Version 6
Written with love by Clover Bruce-Paul Johnson.
Hiya! I'm Clover, avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and game mechanics nerd. Have you ever felt that D&D just isn't fleshed out enough? Have you ever wanted to be a Half-Gnome? What about an Autofairy? I have! I make incredibly unique (and, quite frankly, gimmicky) characters that require modifications or exceptions, or just entirely different mechanics. That's why this extension exists; as glue between rules, to make things stick.
You can view the latest edition of this document at stickofglue.clovr.rocks.
Clover's Stick of Glue introduces two new mechanics: genericism and hybrid species.
Generic components are "modifiers" that require you to choose another, non-generic version of the component that your character will be based off. They often take most traits from the base species.
Hybrid species allow you to play as 2 or more species at once, at the cost of "worsening" the traits of those species by however many species you're playing as.
The term "worsen" in this book will simply mean to divide the traits by some number. For example, an Elf has 60 ft. of darkvision, but an Elf/Goblin hybrid will only have 30 ft., since we divide it by 2. If we added another species to the hybrid, then it would go down to 20 ft., since we divided by 3. Add another species, then it will be 15 ft., because we divided by 4, and so on. Traits also compound; Elves, when mixed with another species with darkvision, like Gnomes, will add those traits together after worsening them. In the case that a lower number in a trait would be better for you, you should multiply instead.
Worsening things like dice rolls in a trait allows you to choose
whether the amount of dice (which results in a higher potential) or
the amount of faces (which results in a higher average) is
divided/multiplied. A roll of
2d8 can either be worsened to 1d8 (potential
of 8, flat average) or
2d4
(potential of 8, average of 5).
Hybrid species should take an average of both size and speed. Elves have a speed of 30 ft., and so do Goblins, so a hybrid of those species will also have a speed of 30 ft. Goliaths have a speed of 35 ft., so an Elf/Goliath hybrid will have a speed equal to the averages of those speeds rounded down. In this case, Elf/Goliaths will have a speed of 32 ft.
Elves have a size of medium, being around 5–6 ft. tall. Goblins have a size of small, being around 2–4 ft. tall. An Elf/Goblin hybrid should be between medium and small, perhaps 4–5 ft. tall. Goliaths have a size of medium, but are 7–8 ft. tall. An Elf/Goliath hybrid should be medium, around 6–7 ft. tall, while a Goblin/Goliath hybrid will have a size between medium and small, being 4–7 ft. tall.
It is ultimately up to the DM how you should control your species' traits. Consult them if you're uncertain on how to approach something.
With all of that said, you are aware of all the new mechanics CSoG invents.
You can take a full action to lose an amount (you choose, minimum of 5) of HP. Regain double that amount 2 turns later.
If combat ends before then, then you receive the lost HP back, but not doubled. If you die before the 2 turns, you will not receive HP, but you can receive HP if you are in death saving throws.
All damage output is doubled.
After your first turn, your DM plays every other turn for you. They are advised to play the opposite of your alignment, or otherwise in your worst interest.
You can survive one fatal blow per long rest, as long as you are above 5 HP. You remain at 1 HP, regardless of the damage dealt.
While at 5 HP or lower:
If you are healed to more than 5 HP, lose these effects and regain your AC.
You can take a full action to attempt to possess an enemy or ally
that you have in your line of sight. They may either let you control
them, or struggle, making a wisdom saving throw against a charisma
check you make. If they succeed, you take
1d4 psychic damage.
Your body is motionless while possessing an entity, as you play the entity's turn for them. You may take any action they could take on their turn, and become aware of their stat block.
You remain in control of this entity until your body is attacked, or the entity succeeds a wisdom saving throw against your original charisma check at the beginning of their turn. You may also take a bonus action to leave the entity.
In the event they regain control, and are hostile toward you, they become immediately aware you possessed them, and are aggravated towards you.
The spirit of a member of their species, choosing to stay alive in a new form.
Unlike a Soul, they do not possess physical abilities, resorting to magic to be able to do work. Spirits are aware they have passed, as they chose to stay within the mortal realm. They see themselves as everyone else does, a pale specter.
You can only interact with objects via the Mage Hand spell, which you can cast at will. A Spirit's Unarmed Strike deals (4 + Strength) damage, to account for the lack of weapons.
