Adventure Title: The Tattooed Truth

1. Adventure Type: Psychological Mystery, Investigation, Neo-Noir Horror

2. Characters: Level 4-6 recommended. The primary mechanic relies heavily on one PC taking on the role of the amnesiac protagonist.

3. Location: The Domain of Dread of Parchem, a confusing, perpetually rain-slicked city made entirely of parchment and ink, ruled by the Darklord Elia Vance, the "Archivist."

The Core Mechanic: Anterograde Amnesia (The PC's Role)

One player character (PC) must agree to suffer from a cursed form of Anterograde Amnesia.

4. The Curse: At the end of every short or long rest, the player forgets everything that happened since their last rest, except for specific "facts" they have physically recorded.

5. Recording Facts: The player must actively take notes in real-time on physical paper during the game session. Only facts written down become permanent knowledge for their character. The DM should enforce this strictly.

6. The Goal: The PC is on a quest to find the individual who cursed them and murdered their mentor/family member, but they forget the details of the crime and the target daily.

Adventure Synopsis

The PCs find themselves trapped in Parchem. The amnesiac PC (let's call them "Leo") is driven by a singular, tattooed clue: “Find the Archivist’s Henchman, the one who stole the Ink of Memory.” Leo must navigate a city where memories are fluid and unreliable, using a system of notes, tattoos, and temporary allies to expose the truth of the murder and find an escape route before the domain consumes their sanity.

Part 1: The Waking Nightmare

The Setup: The adventure begins in media res after a long rest. Leo wakes up with no memory of the previous day, only their notes and a fresh, painful tattoo that reads: "Teddy is a Liar. Kill Teddy."

Key Events:

7. The Notes and the Allies: Leo reviews their notes, which mention two key contacts: "Natalie" (a bitter potion seller) and "Teddy" (a seemingly helpful, jovial information broker). The notes are contradictory about who to trust.

8. The Black & White Timeline (Flashbacks/Lore): Periodically, the DM cuts to a "flashback" (a short, narrative scene not played out as a typical encounter) where the PCs learn background lore about the domain, the Ink of Memory, and the nature of the curse. This provides context the amnesiac PC can never hold onto but the player can use.

9. The First Clue (The Polaroid): The PCs find a Polaroid photo of a victim with a large "X" drawn on it, but the photo is developing right in front of

them, obscuring the identity until the end of the scene.

Part 2: Conflicting Accounts and False Leads

The Setup: The PCs must navigate a classic film noir investigation structure, moving backward through the events leading up to the current moment.

Key Events:

10. Meeting Natalie: Natalie, the potion seller, is hostile. She claims "Teddy" sent the PCs to harass her. She manipulates Leo by claiming Teddy is the murderer, providing a cryptic clue if the PCs prove they aren't working with Teddy (e.g., destroying a note Teddy gave them).

11. Meeting Teddy: Teddy seems helpful, a cheerful local who provides information. He insists Natalie is the true villain and tries to convince Leo to ignore his notes about Teddy being a liar, claiming Natalie wrote them.

12. The Investigation Loop: The PCs follow clues provided by Natalie and Teddy (e.g., finding a specific building, meeting a contact, identifying a symbol). Each lead seems to point to the other person as the culprit. Every time the party rests, they lose their immediate certainty and rely purely on their notes.

13. The Darklord's Ink: The PCs learn that the Darklord, Elia Vance ("The Archivist"), created the Ink of Memory that causes the amnesia curse and that it was stolen. The thief is the true murderer they seek.

Part 3: The Convergence and The Revelation

The Setup: The investigation leads back to the initial murder scene (the "end" of the film's timeline, the "start" of the chronological story).

Key Events:

14. The Final Location: Both Natalie’s and Teddy’s clues lead the party to the same abandoned warehouse. The B&W timeline flashes forward

to this location simultaneously.

15. The Confrontation: The truth is revealed:

16. "Teddy" is actually the murderer, John Gammell.

17. The "victim" in the photo was a previous target Gammell killed.

18. Gammell has been exploiting Leo’s condition for weeks, sending Leo on wild goose chases to kill various people who wronged Gammell, not the original mentor.

19. Gammell reminds Leo that Leo already killed the true murderer of their mentor weeks ago, and has been in a cycle of vengeance ever since, manipulating their own notes to keep the quest going.

20. The Final Note: Leo writes a final, crucial note just before the confrontation: "Gammell is the murderer. Kill him now."

Part 4: Escape from Parchem

The Climax: The domain reacts to this moment of crystallized truth and manipulation.

Key Events:

21. The Archivist's Wrath: The Darklord Elia Vance appears (or sends formidable parchment Golems). She is furious that her domain's delicate reality has been shattered by Gammell's manipulation and Leo's drive for truth. She wants the PCs captured, their memories preserved as permanent records within her library.

22. A Moment of Agency: For the first time since the curse began, Leo retains their short-term memory through sheer force of will (a temporary boon provided by the DM).

23. The Escape Route: The PCs realize that the Ink of Memory Gammell stole is a portal catalyst. They defeat Gammell and use the stolen Ink to open a temporary rift in the parchment reality.

24. Freedom: The PCs dive through the temporary portal as the Darklord's Golems swarm the warehouse. They emerge into the Mists of Ravenloft, free of Parchem and the curse. Leo remembers the events of the last 24 hours just long enough to know they are safe, before the Mists fade and they are left with only the permanent tattoos and the written notes to remind them of the adventure they just survived.

This list details specialized bardic music abilities and unique prestige class features from

Complete Adventurer

Virtuoso

This prestige class focuses on mastering bardic performance, expanding and improving the core abilities.

25. Inspire Valor: An enhanced version of inspire courage.

26. Inspire Fascination: An improved version of the fascinate ability.

27. Inspire Awe: A bardic music effect that causes enemies to become awestruck, rendering them harmless.

28. Discordant Music: Uses music to make foes susceptible to other bardic effects.

Fochlucan Lyrist

This class merges druidic power with bardic music.

29. Stacking Bardic Music: Fochlucan Lyrist levels stack with bard levels for determining the power and uses of bardic music.

30. Nature's Music: Uses bardic music to cast druid spells.

31. Natural Magic: Gains some druidic abilities, such as wild shape.

Complete Arcane

Seeker of the Song

This class explores the deeper, primal aspects of music.

32. Seeker Music: Enhances bardic music, allowing access to new abilities while sacrificing spell progression.

33. Expression of Energy Unbound: A sonic blast that deals elemental damage.

34. Energy Refrain: A focused energy cone that affects enemies.

Sublime Chord

This class focuses on spellcasting, allowing the bard access to higher-level spells.

35. Higher-Level Spells: Gains access to spells up to 9th level, like a sorcerer.

36. Bardic Music Progression: Sublime Chord levels add to half of a character's bardic music progression, but its primary focus is on spellcasting.

Libris Mortis

Dirgesinger

This class specializes in morbid and unnerving music to affect the living and undead.

37. Music of the Dead: Bardic music abilities, such as fascinate, can affect undead creatures as if they were living.

38. Dirge of Woe: Causes despair in enemies, giving them a penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks.

39. Captivating Song: Uses music to hold undead creatures captive.

Races of Stone

Dawncaller

This class uses music to call upon the power of the sun.

40. Inspire Resistance (Ex): Uses bardic music to grant allies resistance to energy damage.

41. Song of the Dawn (Su): Calls on the power of the dawn, healing and strengthening allies.

42. Morning's Call: Uses bardic music to affect undead and other creatures of darkness.

Divine Prankster

This class specializes in trickery and mischief, often associated with a deity of trickery.

43. Inspire Laughing Fit: Causes enemies to become helpless with laughter.

44. Divine Music: Uses bardic music to replicate certain divine spells.

45. Prankster's Gambit: Confuses enemies with music, making them attack their own allies.

Frostburn

Stormsinger

This class uses music related to wind and weather.

