D&D IN THE OLD WORLD physical corruption but do suffer increase insanity
instead. I already have a mutation system that is
Guidelines for adapting D&D 5e to the Warhammer
setting.
– LORE –
The best source for lore that would be relevant to an
Old World D&D setting would be one of the WFRP
Roleplaying editions. There have been three but I
would argue the 2nd edition had the most useful
setting information you can use to build the world.
There is also plenty of lore in the tabletop miniature
supplements as well but it’s pretty scattered. The RPG
books from every edition are the most useful source
IMO – one stop shop for the RPG details you need to
flesh out the Old World. You can also find most of this
information on the web but it tends to be disjointed
because of the nature of how its pot together in
encyclopedic form.
– SETTING –
The Old World is a grim and more realistic fantasy
setting. Much more akin to Greyhawk then any of the
other settings in the D&D universe. It is essentially a
fantasy version of Renaissance Europe – even the map
looks very similar. All pluses in my mind. There are
two moons – Mannslieb & Morrslieb – which is another
noticeable difference from Earth, otherwise, I suspect
most 14th Century humans from Earth would find the
Old World very familiar.
The Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) has a few optional
rules which fit this setting well :
Low Magic Setting. 5e is already pretty low magic but
the rule of thumb in WFRP is that the most powerful of
heroes would have no more than 3 magic items. And
even this would be unusual.
Firearms and Explosives. The Old World has
technology equivalent to about the Renaissance level.
Use the Firearm rules on pg. 267 as a starting point.
Injury and Healing. Combat hurts in the Old World and
it can take weeks to recover from serious wounds. Use
the Slow Natural Healing and Gritty Realism Rest
variants on DMG pg. 266 and 267.
Sanity. Confronting the Ruinous Powers can
permanently mar a hero with insanity. Use the Sanity
Ability Score on DMG pg. 265.
Corruption and Mutation. This is another pillar of the
setting. The Winds of Chaos cause corruption and
mutation. Each race would have a threshold of how
much corruption they can take before they become
chaos spawn and are handed over to the DM to become
NPCs. Humans are the most susceptible to this
corrupting force while elves and dwarfs are the most
resistant. In fact, elves and dwarfs never suffer
suitable for the setting. A fantasy suitable mechanism
for becoming corrupt and then mutating is another
matter.
Fate Points. Having said that, heroes in the Old World
are made of sterner stuff than a normal D&D character
due to the harshness of the setting. Use the Hero Point
option on DMG pg. 264.
– COSMOLOGY AND GODS –
The setting has its own powers in the form of the gods
and the Ruinous Powers – the ever present enemy of
humanity and civilization. Most D&D settings fit into
the cosmology of the D&D universe in some way.
There are two D&D cosmologies – The Great Wheel and
the World Axis. You can use either but I would argue
that the World Axis is the better fit. This makes the Old
World essentially the centre of the multiverse giving
reason to the “Great Game” the Ruinous Powers play in
trying to turn it into a realm of chaos. The Ruinous
Powers would easily fit into chaotic evil Primordials
and the setting’s gods didn’t win the Dawnwar outright
allowing the remaining Primordials a bit more of a free
hand in the cosmos.
Or you could ignore it all and not worry about the rest
of the D&D universes. That works too.
One thing is that the gods in the Old World setting are
all non-evil and actively working against the Ruinous
Powers who are all chaotic and neutral evil and
actively trying to destroy the world. The Ruinous
Powers are much more overt than the gods – though
one could argue that the fact there is divine magic in
the world is a big boon to the forces of Order.
– MAGIC –
Ahh magic. This is a big one. All magic is a
manipulation of the Winds of Magic which are
essentially generated by the Chaos Gate in the North
Pole. This makes magic inherently chaotic and
dangerous. A big part of being an arcane spell caster in
the Old World is using magic without killing yourself
(or others). The only arcane caster that fits the bill
right out of the Player’s Handbook (PHB) is the Wild
Magic Sorcerer. This would need an entirely separate
article as the magic system would have to be changed
to make it fit the setting well. This is all further
complicated by the fact that different races each have a
different relationship and aptitude towards magic.
– RACES –
The Old World races are generally unchanged,
mechanically, from those in the PHB. However, they
tend to have quite different view points than typical
D&D fantasy races. Only the following races are
eligible to be used by player characters.
Men of the Empire (Humans). The most susceptible to
corruption but also the most versatile and potent magic
users. They are both the most effective force against
Chaos and its greatest agents.
Dwarves (dawi). The dwarf race does not have any
arcane magic users of any kind. They do have
runepriests and runesmiths. Essentially, dwarves,
bond magic into runes and then applying those runes
to items. Dwarf rune magic never misfires. The dwarf
race comes from one of the many beleaguered dwarf
holds. They are also inherently magic resistant and so
have the additional trait of magic resistance gaining
advantage on saving throws vs magic effects.
