasphemous secrets impossible to ignore.
|
Kobold Quarterly 11
(p70) |
|
Lvl 16
|
Spetic Death
|
Rampant, flesh-eating bacteria devour the victim from the inside out.
|
|
|
Lvl 22
|
Gaes Curse
|
Azagar’s Book of Rituals
(p.11) |
|
|
Lvl 22
|
Skinchanger (Curse)
|
Your curse causes the target to spend half of each day as an ordinary animal with animal intelligence and instincts.
|
Hero’s Handbook: Eladrin
(p.36) |
|
Lvl 25
|
Cannibal Curse
|
You are overcome with a terrible desire to eat the flesh of your own kind… even if you have
|
|
SOURCE
|
DISEASE
|
LEVEL
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
Azagar’s Book of Rituals
(p.11) |
Gaes Curse
|
Lvl 22
|
|
|
Fungal Infestation
|
Lvl 14
|
This disease infects the target with a virulent strain of fungal growth. The fungus slowly poisons the target, and creates a severe, and potentially deadly allergy to sunlight within its host.
|
|
|
(p.91)
|
Thew Blight
|
Lvl 15
|
A particularly horrid disease, thew blight slowly liquefies muscle tissue until the victim is little more than immobile lump of wither flesh.
|
|
(p.91)
|
Cannibal Curse
|
Lvl 25
|
You are overcome with a terrible desire to eat the flesh of your own kind… even if you have
|
|
Larval Infestation
|
Lvl 8
|
||
|
Bleeding Blights
|
Lvl 9
|
Thinned blood causes the victim to bleed profusely from even the slightest wound.
|
|
|
Septic Death
|
Lvl 16
|
Rampant, flesh-eating bacteria devour the victim from the inside out.
|
|
|
Necrophage
|
Lvl 9
|
||
|
Monsterecology: Orcs
(p.29) |
Hobbles
|
Lvl 2
|
Victims of hobbles suffer from swelling of the extremities, tenderness of the feet, and joint pain. Walking becomes uncomfortable and running painful (if not impossible) as the disease progresses.
|
|
(p.34)
|
Searing Fever
|
Lvl 8
|
The symptoms of searing sickness include fever, extreme headache, joint pain, and blindness.
|
|
Hero’s Handbook: Eladrin
(p.35) |
Bauble (Curse)
|
Lvl 12
|
Your curse causes the target to prize the possession you des- ignate over all other things, an obsession that quickly grows into madness.
|
|
(p.36)
|
Couplet (Curse)
|
Lvl 2
|
Your curse compels the target to speak in rhyme, to your great amusement and their tongue-twisted dismay.
|
|
(p.36)
|
Fool’s Cap (Curse)
|
Lvl 10
|
Your curse gives the target an ass’s head, matching external reality to essential truth.
|
|
(p.36)
|
Feral Hunger (Curse)
|
Lvl 14
|
Your curse causes the target to become revolted at the sight of ordinary food and crave grass, hay, or blood instead.
|
|
(p.36)
|
Trasmute Emotions (Curse)
|
Lvl 5
|
Your curse robs the target of all normal feelings. You choose to replace all of the target’s emotions with giddy joy and laughter, or deepest misery.
|
|
(p.36)
|
Skinchanger (Curse)
|
Lvl 22
|
Your curse causes the target to spend half of each day as an ordinary animal with animal intelligence and instincts.
|
|
SOURCE
|
DISEASE
|
LEVEL
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
Kobold Quarterly 7
(p.44) |
Blood Rotting Sickness
|
Lvl 6
|
Any cut from centaur arrows taints the blood and leaves victims feverish and weak.
|
|
Kobold Quarterly 9
(p.57) |
Tremors
|
Lvl 11
|
Contracted through addiction to Requiem, this disease is marked by sweating, vomiting, and un- controllable muscle spasms.
|
|
Kobold Quarterly 11
(p70) |
Madness of the Wailing Wind
|
Lvl 16
|
The insidious wind whistles in your ears, whispering blasphemous secrets impossible to ignore.