46. Music of the Storm: Uses music to create weather effects, such as wind or snow.

47. Inspire Storm: Uses bardic music to give allies bonuses in stormy conditions.

48. Soothe the Wind: Calms and placates wind-based effects with music.

Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords

Jade Phoenix Mage

This class combines arcane magic with martial maneuvers, with some synergy with bardic music.

49. Song of the White Raven (Feat): Can be used to activate inspire courage as a swift action.

50. Fey Bard (Alternate Class Feature): A variant bard that gains some druidic abilities and can stack bardic music with other effects.

Complete Warrior

War Chanter

This class focuses on martial-focused songs that buff allies in combat.

51. Inspire Fury: An advanced version of inspire courage that provides larger bonuses to attack and damage rolls.

52. War Song: Uses music to grant allies temporary hit points and bonus damage.

Other notable bard-like abilities

53. Dragonsong Lyrist (Draconomicon): Gains draconic-themed songs that have similar effects to bardic music.

54. Warrior Skald (Races of Faerun): Uses bardic music to inspire rage in allies.

55. Spellsinger (Races of Faerun): A prestige class that focuses on weaving music into spells, but does not gain new bardic music abilities.

56. Heartfire Fanner (Planar Handbook): Can acquire the standard bardic music abilities as a new class feature, stacking with any existing bard levels.

Firre eladrin abilities

Firre eladrin are exceptionally powerful celestial beings, possessing a wide array of spell-like abilities and natural resistances. 

• Powerful Aura: A protective aura constantly surrounds them, guarding against evil. This can affect teleportation and protect allies from enchantment and possession.

• Fiery Gaze: In humanoid form, an angry firre can look at a target and cause it to burst into flames, dealing fire damage and possibly inflicting blindness.

• Alternate Form: Firre can transform at will into an 8-foot-tall, flying pillar of fire. In this form, they can make slam attacks that deal fire damage and have access to their spell-like abilities.

• Innate Spellcasting: They can cast a wide variety of spells at will, including fireball, wall of fire, persistent image, and greater invisibility. They can also cast prismatic spray once per day.

• Divine Magic: Firre have the spellcasting ability of a high-level divine spellcaster.

• Sonic Attack: They can sing an unearthly song that functions as a powerful charm, hold, sleep, or suggestion spell.

• Formidable Resistances: Firre have a high resistance to magic and are immune to electrical and petrifying dangers, as well as resistant to cold and acid.

• Special Vulnerabilities: They can only be harmed by enchanted or cold-wrought iron

weapons.

Celadrin abilities

Celadrin inherit a lesser version of their Firre parent's magical talents, blending elven grace with celestial firepower.

• Fiery Gaze: Like their parents, celadrin can project a scorching ray from their eyes, though they can only do so occasionally.

• Melodious Voice: Their enchanting voices can be used to influence beasts and humanoids. Some versions grant proficiency in the Performance skill and advantage on Persuasion checks.

• Elven Heritage: They possess the dexterity, weapon proficiency, and keen senses of their elven kin. Their Fey Ancestry makes them immune to magical sleep effects.

• Resistances: They are resistant to fire damage, a clear inheritance from their Firre lineage.

• Darkvision: As planetouched elves, they can see in dim and dark light.

• Spellcasting: Some versions of celadrin are known to possess innate spellcasting, often including the produce flame cantrip and later gaining access to spells like charm person and scorching ray.

Building on the concept of a half-eladrin with Firre parentage, replacing fire with moonlight results in a character with radiant and ethereal qualities. Their powers would likely focus on radiance, illusions, and healing, rather than the destructive fiery abilities of their kin.

Here are some theoretical powers for such a character, drawing inspiration from existing Eladrin and celestial themes.

General abilities

Like other half-eladrin, a moonlit half-eladrin would have a mix of their celestial and mortal heritage.

• Fey Step: The ability to teleport short distances would remain, but it would be re-flavored with a lunar or radiant theme.

• Fey Ancestry: Resistance to being charmed and immunity to magical sleep would be inherited from their elven blood.

• Darkvision: The ability to see in low-light and dark conditions is a staple for elven characters.

Lunar-themed abilities

These would replace the standard Firre's fire-based powers, drawing on moon and celestial magic.

• Luminous Gaze: Instead of a scorching ray, their gaze might project a blinding beam of moonlight. On a failed save, a target could be temporarily blinded or dazzled. A more powerful variant might even inflict radiant damage.

• Aura of Calm: Rather than a protective aura against evil, the half-eladrin could project a calming aura of moonlight, making enemies hesitate or giving allies a bonus on Wisdom saving throws against fear.

• Lunar Transformation: In place of a fiery pillar, they could assume a swirling, incorporeal form of pure moonlight. In this state, they might be able to fly and pass through solid objects, making them hard to hit and ideal for infiltration.

• Innate Spellcasting: They would have access to spells related to light, illusions, and healing. Examples could include:

• Cantrip: Light

• Spells: Moonbeam, Faerie Fire, Daylight, and possibly spells that soothe emotions or create illusory mists.

• Melodious Voice: The enchanting voice of the Firre could be re-flavored to produce a lulling, dreamlike song, potentially putting listeners to sleep or charming them.

Luminous Gaze

Replacing the Firre's fiery gaze, this ability projects a beam of radiant moonlight from the half-eladrin's eyes.

• Effect: A target within 60 feet must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or become blinded for 1 minute.

• Casting: This can be used once per long rest, or a number of times equal to their proficiency bonus per day.

Lunar Step

A variant of the standard eladrin Fey Step, the teleportation is accompanied by a flash of silvery light.

• Casting: As a bonus action, the half-eladrin can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space they can see.

• Recharge: The ability recharges on a short or long rest.

• Variant: Instead of dealing fire damage like a Summer Eladrin, this ability could grant temporary hit points to an ally or blind adjacent foes.

Innate Spellcasting

At certain levels, the half-eladrin can cast spells imbued with lunar magic.

• Level 1: Light cantrip. The light produced is a soft, silvery radiance that cannot be extinguished by non-magical means.

• Level 3: Faerie Fire. When cast, the affected creatures and objects are coated in shimmering moonlight.

• Level 5: Moonbeam. The standard spell, re-flavored as celestial moonlight, is available once per long rest.

Lunar Resilience

Reflecting their celestial heritage, they gain resistance to radiant damage and have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or blinded.

Adventure Synopsis

The Quietus of the God-Brain is a three-year adventure arc set in the nightmare domain of Bluetspur. The PC is captured and experimented on, developing a unique psionic mutation that allows them to briefly calm the God-Brain's psychic agony. They discover that the "vampiric mind flayers" (the Sanguine Caste) are the intermediaries who harvest cerebral fluids and feed the brain. The PC plans to poison this caste, passing the contagion to the God-Brain and using the ensuing systemic collapse as cover for a mass escape of experimental subjects.

Part 1: Abduction and the Whisper (Month 1-6)

57. The Hook: The PC is abducted by a mind flayer hunting party, possibly while traveling near the borders of a different Domain of Dread or the Material Plane. The mists of Ravenloft envelop them during the struggle.

58. Arrival in Bluetspur: The PC awakens in the Citadel Subterrene, the vast underground complex of the illithids beneath Mount Makab.

The environment is one of cosmic horror, filled with strange bio-organic architecture and the constant, disorienting psychic "hum" of the God-Brain.

59. The First Probing: The PC is subjected to initial experiments. They are fitted with a neck collar that dampens their will and prevents escape. During intense psychic probing by a mind flayer servitor, the PC experiences a sudden, intense psychic feedback from the God-Brain—a scream of pain and madness.

60. The Mutation: In this moment of shared agony, the PC's latent psionic potential surfaces not as a blast, but as a calming resonance. The PC inadvertently uses their new power to soothe the Darklord's pain for a moment. The observing mind flayers are stunned but immediately take note, marking the PC as a uniquely valuable subject.