Elves. The elven race comes in three types – the Asrai
(wood elves), the Asur (high elves) and the Druchii
(dark elves) – of these, only the wood elves are native
to the Old World. High elves are even rarer still and
generally only visit the Old World on specific missions
(like diplomacy). Characters can play either type of elf
though a High Elf will need a story reason to be away
from Uthuan for an extended period.
Halflings. Halflings are a small but dexterous race who
look like Human children to the untrained eye. The fact
that they cannot grow beards only reinforces this
impression. Although they tend to be pot-bellied, since
they eat twice as often as any other race, they are
capable of great stealth. When combined with their
well-known skill with the sling, Halflings can prove to
be surprisingly stubborn opponents. They are,
however, largely a peaceful people, content to farm,
eat, and smoke pipe weed. They are proud of their
families and all Halflings can recite their family lineage
back ten generations or more. Much like the dwarves
they have no arcane casters and are too irreligious to
have divine casters as well.
Much like the dwarves they have no arcane casters and
are too irreligious to have divine casters as well.
However, they are highly resistant to Chaos corruption
in all its forms and gain advantage against corruption,
madness and any kind of corrupting based spell attack.
– CLASSES –
Another big one as WFRP uses careers allowing, in
D&D parlance, very easy multiclassing. For now, the
default D&D classes are fine as is.
– MONSTERS –
Any monster normally seen in the D&D world can be
found in the Old World. However, they would
generally be much rarer or even unique creatures in
the Old World. While other creatures would be cast in
a different way (like centigors/centaurs). The key
difference between a standard D&D campaign world –
which tends to see monsters as part of the natural
order – is that monsters in Warhammer are nearly
always an expression of the underlying enemy –
Chaos/Disorder. Even the non-Chaos forces like the
Vampire Counts and Greenskins are expressions of this
by being focused on destruction. This means the
setting fits better in the Sword and Sorcery genre
(Conan,
Before going into monster specific here is a little
primer on monsters in the old world in broad strokes.
The key difference between a standard D&D campaign
world – which tends to see monsters as part of the
natural order – is that monsters in Warhammer are
nearly always an expression of the underlying enemy –
Chaos/Disorder. Even the non-Chaos forces like the
Vampire Counts and Greenskins are expressions of this
by being focused on destruction. This means the
setting fits better in the Sword and Sorcery genre
(Conan,
The key difference between a standard D&D campaign
world – which tends to see monsters as part of the
natural order – is that monsters in Warhammer are
nearly always an expression of the underlying enemy –
Chaos/Disorder. Even the non-Chaos forces like the
Vampire Counts and Greenskins are expressions of this
by being focused on destruction. This means the
setting fits better in the Sword and Sorcery genre
(Conan, Fahfhrd and the Grey Mouser etc) than High
Fantasy. The characters don’t necessarily go on a
hero’s journey, they fight disorder wherever it raises
its ugly head, have a short respite, and do it all over
again. Just like in Beowulf an adventure is actually
built around a single monster which is tailer made to
be overcome by whatever means the characters use to
overcome disorder (fighting for the fighter, magic for
the magic-user etc). But just like Beowulf there should
always be a twist – kill Grendal then you have to enter
the lair of Grendal’s mother and kill it – a far more
dangerous task. Keep that in mind when designing
adventures and encounters in the Old World.
The characters don’t necessarily go on a hero’s journey,
they fight disorder wherever it raises its ugly head,
have a short respite, and do it all over again. Just like in
Beowulf an adventure is actually built around a single
monster which is tailer made to be overcome by
whatever means the characters use to overcome
disorder (fighting for the fighter, magice for the magic-
user etc). But just like Beowulf there shoudl always be
a twist – kill Grendal then you have to enter the lair of
Grendal’s mother and kill it – a far more dangerous
task. Keep that in mind when designing adventures
and encounters in the Old World.
Beastmen. Any animal/human hybrid monster in D&D
fits this category. This would include minotaurs, gnolls,
centaurs, harpies and so on. They are forces of Chaos
and implacable foes of civilization which they love
despoiling. Wood elves, in particular, hate them.
Greenskins. This includes all orcs and goblins –
basically, you can fit all goblinoids in this category.
