The Cursed Blade

A Player's Guide

In a world where humans are little more than sheep,
their shepherd has disappeared.
Is this the end?

This document is not meant for distribution or sale, nor does it imply or state that I, S. P. III *(it's composer)*, own any of the images and other directly borrowed content, which is owned by Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Gathering, or the amazing artists who illustrated the wonderful and wicked world of Innistrad. The purpose of this document is to help familiarize a player of Dungeons & Dragons to the campaign setting of Innistrad, created by Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Gathering, being a compilation of various sources such as *Art of Magic the Gathering: Innistrad*, *Dungeon & Dragons: Planeshift--- Innistrad*, the Gatherer, and Wikipedia.

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##### Table Of Contents - **[1 The Cursed Blade](#p1)** - [1.1 ](#p1) - [1.1.1 A Player's Guide](#p1) - **[2 Introduction](#p3)** - [2.1 ](#p3) - [2.1.1 Character Tips](#p3) - [2.2 Character Creation](#p4) - [2.2.1 What's Allowed?](#p4) - [2.2.2 Backgrounds](#p4) - **[3 Innistrad Currently](#p5)** - [3.1 Archangel Avacyn](#p5) - [3.1.1 Avacynian Wards](#p5) - [3.1.2 Faith Elsewhere](#p5) - **[4 The World of Innistrad](#p6)** - [4.1 The Moon](#p6) - [4.1.1 The Nature of the Moon](#p6) - [4.2 Provinces](#p6) - [4.3 Gavony](#p7) - [4.3.1 Thraben, the High City](#p8) - [4.3.2 The Nearheath](#p9) - [4.4 The Moorlands](#p10) - [4.5 Kessig](#p11) - [4.5.1 The Breakneck Ride](#p11) - [4.5.2 The Ulvenwald](#p12) - [4.5.3 The Natterknolls](#p12) - [4.5.4 Villages of Kessig](#p13) - [4.6 Nephalia](#p14) - [4.6.1 Province by the Sea](#p14) - [4.7 Stensia](#p17) - [4.7.1 The Geier Reach](#p18) - [4.7.2 Vampire Estates](#p19) - [4.7.3 The Ashmouth](#p19) ``` ```

- **[5 The Church of Avacyn](#p20)** - [5.1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope](#p20) - [5.1.1 Angelic Flights](#p20) - [5.2 Church Heirarchy](#p21) - [5.2.1 Clergy](#p21) - [5.2.2 Avacynian Archmages](#p21) - [5.2.3 Cathars](#p22) - [5.2.4 Church Artisans](#p22) - **[6 Equipment of Innistrad](#p23)** - **[7 Innistrad Bestiary](#p25)** - [7.1 Natural Beasts](#p25) - [7.1.1 Werewolves](#p25) - [7.2 Unnatural Creatures](#p25) - [7.2.1 Abyssal and Infernal](#p25) - [7.2.2 Undead](#p25) - [7.3 Other Magical Creatures](#p26) - [7.3.1 Dragons and Drakes](#p26) - [7.3.2 Elementals](#p26) - [7.3.3 Skaabs](#p26) - [7.4 Ever more..](#p26) - **[8 Your Character in Innistrad](#p27)** - [8.1 Provincial Origins](#p28) - [8.1.1 Gavony](#p28) - [8.1.2 Kessig](#p28) - [8.1.3 Nephalia](#p28) - [8.1.4 Stensia](#p28) - [8.2 Class Overview](#p29) - [8.3 The Inquisitor](#p30) - **[9 Variant Rules](#p31)** - [9.1 Sanity](#p32) \page

# Introduction Welcome to *The Cursed Blade*, and to the plane of Innistrad! This campaign is set in the Magic: The Gathering Multiverse, and uses Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition rules to explore and tell its story. *(As stated by D&D, 5e rulesets are compatible with OneDND and beyond.)* In this campaign, you will slay the undead, contend with werewolves, take down vampires, and discover the harrowing existence that it is to be human in this world. Before you start creating your character, this guide will help provide information and tips that will help you survive this dreadful plane, such as player options, the world, and the presiding religion that protects humanity---- the Holy Church of Avacyn.

##### The Holy Church of Avacyn Players can choose to be members of the Church of Avacyn. Doing so may grant you powerful holy spells and equipment to destroy monsters of the dark. These armaments commonly deal **radiant** damage, which most creatures don't have natural resistances against.

### Character Tips The plane of Innistrad is rife with supernatural horrors---- vicious werewolves, ravenous vampires and relentless zombies to name a few. Humans seems destined to perish at their clawed hands. Under Avacyn's gaze and guidance, heroes like you can make a difference! ``` ``` #### The Power of Archangel Avacyn Avacyn is the symbol of the plane's hope and protection. An age-old religion was founded on her power, and pledging your allegiance to her church grants you the ability to use holy magic in much the same manner as she and her angels do. Spells of warding, banishing, radiant fire--- all are effective and proof against Innistrad's monsters. **Clerics and paladins** hold particular strength in this campaign. Other classes now have more religious-inspired or divine subclasses. These would be just as worthwhile! #### Not All Monsters are Monsters The horrors of Innistrad are not always those with claws and fangs. Others, perhaps the worst kind, reside within walls much like yours, in manorial estates, estranged laboratories, or stone dungeons. Innistrad's humans are as varied as any other universe's: the best aiding villagers and fighting alongside angels, and the worst attempting to summon demons or conduct horrific experiments on others. Beaurocracy can be corrupt with black market deals, murders, and corpse trade. Characters who are proficient in **Investigation, History, or Religion Skills** can spot certain clues others will not, while those with proficiency in **Insight** might intuit when others aren't trustworthy. #### The Ravenous Wilds There will be times where the party will travel between the vast provinces. These lands are not only filled with various beasts and undead, but can be scarse in food and water, let alone any location to settle down peacefully enough for a few hours. Proficiency in **Survival or Nature Skills** can go a long way. Being proficient in *land vehicles* can aid a party traversing precarious crossways in the tall mountains or murky moors.

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## Character Creation Along with the tips given before, there are several key items you should know prior to final-drafting your character and combating hordes of the dark! ### What's Allowed? Outlined below is a description of what is available for character options during your creation process. ##### Species - It is recommended to play a *Human or Human-appearing species*. At the end of this document, four Innistrad-inspired **Human** subspecies are described, each based on one of the plane's four provinces, or countries. ##### Classes - Any official class and subclass is available for use. ##### Feats - Any feat described in *Player's Handbook* and *Xanathar's Guide to Everything* is available for use where approriate (i.e., you can't use a Halfing feat if you aren't one) ##### Spells - Any spell found in D&D's *Player's Handbook*, *Sword Coast Adventure's Guide*, and *Xanathar's Guide to Everything* is acceptable. Be sure to get your DM's approval if you're considering character options, such as a class, subclass or Feat, from outside sources. *( *Unearthed Arcana* would be an outside source.)* ``` ``` ### Backgrounds Creating a character background in an unfamiliar world can be daunting. Perhaps you feel using a rather predictive backstory such as *'survivor of a werewolf or zombie attack'* is a bit mundane. Here are a few tips. #### Not Original, but with a Twist! Using what you might think is a common background, you can put your own twist on what happened. Say your character was the survivor of a werewolf attack. Maybe they knew who one of the beasts was, or perhaps they saw what they believed to be the pack leader. What if your character was mysteriously spared? #### Vengeance, but with what Power? After any such strife, a character may wish to take vengeance, but how? What power do they turn to? Do they swear an oath to an angel of Avacyn or join the ranks of a town militia? Do they study the ways of mana? If so, what do they practice, or do they look upon ancient pagan forces, or even sinister infernal magic? Innistrad is rife with misfortune. Almost everyone knows someone who has fallen victim to its horrors, but the loss is still felt true. Everyone has their own motives.

