Blog

Out of the Maw by Coven Games for 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons

Aberrations, Entities from other worlds. An alien mindset with alien goals. Aberrations are fun from this perspective as they are harder, if not impossible, to reason with. On top of that, they have the ability to be so different from the usual humanoid form, that it can mess with our minds. I am enamored with the mythos of Cthulhu, though I have not watched or played much within that world. ,

Those looking for more Aberrations are most assuredly in luck. Our friends over at Coven Games have launched their Kickstarter for Out of the Maw. It is a Supplement book for 5e D&D and it contains over 100 pages full of creepy creatures, magnificent magic items, a slew of spells, 1 Warlock subclass, 2 adventures, random encounter tables, twisted tables, great artwork, and more!

Coven games were nice enough to send us a preview copy of the pdf and I like what I am seeing. After all, I am fond of aberrations. The book is broken down into sections making it easier for Dungeon Masters to find the threat level they are looking for. The first section has some different cultists, which if you ask me, more cultist options is never a bad thing. You can use them as is, or modify and tweak making more and more new stat block options to fit into your game.

The next section goes into the new monsters. Here are the lesser creatures or lesser threats. These are things that are usually smaller and can skulk around. They also should represent the masses to overwhelm a populace should daring heroes not intervene. Most of the creatures in this pdf have a cut-out on the monster page with some DM advice. These are great tips for new monsters as some DMs might not be aware of the author’s intent. What is obvious to some might not be so to others so Kudos to Coven Games for including this.

The next two sections are as you would expect: Intermediate and Greater Creatures. As the threat level rises in the game, so should the power level of the monsters that the party face. From this area, I absolutely love the Eyeborne Swordsman. While it is mostly humanoid, it still fits that style of aberration, including having eyes on its sword. The creature is a challenge 16, so a very credible threat that possesses a fear aura, unless you are an aberration. If it is hit by a ranged attack or ranged spell attack, it can throw its great sword against the attacker and teleport within 5 feet with its blade in hand. This makes it very mobile and can grant those extra attacks. The look and design of this creature are just cool.

The next group is your boss monsters. You get an Aberrant Titan. The Hungering Maw. This is a cosmic threat at a whopping CR 30 and could require a ritual to make it go away rather than the usual assault. The picture makes it look big enough to consume the world. The second is a new Dragon type. This is the Fleshwarp Dragon and looks amazing. If you mixed a dragon, the concept of aberrations, and throw in some displacer beast and you get the Fleshwarp Dragon. The dragon is quite powerful with a great ability to disorient its foes that fail an Int saving throw. Don’t fight this monster if you dumped your int, it will not go well. As these are both Boss monsters they both come equipped with Legendary resistance, legendary Actions, and Lair actions making them, well bosses.

But this book is not all about monsters. Also included are 25 spells including a 10th-level spell.
32 magic items including ‘The Arsenal of the Mawsworn’, several extremely powerful corrupted weapons that players can obtain and purify, changing them back to their original forms.
1 Warlock Subclass, the Warlock of the Everchanging One. These warlocks take on some of the ever-changing nature of their patron, gaining the ability to alter their body and adapt to their surroundings. A level 3-5 adventure and a 13-16 one, both still being worked on. There is a tier in the Kickstarter for 5 people to join their lead writer Chris to playtest the high-level adventure before it’s put in the book.
Random Encounter Tables are designed to use the information within the book. Twisted Tables (tables that corrupt and mutate the world). Almost everything has been hand-crafted and play-tested in weekly home games for years.

You can pledge for the PDf, and the Hardcover, and get an add-on of an enamel pin of the Chibi Hungering Maw or an amazing art print of a 18X24 gloss art of the book cover. So go get yourself some more aberrant stuff to horrify your D&D players and see if they can stay sane. You can back the Kickstarter – HERE!

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!