Skaven. This is a unique monstrous race to
Warhammer and their really isn’t an equivalent in
D&D. However, just like there are always beastmen in
the woods, there are always skavens in the sewers so
you do, as a DM, have to make an effort to create
something workable as a replacement. You could
conceivably re-badge kobolds as skaven with a little bit
of work since they fit the same ecological niche and
have similarities – small, fast multiplying, live in the
underground, win by numbers and have a technical
genius – kobolds with traps (which you can leave in
there) and skaven with warpstone technology (guns,
mutations, breeding etc). For my Iron God’s campaign,
I did a conversion of Paizo’s ratfolk as they were in the
first adventure and made them skaven – so more rat
than the mouse Paizo seems to have in mind. Here are
the skaven scrapper and ogre.
Daemons. Any and all fiends found in the D&D Monster
Manual can be used as daemonic agents of the chaos
gods. The one catch is that they take a lot of effort to
summon and they can only remain in the world for a
certain amount of time before they are pulled back to
the realm of chaos. This can happen once their task is
complete or they are killed – similar to normal D&D.
However, just being present in the Old World slowly
saps them of power until they are no more. This affects
every daemon from the mightiest demon prince to the
smallest imp. To reflect this add the following trait to
every fiend if it is in The World.
Daemonic Instability. Each day the fiend spends in The
World it must make a DC 10 Charisma saving throw.
Each time it fails it loses 1 HD worth of hit-points
reducing its maximum hit-point total. It can not regain
these lost hit-points until it returns to the Realm of
Chaos. Pass or fail the DC of the saving throw increases
by 1 for each day.
D&D AND THE WINDS OF MAGIC
Magic in the Old World is quite different from your
standard D&D world. Short of rewriting the magic
system – which I don’t see the point of if you want to
play D&D – here are some rules to have more of the feel
of Old World magic in a D&D campaign. First a primer
on Warhammer Fantasy Magic.
– THE NATURE OF MAGIC –
As Magisters (aka magic users) see it, to use magic is to
give shape to the stuff of raw Chaos. A wizard uses his
will and his very flesh to form a conduit between this
world and the immaterial realm (known as the Aethyr
and the Realm of Chaos), drawing power from the
“winds” of magic. Through training, willpower and
inborn talent, a Magister may summon fire, create
illusions or transmute lead into gold. At the same time,
he may bring disaster, or attract the attention of
unseen eyes. Many whisper that Daemons ride the
Winds of Magic, ever keen to spot those who tarry in
their domain. Whatever the truth of this may be, it is
commonly accepted that magic is a fickle mistress, with
faces both cruel and kind.
– THE WINDS OF MAGIC –
Just as the emblem of Chaos has eight arrows, so does
magic have eight winds. They blow across the world,
carrying the energy of Chaos with them. While raw
magic is unified within the Realm of Chaos, when it
comes into this world it refracts into eight “colours”,
known collectively as the Winds of Magic. Spellcasters
gain their power by tapping into these Winds of Magic.
Some do so by joining an Order dedicated to study of
one colour of magic. Others do so by prayer, luck or
instinct. Since they are playing with the essence of
Chaos itself, whatever their methods, all spell casters
risk their lives and even their souls when they practice
magic.
Winds of Magic provides details on the eight winds. It
includes the colour of each wind, its common name,
runic name, and the name of the arcane order that
studies that wind. Any human practitioner of magic
must be a member of the College of Magic. Rogue
magic users are dangerous as they can become
uncontrolled conduits to the Realm of Chaos.
Witchunters are tasked with the job of hunting down
rogue casters and ending their lives. Though it is not
unheard of for a witchunter to bring in a particularly
talented or young witch or hedge wizard to Altdorf for
training in the College of Magic.
– TYPES OF MAGIC –
There are two main types of magic: arcane and divine.
Arcane spellcasters, typically known as Wizards, use
magical formulae and personal will power to command
and control the Winds of Magic. Divine spellcasters,
typically known as Priests, use faith and religious
rituals to work magic. Thus Wizards believe that their
own inner strength powers their spells, while Priests
believe that their spells are gifts from the Gods in
return for devotion and prayer. Divine Magic tends to
be safer than Arcane Magic because it is so highly
ritualised. All magic has its risks, however, as is amply
demonstrated by Dark Magic. This is a subset of Arcane
Magic, whose practitioners are willing to take even
greater personal risks for increased power.
In terms of D&D, divine spellcaster remains unchanged
and play as written with the one exception of adding
the “Wrath of the Gods” check when casting. Arcane
casters get their own treatment below.
– MAGIC AND THE RACES –
Halflings and the Dwarfs seem to possess a resistance
to the influence of the Aethyr, and they do not have
spellcasters like the other races. Dwarfs should have
access to a type of rune magic. If you don’t want to
create something from scratch (personally I am a
proponent of not reinventing the wheel) you could use
the rules from Storm Kings Thunder or the Kobold
Press Rune Magic rules. Both work fine.
