bad born diffusing cautious reason

Jarund Elkhardt

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

his life, and age has made him cautious. He has seen other kings and queens rise and fall, has made war with friends and peace with his enemies, and has led warriors he knew as babes to their deaths

in battle. The strain of his long years of rule is etched on his weather-worn face. Jarund's late son, Jarund Twice-Born, was killed almost a decade ago while trying to bring down a cave bear, leaving

The Fathomless

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

learn about terrestrial realms, or does it want you to open cosmic floodgates and drown the world? Perhaps you were born into a generational cult that venerates the Fathomless and its spawn. Or you

might have been shipwrecked and on the brink of drowning when your patron’s grasp offered you a chance at life. Whatever the reason for your pact, the sea and its unknown depths call to you

The Fathomless (TCoE)

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

learn about terrestrial realms, or does it want you to open cosmic floodgates and drown the world? Perhaps you were born into a generational cult that venerates the Fathomless and its spawn. Or you

might have been shipwrecked and on the brink of drowning when your patron’s grasp offered you a chance at life. Whatever the reason for your pact, the sea and its unknown depths call to you

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

few miles from where they were born. You aren’t one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk in the North realize that it exists, and chances are

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale

time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is incapable of showing mercy or compassion. Play her as a supremely cold and

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to

can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

born near sandy coastlines, but as soon as they’re able to walk on two legs, they become nomad survivalists eager to explore the wilderness, experience its many wonders, put their skills to the

prefer simple, non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. If a tortle doesn’t like its name for whatever reason, it can change it. A tortle might change its name a dozen

Waterdhavian Noble

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Faerûn for being eccentric, spoiled, venal, and, above all else, rich. Whether you are a shining example of the reason for this reputation or one who proves the rule by being an exception, people

background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a member of a Waterdhavian family. Like other nobles, you were born

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and insults are my

Satyr Legacy

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

all, and the proper response to such a gift, as far as most satyrs are concerned, is to accept it with relish. Born of the Wild In their physical forms, satyrs embody a fusion of humanoid

amazing things ever. I want to pick them, wear them, and discover their silent secrets. 2 There isn’t a tree or statue that isn’t fun to climb. 3 Nothing wards off bad luck like a

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

pity. Born into the world lacking stout scales and sharp teeth, it’s a wonder they have managed to survive for so long. The typical human would barely make it through a day in the swamps. Still

quirk for a lizardfolk character or to inspire a unique mannerism. Lizardfolk Quirks d8 Quirk 1 You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

want. 4 I’m a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and

provoke retaliatory attacks from the creatures they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

a frivolous lark. You’ve maintained a solitary vigil outside the cavern entrance ever since. 2 You crossed the Guild in a bad way. Fortunately, its members think you’re dead. Less

past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society. Work with your DM to

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

night while also granting spells to her devoted followers leaves Auril weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures

might prove helpful: So long as she has mortal worshipers, Auril can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

changes in the prevailing winds that they regarded as a bad omen. Unlike the aarakocra of other worlds on the Material Plane, the aarakocra of the Realms rarely travel to the Elemental Plane of Air

. Great Purpose Aarakocra enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples and less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it takes an

Lizardfolk Personality

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

waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and portable! 2 You sleep best while mostly submerged in water. 3 Money is meaningless to you. 4 You think there are only two

metaphors work. That doesn’t stop you from using them at every opportunity. 7 You appreciate the soft humanoids who realize they need chain mail and swords to match the gifts you were born with. 8 You enjoy eating your food while it’s still wriggling.

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Every kenku is born with a desire to take to the air, and those who learn spellcasting do so in hope of mastering spells that will allow them to fly. Rumors of magic items such as flying carpets, brooms

. The kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter. For this reason, many

Vistani Lore

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

Domains of Dread, where creatures born in darkness dwell. This “gift” was thrust upon them by mysterious entities called the Dark Powers, as a boon for their kindness toward strangers. The Vistani

believe that ravens carry lost souls within them. Hence, killing a raven is considered bad luck in Vistani culture.

Drinking Deeply of Life

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

Drinking Deeply of Life A gnome is rarely bored and tries to savor every minute, for life is full of opportunities to learn, to help others, and to have fun. Gnomes are born with a fascination for

are recurring obstacles on the path to discovery, gnomes revel in the search. They savor the acquisition of new knowledge, realizing it might come at a cost, and even a series of bad results in experiments doesn’t dissuade a gnome from following their chosen path.

Personalities

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

unique mannerism. Lizardfolk Quirks d8 Quirk 1 You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and portable! 2 You sleep best while mostly submerged in water

the soft humanoids who realize they need chain mail and swords to match the gifts you were born with. 8 You enjoy eating your food while it’s still raw and wriggling.

