Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is well into its international release, and players the world over have been getting their hands on a copy. Wizards of the Coast’s newest rules expansion offers players new subclasses, feats, magic items, spells, and more!
One of the more interesting features added in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything is the Group Patron feature. The previous article covered the Academy Group Patron. The article below will cover the Ancient Being Group Patron.
You can create a homebrew patron for your players/DM to look over that pertains to your campaign, but there are a number of example patrons given to choose from as well, ranging from an Elder Dragon to a Bound Demon to a Guardian Celestial, and more.
Having some sort of alliance with an otherworldly being comes with perks, as detailed below:
Equipment – Your patron’s network has access to certain magic items. You can purchase common magic items from your patron contact. The DM determines the available stock or can call for a group Intelligence (Investigation) check to ascertain if the ancient being’s network can successfully locate the desired item. The DC for this check is 10 in a city, 15 in a town, and 20 in a village. If the check fails, ld8 days must pass before the same item can be searched for again in that community. The DM sets the price of a common magic item or determines it randomly: 2d4 x 10 gp, or half as much for a consumable item such as a potion or scroll.
Research – Relying on an ancient being’s network of contacts, the being’s vast collection of lore, or perhaps the being’s direct teaching helps you unearth hidden secrets. If you can contact your patron or their agents, your group makes ability checks made to research lore related to your patron’s interests and influence with advantage.
Sanctuary – Your patron’s agents have safe houses or other secure gatherings spread across a wide region. Your group knows how to locate these friendly enclaves and can maintain a modest lifestyle in one for no cost. In return, you must defend the sanctuary or protect the secret of its existence.
Strange Gifts – Your patron grants your group a small measure of esoteric power. At 5th level, and again at 13th, you gain one supernatural gift as described in the treasure chapter of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The DM determines which supernatural gifts are available.
Of course, working with otherworldly beings of unknowable powers means that there are likely go-betweens working as messengers for your patron. These contacts can range from the ephemeral echoes of your patron whispering on the wind, to possession of passersby in order to speak to you, to someone simply working higher up in your organization.
Finally, quests for beings of this nature tend to be dealt with in the shadows or behind the scenes. Rarely would a patron appreciate heavy-handedness. As such, the quests tend to be that of sabotage, espionage, and rescuing/retrieving fellow members and intel.
If you like this content and would like to see more, it’s recommended to visit the Unearthed Arcana portion of the DnD website for more information. As always, stay tuned for future coverage of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything!