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# Innistrad Currently Night has become increasingly more dangerous. Werewolves are more cunning, vampires are more brazen, and the undead seem unperterbed by sacred wards or sigils of faith. What has happened? ## Missing Guardian **Archangel Avacyn** has seemingly vanished. Rumors spread that is has been seasons since anyone has seen her last. Even sightings of angels have become less regular. The church seems quiet on the matter, simplying reciting 'Maintain your faith, and her power will protect you---- if you doubt, you will no doubt succumb to ill and plight.' However, the Guardian of Innistrad's possible disappearance causes more than just a shake in Innistrad's faith. ``` ``` ### Avacynian Wards All across Innistrad, angels and priests place preventative wards and protective spells on structures such as walls, forts, chapels and other government buildings. With Avacyn's disappearance, these wards have significantly diminished in strength and efficacy. An Avacynian with the know-how can restore some of its power, but it is not as effective as it once was, nor does it last as long. Because of the increased frequency of ward renewal, the church can no longer administer this maintenance across Innistrad properly, leading to more attacks on its human populace. ### Faith Elsewhere As wards fail, human lives are taken by the monstrous, so faith in Avacyn and her host falls. Where it fell, devotion to other powers grows. A rise in paganism---- the worship of pre-Avacynian entities and nature spirits, as well as cultist and witch activity, has become more evident. Some, in their weakness, were quick to turn to these powers, no matter how costly it would be.

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# The World of Innistrad ## The Moon Innistrad's moon is a object of controversy. In one hand, it is a source of hope and said to be tied to Avacyn's power; in the other, it is harbinger of misfortune and woe as its cycle denotes the severity of monster attacks. The "silver fickle" moon seems to serve humanity as well as carry out the evils on Innistrad. ### The Nature of the Moon Many wise astronomers believe the moon is a vast desert made of pure silver, that all the silver in Innistrad comes from it. Priests and cathars know the special power that blessed silver has on werewolves and other monsters, so the moon is heavily associated with the divine power of Archangel Avacyn. Some even believe to see a heron in the dark and bright areas of the moon, so with time the heron has become the symbol of Avacyn as well. ``` ``` ## Provinces Innistrad is seperated into four large countries, or *provinces*: - ***Gavony.*** Seat of the Cathedral of Avacyn. It is the most north and large, consisting of several smaller regions. **Geists**, Innistrad's word for ghosts, are commonplace. - ***Nephalia.*** Mercantile country in the east. Dominated by three port towns and laced with rivers. *Necro-alchemy* is said to be most rampant here. - ***Kessig.*** Home of the Ulvenwald, the largest forest in Innistrad. Much of it left undiscovered, small villages and towns dot the continent where safe ground can be kept. **Werewolves** from all four tribes stalk these woods, taking territory from one another by any means necessary. - ***Stensia.*** Mountainous region where strained but habitable land is located between three inner valleys. Three of the four **Vampire** covens make home in Stensia, keeping hungry, watchful eyes over its entry routes.

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## Gavony Scattered across rocky moors and rolling hills around the High City are a handful of small towns and farms. Some have little more than shuttered windows and barred doors--- grim determination standing between the scared populace and the night's horrors. The grand city of Thraben, the largest in all of Innistrad, stands against the darkness and represents the undying hope of humanity and embodies the church's promise of protection against the evil in the world. Church and state are one in Gavony. The province is divided into five parishes. Three of these parishes combined are known as the Nearheath, located just outside Thraben. ``` ```

#### Gavony Parishes - ***Thraben.*** Largest and most prosperous city of Innistrad and the home of the **Cathedral of Avacyn**. It makes its own parish. - ***Videns.*** Center parish. The holy River Kirch runs through it, hydrating the many farms and orchards along Angel's Way. - ***Wittal.*** Western parish known for its wood and construction, edged by a forest, the Wittal. It borders Stensia. - ***Effalen.*** Eastern parish that borders the Moorland. It is scarcely populated. - ***The Moorland.*** A parish larger than the rest combined. It is mostly barren rock and boggy moors, filled with numerous wondering geists and masterless ghouls.

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### Thraben, the High City Sheltered by its high walls, Thraben is a light amidst the darkness, situated on a large island at one end of the Lake of Herons. #### The Walls of Thraben The walls of the High City divide it into sections and mark its growth. ***Outer Wall.*** The main defense of the High City. Thick and high, it rings the perimeter of the city. ***Merchant's Wall.*** A wide wall that contains many chambers housing specialized merchants. It circles a large market square that is the center of Thraben's commerce. ***Child's Wall.*** This wall surrounds the Cathedral's holy grounds, nearly as strong and tall as the Outer Wall. When a child is born in Gavony, the parents make a pilgrimage to this wall within the newborn's first year of life and inscribe its name onto the stone. It is said to secure Avacyn's protection and blessings onto the infant. ***Fang Wall.*** Werewolves are executed in front of this wall. Their fangs are ripped out and shoved into the wall's cracks and crevices. ***Bloodless Wall.*** Vampires are bound in manacles to this wall and left to starve and die. ``` ``` #### The Blessed Grafs Entire blocks are devoted to burial sites. They are well guarded and maintained, keeping grave robbers and necromancers out--- and zombies in. The grounds are also well-tended, and the entire layout is structured in an ordered grid. These grafs are within Child's Wall. #### The Cathedral of Avacyn Standing on a sheer cliff with the waters of the Lake of Herons rushing around it before plummeting down into the sea stands the Cathedral of Avacyn. The Cathedral's towers stand tall and, at times, angels can be seen circling its spires. It has a forked shape, with two wings forming a triangular courtyard. This courtyard is forbidden to anyone other than the Lunarch and his trusted bishops. ***The Lofts.*** At the top of the central tower is Avacyn's Loft, the holy site where the angels make home. An old, rickety staircase winds hundreds of feet into a cavernous hall with vaulted ceilings, a place where no human has entered in centuries. Avacyn dwells in a smaller hall just above it. ***Fel Seminary.*** Seperated from the Cathedral, this seminary is the most prominent school for training members of the clergy. Most wealthy families send at least one child (often the second or third) to study here.

