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Dungeons & Dragons Feats and Lore General

Fuck it we're talking about the book that made fighters great again, the Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic.


The Sublime Way is weeaboo martial arts a fighting system that allows its practitioners (known as Martial Adepts) to perform nearly superhuman (and even some supernatural) feats. Though it is not magical in nature, some theorize its maneuvers are performed by harnessing ki.


A human named Reshar was able to learn and master all nine disciplines in the Sublime Way. In the process, he manage to live over a century, with "age never touching him."

The three martial adept classes introduced are the crusader, swordsage, and warblade (the best one imo).

Crusaders are explicitly described as being capable of shattering boulders.

Warblades can instantly become an expert or even a master at a specific type of weapon just by practicing with it for an hour.



A brief look at the disciplines themselves. Desert Wind revolves around speed and mobility and allows its users to manipulate fire. Devoted Spirit is specialized against creatures opposed to the martial adept's cause and keeping them alive when others would fall (more on that later). Diamond Mind explicitly says adepts that practice it "can act in slivers of time so narrow that others cannot even perceive them." Iron Heart is centered around its users achieving superhuman skill with weapons. Same setting with Fighters and this is what's considered superhuman, let that sink in.

Setting Sun is focused on using an opponent's strength and speed against them (in the martial arts 'throw them around' type of way... but really good). Shadow Hand grants a user limited ice and shadow manipulation (and other stuff). Stone Dragon is stronk. Tiger Claw allows martial adepts to take on animal characteristics, and White Raven literally uses shouts and battlecries infused with ki to "give two warriors the strength of five, and five warriors the strength of twenty."

Devoted Spirit Crusaders who are in the Immortal Fortitude can literally become tough enough to not die from wounds (they can still be haxed to death though).





Devoted Spirit Crusaders can use the Foehammer maneuver to ignore natural defenses and damage reduction.




Shadow Hand Swordsages can mimic air walking with Balance On The Sky.

Shadow Hand Swordsages can straight up teleport.

Shadow Hand Swordsages can become intangible.

Shadow Hand Swordsages can paralyze others with a touch.

Stone Dragon maneuvers and stances can only be initiated while in contact with the ground.

Diamond Mind Warblades and Swordsages can use Time Stands Still to "move at the speed of thought", while also stating that raindrops are at a standstill in comparison. The description then mentions rapidly attacking faster than the eye can follow, doubling down on the "this shit is superhuman" angle. If you can't tell why this shit is impressive, go back to what I said about "this is the same setting with Fighters, and this is considered superhuman."




There's also the Nine Swords themselves which are mentioned in the book but I don't feel like talking about that now because I forgot there was shit I had to do today so I need to go do that first
 
So I started playing Neverwinter (and by that I mean a couple hours lol)

Main thing to note about it was that it was made during 4E's existence, aka the era where it was made extremely obvious that everyone was superhuman + the era where the verse got ridiculous buffs. It's pretty obvious if gameplay is anything to go by.

Though there was something interesting I found in one of the in-game books.


The Spellplague has ended by this point. Why is this significant? Because the Spellplague was the Forgotten Realms explanation for how the standard Vancian magic system was temporarily replaced by the powers and rituals system in 4th Edition. This just shows that adventurers are still ridiculously powerful.

Which is hilarious, because now it started including stuff based on 5E adventures and monsters. There's probably some shit in here that might have some upgrades, but given my overall lack of interest in MMOs, it'll depend on whether I really like the game itself or not. But it at least shows us a more accurate depiction of power levels in D&D so far.
 
More stuff from the Tome of Battle.

Swordsages can, with their attacks, cause shadows to form from their opponent's heart and spread to the rest of the body, affecting their legs, arms, or heart.

Stone Dragon martial adepts can knock foes back up to 20 feet away with a single blow. This includes foes far larger than themselves.

Setting Sun Swordsages can throw an enemy up to 60 feet away. This also includes foes much larger than themselves.


Iron Heart Warblades can use Wall of Blades to block an attack with their weapon, doing so with the speed of a thunderbolt according to the description. The description also mentions the warblade's mastery with weapons (by this point the warblade is at minimum level 3), and mechanically it allows a warblade to easily defend against attacks that others cannot, which only gives credence that warblades are > fighters and barbarians both physically and skill-wise.

Diamond Mind swordsages and warblades can "see" invisible and sneaking foes using their hearing, with Hearing the Air stance.

An illustration also shows that the above claim isn't an exaggeration.

Martial Adepts with Shards of Granite can break through the hardness of objects, partnered by an illustration of a swordsage easily destroying an iron golem's leg.
 
