back build diffusing contingency runes

Prisoner 13

Monsters Keys from the Golden Vault

. Black and gray smoke and shadows coil down her left arm, ending in runes on the fingers of her left hand. Knotwork. Purple and blue knotwork and runes run down her right arm, across the back of her right

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

Troglodyte Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

relying on constant raids and hunting to survive. They take sadistic pleasure in hunting intelligent creatures weaker than themselves and show no mercy toward those they capture and drag back to their

in a frenzy. Troglodytes make little and build less, scavenging their possessions from their prey. They understand the value of metal weapons and armor, and fight among one another for the right to

Longbow of the Healing Hearth

Magic Items Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

This ivory longbow is inscribed with a prayer to the god Hiatea, the runes of which are entwined with gilded engravings of wheat stalks and deer antlers. You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage

rolls made with this weapon. If you load no ammunition in the weapon, it produces its own, automatically creating one magic arrow when you pull back the string. The arrow created by the bow vanishes the

Tlincalli

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

alive. After using their stingers to paralyze victims and their spiked chains to bind them, tlincallis take these captives back to their encampment and tie them to cacti or rock formations. When the

powerful hunter, such as a blue dragon, they carefully weigh whether to serve the superior hunter, move on, or fight to the death to remove it as competition. Tlincallis rarely build cities, make

Returned Sentry

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

work well together, sharing the unified goals of overcoming their foes and getting back to the task at hand. Returned have escaped the Underworld and dwell among the living once more, but their

’t build meaningful relationships or establish new lives. Instead, most experience fleeting emotions and follow hollow routines, their existences reduced to shadow plays without weight or substance

Goliath Werebear

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Build (Humanoid Form Only). The werebear counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift. Shapechanger. The werebear can use its action to

polymorph into a Large bear–humanoid hybrid or into a Large polar bear, or back into its goliath form. Its statistics, other than its size and AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is

Owlin

Species Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

that extend from their back and shoulders. Like owls, owlin are graced with feathers that make no sound when they move or fly, making it easy for them to sneak up on you in the library. Your owlin

increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your

Sorcerer Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

Golden eyes flashing, a human stretches out her hand and unleashes the dragonfire that burns in her veins. As an inferno rages around her foes, leathery wings spread from her back and she takes to

the air. Long hair whipped by a conjured wind, a half-elf spreads his arms wide and throws his head back. Lifting him momentarily off the ground, a wave of magic surges up in him, through him, and out

Moloch

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

him win back his title. Rumors suggest that he can often be found in Sigil, where he bargains with yugoloths to build yet another army with which he might invade Malbolge and wrest the throne from

Pidlwick II

Monsters Curse of Strahd

return the courtesy, the duchess commissioned the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg to build a clockwork effigy of Pidlwick as a gift for Strahd's family. Although the duchess's heart was in the right

sneak out of the closet in the middle of the night, smother the guest with a pillow, and then retreat back to the closet. The castle staff never considered that the effigy might be responsible

Rak Tulkhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Tulkhesh magically polymorphs into a humanoid, beast, or giant that has a challenge rating no higher than his own, or back into his true form. He reverts to his true form if he dies. Any equipment he

their lives to build a prison of celestial light: a silver flame that bound the overlords in Khyber once more. These bonds have held for countless generations, but the overlords still yearn to break free

Sul Khatesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

polymorphs into a humanoid, beast, or giant that has a challenge rating no higher than her own, or back into her true form. She reverts to her true form if she dies. Any equipment she is wearing or

rose up against them. Armies of dragons fought against the fiends of Khyber. And though the overlords couldn't be destroyed, the couatl sacrificed their lives to build a prison of celestial light: a

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of steel, cutting down one enemy after another. After tumbling away from a cone of freezing air, an elf finds her feet and draws back her bow to loose an arrow at the white dragon. Shrugging off the

whistles to the hawk that circles high above him, calling the bird back to his side. Whispering instructions in Elvish, he points to the owlbear he’s been tracking and sends the hawk to distract

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

Regis the halfling, the only one of his kind for hundreds of miles in any direction, locked his fingers behind his head and leaned back against the mossy blanket of the tree trunk. Regis was short

communities are threatened. Pastoral Pleasantries Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They rarely build kingdoms of their own or even hold much

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

her holy symbol as light pours from it to drive back the zombies crowding in on her companions. Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the

a troublemaker? What are your ultimate goals? Does your deity have a special task in mind for you? Or are you striving to prove yourself worthy of a great quest? QUICK BUILD You can make a cleric

Young Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, chests, backs, and tails. One horn arcs from the back of a moonstone dragon’s skull and another at the tip of the nose; the two horns together form a shape that’s reminiscent of a slender

assist the spellcaster’s nefarious schemes. 8 A moonstone dragon that accidentally stumbled through a portal to the Material Plane can’t find a way back home to the Feywild

Azuredge

Magic Items Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

weapon is searching for a new owner. Azuredge has a solid steel handle etched with tiny runes, wrapped in blue dragon hide with a star sapphire set into the pommel. The axe head is forged from silver

feet and a long range of 180 feet. Whether it hits or misses, the axe flies back to you at the end of the current turn, landing in your open hand or at your feet in your space (as you choose). The axe

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

power manifests visibly in the gem-like spines that run in a ridge from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. These spines hover above a living topaz dragon’s back, dancing and shifting with

the survivors (including the dragonborn ship captain) back to the city they came from. Topaz Dragon Lairs Topaz dragons are happiest by the sea. They spend most of their time basking in the

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

and ruin. But for the last few generations, some bands among the tribes were tempted to settle, make peace, trade, and even to build towns. Perhaps this is why Uthgar chose to raise up the totems

among the people as living embodiments of his power. Perhaps they needed a reminder of who they were and from whence they came. The Chosen of Uthgar led bands back to the old ways, and most of your people

10. Where's Halaster?

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

10. Where’s Halaster? This room is empty except for an enormous red velvet curtain that covers the northwest wall. A pull-rope on one side of the curtain allows it to be drawn back. Hanging on the

in the middle row. Removing that painting from the wall triggers an elder rune hidden behind it (see “Elder Runes”). Determine the rune with a random draw from the Elder Runes Deck (see appendix B).