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### The Nearheath The rolling, fertile hills a few miles from the High City are known as the Nearheath. The scattered towns and villages in this area consist of most of the province's population. Several of its towns have stone walls or wooden palisades to provide some protection. Smaller hamlets and isolated farmhouses must rely on faith and bravery, however--- or the desperate hope that the monsters will overlook them. An additional measure of protection is given by cathars that safeguard this land. Parish-Blades patrol the crossways and guard roadside chapels, and inquisitors are sent from Thraben whenever reports of vampires or werewolves are serious or desperate enough. #### Effalen Parish A rocky, windswept hearth dominated by low shrubs and jagged outcrops. A few scattered villages are located near large rock quarries. Vampires haunt the periphery of this parish every few moons. ``` ``` #### Videns Parish The River Kirsh runs through this parish and keeps the ground fertile, supporting several vineyards and orchards. Most of the croplands are divided by old walls, seperating the estates of small keeps or manors. ***Hanweir.*** The largest settlement in the Videns and the agricultural jewel of Gavony. It boasts a large, bustling open-air market selling crops and livestock. Trappers from Kessig also sell their wares here. A signature fortification is the siege-style crossbows stationed atop the town's watchkeeps. #### Wittal Parish Much of the Wittal is covered in ancient pines, and where there isn't trees, there's dense undergrowth. Small villages, with a few having strong palisades, dot the Wittal. The lumber trade is strong here with woodcarvers, coopers, and cabinetmakers sending their products to Hanweir and Thraben. A common plague of this parish are werewolf attacks from the woods. ***Estwald.*** The largest town in the Wittal, and the center of all woodwork in Gavony.

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## The Moorlands Beyond the Nearheath, the land of Gavony is mostly desolate moors, littered with rocks and boulders and covered in perpetual mist. Little vegetation covers the land. Spectral wolves, wandering geists, and monstrous creations of necromancers make these lands particularly dangerous. Villages are few and far between. ***Merwald Downs.*** A small village, notable only for its proximity to Rider's Lock. ***Rider's Lock.*** A walled compound that is the station for the Gavony Riders. ***Trostad.*** A village of trappers on the border with Kessig. ***Angel's Way.*** The safest crossway in Innistrad due to the higher number of crossway altars, as well as Avacynian clergy that travel this road. It leads from Thraben through the Nearheath, and continues until meeting the borders of Nephalia and Kessig. ***Westvale Road.*** This cobblestone road runs from Bower Passage at the Kessig border, passing through Trostad along the way.

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## Kessig Kessig has been seemingly unaffected by the misfortunes of Innistrad in comparison to the other provinces. The reach of priests and cathars extended only so far even before Avacyn's disappearance, and Kessigers have long relied on their folk charms and superstitions for protection against the forest's evils. Life is work for a Kessiger. They are farmers, millers, weavers, and stonemasons. They are close to the land and work hard for every meal, making them self-reliant, pragmatic, and plainspoken. They don't purchase tools, but make them themselves; they don't learn arithmetic or memorize the names of important nobility, but instead learn the dates of the harvest and the shapes of safely edible weeds. They call things as they see it, plain and honest. ``` ``` ### The Breakneck Ride Only a few paths lead into Kessig from the other provinces. Each crossway is rife with peril, so those who make the journey typically do so at as brisk a pace as possible, causing Kessigers to refer to these paths as the "Breakneck Ride". ***Hairpin Road.*** This path winds down from the Getander Pass from the cloud-ringed and bat-plagued Stensian mountains. The road switches back and over again, climbing and declimbing, keeping the rider or carriage dangerously close to a sheer edge and drop. Falkenrath vampires keep a watchful eye on this road. ***Bower Passage.*** Another path that takes the traveler from Gavony straight into the heart of the Ulvenwald. This dirt road follows a twisting path through tree branches that arch overhead like a cathedral's ceiling. Dryads and nature spirits are said to skulk this passage, along with a dangerous concentration of werewolves. ***Briarbridge.*** The final main thoroughfare into Kessig comes from Nephalia through rolling hills. Where the road intersects a sleepy river, the path crosses over the river with a covered wooden bridge. It is sturdy, but prone to ambushes, being one of the only routes a vampire can cross while the moon glistens on the water.

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### The Ulvenwald Bordering the province of Kessig is the ancient Ulvenwald, a forest consisting aspen, birch, and maple trees. Miles of its expanse have remained untrodden. Even where farms and groves have been carved into the dense wood, its trees are always looming nearby, a constant reminder of its darkness. #### The Impossible Wood Always a strange place, at times the Ulvenwald defies the laws of nature--- even space and time. A number of people disappear each year on the trails within the wood, and travelers sometimes stumble out of the trees, having no idea where they are or how long they've been gone. The leaves of the Ulvenwald seems to always be perpetually in some stage of autumn, displaying shades of muted reds, golds, and greens. At night, the moon blankets the wood in a stark, steely white. Nonsensical paths wind, twist, and double-back through the Ulvenwald's hanging mist, dead-ending in impenetrable thickets or any number of unpredictable locations. Werewolves, wild and primordial spirits, and other fiends seem to have no trouble navigating the wood, and commonly attack those that journey into Kessig from other provinces. ``` ``` ***Devil's Breach.*** Far from the towns and wagon-beaten paths, a cave known as the Devil's Breach yawns open amidst tall, rocky hills. Smoke and heat waft from its entrance, obscuring its interior, but eerie voices mutter and cackle behind the haze. ### The Natterknolls The highest points of Kessig are the rocky ridges and cliffs that flank its wooded valleys. Werewolves roam here, along with sightings of hermits and back-woods witches.

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### Villages of Kessig #### Lambholt, the Threatened Pasture. A farming village at the center of miles of sheep, goat, and cattle pasture. These pastures used to be wooded areas, but the Kessigers have long since cut all but a few trees. It's thought that wild essences resent the destruction of the forest, since werewolves constantly prey on Lambholt's livestock and humans. #### Gatstaf, Parish on the Canyon The village of Gatstaf is situated on the lip of a deep crevasse, surrounded by rocky wheat fields and shot through with caverns and chasms. The village is well known for its hearty grains, coal mining, and skilled leatherworkers. Its residents, along with the town elder **Kolman**, are pious but belligerent, and are known to mob and attack homes of families believed to harbor werewolves. ***Gatstaf Grotto.*** Near the village is a famous religious landmark. A crossway leads to the Gatstaf Grotto through a canyon, where it leads to a natural spring and Avacynian altar. ``` ``` #### Hallowhenge A ruin of wood and brick now replaces what used to be Kessig's country seat. Just recently, it was a thriving town of manor houses called Avabruck, but a massive eruption from the town's center almost completely destroyed it. The town has been since abandoned, leaving a circular "henge" of buildings around the devastation within. Not only werewolves scavenge the remains, but the terrified and anguished geists of its populace haunt its ruin.

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## Nephalia Beneath an ever-present fog billowing from the sea, Nephalians maintain a semblance of normalcy, buying and selling goods in their markets, setting out to sea in fishing boats, or tilling the soggy earth in waterlogged fields. Nephalia's three major port towns--- **Havengul, Drunau, and Selhoff**--- are the center of Innistrad's commerce. Nothing seems to stop the business of Nephalia, though it has slowed in the absence of Avacyn. Weekly caravans now travel once or twice a month. A number of villagers who flock the market squares go missing in the fog, falling prey to necromancers, skaberen, or cultists. Horrible creatures hide within the ocean waters, devouring fishing vessels and their crews. Geists roam the fog and drive away farmers from their fields. To mention the horrors of the night or terrors in the fog is impolite and affront to their society, as if talking about it gives it power. ``` ``` ### Province by the Sea Nephalia is largely defined by water. Its long coastline shares a fair amount of bluffs and rocky promomtories and offers easy access to the ocean, which provides prosperity for its port towns. Abundant rain and natural springs in the highlands combine in creeks and streams that flow together to form the three great rivers of Nephalia. Its rocky ground is cut into canyons and caves due to the constant water flow and wave crashes. The persistant shroud of fog--- called the Nebelgast, or "Breath of the Sleepless"--- leaves everything along the coast covered in a dense film of chilled moisture. Though some smaller villages fill the province, Nephalia's population largely lives in one of its three port towns.