|
|
Kobold Quarterly 12
(p.57) |
Chimney
|
Lvl 1
|
A nuisance at most, sufferers exhibit a loud, dry cough, and breath that smells like soot.
|
|
(p.57)
|
Tumbledown
|
Lvl 2
|
Often spread when the target swims in or drinks tainted water, the disease causes severe vertigo and makes it impossible for the sufferer to stand.
|
|
(p.57)
|
Dark Rot
|
Lvl 3
|
Some say this disease was created in Morgau as a means to speed the living onto the land of dead. Dark Rot appears at random, so its contagion is still not fully understood.
|
|
(p.57)
|
Skinpaper
|
Lvl 4
|
The sufferer’s skin becomes dry and rigid, tearing open at the least scratch. The final stage causes the infected person to suffer horrible wounds when injured.
|
|
(p.59)
|
Bloat Gloom
|
Lvl 5
|
So named because the target’s face and limbs swell noticeably, the disease deadens pain from physical injuries and makes the sufferer oblivious to the severity of his wounds.
|
|
(p.59)
|
Bonewrack
|
Lvl 6
|
Spread through insect bites, this disease causes horrible joint pain. A confounding illness, bonewrack seems to get worse just before the target recovers.
|
|
(p.59)
|
Blue Ague
|
Lvl 7
|
Carried on the foul vapors from sewers or through food, this disease befuddles the mind, causing the sufferer to act as if in a torpor.
|
|
(p.59)
|
Angel Fire
|
Lvl 8
|
This disease is so named because the sufferer’s flesh burns with radiant energy that only worsens in the presence of healing magic.
|
|
Iron Rot
|
Lvl 3
|
Rusted metal of all sorts, from old sword blades to discarded nails, carries iron rot. The victim’s joints slowly stiffen until movement of any kind, even speech, is impossible…
|
|
|
Night’s Delusions
|
Lvl 4
|
This disease travels on the blades of weapons. At first, sufferers feel a sense of elation, but this gradually leads to dreamlike illusions.
|
|
|
The Fugue
|
Lvl 6
|
Stale tomb air and fouled water transmit the fugue. Those afflicted report waking up in places or circumstances in which they have no memory of entering.
|
|
|
Sailor Fever
|
Lvl 8
|
Often thought to be the reaction of a sailor who has lost his mind after too many days at sea, this disease spreads through flea and tick bites and manifests anywhere those vermin are plentiful.
|
A Comprehensive List of Diseases in 4th Edition
Rot Grub Infestation
Below is a compilation of most (if not all) of the 4th edition diseases to appear in any official source book, adventure, or DDI article to date. They are listed here broken down first by level for easy reference and then, in a separate set of tables, by source book, so you can quickly see what diseases are available in the books you have.
In a later post I will provide an index of some of the diseases created in 3rd party materials.
|
LEVEL
|
DISEASE
|
DESCRIPTION
|
SOURCE
|
|
Lvl 02
|
Skinrot
|
||
|
Lvl 03
|
Filth Fever
|
Dungeon 156 (p.33, 42),
Dungeon 150 (p.96), Monster Manual (p.180, 211, 219)
|
|
|
Lvl 04
|
Shakes
|
This disease causes involuntary twitches and tremors that grow progressively worse.
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.50)
|
|
Lvl 06
|
Moontusk Fever
|
Monster Manual 2 (p.158)
|
|
|
Lvl 06
|
Slavering Canker
|
Monster Manual 2 (p.126)
|
|
|
Lvl 06
|
Verdant Whispers
|
Spread by touch, verdant whispers causes victims to enter a delirious state.
|
Dragon 364 (p.72)
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Lockjaw
|
Dungeon 178 (p.76)
|
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Moon Fever
|
Dungeon 156 (p.53)
|
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Moon Frenzy
|
H3: Pyramid of Shadows (p.23), Monster Manual (p.181)
|
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Mummy Rot (Mummy Guardian)
|
Monster Manual (p.192)
|
|
|
Lvl 08
|
Rusty Paralysis
|
This disease affects those cut by rusty metal. The victim gets slowly weaker, and in the final stages the victim becomes paralyzed.
|
Dragon 376 (p.32)
|
|
Lvl 08+
|
Mummy Rot
|
This disease, delivered by the attack of a mummy, fills the lungs of its victims with dust, making it progressively harder for them to breathe.