Amongst the Elves, the ability to manipulate this power
seems commonplace, if not “natural” to their highborn
kind. In Humans, only a few are born with the power
to see and use the Winds of Magic. Of every thousand
babies born, perhaps one may possess a talent with
magic. Of every thousand with talent, one may have a
remarkable talent, and for every ten thousand with a
remarkable talent, there may be one powerful enough
to become one of the legendary Battle Wizards. In
most, lack of training means that their abilities never
emerge, or manifest as minor strangeness and “hedge”
wizardry.
– CASTING SPELLS –
When you want to cast a spell, you must draw upon the
power of the Winds of Magic and focus it into your
desired effect (the chosen spell). To do this make a
concentration check with a DC equal to 10 + Spell
Level. If you fail this check the spell fizzles and is
wasted. If you critically fail you have drawn the eye of
a Chaos power and must additionally roll on the
Tzeentch’s Curse table for arcane casters and the
Wrath of the Gods for divine spellcasters (alternatively
you can just use the Wild Magic Table provided with
the Wild Magic Socerer in the Player’s Handbook). To
make up for this unreliablity and personal risk
involved in the casting of arcane spells, a successfully
cast spell either increases its damage die by 1 or
impose disadvantage on the saving throw.
– VARIABLE WINDS –
Spellcasting assumes an average amount of energy is
available from the Winds of Magic, but this is not
always the case. There are places of power, where
magic is infused in the landscape, that spellcasting is
easier. Conversely, in some areas, the winds blow but
lightly, making it more difficult. Certain times of the
year can provide similar boons and penalties. When
the Chaos moon Morrslieb is full, for example, magic is
in the air.
DMs can reflect these variable winds in two ways.
First, the DM can give a bonus or penalty to the
concentration check or even grant advantage. Second,
the DM can provide a proficiency die to roll (DMG pg.
263) or take them away. Spellcasters can detect such
areas with a successful Intelligence (Arcana) check.
D&D AND THE ARCANE LORES
This section focuses on the Arcane Lores and fitting
them into the D&D 5e ruleset with the end goal of
running an Old World campaign using D&D. Here is an
overview of the magic in the Old World and, where
possible, D&D rules. I am not 100% satisfied with
these rules, but, until I actually play test them I can’t
make a judgment call. Would also make custom spells
for each Lore if a player actually chose to play one.
Otherwise, these high level rules should be fine.
– ARCANE LORES –
The knowledge and power of the Orders of Magic are
contained in the Arcane Lores.
THE LORE OF BEASTS
The Lore of Beasts is the most feral of sorceries. It is
the magic of animals and primal savagery. It is based
on manipulation of Ghur, the Brown Wind of Magic.
Magisters of this lore are known as Amber Wizards and
they cleave to the wild places that are the source of
their strength. As they gain in power, Amber Wizards
grow ever more aloof and restless with human society
— their thickly sprouting hair, ragged nails and pointed
teeth mirroring the wild nature of their souls. The
Sorcerer class is nearly always part of the Lore of
Beasts.
PHB Archetype: Sorcerer/any or Wizard/Conjurer with
a focus on nature summoning and poison damage.
Bonus Skill Proficiency: Animal Handling
THE LORE OF DEATH
The Lore of Death is the magic of mortality, endings,
and the passage of time. It is based on manipulation of
Shyish, the Purple Wind of Magic. Magisters of this lore
are known as Amethyst Wizards and they are rightly
feared. While often contacted with Necromancers,
Amethyst Wizards are quite distinct. They embrace the
natural ending of all things, whereas Necromancers
seek to conquer death with the darkest of magics. As
they grow in power, Amethyst Wizards grow more
silent, though not grim. The breath of the grave follows
them, and even the fattest turns to lean; however they
retain a wicked wit and respect for life.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/Necromancy but they do not
animate or deal with the undead in any way outside of
destroying them. Replace the 6th level class feature
with any healing orientated class feature of equal or
lower level. They may never learn the animate dead
spells or related abilities.
Bonus Skill Proficiency: Intimidate
THE LORE OF FIRE
The Lore of Fire, or Pyromancy as it is sometimes
known, is the most aggressive school of magic. It is
based on manipulation of Aqshy, the Red Wind of
Magic. Magisters of this lore are known as Bright
Wizards and are frequently found on the battlefield
since they command an array of impressively
destructive spells. As they grow in power, Bright
Wizards grow ever more quick-tempered and
hyperactive. Their hair and eyebrows turn to flaming
red and flicker in an unseen breeze. They are quick to
take offence and quick to feel the cold. Bright Wizards
often take on facial tattoos as they progress in ability.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/Evoker. Bright Wizards
always pick fire based spells before any other type.
They never use cold based spells. Spells of any other
damage type are automatically converted to fire
damage when cast by a Bright Wizard.