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#### Havengul and the Silburlind Havengul stands at the mouth of the Silburlind River, which begins in the moorlands of Gavony. It is the most densely populated port, consisting mostly of human woodworkers, shipbuilders, smiths, and traders. The Church of Avacyn has kept a strong presence here, taking its share of the abundant trade. ***Elguad Grounds.*** A small fort under the Church of Avacyn. New Avacynian trainees come here for instruction in martial combat against the horrors of the dark. #### Drunau and the Alrun The Alrun River starts in the highland forests of the Ulvenwald just below Gavony's moorlands, cutting a canyon though the rocky ground before reaching the sea at Drunau. The port itself is nestled therein with high bluffs overlooking it on both sides. Artisans of Drunau include renown weaponsmiths and sculptors, and its market supports a bustling trade of blessed items from Thraben. ***Stromkirk Keep.*** The vampires of the Stromkirk line call the region around Drunau home, and walk the streets frequently at night. The keep is set high on a cliff overlooking Drunau, guarded by its horrors that never sleep. The Stromkirks are trained in martial combat, making sure the nearby Stromkirk Manor--- the dwelling of the line's founder, **Runo Stromkirk**--- is kept free of prying eyes and angry mobs. #### Selhoff and the Ospid The Ospid flows through Nephalia's lowlands, forming a small delta before emptying into the Bay of Vustrow. On this fertile ground is where Selhoff was founded. It is a quiet, foggy port, where the Nebelgast is thickest and most active. The wealthiest live in distinctive towers and spires unlike anything else in Innistrad, leading to the use of the phrase "the spires of Selhoff" to mean the town as a whole. ``` ``` ***Scientists.*** Various kinds of alchemists flock to Selhoff because of its tall spires, where they affix eldritch machines to harness the energy of the wind and storms. They also harvest geists from the **Nebelgast** for use in their research and as a fuel source for experiments. ***The Nebelghast.*** Also called the "Breath of the Sleepless", lingers along the entirety of Nephalia's coast. In Selhoff, it doesn't recede into the tide, leaving the town draped in perpetual mist. The moans and wails of geists are audible at all times of day, like distant thunder. ***The Morkrut.*** The river delta around Selhoff is a waterlogged marsh. Few dare to venture into it, for its expanse is a place for all manner of monsters, from vampires to banshees. The Morkrut is also too often used as a dumping ground for the bodies of murder victims and experimented subjects, contributing to its geist population. This also makes it an attractive location for ghoulcallers. Two infamous figures plague these lands: a necromancer named Jadar and Odila, a witch, who presumably worships a demon. #### The Erdwal Colloquially called "The Ditch", this network of underground passageways and creasses orginated as a defense trench across each of the three major port towns, meant to help its populace resist attack from zombie hordes and werewolf packs. Over the years, the trench has been used to transport goods and continue trade even while the horrors of the night are actively looking for victims. The wealthier merchants have put much attention and precious resources into the Erdwal, making it a legitimate artery of trade. As a result, it has developed into an underground economy of its own, dealing in all manner of trade: open, gray--- and even black-market to one who knows where to look.

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#### Rivstalt and the Kralmar Rivstalt is a coastal village. They descibe a terrible monstrosity that feeds along the coastline during the high tide. It is said to lair in a sea cave that connects to the maze of the Erdwal. #### Lake Zhava and the Gitrog Dark and deep, this lake lies in the highlands near Gavony. Villagers who live on the lake's shores and fish here speak of a monster that lives in its depths. ``` ``` .

#### The Skiltfolk The Skiltfolk are a group of warriors and shieldbearers that hire out their services to merchants and travelers who wish to cross Nephalia without using the Erdwal. Each city has a Skiltfolk branch but their service isn't cheap. #### Ulm The small, remote village of Ulm is situated near the borders of both Gavony and Kessig. To its dismay, the village is mostly known for **Ludevic**, an alchemist who lives and works in a small manor just outside the village.

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## Stensia Clouds of purple and red overhang and shroud the Stensia skies, never allowing the sun's full light to reach the ground below. The jagged spires of vampires' castles reach up from the mountains' peaks, keeping silent watch over the isolated valleys beneath them. Stoic and enduring, Stensians huddle in their stone-crafted villages built against the mountainsides. Wisps of fog twine amidst the trunks of black pines in the midlands, thick bogs suck deadened trees down into their murky depths, and dusky pastures provide scant sustenance to flocks of scrawny sheep. The people of Stensia are accustomed to scarcity--- of crops, light, hope. Few species of vegetation grows in the rocky alpine soil, and even when the clouds do part, the days are short and danger is never too far away.

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### The Geier Reach This mountain range defines the land of Stensia. It rises in three ridges from the highlands at the borders with Kessig and Gavony to soaring peaks at the far side of the province. The lowest ridge is thickly forested, the middle rises above the tree line, and the peaks of the highest ridge disappear into the ever-present melancholy clouds. Caves and crevices dot the highlands, providing shelter to many variaties of creatures, from blood-drinking bats and carrion-eating vultures to terrible fiery elementals and dragons. The two valley regions are broken down into small dales that house the province's human population. #### Inland Valleys The seated dales between the first and second ranges are known as the Inland Valleys. ***Getander Pass.*** On one end of the Inland Valleys, this pass opens into a long, zigzagging route, which leads into Kessig. This pass is thoroughly watched by the Falkenrath vampire line, so it is scarcely used. ***Ziel Pass.*** On the other end of the Inland Valleys, this pass is Stensia's only connection to the sea, a narrow and treacherous path of endless switchbacks descending over hundreds and hundreds of feet to the crashing waters below. This section of the pass is haunted by geists who took one too many false steps. ***Kruin Pass.*** The trail that connects Stensia and Gavony is only loosely called a pass. It is only moderately less steep than any other path across the first ridge of the Geir Reach, but is the only reliable route between the two provinces. Markove Manor is perched above this pass. ***Silbern.*** A village consisting of a cluster of family farms, notable only for its stone watchtower staffed by cathars. These cathars are rather isolated from Thraben but still take very seriously their responsibility to protect the people of the valley--- even when they believe their efforts are ultimately futile. ***Wollebank.*** The largest village in Stensia, inhabited mostly by herders and vegetable farmers. It is also the best fortified, with high stone walls. The mayor, Deigenbard, is a stalward and capable man who lost his son to vampires. Since Avacyn's disappearance, he's worked hard to bring greater unity and community to the valley villages and their shepherd. ``` ``` #### Midland Range Dividing the Inland Valleys from the Outland, the middle ridge is a forbidding range. Only two passes connect this valley across its precipitous slopes. ***Hofsaddel*** The most widely used pass. It is well-trodden and seemingly ignored by the vampires. ***Needle's Eye.*** A narrow and deadly path haunted by vengeful geists. For worse, it runs dreadfully near the Ashmouth, a gaping abyssal pit, so humans use this pass only when in the most dire need. ***The Somberwald.*** Despite its darkness, Stensia still holds locales of beauty. Between the isolated valleys and forbidding peaks, a drooping pine wilderness adorns the hillsides. Wild animals and nature spirits from Kessig have fled here over the centuries to avoid hunters, trappers, and werewolves. In a province where humans are the prey, these wild things find relative safety in the shadow of the vampires. ***The Farbogs.*** Two bogs flank the middle range, pooling at the center of Stensia. Both were once pine groves, but the trees now sink into the peat at odd angels. Ancient grafs lie on their periphories, and as the graves dissolve, angry geists rise. These spirits, called corpse candles, flit over the bleak waters of the bogs, luring unwary travelers to their doom. #### Outland Valleys Beyond the second ridge are the Outland Valleys, comprising of several small dales. The two largest villages are Shadowgrange and Lammas. Both are strange and unwelcoming to outsiders, full of fearful and proud people. Worse, the Maurer Estate, a haunt of a small vampire coven, stands above the path connecting the two villages. Only when the brooks that run through the valleys show the moon in their waters do travelers dare a journey past the old estate. ***Shadowgrange.*** A human village consisting of paranoid villagers who are fiercely passionate about their lifestyle. ***Lammas.*** A ranching community in the Outland Valleys. Few people outside this village ever come here.