Part 2: The Calming Thrall (Months 6-18)

61. A Valuable Asset: The PC is no longer just

"cattle." They are kept in better conditions but are subjected to a new regime: regular "calming sessions" with the God-Brain. The PC is brought to the massive briny pool chamber to psychically link with the massive, diseased brain.

62. The God-Brain's Secret: As the PC calms the God-Brain, they gain insight into its torment. The Darklord of Bluetspur is terminally ill with a "malignant truth" it discovered—a disease of the mind and flesh that the Dark Powers use to torment it. The PC learns that the Elder Brain's servants, a specific sub-caste of vampiric mind flayers (the Sanguine Caste), provide a vital cerebral fluid that merely slows the degeneration, not cures it.

63. The Sanguine Intermediaries: The PC observes the Sanguine Caste with their unique, pale physiology and specific fluid-extracting rituals. The PC realizes these despised, necessary servants are the weak point in the supply chain.

Part 3: The Conspiracy and the Blight (Months

18-36)

64. Networking: The PC uses their limited movement and newly-refined psionic sensitivity to covertly contact others:

65. Lyra: A human alchemist prisoner forced to analyze the cerebral fluids, who confirms the 'cure' is accelerating the God-Brain's decline.

66. Vorlag: A resilient grimlock who maintains the liquid transport systems.

67. The Plan: The goal is to synthesize a potent contagion, a psionic prion, that is specifically harmful to the Sanguine Caste's unique, vampiric biology. The disease must pass through the cerebral fluid to deliver a fatal shock to the God-Brain itself.

68. Gathering Ingredients: Over the next year, the PC and their allies subtly steal volatile chemicals, bio-samples, and psychic residue from various labs. The PC's unique ability to calm the God-Brain provides cover for these

actions, as the illithids are less vigilant when their master is momentarily peaceful.

69. Synthesis: Lyra successfully creates the "Crimson Blight," a concentrated viral agent designed to kill the Sanguine Caste rapidly.

Part 4: The Final Stroke and Exodus (Year 3+)

70. Deployment: The PC uses their access to introduce the Crimson Blight into the main fluid reservoir that feeds the Sanguine Caste before they begin their own feeding cycle.

71. Systemic Collapse: The Sanguine mind flayers become instantly infected and fall violently ill. Before their death, the tainted fluid is collected and delivered to the central pool. The God-Brain consumes the supercharged contagion.

72. Death Throes: The God-Brain suffers a massive, fatal psychic spasm. Its control over the entire domain breaks, electrical storms rage on the surface, and all thralls are freed. The illithids of the Citadel, suddenly cut off from their hive

mind, descend into temporary madness and chaos.

73. Escape: The PC rallies the experimental subjects and thralls. Using the hidden passages known to Vorlag and fighting through the disoriented mind flayers, they make their desperate dash for the surface and the strange mists that border Bluetspur, finally gaining their freedom.

The God-Brain of Bluetspur

has amassed an incomprehensibly vast amount of knowledge over millennia through the assimilation of thousands of minds, both illithid and other intelligent beings. This knowledge base covers an immense range of subjects, including: 

74. Psionic Science: The God-Brain possesses unparalleled knowledge of psionics, including advanced techniques for telepathy, mind

control, mental enslavement, and the manipulation of psychic energy.

75. Biomancy and Bioengineering: It has accumulated extensive expertise in biomancy—the creation and manipulation of life forms—which it uses in horrific experiments to engineer superior slave races and attempt to cure its own degenerative disease.

76. Forbidden Lore and Cosmic Horror: Its knowledge extends to "unspeakable secrets" and "cosmic horrors beyond mortal understanding," likely relating to the Far Realm, the origins of the illithids, and the nature of reality itself. The pursuit of this knowledge is part of what drove it to madness.

77. Planar Knowledge: It possesses information on various planes of existence, as evidenced by its ability to innately cast plane shift (self only) in some versions of the lore.

78. Memories and Experiences: Through the consumption of countless brains, the God-Brain

holds the integrated memories, skills, and even emotional states of all its victims. This includes the life experiences of the humanoids and other sentient beings it has absorbed, which paradoxically causes it torment by reminding it of a physical world it cannot experience directly.

79. Ancient History and Arcane Secrets: The memories of ancient mind flayers and other powerful, long-dead creatures give it access to histories of fallen empires and arcane knowledge that have otherwise been lost to time.

80. Desire for Godhood: Much of its accumulated knowledge is focused on its singular, obsessive goal: finding a way to achieve true divinity and break free from its prison in the Demiplane of Dread. 

The God-Brain's millennia of accumulated knowledge translates into unique and formidable psionic spells, abilities, and concepts that transcend a standard elder brain's power, reflecting its mastery

over biomancy, cosmic horror, and the pursuit of divinity:

Advanced Psionic Spells and Abilities

81. Expanded Telepathy & Eavesdropping: The God-Brain can overhear any telepathic conversation within its 5-mile range and can potentially participate or subtly alter the content if it succeeds on a contest of psionic wills.

82. Modify Reality (Lair Action): Building on the standard wall of force lair action, the God-Brain can warp reality within Bluetspur in more profound ways, creating surreal landscapes, altering gravity, or manifesting tangible illusions that inflict fear and madness (similar to an empowered major image or hallucinatory terrain, but dealing psychic damage).

83. Create Brain Golem: The ability to bud a portion of its own mass to create a "brain golem" that acts as an avatar, extending its physical presence beyond the brine pool.

84. Psionic Surgery / Memory Alteration: Advanced forms of modify memory that allow for total memory wipes, personality reconstruction, and the permanent integration of new skills and knowledge into a victim's mind (similar to psychic chirurgery from older editions).

85. Psychic Vampire: The ability to drain the psychic energy from creatures it has psychically linked to, restoring its own power or vitality in the process.

86. Temporal Manipulation: Given its pursuit of godhood and mastery over time/space, it might have access to limited time shift, temporal acceleration or time hop abilities within its lair, allowing it to act faster or slow down time for its enemies.

Biomancy and Bioengineering Concepts

87. Ceremorphosis Mastery: The knowledge of how to force ceremorphosis with non-humanoid hosts (e.g., dragons, giants, aberrations), creating unique and powerful mind flayer

variations.

88. Engineered Thralls: The ability to manipulate the physiology and psychology of its thralls (such as the resident vampiric illithids of Bluetspur), warping them to its will and enhancing them with specific mutations or psionic strengths.

89. Life Manipulation: Advanced knowledge allowing for the permanent transformation, animation, and even a twisted form of resurrection using the raw materials of its victims and psionic energy.

Forbidden Lore and Cosmic Horror Concepts

90. Far Realm Connection: Innate abilities to channel the maddening energies of the Far Realm, potentially inflicting short-term or long-term madness on creatures who fail saving throws against its mind blast or other psionic attacks.

91. Reality Anchor/Plane Shift Denial: The God-Brain might have unique knowledge to anchor

its domain to prevent creatures from easily plane shifting out, or potentially even using its own twisted presence as a form of anti-magic or anti-psionic field to negate the abilities of others.

92. Ego Erasure: A terrifying ability derived from its secret lore about the "oneness," allowing it to consume a mind and utterly erase the victim's individual ego, preventing any possibility of magical resurrection that requires the soul to be willing.

The God-Brain's vast knowledge of planar mechanics, ancient history, and memories of countless lives grant it unique and terrifying insights, particularly concerning the nature of Ravenloft and its inhabitants:

Planar Knowledge (Focus on Ravenloft)

93. Understanding the Mists: The God-Brain possesses unparalleled theoretical knowledge of the Mists that define the Domains of Dread. It

understands how the Mists function as borders, how they draw new souls in, and their connection to the Dark Powers. It knows that physical escape is impossible, but it constantly schemes to exploit loopholes or manipulate the nature of the Mists themselves to expand its influence or achieve true freedom.