Bonus Spell: You gain command as a bonus spell.
THE LORE OF THE HEAVENS
The Lore of the Heavens is the magic of the sky and
stars, of portents, fate, and the movement of heavenly
bodies. More commonly known as Astromancy, it is
based on manipulation of Azyr, the Blue Wind of Magic.
Magisters of this lore are known as Celestial Wizards
and they are famed oracles, diviners, and masters of
the skies and stars.
As they grow in power, Celestial Wizards grow ever
more unearthly and dreamlike. Their eyes turn to a
glowing blue, and their hair tends towards white. Full
of slow, graceful movements, Celestial Wizards seldom
hurry anywhere.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/Divination.
Bonus Skill Proficiency: You gain the unique skill
Intelligence (Astronomy) dealing with anything to do
with celestial bodies.
THE LORE OF LIFE
The Lore of Life is the magic of nature, the growing
earth, and the seasons. It is based on manipulation of
Ghyran, the Green Wind of Magic. Magisters of this
lore are known as Jade Wizards and they are most at
home in the countryside. They visit cities when they
must, but prefer to be surrounded by the majesty and
power of the wild.
Powerful Jade Wizards go barefoot, that they might be
in constant contact with the earth. As they progress in
their Order they take on aspects of the seasons,
growing tired in Winter, sombre in Autumn, excited in
Spring and vibrant in Summer. Their hair and
fingernails grow very fast, and they seldom suffer from
illness.
Many Life spells require natural earth to function. is
means the area speci ed must consist of dirt or even
mud and can’t be covered with wood, stone, ooring,
cobbling, etc. Essentially, such spells can’t be cast
inside buildings unless they have dirt oors.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/any. You may replace
elemental damage to poison when casting a damaging
spell.
Bonus Spells: You gain the cleric Nature domain spells
as part of your spell list.
Bonus Skill Proficiency: You gain proficiency in the
Survival skill.
THE LORE OF LIGHT
The Lore of Light is the magic of physical and mental
illumination. Based on manipulation of Hysh, the White
Wind of Magic, this lore is about truth, wisdom, radiant
power, and life-giving energy. Magisters of this lore are
known as Hierophants or Light Wizards and they are
wise philosophers, potent healers, and fearless
Daemon banishers. As these Wizards grow in power,
they tend towards dry intellectualism and wit, rather
than humour. The colour leeches out of their skin and
hair, growing lighter and semi-transparent in some
cases, whilst the eyes tend towards milky whiteness or
a golden luminescence. Most spend their spare time
reading or in solemn contemplation. Lore
PHB Archetype: Wizard/Abjuration or Theurgy. You
may replace elemental damage to radiant when casting
a damaging spell.
Bonus Skill Proficiency: You gain proficiency in the
Medicine skill.
THE LORE OF METAL
The Lore of Metal is the magic of transmutation, logic,
applied knowledge, empirical investigation and
experimentation. More commonly known as alchemy, it
is based on manipulation of Chamon, the Yellow Wind
of Magic. Magisters of this lore are known as Gold
Wizards or Alchemists and they are amongst the most
learned folk of the Empire. Alchemists make frequent
use of ritual magic and their most legendary
transmutations are spells of this type. As they grow in
power, Gold Wizards become more conservative in
their attitudes, preferring to deal with tangible,
pragmatic, measurable things, rather than fancy new
ideas. Mirroring this consolidation, their bodies grow
ever slower and stiffer, the joints seizing and the skin
growing thick and calloused with a goldish hue. Many
elder Wizards resort to contraptions to get their frozen
bodies about.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/Transmutation.
THE LORE OF SHADOW
The Lore of Shadow is the magic of concealment,
illusion, confusion, and occasionally unseen death. It is
based on manipulation of Ulgu, the Grey Wind of Magic.
Magisters of this lore are known as Grey Wizards and
they are an enigmatic lot. They are so cloaked in
deception that their true feelings and agendas are
rarely known. Grey Wizards are sometimes known as
illusionists or trickster Wizards. As Grey Wizards grow
in power, they take on an enigmatic presence and a
wolfish look to them. With long wiry grey hair and a
lean, light-footed stance they begin to seem almost
roguish, but for their storm grey eyes. Even with these
distinctive features, folk find it hard to describe a
powerful Shadow Wizard, as their faces seem grow
vague and indistinct. Some claim they subtly change to
fit their surroundings, but this seems too far-fetched,
even for High Magisters.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/Illusion or Enchantment
Bonus Skill Proficiency: You gain proficiency in the
Stealth skill.
– HIGH MAGIC –
While most Arcane Magic is powered by one of the
Winds of Magic, there are two types of magic that
manipulate all eight winds at once. High magic, or
Qhaysh, is magic in its purest and most undiluted form.
