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Returning 35 results for 'bad before deciding cases rules'.
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Criminal / Spy
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Backgrounds
Basic Rules (2014)
than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society
.
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.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
The Middle Path Many DMs find that using a combination of the two approaches works best. By balancing the use of dice against deciding on success, you can encourage your players to strike a balance
between relying on their bonuses and abilities and paying attention to the game and immersing themselves in its world. Remember that dice don’t run your game — you do. Dice are like rules. They’re
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
used for. The Ability Checks table summarizes that material for easy reference. Multiple Ability Checks Sometimes a character fails an ability check and wants to try again. In some cases, a character is
successful one. In other cases, failing an ability check makes it impossible to make the same check to do the same thing again. For example, a rogue might try to trick a town guard into thinking the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
knowledge, but the dragon is cagey on that point. Seeing good and bad in equal measure among the lesser races, Ileuthra recognizes that helping the humanoids is less a case of deciding whether they are worthy
of aid, and more about deciding whether these adventurer ambassadors can be trusted to properly lead the factions. Desire. Ileuthra has no preconceived sense of what might be the best course, and he
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
knowledge, but the dragon is cagey on that point. Seeing good and bad in equal measure among the lesser races, Ileuthra recognizes that helping the humanoids is less a case of deciding whether they are worthy
of aid, and more about deciding whether these adventurer ambassadors can be trusted to properly lead the factions. Desire. Ileuthra has no preconceived sense of what might be the best course, and he
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth
Tool Proficiencies: One
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.
Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
everywhere in the world around them, and the priests of a tribe are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying these signs and omens — both good and bad — and deciding how the tribe should
ward off diseases if they are worn.
Don’t stand inside a ring of stones, mushrooms, or any other kind of circle.
Seeing a shooting star before a battle is bad luck. To ward it off, you must
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
at your office with a case. Clientele d6 Clientele 1 Wealthy Socialites. Your discretion and low-key approach to cases make you the perfect team to handle cases best keep out of the public eye. 2
justice. 3 Magnet for Trouble. Maybe you trust people too easily or it’s just bad luck, but every client who walks into your office has some double deal, hidden agenda, or scam they’re running. 4
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
session and for creating situations that facilitate fun. Improviser. A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters’ actions in a
way that will make the game fun for everyone. Referee. When it’s not clear what ought to happen next, the DM decides how to apply the rules. Storyteller. The DM crafts adventures, setting situations in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
session and for creating situations that facilitate fun. Improviser. A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters’ actions in a
way that will make the game fun for everyone. Referee. When it’s not clear what ought to happen next, the DM decides how to apply the rules. Storyteller. The DM crafts adventures, setting situations in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Table Rules Ideally, players come to the gaming table with the same goal: to have a fun time together. This section gives recommendations for table rules you can establish to help meet that goal
. Here are some fundamentals: Foster respect. Don’t bring personal conflicts to the table or let disagreements escalate into bad feelings. Don’t touch others’ dice if they’re sensitive about it. Avoid
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Simultaneous Effects Most effects in the game happen in succession, following an order set by the rules or the DM. In rare cases, effects can happen at the same time, especially at the start or end
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Rules House rules include optional rules, such as those presented in chapter 9 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, and rules you create. If you plan to use any house rules, session zero is a good time to
discuss those rules with the players and solicit their input. House rules are best presented as experiments, and time will tell if they’re good for your game. If you introduce a house rule in session
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
around them, and the priests of a tribe are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying these signs and omens — both good and bad — and deciding how the tribe should react to them. As a race, orcs
stones, mushrooms, or any other kind of circle. Seeing a shooting star before a battle is bad luck. To ward it off, you must swallow a stone. A tribute of elf ears brings favor from Gruumsh. If you bury
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Chapter 1: This Is Your Life The character creation rules in the Player’s Handbook provide all the information you need to define your character in preparation for a life of adventuring. What they
experience before deciding to become an adventurer? What were the circumstances of your birth? How large is your family, and what sorts of relationships do you have with your relatives? Which people
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Rules of Conduct Although Zybilna is indisposed, three of the rules she put into place when she created her Feywild domain continue to hold weight: the rule of hospitality, the rule of ownership, and
the rule of reciprocity. These three rules are common knowledge in Prismeer, and both natives and visitors would do well to abide by them: Rule of Hospitality. When a friend, an enemy, or a stranger
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
specialize in one particular kind of work, or it might take whatever cases come its way. Roll or pick from the Investigative Expertise table to determine your agency’s specialty. Investigative