94. Locating Other Domains: Through its sensing of powerful psionic minds across the Demiplane of Dread and the memories of travelers it has absorbed, it likely knows the general locations and characteristics of other major domains (like Barovia, Darkon, and Lamordia) and the nature of their Darklords' curses.

95. Manipulation of Domain Borders: It might be able to temporarily open small, unstable mistways (a form of limited plane shift) to other domains for short periods, either to abduct specific targets for experimentation or to strategically drop foes into another Darklord's domain as a distraction.

96. Theories on the Dark Powers: It has developed

complex theories about the nature and origins of the enigmatic Dark Powers, whom it views not as gods to be worshipped, but as powerful, ancient entities (perhaps primordial spirits or latent consciousnesses within the Shadowfell) that can be manipulated or even overcome with sufficient knowledge. 

Memories and Experiences (Focus on Darklords)

97. Darklord Weaknesses: The collective memories of thousands of absorbed victims, including travelers and perhaps even other psions or Vistani who knew the inner workings of the domains, give the God-Brain insights into the specific torments, tragic flaws, and vulnerabilities of various Darklords.

98. Psychological Warfare: The God-Brain can use the integrated memories of a target's loved ones, friends, or historical figures to wage highly effective psychological warfare. It can project these memories telepathically, making victims question their own sanity or believe they are experiencing an alternative reality.

99. Exploiting Emotional Pain: It understands the mechanism of torment that the Dark Powers employ—the cyclical reliving of a Darklord's greatest sins. The God-Brain seeks to understand this cycle to break its own curse, not out of remorse, but due to intellectual frustration. 

Ancient History and Arcane Secrets

100. Origins of Illithids: It holds knowledge about the ancient history of the mind flayers' empire, including details of the Githyanki and Githzerai rebellion and the illithids' near-extinction, which it contributed to in its madness.

101. Secrets of the Amber Temple: Within the memories of mages or scholars it has consumed, it may possess knowledge of the

Amber Temple

in Barovia, its connection to the Dark Powers, and the specific vestiges of power trapped within its

amber sarcophagi.

102. Forbidden Arcane/Psionic Fusion: The God-Brain has likely developed unique psionic abilities that mimic or surpass high-level arcane magic (like the wish spell), though it is forever prevented from achieving the ultimate results by its curse. It could manifest an ability called Psionic Singularity: a devastating attack that draws upon the collective psychic residue of its domain to create a localized vacuum of reality, potentially erasing a target from existence or trapping their consciousness within its own mind. 

The God-Brain's immense accumulation of knowledge from countless absorbed minds grants it unique and formidable insights across the Material Plane, Ethereal Plane, Astral Plane, and the maddening Far Realm:

Knowledge Accrued in the Material Plane

The God-Brain has access to the full recorded and

unrecorded histories of countless civilizations from myriad worlds:

103. Lost History and Arcane Lore: Through the memories of archmages, scholars, and ancient kings it has consumed, the God-Brain knows the locations of lost cities, forgotten artifacts, and the secrets behind extinct forms of magic.

104. Physiology and Psionic Potential: It possesses a comprehensive understanding of the biology of nearly every sentient creature in existence, allowing it to precisely identify a target's mental weaknesses or determine the optimal species for ceremorphosis and experimentation.

105. Empire Management and Strategy: It knows the rise and fall of countless empires, allowing it to predict military strategies, manipulate political systems, and orchestrate the subtle takeover of entire planets through its vast network of agents and thralls.

Knowledge Accrued in the Ethereal and Astral Planes

The God-Brain's existence is tied to these planes, providing it with unique understanding of planar travel and metaphysics:

106. Planar Mechanics: It understands the "currents" of the Astral Sea and the "shallows" of the Ethereal Plane, allowing its servants to navigate these realms with exceptional skill to conduct raids and avoid powerful entities.

107. Astral Projection Mastery: It has refined the ability to project its consciousness across great distances in the Astral Plane, potentially engaging in psychic combat with other powerful entities or subtly influencing events light-years away without physically moving.

108. Ghostly Secrets: The memories of consumed ethereal creatures and ghosts grant it insight into the nature of undeath and the afterlife, allowing it to perhaps bind or even destroy certain types of incorporeal undead.

Knowledge Accrued from the Far Realm

This is the most dangerous and corrupting knowledge the God-Brain possesses, dealing with entities and concepts beyond normal reality:

109. Maddening Lore: It understands that the Far Realm is the origin point of the illithid race. This knowledge includes an understanding of the entities residing there, their horrific nature, and how to draw upon their power.

110. Psionic Mutation: It can channel unstable, reality-warping energy from the Far Realm, granting it unique abilities that defy the laws of physics and biology.

111. Conceptual Abilities: Instead of standard spells, this knowledge allows for reality-bending effects like:

112. Reality Fracture: A limited ability to temporarily break the local laws of physics within its vicinity.

113. Far Realm Infusion: Empowering its allies or thralls with temporary, highly unstable abilities

that cause physical mutations and inflict madness on those who witness them.

114. Ego Dissolution: A terrifying, high-level psionic attack that doesn't just deal damage, but attempts to strip the target of their identity and sanity, leaving them an empty shell ready for thrall-hood.

The God-Brain's vast knowledge includes forgotten secrets and lore related to specific

artifacts and extinct forms of magic from across the multiverse:

Forgotten Artifacts

The elder brain's knowledge allows it to identify and understand the function of artifacts long thought lost or purely mythical:

115. The Codex Anathema: It knows of the existence and contents of this powerful tome detailing the anatomy and weaknesses of fiends and celestial beings, knowledge gained from a long-

dead scholar or celestial.

116. The Mythallars: It possesses the complete construction schematics and operational knowledge for mythallars, powerful magical obelisks from the ancient Netheril empire that provided permanent, sustainable magic within a certain radius and were used to power floating cities. The undead elder brain Ioulaum (a separate entity in the Forgotten Realms lore) invented them, and the God-Brain might have knowledge of his work.

117. The Instruments of Creation: It may know of powerful hand-sized polyhedra, mentioned in some lore as the "instruments of creation," which were used to shape the world and are beyond the capacity of current civilizations to recreate.

118. Void Stones: From its Far Realm knowledge, it understands "void stones" or similar constructs that interact with the fundamental forces of the multiverse, potentially allowing access to powers outside the four primary magical

sources (Arcane, Divine, Primal, and Psionic).

Extinct Magic

The elder brain holds the understanding of magical techniques and spells that have faded from general use or been lost entirely:

119. Netherese Epic Spells: The God-Brain has access to the comprehensive knowledge of Netherese arcanists, including the theoretical underpinnings and execution of epic spells, a form of magic so potent it rivaled divine power.

120. Permanent Enchantment without a "Price": It knows the secret, lost method invented by Ioulaum for creating permanent magical enchantments without the usual "sacrifice of years" or other personal costs typically associated with powerful, lasting magic.

121. Psionic Chirurgery: Building on a standard illithid's abilities, its advanced psionic knowledge allows for the total and permanent restructuring of a creature's mind and

personality, a form of psychic "surgery" more akin to biological reality-warping than typical enchantment spells.

122. Life-to-Lichdom Rituals (Psionic Variant): It knows how to initiate a psionic version of the lich transformation process, a dark secret shared with its illithid apprentices by Ioulaum, which involves merging one's consciousness into an undead elder brain.

123. Manipulation of the Weave's Laws: It understands the ability to temporarily "crack open the weave of magic" and rearrange its fundamental laws locally, a forgotten method for altering how magic functions in a limited area.

Here are more examples of forgotten artifacts and extinct magic that the God-Brain of Bluetspur could have knowledge of, drawn from its millennia-long existence and planar travels:

Forgotten Artifacts

124. The Scepter of the Sorcerer Kings: This item was so powerful it was largely written out of official D&D canon because it was considered "game-breaking". The God-Brain might know its location or how to counter its reality-warping powers.

