back before detail could relate

Deep Crow

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

doesn't struggle, the deep crow takes it back to its lair to be devoured at leisure. Creatures that do struggle might be repeatedly dropped from a height to soften them up a bit. Family Ties. Deep crows

establish lairs of their own. Unknown and Inscrutable. The mindset of these intelligent yet alien creatures is a mystery, but some who have encountered them relate that they are quick to hold a grudge. For

Orcus Figurine

Magic Items Candlekeep Mysteries

Carved from an ogre’s petrified heart, the gray figurine depicts the Demon Prince of Undeath in ghastly detail, clutching his skull-topped wand in one hand and three severed heads by the hair

properties: Undead within 30 feet of the figurine can’t be turned. Dead creatures within 30 feet of the figurine can’t be brought back to life. A creature that holds the figurine while

Prisoner 13

Monsters Keys from the Golden Vault

tattoo across her back, filling a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on her. Each other creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 13 (3d8

steal away most of the clan’s gold, leaving only a pittance. Prisoner 13 is a cunning schemer, ruthless and patient. She listens and watches, absorbing every detail she can, and shares as

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

Memories table to inspire its details. Lost Memories d6 Memory 1 You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to? 2 A memory brings

Y5. Wall of Fog

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

of fog, you see a white fortress on a hill above a great city. The city appears quite distant, maybe a mile away. The fog obscures all detail, but you can hear what sounds like the echo of a church

this part of the wall of fog, that person might relate an ancient legend about it. According to the mountain folk of Barovia, there was always a wall of mist near Yester Hill, even before the deadly

Creating a Campaign

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

a daunting task, but you don’t have to plot out every detail right from the start. You can start with the basics, running a few adventures, and think about larger plotlines you want to explore as the

campaign progresses. You’re free to add as much or as little detail as you wish. The start of a campaign resembles the start of an adventure. You want to jump quickly into the action, show the players

Faded Memories

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

with. Their memories of events before this interruption are often vague or absent. Occasionally, the most unexpected experiences might cause sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back

Memory 1 You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to? 2 A memory brings tears to your eyes. Is it a bitter or cheerful memory? Does recalling

Running This Chapter

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

chapter describes the fortress of Sunblight in detail, in the event the adventurers decide to attack it. But the characters are in for a surprise: by the time they arrive, Xardorok has already finished his

succeed if they take frequent rests or have an edge, such as plenty of healing magic or allies to back them up.

The Farmers' Story

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

. The farmers can also relate details from the adventure’s background or about Cradlelace Lake if asked. Although the farmers can’t reward the characters with much in the way of wealth, they gift the

soon as it is detected. If Proclaimer Ward is with the party, the Proclaimer stays with the farmers to help them either get back on their feet or join Uncle Polder’s community.

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

some other convenient way (or, in a cannibalistic tribe, eaten). Kobolds believe that if they die in service to their tribe, Kurtulmak immediately sends each of them back to life as the next egg laid in

. A kobold’s cautious nature doesn’t mean it can’t get angry. The blood of dragons flows in its veins, and like a raging drake, a kobold that is pushed too far or has its back

Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

(money, ale, or both), confesses to having wandered in the back door of the house a couple of years before, hoping to acquire some food. Encouraged by the prospect of free wine in the cellar, he

started to descend the stairs, heard ghastly shrieks and piercing wails, and ran, frightened out of his wits. He knows where the back door is and also noticed a nearby well. He can vaguely describe the

Cataclysmic Fire

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

first vision. They taunt him and point back the way he came. The knight slays them and turns back home in a rage. Confrontation. The knight slays his wife as the world around him crumbles and burns. The

scenes have played out, skeletal visages leer at them from the flames, then vanish. Characters who recalled Lord Soth’s legend in the “Caught in the Act” section recognize that these scenes relate to his

Mission Gone Wrong?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

lizardfolk. Even though any information the characters might bring back is truly of little value, the council is pleased with whatever report they provide and promises to make good on their reward. In

the meantime, while the characters are recuperating, a contingent of merfolk arrives in Saltmarsh and asks for a meeting with the council. During that session, they relate that they have just come from

Khyber

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

into alien weirdness: characters could venture into a demiplane resembling Wonderland, Oz, or a postapocalyptic wasteland. Khyber is a prison realm, and the dragonshards found there relate to binding

substantial profits. Aside from assisting in such profit-driven expeditions, Morgrave University doesn’t often sponsor independent missions into Khyber. Such missions rarely bring back physical objects of any

Appendix 3. Dungeon Master Tips

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rrakkma

detail regarding potentially hostile creatures. You can always go back after the fight is over, or after it has been established that a fight won’t be happening and elaborate on your description of the

adventurers are likely to see them initially. If creatures are clearly visible, consider providing a minimum of detail (size, shape, and lighting only) for the area description, in favor of providing greater

17. Vertrand's Room

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

17. Vertrand’s Room Vertrand. A bald, elderly man (Vertrand Shadowdusk) sits at a writing desk to the north, his back to the doorway. Bed. A simple bed stands against the south wall. Tapestry. A