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### Vampire Estates Three of the four great vampire bloodlines have their ancestoral roots in Stensia, the province that the progenitor of the species has always called home. #### Markov Manor A hilltop estate overlooking Kruin Pass, built by **Edgar Markov**, the progenitor of all vampires. From its tallest spires, the High City of Thraben can be seen. He and the Markov bloodline live in simplicity relative to the other vampire elders. #### Luranbruam Fortress Overlooking Ziel Pass, this immense fortress protects the estate of **Olivia Voldaren**--- famous eccentric, bonvivant, and progenitor of the Voldaren bloodline. #### Castle Falkenrath Between the Hofsaddel and Getander Passes, clinging to the middle ridge of the Geier Reach, is Castle Falkenrath. It houses scores of the opulant and heedlessly rash Falkenrath bloodline and their progenitor, **Anje Falkenrath**. #### Maurer Estate An abandoned estate favored by newly sired vampires. Its founder **Strefan Maurer**, the progenitor of a minor vampiric bloodline, is still said to rule a remote region in the outland valleys. ``` ``` ### The Ashmouth In the very heart of the Geier Reach, between the Hofsaddle and Needle's Eye passes, cloaked by the dense Somberwald, mawes a huge chasm in the rock. Ash clouds billow from its depths, lit by an infernal glow from the magma below. Legends say that this gaping hole lead into whatever realm demons and devils come from, for in regions around the Ashmouth, these Infernal creatures are all too common. #### Devilthorn Lodge An old abandoned tower in the vicinity of the Ashmouth. In times of Avacyn's presence, this tower was a point of attack against the infernal tides of devils and demons that sporadically emerged from the pit. In her abscense, the region surrounding the pit has been overwhelmed and abandoned.

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# The Church of Avacyn ## Avacyn, Angel of Hope Avacyn is an *archangel*, revered across Innistrad as the source of hope and protection of the **Blessed Rest**---a peaceful eternity of slumber in the grave. She offers the faithful magical wards against vampires and werewolves, a tranquil oblivion rather than the damned fate of a tormented spirit or undead abomination, and a distant hope that someday, their descendants might live in an Innistrad free from all the horrors of darkness. Avacyn is a warrior angel. Armed with a double-bladed silver spear, she battles vampires and werewolves, puts geists and zombies to rest, and wrestles demons. She can't be everywhere at once, and even her angelic host is too few to take a personal hand in the protection of all of Innistrad's people, but her church acts as an extension of her power, both martial and magical. The church teaches that Avacyn has always been, that she adopted Innistrad as her ward, is the source of all protective magic, and controls the seasons. ### Angelic Flights Three groups of angels, called *flights* or hosts, serve Avacyn. Each are under the leadership of a *lesser archangel*. #### Flight Alabaster The practical and sympathetic angels of Flight Alabaster are instrumental in maintaining Avacyn's wards against supernatural evils. They prefer magic to weapons, and battle only when there is no other option. The other flights consider them to be overly sentimental. These angels live in the lofts of Thraben Cathedral, and their work includes aiding priests and cathars maintain the protective wards on city walls and holy sites. They also aid in conducting the spirits of the dead into the the Blessed Sleep. The leader of this flight is **Bruna**, called the Light of Alabaster. ``` ``` #### Host of Herons The angels of birth, rebirth, and purity. This is the smallest flight of angels. It's primary function is scouting and tracking werewolves and other monsters. They've moved their home from Thraben to Videns, a holy site in the far reaches of Gavony. Of all the flights, the Herons are the most willing to not rely on Avacyn. They believe Innistrad will soon have to turn to forces in nature for new sources of power and security. The leader of this host is **Sigarda**, who wields a scythe shaped like the head of a heron. #### Flight Goldnight A contingent of soldier angels focused on martial strength. They are characterized by pragmatism and strict observance of church law. They are battle strategists and leaders during armed conflicts, cultivating a martial mindset that makes them more than willing to take up arms. They make home in the Elgaud Grounds in Nephalia, where they are a daily presence in the lives of new cathars of the church as they undergo their training. Specifically, they dwell in the upper levels of a stronghold overlooking the ocean, part church and part fortress, called Engelturm. They have a fierce determination to hunt down any skaabs and their stitchers, preside over any trials against heretics and criminals across the provinces, and are always armed. The leader of this flight is **Gisela**, called the Blade of Goldnight, who proclaims herself to have been the closest to Avacyn. She, like all Goldnight angels, is steadfast in their belief that Avacyn is away on a mission. She knows what she is doing and will one day return.

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## Church Heirarchy The leader's of Avacyn's church are temporal as well as spiritual authorities, with virtually no seperation between church and state. Governing elders, soldiers, judges, and even archmages are all part of the church, working alongside the priests and monks whose function is purely religious, and all are ultimately under the authority of the bishops in Thraben Cathedral and their Lunarch. ### Clergy The term clergy refers to anyone ordained or a member of the Avacynian church's staff or military. The more spiritual or beaurocratic offices are outlined below. ***The Lunarch.*** The head of the church is the Lunarch, the highest title possible to humans. They are typically a powerful holy person, capable of great feats of Avacynian magic. ***Bishops.*** Bishops are leaders of the spiritual and temporal affairs of the church. Each province has a bishop, with a handful of senior priests making a council of bishops. ***Elders.*** Elders govern the parishes that make up a province, combining the administrative responsibilities of a mayor with the religious authority of a minor bishop. ***Priests.*** Priests attend to the needs of the people at parish churches, village chapels, and crossway shrines. They often preside over village councils, carrying authority due to their spiritual power. ***Monks.*** Monks are wandering priests, not connected to a specific location. Some minister to isolated people living beyond the reach of parish priests, while others take to this life due to differing views or disagreance with their superiors. Some are crazed fanatics or heretics, burning the dead or communing with them. ``` ``` ### Avacynian Archmages These gifted wizards are born with the inborn ability to channel some of the divine power of the archangels. Each lineage of the archmages practices unique techniques passed down from master to student for generations, ultimately tracing back to the three archangels and Avacyn herself. ***Spearsages, the Archmages of Goldnight.*** Associated with the power of the sun, the archmages of Goldnight use powerful and aggressive spells. They blast hordes of undead into ash with blinding rays of holy light and bolster their allies' speed and courage with powerful prayers. They supplement their magical training with weapons practice, and usually wear armor beneath their robes. Their symbol is Avacyn's twin-bladed spear superimposed on a fiery disk of the sun. ***Moonsages, the Archmages of Alabaster.*** The archmages of Alabaster are concerned with perserving the Blessed Rest, preventing humas from returning as zombies. They use preventative warding spells, banishing the undead to the void and ensuring graves are sealed. Moonsages also dip into alchemy to study the works of skaberen and ghoulcallers to better understand these forces. They also use alchemy to purify moonsilver, making it ready to be purposed as amulets, wards, or weapons. Their symbol is Avacyn's collar above the moon. ***Springsages, the Archmages of Herons.*** The archmages of Herons are healers, using their magic to heal individuals, whole villages, and even the land. They act much like wandering priests and sometimes gather in secluded cloisters, tending to gardens and appreciating the beauty of nature. They usually use wooden staves and clubs and wear hardened leather, if wearing any sort of armor. Their symbol is a heron within a circle, which is often tattooed on their skin.

