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If you've followed me on Twitter you know I like to convert cards from Magic: the Gathering into D&D concepts for your 5e games. Today we take a look at Manabarbs, a red enchantment that is one of the original Magic cards! That's right, Manabarbs first appeared in Alpha, the very first set of Magic released in 1993 (I was in the third grade and three years away from discovering the game). Since then, Manabarbs has been reprinted nine more times, most recently in 2012. So, how do we use this in our D&D games? First, let's understand the core mechanic: whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player takes damage. Pretty straight forward. In Magic, lands create mana which is the currency used to cast spells. In essence, you cast a spell, you take damage. This idea converts well to D&D. Simply have any creature who casts a spell take damage. But, what kind of damage?
The artwork suggests perhaps lightning damage, but I could see force damage also being an option. If I had to pick though, I'd choose psychic damage. After all, the damage is a result of casting a spell. Psychic damage feels right. What in our D&D game is causing this effect on spell casters, though? It could be another spell cast on a target creature. It could also be an environmental effect, or even a magical item. Let's explore the spell idea first. Level: 3rd Type: Enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Duration: 10 minutes, Concentration Range: 120 feet Simply, target creature is enveloped in barbs of white light. For the duration, anytime the creature casts a spell it takes 3d6 psychic damage. Spells cast from items do not trigger the damage. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd. Now that we have the base of the spell, we can repackage this into an environmental effect that effects all creatures within a certain area. Perhaps it is some sort of natural anti-magic phenomena? Or maybe it's some special area constructed to ensure magic doesn't interfere with gladiatorial combat? Either way, if we deploy this in our games we need to be sure there is an off switch that a clever wizard or cunning rogue can locate and attempt to disable. Lastly, we could package this spell into a magic item, perhaps an amulet worn by powerful noble who wants to keep rival mages in check? I can see many a barbarian loving such an item as it could help them in battle against many a magic user. I see myself using the environmental effect in a game that I run. Imagine a six obelisks spread about in a hexagon. A creature is subject to the effects of Manabarbs if they are inside that area. An antimagic field is in place preventing any magic from penetrating the area. Inside, the sadistic and merciless warlord challenges rivals in hand-to-hand combat. The warlord, though, is just a puppet to a very powerful mage, the same mage that created the obelisks centuries ago... There's a seed for a campaign right there! There you have it, a deep dive into how to use the Magic card Manabards in your D&D 5e game. What do you like, not like about this conversion? How would you use it in your game? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @rjquestgiver. Until next time, Happy Questing!
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AuthorD&D 5e enthusiast. Creator on DMsguild. Supporter of creators, content and good times. Follow me on Twitter @rjquestgiver Archives
July 2021
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