Intelligence (Investigation) check to decipher. The notes detail Vertrand’s research into magical vortices, and how to widen and destabilize planar portals. Treasure. Vertrand’s spellbook is in the

Jander Sunstar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

soul by swearing to hunt down his own kind. Later, he volunteered to join Zariel on her crusade into the Nine Hells. Stirges now swarm back and forth from Jander’s body, preserving his existence by

: Jander and Haruman were both part of a host of warriors who joined the angel Zariel in her assault on the Nine Hells. After charging through the portal into Avernus, Jander panicked and fled back to

Quest Goals

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

at the Wayside Inn previously, the ritual being performed by the cultists could incorporate movement that harkens back to that dance. Although it’s a small detail that a typical player might overlook, if even just one of your players gets chills or a laugh because of the echo, it’s worth the effort.

Around the Outlands

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel

be able to relate the details about the last Great Modron March, which R04M was following. The characters might seek other sources for information about the last Great Modron March, but the event was

toward the Spire as “spireward.” This is a relative direction, as spireward in Automata is the opposite direction from spireward from Xaos. Adventures in the Outlands Chapters 5 to chapter 11 detail

Acheron Incursion

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel

Shapechanger trait to pose as Sergeant Luggik. During assaults through the portal, the slaad uses telepathy to relate information to Zot and Sotu’s agents, who then slip back through the portal. This helps the

Adventure Hooks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a1

Adventure Hooks Adventurers can find the Sunless Citadel within a remote and lonely ravine. The characters can be drawn to the dungeon for any of the following reasons. Relate the information below

of her family—or at least return the gold signet rings worn by the missing brother and sister. She also offers a reward of 125 gp per signet ring, per character. If the characters bring back the

Returning to Vizeran

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

theories, and I know how to banish the demon lords back to the Abyss. We can do this only if we work together, if you are willing and daring enough to directly challenge the demon lords. Or perhaps

and stronghold, where they can discuss the matter further. There, he can demonstrate what he intends to do and why he needs the heroes’ help. He refuses to discuss plans in detail in Gravenhollow

Abandoned Camp

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

horse to pack the field-dressed game back to the camp. Hunters don’t necessarily return to the camp every evening. They stay out until they have a load of meat to bring back. Hunting on the Greenfields

with them, these hunters can relate how the camp dissolved within hours after the discovery of the captured half-elf’s escape. Crates carried from the cave were loaded onto wagons or animals and hauled

Abandoned Camp

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

horse to pack the field-dressed game back to the camp. Hunters don’t necessarily return to the camp every evening. They stay out until they have a load of meat to bring back. Hunting on the Greenfields is

with them, these hunters can relate how the camp dissolved within hours after the discovery of the captured half-elf’s escape. Crates carried from the cave were loaded onto wagons or animals and hauled

Ironmaster

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Gauntlgrym. His descriptions of life in Ironmaster confirm much of what I’ve heard of the place, and so what I relate to you now is truth as solid as Moradin’s anvil. The dwarves of Ironmaster don’t want

you there, and they want little from the wider world that their traders can’t bring back for them. Approaches to the vale in which their city lies are clearly marked with the symbol of Ironmaster: an

Chapter 4: Adventures in Sharn

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Chapter 4: Adventures in Sharn Chapter 3 describes the city of Sharn in detail; the following sections focus on the adventures that can happen there. These adventures can unfold among the tallest

, and monstrous mercenaries do battle with heroes from all walks of life, while unscrupulous collectors and smugglers carry on a brisk trade in artifacts brought back from the cyclopean ruins of

Xanthoria's Defeat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

Xanthoria’s Defeat Once Xanthoria is defeated, the characters find the last few pages of her notes among her possessions. They detail her growing obsession with undead and her success at turning

brought back to life by any means. If the adventurers fail to convince Thunderwing to give up her life, she turns invisible and leaves the cave complex, taking refuge in the surrounding forest. Xanthoria re

Golems

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

the Dungeon Master’s Guide). The comprehensive illustrations and instructions in a manual detail the process for creating a golem of a particular type. “Beyond the unopenable doors lay a grand hall

ending before a towering stone throne, upon which sat an iron statue taller and wider than two men. In one hand it clutched an iron sword, in the other, a feather whip. We should have turned back then

Deciphering the Mask

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

left to you to choose, depending on the story you want to tell. Consult the Secrets of Phenax table, which presents several options for what divine secret Varyas’s eidolon might relate. The veracity

steal Phenax’s place among the gods for their own. 5 The secret to Phenax’s immortality lies in the Underworld and is accessible only by those who have died, come back, and journeyed to the

Getting Players Invested

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

back favorites from earlier in the campaign for the occasional cameo. Player Favorites It’s often easier to describe people and places that are hostile or frightening than it is to detail a feature

a character’s player directly, but instead consider handing over your narrative reins and letting a player describe the perfect detail. For example, say you have a peaceful village you plan to feature

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