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### Cathars Cathars are soldiers of the Avacynian church, but "soldiers" is a broad term that encompasses everything from crime-solving investigators to mounted paladins. Some cathar orders are so independant as to be virtually seperate sects of the church, while others are tightly knit to the cathedral hierarchy. ***Gavony Riders.*** The elite cavalry of Innistrad, the Riders are extensively trained in mounted combat with swords and lances. They are stationed in Rider's Lock, a walled compound in Gavony's Moorlands, near the village of Estwald. Captain Einolf Brandt, a loyal and competant leader with a strong sense of responsibily for the village, lives there in a large manor along with his family. ***Mausoleum Guards.*** The Guards are not limited to protecting tombs and graves, though that work is their mandate. They are the rank-and-file soldiers of the cathars, wielding little magic but making it up in numbers. They also guard walls and key locations, such as the Cathedral, courts, and trade houses. ***Midnight Duelists.*** Based in port towns of Nephalia, the Duelists have only the most tenuous connection to the church in Thraben. They patrol the streets, particularly at night, looking for thieves, vampires, and corpse traders. They are experts in bladework, and when a vampire challenges a citizen to a duel under Nephalia's formal dueling etiquette, a Duelist often steps in as a proxy. ***Moor Chaplains.*** Battlefield chaplians who wield magic and weapons with equal skill. Their magic focuses on healing and protection, so they usually aren't a front-liner. Their primary role is to heal the injured enough for them to continue to fight. The Chaplains are headquartered in the outskirts of Thraben under the command of Captain Nadila Maas. She faced much discontent among the ranks as the cathar's power falters in Avacyn's absense, but her cathars have come to trust and rely on her. ``` ``` ***Parish-Blades.*** Cathars of the Parish-Blades serve as escorts along the crossways and protect the Cathedral. They are an elite military force that assembles at the bishops' command. The Parish-Blades who patrol the passes of Stensia are casually called Roadwatchers. ***Quiver of Kessig.*** A recent offshoot of the Parish-Blades, based in the Gatstaf Grotto and almost entirely independent of the Thraben hierarchy. They specialize in archery and long-range defense, and often guard town walls and church roofs against flying attackers, whether it be spirits, vampires, or demons. They are closely allied with Sigarda and her Host of Herons, and serve as their scouts and rangers. Captain Raf Gyel is the founder and captain of the Quiver. ***Inquisitors.*** Cathar detectives who investigate crimes both mundane and supernatural. They travel to remote parishes plagued by unexplained murders and uncover werewolves attempting to live among normal humans. ### Church Artisans A few specialized orders of clerical artisans are associated with the Avacynian church. They are similar to cathar orders and are somtimes lumped with them, but they are more sedentary and less martially trained. ***Devisers.*** Trained in architecture and engineering, they specialize in protective magic to be infused into walls, churches, and settlements. Some also design seige weapons and other magical artifacts. ***Lunar Smiths.*** Smiths that forge blessed weapons for the church, reciting blessings over the weapons at various stages of the process. The most renown smiths work with silver. ***Runechanters.*** A specialized branch of the clergy that works in engraving blessings on objects. Swords, axes, spears, and even toys can be inscribed with protective blessings. The best Runechanters inscribe writing so small as to etching hundreds of blessings on a single, small object.

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# Equipment of Innistrad The following table outlines additional gear you can acquire in this world but might not find in others. You'll see Special listed in some equipment properties. These special rules are described on the following page.

##### Armor Name|Cost|Armor Class (AC)|Strength|Stealth|Weight :-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:- *Light Armor*|||||| Brigandine|25 gp|12 + DEX|─|Disadvantage|17 lbs. *Medium Armor*|||||| Coat of Plates|35 gp|13 + DEX (max 2)|─|Disadvantage|35 lbs. *Heavy Armor*||||| Slayer's Plate|2,500 gp|20|15|Disadvantage|80 lbs. Slayer's Half Plate|1,500 gp|15 + DEX (max 2)||Disadvantage|50 llbs. *Shield*||||| Vanguard|150 gp|+3|15|Disadvantage|18 lbs. ##### Weapons Name|Cost|Damage|Weight|Properties :-|:-|:-|:-|:- *Simple Melee Weapons*|||| Cleaver|2 sp|1d6 slashing|2 lbs.|Light Mattock|2 gp|1d6 piercing|10 lbs.|Special, Two-handed Pitchfork|2 sp|1d6 piercing|5 lbs.|Reach, Two-handed *Martial Melee Weapons*|||| Bastard Sword|25 gp|1d10 slashing|6 lbs.|Heavy, Special, Versatile (1d12) Cutlass|35 gp|1d8 slashing|3 lbs.|Finesse, Light

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#### Special Weapons Weapons with Special listed in their description have their rules described here. ***Bastard Sword.*** The bastard sword is longer than a longsword, but shorter than a greatsword. When wielded with one hand, the attacker has disadvantage on all attack rolls made with the bastard sword, unless their Strength score is 15 or higher. ***Mattock.*** A tool normally used for field work. When attacking with this weapon, before you attack, you may decide to deal Bludgeoning or Slashing damage instead of Piercing damage. #### Silver Weapons Silver-inlaid or silver-plated weapons are especially coveted in Innistrad. The Church of Avacyn normally grants such weaponry to devoted or notable members. Very few skilled smith's know the process to properly silver a weapon with blessed silver. If you happen upon such a smith, you can silver a single weapon or ten pieces of ammunition for 100 gp. This cost represents not only the price of the silver, but the time and expertise needed to add silver to the weapon without making it less effective. Pure, blessed silver weapons are deemed priceless. ``` ``` #### Armor Descriptions Some of the armor presented in this document have special rules. They are described here. ***Slayer's Plate.*** This is specially made armor plating that shields almost the entire body. It sports several spikes throughout its design. While wearing this armor, as a Reaction, you can deal 7 (3d4) Piercing damage to a creature within 5 ft. of you that missed a melee attack against you. ***Slayer's Half Plate.*** This is specially made armor plating that shields most of the body. It sports several spikes throughout its design. While wearing this armor, as a Reaction, you can deal 7 (3d4) Piercing damage to a creature within 5 ft. of you that missed a melee attack against you. ***Vanguard Shield.*** A tall, wide shield made dense and strong. As an Action, you can brace yourself against this shield, granting advantage on your next Dexterity or Strength saving throw. If your Strength is 15 or higher, you can do this as a Reaction. Otherwise, your Speed is reduced by 10 feet. Whether this effect is applicable for a certain situation is subject to the DM. For example, this would not be able to help you from falling into a large pit, but would help prevent you falling prone due to a dragon's wing beat.

