A descent into a dungeon is not to be made without preparation. For players who love shopping-trip sessions, Dungeon Delver's Guide (coming to Kickstarter on August 30th) offers loads of new equipment, from the mundane (collapsible boats and underwater lanterns) to the spectacular (alchemical oil that can temporarily set your weapon alight, transforming a sword into a flametongue). We’ve also got new mounts and vehicles to choose from. (Is anyone in the market for a giant riding spider? or a submarine?)

Of course, some pieces of equipment are more readily available than others. Every caveside village doesn’t have a submarine for sale. But beyond mere economic scarcity, fantasy worlds are filled with rare and precious items that you just can’t buy, except maybe from the folks who make them—and the secrets of their creation are jealously guarded. 

Dungeon Delver’s Guide introduces an idea that's new to Level Up: cultural equipment. Cultural equipment bridges the gap between equipment (the acquisition of which is usually under a player’s control) and magic items (which are usually bestowed by the Narrator).

How do you get cultural equipment? In Level Up, choosing your culture is part of character creation: for instance, while “elf” is a heritage, “shadow elf” is a culture. If you’re from the shadow elf culture, you can buy dark iron armor at character creation and for as long as you remain in touch with your community. If you’re not a shadow elf, you just can’t get your hands on this precious armor—until you befriend a shadow elf community or win the armor in battle. (Just don’t expose it to sunlight!)

Cultural equipment rewards diplomacy and gives texture to your adventurers’ travels. A friendly tinker gnome settlement feels different from a grimlock enclave, especially if, in the grimlock settlement, you can outfit your crew with air ink grenades, and among the tinker gnomes, you can replace or repair your clockwork mule.

Today I’d like to share one of our cultural equipment sets: aboleth equipment. You can get aboleth equipment if you’re from, or aligned with, the sunless mariner culture. Sunless mariners are people who have lived under the rule of the aboleths for centuries, and who now fight them with their own weapons. 

Aboleth-created gear is noticeably alive. These devices have heartbeats, living organs, and body heat.

Gill Symbiote. This bizarre, collar-like mask fits like a sleeve over the user’s lower face and neck. It extends tendrils down the user’s throat when donned, a process that requires the wearer to make a DC 11 Wisdom save to avoid gaining a level of strife. Once in place, the symbiote allows the user to breathe air and water, but it also distorts the wearer’s voice. Whenever the wearer speaks, other creatures must make a DC 10 Intelligence check to understand what they are saying. In addition, a creature wearing a gill symbiote must make a DC 10 Intelligence check to cast a spell with vocalized components. On a failure, the creature expends the spell slot to no effect.

Octopack. This bulbous, fleshy mass attaches itself to the wearer’s back and can sprout four tentacles on demand. The tentacles aren’t able to hold items, but they grant advantage on checks to maintain a grapple and grant an expertise die on Athletics checks related to climbing.

Parasite Launcher. This bracer-shaped creature has ray-like skin and several rows of glowing, fluid-filled membranes on its “back,” which typically sits atop the user’s forearm. Swimming in the fluid are tiny, snake-like creatures with nasty, tooth-filled maws. The launcher is a ranged weapon with a range of 30/60. It is fired via mental commands rather than a physical trigger. On a hit, the parasite deals 1d4 piercing damage. A creature hit by the parasite launcher can use its reaction to make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, the target tears off the parasite before it gains purchase. If the creature does not remove the parasite, the parasite begins burrowing into the target’s flesh, dealing 1d4 piercing damage and 1d4 psychic damage at the start of each of the target’s turns. A creature can use action to cut out the parasite, dealing 2d6 slashing damage to the target but ending the piercing and psychic damage. Unless removed, the parasite continues to burrow for a number of rounds equal to the proficiency bonus of the creature that fired the launcher. The parasite then dies inside the target, and the target suffers a level of strife from the trauma of the experience. The parasite launcher does not cover the user’s hand, leaving it free to wield other devices or weapons. A parasite launcher can be fired from an arm that is wielding a weapon, but not a shield. The launcher holds eight parasites, and the “ammunition” regrows after 24 hours.

Sleepless Mask. This disturbing, fleshy mask covers the upper half of the wearer’s face and features three, vertically placed eyes in the manner of an aboleth. While the mask is worn, each eye takes an 8-hour turn sleeping while the others remain awake, effectively sleeping for the wearer and allowing them to stay awake indefinitely. The wearer must still sleep or meditate to receive the benefits of a long rest. In addition, the tendrils that the mask sends into its wearer’s brain subtly influence them toward obedience to aboleths. The wearer suffers a -1d4 penalty on saving throws against aboleth abilities and the Sea Change disease.