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.49)
|
|
Lvl 09
|
Blinding Sickness
|
Often spread in tainted water, blinding sickness leaves its victims sightless.
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.49)
|
|
Lvl 10
|
Festering Doom
|
Black sores appear on the skin, oozing black filth and vital fluids when exposed to healing magic.
|
Dungeon 161 (p.112)
|
|
Lvl 11
|
Cemetery Rot
|
||
|
Lvl 11
|
Halruaan Consumption
|
Those who contract this malady are subject to sudden weight loss, vomiting, and finally disintegration.
|
Eberron Campaign Guide (p.136)
|
|
Lvl 11
|
Moon Rage
|
Monster Manual 2 (p.159)
|
|
|
Lvl 11
|
Mournland Affliction
|
Afflicted by the Mournland, a victim of this disease acts as one without hope, sallow, wide-eyed, and despairing.
|
Eberron Campaign Guide (p.93)
|
|
Lvl 11
|
Soul Rot
|
Manual of the Planes (p.52)
|
|
|
Lvl 11
|
Worms of Kyuss
|
||
|
Lvl 12
|
Cackle Fever
|
The symptoms of cackle fever include high fever, disorientation, and frequent bouts of hideous laughter.
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.49)
|
|
Lvl 12
|
Twisted Domination
|
Dungeon 157 (p.64)
|
|
|
Lvl 13
|
Brain Fluke
|
This minuscule, wormlike parasite concludes its adult life in a victim’s brain.
|
Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (p.103)
|
|
Lvl 13
|
Greater Moon Frenzy
|
Monster Manual 2 (p.160)
|
|
|
Lvl 13
|
Mummy Rot (Mummy Lord)
|
Monster Manual (p.192)
|
|
|
Lvl 13
|
Tear Transformation
|
Dungeon 162 (p.79)
|
|
|
Lvl 14
|
Filth Plague
|
Infused with the toxic filth of the Demon Wastes, this disease turns the target’s internal organs to a bloody froth.
|
Dungeon 177 (p.20), Eberron Campaign Guide (p.121)
|
|
Lvl 16
|
Chaos Phage
|
||
|
Lvl 16
|
Mindfire
|
In the initial stages, victims of mindfire complain of burning pain in the head. Later, they sink into stupor.
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.50)
|
|
Lvl 17
|
Mummy Rot
|
||
|
Lvl 20
|
Mind Seed
|
An implanted quori thought slowly takes root and grows until the victim is completely under its control.
|
Eberron Campaign Guide (p.190)
|
|
Lvl 21
|
Hellfever
|
Those who suffer from hellfever complain of alternating sensations of searing fire and freezing cold.
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.50)
|
|
Lvl 21
|
Mummy Rot
|
Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons (p.142)
|
|
|
Lvl 21
|
Mummy Rot (Giant Mummy)
|
Monster Manual (p.192)
|
|
|
Lvl 23
|
Slimy Doom
|
Abyssal parasites devour the internal organs of the victims, turning them into quivering slime.
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide (p.50)
|
|
Lvl 26
|
Silvery Sleep
|
||
|
Variable
|
Pact Broken Curse
|
||
|
Character Level
|
Sun Sickness
|
Dark Sun Campaign Setting (p.199)
|
SOURCE BOOKS
|
SOURCE
|
DISEASE
|
LEVEL
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
Dark Sun Campaign Setting
(p.199) |
Sun Sickness
|
Character Level
|
The sun’s punishing rays leech vitality from your body.
|
|
Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons (p.142)
|
Mummy Rot
|
Lvl 21
|
|
|
Dungeon Master’s Guide
(p.49) |
Mummy Rot
|
Lvl 8+
|
This disease, delivered by the attack of a mummy, fills the lungs of its victims with dust, making it progressively harder for them to breathe.