\page # Innistrad Bestiary

This world is rife with creatures. Fanged, clawed, winged, undead--- all of them hungry. ## Natural Beasts All manner of more natural creatures come from the wilds of Innistrad, not all described here. - Poisonous or gargantuage **snakes and spiders**, amongst other no-legged or multi-legged beasts. - Wild game is common, but more uncommonly large *dire* creatures, like **Dire Wolves, Bears, and Boars** present themselves and beset humans. - Flocks of **bats, birds**, or even **rats** can cause havoc, taking victimes and spreading illness throughout a community. - Almost any dangerous animal you can think of within our own real life world can be found somewhere in Innistrad. ### Werewolves It is controversial whether werewolves are part of Innistrad's "natural" order or are an unnatural affliction on humanity. There are several wolfpacks, each with a powerful alpha leading them. ``` ``` ## Unnatural Creatures ### Abyssal and Infernal These creatures prey on humans, torturing them for delight and entertainment. ***Devils.*** Usually small, red, and horned. They use their teeth, claws, and whatever they can find to break whatever else they can find. And if they can't break, they use flame to burn it all down. ***Demons.*** Typically much larger than devils--- they are also more rare and all the more powerful. Some can fit a human head within their jowls. ### Undead These creatures are all undead, creatures once alive now living in an unholy way against Avacyn's laws. ***Geists.*** Ghosts of the living, human or animal. They are formed by the departed soul and ambient mana. ***Ghouls.*** Risen zombies raised by necromancers. Increasingly more dangerous as their numbers grow. ***Vampires.*** The most humanlike, and usually, evil undead. They consume the blood of the living for sustenance.

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## Other Magical Creatures ### Dragons and Drakes These reptilian creatures can fly Innistrad's cold and clouded skies. ***Dragons.*** Innistrad's dragons are violent, territorial animals, usually found in Stensia's mountains. They are typically red or black-scaled. They burn entire farmlands and treelines to feed on the burnt remains. ***Drakes.*** Smaller dragon-like creatures, however they only have four limbs. They are most often shades of blue and can be seen in Nephalia often. ### Elementals Elementals are unique magical creatures. They embody an aspect somehow solidified with mana. Most often, deranged spirits become elementals: - a **fire elemental** is called a *poltergeist* on Innistrad, believed to be the soul of one who's corpse has been burned, a heresy in Avacyn's docrtine, while a **water elemenal** might be called a *niblis*. - Nephalia's **Sturmgeist** can be said to be an **air elemental**, a massive cloud of gust, wind, and departed souls. - **shades** or shadow elementals haunt abadoned homes, dark alleyways and forest glaves. ``` ```

### Skaabs Skaabs are Innistrad's equivalent to our world's *Frankenstein's Monster* or **flesh golem**. These creatures are constructs made out of the component parts of the deceased and fueled by powerful magic. *Skaaberen* is the name for those that practice this blasphemous craft, usually being involved in murder or corpse trade. ## Ever more.. The number of creatures and their variants are too numerous to describe for this introductory document, but the ones listed are the most common you'll hear about and even face on your adventures. If you wish to know anything more, ask your DM! Perhaps your character has some insight or learned knowledge about some of these monsters and knows how best to deal with them!

\page # Your Character in Innistrad

Innistrad’s population is mostly human, and player characters in this campaign should be human. However, the humans of Kessig are different in many respects from those of Gavony, and Nephalia’s urban culture is very distinct from the shadow-draped land of Stensia. Diversity among player characters comes not from species, but from each character’s home province. If you use these human traits, do not use the variant human traits presented in the *Player’s Handbook*. Also, your characters will not normally be allowed to choose feats that duplicate any provincial traits. Human characters on Innistrad have the following traits: ***Age.*** Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and naturally live less than a century. ***Alignment.*** Humans tend toward no particular alignment. ***Size.*** Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium. ***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet. ***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. ***Provincial Origin.*** Choose one of the four provinces of Innistrad as the place of origin for your character. They are detailed on the following page. ``` ``` >##### Innistrad Languages >The language of Innistrad is *Common*, utilized by the church to speak to all of its denizens. > >*Abyssal and Infernal* are two sides of the language of demons and devils. Angels have their own language called *Celestial*. Vampires sometimes use a language that is akin to *Undercommon*. Those that worship ancient nature beings might use something close to *Primordial* or even *Sylvan*. > >**Language Optional.** In the case where you feel your character would learn more languages than you'd like during the creation process or just seem unreasonable for your character idea, you may choose to take a **tool or vehicle proficiency** instead. Be sure to let your DM know if you would like to do so and obtain their approval for any replacement you wish to make.

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## Provincial Origins ### Gavony Whether safe behind the walls of the High City of Thraben or out in the moors with little more than shuttered windows, barred doors, and grim determination to stand against the horrors of the night, the humans of Gavony are the most well-rounded people of Innistrad. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your ability scores each increase by 1. ### Kessig For the Kessiger, life is work. Kessigers are farmers, millers, weavers, and stonemasons, living close to the land and working hard for every meal. This makes them self-reliant, pragmatic, and plainspoken. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores each increase by 1. ***Forest Folk.*** You have proficiency in the Survival skill. ***Fleet of Foot.*** Your base walking speed is 40 feet. ***Sure-Footed.*** When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement on that turn. ***Spring Attack.*** When you make a melee attack against a creature, you don’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of your turn, whether you hit or not. ``` ``` _

### Nephalia Beneath an ever-present shroud of fog billowing in from the sea, the people of Nephalia maintain a semblance of normalcy, buying and selling goods from across Innistrad in their bustling markets, setting out to sea in tiny fishing boats, or tilling the soggy earth in waterlogged fields. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Intelligence and Charisma scores each increase by 1. ***Breadth of Knowledge.*** You gain proficiency in any combination of four skills or with four tools of your choice. ### Stensia Countless generations of hardship and proximity to the vampire strongholds—leading to lost children and neighbors—have taught Stensians to guard their hearts. They are proud and fervent in their beliefs but seem brusque or even cold to the people of other provinces. ***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength and Constitution scores each increase by 1. ***Daunting.*** You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill. ***Tough.*** Your hit point maximum increases by 2, and it increases by 2 every time you gain a level.

