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This week — A Powerful Spell for Druids, and 20 Local Legends
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Happy Friday! Below is a new druid spell, and some local legends for your weekend, which were really fun to create.
Thanks for reading!
A New Druid Spell
This nature themed spell for Druids can be used to flee, fight, or just impress their woodland friends.
Murmuration
Concentration
Level 5
Casting Time — 1 Action
Range/Area — Self
Components — V, S
Duration — Concentration 10 Minutes
School — Transmutation
Attack/Save — None
Damage/Effect — Shapechanging
The Druid instantly transforms into a flock of starlings. For the duration of the spell, the Druid may use a Bonus Action to turn back into their normal shape, or into the flock.
The flock is made up of several starling swarms — 1 swarm per each 10 hp of the Druid at the time of casting, rounded up.The Druid has complete control over the starling swarms, and the swarms create a murmuration as they fly. Stats for the swarms are below. In Murmuration form, the Druid retains only their Intelligence and Wisdom scores.
No swarm can separate from the Murmuration. Swarms must be adjacent, and a maximum of two swarms may overlap. Each swarm acts as a separate creature on the Druid’s turn.
If any of the swarms is completely destroyed, the Druid takes 10 hp worth of damage, and if all the swarms are destroyed, the Druid reverts to their original form with 0 hit points. If this happens while the Murmuration is more than 10 feet off the ground, the unconscious Druid falls to the ground and receives 1 failed Death Saving Throw upon contact.
At the DM’s discretion, the Druid can receive additional failed saving throws for falling distances greater than 50’, or for falling into terrain that would do damage, (lava, spikes, etc.).
Swarm of Starlings
Large swarm of Tiny beasts
AC 12
Initiative +3 (13)
HP 14 (3d10)
Speed 5 ft., fly 50 ft.
Ability (Mod) (Save)
STR 5 (-3) (-3)
DEX 17 (+3) (+5)
CON 10 (+0) (+0)
INT 5 (-3) (-3) (Use Druid’s Intelligence)
WIS 10 (+0) (+0) (Use Druid’s Wisdom)
CHA 8 (-1) (-1)
Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, Stunned
Senses Passive Perception 12
Languages --
CR 1/2 (XP 100)
PB +2
Traits
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny bird. The swarm can’t regain Hit Points or gain Temporary Hit Points.
Actions
Pointed Beaks
Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5 (2d4+3) Piercing damage, or 2 (1d4+3) Piercing damage if the swarm is Bloodied.
Small Town Lore and Legends
Local lore can add specificity and appeal to the villages and towns in your game world, and the great thing is that lore doesn’t even have to make sense. Stories that get told over generations tend to start with a kernel of truth, then change over the years, each retelling altering a detail here or there. By the time a story becomes a legend, it most likely has calcified into something that barely resembles the truth, but feels true to the townsfolk all the same.
20 Local Legends from Small Towns
Kingsticker
A demon with long, razor sharp nails on his hands.
Lore: Leave a copper on your front stoop on the king’s birthday, or the Kingsticker will visit him at midnight, and pierce his eyes!The Sky Watcher
An invisible being that has hovered over the town since its inception.
Lore: If you throw a piece of fruit as high as you can and it disappears, the Sky Watcher has accepted your gift and you will have good luck for a year.Well of Stars
The town well is said to be a portal to the Astral Plane.
Lore: If you think you can see the stars reflected in the water of the town well, you’re mistaken. You’re really peering into the Astral Sea, and merely have to leap into the well to visit that strange place.Whistlegrass
The long grass that grows on the outskirts of town.
Lore: Hundreds of years ago, the townfolk saved the life of a fey prince, and as a reward, the prince caused long blades of grass to sprout up around the town. If ever the town is in dire need, legend has it someone can pluck a piece of the grass, hold it between their thumbs and blow on it, and the resulting whistle will reach the ears of the fey prince, who will come to the town’s aid.The Wisdom
A gnarled old tree in the middle of the bog outside of town.
Lore: She is difficult to find but if you sit in her branches and ask a question, you will instantly know the answer.Blood Lilies
Bright red flowers that grow wild inside the town.
Lore: Vampires can feed off Blood Lilies, and the taste is like nectar to them. Carry a Blood Lily with you at night and if you meet a vampire throw it in one direction and run in the other to escape the undead.Old Korla
An old witch who haunts the hills around the village.
