Search Results
All Results
Characters
Compendium
Spells
Items
Monsters
Vehicles
Forums
Returning 35 results for 'bards before direct constructed runes'.
Other Suggestions:
bark before direct construct rules
birds before direct construct rules
bird before direct construct rules
bears before direct construct rules
bonds before direct construct rules
Bard
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Classes
Basic Rules (2014)
—knowledge of the people who constructed the monument and the mythic saga it depicts. A stern human warrior bangs his sword rhythmically against his scale mail, setting the tempo for his war chant
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
Magic Items
Storm King's Thunder
the ground and is a massive thing made of polished obsidian with oversized feet — the impaled skulls of four ancient blue dragons. Runes glisten in the carved obsidian, winking to life with blue
breaking at least five Ruling Scepters of Shanatar simultaneously on it. This fact has never been recorded or sung of among the dwarves or any bards or storytellers, and it can’t be discovered
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
Find the Path Level 6 Divination (Bard, Cleric, Druid) Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a set of divination tools—such as cards or runes—worth 100+ GP)
Duration
: Concentration, up to 1 day
You magically sense the most direct physical route to a location you name. You must be familiar with the location, and the spell fails if you name a destination on another plane
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Find the Path Level 6 Divination (Bard, Cleric, Druid) Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a set of divination tools—such as cards or runes—worth 100+ GP)
Duration
: Concentration, up to 1 day
You magically sense the most direct physical route to a location you name. You must be familiar with the location, and the spell fails if you name a destination on another plane
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
critical factor, of course; the best ones make the best music, and some bards are continually on the lookout for an improvement. Perhaps just as important, though, is the instrument’s own entertainment
value; those that are bizarrely constructed or made of exotic materials are likely to leave a lasting impression on an audience. You might have an “off the rack” instrument, perhaps because it’s all you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
Find the Path 6th-level divination Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Self Components: V, S, M (a set of divinatory tools—such as bones, ivory sticks, cards, teeth, or carved runes—worth 100 gp and an
object from the location you wish to find) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 day This spell allows you to find the shortest, most direct physical route to a specific fixed location that you are familiar
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
Find the Path 6th-level divination Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Self Components: V, S, M (a set of divinatory tools—such as bones, ivory sticks, cards, teeth, or carved runes—worth 100 gp and an
object from the location you wish to find) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 day This spell allows you to find the shortest, most direct physical route to a specific fixed location that you are familiar
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
magistrate in her time. The people of the newly constructed Tiger District built a small shrine honoring her in a nearby grove. She was close with the noble Young-Gi. Her career faltered, eclipsed by
about any glowing antiques the characters might find or what use they have. If the characters need any other pointers to put together the pieces of Dae Won-Ha’s past or direct them toward seeking the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
the secret to escaping the prison was hidden in the arcane runes etched across the standing stones. Ever since, the tormented demon has tried futilely to solve the riddle and escape. The figure pacing
information can be gleaned by speaking with the false wizard: The wizard claims that he no longer recalls his name or place of origin. If asked about the Bleeding Citadel, the wizard promises to direct the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
48. Shagambi’s Tomb Each character who teleports into this tomb from area 47C appears atop a randomly determined teleportation rune (see “Teleportation Runes” below). Characters can also enter the
this area: Nervous Unkh suggests that her host leave the tomb at once using one of the teleportation runes, though she can’t decide which rune is best. Impulsive Wongo thinks it’s a good idea to shatter
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
steps before tumbling on toward the Dessarin River. The trail continues upriver to other parts of the vale, so unless the characters know about the runes, it’s easy to miss the beginning of the steps
walk single-file. The journey takes half an hour. Two-thirds of the way up, at a switchback turnaround, Grumink’s miners constructed a trap. Its purpose is to make noise and warn the lookouts in area D2
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
, but whether it was built as a temple to the god or whether it was constructed by Savras when he was still a mortal, not even Valin has been able to determine. The former temple is built entirely of
ritual through research or a side quest.
Replacing What’s Lost. A more direct restoration can be undertaken if the creature imbued with one of Valin’s organs has been killed and the characters have
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rrakkma
, a place beyond space and time. The mind flayers have traveled through a nearby portal to the plane of Pandemonium, where they are rumored to have located a direct path to the Far Realm. Belthomias
gave the adventurers a tuning fork, tuned to the plane of Pandemonium to lead them directly to the portal. The Gith Capacitor appears to be a diamond the size of a gith head, with runes engraved into
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Bard: College of Spirits Bards of the College of Spirits seek tales with inherent power—be they legends, histories, or fictions—and bring their subjects to life. Using occult trappings, these bards
, you can use a bonus action to expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and roll on the Spirit Tales table using your Bardic Inspiration die to determine the tale the spirits direct you to tell. You
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Bladesinging When faced with the endless onslaught of magical possibilities, many wizards suffer identity crises. Some overcome, some break, and some become sword-bards.
Tasha
Bladesingers master
the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks. Song of Defense 10th-level Bladesinging feature You can direct your magic to absorb damage
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
charted and no less perilous. The Leap to Another Realm The most direct method involves the use of spells such as Teleportation Circle or Teleport, or magical portals like those described in this
constructed feature: a lonely tower or castle, a bustling tavern, or even a city. Normally, visitors to these places return to the same world they came from when they depart, but it’s also possible to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
library’s intuitive ability to direct visitors to where they want to go — or to where the library thinks they need to go. Accessing the Records The library keeps its records on stone and crystal slabs
, monoliths, and stelae fitting neatly in niches carved into the walls of every room. Thanks to the library’s comprehend languages effect, anyone can easily decipher and understand the runes and glyphs
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
E: Wakenreth The funerary obelisk of Wakenreth—“House of Silence” in Elvish—was constructed by Silvanesti elves in the Istarian city of Onyari shortly before the city took flight. The tower served as
the platform stands a stone archway sculpted with sharp runes and the heads of five dragons. Within the arch swirls dense gray mist.
