Armor (shield), uncommon (requires attunement) While holding this large Shield, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class. This bonus is in addition to the Shield’s normal bonus to AC. The bonus becomes +2 while you have at least 1 Temporary Hit Point. While you have Temporary Hit Points, the Shield emits a slight blue glow. In addition, you can channel the heroic resolve within the Shield as a Magic…

Weapon (morningstar), uncommon You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Proficiency with a Morningstar allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it. This weapon has the following mastery property. To use this property, you must have a feature that lets you use it. Sap. If you hit a creature with this weapon, that…

Infiltrators can pass as human, their serpentine features limited to scaly skin, forked tongues, and other minor or internal transformations. These spies insinuate themselves among their rivals, manipulating others and making foes vulnerable to the plots of more powerful yuan-ti. Yuan-ti Exploiting pacts with sinister supernatural forces, yuan-ti bargain away their humanity for the lethality and…

Armor (double mail), rare (requires attunement) This armor has 3 charges and regains 1d3 charges daily at dawn. Each time you would receive a level of Exhaustion, you may spend a charge to negate that Exhaustion. As long as the armor has at least 1 charge remaining, your cannot take penalties to your Speed. Also called tvifold brynja, the rings of this chain mail are doubled, so each pair is…

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…

Unfortunately, finding these dandyish devils’ contractual loopholes is not nearly as much fun as I had hoped. —ASTARION ON HARVESTER DEVILS

Armor (double mail), uncommon Metal armor made of songsteel rings like a bell or chime when it clangs against an object. When wearing the armor, you can call out to Volund as a Bonus Action. Until the end of your next turn, you take 5 less damage from all attacks that hit you. Once you use this feature, you must finish a Long Rest before you can use it again. Also called tvifold brynja, the rings…

Origin Feat You gain the following benefits. Thieves’ Cant. You know Thieves’ Cant. Instrument Training. You gain proficiency with a Musical Instrument of your choice. Distracting Melody. When you take the Help action to assist an ally’s attack roll, the enemy you’re distracting can be within 30 feet of you, rather than within 5 feet of you, provided the enemy can see or hear you. Notes: Thieves’…

Whether riding on an Orien cart, guarding the lightning rail on a cross-continental journey, or using Orien Teleportation Circles to transport precious parcels in an instant, dragonmarked enforcers of House Orien (mostly humans) protect their house’s interests and maintain its reputation for dependability.

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.

If there are parts of the game you prefer not to handle yourself, assign them to players who enjoy them. If you don’t want to break your narrative stride by looking up a rule, designate another player to be the rulebook reference expert. If you don’t like tracking Initiative, ask another player to do so.

On the Elemental Plane of Earth, galaxies of gemstones twinkle over vaults of treasure. If dao are there, so is wealth worth hunting. —Gundren Rockseeker, Dwarf Treasure Hunter Genies of minerals and gemstones, dao embody the resolve of rock. Using innate magic, they move through the earth unimpeded, exploring depths inaccessible to most. Dao delight in the treasures of the earth, whether raw…

Infiltrators can pass as human, their serpentine features limited to scaly skin, forked tongues, and other minor or internal transformations. These spies insinuate themselves among their rivals, manipulating others and making foes vulnerable to the plots of more powerful yuan-ti.

Dreaming Dark Infiltrators are spies sent to gather intelligence. They plant psychic seeds in their minds of their foes that enhance the infiltrators’ combat prowess against those enemies.

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…

Manyhorn Guild Brokers are the senior officials who draft, organise, and oversee trade negotiations between their guild and other parties. These include negotiations between other Manyhorn guilds, as well as other cities, kingdoms, or political groups. Manyhorn Guild Brokers are generally exceptionally cool-headed, especially in a crisis. They pride themselves on their ability to use logical…

Brilliant sunlight flashes in a 60-foot-radius Sphere centered on a point you choose within range. Each creature in the Sphere makes a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 12d6 Radiant damage and has the Blinded condition for 1 minute. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage only. A creature Blinded by this spell makes another Constitution saving throw at the…

Darklord: Gabrielle Aderre Hallmarks: Bad parents, possessed children Gabrielle Aderre is convinced that her son, Malocchio, is destined for greatness. From her estate outside the village of Karina, she employs an endless string of servants to provide Malocchio with the best possible upbringing. Inevitably, though, every servant flees or vanishes, either as a result of Gabrielle’s unreasonable…

† See the appendix.

You are connected to one of the dragonmarked houses, but you haven’t (yet) manifested a dragonmark. You might be a member of the family by birth or an employee of the house with no familial connection. You’ve earned your living by doing the business of the house, serving as the hands, feet, and eyes of house leadership in the world. You might have many old friends, mentors, and rivals in the…

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.

No two DMs run the game in exactly the same way—and that’s how it should be! You’ll be most successful as a DM if you choose a play style that works best for you and your players. The Rule of Fun D&D; is a game, and everyone should have fun playing it. Everyone shares equal responsibility in moving the game along, and everyone contributes to the fun when they treat each other with respect and…

In nearly all cases, the power that is proposing a Dark Bargain is uninterested in negotiating the duration or eventual cost of this gift. However, there may be extenuating circumstances. There could be roleplaying scenarios or simply the current events in the adventure’s narrative that could cause the power to briefly—briefly!—consider negotiating. The GM has the final say on whether a given…

Guided by a flash of magical insight, you make one attack with the weapon used in the spell’s casting. The attack uses your spellcasting ability for the attack and damage rolls instead of using Strength or Dexterity. If the attack deals damage, it can be Radiant damage or the weapon’s normal damage type (your choice). Cantrip Upgrade. Whether you deal Radiant damage or the weapon’s normal damage…

Weapon (morningstar), very rare You have a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Proficiency with a Morningstar allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it. This weapon has the following mastery property. To use this property, you must have a feature that lets you use it. Sap. If you hit a creature with this weapon, that…

As part of casting this spell, you must expend nine Hit Point Dice or the spell automatically fails. Roll the Hit Point Dice expended to cast the spell and gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to twice the roll’s total. You gain the creature type of the spell’s target, in addition to your own type. While the spell lasts, you have Immunity to the Poisoned condition; you no longer need to…