Each Dark Bargain is unique, and a character can enter into a given bargain only once. A character could be bound to multiple Dark Bargains at one time, but each one only once.

Ankylier Karls are the lowest members of Ankylier society, fulfilling menial tasks and hard labour. Karls are not generally treated with much respect, but are paid appropriately for their efforts by their Ankylier bosses. This allows for wealth to not necessarily be a reflection of social status within Ankylier society. Through an exceptional work ethic or extensive experience, Karls will be…

Armor (ring mail), legendary You have a +3 bonus to AC while wearing this armor. This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it's usually worn only by those who can't afford better armor.

Armor (ring mail), very rare You have a +2 bonus to AC while wearing this armor. This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it's usually worn only by those who can't afford better armor.

Strangling, Otherworldly Pest Demobats are slimy, winged pests endemic to demonic realms. A demobat has four serrated tentacles, which trail behind it during flight, and its eyeless head opens wide to reveal a toothed maw. Demobats hunt in flocks, using their tails to strangle and immobilize their prey as they feed.

Armor (ring mail), rare You have a +1 bonus to AC while wearing this armor. This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it's usually worn only by those who can't afford better armor.

The Ruinbound are mutants that can be born to any humanoid species that has contact with the Daelkyr or their minions. A Ruinbound is born with a personal symbiont—an unnatural entity bound to the child. Unlike most symbionts, this entity cannot be separated from its host, and the two are permanently fused. Many Ruinbound have additional disturbing mutations; you can roll on the Ruinbound…

Type: Heavy Armor Cost: 350 GP Weight: 65 lbs Armor Class: 17 Strength: 16 Stealth: Disadvantage Also called tvifold brynja, the rings of this chain mail are doubled, so each pair is passed through by four pairs of other rings. It is very heavy and bulky.

Armor (double mail), rare (requires attunement) While wearing this armor, you don’t have the Unconscious condition when you are at 0 Hit Points. You still make Death Saving Throws normally. You can’t use the Help action to make a Medicine check to stabilize yourself. Also called tvifold brynja, the rings of this chain mail are doubled, so each pair is passed through by four pairs of other rings.…

Dark Bargains are binding once sealed. There are tales and legends of those who have outwitted a bargainer or found a way to break a bargain’s hold on them, but the truth of such stories is left to the GM to decide.

Weapon (any simple or martial), common An alchemical process has bonded silver to this magic weapon. When you score a Critical Hit with it against a creature that is shape-shifted, the weapon deals one additional die of damage. Weapons Name Simple Melee Weapons Silvered Club | 1d4 Bludgeoning | Light | Slow Silvered Dagger | 1d4 Piercing | Finesse, Light, Thrown (Range 20/60) | Nick …

Type: Martial Melee Weapon Cost: 300 GP Weight: 2 lbs Damage: 1d4 Bludgeoning Properties: Light, Thrown (range 20/60), Returning Mastery of Advanced Weapons requires military training and skill. To use any of the special properties or the Weapon Mastery properties of the Returning Club, you must take the Advanced Weapon Proficiency feat. This weapon has the following Mastery Property. To use this…

Dark Bargains can also come about during play in a campaign. There might be times where inscrutable powers have their own designs and see an opportunity for a character to further those ends in exchange for gifts. Others might be willing to negotiate a bargain as an alternative price to death or worse. In these cases, the GM might alter terms of the bargains, such as increasing, lessening, or…

Adventures set in Barovia involve oppressive, gothic menace; suspicion; and the legendary threat of Strahd von Zarovich. Use this section to develop horror adventures in this domain.