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## Class Overview Characters of any class can be found in Innistrad, though some classes are rarer than others. The organizations and character types noted below are described in more detail here. **Barbarians** are not a common sight in Innistrad. Some cathars draw on the power of divine fury, taking the Path of the Zealot. The most remote regions of the Somberwald, the Ulvenwald, and the Geier Reach might also be home to more traditional barbarians. **Bards** are also rare on Innistrad, if non-existant. A springsage--- an Avacynian archmage dedicated to healing and renewal--- could conceivably be a bard. **Clerics** populate the ranks of the church hierarchy and many cathar orders. **Druids** can be found as springsages or as the “witches” known as forcemages, who make pacts with nature spirits. **Fighters** fill all the usual roles on Innistrad, as soldiers, cathars, militia captains, town guards, and so on. **Monks** are rare. A monk, especially those of the Way of the Sun Soul is probably a member of the church hierarchy, and in fact is most likely to be a monk in the church’s definition--- a wandering priest. _

_ **Paladins** fill many of the cathar orders. **Rangers** are particularly common in Kessig, where they operate as hunters, trappers, or guides in the Ulvenwald, or as cathar members of the Quiver of Kessig. **Rogues** are most common in Thraben and the cities of Nephalia, engaging in smuggling, thievery, corpse trading, and other unsavory lines of work. Inquisitors could conceivably be a rogue. **Sorcerers** are rare. A spearsage (one of the archmages of Goldnight) could be a sorcerer, especially if you use the Divine Soul subclass. A sorcerer might also be a necro-alchemist or a cultist of some sort. **Warlocks** are found primarily in cults of madness, demon cults such as the Skirsdag, or witches’ covens. Though rare, some devout Avacynians receive direct blessing from a powerful angel or archangel, having the Celestial patron. **Wizards** are often Avacynian archmages, but can also take up more sinister vocations—ghoulcallers, skaberen, necro-alchemists, mad scientists, and cultists.

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# Homebrew Background: The Inquisitor Historically, inquisitors were cathar detectives who investigated crimes both mundane and supernatural. They were known for traveling to remote parishes plagued by unexplained murders, and for exposing werewolves living among normal humans. **Skill Proficiencies:** Investigation, Religion **Tool Proficiencies:** Thieves’ tools, one set of artisan’s tools of your choice **Equipment:** A holy symbol, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp #### Feature: Legal Authority As an inquisitor of the church, you have the authority to arrest criminals. In the absence of other authorities, you are authorized to pass judgment and even carry out sentencing. If you abuse this power, however, your superiors in the church might strip it from you. #### Suggested Characteristics Inquisitors are often driven by zeal, plagued with suspicion, and haunted by self-doubt. They are all too susceptible to human failings, and their judgment is not always divinely inspired. d8|Personality Trait :-|:- 1|It will all go smoothly if everyone just does as I say. 2|Despair is an extravagance we can ill afford. 3|I know the writings of Saint Raban backward and forward. 4|I try to see the bright side in the very worst situations. 5|It helps me feel better when others show sympathy or appreciation for the horrors I’ve endured. 6|I prefer to face evil with a strong group of friends in front of me. 7|I want to see the wicked burn for the evil they’ve brought on us. 8|I feel the sin being purged from me as I help cleanse the world. ``` ``` d6|Ideal :-|:- 1|**Honesty.** The smallest deception paves the way to grievous sin. (Lawful) 2|**Piety.** Devotion to the angels and the rites of the church is all that keeps the world from destruction. (Good) 3|**Order.** The laws of Avacyn are meant to preserve the social order—everything in its proper place. (Lawful) 4|**Humanity.** Human life is to be cherished and preserved against the horrors of the night. (Good) 5|**Knowledge.** The path to holiness comes through understanding of the world. (Any) 6|**Punishment.** It is better for the innocent to suffer than for the guilty to escape their due. (Evil) d6|Bond :-|:- 1|Thraben is the heart of the world. The cathedral must stand even if the hinterlands are lost. 2|One day, I will claim vengeance against the monster that took my family from me. 3|My weapon is all I have to remember my beloved mentor by. 4|The geist of my beloved speaks to me sometimes. 5|My dear sibling is now a werewolf. 6|A small crossways chapel is my spiritual home. d6|Flaw :-|:- 1|I am troubled by the wild rage and bloodlust that lurks in my own heart. 2|I have come to believe that I executed an innocent person. 3|I enjoy the prestige of my position more than service to the angels. 4|I drink to forget the horrors I’ve seen. 5|I might have made a promise to a demon that I can’t keep. 6|I’ll do whatever grim task must be done, for my soul is already lost.

\page # Variant and Homebrew Rules This section describes various variant rules that will be used by your Dungeon Master in the Dark Ascension campaign.

##### These Rules are Optional The following rules do not need to be a part of the typical game of D&D. They merely add a measure of difficulty, which some might expect from a dark world such as Innistrad.

***Death.*** Death in Innistrad will have more of a profound impact on the party, and dropping unconscious will be more difficult to get out of. This campaign will be utilizing the optional "Death Grinder" rules, changing the Death Saving Throw from 10 to 15. ***Healer's Kit Dependancy.*** A character can't spend any Hit Dice after finishing a short rest until someone expends one use of a healer's kit to bandage and treat the character's wounds. ``` ``` ***Leveling Up.*** When gaining a new level, the only things the character gains are the increase in health, as well as any new abilities, spells, feats, etc. Loss of health, spells, or abilities are still lost until the character takes the appropriate actions to recover them. ***Movement.*** When a character or other creature moves in this campaign , they will follow the simplified rules of 1:1. That means that diagonal movement only costs 5 feet of movement, just like moving forwards or backwards, left or right, or up or down. ***Slow Natural Healing.*** Characters don't regain hit points at the end of a long rest. Instead, a character can spend Hit Dice to heal at the end of a long rest, just as with a short rest. This optional rule prolongs the amount of time that characters need to recover from their wounds without the benefits of magical healing and works well for grittier, more realistic campaigns.

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## Sanity Sanity is a possible seventh **Ability Score**. This is a measure of how well a person can think and function in a sane manner. Seeing grotesque horrors such as the mutilation of humans or cutting down your own friends and family after they've been raised by a necromancer weighs on a person's conscience. As the campaign goes on, the horrors will only grow as the truth of Innistrad is found. When creating your character using the point-buy method, each character's base Sanity score will be set at 10. You will be given an additional 3 points to spend, giving you a maximum point-buy score of 30 instead of 27. Choose carefully. The mind is a precious possession, and not one you would want easily fragmented or lost. If using standard array, add a 12 to the array. The manner which Sanity can be used is further described at the end of this document. A character with a high Sanity is level-headed even in the face of insane circumstances, while a character with low Sanity is unsteady, breaking easily when confronted by things that are beyond normal reason. ***Sanity Checks.*** You might be asked for a Sanity check when your character tries one of the following activities: - Deciphering a piece of text written in a language so dark that it threatens to break a character's mind - Overcoming the lingering effects of madness - Comprehending a piece of occult magic foreign to all normal understanding of magic ```

***Sanity Saving Throws.*** You might be asked for a Sanity saving throw when your character runs the risk of succumbing to madness, such as in the following situations: - Seeing a creature from the *Abyss* or other realms for the first time - Making direct contact with the mind of a demonic creature - Being subjected to spells that affect mental stability, such as the insanity option of the symbol spell - Passing through a demiplane built on occult physics - Resisting an effect conferred by an attack or spell that deals psychic damage #### Homebrew Sanity Rules Through personal experience I've modified the Sanity rules from the base suggestions granted by the *Dungeon Master's Guide*. They are as follows: - A failed Sanity roll results in a -1 reduction to the character's Sanity score. - After a character's Sanity score is reduced to below certain thresholds, these failed rolls will result in short-term, longterm, or indefinite madness. These forms of madness are described in chapter 8 of the *Dungeon Master's Guide*, "Running the Game". - A *greater restoration* spell can restore Sanity lost in this way, and a character can increase his or her Sanity through level advancement, mitigating the reductions that have been attained thus far.

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