bad barely diffusing cunning role

Drow Favored Consort

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. Combining the roles of advisor, protector, and beloved, some favored consorts are content with a supporting role, while more ambitious consorts aspire to be the power behind the throne—or even to

claim the throne themselves. Those favored consorts who prove their cunning gain the ear, and perhaps even the heart, of their priestess and are relied on to provide useful advice. No position of

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

recuperate. You’ve survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each. You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but

I eat like a pig and have bad manners. 6 I think anyone who’s nice to me is hiding evil intent. 7 I don’t like to bathe. 8 I bluntly say what other people are hinting at

Crab Folk

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

, their lack of cunning foiled her plans. Many tumbled into the sea and drowned, too simpleminded and impatient to learn how to swim. Others smashed caravans and crushed their defenders most effectively

bad luck a gull might happen to land near a crab folk lair and utter the right combination of cries to summon up this ancient compulsion. Driven to action, the crab folk rampage along the coast

Prisoner 13

Monsters Keys from the Golden Vault

her role as an agent, so she devised a plan to take power for herself. Over five years she took careful stock of Clan Axebreaker’s wealth and, in one fell swoop, used her network of lieutenants to

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

Criminal / Spy Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

. Even criminals who operate outside of such organizations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below

. 4 I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying. 5 I turn tail and run when things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

elements, and endured sickness without the advantage of medicine or a place to recuperate. You’ve survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each

a pig and have bad manners. 6 I think anyone who’s nice to me is hiding evil intent. 7 I don’t like to bathe. 8 I bluntly say what other people are hinting at or hiding

Fraz-Urb'luu Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

Deception and Demon Lord of Illusions. He uses every trick, every ounce of demonic cunning, to manipulate his enemies—mortal and fiend alike—to do his will. Fraz-Urb’luu can create

shoulders. He can assume other forms, however, from the hideous to the beautiful. Often the demon lord becomes so immersed in playing a role that he loses himself in it for a time. Many of the cultists

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

created the orcs and continues to direct their destiny. He is aided and abetted by the other warrior deities, Bahgtru and Ilneval, who bring strength and cunning to the battlefield. The followers of all

orcs can be dominated by evil creatures of immense power, and they accept this subservient role either because they are forced to or because it offers them a measure of security while they engage in

Urban Bounty Hunter

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

areas to help you succeed. You might be a cunning thief-catcher, prowling the rooftops to catch one of the myriad burglars of the city. Perhaps you are someone who has your ear to the street, aware of

things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

. Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature’s resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over

, druids take on a more active role in combating the threat, as adventurers. Creating a Druid When making a druid, consider why your character has such a close bond with nature. Perhaps your

Dark Fantasy

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

keep in mind the role of heroes and ensure places for light in your dark fantasy domain. If a domain holds no place for hope, there’s also little call for resistance and meaningful plots. In addition

and evil are blurred. Choices involve deciding which outcome is least bad. Corruption and suspicion flourish among organizations and individuals. Magic and magic items might be rarer or require a

Foreword

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

. We’ve visited Waterdeep before, but not like this. Clever heroes will respect the city’s rules. Those who get on the city’s bad side are in for a rough time, as the City of Splendors is home to some of

before work on the adventure was scheduled to begin. Matthew Mercer, whom you might know from the livestreamed show Critical Role, lent us his boundless imagination and helped flesh out the villains and

Roleplaying Strahd

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

, with barely a hint of emotion left. He is above the concerns of the living. The only event that occasionally haunts him is the death of Tatyana, but his view of the past is bereft of romance or regret

, especially if a person is clever or attractive. Men and women of beauty and cunning amuse Strahd for a time—playthings to possess or discard as he desires. If he senses a lack of cohesion in a party of

Phenax

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

cloak of Athreos, the River Guide, who ushers the dead to their final rest. Hidden by illusion as he was, neither Athreos nor Erebos could find Phenax and bring him back. Able to play whatever role

the situation calls for, Phenax is a consummate actor. His incisive wit and cunning enable him to read the desires of his marks, adjusting his approach to suit the moment. In his rare moments of candor

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

;t a native, your reason for leaving “home” probably has something to do with getting away from a bad situation. Feature: All Eyes on You Your accent, mannerisms, figures of

and wonderful! (Chaotic) 4 Cunning. Though I may not know their ways, neither do they know mine, which can be to my advantage. (Evil) 5 Inquisitive. Everything is new, but I have a thirst

Personal Impact

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

Personal Impact As players develop characters in an Eberron campaign, you can work with them to determine the role that the war played in their background. Here are a few topics for conversation

: Military Service. Did the character fight in the war? If so, which nation did they serve and what role did they fill? If more than one of the characters fought in the war, did they serve together (or as

Horror in Your Game

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

tales, but what place do they have in your D&D game? As a DM, you determine what place horror has in your adventures. Consider the following topics and how this book can aid you in determining the role of

attention for both of us. We’ve found no trace of Vhorishkova since arriving, but I feel her watching. It’s like she’s everywhere. It’s bad here, Uncle. Not snake-headed hogs bad. Like, full Delmunster

The Vanthampur Family

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

The Vanthampur Family Thalamra Vanthampur is a cunning, devil-worshiping beast of a woman in her late sixties who can stare down a hell hound without flinching. She is barrel-bodied, with strong

. Thurstwell’s real problem is that his mother doesn’t see him as her successor, and is grooming Amrik to fill that role. Despite his jealousy, Thurstwell would never visit harm upon Amrik for fear of incurring