It is so difficult to master than only the High Elves of
Ulthuan have the skill to use it regularly.
Whenever a high elven wizard gains a class feature he
or she may choose a class feature from any of the Lores
of Magic of equal or lower level.
– DARK LORE –
If Qhaysh is the eight colours in harmony, Dhar is the
eight colours in discordance. It is the magic of
destruction, domination, and pollution. The Dark Lores
of magic are based on the manipulation of Dhar. They
are the province of evil and desperate men, those
willing to risk their lives and souls for power. There
are two main types of Dark Lore, Chaos magic and
Necromancy. Like Arcane Lores, they have associated
skills. Casting Dark Lore spells follows the normal
rules with an additional complications.
Whenever you are required to roll on the Tzeench’s
Curse table and you roll doubles you are also exposed
to an additional side effect if you roll doubles.
SIDE EFFECTS
Descriptions of the various side effects follow. You can
gain each side effect multiple times and effects are
cumulative. The DM is responsible for determining the
details of each side effect (what allergy is gained, how
you are disfigured, etc.)
Allergy: You have an extreme allergy to a common
material, like leather or fur. When in contact with it,
you suffer a –1 penalty to your attack rolls and
Dexterity saving throws. If you roll this side effect
more than once, you either get a new allergy or your
existing allergy becomes more severe.
Aversion: You develop an aversion to a common
element of daily life, like light, water, or the crying of
infants. When forced to be around it, you suffer a –1
penalty to your Wisdom saving throw and Charisma
Ability and Skill checks. If you roll this side effect more
than once, you either get a new aversion or your
existing aversion becomes more severe.
Cadaverous Appearance: You begin to look like a
corpse. At first, you simply grow pale and develop rings
around your eyes but eventually you become
indistinguishable from a real cadaver. You suffer a –1
penalty to your Charisma checks in all social situations,
but gain a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks.
Debilitation: You permanently lose 1d10 hit points.
Disfigurement: You gain a repulsive disfigurement to a
random part of your body. This can be nearly anything,
from unsightly sores to scaly skin to the growth of fur.
Unless you can disguise the disfigurement, you suffer a
disadvantage on all Charisma checks in all social
situations.
Disturbing Presence: Your aura becomes so malignant
that children and animals refuse to go near you and
you suffer a –1 penalty to your Charisma checks in all
social situations.
Madness: You gain a random madness (DMG pg. 258).
It starts with short term madness if you already have a
short term madness you gain a long term madness. If
you already have a short and long term madness you
gain an indefinite madness. If at this point you gain
another madness the cycle starts all over again.
Remember, that each time a character gains a madness
their Sanity score is reduced by 1 (DMG pg. 265).
Mutation: Your body is wracked by Chaos energy and
you develop a mutation. You must roll on the Mutations
tables.
Palsy: You become prone to periodic fits of shaking. At
the start of any stressful situation (combat, a verbal
confrontation, etc.), you must make a Wisdom saving
throw (DC determined by the DM or 15 by default) or
suffer a fit that lasts 1d10 rounds. During the fit, you
suffer disadvantage to your Dexterity, Intelligence,
Wisdom, and Charisma ability checks and all related
checks derived from those abilities (to-hit, saving
throws, skills etc). You also are slowed as the spell.
Stench: You develop a most unpleasant odour. For
each instance of this side effect, it takes 1 application of
perfume to mask the stench for a day. If you had gotten
stench three times, for example, it’d take three
applications of perfume a day to hide the smell. When
the smell is noticeable, you suffer a -2 penalty to your
Charisma ability and skill checks in all social situations.
Weakness: You permanently lose 1d4 from your
Strength Characteristic.
Roll twice ignoring a roll of 12.
THE LORE OF CHAOS
The Lore of Chaos is the magic of change, destruction,
temptation, and decay. It is based on manipulation of
Dhar, also known as dark magic. The practitioners of
Chaos magic are known by many names—sorcerer,
witch, and cultist to name but a few. As with all
followers of Chaos, these mages are the enemy of
civilisation and all that it stands for. They seek the
overthrow of the Empire and all nations of the Old
World and their vision of the future is one of darkness,
blood, and endless change.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/any (but usually conjuration),
Warlock and Sorcerer. You may convert any damage
type to necrotic when casting a damaging spell.
Bonus spells: You add the Demon Summoning spells to
your spell list.
Bonus Language: You gain proficiency in the daemonic
language (equivalent to abyssal and infernal) skill.