Spirits have proficiency in stealth or arcana.
This character can phase through 20 ft. of solid material in a single turn, or outside of combat. If applicable, you begin suffocating if you end your turn inside a wall.
The soul of a member of their species given physical form, chained to the mortal realm by some otherworldly force. Unlike a Spirit, this species is a physical being, being able to interact with objects like other species.
They appear as a pale specter to everyone else, but view themselves in full color. They might have unfinished business with an enemy or friend, keeping them from continuing to the afterlife. Typically, Souls deny they have died in the first place, insisting they are alive.
Souls have proficiency in intimidation or stealth.
This character is a construct, modeled after another species, and imbued with the magic of that species.
This is different from an Autognome, which does not inherit any traits from Gnomes. Mechanical creatures are similar to hybrid species, in the sense they take traits from both Autognomes and the base species, however, Mechanical creatures take all traits from Autognomes as-is, and only half the traits from the base species.
All quantitative traits (excluding flight) from the base species are worsened by 2.
Merfolk are something of a mix between human and fish. They can breathe both air and water, but are much better at swimming than walking.
They are omnivorous, but most Merfolk choose to eat only plants like kelp or cacti, as it requires less effort. As a result of this diet, most Merfolk lack proficiency in weapons other than that required by their profession.
They live significantly longer than humans, with the average lifespan being around 200 years old. Merfolk take a rather laidback position on life, and are rather lazy.
Their appearance is considered only slightly less stunning than elves. Their gills are located on their cheeks and the sides of their neck, and they possess a fin-like membrane that spans from half their torso to three quarters their wingspan, allowing for rapid movement underwater. One might mistake these for wings; however, it is far too thin to allow them to glide. If one attempts to use it as such, it will rip from the force of the air. They do also have fins, a large one located on their back, and another on the head.
Their scales are iridescent, and often tinted with vibrant colors to deter predators. This backfires for them however, as they are often hunted for their scales, which are used for jewelry and other accessories. A single scale, in pristine condition, is worth around 300 GP.
You can speak, read, and write Common, Aquan, and one other language you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.
You can breathe both air and water.
You have proficiency in persuasion, and advantage on all charisma checks that aren't against another Merfolk.
You may choose to possess either heat or cold resistance, or none at all, as a result of your natural habitat. Consider where your character came from when deciding this. Your DM may step in if you are being unreasonable.
When rolling initiative, swap with the lowest roll. If you're attacked, act instantly and move your initiative to the current moment in the turn order.
This species has three subspecies.
As a subspecies of the Merfolk species, this subspecies inherits all trait from that species, unless otherwise specified.
A variant of Merfolk that reside in the deepest depths of the sea. Deep Merfolk have evolved a lure similar to that of an anglerfish to be able to see so deep, and a heavier fin membrane to produce more thrust.
Their fin membrane spans from their hips to their wrists, and are significantly thicker (~0.5 in.) than their sea-level counterparts to resist the pressure when at their natural habitats, more than 2 miles below sea level. This still doesn't allow them to fly; in fact, it decreases their speed on land further. However, they can glide for a short distance.
Under gravity, the membrane is incredibly heavy, with the heaviest one ever (keep in mind that this only accounts for one arm of the membrane) measured at 5 pounds. At sea level, the membrane also expands, drooping to the midpoint of the thigh.
Their scales are also thicker, making them incredibly valuble for armor. A single scale of a Deep Merfolk is worth 500 GP. A whole set of Deepscale Armor is worth 2000 GP, and is considered medium armor. The set grants resistance to slashing damage. Individually, the set is worth 1000 GP for the chestplate, 200 GP for the helmet, and 800 GP for the leggings.
They are naturally incredibly alert, since they live in incredibly dangerous waters.
Your swim speed is increased at the cost of your walking speed. If you have a strength stat greater than 15, ignore the speed debuff, and keep your speed to 25 ft. You can additionally glide in the air, desending 10 ft. for every 5 ft. travelled.
You have resistance to slashing damage. Your AC is 14 when not wearing armor.
You don't take the Inate Laziness trait.
As a subspecies of the Merfolk species, this subspecies inherits all trait from that species, unless otherwise specified.