|
|
(p.49)
|
Blinding Sickness
|
Lvl 9
|
Often spread in tainted water, blinding sickness leaves its victims sightless.
|
|
(p.49)
|
Cackle Fever
|
Lvl 12
|
The symptoms of cackle fever include high fever, disorientation, and frequent bouts of hideous laughter.
|
|
(p.50)
|
Shakes
|
Lvl 4
|
This disease causes involuntary twitches and tremors that grow progressively worse.
|
|
(p.50)
|
Mindfire
|
Lvl 16
|
In the initial stages, victims of mindfire complain of burning pain in the head. Later, they sink into stupor.
|
|
(p.50)
|
Hellfever
|
Lvl 21
|
Those who suffer from hellfever complain of alternating sensations of searing fire and freezing cold.
|
|
(p.50)
|
Slimy Doom
|
Lvl 23
|
Abyssal parasites devour the internal organs of the victims, turning them into quivering slime.
|
|
Eberron Campaign Guide
(p.93) |
Mournland Affliction
|
Lvl 11
|
Afflicted by the Mournland, a victim of this disease acts as one without hope, sallow, wide-eyed, and despairing.
|
|
(p.121)
|
Filth Plague
|
Lvl 14
|
Infused with the toxic filth of the Demon Wastes, this disease turns the targets internal organs into a bloody froth.
|
|
(p.190)
|
Mind Seed
|
Lvl 20
|
An implanted quori thought slowly takes root and grows until the victim is completely under its control.
|
|
Mummy Rot
|
Lvl 17
|
||
|
(p.123)
|
Silvery Sleep
|
Lvl 26
|
|
|
(p.180)
|
Skinrot
|
Lvl 2
|
|
|
(p.186)
|
Cemetery Rot
|
Lvl 11
|
|
|
(p.218)
|
Worms of Kyuss
|
Lvl 11
|
|
|
Monster Manual
(p.180, 211, 219) |
Filth Fever
|
Lvl 3
|
|
|
(p.181)
|
Moon Frenzy
|
Lvl 8
|
|
|
(p.192)
|
Mummy Rot (Mummy Guardian)
|
Lvl 8
|
|
|
(p.192)
|
Mummy Rot (Mummy Lord)
|
Lvl 13
|
|
|
(p.192)
|
Mummy Rot (Giant Mummy)
|
Lvl 21
|
|
|
(p.239)
|
Chaos Phage
|
Lvl 16
|
|
|
Manual of the Planes
(p.52) |
Soul Rot
|
Lvl 11
|
|
|
Monster Manual 2
(p.126) |
Slavering Canker
|
Lvl 6
|
|
|
(p.158)
|
Moontusk Fever
|
Lvl 6
|
|
|
(p.159)
|
Moon Rage
|
Lvl 11
|
|
|
(p.160)
|
Greater Moon Frenzy
|
Lvl 13
|
|
|
Pact Broken Curse
|
Variable
|
||
|
(p.103)
|
Brain Fluke
|
Lvl 13
|
This minuscule, wormlike parasite concludes its adult life in a victim’s brain.
|
|
(p.103)
|
Halruaan Consumption
|
Lvl 11
|
Those who contract this malady are subject to sudden weight loss, vomiting, and finally disintegration.
|
|
SOURCE
|
DISEASE
|
LEVEL
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
H3: Pyramid of Shadows
(p.23) |
Moon Frenzy
|
Lvl 8
|
|
SOURCE
|
DISEASE
|
LEVEL
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
Dragon 364
(p.72) |
Verdant Whispers
|
Lvl 6
|
Spread by touch, verdant whispers causes victims to enter a delirious state.
|
|
Dragon 376
(p.32) |
Rusty Paralysis
|
Lvl 8
|
This disease affects those cut by rusty metal. The victim gets slowly weaker, and in the final stages the victim becomes paralyzed.