Enforcement. The city watch must obey the rules to bring criminals to justice. When the rules need to be bent or broken, they turn to you for help. 5 Uncover Secrets. You put your inquisitive skills to use
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Borderlands Quest: Goblin Trouble
Introducing the Game Once the players have familiarized themselves with their characters, you’re ready to introduce the game. Now that you’re familiar with your characters and the basics of the rules
, we’re going to play a short adventure to introduce you to Dungeons & Dragons. As the Dungeon Master, I tell you what’s going on in the world around you, and I use the rules and dice rolls to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Part 3: Master of Rules Dungeons & Dragons isn’t a head-to-head competition, but it needs someone who is impartial yet involved in the game to guarantee that everyone at the table plays by the rules
. As the player who creates the game world and the adventures that take place within it, the DM is a natural fit to take on the referee role. As a referee, the DM acts as a mediator between the rules
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
bandit ambush interrupts their journey. The exploration rules in the Player’s Handbook give guidelines for determining travel time based on the characters’ pace. In most cases, it’s fine to estimate
encounters take less than 1 minute (10 rounds), but it’s fair to round up to a whole minute in most cases, assuming characters take a few seconds to pull themselves together after a fight. Use similar
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
involved.” Sometimes the rules allow for any one of two or more proficiencies to apply to a check. When deciding what check a character should make, be generous in determining if the character’s
each ability is used for. (Constitution checks are rare, as tests of a character’s endurance are usually passive or reactive, making a saving throw more appropriate.) Proficiency When the rules or a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
adventurer to complete a task. In those cases, the DM might ask the player to roll a die to help determine what happens. Describing the results often leads to another decision point, which brings the
certain situations—particularly combat—the action is more structured, and everyone takes turns. Exceptions Supersede General Rules
General rules govern each part of the game. For example, the combat
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
adventurer to complete a task. In those cases, the DM might ask the player to roll a die to help determine what happens. Describing the results often leads to another decision point, which brings the
certain situations—particularly combat—the action is more structured, and everyone takes turns. Exceptions Supersede General Rules
General rules govern each part of the game. For example, the combat
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
avoid the main blast of a fireball, or does he or she take full damage from the blaze? In cases where the outcome of an action is uncertain, the Dungeons & Dragons game relies on rolls of a 20-sided
the core of the rules of the game. All three follow these simple steps. Roll the die and add a modifier. Roll a d20 and add the relevant modifier. This is typically the modifier derived from one of
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
usually the oldest and smartest kobold; the other kobolds respect the old one’s ability to survive so long, and they assume the leader will use that knowledge to help the tribe survive. In some cases, the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
devil has a unique name to ensure that no cases of mistaken identity occur when a devil is called to account for its actions. A devil’s form usually corresponds to its status, but circumstances can
ranks. A devil of a higher rank can potentially compel those beneath it to obey its orders, but it must still abide by the law when exercising its authority. In most cases, a devil can demand the
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
another actual beholder. To call this process reproduction would be inaccurate, because in most cases the old and new beholders fight to the death — a fact for which the rest of the world is thankful
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
threat. Use this book to help you and your players communicate about a game’s rules, plots, and other content, assuring it includes only the elements you all enjoy. Focus on Fun. Suspenseful stories don’t
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
opportunity to converse with the adventurers before making their decisions as to whether they will support Bruenor’s plans. To play out these meetings, use the social interaction rules provided in
factions to help — and in some cases, can’t even openly negotiate with them. As King of Gauntlgrym, he can’t be seen to favor one faction over another. He is therefore relying on the characters to do the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak
, full of dust and bad memories. It’s quiet most of the time, except when the sorrowful wails of the banshee fill the place. The following features are common throughout.
Arrow Slits. When using an arrow
slit for protection, a creature gains three-quarters cover (see the Basic Rules) against outside threats. A Medium character can’t squeeze through an arrow slit, but a Small character can with a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
the DM, you decide how much to tell the players and when. All the information the players need to make choices comes from you. Within the rules of the game and the limits of the characters’ knowledge
turns in Initiative order. Step 3: Describe What Happens After the players describe their characters’ actions, it’s the DM’s job to resolve those actions, guided by the rules and the adventure you’ve
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
information the players need to make choices comes from you. Within the rules of the game and the limits of the characters’ knowledge and senses, tell players everything they need to know. Published adventures
rules and the adventure you’ve prepared. So how do you decide? Think through these possibilities: No Rules Required. Sometimes, resolving a situation is easy. If an adventurer wants to cross an empty
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
it has several different abilities, but simply deciding that an item is always active or can be used a fixed number of times per day is easier to manage. Power Level If you make an item that lets a
column suggests an appropriate bonus based on the item’s rarity. Attunement Decide whether the item requires a character to be attuned to it to use its properties. Use these rules of thumb to help you