A variant of Merfolk that reside along the coastline of warm areas. Coastal Merfolk are perfectly average in both underwater and land activities. They appear more social then the Deep and Pond variants, likely as a result of establishing agriculture, and a social system based off of it.
Coastal Merfolk live on land, but hunt underwater for food. However, their innate laziness as Merfolk have made most of them that don't require the extra calories instead hunt on land for plants. Lore analysis purports is that agriculture had been taught to humans by Coastal Merfolk who had been settled down. This change in behavior has caused a reduction in their running and swimming speed.
Depending on where they settled down or spread out to, their diets may consist of vegetables, fruits, and berries, but rarely meat products in modern times. Some even decide to just eat grass!
These Merfolk are not useful for their scales, as they are incredibly thin, and semi-transparent.
If any of your classes have a primary ability of dexterity, strength, or constitution, increase your speed to 35 ft., and 30 ft. swimming. You will also gain proficiency in athletics.
If you attempt to swim below 200 ft., you begin suffocating. You don't take this trait if athleticism applies to your character.
As a subspecies of the Merfolk species, this subspecies inherits all trait from that species, unless otherwise specified.
A variant of Merfolk that reside within the murky waters of ponds, rivers, and other freshwater bodies. The Pond Merfolk are especially primal and brutal, preferring a carnivorous diet of the creatures in their home pond, such as tadpoles, turtles, and certain species of catfish.
They rarely emerge from the water unless food is scarce. They are distrustful of most other species, as they believe them to be endangering their home. Several folktales have emerged confusing them with monsters, but they look almost identical to other Merfolk.
These Merfolk aren't worth the trouble for the scales, or much at all if you don't like getting impaled. The scales are useless for armor since the thickness is regular for Merfolk, and unappealing for jewellery.
You have proficiency in simple weapons. You also have advantage on all rolls with unarmed strike and simple weapons if you do not have armor equipped.
You can only speak Aquan and one other language you and your DM decide is appropriate for your character proficiently.
Lightkin are miracle-births set forth by angels above, sent out to complete specific tasks. Lightkin can not willfully die without completing their task, which they are always aware of, even if the problem isn't present. They are oftentimes conceived around 20 years before the problem arises, so they can grow and learn to fight it. This foretelling is often heeded by other species, as when a Lightkin is conceived, they begin preparing for the event with fortified structures and improved military force.
Lightkin can only be told apart from humans by their blond hair, which glows brightly. Regardless of what species conceives a Lightkin child, they will appear human. They resemble their parents.
Apart from not being able to die without completing their task, Lightkin can also not die if they owe debts. If they stole something, they have to give back ten times the item or its value. They remember each and every person they are indebted to.
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.
You have resistance to necrotic and radiant damage.
Your hair glows with bright light in a 25 ft. radius, and dim light for an extra 5 ft.
You also have the
Reveal Intentions cantrip.
If you die, revive as a Lightkin Soul. You cannot
attack in this form, but your body can still be revived, and you can
do anything you could normally that doesn't cause damage. If you die
in this form, you die forever. Lightkin who encounter this form of
fate are sent to purgatory, forced to dwell on old debts and
mistakes forever.
This species has a subspecies.
As a subspecies of the Lightkin species, this subspecies inherits all trait from that species.
Lightkin who have completed their task, but still have debts for more than 50 years are considered "disgraced" by other angel-likes. Since they can't die, they will spend eternity repaying debts, outliving the original debtor, and their kin, forcing them to track down any relative they can repay for their crimes.
These creatures are often hundreds, if not thousands of years old. As a result of their old age, their hair glows significantly less, only emitting 15 ft. of dim, off-white light.
You have devoted your entire life to your profession, and have become an authority within it.
As a result, you cannot multi-class and your stats that do not relate to your class are worse, but your class traits are significantly improved.
You may apply this class to your class at level 3. If you choose not to apply to be an Arch, you will not get the option again. You can still choose a subclass. If you choose to become an Arch, your class's primary abilities are increased by 2, to a max of 25. Reduce all other abilities by 2.
You have advantage on charisma checks against other non-Arch members of your class.
Choose a creature within range, and make a charisma check. Learn the creature's alignment if the roll beats a DC 10, and the creature's intentions toward you in the current moment if it beats a DC 20.