Adversary

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

deal with than the average member of the city watch. If your character’s backstory doesn’t already include a personage of this sort, you could work with your DM to come up with a reason why an

1 The pirate captain on whose ship you once served; what you call moving on, the captain calls mutiny 2 A master spy to whom you unwittingly fed bad information, which led to the assassination of

Protanther

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

. Though he sees both good and bad in the lesser races, he believes that their capacity for attaining great power despite their physical limitations makes them dangerous. For all their capability

full strength. If this puts the humanoids at risk, so be it. Attitude. Neutral. If there are humans or tieflings in the party, Protanther is instead cautious. If there are elves in the party, he is

Protanther

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

. Though he sees both good and bad in the lesser races, he believes that their capacity for attaining great power despite their physical limitations makes them dangerous. For all their capability, humanoids

strength. If this puts the humanoids at risk, so be it. Attitude. Neutral. If there are humans or tieflings in the party, Protanther is instead cautious. If there are elves in the party, he is unfriendly

Feywild Guides

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Domains of Delight: A Feywild Accessory

. Conversely, a bad guide can easily get an adventuring party into trouble. Use the Feywild Guide Names, Feywild Guide Identities, and Feywild Guide Quirks tables to create Fey guides on the fly

scout stat block, but change its size to Small) 2 Gloomy wood elf druid (use the druid stat block) 3 Flamboyant pixie 4 Happy-go-lucky satyr 5 Ultra-competitive sprite 6 Overly cautious treant sapling

Adventure Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

Homestead” sidebar). Arthur Holrow was one of twelve children, born to parents of hardy country stock. Naturally quite shy, Arthur kept to himself. While his siblings were drawn to lofty pursuits and

Homestead are extraordinary. That’s partly due to Arthur’s magical experiments and his skill with druidic magic. But there’s another, more ominous reason for the land’s fecundity. The hill at Holrow

Able Scavengers

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

give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and other useful items, but if they

they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might abandon this careful approach. First, because of their

Dock Ward

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

some respects this area has never truly deserved its bad reputation. Yes, aside from the Field Ward, this is the area where most of Waterdeep’s poor reside. Yes, it is home to some of the least

often have no sign at all. You either know where you are going and have reason to be there — or you are lost, and a likely mark for pickpockets or worse. Streetlamps don’t fare well in the Dock Ward

Occultant

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

glasses. 3 Burning a small piece of the body and looking for shapes in the smoke. 4 A cautious, reasoned, professional guesstimate. 5 Careful measurements. The distance between

dawn seven days later. I don’t really understand occultants, and to be honest, they scare the Abyss out of me. — Jim Darkmagic Why Be an Occultant? d8 Reason 1 You believe in karmic

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

sacrifice when it presents itself. This practice contributes to the reason why most common folk (and adventurers) think kobolds are stupid as well as weak; they’ve seen or heard of a lone kobold trying to

The Stone Bridge

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

. “Not a bad place to die,” the mage says with mild amusement. The doppelganger posing as Gargosh doesn’t take part in the fight, remaining on the fringes of the battle and rooting for the characters to

to make haste and catch up with him!” Characters who have reason to suspect Gargosh might be lying or holding back information can make a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check. A character who succeeds on

Personal Impact

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

fight in the war, how and why did they remain on the sidelines? Did they oppose the war? Did they do something to avoid conscription, or was there a reason they were considered unsuitable for service

of Cyre, or do they have other ideas for the nation’s future? For example, when an Aundairan player character meets a group of Eldeen druids, it’s an opportunity to exploit the bad blood between

Gambler

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

Gambler All you need to make a lot of gold is a little gold. Except at those times when all you need to have no gold at all is a little gold. Whether you’re a good gambler or a bad one rarely matters

be repaid. 2 I’m loyal to the friend or family member who taught me how to gamble. 3 The person who saved me from my gambling addiction is the only reason I’m alive today. 4 A patron

The Zhentarim

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

full extent of the threat, as corruption and madness have already infiltrated their secret outpost since those initial reports (see chapter 9). However, even the most cautious member of the Zhentarim

knows that demons at large in the world are bad for business. The organization thus views the possible presence of the demon lords in the Underdark with the same concern as any other external threat

Simple Traps

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

sown with too many traps, and if the characters are victimized over and over again as a result, they are likely to take steps to prevent further bad things from happening. Because of their recent

experience, the characters can become overly cautious, and you run the risk of the action grinding to a halt as the players search every square inch of the dungeon for trip wires and pressure plates

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