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Returning 35 results for 'bards before death caution risking'.
Classes
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Many rogues walk a fine line between life and death, risking their own lives and taking the lives of others. While adventuring on that line, some rogues discover a mystical connection to death itself
necromancers practice their craft, a Phantom can become a wizard’s confidant and right hand. In temples of gods of death, the Phantom might work as an agent to track down those who try to cheat
Classes
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Many rogues walk a fine line between life and death, risking their own lives and taking the lives of others. While adventuring on that line, some rogues discover a mystical connection to death itself
necromancers practice their craft, a Phantom can become a wizard’s confidant and right hand. In temples of gods of death, the Phantom might work as an agent to track down those who try to cheat
Monsters
Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
denizens of the Feywild. Sages 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
injured and shorn of all hope. The devilkin steal treasures, weapons, and supplies, dooming an expedition to a slow death. The devilkin fly near their victims, taunting them with the items they stole
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
treasures—often by gambling. While many cloud giants are content with risking their wealth in games with each other, those who aim for the top of their ordning challenge all manner of beings in
destiny gambler’s Spellcasting action, each castable once per day: circle of death, harm, Otiluke's freezing sphere, sunbeam.
Thunder
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
guild is all that really matters. (Any)
2
Hedonism. Death comes for everyone, so take as much pleasure as you can from every moment of life. (Neutral)
3
Creativity. I strive to
even if I wanted to.
3
I throw caution to the wind.
4
I resent the rich and powerful.
5
When I’m angry, I lash out in violence.
6
There’s no such thing as too much
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
poetry and song. This is why every community has one or more binukots, bards who serve as living repositories of art, culture, custom, and law. The death of a binukot can result in the loss of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal
Necromancer Necromancers are specialist wizards who study the interaction of life, death, and undeath. Some like to dig up corpses to create undead thralls. A few use their powers for good, becoming
hunters of the undead and risking their lives to save others. Necromancer Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Worshiping Erebos To many mortals, Erebos is primarily concerned not with death, but with gold. Most of his followers downplay his association with death and misfortune, instead praying to him for
grant them the strength to endure until they enter his realm at their predestined time. A smaller but more dangerous group of Erebos worshipers are those who actively glorify death. These cultists and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
domed shelter made from the warped, bowing branches of nearby trees. A low doorway leads inside.
This 10-foot-by-10-foot shelter is the lair of Agatha the banshee. If the characters exercise caution
death to seek me out?”
If the characters are rude, disrespectful, or threatening, Agatha tries to frighten them away using her Horrifying Visage ability. If that isn’t enough to deter them, she attacks.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
screen made from the warped branches of trees standing close together, woven into a domelike shelter in the shadows. A low doorway leads inside.
If the characters exercise caution and remember what
been beautiful once, but a hateful expression twists her features now. “Foolish mortals,” she snarls. “What do you want here? Do you not know it is death to seek me out?”
If the characters are rude
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
fey creatures. Bards and archfey warlocks are often found among the Greensingers, and the Circles of Dreams works well for Greensinger druids. The Gatekeepers protect the natural world from unnatural
to release bound elementals. Barbarians are often found among the Ashbound, and Berserker and Storm Herald are logical paths. The Children of Winter believe that death is a natural part of life. This
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
between life and death, risking their own lives and taking the lives of others. While adventuring on that line, some rogues discover a mystical connection to death itself. These rogues take knowledge
Phantom can become a wizard’s confidant and right hand. In temples of gods of death, the Phantom might work as an agent to track down those who try to cheat death and to recover knowledge that might
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Adventure Atlas: The Mortuary
lead them to a deadly location in the Mortuary, such as a crematorium. 3 A poshly dressed Duster wight asks the characters to help them write a eulogy that’s due in 10 minutes. 4 A friendly death dog
to expel a dybbuk† from a corpse. The exorcist asks the characters to help in dispatch the Fiend. 9 Two bards† in the Heralds of Dust approach the characters and sing a ballad honoring the dead. If the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
communication and cooperation between members of different cultures or species. Khoravar who follow this philosophy often become bards, diplomats, mediators, or translators. Others are fascinated by their
You’re part of a tiny Khoravar community in Karrnath that’s fascinated with death and the practices of your Aereni ancestors, transforming your unity meals into grim celebrations of death. 8 You’re part
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
mortal realm. Selfishly, the medusas each kept secrets for themselves, using these as currency to bargain with mortals. Angered that her children would hoard any of her secrets, Pharika cursed them, so that they could never after behold their own reflections without risking death.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
forcefully pulled from this work and thrust into life-or-death situations, with or without help from more hardened adventurers. The knowledge and experience of a Civil Servant can often be useful, with
Charisma to work in the service of the state. These characters often come from a noble background and bring proficiency in skills such as Intimidation and Persuasion to their work. Bards are natural fits in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
proximity to the City of the Dead, the district of Deathsgate prides itself on being a haven for those who challenge death on a daily basis. The guild’s founder, Kassh “Blackaxe” Droranath, doesn’t care
city of Sharn, which is both the cultural heart of Breland and a nexus for intrigue and diplomacy. Bards have much to gain from the company of other bards, as they exchange news, stories, and songs
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
completely reasonable and plausible explanation. Singing songs and strumming lutes might be fine for most bards. Who doesn’t like a rousing shanty now and then? But standing in a crowded tavern playing for
copper pieces tossed by commoners isn’t for everyone — and it certainly isn’t for bards in the Acq Inc world. The power and magic tied up in the voice of a franchise bard is meant for greater things
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
the ruler of Darguun, and many fear that his death could throw the region into chaos. Among the Ghaal’dar, you hold your place through cunning and strength. As a Ghaal’dar goblinoid, you may have been
Dhakaani. The Heirs of Dhakaan are an agnostic society and don’t have clerics, paladins, or druids. Their focus is on martial excellence, and their spiritual leaders are bards, who inspire their warriors
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands
death brings, others refuse to rest, joining a shadowy cabal of Undead warriors. Reborn as ghosts, liches, and mummy lords, they guide the Crown Generals from beyond the grave. The most feared and
respected among them is the death knight Nagaro, a former paladin from the world of Krynn who severed her oath in her pursuit of conquest. While the strategies of other Undead generals in her company have
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
area where the Weave has been torn. But surrounded by the Weave, a spellcaster can shape lightning to blast foes, transport hundreds of miles in the blink of an eye, or even reverse death itself.