Lore: They say Old Korla was run out of town after murdering her unfaithful lover, and to this day young lovers often disappear in the hills, said to have been caught by jealous witch.Rainbow Day
Rainbows in this town strike fear into the townsfolk.
Lore: If you see a rainbow, get indoors, and lock yourself in tight. An angel from the Celestial Plane hates the town, and uses a rainbow to travel there, hunting for anyone outside so that it can lop off their head with its sword of holy light.The Howling Thing
A strange and dangerous creature is sealed in a cave south of town.
Lore: Hundreds of years ago the founders of the town trapped were beset by a bizarre-looking and vicious monster who hunted them at night. With then help of some mercenaries, they chased the creature to a cave south of town and then sealed the cave with stones and magic. When the moon rises, and the wind is just right, you can still hear the creature howling in anger from inside the cave.The Rock Golem’s List
A sign posted at town’s entrance lists the names of everyone who currently lives there.
Lore: The town is protected by a rock golem that lies hidden somewhere in the town. The creature only attacks strangers, so put your name on the list so the creature will think you are a residence, and will leave you be. If your name is not on the list, it will find you, and crush you with its massive rock fists.Highharvestide Nightmares
Bad dreams around the fall holiday are an omen of disaster.
Lore: Legend says if you are awoken by a bad dream on the night of the fall holiday of Highharvestide, the nightmare will actually happen to someone you love. Townsfolk get blind drunk or drink herbal sleeping draughts when they retire to their beds that night.Six Coppers for Croaker
The giant frog who lives in the forest outside town.
Lore: When traveling through the forest at night, drop six coppers on the ground for Croaker and the giant frog will keep predators from attacking you.Bells
All residences in town have weather vanes, and all weather vanes have bells attached to them.
Lore: When people die in town, their ghosts get stuck there. The bells attract the ghosts to the rooftops, and keep them from haunting the houses of the townsfolk.Merfolk Fishing Tax
If you want to be sure to catch a fish from any of the town’s docks, toss a silver piece into the water before casting your line.
Lore: The merfolk who live in the river will shoo fish away from your lines if you don’t pay the tax.Dragon Tears
The small silver rocks that dot the town square.
Lore: Hundreds of small, tear shaped silver rocks are scattered around the town square. Though they look valuable, don’t take them! They are the frozen tears from a silver dragon, and commemorate some sad event in the dragon’s life, and those that steal them will get a visit from the dragon demanding its return.Dead Man’s Hill
The steep hill just south of town.
Lore: During winter months, townsfolk love to sled down this steep hill on the ancient, dented shields left around after the war. If you go sledding at night, however, you’re likely to see the ghost of the warrior who once wielded that shield floating behind you!Double Ewe
The local shepherd always has a two-headed sheep amongst her flock.
Lore: Shepherds used to lose many sheep a year, and sometimes a young shepherd, to hungry spirits that would emerge from the mist over the moors. A generation ago, a two-headed ewe was born into the flock, and the killings stopped immediately, and the shepherds have been breeding two-headed sheep ever since.The Lights Out Lamp
The lamp post just outside the tavern knows when someone is about to die.
Lore: If someone passes under the light from the lamp post near the tavern, and the light goes out, that person will be dead by morning!The Spirit of Charity
Always keep your pockets empty.
Lore: Benevolent spirit haunt the town. If your pockets are empty, the spirits will take pity on your poverty, and they will leave coins or small gems in your pockets.Frank the Barracuda
A large barracuda often found swimming under the floating dock in the middle of the lake.
Lore: If you toss Frank a small fish or an octopus, he won’t try to eat you when you swim back to shore.
Brainstorming Links
You probably already know about the folks below, who are real inspirations to me, but if not, do yourself a favor and check them out.
The Arcane Library — masterpiece adventures, and Shadowdark, too!
https://www.thearcanelibrary.com
The Angry DM — so angry….so many great ideas….
https://theangrygm.com/
DMDave — on point analysis of D&D rules, and a ton of fun ideas
https://bsky.app/profile/dmdave.bsky.social
RPGBot — whip smart critique and explanations of 5e rules
https://rpgbot.net/
Sly Flourish — a DM’s best friend who is also a better DM
https://www.slyflourish.com/
Treantmonk — years of helpful advice and clever ideas
https://www.youtube.com/@TreantmonksTemple
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