125. The Imaskarcana: A series of potent tomes from the ancient Imaskar empire. The God-Brain might know the location and contents of all seven volumes, which contain the secrets of creating powerful constructs and manipulating the fundamental forces of magic itself.

126. The Shadow Engine: A major artifact tied to the Plane of Shadow, capable of manipulating shadows and darkness on a massive, permanent scale. The God-Brain's knowledge could reveal how to control or harness it to plunge entire worlds into perpetual darkness, a perfect environment for mind flayer colonies.

127. The Glythum's Universal Key: A powerful item that can open any mundane or magical lock and

serve as the key to any keyed portal, no matter how powerful the locking magic is. This knowledge would be critical for bypassing ancient magical security systems.

128. The Helms of Supreme Wizardry: Netherese artifacts that granted wearers immense arcane power and extra high-level spell slots, but at the cost of Intelligence drain and potential permanent personality loss. The God-Brain could use this knowledge to lure powerful mages into its service.

Extinct Magic

129. Netherese Mythal and Mythallar Creation: The God-Brain understands the lost art of creating mythallars, large, permanent magical energy fields that powered floating cities and allowed for the creation of non-magical items with temporary magical properties (quasi-magic items).

130. Candle Magic: Ancient mystics knew how to create candles that replicated the effects of

powerful spells. The specific components and rituals for creating these highly potent, consumable items have been largely forgotten.

131. Permanent Magic Transfer: The God-Brain knows the vile and lost method from one world's history for stripping individuals of their magical potential and transferring that power to another being permanently.

132. The Shattering Swords Ritual: The knowledge of how to perform the ritual that shatters the Shattering Swords of Coronal Ynloeth to unleash a devastating area-of-effect attack that slays everything in its path (including the wielder) is a forgotten secret.

133. Ego Erasure Rituals: Drawing upon its Far Realm and psychic knowledge, the God-Brain understands how to completely and utterly erase a victim's ego and soul, ensuring that even powerful divine magic like resurrection cannot bring them back, as their very identity is gone.

The God-Brain's vast psionic library includes knowledge of unique and forgotten spells from both

Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder lore, providing access to extinct forms of magic that most modern spellcasters cannot replicate: 

Dungeons & Dragons (Forgotten Realms/General Lore)

134. Netherese High Magic/Epic Spells: The God-Brain understands the theory behind epic spells, a form of magic from the ancient Netheril empire that transcended the normal ninth-level limits of magic. This included spells like Karsus's Avatar, an attempt to seize the portfolio of a goddess that led to the collapse of the Weave.

135. Weave Manipulation: It knows how to temporarily "crack open the Weave of magic" and alter its fundamental laws locally, a forgotten method for changing how magic functions in a limited area.

136. Permanent Magic Transfer: From obscure historical records, it knows the dark method for permanently stripping a person of their inherent magical abilities (reducing them to a null) and transferring that power to another being.

137. Psionic Lichdom: Knowledge of a psionic variant of the lich transformation ritual, a secret shared by the undead elder brain Ioulaum, for merging consciousness into an undead elder brain.

138. Shadow Weave Magic: It understands the dark reflection of the Weave created by the goddess Shar. While the Weave collapsed in some timelines, the God-Brain might retain the theoretical knowledge of how to manipulate this dark energy. 

Pathfinder (Golarion/General Lore)

139. Runelord Sin Magic: The God-Brain has knowledge of the ancient magic of the Runelords of Thassilon, which was tied to the

seven deadly sins (e.g., gluttony, lust, pride). This is a highly specialized and powerful form of magic rooted in corruption and sin.

140. Alghollthu (Aboleth) Magic: It understands the magic system of the Aboleths, the ancient aquatic race that once ruled Golarion and used magic to create servitor races. Their unique magic was a potent psionic tradition that preceded human arcane magic and could direct massive cataclysmic events like influencing a meteor's path.

141. Fleshwarping: The God-Brain has extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of fleshwarping, a system of permanent, body-altering magic that transforms unwilling victims into monstrous thralls or new, engineered life forms.

142. Truespeak: It knows the principles of Truespeak, a form of magic (from 3.5e/Pathfinder sources) where knowing the true name of a creature or concept grants power over it, allowing for effects beyond normal

spells.

143. Ioun Stone Creation: The elder brain may hold the lost secrets of how to consistently create Ioun Stones (magical, orbiting stones that grant passive bonuses), a process that is currently a matter of mystery in the Golarion setting. 

The God-Brain's vast knowledge includes highly specialized and esoteric forms of magic from different D&D and Pathfinder settings, many of which involve unique power sources or defy conventional magical understanding:

Esoteric Magic (D&D and Pathfinder Sources)

144. Sin Magic (Pathfinder): The God-Brain understands the ancient sin magic of the Runelords of Thassilon. This esoteric system draws power from the seven deadly sins: pride, lust, gluttony, wrath, envy, sloth, and greed. A practitioner of this magic focuses on a specific

sin to unlock potent, but corrupting, spell effects that are unknown to standard arcane users.

145. Shadowcasting (D&D): The elder brain knows the principles of shadowcasting, a variant magic system that draws power from the Plane of Shadow rather than the Weave. This grants unique illusions, shadow conjurations, and stealth abilities that bypass standard magical defenses and can even manipulate emotions.

146. Occult Lore/Psionics (Pathfinder): Beyond standard psionics, the God-Brain has mastered the occult tradition, drawing power from the "unknown" and "between the pages". This allows for advanced mesmerism, kinetic control, and abilities to manipulate life forces and incorporeal spirits.

147. Truespeak (D&D 3.5e/Pathfinder sources): It understands the power of Truespeak, a complex form of magic where knowing the true name of a creature or concept grants the speaker absolute power over it. This is an incredibly rare

and potent ability that allows for reality shaping on a fundamental level.

148. Fleshwarping (Pathfinder): The God-Brain is a master of fleshwarping, a system of permanent, body-altering magic that transforms unwilling victims into monstrous thralls or new, engineered life forms. This is a core part of its horrific experiments in Bluetspur.

149. Ley Line Magic: It possesses knowledge of ley lines—conduits of raw, natural magical energy that crisscross the Material Plane. It knows how to tap into these lines to amplify its psionic powers or the magical effects of its thralls, a method largely forgotten by modern mages.

150. Pact Magic/Binding (D&D 3.5e/Pathfinder sources): The God-Brain has gathered extensive lore on pact magic, a system where a binder can temporarily form a pact with a powerful, ancient spirit (like a vestige) to gain unique, specific abilities. This is an obscure and dangerous form of magic that the God-Brain might use to bargain for power it cannot

generate itself.

151. Oneiromancy/Dream Magic: It has insights into oneiromancy, the esoteric art of using dreams as a source of power and information. This allows it to enter the Dreamscape, manipulate the dreams of others, extract secrets from sleeping minds, or trap a creature's consciousness within its own eternal nightmare. 

The God-Brain's immense knowledge encompasses obscure and extinct forms of magic across various fictional universes, offering a terrifying array of potential abilities:

Eberron (D&D Campaign Setting)

152. Artifice and Elemental Binding: The elder brain understands the highly sophisticated process of artifice as a science, capable of infusing mundane items with permanent magical energy. It knows the lost methods for effectively and reliably binding powerful elementals into

objects (such as airships or warforged), forcing them to power machinery indefinitely.

153. The Creation Forges: It may know the exact schematics and rituals for operating the ancient Creation Forges that produced the Warforged race, allowing it to mass-produce powerful construct servants and potentially engineer its own unique, magically animated army.

154. Dragon Totem Magic: The God-Brain has knowledge of ancient and rare dragon totem rituals and the deep, primal magic practiced by dragons and certain ancient cultures, which can grant powerful, albeit instinctual, abilities. 