All Deities & Demigods splatbooks include statblocks for all of the main deities (specifically Greyhawk ones), as well as including stats for deities from other, historical pantheons. I'll be taking a look at the 3rd Edition version of the book and showing some examples (we'd be here all day if I went over everyone).

Everyone from the D&D (Greyhawk) Pantheon is represented, using stats for Bahamut as an example.




The Olympian/Greek Pantheon is also represented. I will be using Zeus as an example.




The Pharaohnic/Egyptian Pantheon is also represented, using Osiris as an example.



Finally we have the Asgardian/Nordic Pantheon, using Odin as an example.





Remember that these sorts of books were a thing since 1st Edition, since player characters eventually got so strong that only gods could challenge them properly. The whole deal of "plucky adventurers running the fade with god at the end" was a thing from the beginning.
 
Power Word spells are words of power that belong to a subsection of the Words of Creation. These spells harness immense magical energy, capable of affecting the multiverse in profound ways. Each Power Word spell taps into the very fabric of reality, influencing the essence of creatures, objects, and ideas.

For instance, Power Word Kill, like other Power Word spells, should be comparable to Truenaming magic in its effects on the multiverse. Truenaming magic encompasses all of creation and reality in its entirety, hacking into the fundamental constructs with its words and phrases. It changes the building blocks of reality, influencing everything that currently exists, everything that ever was, and everything that will ever be.




Karlach can constantly withstand the heat of her Infernal Engine, which is so hot it cannot exist in the material plane.

The Elder Brain, enslaved by the Crown of Karsus, is revealed to be the true identity behind the Absolute and its enigmatic cult that rapidly spread across the Sword Coast. Under the control of the Chosen of the Dead Three, the brain is the mastermind behind their plans, using the proud Chosen as pawns to serve the Crown, amass an army, and lay the groundwork for control over Baldur's Gate and beyond.

The intelligence of the Netherbrain is extraordinary, with an Intelligence score of 28. To put this into perspective, it perceives a beholder (Int 17) as an average human (Int 10) perceives a crab (Int 1).


Beholders, known for their strategic prowess and ability to enslave entire empires, are considered so intelligent that it borders on paranoia—they have calculated the chances of any event, no matter how unlikely, and prepared an adequate plan for it. The Netherbrain, with its godly-level intellect, can perform analytical predictions, as evidenced by its ability to plan the events of Baldur’s Gate 3 with just a few actions, including outsmarting the Dead Three and orchestrating a nautiloid’s dimensional hop to retrieve Karlach from Avernus, one of countless possible options in that infinite plane.


The Emperor states that the Netherbrain calculates every possible move at once and cannot be mentally outmaneuvered by a non-Illithid. It is even smarter than Acererak (Int 27), who outsmarted the nine trickster gods (ranging from hero to quasi-deity level) and killed/sealed them within his tomb.

Elder Brains are capable of detecting all intelligent life nearby, firing psychic blasts, teleporting themselves to separate planes of reality, and utilizing a variety of mental abilities. By creating psychic links with targets, they can read thoughts, break concentration on spells, send powerful blasts of psychic energy directly to the mind, or even outright mentally dominate foes. Even Elder Brains lacking the immense power of the Crown of Karsus are capable of mentally dominating a boundless empire of mind flayers, potentially expanding into the infinite hells via the Astral Plane, and even post-empire Illithid technology can reach the Far Realm via the Astral Plane.



With the Crown of Karsus, the Netherbrain gains the ability to halve enemies’ speed with a Retributive Brainquake, annihilate foes with an Orb of Negation (an explosion of Netherese magic), and make itself immune to damage types taken in the previous turn with Aegis of the Absolute.


Additionally, Elder Brains have developed numerous abilities over the years, such as:

- Elder Brains are ageless.
- They are sentient disembodied minds.
- Control the dreams of creatures (dreams reside in a separate plane in D&D).
- When an Elder Brain infiltrates a mind, it alters the creature’s perception and deceives its senses, causing it to see, hear, touch, taste, or feel reality according to the Elder Brain’s intent. From across great distances, it can implant subconscious suggestions or subtly influence dreams to compel creatures toward a course of action that benefits its grand plan.
- Negate resistances to mind manipulation.
- Destroy the mind of a creature, turning them into a thoughtless, drooling shell. It can also mindwipe creatures, sealing off portions of their mind.
- By toying with an object’s molecular structure, the Elder Brain can change its fundamental nature or properties.
- Create brain golems and assemble matter from air and the surrounding area to create a solid object via Create Object.