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

contingency. If the rules tried to do so, the game would become unplayable. An alternative would be for the rules to severely limit what characters can do, which would be counter to the open-endedness of

D&D. The direction we chose for the current edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we embraced the DM’s role as the bridge between the things the rules address and the

10. Mad Mage's Puzzle

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

, his head thrown back in laughter as he rides a great blue dragon. With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, a character can fit all the puzzle pieces together with 1 hour’s work. If

creature in the cave (see “Elder Runes”). Draw a card from the Elder Runes Deck (appendix B) to determine which rune appears.

Adult Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

; scales. It glows like starlight between their bodies and the spines and horns that hover close to their heads and backs. These horns shift with the dragon’s mood: bristling with anger, lying back

above to build their lairs. Then, like gem cutters seeking the perfect diamond, they spend much of their lives refining, polishing, and enhancing the beauty of their lairs. Crystal dragons&rsquo

Ancient Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

anger, lying back with fear or suspicion, and rippling in side-to-side waves with amusement or joy. Visions in Starlight Many crystal dragons study the stars, recording their observations of the night

seek out frigid, picturesque locations with clear views of the sky above to build their lairs. Then, like gem cutters seeking the perfect diamond, they spend much of their lives refining, polishing

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata

players to bring them to life and a DM to guide their use. The DM is key. Many unexpected things can happen in a D&D campaign, and no set of rules could reasonably account for every contingency. If

direction we took for fifth edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we celebrate the DM as the bridge between the things the rules address and the things they don’t. In a

Arrival

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

of the gulch, a large glowing purple moonstone, carved into the form of a dwarf, stands on a rocky ledge. Glowing purple runes, etched into the ground and walls of the gulch, encircle the moonstone

. Another gnomish figure rests, unmoving, with his back against the moonstone. Bones, bits of armor, and weapons are scattered around him.

Gnolls

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

. The origin of the gnolls traces back to a time when the demon lord Yeenoghu found his way to the Material Plane and ran amok. Packs of ordinary hyenas followed in his wake, scavenging the demon lord’s

kills. Those hyenas were transformed into the first gnolls, parading after Yeenoghu until he was banished back to the Abyss. The gnolls then scattered across the face of the world, a dire reminder of

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

sewer tunnels, paying them with food and tools the kobolds wouldn’t have access to on their own. If they are treated well and left alone to do the job, the kobolds work industriously and build a

, they might build a warren and make a permanent home there, while continuing to expand the town’s sewers as the community grows. These so-called “city kobolds” live underground but

6. Annam's Temple

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

archway is 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall. Six different runes are carved into it, each one inlaid with mithral, and a glowing mist fills the arch. Niches in the walls on either side of it contain empty

weight of each weapon and the archway rune associated with each weapon (see “Archway and Runes”). Each statue has AC 20, a damage threshold of 10, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. The statue of

16. Secret Door

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a3

warrior armed with a spear and shield. The shield, which rests on the floor, resembles a sundial, complete with a marker standing out from the wall. Etched on the shield’s surface are runes in Olman

script. The message on the shield reads, “Turn back!” Instead of being part of a solid carving, the shield has a seam that a character can discover with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check

3. Arch Gate to Level 6

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

3. Arch Gate to Level 6 A three-forked passageway rises out of the swamp. The center passage has an arch embedded in its back wall. This arch is one of Halaster’s magic gates (see “Gates”). The space

successful one. Characters must be 9th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “Jhesiyra Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A

A Note about Size

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

A Note about Size As described in the Dungeon Master's Guide, magic items meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. If your campaign features a lot of magic items made by

' techniques. Giant-Crafted Items Beyond its size, a giant-crafted version of a magic item might look different from its traditional appearance. For example, runes and rune carving are central to the

To the Lighthouse

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

make use of it. But there are options for holding back on the magic of the orrery and its components if you want to (see the “Level Inappropriate” sidebar in episode 2), and an overland journey has its

own rewards, in the form of additional encounters and side treks that can help build a fun story. This episode provides one side trek that sees the characters stop in Neverwinter on their way to the

Chapter 5: Isle of the Abbey

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

Chapter 5: Isle of the Abbey A local mariners’ guild would like to claim a small, strategically located island and build a lighthouse there. But so far, its representatives have not been able to

reached back to his early days as a Dungeon Master, restricting himself to using only monsters found in the rulebook he started with. The result is a scenario that shows how restraints breed creativity.

Reghed Tribe Camp

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

, each with its own chieftain (the most powerful of whom often carries the title of king or queen). A clan might set up its camp for a tenday or two, then dismantle it and go back on the move, allowing

the same tribe to commingle and build their camps close to one another, the four tribes avoid contact with one another. Members of one tribe are rarely found in another tribe’s camp unless some sort of diplomacy is taking place.

D&D Beyond

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