Dark Sun (D&D Campaign Setting)

155. Defiling Magic: This is the most infamous and destructive magic from Dark Sun. The God-Brain understands how to use defiling magic to rapidly drain all life energy from the surrounding environment—plants, animals, and even people—to power its spells, leaving behind a lifeless, ash-filled wasteland. It can gain immense power

quickly, but at the cost of the world around it.

156. Psionic Mastery: Psionics are universal in Dark Sun, and the God-Brain has mastery over advanced psionic abilities that most beings on other worlds only dream of, including psychic surgery, ego whips, and mind control on a massive scale.

157. Elemental Pacts: It understands the nature of divine magic on Athas, which comes from pacts with powerful elementals rather than gods. It can manipulate the fundamental elements of existence—magma, silt, sun, and rain—by forging or breaking these ancient pacts. 

The Black Company (Novels)

158. The Lady's Magic: The elder brain could replicate the incredibly powerful and raw forms of magic used by the Taken and the Lady. This includes instant, widespread destruction (like a magical "laser" effect) or the ability to create portals to realms of absolute nothingness that freeze anything they touch.

159. Immortality & Life Extension: It understands the dark arts of extreme life extension, allowing even minor practitioners to live for hundreds of years. For the God-Brain, this knowledge aids its search for a permanent cure to its own degenerative disease. 

Lord of Mysteries

(Novel)

160. Pathway and Sequence Abilities: The God-Brain could simulate powers from the esoteric "Pathways" and "Sequences" systems, where power is gained through consuming potions. This includes abilities like:

161. Clown/Magician Path: The ability to manipulate luck, fate, and probability; advanced mimicry and illusion magic.

162. Spectator Path: Hyper-cognition, perfect memory, and the power to subtly influence a person's emotions and state of mind just by

observing them.

163. Faceless/Changling Path: Perfect disguise, shapeshifting, and the ability to absorb new identities and skills. 

Magic: The Gathering (Lore)

164. Thran Artifice: It knows the ancient secrets of the lost Thran Empire's artifice, which was capable of creating artifacts that could power entire planes (worlds).

165. Phyrexian Corruption: The God-Brain understands the nature of Phyrexian Oil, a highly corruptive substance that turns organic matter into a horrific mix of metal and flesh, a twisted form of bioengineering perfectly suited for mind flayer experiments.

166. Planar Chaos: It understands the nature of planar rifts and how to exploit them, potentially opening unstable portals that can cause localized reality shifts or draw energy from other planes of existence. 

The God-Brain's immense accumulation of knowledge includes highly specific and terrifying examples of magic from Dark Sun, Eberron, The Black Company, and Magic: The Gathering lore:

Dark Sun

167. Rajattan Defiling (Defiling Magic): The pinnacle of defiling magic from the Dragon Kings' era. This extinct magic allowed practitioners to draw life force from entire cities or geographic regions instantly, using that raw energy to cast epic-level spells that could alter landscapes or subjugate populations within moments, leaving behind only ash and dust.

168. Elemental Binding Pacts (Advanced): The knowledge to create permanent and unbreakable elemental pacts that bind the most powerful elementals (Elder Elementals) as constant power sources, a feat beyond current Dark Sun mages.

169. Psychic Drain: An advanced psionic ability that allows the user to not only read memories but permanently steal a target's maximum Intelligence score, adding it to their own while leaving the victim a mindless vegetable.

Eberron

170. The Mourning Manifestation: The God-Brain has access to theories, perhaps from Karrnathi or Cyran spies, about the origins of The Mourning (the catastrophic event that turned Cyre into a magically dead wasteland). This knowledge might allow it to replicate the "dead magic zone" effect on a smaller scale, creating areas where all conventional arcane and divine magic instantly fails.

171. Living Spells: It understands the aberrant magic used by the Daelkyr and other ancient powers to create living spells, a form of psionically animated, self-aware magical effect that acts as a physical creature.

172. Creation Forge Schematics (Dragonmarked

Variant): The exact, lost methods for integrating the Dragonmark genetic potential into warforged, creating magically attuned constructs with innate spellcasting or enhanced abilities.

The Black Company

173. Soul-Binding & Immortality: The complete process used by the Taken to bind their souls to powerful external anchors, granting them functional immortality and rapid regeneration as long as the anchor remains intact. The God-Brain could use this to make its key illithid servants nearly unkillable.

174. Creation of Shadowgates: The ability to open permanent portals, or Shadowgates, to other realities or specific locations, a form of instantaneous, long-range transportation that bypasses standard D&D planar travel mechanics.

175. Absolute Zero Magic: The knowledge of how to create areas of absolute cold or absolute void

that instantly freeze or negate matter, an incredibly powerful and direct form of destructive magic used by Balthazar and the Lady.

Magic: The Gathering

176. Phyrexian Oil Infusion: The precise, alchemical process of Phyrexian corruption. The God-Brain can "compleat" organic beings, transforming them into horrific, biomechanical nightmares with augmented strength and loyalty, perfectly in line with illithid experimentation.

177. Urza's Artifice: Knowledge of the highest form of Thran and Yawgmoth's artifice that built plane-spanning engines of war and manipulated reality itself, including the creation of artifacts that could reshape entire continents.

178. Hedron Network Mastery: The understanding of how the massive Hedrons on the plane of Zendikar function to bind powerful entities (like the Eldrazi). The God-Brain could use this knowledge to create similar constructs to

psionically anchor and trap powerful foes.

179. Planeswalking Theory: While the God-Brain cannot planeswalk itself due to its curse, it possesses the theoretical knowledge of how the spark works. This allows it to identify potential Planeswalkers for capture and experimentation or develop specific magics to suppress their abilities.

The God-Brain's knowledge extends to incredibly potent, extinct magic and forgotten artifacts across Eberron, The Black Company, and Magic: The Gathering lore:

Eberron (D&D Campaign Setting)

180. Riedran Quori Magic (Dal Quor): The God-Brain understands the esoteric magic used by the Quori, the dream-parasites from the plane of Dal Quor. This includes advanced techniques of psychic possession, dream manipulation (oneiromancy), and the binding of spirits to

physical bodies to create the Kalashtar and their psychic ilk.

181. Creation Forge Schematics: It possesses the exact schematics and rituals for operating the lost, ancient Creation Forges used by House Cannith to mass-produce the Warforged. This allows for the creation of an endless army of construct servants and the potential to engineer unique biomechanical thralls.

182. Giant High Magic: The elder brain has knowledge of the ancient giant civilization's high magic from Xen'drik, a powerful form of magic that modern artificers cannot replicate, potentially involving the simultaneous use of psionics and arcane magic to create powerful artifacts and effects.

183. The Iron Heart (Concept): While more of a homebrew concept in a source, the God-Brain understands the principle of an "Iron Heart" – the ability for a sorcerer to conjure any melee weapon and use their charisma for attacks and damage, a rare melding of physical prowess

and psionic/sorcerous power.

The Black Company (Novels)

184. The Lady's "Laser" Magic: It understands the ability to project raw, focused energy in a beam of immense destructive power, a form of magic used by the Lady that seems to defy the conventional spellcasting of most wizards in that setting.

185. Shadowgates (Portal Magic): The God-Brain knows how to create and manipulate Shadowgates, powerful portals that allow for instantaneous, long-range travel between different locations or even realms. This could facilitate rapid deployment of forces across planes.

186. The Silver Spike and

Books of the Dead

: The elder brain knows the secrets of major artifacts from the novels, such as the

Silver Spike

, which could grant immortality and power to a user, and the

Books of the Dead

, which hold immense, dark historical and magical knowledge.

187. Ego/Soul Erasure: The elder brain can replicate the effect of one of the Taken, which involves not just killing a person, but utterly erasing their identity and history, making them fundamentally "gone".