All
magic depends on the Weave, though different kinds of magic access it in a variety of ways. The spells of wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, and bards are commonly called arcane magic. These spells rely on
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault
. So gifted a musician was he that an admiring wizard gave Frody an instrument of the bards—a famous Canaith mandolin called Golden Axe. The mandolin’s magic served Frody well during his many
Sythian Skalderang, who lived many miles away, learned of the famous bard’s untimely death. Sythian had inherited his parents’ estate and debts, but a mysterious poison killed off the family’s olive orchard
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Laboratory of Kwalish
Rumors and Legends Countless legends have arisen regarding the mysterious Barrier Peaks, and those tales circulate constantly among adventurers, explorers, and bards. Rumors specific to Kwalish and
keep a brain alive long after a creature’s death. 46–50 Kwalish never really existed. The inventor who went by that name was really a construct, created by Ioun to walk among mortals and study our
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
victim to outside forces, such an event is often the clan’s death knell. A Living Monument The masons and stone carvers in a clan consider the stronghold to be their greatest work. In a typical stronghold
see little sense in risking injury if a trap of that sort malfunctioned or was accidentally triggered by a dwarf. A defensive measure isn’t doing its job if it ends up hurting those it was meant to protect.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Cloud Giant Destiny Gambler Cloud giants rise in the ordning by amassing valuable and beautiful treasures—often by gambling. While many cloud giants are content with risking their wealth in games
who won such a wager, you can add one or more of these spells to the destiny gambler’s Spellcasting action, each castable once per day: circle of death, harm, Otiluke’s freezing sphere, sunbeam
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
. The devilkin steal treasures, weapons, and supplies, dooming an expedition to a slow death. The devilkin fly near their victims, taunting them with the items they stole. Predators in the area learn
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
make predictions based on rainfall, wind, thunder, and other weather measurements. In some communities, oracles actively strive to be struck by lightning, risking their lives to receive mighty messages
Villains d6 Villain
1 A bitter oracle (see chapter 6) who has foreseen her imminent death gives false predictions to worshipers so they will share her misery.
2 A storm giant
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves
the faint lingering odor of death. The demon lord’s goat-skull visage glowers at you as statues of cultists gaze outward from the shadowed corners of the hall.
The burning incense in the main temple
approach Nezzarum without first fighting Xia, the dragon is initially Indifferent. Indifferent Dragon. If Nezzarum hasn’t seen the characters prove themselves in battle, he errs on the side of caution and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
quite like you do. War Magic Success in business requires prudent caution and take-charge offense in equal measure. As a war mage, your focus on abjuration and evocation is thus a good fit for success
whole new level. You cast spells under pressure, never blinking in the face of death or financial ruin. And when it’s necessary, you can blow up an adversary like nobody’s business. Just make sure your franchise’s collateral damage insurance is all up to date.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Halflings I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the times I saw our little rogue cheat death, but I remember them all. Let’s see … there was the enraged roper, the flaming lava stream, the
catapulted gelatinous cubes, the Ten Tilting Corridors of Death, the exploding toad trap, the Hall of the Spinning Scimitars …
— Magnificus, wizard extraordinaire
Anyone who has spent time around
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
town guard in case of an emergency. He is loath to use it, as the locals might react to his seizure of power with an open revolt. Personality Traits. Caution guides Eliander’s thoughts and his every
, Eliander keeps it to the death. Honor is his life, and treachery earns his wrath. Flaw. Eliander is stubborn to a fault. Once he sets his mind to a belief or a course of action, little can dissuade him
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
slaughter innocent captives the moment they draw their swords. Returning from Death. Of course, death is not a final fate for player characters, and it doesn’t need to be for villains either. After the
and evil. Even adventure villains are more often driven by human motives than by cosmic concepts of good and evil. People sometimes do evil things for good reasons. Exercise some caution when
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves
in this cave. They are desperate to avoid the unwelcome attention of Lashlo, the djinni in area N10, and try to remain as silent as possible. Development. The galeb duhr’s caution is unwarranted
clasps an Instrument of the Bards (Ollamh harp), which she acquired in her youth. Taking the harp, plucking one of its strings, or removing the glass key from around Yemi’s neck ends the Sequester spell
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
. Although some of the dancing is wanton and performed for show, large-scale ring dances in the street for all ages are also popular. All the dancing ends at dusk, after which bards and minstrels perform at
this world and the faerie realm of the Feywild is thought to be weak on this day. Though this phenomenon provokes caution in rural areas (with folk avoiding woodlands, putting offerings of food on
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
threatened and attacks them. If one or more characters move to within 10 feet of the painting on the north wall, the beholder instructs them (in Undercommon) to keep away from it on pain of death






