back build diffusing core reasons

Incarnation of Transience

Monsters Lorwyn: First Light

spectral existence in material reality. Each incarnation resembles a saurian behemoth with an axolotl face, a many-frilled tail, and a hulking back covered in bright-orange pustules. In Lorwyn

retains its core identity but might transform physically. An incarnation of hope in Lorwyn, for example, might resemble a giant dove with a lizard’s tail and leonine legs; in Shadowmoor, this same

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

Caradoc

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

at his core, the seneschal didn’t return as a skeletal knight but rather as an intangible spirit. Caradoc’s Undead form suits him well, allowing him to possess the living and use unwilling

’s swiftly pulled back if caught beyond its walls without a host. Personality Trait. “I might be dead, but there’s no reason I can’t live it up a little.” Ideal. &ldquo

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

among them usually venture into the world for reasons of community, friendship, wanderlust, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple things, such as an exotic food or an unfamiliar

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

Criminal / Spy Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder. Suggested Characteristics Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an

important was taken from me, and I aim to steal it back. 4 I will become the greatest thief that ever lived. 5 I’m guilty of a terrible crime. I hope I can redeem myself for it. 6

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

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

realizing the connection. You got the Guild to back off demands for your death by offering to make amends by working for the criminals, but even so the kingpin still plots a personal revenge. 2 The

work, do what needs to be done, and get paid. Anyone who pursues crime for thrill-seeking, to strike back at unjust authorities, or anything else are amateurs, and they’re liable to get you

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

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

indolence offers no clue to how vicious the creatures are. Bugbears are capable of bouts of incredible ferocity, using their muscular bodies to exact swift and ruthless violence. At their core

in the presence of Skiggaret. Talking about such acts might call him back. Blessings of the Bugbear Gods Bugbears have no use for priests or shamans. No one needs to tell them what their gods want

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

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group Membership in an adventurers’ guild doesn’t affect the composition of your party in any way, though it may provide added reasons for why a party features a diverse array of characters with varied fields of expertise.

Morkoth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

;s petrified flesh came back to life as morkoths: tentacled monstrosities brimming with malice and greed. Morkoths are driven by greed and selfishness mixed with a yearning for conflict. They hoard

fragments that make up the island’s core are also located. Sections of the lair and its center might be kept dry to better protect and preserve collected objects and creatures, but most of the lair

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

raid just as another group returns, laden with severed heads, sacks of loot, and armfuls of food. Warriors also serve as scouts, bringing back detailed reports about the surrounding area so that the

haul as much food and booty as possible back to the tribe’s den, every tribe has a sturdy war wagon. Since orcs are poor crafters, most of their wagons are stolen from human or dwarven

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Geth’s ancient heritage rose up from deep within him, spreading out from the core of his being. Some shifters manifested terrible claws, others massive fangs, still others astounding speed or

different in personality. With any shifter, identifying the beast within is a crucial part of understanding the character. Similar and Diverse Shifters are similar to humans in height and build but are

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

Champions of Rock Throwing

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

, and sport — is a tradition that goes back to the ancient times of the giants. Other races developed the sling, the spear-thrower, or the bow to artificially improve the strength and accuracy of their

boulders. Frost giants build targets out of snow and ice and compete to see who can knock down the most with a single toss. A popular one-on-one game begins with the challenger throwing a stone as

Elemental Engines

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

the airship’s pilot, the elemental core can be suppressed, causing the elemental energy to disappear and flow back into the Khyber dragonshard core. An airship’s elemental core and connecting arcane

Elemental Engines Airships are powered by an elemental spirit bound to a core carved from a Khyber dragonshard. This core is placed into a heavily fortified containment chamber connected to an arcane

Rage of Demons

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

Rage of Demons Once the dark heart talisman is placed and the characters signal Vizeran, there’s no turning back. The waiting is the hard part. Time seems to drag as you remain alert, weapons drawn

, every nerve singing with the tension in the air all around you. Finally, a swirling light begins to flare in the darkness. A barely audible humming shakes you to the core, rising and falling like a

It's Your World

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

, but they’re not the only set of assumptions that can do so. You can build an interesting campaign concept by altering one or more of those core assumptions, just as well-established D&D worlds have done

It’s Your World In creating your campaign world, it helps to start with the core assumptions and consider how your setting might change them. The subsequent sections of this chapter address each

Mission to Tashluta

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

Mission to Tashluta A’lai Aivenmore asks the characters to travel to the city of Tashluta in Tashalar, find Mayastan Sadaar at the House of the All-Seeing Orb, and bring her back. The First Reader

has no proof that Mayastan is in danger, but the implications of her name appearing in The Canopic Being are alarming. A’lai expects that the characters have their own reasons to investigate, having

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

Welcome to Dragon's Rest

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

and wish you good luck before they row back to the ship. Your visit to Dragon’s Rest begins! Before continuing with the adventure, encourage the players to introduce their characters to each other if

they haven’t done so already. They might want to discuss their reasons for visiting Dragon’s Rest, or they might prefer to keep their reasons secret for now. If they have any questions about what they

The Planes of Eberron

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

experiences of dreamers. There is a dark core at the heart of the plane, shaped by the nightmare force known as the Dreaming Dark. For reasons unknown to the general populace, Dal Quor is always remote

ghosts become more common. Resurrection spells are easier to perform, but carry the risk of bringing back unwanted spirits. Fernia: The Sea of Fire. This plane encompasses both the raw elemental force

Arcane Workshop

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

build specialized workshops for those purposes. Arcane Workshop Adventures Characters might find their way to an arcane workshop for a variety of reasons. Some possibilities are outlined in the Arcane

and tools to diagrams etched into the floors and walls. Although most workshops are controlled by House Cannith, that house is not the only group of artificers who build and operate such locations

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