Open Post - February - 'Her Heart Beats For You'

Tier Release Links

• Loremaster Tier Release  
• Acolyte Tier Release 
• Adventurer Tier Release 

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The white walls and pristine exterior of the capitol city of Calydon are hiding a pandemic of addiction hidden below the surface. Can you help the city break free from the clutches of the new drug Bliss?

For February, we wanted to bring you something thematic for Valentine's Day that wasn't just cupids and love potions like everybody else. So this month's release of Her Heart Beats For You debuts our take on Blood Magic (a new magic subschool) and brings you 68 pages of brand new 5e content!

This month's 26-page adventure is designed for players 5th - 6th level, but can easily be scaled up for 7th-9th level play by following the included adjustments. It is written as an urban investigation, where the characters will track down leads and help unravel the mystery behind the missing son of the half-elf Magister Xurael Ailmar.

The party will find themselves traveling to the capitol city of Calydon - an urban metropolis that sits in the middle of a trade hub and profits from the importing of exotic goods from all around the lands.

But sitting just beneath the cheery, idealistic exterior of hope is a sickness festering just out of sight - a city in the midst of a crippling addiction to a new drug called Bliss that has become rampant  throughout the city. Businesses sit empty as workers lay in the streets with bliss-fueled euphoria, and buildings are being turned into hovels by the squatters who have blown their life savings on the drug. 

In the middle of it all - one of the five Magisters who run the city has his son suddenly disappear. Frantic to get him home, for fear of his disappearance making the family's control of their part of the city and estate seem questionable, the party is brought in to help find the missing half-elf. 

Can you track down the clues and bring him home, before getting swept up in the undercurrent of the once idyllic city?

February brings you 14 new statblocks - like the Hemogoblin with his trusty Direbat; the Blood Elemental; and the monstrous Tiyanak! You'll also find our latest monster template - the Hematophage, allowing you to take an existing monster  and convert it into a horrid bloodsucker! 

What urban exploration would be complete with maps of the entire city, and its different districts? You'll gain access to all 10 maps of the city of Calydon!

February also introduces our latest player race - the Oozeling - for all of those who've ever wanted to play a gelatinous humanoid. Oozelings use their fluid-like form to carry things inside of their bodies, squeeze into small places and pass-through spaces others occupy, and can even engulf other creatures with themselves.

We also have a brand new wizard subclass - the Blood Mage - for those spellcasters who dedicate their lives to uncovering and pursuing the long-forgotten, and often taboo Blood Magic sub-school of Necromancy, using their own life force to empower and augment the spells they cast. 

Lastly, rounding out new player options are 9 new feats and 3 new deficiencies!

And what new magic subschool would be complete without some "bloody good" new spells?

We've got 22 new spells, (yes, you read that right - twenty two!) prepped and ready for easy use in spell card format!

Dive into the forbidden knowledge of blood magic with spells like Blood Blade, Blood Cyst, Bloody Frenzy, or Sanguine Shield.

You'll also get 8 new magic items - like the Bliss Breather, the Heartshot Arrow, and the Living Leech - and one new graft - the Heartstring.

February was a lot of fun to write and design, as we did both our first urban exploration and our first sub-school of magic and we can't wait to hear your feedback! Let us know what you think below or join the live conversations in the Critical Crafting discord!

We love you with all of our 'hearts' and can't wait to show what we've been pouring our 'blood', sweat, and tears into! :D 

-Dillon, Cameron, and Sarah