The darkness beyond this room’s broken walls is only an illusion
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
otherwise avoid combat. Southeast Door This door has a stone wall behind it, inscribed upon which is an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). Determine the rune randomly by drawing a card from the Elder Rune Deck
butterfly swarm is an instrument of the bards (Anstruth harp). The yellow sapphires carried by the animal-headed guards fit into the pillars in area 8. Each gemstone is worth 1,000 gp.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
this kind of work. Characters with the criminal background excel at putting their skills and contacts to use on the church’s behalf. Prophet. The Prophet is a visionary with a more-or-less direct
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->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5
hall are scorched. Cracks in the panels reveal bare stone. Three mystic circles have been scribed in the floor, each edged with rough runes.
Locked Doors. These steel double doors are locked. Tarul
orb is part of the mystic circle trap. Mystic Circle Trap. The circles are magical but misleadingly so. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals that hidden among gibberish runes are
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
humans and lycanthropes, a union that grants them limited bestial abilities and feral instincts. The warforged are a constructed race created during the Last War, seeking to find its place in a post
circumstances, rather than the direct influence of the gods. As a result, you can’t assume that a gold dragon is good or a beholder is evil; only in the case of celestials, fiends, and certain other
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
to the highest standards of behavior, and wields cold magic. The Brass Order could be a loose affiliation of good-hearted scoundrels, including rogues and bards, who favor fire magic and trickery. An
in direct conflict with the other two factions, but that doesn’t always inspire cooperation. For example, the Chromatic Circle might focus on self-aggrandizement, as each member of the faction tries
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Malagard for his advisor. Her words were poison, and gradually she convinced Moloch to direct his efforts to topple Asmodeus. Although the conspiracy nearly succeeded, it was thwarted. Moloch was stripped
allegiance to one of the other archdevils, but idols constructed to honor him still stand in deep dungeons, their jeweled eyes and the remnants of power they hold drawing monstrous worshipers and unwise
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
. Stone shelves bearing books and ornamental ceramic jars line the walls alongside dust-covered banners embroidered with Dwarven runes. In one corner stands an elegant mahogany desk, on top of which is a
elemental gem. Secret Door. Any character who examines the north wall and succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a small section of wall engraved with four Dwarvish runes. The runes are
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
know how many pieces of the obelisk exist. The mind flayers direct characters who express interest in worship to the adjacent feeding room (area X11). The mind flayers don’t prolong the discussion, and
shallow alcove on this room’s north wall contains only bare stone. Faintly glowing runes surround the alcove, each of them sputtering and slowly fading. A table of jars and bowls stands against the west
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
alongside a bowl of magenta punch.
Damien, a constructed commoner, is here preparing food for Quill’s party. If he notices the characters and they appear to be friendly, he offers to take them to
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5
higher can take control of the globe by succeeding on a DC 10 Intelligence check. As part of its movement and with a successful DC 10 Intelligence check, the controller can direct the globe to move
on the floor of this cavern, the twisted runes around its edge pulsing with sickly purple light.
A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check allows a character to recognize the runes as symbols
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
runes. Living creatures wither and rot within the entropic energy emanated by Ygorl’s magic.
After the fifth artist dispatched to record Ygorl ’s appearance failed to return, I let the matter rest
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
.
Clearing the dust from the furniture shows that all the pieces are constructed of heavily lacquered wood. Half are afflicted with dry rot, but the other pieces are in good condition. The side table
anything short of a wish spell. Opening the door requires fitting the three key runes carried by the haven’s stone golems (see below) into the three indentations on the door. Any character who has
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
"Rite of the Arcane Octad"). Y21. Obelisk A sixty-foot-tall obelisk of black stone, its surface covered in arcane runes, projects from the ground. A thin crack has formed on one side, stretching from
(Arcana) check recognizes that the magic runes inscribed on the obelisk represent all eight schools of magic. If the check result exceeds the DC by 5 or more, the character also identifies runes relating
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault
flat and set in a shallow groove, such that it can be rotated. Once the water in the pool is drained, tiny Elvish runes representing the letters A through Z magically appear on the surface of each ring
, with the letters spaced around the ring at equal intervals. Opening the safe requires that the three rings be turned in their grooves until their runes line up to form the word “OAK.” Only Zorhanna
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
be confirmed by a detect evil and good spell or similar magic. Dark swirls of noxious steam fill this circular chamber, whose floor is taken up mostly by a large reflecting pool. Runes carved into the
DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check, recognizes that the runes along the edge of the pool once channeled divination magic, but have been corrupted. Though the 10-foot-deep pool once held holy water
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
constructs. To the southeast, an array of runes pulses on a console. In the middle of the south wall stands a small door and, to the west of it, a larger double door.
In this room, workers would charge
. Console. A character adjacent to the console who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check can use an action to direct one of the Istarian drones in this room to move or attack a creature. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Three interlocking circles
Alathrien Druanna N Runes, writing, spellcasting Arcana,** Knowledge A quill or glyph
Alobal Lorfiril CG Revelry, mirth Life, Trickery Wine glass
be with. Stories of Hanali’s romantic adventures among elves and other mortals are perennial favorites when sung by elf bards and poets. In Arvandor, Hanali maintains a hidden pool called Evergold