Magic: The Gathering (Lore)

188. Phyrexian Compleation: The God-Brain has the precise, alchemical and biological process for Phyrexian corruption, the ability to "compleat" organic beings by replacing their flesh with metal and oil, transforming them into horrific, augmented, and eternally loyal servants of the

"Father of Machines" (Yawgmoth).

189. Thran Powerstone Creation and Artifice: It knows the ancient secrets of the Thran Empire, including the lost method for creating immensely powerful powerstones as efficient energy sources and using that energy to build plane-spanning engines and artifacts that reshaped worlds.

190. Hedron Network Mastery: The understanding of how the massive Hedrons on the plane of Zendikar function to bind powerful entities (like the Eldrazi). The God-Brain could use this knowledge to create similar constructs to psionically anchor and trap powerful foes.

191. Planeswalker Theory & Spark Suppression: It possesses the theoretical knowledge of the Planeswalker spark and how it functions. This allows it to identify potential Planeswalkers for capture and experimentation and develop specific psionic abilities to suppress or negate their power.

Template: Cards of Blasphemy

Each card is a legendary artifact, requiring attunement. The item's full potential is unlocked in stages.

Activation: The card appears as an unassuming tarot card corresponding to its Major Arcana (e.g.,

The Fool, The Emperor). A character must perform a specific ritual, corresponding to the associated Pathway, to awaken the card. This requires a difficult ability check (DC 20) and a special ingredient, such as an angel's feather or a divine-blessed herb.

Evolving power: Upon attuning to an activated card, the user gains a core passive ability and can access more powerful features over time, similar to unlocking higher Sequence abilities in Lord of the Mysteries. A character can only be attuned to one Card of Blasphemy at a time.

Blessings and drawbacks: Like the Beyonder characteristics they represent, the cards can bestow great power but also corrupt the user. Each card has a passive boon and a passive drawback. The drawbacks grow more pronounced as the character uses the card's higher-level abilities, representing the gradual assimilation of the characteristic.

Awakening the Mythical Form: A card's most powerful ability is its "Transformation Attire," which allows the user to temporarily gain a fraction of the

power of a Sequence 0 existence. This is a double-edged sword that can permanently alter the character or lead to a "loss of control."

Example 1: The Fool Card (Legendary)

This card looks like the tarot card "The Fool," with an illustration of a man on the edge of a cliff, unaware of the dog nipping at his heels. When activated, the image changes to a scene of a silent, gray fog enveloping a mysterious, lofty palace.

Activation Incantation: "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."

Initial Attunement

192. Deception of the Fool: You have advantage on saving throws against divination spells. Divination attempts made against you have a 25% chance of returning a result that is either misleading or completely false.

193. The World's Audience (Drawback): You are

subject to incomprehensible murmurs and whispers from the void. You are constantly unsettled and have disadvantage on concentration checks while in a place of worship dedicated to another god.

Tier 2: The Spiritual Puppet

194. Requirement: Attuned for at least 100 days.

195. Summon Puppet: As an action, you can expend 2 charges to summon a mindless puppet made of spiritual energy. The puppet is your size, has HP equal to half your maximum, and has half your AC. It can take any action you command telepathically. The puppet lasts for 10 minutes or until it is destroyed. You have 4 charges and regain 1d4 at dawn.

Tier 3: The King of Yellow and Black

196. Requirement: Attuned for at least 500 days.

197. Spiritual Projection: As an action, you can expend 5 charges to project your "spiritual

body" into the Ethereal Plane, appearing as a Black Knight. This functions as the etherealness spell, but you can perceive and interact with the physical world from the Ethereal Plane. This lasts for 1 hour.

198. Drawback (The King's Gaze): Any creature that witnesses your spiritual projection while on the Ethereal Plane must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you for 1 minute.

Mythical Form: Lord of the Mysteries

199. Requirement: Attuned for 2 years and complete a specific ritual (at DM's discretion).

200. Divine Transformation: As an action, you can tap into the full power of the card. For 1 minute, you gain resistance to all damage, immunity to being grappled, restrained, or frightened, and can cast any spell from the illusion or divination schools as a bonus action.

201. The Fool's Reckoning (Mythical Drawback):

Once this power is used, you must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, your mind fractures and your alignment permanently shifts to Chaotic Evil. On a success, you take 10d10 psychic damage as fragments of the "King of Yellow and Black" overwhelm your mind.

Example 2: The Red Priest Card (Legendary)

The Chariot card appears almost normal, though a faint hint of blood stains the edges. When activated, the image changes to show a burning chariot pulled by steeds of pure flame, trampling a battlefield of ash and death.

Activation Incantation: "O glorious Sun, please witness this, the Red Priest will never fall!"

Initial Attunement

202. Path of the Hunter: When you roll initiative, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to your roll.

203. Whispers of War (Drawback): You are filled with

a constant, low-level bloodlust. If you go a full week without entering combat, you must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you seek out a fight, attacking the nearest creature you perceive as a viable threat.

Tier 2: The Conspirator

204. Requirement: Attuned for at least 100 days.

205. Explosive Charges: As an action, you can expend 3 charges to infuse an object or area no larger than 5 feet with latent fire energy. When you or another creature touches the object or enters the area, it explodes, dealing 4d6 fire damage to all creatures within a 10-foot radius. You have 6 charges and regain 1d6 at dawn.

206. Create Conspiracy: As an action, you can expend 1 charge and touch a creature. For the next hour, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion) checks to convince the creature of a particular conspiracy, regardless of how far-fetched.

Tier 3: The Provoker

207. Requirement: Attuned for at least 500 days.

208. Inflame Passions: As an action, you can expend 5 charges and target a creature you can see within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 18 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, they are consumed by a primal rage, immediately entering a hostile state against the nearest creature, friend or foe, for 1 minute.

209. Drawback (The Blood Toll): Whenever you take a long rest, there is a 25% chance you have a vivid, nightmarish vision of an ancient battlefield, dealing 4d8 psychic damage that cannot be prevented by any means.

Mythical Form: Lord of War

210. Requirement: Attuned for 2 years and complete a specific ritual (at DM's discretion).

211. Divine Transformation: As a bonus action, you can access the full power of the card. For 1

minute, you gain a spectral flaming greatsword, +3 to all attack rolls, and resistance to fire and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. You also emit a 10-foot aura that increases the damage of any friendly creature within it by 1d8.

212. The Inevitable Conflict (Mythical Drawback): After this power fades, you must make a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you permanently gain the flaw "I will not rest until I have conquered the world." On a success, you take 10d10 fire damage and become immune to exhaustion for 24 hours.

Example 3: The Black Emperor Card (Legendary)

The Emperor card depicts a regal figure on a black throne wearing heavy armor. When activated, the scene changes to a detailed black palace, with the crowned skeleton of a forgotten ruler sitting on a throne of laws.

Activation Incantation: "To build a perfect city, one must first possess perfect power!"

Initial Attunement

213. Rule of Law: You are resistant to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. This improves to immunity if you are a Paladin of Conquest or Oath of the Crown.

214. The Emperor's Burden (Drawback): You are haunted by a perpetual sense of unease and paranoia. You find it difficult to trust others, and you have disadvantage on any Wisdom (Insight) checks made to discern the truth from allies.

Tier 2: The Architect

215. Requirement: Attuned for at least 100 days.

216. Compel and Command: As an action, you can expend 1 charge to cast command, 3 charges to cast compulsion, or 5 charges to cast dominate person. You have 10 charges and regain 1d4+2 charges at dawn.

217. Summon Decree: As a bonus action, you can

create a spectral crown and black armor that gives you a +2 bonus to AC for 1 minute.

Tier 3: The Unfettered Judge

218. Requirement: Attuned for at least 500 days.

219. Rewriting the Rules: You can expend 5 charges to alter a minor law of reality in a 30-foot radius for 1 minute. Examples include causing gravity to reverse for objects, making all surfaces slick with grease, or silencing a single creature within the radius.