- Can manipulate light in various ways.
- Can create sound from silence, choosing the source or location of the sound.
- Complete healing can heal the user of all ailments, wounds, and normal diseases.
- Energy Containment safely absorbs and assimilates energy from electricity, fire, cold, heat, and sound energy that would otherwise harm the user. Any physical assault based on these energy types can be drawn into the psionicist’s body.
- Metamorphosis changes the user into anything with approximately the same mass as their body, such as a wolf, a condor, a chair, a rock, a tree, etc.
- With Suspend Animation, a psionicist can “play dead,” bringing all life functions to a virtual halt. Only the most careful examination will show that the character is still alive. Even psionic powers such as life detection and ESP will not reveal any evidence of life unless maintained for at least three minutes.
- Banish targets to other planes.
- Time Shifting allows the psionicist to travel up to 18 seconds into the future and observe things until time catches up with them. The user sees everything frozen around them just as it will be when that moment in the future actually arrives.
- Time/Space Anchor protects the user from unwanted teleportation by anchoring themselves in reality.
- Id Insinuation unleashes the uncontrolled subconscious of the target, putting it against their superego. The attack leaves the victim in a state of moral uproar.
- Imbue an item with rudimentary intelligence and psionic ability.
- Magnify allows the psionicist to magnify the effects of another power in all conceivable ways—e.g., double damage, double range, double modifiers, and so on. Prolong increases the range of all powers by 50%.
- Absorb psionic power via Psychic Drain.

The Illithid Tadpole is capable of destroying a machine specifically designed to extract it and was strengthened by a potion intended to weaken it. Its defense mechanism is likely similar to the one described by researchers who, when attempting to peel back the onion-like layers of mental resistance, were met with a psychic blast.

The Power of Orpheus can resist the Mental Domination of the Netherbrain. Even Elder Brains, lacking the immense power of the Crown of Karsus, can mentally dominate a vast empire of mind flayers, potentially expanding into the infinite hells via the Astral Plane. Post-empire Illithid technology can also reach the Far Realm through the Astral Plane. The Ring of Mind Shielding can prevent brains from detecting its presence, which is incredibly impressive given their range can reach into the Far Realm.


 
The Dark Urge can become the Prime Incarnation of Murder

In Blood in Baldur’s Gate, Dark Urge kills Tav.

On imgur, Fireball spell was calced at 1.25 kilotons of TNT.

Baldur’s Gate 3 party have explosives capable of destroying the Steel Watch Foundry.

In Baldur’s Gate 3 someone made a monk build that can move 880 feet/268.2 meters in a single turn via 44.7 m/s.

Baldur’s Gate 3 party can tank explosions from Steel Watchers.

The Chosen can assume the forms of the Avatars of Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul, respectively. These God Avatars possess the power to confront Leviathans, creatures capable of shattering worlds.

Gorion’s Ward, the protagonist from Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2 and one of Bhaal’s children can defeat Jon Irenicus, Amelyssan, Elminster, a Fallen Solar, and Demogorgon.

Despite stealing Gorion’s Ward’s soul, Jon Irenicus, one of the most powerful wizards of Suldanessellar, planned to use the Tree of Life to replace Rillifane Rallathil. However, his plan was thwarted, and he lost all the power he had gained from the Tree of Life. Nevertheless, he was still able to transform into an Avatar of Bhaal, also known as a Slayer.

Amelyssan, at her peak, possessed power that rivaled that of demi-gods.

Demogorgon, the strongest of the Demon Lords, was a Lesser Deity at the time. Despite being weakened after his defeat and sealing by Helm, who was either a Lesser or Intermediate Deity at that time (likely the latter, as he was established as such around or shortly before BG2’s development), Demogorgon recovered some of his strength by the time you fight him, as Helm's seal was breaking.


Solars are powerful enough to be considered deities.

Solars can battle foes wielding swords capable of cutting a star in half.

Solars are superior to Demon Princes (also known as Demon Lords).

Demon Lords are nearly as powerful as deities.

Each Demon Prince has complete control over at least one entire layer of the Abyss, including its space and time, in a symbiotic relationship





Graz’zt, the Demon Prince of Pleasure, controls and sustains three layers of the Abyss, which would collapse if he fell.



Demogorgon, the Demon Prince, can shake both the Abyss and the Astral Sea, both of which are infinite, and the Abyss itself has infinite layers. This feat is possibly higher as each Abyss layer could be its own separate reality, as large as a material plane with a potentially infinite number of alternate universes. The Astral Sea/Plane can reach the Far Realm.










Dagon, the Queen of Chaos, and the first demon prince Obox-ob predate time.


They should be more powerful than the ancient demons who “existed before time was even invented”.

Demon Lords and some of their aspects in 4e range from level 22 to 34, making them scale to or outright surpass epic destinies.