Fraz-Urb'luu

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

Fraz-Urb’luu All demons are liars, but Fraz-Urb’luu is the Prince of Deception and Demon Lord of Illusions. He uses every trick, every ounce of demonic cunning, to manipulate his enemies — mortal and

bat-like wings are furled against his powerful shoulders. He can assume other forms, however, from the hideous to the beautiful. Often the demon lord becomes so immersed in playing a role that he loses

Sora Kell, the Queen of the Night

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

knowledge by force and cunning. A mighty wizard with magic worthy of epic tales, she is a monster whose adamantine claws can flense whole armies before any soldier can land a blow on her plated hide

have allies, except for a handful of other legends like the following groups: Daughters of Sora Kell. Sora Kell’s three daughters—the gifted oracle Sora Teraza, the cunning trickster Sora Katra, and the

Matriculating from the Schools of Magic

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

school can help define your role in the business, as well as your fellow franchise members’ expectations for you. Abjuration Protective magic is often underappreciated by the members of the lesser

party members, your role as an abjurer is always greatly appreciated. Just don’t make the rookie mistake of protecting everybody else before you take care of yourself and the goods. And if you need to

Fraz-Urb'luu

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

Fraz-Urb’luu All demons are liars, but Fraz-Urb’luu is the Prince of Deception and Demon Lord of Illusions. He uses every trick, every ounce of demonic cunning, to manipulate his enemies — mortal and

bat-like wings are furled against his powerful shoulders. He can assume other forms, however, from the hideous to the beautiful. Often the demon lord becomes so immersed in playing a role that he loses

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

appreciation for the finer things! — Volo Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully. Cunning in battle and

; and the word is part of the name they give to any of its practitioners. A goblin with access to booyahg becomes a member of the lashers and can often rise to the role of boss. “Booyahg&rdquo

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

interest of maintaining the strength of their personal bloodline. The yuan-ti have abandoned their humanity and consider non-serpentine humanoids to be lesser creatures, barely more civilized than

common apes. Although some purebloods are able to reproduce with humans, most are disgusted by the idea and would do so only if seduction is necessary for a pureblood to preserve a role as a confidant or

Adventures in Bluetspur

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

on other domains. Taking inspiration from sci-fi horror and tales of alien abduction, adventures involving Bluetspur’s mind flayers might begin anywhere with bad dreams or a stranger’s impossible

only surviving creature in the wreck is a cunning displacer beast. 4 The characters find a strange but adorable creature trapped within an abandoned alien installation. The being is a lovable

Story Overview

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

for the citizens of the Tenth District, but not without attracting the attention of the guilds. A cunning opportunist, Krenko has spent years consolidating goblin street rabble into his fiercely loyal

, a rival goblin gang that often deals in illicit arms. Rumors swirled that Krenko killed Dargig, the youngest of the three brothers, after a weapons drop went bad. The remaining two brothers, Rikkig

The Role of Rules

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

The Role of Rules Why even have a column like Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules

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

Beholders: Bad Dreams Come True

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

. Think ye weave cunning schemes and elaborate intrigues with fallback plans and positions? Beholders change, refine, discard, and spin anew scores of such plans, all the time. To the average beholder, human intrigues are the fumblings of babies. — Elminster

Factions in Athas

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

important common values and work toward the same end: the destruction of slavery. They fulfill something like the role of the Order of the Gauntlet in Athas. The Free are not directly concerned with

bureaucracy of a specific city-state can serve a similar role in a Dark Sun conversion of this adventure. The city-state most immediately concerned with the rise of a dangerous magical cult in the Great

Survival Skills

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

itself to give its fellows time to collapse a nearby tunnel and prevent invaders from getting to the rest of the tribe. All kobolds know that fleeing from danger, especially against bad odds, is the smart

into this role by its peers — is just hoping to slow down the invaders long enough to give the rest of the tribe time to prepare a lethal trap, an ambush, or a quick getaway. The tribe’s leader is

Draegloth

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

the draegloth in a significant role, because its abilities can turn the tide in a battle against a house that doesn’t have a draegloth of its own. Subservient Enforcers. Although it plays an important

the role set for it and not challenging authority. Draegloths instinctively resist this sort of treatment, but most of them take out their frustration on their house’s enemies. A draegloth that can’t

Ascendant Factions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

all divine power. Faction Attire. Defiers wear geometric, starry fabrics that hint at their astral ties. They adorn their outfits with silver chains and broken holy symbols. Role in Sigil. The Athar

. Bleakers dress in gloomy, drab color schemes. Frayed clothing and weather-beaten gear are common. Role in Sigil. The Bleak Cabal’s headquarters is the Gatehouse, a fortress of healing and respite in

Air Envelopes

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Astral Adventurer’s Guide

-foot cube Gargantuan 20-foot cube A creature that needs to breathe will exhaust the air in its personal envelope in 1 minute. Since this is barely enough time to get anywhere, most creatures travel

is humid and smells bad. Any creature that breathes foul air becomes poisoned until it breathes fresh air again. The air aboard a ship with a normal crew complement degrades from fresh to foul on day

Copper Dragon Lairs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

walls in the lair can conceal cunning hidden passages or might be stone or clay thin enough for the dragon to burst through them. The narrowest tunnels in a copper dragon’s lair are just barely wide

The Waters of Lyth

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

humanoid bones barely covered by the water. Outcropping Caves Three natural caves open near the top of the 30-foot-high rock formation at the far end of the pool. These crevices might be noticed by

sisters can interpret their visions. One of the harpies, Jhamp, is a particularly bad liar, snickering and casting obvious glances while her sisters attempt to dupe strangers. If someone drinks from the

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