Tempest Lore, Volume 3: Races, Items & Spells inspired by Heroes of the Storm

Race: Ettinkin "Idiot!" cried Cho, clouting his other head around the ear. "You've lost them again. How are we to dominate the planet if you cannot maintain a simple divination spell?!" "Oh, do pardon me, brother," replied Gall, his voice thick like sarcastic marmite. "This world's magic is not so simple as pulling chaos from the Twisting Nether and bending to one's will." The giant's other hand curled back into the symbol for the Arcane Eye. "Not like you would know the difference, anyway..." he grumbled. "What was that?" "Oh, nothing, nothing..." -- Kris Kiplan, Twin Heads of Terror The monstrous half-giants known as Ogrillon are the result of the union between an Orc and an Ogre. These beasts are generally more intelligent than their forebears (though admittedly that is no grand feat) and represent a middle ground between Ogrish brutal cunning and Orcish cunning brutality. They are monstrous, rapacious, and blessedly rare. Once in a blue moon, however, an Ogrillon will be born with Ettin blood, and all bets are off from then on. Sporting two heads and a massive frame, Ettinkin have frequently been mistaken for "Two-Headed Ogres," though such a moniker is hardly inappropriate. Welcome Nowhere Ettinkin are truly lost creatures. Outcast from their Orc parent's tribe as an ill omen from Luthic, and ranking below the most hideous Formorian in the Ordning of their Ettin parentage, Ettinkin have no place in either society. Many Ettinkin live out their days as cave-dwelling beasts, growing feral and occasinally tolerated by an orc tribe as an enforcer. However, some rise above their station in fantastic fashion, becoming warlords, necromancers, warlocks, despots, or some unholy combination of the above. Nothing prevents an Ettinkin from being dedicated to good deeds, aside from the obvious physical abnormalities. A community that accepts an Ettinkin often finds a pair of minds eager to be put to constructive use. Two Heads are Better...? Ettinkin of course inherit the defining trait of their namesake. A second head can be a help as much as a hindrance, depending on how well the two communicate. Of course, the two heads can easily be rivals as much as siblings, each gleefully sabotaging the other's ambition. Given their shared physiology, Ettinkin are chaotic at the best of times when telepathy comes into play. A mage attempting to read one head's thoughts will inevitably have to sift through the noise of the other's. This is a distinct advantage when combatting unfriendly enchantment, but can make silent communication a bit tricky. Warrior-Mages and Peasant-Kings An odd quirk of Ettinkin psychology often leads to the two heads chasing entirely different pursuits. While one might commandeer the body to hone its physical capabilities, the other may demand intellectual material to stimulate its mind, or take up wizardry to spite its other half's brutish nature. While terrifying when synchronized, most Ettinkin are thankfully too self-thwarting to let their heads truly collude. But when one can convince the other of a good idea, very little can stop the behemoth from pursuing it to the ends of the Realm. Ettinkin Names Like their Ettin forebears, Ettinkin have two names -- one for each head. With only themselves to talk to, Ettins are usually named by themselves or each other and have no family name to speak of. A head that accepts a name from its body-mate will usually grow up to be agreeable and cooperative. A head that insists on naming itself will usually prove the opposite. As with Ettins, Ettinkin usually merge their names together when referred to collectively. For instance, an Ettinkin with a head named Cho and a head named Gall is referred to together as Cho'gall. Male Names: Erg, Nump, Bill, Tog, Max, Bob, Cho, Nok, Bep, Jim, Tuck, Gall, Nad, Lars, Kurd, Ron, Al, Speg Female Names: Hild, Polly, Jen, Gryl, Neema, Alli, Jane, Hanna, Gret, Nib, Niah, Emma, Jill, Sal, Kewp, Dee