|
|
SOURCE
|
DISEASE
|
LEVEL
|
DESCRIPTION
|
|
Dungeon 156
(p.33, 42) |
Filth Fever
|
Lvl 3
|
|
|
(p.53)
|
Moon Fever
|
Lvl 8
|
|
|
Dungeon 157
(p.64) |
Twisted Domination
|
Lvl 12
|
|
|
Dungeon 158
(p.96) |
Filth Fever
|
Lvl 3
|
|
|
Dungeon 161
(p.112) |
Festering Doom
|
Lvl 10
|
Black sores appear on the skin, oozing black filth and vital fluids when exposed to healing magic.
|
|
Dungeon 162
(p.15, 17, 20, 25) |
Chaos Phage
|
Lvl 16
|
|
|
(p.79)
|
Tear Transformation
|
Lvl 13
|
|
|
Dungeon 177
(p.20) |
Filth Plague
|
Lvl 14
|
Infused with the toxic filth of the Demon Wastes, this disease turns the target’s internal organs to a bloody froth.
|
|
Dungeon 178
(p.76) |
Lockjaw
|
Lvl 8
|
|
|
Chaos Phage
|
Lvl 16
|
Quick Review: Dungeon Master’s Token Set
Dungeon Master's Token Set
Gale Force Nine’s Dungeon Master’s Token Set is an officially licensed accessory for Dungeons & Dragons for visibly tracking status and conditions during combat. From their website:
The 22 dragonscale-shaped tokens indicate specific effects that adventures and dungeon denizens may fall victim to. The scale-shaped tokens are all emblazoned with D&D artwork from Wizards of the Coast. The 18 scroll tokens act as handy reminders for status and ongoing damage effects. These scroll tokens are designed so the DM may mark them with a wet erase marker (available from any office supply or stationary store). The set also includes 5 drop-shaped Bloodied tokens and 5 corpse markers.
The tokens are contained in a handsome wooden box. Inside, the box is divided into compartments to sort and store your tokens and any other items the Dungeon Master will be using; dice, pencils, miniatures or whatever! The lid of the box is lined with felt, turning it into the perfect dice tray to keep wild rolls under control.
Token Container
The back of the packaging gives you a clear picture of everything you’re getting in this accessory (minus the dice and dice bag, as noted).
The set is contained within an 8in x 10in x 2in wooden box emblazoned with the Dungeons and Dragons logo. The inside of the lid is felt-covered to provide a rolling surface for dice. The bottom of the box is divided into six small compartments for the tokens and one large compartment for dice, pens, etc.
Inside the Box
The tokens themselves are high quality, each featuring artwork from Wizards of the Coast and a thin felt backing. The dragons scale shaped tokens mark the basic conditions in the game: grabbed (x2), slowed (x2), immobilized (x3), restrained (x2), weakened (x2), concealment (x2), stunned (x3), and dazed (x3). There are also three tokens for the marked condition, each highlighted in a different color (green, purple, and red) and featuring a “1”, “2”, or “3” identifier on them, so that different character’s marks can be distinguished.
The Tokens
For status and ongoing damage, there are 18 scroll tokens. The status tokens come in blue, purple, and brown, and the ongoing damage tokens are green, red, and yellow. There are three each of every colored scroll token. These can be customized by marking them with a wet-erase pen.
There are also 5 bloodied tokens, shaped like a small blood drop, and 5 square dead body tokens. The dead body tokens are, amusingly, ever so-slightly varied: some feature the body face down, others feature it face up.
Tokens In Play
Unlike other token sets that are designed to stack underneath the miniatures, Gale Force Nine’s Dungeon Master’s Token Set is intended to sit at the base of the miniature. The small bloodied token can rest atop the miniature’s base, while the condition, status, and ongoing damage tokens are curved to nestle right up against them. This makes it easier to see what conditions are in play, but may clutter up the battlemap or prove less useful in cramped environments (i.e. 3D miniature terrain) or encounters with numerous minis involved.
The Dungeon Master’s Token Set is available now at your local gaming store or favorite online retailer, and is priced between $20 and $30.