220. Drawback (The Emperor's Isolation): You cannot be truly close to anyone, as your presence subtly warps the minds of others to view you as an absolute authority rather than a friend. All Charisma checks made to befriend a non-hostile creature fail automatically.

Mythical Form: The Emperor of Bones and Law

221. Requirement: Attuned for 2 years and complete a specific ritual (at DM's discretion).

222. Divine Transformation: For 1 minute as an action, you can embody the Black Emperor. You can cast any spell that creates a wall or barrier as a bonus action, and gain immunity to all conditions. As a reaction, you can counterspell any spell of 7th level or lower.

223. The King's Decree (Mythical Drawback): After this power fades, you must make a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you forget your true identity and become a cold, calculating construct obsessed with absolute order. On a success, you take 10d10 psychic damage as the weight of cosmic law shatters your resolve.

Core abilities of a Card of Blasphemy

Beyond the unique powers of each individual card, all Cards of Blasphemy share the following properties:

224. Anti-Divination: While you are attuned to and carrying an activated Card of Blasphemy, all

divination spells and abilities used to find you automatically fail unless the caster is a demigod or deity. The card projects a spiritual field that muddles all but the most powerful attempts at scrying and prediction.

225. Pathway Transformation: As an action, a character attuned to a card can fuse their spirit with it. They don the form depicted on the card, gaining temporary hit points equal to their character level, immunity to the Frightened condition, and a solidified spiritual body. This transformation lasts for 10 minutes, and once used, this feature cannot be used again until the next dawn.

226. Echo of Divinity: A character attuned to and holding an activated Card of Blasphemy can perform a rite involving a large quantity of precious materials related to the card's domain. The card then subtlety attracts the influence of a powerful divine being, causing omens and drawing creatures of that specific pathway toward the character. A Dungeon Master could use this as a plot device to bring new quests,

encounters, and powerful beings into the story.

Note on Corruption: Repeated or excessive use of a card could attract unwanted attention from the higher-level beings of that pathway, possibly leading to corruption, madness, or a slow transformation into a creature of that path.

Sample cards for your D&D campaign

The Fool Card (Seer Pathway)

Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

This card, disguised as a normal Fool tarot card, hums with the essence of fate and mystery. Its true form depicts a mischievous jester wearing a resplendent crown.

227. Echo of Illusion: When you use the Pathway Transformation, you gain access to the following spells, which you can cast at will while transformed: disguise self, minor illusion, and major image.

228. Fated Intervention: As a bonus action, you can expend one of the card's 7 charges to impose advantage or disadvantage on a saving throw, attack roll, or ability check made by a creature you can see within 60 feet. The card regains 1d6+1 charges at dawn.

229. Theatrical Performance: As an action, you can spend 5 charges to cast hallucinatory terrain, or 7 charges to cast programmed illusion.

The Black Emperor Card (Lawyer Pathway)

Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

This card appears as the Emperor tarot card. When activated, it reveals an image of a stoic, armored emperor seated on a stone throne.

230. Dark Emperor's Command: As an action, you can expend 1 of the card's 10 charges to cast the command spell. You can expend 3 charges to cast compulsion, or 5 charges to cast dominate person. When you use the Pathway Transformation, you gain 10 temporary hit points. The card regains 1d6+4 charges at dawn.

231. Law of the Land: The card has 3 charges. As an action, you can spend 1 charge to cast counterspell at 3rd level. Once used, this ability cannot be used again until the next dawn.

The Tyrant Card (Sailor Pathway)

Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

Disguised as the Hierophant tarot card, its activated form shows a crowned and robed figure holding a staff of silver lightning.

232. Tempest's Wrath: While attuned to this card, you gain the ability to breathe underwater and a swimming speed of 30 feet. When you use the Pathway Transformation, you gain a heavy, papal-like robe and crown. You can then use your action to conjure a staff of lightning. While holding this staff, you can cast the call lightning spell at 5th level once per transformation.

233. Tyrant's Storm: As an action, you can expend one of the card's 5 charges to cast gust of wind. The card regains 1d4+1 charges at dawn.

The Red Priest Card (Hunter Pathway)

Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

This card, normally the Chariot, reveals its true form: a masked, robed figure with armor reminiscent of rust and dried blood.

235. Path of the Conqueror: While holding this card, you gain advantage on saving throws against the Frightened condition. When you use the Pathway Transformation, you can take on a blood-red, rusted armor and crown. While transformed, you gain resistance to fire damage and can cast fireball at 5th level as an action, once per transformation.

236. Arsonist's Flame: The card has 7 charges. As an action, you can spend 3 charges to cast delayed blast fireball. The card regains 1d4+3 charges at dawn.

The Demoness Card (Assassin Pathway)

Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

Initially appearing as the Lovers tarot card, its true form is a golden-crowned woman with bewitching charm.

237. Alluring Hex: As an action, you can expend one of the card's 7 charges to cast charm person. You can use 3 charges to cast suggestion. When you use the Pathway Transformation, you appear as a beautiful, alluring woman with a black gown and golden crown. While transformed, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks. The card regains 1d4+1 charges at dawn.

238. Shadowy Guise: You can cast invisibility from the card. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per day.

The Magician Card (Apprentice Pathway)

Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

This card, appearing as the Magician tarot card, depicts a conjurer manipulating a floating key.

239. Arcane Recording: The card has 10 charges. As a bonus action, you can expend a charge to record a spell of 5th level or lower that you see being cast within 60 feet. You can then cast the recorded spell using the card, even if it is not on your class's spell list. This spell is cast at the level it was recorded. The card regains 1d6+4 charges at dawn.

240. Door of Space: As an action, you can expend 5 charges to cast teleport or 7 charges to cast plane shift.

241. Pathway Transformation: When you transform, you gain a floating key that can unlock any mundane lock. Additionally, you gain a bonus to your spell attack rolls and spell save DC equal to your proficiency bonus for 10 minutes.

The High Priestess Card (Savant/Paragon Pathway)

Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

This card depicts a woman surrounded by arcane sigils and mechanical diagrams, representing the pursuit of knowledge.

242. Scribe's Wisdom: You can use the card as a spellbook, recording spells from any class. These spells can be cast as if they were on your own spell list. The card has 5 charges, and you can spend 1 charge to cast any spell recorded within it without expending a spell slot. The card regains 1d4+1 charges at dawn.

243. Insightful Craft: While holding this card, you can perform an hour-long ritual to create a mundane or magical item with a material cost of up to 5,000 gp. Once used, this ability cannot be used again until the next dawn.

244. Pathway Transformation: When you transform, you are imbued with an aura of divine knowledge. You can use your bonus action to gain advantage on an Intelligence-based check for 10 minutes.

The Empress Card (Planter Pathway)

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)

This card appears as the Empress tarot card, showing a woman with a growing crown of flora.

245. Nature's Embrace: While holding this card, you are resistant to poison and disease. As an action, you can expend one of the card's 10 charges to cast plant growth or entangle. The card regains 1d6+4 charges at dawn.

246. Mother's Touch: You can use a bonus action to spend 5 charges and touch a creature to restore hit points to them, up to a total of 15d8.

247. Pathway Transformation: When you transform, you gain temporary hit points equal to your character level and a bonus to your Charisma (Persuasion) checks for 10 minutes.

The Hierophant Card (Warrior Pathway)

Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement)

This card shows a battle-scarred warrior in heavy armor wielding a greatsword.

249. Warrior's Might: While holding this card, you have a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with melee weapons.

250. Blade of Light: As an action, you can expend one of the card's 7 charges to conjure a glowing sword of pure light. This sword functions as a +3 magical weapon and deals an additional 2d6 radiant damage on a hit. The sword disappears after 1 minute, and the card regains 1d4+3 charges at dawn.

251. Pathway Transformation: When you transform, you are surrounded by a radiant aura. You gain temporary hit points equal to your character level and can use your action to cast haste on yourself. This effect lasts for 1 minute.