Ettinkin Traits As an Ettinkin, you are a rare creature indeed. We recommend assigning one player to each head, though a single player can attempt to play both if that player can keep track of everything. An Ettinkin counts as a minimum of two players for the purposes of calculating Challenge Rating, and can easily count as more. Two Minds, One Body. The two of you share a body but command separate heads. Roll Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution (your physical scores) together, but Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma (your mental scores) separately. Ability Scores. Your body adds +2 to its Constitution score and +1 to its Strength score, but one head must lower its Intelligence by -2 and its Wisdom by -1. Age. Ettinkin are swiftly abandoned after being born. They grow up quickly and learn to fend for themselves. An Ettinkin is fully grown at 15 years old, and can live for 60 to 70 years. Alignment. Nothing says an Ettinkin's heads must share an alignment. Collectively, Ettinkin are usually Chaotic, and are considered the average between their two heads (so an Ettinkin with a Chaotic Good head and a Chaotic Evil head would collectively be Chaotic Neutral). Size. Ettinkin are smaller than proper Ettins, but they still bear Orcish blood and their bulk cannot be underestimated. Ettinkin can grow over 14 feet tall and weigh over 500 pounds. Your size is Large. Speed. Your speed is 30 feet, but both heads must agree on a direction to move. If they cannot, the body does not move. Shared Experiences. When one head would gain experience or levels, the other head immediately gains that much experience or that many levels. When the two of you level up, you add a single hit die to a shared pool. If you take levels in classes with different hit die sizes, the size of that die is that of the class with the larger hit die. When you gain an Ability Score Increase, both heads must spend a point to increase a physical score by 1. A single head may spend both of its points to increase a physical score by 1. Single Body. Your body has a single hit point total which you share. You are considered a single creature for the purpose of spells, potions, and similar effects. If one head If one head is proficient in a type of armor, the other head is considered proficient in that armor. If one head is proficient in Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throws, it grants that proficiency to its other head. If you are reduced to 0 hit points, you both fall unconscious and make a single death saving throw. Twin Minds. You act on the same turn, but each get one action, one bonus action, and one reaction. A head cannot use an action that requires both hands (such as attacking with a two handed weapon) unless the other head gives up its action to give the first control over both arms. A head needs only one free hand to perform the somatic components of spells, but damage to the body requires a save for Concentration as normal. When one head uses a class feature that alters its ability to take actions, such as the Fighter's Action Surge or Barbarian's Rage, the other head is unaffected. Ettin's Legacy. You both have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being charmed, frightened, and knocked unconscious. While one head sleeps, the other can remain awake. . A Note for DMs Allowing an Ettinkin character into the party is no small undertaking. Curbing the power of this two-in-one monster can be difficult if the players involved are colluding... or if both heads are controlled by the same person. You may insist that one head only take levels in spellcasting classes, while the other limits itself to martial and melee classes. You may also mandate that the heads must disagree on one or several key in-character issues, thus insuring a little chaos to prevent the Ettinkin from being too efficacious. You may take the obvious route of preventing the Ettinkin from entering closed-minded villages, especially if local giants are giving your poor player character a bad name. Your Ettinkin player(s) may take it upon themselves to defeat the giant menace, and oh look -- your players are invested in a goal for their characters to accomplish. Good job!

Items Hungry Arrow Weapon (arrow), rarity varies This arrow's head appears corroded and dull, but any bare flesh brought into contact with its edge immediately draws blood, which the arrow quickly absorbs. You have a bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this arrow (Rare: +1, Very Rare: +2, Legendary: +3). When you hit an enemy with the Hungry Arrow, it draws blood from the creature it strikes and rebounds toward fresh prey. This ability does not take effect if you strike a creature that does not bleed, such as a skeleton or golem. Make another attack roll against the nearest creature (you decide which if there are two or more creatures equidistant to the first). When you make this roll, subtract 1 from the Hungry Arrow's attack and damage bonuses. So long as the arrow hits its target, it may continue to rebound, lowering its bonus by 1 each time. The Arrow stops and its magic goes dormant if it misses, or when it hits a creature after its bonus reaches zero. After being used, the Arrow's hunger is sated until the next dawn, at which point its magic reawakens. Compounding Shuriken Weapons (darts), rare These three razor-sharp metal stars are always found as a set and are attuned to as a single item. They fit comfortably between your fingers as you ready them, and seem to impart knowledge of a wrist-bending technique to throw all three of them in a single motion. You have a +1 bonus to all attack and damage rolls made with the Shuriken. When you make a ranged weapon attack with one, you may immediately throw the other two as part of the same weapon attack. The other two Shuriken may be aimed at the same or different targets. If all three Shuriken hit the same creature in a single turn, that creature takes an additional 1d6+1 Piercing damage. Any thrown Shuriken magically return to your grasp at the end of your turn. Potion of Innervation Potion, very rare When you drink this potion, you become paralyzed for 1d6 rounds as your body is flooded with magical energy. When this period ends, you feel oddly refreshed and alert. You regain all uses of class features, magic item charges, and spell slots that you would regain after a short rest. This potion is pure black and stinks of ozone. Streaks of bright blue lightning crackle through it when its bottle is disturbed. Potion of Regrowth Potion, rare When you drink this potion, you regain 1d6+1 hit points every round for the next minute. This potion's liquid is a minty green and smells like morning dew. When emptied, the bottle appears to have verdant moss growing on the inside. Libram of Holy Light Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement) This book is bound in rich leather, decorated with the sigil of an ancient Paladin order. When opened, it glows gently, shedding bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light in a 15-foot radius. The Libram has 3 charges and regains 1 charge at dawn. As an action you can spend a charge to cast Cure Wounds as a 5th-level spell. You can instead expend all 3 charges to cast Mass Cure Wounds as a 5th-level spell. These are cast with a spellcasting modifier of 0. When targeting undead creatures, these spells cause them to be wracked with holy power instead of restoring their strength. Undead targeted by spells cast from the Libram must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 7d10 Radiant damage if targeted by Cure Wounds and 5d10 Radiant damage if affected by Mass Cure Wounds.