Written with love by Clover Bruce-Paul Johnson.
Hiya! I'm Clover, avid Dungeons & Dragons player, and game mechanics nerd. Have you ever felt that D&D just isn't fleshed out enough? Have you ever wanted to be a Half-Gnome? What about an Autofairy? I have! I make incredibly unique (and, quite frankly, gimmicky) characters that require modifications or exceptions, or just entirely different mechanics. That's why this extension exists; as glue between rules, to make things stick.
You can view the latest edition of this document at stickofglue.clovr.rocks.
Clover's Stick of Glue introduces two new mechanics: genericism and hybrid species.
Generic components are "modifiers" that require you to choose another, non-generic version of the component that your character will be based off. They often take most traits from the base species.
Hybrid species allow you to play as 2 or more species at once, at the cost of "worsening" the traits of those species by however many species you're playing as.
The term "worsen" in this book will simply mean to divide the traits by some number. For example, an Elf has 60 ft. of darkvision, but an Elf/Goblin hybrid will only have 30 ft., since we divide it by 2. If we added another species to the hybrid, then it would go down to 20 ft., since we divided by 3. Add another species, then it will be 15 ft., because we divided by 4, and so on. Traits also compound; Elves, when mixed with another species with darkvision, like Gnomes, will add those traits together after worsening them. In the case that a lower number in a trait would be better for you, you should multiply instead.
Worsening things like dice rolls in a trait allows you to choose
whether the amount of dice (which results in a higher potential) or
the amount of faces (which results in a higher average) is
divided/multiplied. A roll of 2d8 can either be worsened
to 1d8 (potential of 8, flat average) or 2d4
(potential of 8, average of 5).
Hybrid species should take an average of both size and speed. Elves have a speed of 30 ft., and so do Goblins, so a hybrid of those species will also have a speed of 30 ft. Goliaths have a speed of 35 ft., so an Elf/Goliath hybrid will have a speed equal to the averages of those speeds rounded down. In this case, Elf/Goliaths will have a speed of 32 ft.
Elves have a size of medium, being around 5–6 ft. tall. Goblins have a size of small, being around 2–4 ft. tall. An Elf/Goblin hybrid should be between medium and small, perhaps 4–5 ft. tall. Goliaths have a size of medium, but are 7–8 ft. tall. An Elf/Goliath hybrid should be medium, around 6–7 ft. tall, while a Goblin/Goliath hybrid will have a size between medium and small, being 4–7 ft. tall.
It is ultimately up to the DM how you should control your species' traits. Consult them if you're uncertain on how to approach something.
With all of that said, you are aware of all the new mechanics CSoG invents.
You can take a full action to lose an amount (you choose, minimum of 5) of HP. Regain double that amount 2 turns later.
If combat ends before then, then you receive the lost HP back, but not doubled. If you die before the 2 turns, you will not receive HP, but you can receive HP if you are in death saving throws.
All damage output is doubled.
After your first turn, your DM plays every other turn for you. They are advised to play the opposite of your alignment, or otherwise in your worst interest.
You can survive one fatal blow per long rest, as long as you are above 5 HP. You remain at 1 HP, regardless of the damage dealt.
While at 5 HP or lower:
If you are healed to more than 5 HP, lose these effects and regain your AC.
You can take a full action to attempt to possess an enemy or ally
that you have in your line of sight. They may either let you control
them, or struggle, making a wisdom saving throw against a charisma
check you make. If they succeed, you take
1d4 psychic damage.
Your body is motionless while possessing an entity, as you play the entity's turn for them. You may take any action they could take on their turn, and become aware of their stat block.
You remain in control of this entity until your body is attacked, or the entity succeeds a wisdom saving throw against your original charisma check at the beginning of their turn. You may also take a bonus action to leave the entity.
In the event they regain control, and are hostile toward you, they become immediately aware you possessed them, and are aggravated towards you.
The spirit of a member of their species, choosing to stay alive in a new form.
Unlike a Soul, they do not possess physical abilities, resorting to magic to be able to do work. Spirits are aware they have passed, as they chose to stay within the mortal realm. They see themselves as everyone else does, a pale specter.
You can only interact with objects via the Mage Hand spell, which you can cast at will. A Spirit's Unarmed Strike deals (4 + Strength) damage, to account for the lack of weapons.
Spirits have proficiency in stealth or arcana.
This character can phase through 20 ft. of solid material in a single turn, or outside of combat. If applicable, you begin suffocating if you end your turn inside a wall.
The soul of a member of their species given physical form, chained to the mortal realm by some otherworldly force. Unlike a Spirit, this species is a physical being, being able to interact with objects like other species.
They appear as a pale specter to everyone else, but view themselves in full color. They might have unfinished business with an enemy or friend, keeping them from continuing to the afterlife. Typically, Souls deny they have died in the first place, insisting they are alive.
Souls have proficiency in intimidation or stealth.
This character is a construct, modeled after another species, and imbued with the magic of that species.
This is different from an Autognome, which does not inherit any traits from Gnomes. Mechanical creatures are similar to hybrid species, in the sense they take traits from both Autognomes and the base species, however, Mechanical creatures take all traits from Autognomes as-is, and only half the traits from the base species.
All quantitative traits (excluding flight) from the base species are worsened by 2.
Merfolk are something of a mix between human and fish. They can breathe both air and water, but are much better at swimming than walking.
They are omnivorous, but most Merfolk choose to eat only plants like kelp or cacti, as it requires less effort. As a result of this diet, most Merfolk lack proficiency in weapons other than that required by their profession.
They live significantly longer than humans, with the average lifespan being around 200 years old.
Their appearance is considered only slightly less stunning than elves. Their gills are located on their cheeks and the sides of their neck, and they possess a patagium that spans from half their torso to three quarters their wingspan, although this only helps them swim, and does not allow them to glide.
Their scales are iridescent, and often tinted with vibrant colors to deter predators. This backfires for them however, as they are often hunted for their scales, which are used for jewelery and other accessories. A single scale, in pristine condition, is worth around 300 gp.
You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character.
You can breathe both air and water.
You have proficiency in persuasion, and advantage on all charisma checks.
You have devoted your entire life to your profession, and have become an authority within it.
As a result, you cannot multi-class and your stats that do not relate to your class are worse, but your class traits are significantly improved.
You may apply this class to your class at level 3. If you choose not to apply to be an Arch, you will not get the option again. You can still choose a subclass. If you choose to become an Arch, your class's primary abilities are increased by 2, to a max of 25. Reduce all other abilities by 2.
You have advantage on charisma checks against other non-Arch members of your class.