THE LORE OF NECROMANCY
The Lore of Necromancy is the magic of death. Unlike
Amethyst magic, Necromancy is an unnatural art. It is
based on manipulation of Dhar and involves extending
life and conquering death in violation of the natural
order. Necromancers make frequent use of ritual magic
and their most infamous abilities are spells of this type.
They are widely reviled and are forced to practice their
sorcerous arts in secret. They must stay one step
ahead of crusading Priests, templars, and Witch
Hunters. Necromancy is strictly forbidden in the
Empire and those caught can expect no mercy.
PHB Archetype: Wizard/any (but usually necromancy,
Warlock and Sorcerer. If the arcane tradition chosen
was originally necromancy then the restriction on the
use of undead is lifted. In addition, when choosing
your class feature you may instead choose a Death
Domain feature of equal or lower level (DMG pg. 96).
Bonus spells: You add the Death Domain spells to your
class spell list.
Bonus Skill Proficiency: You gain proficiency in the
Religion skill.
D&D AND THE DIVINE LORES
Posted on March 1, 2017 by solomani
Previous posts in this series:
D&D and the Old World
D&D and the Winds of Magic
D&D and the Arcane Lores
This post focuses on the Divine Lores and fitting them
into the D&D 5e ruleset with the end goal of running an
Old World campaign using D&D. Divine Lores are
easier to fit into D&D with a minimum of change since
they are essentially Cleric Domains. Historically, in
WFRP, the Divine Lores are customised on a per god
basis and add a lot of flavour to priest character. I have
included two examples of a wholly customised domain
as they are quite unique and nothing in the default
setting fits these particular powers well. For the rest,
for simplicity sake, I used the Player’s Handbook
Domains for.
– DIVINE LORES –
Priests receive magical power through prayer and
devotion.
THE LORE OF MANANN
Manann is the God of the Sea. He is the patron of all
those who make their living on the sea, from fisherman
and sailors to marines and pirates. Priests of Manann
use spells from their deity to help worshippers weather
the capriciousness of the sea and Manann himself.
Clerics who often call upon Manann find their tempers
becoming fickle and tempestuous, and their moods
waxing and waning of the moon.
CLERIC: MANANN DOMAIN
Manann Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st fog cloud, shape water*
3rd water breathing, wall of water*
5th water walking, tidal wave*
7th maelstrom*, watery sphere*
9th conjure water elemental (CR 10)
* Temple of Elemental Evil Player Companion
Bonus Proficiency
You gain the Sea Vehicle proficiency and can use your
Wisdom or Religion skill to navigate from 1st level.
Blessed Voyage
At 1st level, you pray for Manann’s blessings at the
beginning of a sea voyage. Any navigation related
checks are made with advantage for the entirety of the
trip. If you are aboard the ship during the voyage the
chance of bad weather is reduced by half and the
chance of good weather is doubled.
Channel Divinity: Firebane/Waterboon
At 2nd level, you may turn or destroy creatures of the
fire and water type. You may also take command of a
freewill or summoned water elementals if they fail a
Charisma saving throw against your Spell Save DC (if
free-willed) or a contested check against the
summoner using your Wisdom for the test. Finally, you
may bolster a water elemental that is under your
control. For 1 minute it gains your level in temporary
hit points and adds your proficiency to its attack,
damage and saving throws.
Water Blast
Starting at 6th level as a bonus action you may convert
the damage type of any combat spell you cast to
bludgeoning as the attack’s element is replaced with
seawater. In addition to the damage type change the
attack automatically extinguishes nonmagical fire and
any magical fire of equal or lower level than the spell.
If the target is a creature it must make a Strength
ability check vs your spellcasting DC or fall prone.
Blessing of the Sea Sprites
At 8th level, you gain a swim speed equal to your
normal movement speed and water breathing as a
permanent trait. In addition, the duration of your
domain spells are doubled (where applicable).
Curse of the Albatross
At 18th level, you can call down doom on enemies of
Manann. Pick a point you can see, all creatures you
designate within a 20-foot sphere are automatically
cursed. All attacks against the designated creatures
have advantage and those attacks critical threat range
is doubled for the next minute.
THE LORE OF MORR
Morr is the God of Death and Dreams. He is the lord of
the underworld and protects the dead and dreamers.
His Priests provide funerary rites to the dead and do
Morr’s work in the world. Those who call upon Morr’s
miracles often find themselves becoming pale and
somewhat distracted from this world. They often feel
duty bound to aid ghosts or other trapped spirits.
CLERIC: MORR DOMAIN
You see death not as something to be feared, but as a
final rest and reward for a life well spent. The taint of
undeath is a mockery of what you hold dear.
