Search Results
All Results
Characters
Compendium
Spells
Items
Monsters
Vehicles
Forums
Returning 35 results for 'bad bards diffusing calling reality'.
Classes
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing songs, and telling
tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them
Classes
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing songs, and telling
tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them
Sailor
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Backgrounds
Player’s Handbook (2014)
relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your Dungeon
more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town.
Variant Feature: Bad
Bard
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Classes
Basic Rules (2014)
of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation
still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers. The greatest strength of bards is their sheer
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
Learning from Experience True bards are not common in the world. Not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires
hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard’s life is spent
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
Learning from Experience True bards are not common in the world. Not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires
hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard’s life is spent
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
always straining to peer into another reality that seems to be just beyond my senses.
5
I’m uneasy if I can’t see plants growing or feel soil beneath my feet.
6
Seeing illness
conclave has a deeper connection to the Worldsoul than I do.
6
I’m trying to atone for the life of crime I led before I joined the Selesnya, but I find it hard to give up my bad habits
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
you served on, or another ship you have good relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route
. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town.
Variant Feature: Bad Reputation
If your character has a sailor
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
fireballs and magical flames at its foes.
Death slaadi are rumored to have a stench so bad it can be deadly. In reality, they can cast the cloudkill spell.
Inexperienced scholars and adventurers
sometimes assume that “slaad” is a misspelling or mispronunciation. Calling these creatures “salads” is frowned upon. Frogs are common on campus and are often kept as pets
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
. Half-elves often revere the gods of the culture in which they were raised, although some rebel against their upbringing, seeking out the gods of the other aspect of their heritage, or feeling a calling
or need to do so. As with any people, half-elves often choose a favored deity based on their calling or profession: Corellon Larethian, Azuth, or Mystra for wizards, Solonor Thelandira or Mielikki
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Roleplaying Lorinda Lorinda loves the trappings of motherhood and is off-puttingly maternal toward all those she encounters. She’s quick to dote on others, calling them unsettling pet names like
to prevent the villagers from learning her true nature. Personality Trait. “I’m the greatest parent in the world. I just need children worthy of my love.” Ideal. “Good children get rewards. Bad
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Psychological Horror Psychological horror stories create suspense by heightening or calling into question characters’ states of mind, emotions, and perceptions. They often highlight the difference
. Uncertainty, paranoia, and blurred lines between reality and fiction also shape psychological horror stories. In your adventures, this might take the form of unreliable information. Characters might experience
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Beholders: Bad Dreams Come True To those who would seek to conquer beholders or merely understand them, nearly everything about their quarry is unfathomable. These bizarre creatures are possessed of
alien intelligence, inhuman forms of perception, and the ability to shape reality through force of will — or even by their mere presence. Inside the comfortable confines of its subterranean lair, a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
agents include sophisticated bards, zealous paladins, talented mages, and grizzled warriors. They are chosen primarily for their loyalty and are experts in observation, stealth, innuendo, and combat
’ Alliance fights the things that the shopkeeper in his bed has never even heard of. We remove threats before the town mayor even knows about it. We make bad things go away. That’s what we’re good at.”
Rameel Jos
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
cultists hasten to gather together, read aloud their blasphemous texts, and conduct the mind-searing rituals that guide the blazing star spawn into the world. The cultists who blaspheme reality by
calling out to Elder Evils often speak of a Far Realm from which these entities hail. In truth, there is no one place or space from which they come. There is the multiverse of things that are, and there is the multiverse of things that shouldn’t be.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
College of Whispers Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing
songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
cloak or disguise one’s appearance), and proficiency with skills such as Deception, Performance, and Sleight of Hand all greatly benefit the Chameleon. Bards and rogues, as well as characters with
thronged by reporters, judge Haliss ir’Cronn took her seat for the first session in what some are calling the “trial of the century.”