The Thief of Legend can snatch all the stars from the sky.

On imgur, this was calced at 14400c.

The Star-Favored Champion’s existence is directly tied to a star, and his actions can cause it to move and dim.

The Harbinger of Doom can thwart the plans of even the gods.

The Avatar of Io is stronger than demigods and the avatars of gods.

The Godhunter is capable of hunting nearly anything, including Demon Lords and deities. The Fang of the World Serpent also has the power to battle gods and Demon Lords.


The Topaz Crusader can take on the creatures of the Far Realm, move within it, and resist its madness. The Eighth Seal serves as a guard against these same threats.



The Master of Moments can travel through the infinite ocean of time.

Upon death, the Demiurge would create an entirely new cosmology separate from the existing one, including new gods and monsters.
 
The Netherbrain can create brainquakes spanning across the city.

In imgur, this was calced 112.4 tons of TNT.

The Netherbrain wields the Crown of Karsus. It can be used by Raphael to defeat the Archdevil of Avernus, Zariel.

It can be used by Gale to ascend to godhood.

Under the Netherbrain’s control, Elminster believed it threatened even the gods. Mystra’s Weave reaches the Far Realm.

The Crown of Karsus was one of the components used to cast Karsus’ Avatar, which stole Mystryl’s power and nearly destroyed the Weave.

Raphael ambitiously believed it would allow him to defeat Asmodeus and unite the hells.

Archdevils should be superior to Demon Princes. Specifically, Zariel is capable of shattering the Companion with her sword, an impact that can be heard “across the infinite breadth of Avernus”. The Archdevil Baalzebul corrupted his entire level of Hell.


Hero deities like Hercules and Aylin are so far beyond normal mortals that they can’t distinguish between them and full gods, making them at least comparable to pantheons capable of heating the core of planets. Aylin herself was the strongest in the fight against Myrkul’s avatar.


Raistlin would destroy all the stars upon ascending to godhood.

4e characters can encounter various starlight attacks.



In imgur, this was calced at 5368c.

They could massively upscale the Immortals of Mystra (no relation to the deity), who travel through time via the Emerald River.

They are somewhat comparable to Labelas Enoreth and his aspect, Chronos, who both embody the flow of time. After merging with the Slimbul, Labelas Enoreth also embodied causality, meaning that without his powers, causality and time would not move forward. He is capable of moving physically prior to the existence of time and can move through time stop. While Labelas Enoreth is an intermediate god, making him more powerful than even the Demogorgon, intermediate deities aren’t unbeatable by lesser deities. For example, Horus defeated his uncle Set, despite Set being an intermediate deity and Horus a lesser deity.


 
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The Far Realm is a space outside the multiverse that is infinite in size and with an infinite amount of layers.



The Far Realm contains "countless" entities, some as powerful as the deities themselves.

Topaz Crusaders are psionic characters who, at the end of their journey, destroy the Far Realm itself at the cost of their life.

 
At the end of the day what this all comes down to is that, between this and the Nameless One, the Lady of Pain can cui hilariously multiversal+ characters with a thought
 
In Second Edition's Monster Mythology, Io is a Greater God, and the creator of dragonkind. He is also stated to be involved with the creation of the multiverse.


Interestingly, Io is only a Greater God in the Forgotten Realms; in other settings, he is an Intermediate Deity.

Nevertheless, this is another massive boost to characters on this level.
 
In 4th Edition's Monster Manual 2, it's revealed that Demogorgon fought and easily defeated the primordial known as Storralk, which caused shockwaves that affected the entirety of the Abyss as well as the Astral Sea, also known as the Astral Plane.

AD&D's Manual of the Planes tells us that the Astral Plane coexists with the first layer of each plane, in addition to mentioning that each planar layer of each Outer Plane is infinite in size, while also mentioning the Prime Material, Inner, and Ethereal planes to be infinite in the same manner.

In Dragon Magazine #365, the mightiest angels (also known as Solars) wield weapons that can cleave the sun in two.

Angels in 4th Edition (the current edition during which the above statement was made) are only represented by four (technically five) types, all of which are stand-ins for Solars, and are low to mid Epic level.




Only the most powerful fiends (demons/devils) can approach a Solar's power.

In Dragon Magazine #388, a Thief of Legend is capable all the stars in the night sky over the course of a single evening, in addition to being capable of stealing magic away from others, a person's memories, or even stealing abstract concepts. A Thief of Legend is even capable of stealing back their life should they die.



So yeah, what we're left with is yet another boost to epic level characters, putting them anywhere from star level at the lowest to straight up multiversal+ at the highest. With yet another stupidly MFTL feat to go with it