Morr Domain Spells
Cleric Level Spells
1st sending (via dreams only), gentle repose
3rd speak with dead, death ward
5th dream, undeath to death (as circle of death but
only affects undead)
7th ethereal Jaunt (as the monster trait of the same
name, finger of death
9th astral projection, foresight
Destroy Undead
At 1st level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon
with radiant damage. Once per round, you may add a
proficiency die’s worth of radiant damage to your
weapon attack as well as your Wisdom modifier if the
target is an undead.
Channel Divinity: Gentle Rest
At 2nd level, your touch can fill a creature with
lethargy, causing a living creature to become stunned
for 1 round as a melee attack. If you touch a stunned
living creature, that creature falls asleep (as the sleep
spell) instead. Undead creatures touched are stunned
for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier.
If the undead is already stunned and has a CR lower
than your level it must make a Spell Save DC or be
utterly destroyed.
Sign of the Raven
Starting at 6th level as a bonus action once per day you
may summon a ghostly raven (the symbol of Morr) that
casts the shadow of death over the field. You and all
your allies within 60 feet add +1 to all your damage
rolls. This ability can be used once per day for 1
minute. At 14th level, the damage increases to +2.
Vision of Morr
At 8th level, you pray to Morr and ask for a vision
relating to a problem you are currently experiencing.
This works as the commune spell but will answer 1
question in some detail (as opposed to 3 yes and no
questions).
Channel Divinity: Sleep of Death
At 18th level, you cause a group of enemies within a
20-foot sphere centred on you to slumber like the dead.
Those affected fall asleep (as the sleep spell) unless
they make a successful Wisdom saving throw. This
miracle is often used to calm the bereaved. Particularly
the noisy ones. If any of the targets are undead they
must make a Constitution saving throw or take 10d8
radiant damage or half as much on a successful save.
THE LORE OF MYRMIDIA
Myrmidia is the Goddess of Soldiers and Strategists,
and patron deity of Estalia and Tilea. She offers a
counterpoint to the fury of the barbarous Ulric,
promoting the art and science of warfare. Her Priests
spread her teachings amongst armies and mercenaries
bands and use their spells to prove the superiority of
Myrmidia’s way of warfare. Those who call upon
Myrmidia often become quick to act, uncaring of
overwhelming odds, and very loud in their speech.
PHB Domain: War
THE LORE OF RANALD
Ranald is the God of Good Fortune. He is often
associated with thieves, rogues, gamblers, and other
unsavory characters, but the common folk also view
Ranald as a patron. Priests of Ranald are tricksters by
nature and use their spells as they think Ranald
intended. Those that call upon Ranald often find
themselves obsessed with change, gambling and telling
tall tales.
PHB Domain: Trickery
THE LORE OF SHALLYA
Shallya is the Goddess of Healing and Mercy. In a world
beset by war, disease, and pain, Shallya offers comfort
and for that, she has the love of the common folk. Her
Priests use spells to give aid to those in need. Those
who call upon Shallya often become placid and peaceful
in nature, prone to weeping in their sleep, and
possessed of a powerful pain threshold.
PHB Domain: Life
THE LORE OF SIGMAR
Sigmar is the legendary founder of the Empire and its
patron power. Sigmar protects his people and gives
them the power to smite their enemies. Priests of
Sigmar use spells from their patron to further the
purposes of the church, defend the Empire, and combat
heresy. Those who call upon Sigmar often find that they
tend toward leadership and protection of the common
folk.
PHB Domain: Light, War or Tempest
THE LORE OF TAAL AND RHYA
Taal is the Lord of Nature, and husband to Rhya, the
Mother of the Earth. He watches over the creatures of
the wild places, whilst Rhya holds guardianship of the
earth and its fertility. Taal and Rhya are worshipped as
joint, yet distinct deities. Their Priests must protect the
huge tracts of land Rhya calls her own, and defend
Taal’s children from destruction by Man or Chaos.
Those who often call upon Taal and Rhya’s aid find that
they are seldom ill and have near-boundless
enthusiasm, but become melancholy in cities and
towns.

PHB Domain: Nature

THE LORE OF ULRIC

Ulric is the God of Battle and Winter. He has been
worshipped since ancient times; indeed Ulric was the
patron of Sigmar himself. His Priests are as fierce as
wolves and they use spells to win more glorious
victories in Ulric’s name. Those who call upon Ulric
often find that they prefer cold to heat, and seldom feel
at home in civilized areas.

PHB Domain: Tempest

THE LORE OF VERENA

Verena is the Goddess of Learning and Justice. All those
who seek to redress an injustice pray to her, as do
many scholars and Wizards. Priests of Verena use her
spells to punish tyrants, criminals, and wrongdoers of
all sorts and to bring justice where there is none. Those
who call upon Verena often tend to judge themselves
very harshly and possess good memories for detail.

PHB Domain: Knowledge