Wet-Erase Pen Comparison: Staedtler vs. Expo
Staedtler vs. Expo
If you’re a DM who uses a battlemat, you’ve no doubt heard one or both of these names. For the uninitiated, vinyl battlemats such as those sold by Chessex provide a DM with a gridded surface on which they can draw whatever they need for their encounter or game. Wet-erase pens (of which Staedtler and Expo are two manufacturers), are used to draw on the mats and, as their name suggests, can be erased simply by wiping the surface clean with a little water and a paper towel.
I’ve been using the Staedtler pens for many years now, and I wasn’t even aware that there was another manufacturer of wet-erase pens until I saw a Wizards.com forum member post that he preferred Expo’s Vis-à-Vis. I decided to give them a try.
I did a side by side comparison of all the colors of each pen (except purple, for which I only had one pen). Staedtler Lumocolor is on the left (spelling mistake noted) and Expo Vis-à-Vis is on the right:
It should be noted that this was on a Chessex Battlemat and as such results may be different on other surfaces (such as GameMastery’s Flip-mats). This photo was taken with a flash to help highlight the differences in color and, more importantly, ink coverage. (For a more naturally lit comparison, see here and here).
The Winner: Staedtler Lumocolor
The most noticeable difference is the coverage of the ink (or the depth of the color, if you prefer). The Staedtler pens deliver a nice, even ink, whereas the Vis-à-Vis pens come up a little on the thin side. This is particularly noticeable in the black, brown, and blue, and also visible a bit in the red and orange. The Staedtler pens all have fairly true colors, though the red and yellow are a bit on the orange side.
The verdict: Stick with Staedtler wet-erase pens, as they deliver a deep color with good coverage. Expo Vis-à-Vis pens, on the other hand, lack the fullness of the Staedtler pens, appearing thin and “watered down” on the mat, so to speak.
Keeping Track of Miniatures
Never Lose Track Of Your Zombies
A battlemap covered in identical miniatures can pose a difficult challenge to DMs and players alike when it comes to tracking hitpoints and statuses or indicating targets. Some of this can be mitigated through the use of aids like tokens, chits, or flags for marking conditions, but DMs often still need a way of distinguishing between monsters in their notes, and players shouldn’t have to resort to latitude, longitude, and GPS coordinates just to say which minion they are attacking.
Fortunately, if you’re using D&D miniatures, it generally isn’t too difficult to find a way of marking the bases in order to identify them. Avery makes round, colored, 1/4 inch, removable labels that work great for the task, and you can pick up a pack of 760 of them for less than five bucks at Staples.
The labels come in four colors: green, yellow, blue, and red. The red and yellow ones are perhaps the most useful as the provide the greatest contrast for black ink. You’ll probably find that something like an Ultra Fine Point Sharpie is your best bet for writing dark, crisp numbers.
Different Dot Colors Help Differentiate Creatures
Having multiple colored labels can prove useful for distinguishing between different but similar miniatures that are likely to appear together in an encounter. A perfect example are the Kruthik minis, which are all basically the same except for size and slight variations in color. Using a different colored label for each type of Kruthik makes them stand apart a bit more, ensuring that you won’t accidentally confuse your young with your hatchlings.
You could, of course, simply buy a metallic Sharpie to mark your miniatures, but that’s permanent and why mar a figure when a removable sticker works just as well, if not better. Besides, you might want to sell your collection on eBay some day so you can, I dunno, spend the money on a Gargantuan Orcus.
Custom Miniature: Crawling Claw
Pewter Hand Charms
Crawling Claws are creepy little undead creatures that have been around since the early days of D&D. In 4th Edition they made their appearance in Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead, and have several variants (Crawling Claw Swarm, Crawling Gauntlet, Lich Claw, etc.), but it in each case represent severed hands, paws, or claws, reanimated by necrotic powers or necromancy.
In a recent game, my players entered a tomb in which the skeletal remains of failed tomb robbers had been reanimated to protect it. To enhance feeling that some magic force was manipulating these remains, I threw a few Crawling Claws at the party, in the form of reanimated skeletal hands. Since Wizards of the Coast had not, to my knowledge, produced a suitable miniature, I had to go in search of a substitute.
