Moon Elves, Moon Druids, and Moon Blades: Lunar Content For Your DND Games
The blood moon rises once again…and it reminds us of all the awesome DND moon content out there!
Next week, we get to experience the “blood moon” during the lunar eclipse. In this awesome celestial event, the Earth gets right between the sun and moon, casting a shadow on the moon and turning it red! This got us thinking about different mythology, lore, and stories about the moon and its powers – which, of course, are plentiful in Dungeons & Dragons. From playing a D&D moon elf to wielding a D&D moon sickle to casting the moonbeam spell in D&D, there are plenty of cool options for moon-themed characters, stories, and abilities. We looked through the official lore and rules and picked our favorite lunar D&D campaign ideas and inspiration to share with you!
D&D Lycanthropes, Lunar Dragons, And Other Moon-Powered Creatures
The DND moonbeam spell won’t do you much good against a lunar dragon
The world of D&D is packed with fantastic and strange creatures, many of which have a connection to the moon. One, the forest master, is a celestial unicorn from the Darken Wood on Krynn (the main planet in the Dragonlance setting). The forest master’s horn glows with the power of moonlight, which can blast outwards in a bolt dealing radiant damage. But a forest master will only ever use these powers to protect; they’re neutral good creatures whose purpose is to keep the forest safe. Not all lunar creatures are so benevolent. For example, the lunar dragons are impulsive, elitist, xenophobic, and more excited about the harm they can cause by stealing treasure than the treasure itself. These dragons actually live on moons, carving the moon rock into complex lairs with crystal formations, natural springs, and, of course, hoards of treasure. Lunar dragons can become incorporeal, breathe ice, and summon chaotic elementals known as moon devils!
Dungeons & Dragons’ world also has lycanthropes: humanoids who transform into creatures (usually under the light of the moon). These include weretigers, wereboard, werebears, weresharks, wererats, and, of course, werewolves. Each of these has its own distinct powers, but the coolest one has to be the deathwolf. These are undead werewolves that have been forever resurrected in their hybrid form. On top of the regular ferocity of a werewolf, these creatures have an ability known as Phantom Deathwolf. They create a phantom version of themself that terrifies those who see it. But this fear isn’t just in their mind – the viewer takes a ton of psychic damage each turn! Creatures like this can be taken down by a moonlight guardian. These came into being after a mage on Krynn drew the Moon card from the Deck of Many Things and wished for something to defend against lycanthropes. Moonlight guardians certainly fit the bill; they’re living silver-and-mithryl statues emitting blasts of moonlight to deal epic damage and return shapeshifters into their original forms.
Build A Lunar Sorcerer, Werewolf, or Moon Druid in D&D
If you play a DND moon druid, you won’t need the light of the moon to transform into a wild creature
There are plenty of cool moon-themed character classes for Dungeons & Dragons. The first, the Path of the Beast barbarian, allows you to play the child of lycanthrope in D&D. These barbarians transform as they rage, growing serrated teeth that suck up hit points, claws that double up on attacks, or a spiny tail that can both attack and defend. As they level up, a Path-of-the-Beast barbarian can also gain powerful leaps and climbing ability, infect enemies with their fury, and form a pack that heals the barbarian and deals extra damage to the pack’s enemies. The Circle of the Moon druid leans even harder into the animal-transformation part of lycanthropy, leveling up the druid’s natural polymorph abilities and letting them transform into creatures like an elephant, a giant scorpion, a mammoth, and even a brontosaurus! But if you want to play a lycanthrope that’s not a barbarian or a druid, you can always ask your Dungeon Master to give you Harkon’s Bite, the tooth of a dire wolf that affects the wearer with lycanthropy. If you’re playing in the Dragonlance setting (which, if you’re going for a moon-themed adventure, you probably should), you could play as a character with the Lunar Sorcery subclass. These sorcerers’ magic comes from the moon itself. They can bring down moon fire and control the phases of the moon, channeling them into abilities like damage resistance, radiant damage, blinding, invisibility, and even teleportation!
Wield A D&D Moon Sickle And Cast Moonbeam With Lunar Magic
The DND moon sickle emits moonlight as you wield it
One of the coolest parts of Dungeons & Dragons is the abundance of magical items, weapons, and spells your characters discover on their adventures. Many of these are touched by the magic of the moon, giving your character a fun and flavorful edge in combat and beyond. The magic of the moon sickle empowers all attacks and damage, buffs druid and ranger spells, and boosts healing spells. The glimmering moonbow not only levels up attacks, but it can also generate infinite magic ammunition and turn the holder incorporeal! Lunar spells can expand this magic even further. By casting Moonbeam, a character can summon a beam of moonlight that engulfs enemies in radiant flame (with extra effects for lycanthropes and other shapechangers). With the Fount of Moonlight spell, the magic surrounds the caster, wreathing them in moonlight that infuses attacks with extra damage and can even blind those foolish enough to attack the caster.
Use the D&D Moon Elves or Moon Goddess Lore In Your Games
Playing a DND moon elf is a great base for a lunar character build
Lovers of lore will find plenty of moon-themed selections within the world and mythology of Dungeons & Dragons. First and foremost is Selûne, the moon goddess of the Forgotten Realms (familiar to players of Baldur’s Gate 3). She is a chaotic good deity holding domain over “moon, stars, navigation, navigators, wanderers, questers, seekers, and non-evil lycanthropes,” often symbolized with blue-and-silver, owls, moonstone, or a pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars. Another deity, Corellon Larethian, blessed a set of twins born during a special lunar eclipse called the Selenelion. They became infused with celestial power; one is able to cast rays of moonlight, while the other emits the rays of the sun, and both have the power to share their emotions and their vision. Of course, there are also the moon elves, known as teu-tel-quessir in the elven tongue. These elves resemble the moon in the night sky, with pale, sometimes blue, skin, and black, blue, or silvery-white hair. Their culture is nomadic, infused with wanderlust and altruistic desires that lead many to the life of heroes and adventurers. Moon elves are a playable species in Dungeons & Dragons, so pick them if you want to go all in on your lunar character build!
Play Your Moon-Inspired Character In D&D
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