Barath Drinn, a Karrn who has been living in Wroat since the end of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
character astray, especially if the object of the research is known to the rival. The rival might plant false information, bribe sages to give bad advice, or steal key tomes needed to find the truth. In
would have opened it. 4 A sage becomes obsessed with convincing you of a number of strange theories about reality.* 5 Your actions cause you to be banned from a library until you make reparations.* 6 You uncovered useful lore, but only by promising to complete a dangerous task in return. *Might involve a rival
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your Dungeon Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to
the Bad Reputation feature (see sidebar) instead of the Ship’s Passage feature. Variant Feature: Bad Reputation
If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
characters who hear that calling and respond to it. Running This Prelude Characters in this prelude can come from any background. Perhaps they’re discovering the gods for the first time, or they might be
divine calling to learn about their deity’s goals and become one of their chosen. You may alter any of this prelude’s elements to better match individual gods’ virtues and identities. Before you begin
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Scholars, wizards, druids, and bards of other races have different ideas about how halflings escape peril, suggesting that by virtue of something in their nature, they occupy a special place in the
off bad luck or to bring good fortune. Villages or even families might have superstitions observed by no one else, such as the following:
For a safe journey through a forest, leave a few seeds or a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
the Church and the nation in pursuit of the highest ideals of the faith, as they crusade against the forces of evil across Khorvaire. But are they fulfilling that high calling? Or are they just as
Persuasion (or sometimes Intimidation) and Religion can be useful for this character. Many clerics fill this role, but devout bards can also be effective Teachers. Some Teachers bring skills from the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
Warlock No, you don’t understand. My magic exists outside of any known reality. I wield the power of an entity that dwells beyond space and time. Clearly, none of the profits created by that magic
Idiom As a warlock, you bring every dark aspect of your dark path and darker calling to bear darkly on your franchise’s operations. Wrapping yourself in mysterious defensive power or tagging an enemy in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Reality Dawns When Kas reveals himself, a cacophony erupts downstairs. Sleeping characters are awakened, and otherwise occupied characters hear the following: Violent slamming and terrible crashes
. Alustriel correctly supposes that Kas plans to find Vecna and co-opt the lich-god’s ritual to become the most powerful being in existence. This outcome is as bad as Vecna ruling the multiverse, as far as
compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
character’s calling. Class shapes the way you think about the world and interact with it and your relationship with other people and powers in the multiverse. A fighter, for example, might view the world in
Wizard
A scholarly magic-user capable of manipulating the structures of reality
d6
Intelligence
Intelligence & Wisdom
Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
damage is a bad wound for the enemy, say: “You swing wildly, and the knight brings his shield up just a second too late. Your blade catches him along the jaw, drawing a deep gash. He recoils, bleeding
fictional reality of the game and in terms of the rules of the game. This means that when an enemy with a Crossbow takes the Ready action to cover the area in front of a door, the players should have a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
ballroom’s stage is filled with set pieces, props, and costumes. Treasure. Among the many other instruments stored here is Quill’s instrument of the bards (Cli lyre), which is kept in an ornate wooden case
ability to warp reality and bring to life things from their imagination. Renekor dreamed itself into Wisteria Vale from the Underdark. The beholder believes that the village and its residents are its own
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
rumors, and building a bad reputation around town. As a rule of thumb, a character has a 10 percent chance of triggering a complication for each workweek of carousing. Lower-Class Carousing Complications
the streets seemed like a great idea at the time. 8 Everyone is calling you by some weird, embarrassing nickname, like Puddle Drinker or Bench Slayer, and no one will say why.* *Might involve a rival
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands
animosity. They have bad blood with the Harmonium, who view the Fated as wrongheaded and dangerous, and Factol Darkwood and Factol Montgomery of the Society of Sensation are bitter rivals. Fraternity of
laws of Sigil, all the while searching for hidden truths that dictate reality. Guvners gather detailed records of every portal and key they find in Sigil and pay well for such information
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
townsfolk. Chaotic Neutral. (CN) creatures follow their whims, holding their personal freedom above all else. Many rogues and bards are chaotic neutral. Lawful Evil. (LE) creatures methodically take
boastfulness and has a fear of heights resulting from a bad fall during her career as a thief. Artemis Entreri is always prepared for the worst and moves with a quick, precise confidence.
Consider their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
believe that their appearance derives from the primal fear inspired by fiendish creatures, while bards assert that panic, being such a repulsive emotion, is embodied by an equally ugly creature
—broken and consumed by the march of eternity. It has no sense of empathy or compassion, driven only to unmake so that the resulting base elements of reality can fuel the multiverse’s endless cycles of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
end of each of its turns until it exits the cylinder. While in a psipod, an unconscious creature finds itself drawn into a simulated reality created by the ulitharid (see the “Alterdeep” sidebar) and
city limits, Extremiton creates situations to dissuade them: bad weather, a city-wide lockdown, a festival — whatever it takes. The ulitharid hasn’t researched areas outlying the city. Consequently
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
. Two magic items are displayed here as well. Anstruth Harp. An exquisitely crafted harp sized for a human rests on a shelf. This instrument of the bards was acquired from a human bard who counseled
conch in her tower bedchamber (area 33), though he doesn’t know exactly where. If the characters seem intent on running amok, Thullen tries to defeat them quickly for the good of his family, calling on
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
faithful of the dark god hide their true calling and live otherwise normal lives as dock workers, fishers, or sailors. For years, they gathered once a month at the temple to venerate the dark god through the
a tightly sewn oilcloth — an instrument of the bards (Cli lyre) found by a cultist years before. The lyre is the cult’s greatest treasure, and has been kept as a gift for the leader that the cultists
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
events to me, but I must confess that much of what he said made little sense. It was a long lecture having something to do with stars, “crystal spheres,” and “demiplanar reality mirrors.” Suffice it to
most obvious of Waterdeep’s so-called splendors. After the Spellplague came the Sundering. Elf scholars insist on calling it the Second Sundering, asserting that the creation of Evermeet thousands of