After much searching, I finally managed to find a pewter hand charm sold by an online jewelry supply shop that would make due in a pinch. The size was perfect: not much more than half an inch long. Of course, since they were supposed to represent skeleton hands, I slapped a quick couple coats of white paint on them. I also clipped off the loops since I obviously wasn’t planning on using them as charms. Finally, to make them easier to manipulate, I affixed them each to a plastic chip with a bit of sticky tack. Voila, instant Crawling Claw!
Custom Crawling Claws
More On Spiders: Monster Manual 3
Monster Manual 3
Apparently I’m on the same wavelength as someone at Wizards of the Coast. Last week I blogged about Giant Spiders, Spiderling Minions, and a Giant Spiderweb trap appropriate for a 1st level party. This week I picked up Monster Manual 3and what does it have in it? A 2nd level spider, spiderlings, and a web trap.
The Ambush Spider is a level 2 lurker with the ability to become hidden if it has cover or concealment (i.e. it doesn’t require superior cover/total concealment). Strangely, its only while it is hidden that its attack delivers the additional ongoing poison damage and effect associated with it. I’m not sure how one would explain this “in-world”: Does the spider have shy venom sacs that can only produce when no one is watching?
The Spiderling is a level 4 skirmisher minion with a mechanic that makes it imperative to kill most of them as quickly as possible. When a spiderling hits with its attack, the target gains vulnerability to poison. If the target already had vulnerability (i.e. from a previous attack), the vulnerability increases. What starts off as a typical dinky minion can soon turn into a threat capable of inflicting massive damage.
In a sidebar, the section on spiders also discusses Spider Webs. MM3 describes a terrain called Web Sheets which has all the hallmarks of a simple trap (perception DC, attack and effects, and countermeasures) but for whatever reason they stop short of making it an actual trap. In my implementation, I chose to make the trap automatically hit when a character failed perception and walked into it. In their version, it makes an attack versus reflex (like most traps). I probably should have done something similar in my implementation, but I wanted the drama of the players having to deal with being stuck in a web while a giant spider descended upon them. They also chose to make it simply immobilize a character (can’t move) whereas I reasoned that a web meant to trap a meal would be more likely to restrain the individual (can’t move, -2 to attacks, grant combat advantage).
Trapped: Giant Spiderweb
Come into my parlor...
If you’re going to fill a cave, dungeon, or forest with Giant Spiders, there has to be a way for them to catch their prey, doesn’t there. To go along with my custom 2nd level arachnid I created a Giant Spiderweb trap designed to snag unsuspecting adventurers. Because it does no damage and is essentially one-shot (I reasoned that anyone escaping essentially destroys the web in the process), I decided it was a Minion trap and worth 25XP.
Giant Spiderweb
Trap
Level 1 Minion
XP 25
Trap: A giant spiderweb.Perception✦ DC 15: The character notices the spiderweb.Nature✦ DC 10: The character identifies the web as the creation of a giant spider, and recalls its properties.TriggerThe trap attacks the creature when it enters its square.AttackImmediate Reaction MeleeTarget: The triggering creatureEffect: The target is restrained (cannot move, grants combat advantage, -2 to attacks).Countermeasures✦ Acrobatics DC 10 or Athletics DC 10: A character restrained by a web can make a successful check as a standard action to free themselves from the web. The web is completely destroyed in the process.
✦ A character can attack the web (AC 4, REF 4, FORT 12; hp 15; vulnerable 5 fire, 5 acid; immune poison, psychic, necrotic, and attacks against will).
In play, the trap works well stretched across entryways or narrow spaces. And of course, in the process of trapping the adventurer, the trap is also likely to inform its creator (the aforementioned Giant Spider) that dinner has arrived.
Update: The Monster Manual 3 describes a terrain called web sheets (MM3 p.183) which is very similar to my Giant Spiderweb Trap design. It makes an attack versus reflex (which the Giant Spiderweb Trap should probably do to be consistent with trap design) but only immobilizes victims (can’t move). I think restrained (can’t move, -2 to attacks, grants combat advantage) is more consistent with how a giant web would work (and be more useful to the spider spinning it) but to each their own.
One Inch Square 