Weapon (any simple or martial), rare You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. The weapon deals an extra 3d6 damage of the weapon’s type if the target is a Dragon. Weapons Name Simple Melee Weapons Dragon Slayer Club | 1d4 Bludgeoning | Light | Slow Dragon Slayer Dagger | 1d4 Piercing | Finesse, Light, Thrown (Range 20/60) | Nick …

Weapon (any simple or martial), varies (requires attunement) Bound into this weapon is a spell of level 8 or lower. The spell is determined when the weapon is created and must belong to the Conjuration, Divination, Evocation, Necromancy, or Transmutation school of magic. The weapon has 6 charges and regains 1d6 expended charges daily at dawn. While holding the weapon, you can expend 1 charge to…

Relicborn are a skeleton-like species native to Kalero, generally emerging from the numerous tombs and crypts that line the canyon walls of the province. They thrive in a culture of celebration and remembrance, which infuses the very essence of every member of the species. Dancing between the energy of a vivacious party and the serenity of peaceful reflection, this folk holds a deep appreciation…

Type: Martial Ranged Weapon Cost: 500 GP Weight: 3 lbs Damage: 1 Piercing Properties: Ammunition, Light, Magazine, Repeater, Vex Mastery of Advanced Weapons requires military training and skill. To use any of the special properties or the Weapon Mastery properties of the Repeater Needler, you must take the Advanced Weapon Proficiency feat. This weapon has the following mastery property. To use…

Assassin Heir to a Sinister Legacy After the death of patriarch Fzoul Chembryl, House Chembryl and its descendants were scattered across Faerûn. Some members have dutifully continued the family’s dedication to Bane, while others have sought to free themselves from that god’s malignant shadow. However, none have embraced the Chembryls’ tyrannical legacy more than Karas Chembryl, a ruthless…

Assassin Heir to a Sinister Legacy After the death of patriarch Fzoul Chembryl, House Chembryl and its descendants were scattered across Faerûn. Some members have dutifully continued the family’s dedication to Bane, while others have sought to free themselves from that god’s malignant shadow. However, none have embraced the Chembryls’ tyrannical legacy more than Karas Chembryl, a ruthless…

Weapon (whip), legendary (requires attunement) You gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. The first time you attack with the weapon on each of your turns, you can transfer some or all of the weapon’s bonus to your Armor Class. For example, you could reduce the bonus to your attack rolls and damage rolls to +1 and gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class. The adjusted…

Spells Prepared. You determine what spells you can prepare for each class individually, as if you were a single-classed member of that class. If you are a level 4 Ranger / level 3 Sorcerer, for example, you can prepare five level 1 Ranger spells, and you can prepare six Sorcerer spells of level 1 or 2 (as well as four Sorcerer cantrips). Each spell you prepare is associated with one of your…

Dark Bargains weave Druskenvald’s essence into the characters who dare to strike them. These ancient agreements bind the land, its magical energies, its creatures.. and you. The effects bring boon and bane alike. It may be best for some sinister characters to offer their bargains plainly, letting the lurking curses reveal themselves only when the time is right. Beware your entry into these…

You suggest a course of activity—described in no more than 25 words—to one creature you can see within range that can hear and understand you. The suggestion must sound achievable and not involve anything that would obviously deal damage to the target or its allies. For example, you could say, “Fetch the key to the cult’s treasure vault, and give the key to me.” Or you could say, “Stop fighting,…

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Raiders use guerrilla tactics to ambush warehouses and beat down opponents. These skilled fistfighters work in tandem to claim goods and territory for Daask.

Barcumbuk is a skilled erinyes smith working for the contract devil Urevian. He prefers to produce weapons of high quality, taking his time, and he chafes at Urevian’s demands that he work quickly. Barcumbuk usually works in the hellforge (area G5) on the fifth level of the Abomination Vaults.

Type: Gemstone Cost: 500 GP Weight: 1 lb Delerium is a magical mineral left behind by the meteor. It appears in geode clusters of translucent, sharp-edged crystals which reflect octarine light. The eldritch stones softly hum in dissonant tones, and glow brightly at night or when exposed to magic. Deposits are found throughout Drakkenheim, often fused into stone streets and buildings like…

You create a shadowy Medium door on a flat solid surface that you can see within range. This door can be opened and closed, and it leads to a demiplane that is an empty room 30 feet in each dimension, made of wood or stone (your choice). When the spell ends, the door vanishes, and any objects inside the demiplane remain there. Any creatures inside also remain unless they opt to be shunted through…

One of the best ways to learn how to run a D&D; game is to observe other DMs in action. Another DM can give you a solid foundation for understanding the role—as well as inspire you with cool things you can do in your games. You can use these questions to help you reflect on a game you observe: Beginning the Session. How did the DM start the session? Was there a recap? Body Language. What gestures…