Shadowfell Despair Tables

Inspired by the Despair Deck

Shadowfell Despair Tables
Have your players roll a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw.
On a failure their character is affected by the
Shadowfell Despair. Roll a d6 to determine the type
of Despair, as shown on the table to the right, then a
d8 on the matching table below to determine the
effect.
Despair effects stack. After finishing a long rest, a
character can make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw to
end all Despair effects. Calm Emotions or a magical
effect that removes curses can end the Despair early.
Shadowfell Despair Type
d6 Type and Flaw
1-3 Apathy. The character gains the following
flaw: “I don’t believe I can make a difference
to anyone or anything.”
4-5 Dread. The character gains the following
flaw: “I am convinced that this place is going
to kill me.”
6 Madness. The character gains the following
flaw: “I can’t tell what’s real anymore.”
Encourage players to roleplay the ‘mood’ given
below as much as their new flaw.

Despair Effect Tables

Apathy Table
d8 Mood Effect
1 Unconcerned You have disadvantage on Dexterity Saving Throws
2 Sluggish You have a -5 ft penalty to all movement
3 Lethargic You have disadvantage on Constitution Saving Throws
4 Hopeless You have disadvantage on Wisdom and Intelligence Saving Throws
5 Fatalistic You have disadvantage on death saving throws
6 Drowsy You cannot use your reaction to make an opportunity attack
7 Distracted You have disadvantage on initiative rolls
8 Clumsy Whenever you roll a natural 1 on a d20, you fall prone

Dread Table
d8 Mood Effect
1 Trembling You have a -1 penalty to all attack rolls
2 Jittery You cannot take the Disengage action
3 Anxious You have a -1 penalty to your AC
4 Paranoid Whenever you roll hit dice to recover HP, you recover half of the amount rolled
5 Mistrustful You cannot move through an ally’s space
6 Scared Stiff During the first round of combat, you are restrained
7 Frail You are vulnerable to piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage
8 Craven You have disadvantage on all attack rolls for one round after you suffer an attack

Madness Table
d8 Mood Effect
1 Squeamish You have disadvantage on attack rolls against targets with less than maximum HP
2 Reckless Enemies have advantage on melee attack rolls against you
3 Quarrelsome Enemies within 30 ft. of you have advantage on attack rolls against your allies
4 Jealous You cannot take the Help action or target allies with nondamaging spells or abilities
5 Haunted You have disadvantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened
6 Forgetful You have disadvantage on all ability checks
7 Delusional You have a -1 penalty to your AC
8 Frantic You cannot gain advantage on any attack rolls
Credits
Shadowfell Despair Tables inspired by the Despair Deck, released along with the Shadowfell 4th Edition
supplement book in 2011 by Wizards of the Coast

Adaptation for 5th Edition, editing, and layout by Kenna May (www.pagesofkenna.com)

Cover art is Hagar in the Wilderness by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Carot, courtesy of the MET collection