bards beyond defusing concept rather

Sammaster (Dracolich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

dracoliches, magically bound dragons to his service, and learned how to drive dragons across Faerûn into a berserk rage. He considered his intellect beyond morality and became paranoid, resentful, and

efficiently as he can. Sammaster personally checks in on the cult’s most important plots, often surprising his minions with his presence. Rather than keep a soul jar as liches do, Sammaster keeps

Sammaster (Lich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

bound dragons to his service, and learned how to drive dragons across Faerûn into a berserk rage. He considered his intellect beyond morality and became paranoid, resentful, and megalomaniacal

can. Sammaster personally checks in on the cult’s most important plots, often surprising his minions with his presence. Rather than keep a soul jar as liches do, Sammaster keeps a magical soul

Water Weird Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

those its summoner declares as off limits. When slain, a water weird becomes an inanimate pool of water. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil

interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might turn against its summoner. A water weird loses its evil alignment if its waters are cleansed

Choker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

choker can keep its body deep inside the crevice where it hides, beyond the reach of most normal weapons. Chokers tend to set their ambushes alone, rather than working in concert, but where one

choker is a subterranean predator far more dangerous than its small size and spindly, rubbery limbs would suggest. Chokers have cartilage rather than a bony skeleton. This flexible internal structure

College of Lore Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or

elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning everything they held

Leonin Iconoclast

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

one another and the land. Only in recent times have some leonin started guardedly looking beyond their homeland and wondering what role they might take in the wider world. Most leonin hunters are tribal

warrior;tribal warriors, but those who hunt the servants of the gods rather than game are known as leonin iconoclasts.

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

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

still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers. The greatest strength of bards is their sheer

Caradoc

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

at his core, the seneschal didn’t return as a skeletal knight but rather as an intangible spirit. Caradoc’s Undead form suits him well, allowing him to possess the living and use unwilling

’s swiftly pulled back if caught beyond its walls without a host. Personality Trait. “I might be dead, but there’s no reason I can’t live it up a little.” Ideal. &ldquo

Nosferatu

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

their lair’s comfort. Rather than retiring to crypts, they seek filthy or inaccessible fissures, places any living soul would avoid. For a few moments after feeding, nosferatu are lucid and

capable of considering more than their next meal. In these instants, nosferatu recollect glimpses of what they once were, beings who knew pride, intention, and a world beyond the shadows. They might even

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

colors. Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their

treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering. Kind and

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Way of Mercy Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Monks of the Way of Mercy learn to manipulate the life force of others to bring aid to those in need. They are wandering physicians to the poor and hurt. However, to those beyond their help, they

bring a swift end as an act of mercy. Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism

Warforged Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

as a new species. Warforged are made from wood and metal, but they can feel pain and emotion. Built as weapons, they must now find a purpose beyond war. A warforged can be a steadfast ally, a cold

and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced brow ridge. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary based on the purpose for which it was

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

, Auril is reborn at full strength during the next winter solstice, with divine power far beyond what is reflected in the stat blocks presented here. After finishing a long rest, Auril regains any of

. A stat block is given for each of Auril’s three forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

form, Auril dies. As long as she has mortal followers who worship her, however, Auril is reborn at full strength during the next winter solstice, with divine power far beyond what is reflected in the

rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril dwells on Solstice, a frozen island hidden among the titanic icebergs in the Sea of Moving Ice. Few creatures know of this

Faction Agent

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often proficient in Investigation, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Harpers, sympathetic bards and

Music and Magic

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

. 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 still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of

bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers. The greatest strength of bards is their sheer versatility. Many bards prefer to stick to the

Learning from Experience

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

Learning from Experience True bards are not common in the world. Not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires

hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard’s life is spent

Learning from Experience

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Learning from Experience True bards are not common in the world. Not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires

hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard’s life is spent

Music and Magic

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

. 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 still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of

bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers. The greatest strength of bards is their sheer versatility. Many bards prefer to stick to the

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips

away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future

, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups. Human Names and Ethnicities Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents

Lady Illmarrow

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Emerald Claw, but her motives for founding the order are buried in her past. Lady Illmarrow has no interest in ruling the living. Rather, she seeks to become Queen of the Dead. The Mark of Death

. Illmarrow is a fiefdom on the isle of Farlnen — home to a community of elves exiled from Aerenal, who have practiced necromancy for centuries. But Lady Illmarrow’s roots extend far beyond her

Oghma

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

cited by his faithful about this concept serves them as a prayer when it is repeated aloud: “An idea has no heft but it can move mountains. An idea has no authority but it can dominate people. An idea

their fellows. Not surprisingly, those who follow Oghma oppose those who foster deceit, trickery, and ignorance. Folk of many professions favor the Binder: wizards, cartographers, artists, bards

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

solstice, with divine power far beyond what is reflected in the stat blocks presented here. After finishing a long rest, Auril regains any of her forms that were destroyed, provided at least one

forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril dwells on Solstice, a frozen island hidden among the titanic

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

, while poring over tomes of forbidden lore, a brilliant student’s mind is opened to realities beyond the material world and to the alien beings that dwell in the outer void. Once a pact is made, a

gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive

Keeping Time from Day to Day

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Keeping Time from Day to Day Most people don’t keep track of the time of day beyond notions such as “mid-morning” or “nigh sunset.” If people plan to meet at a particular time, they tend to base

their arrangements around such expressions. The concept of hours and minutes exists mainly where wealthy people use clocks, but mechanical clocks are often unreliable, and rarely are two set to the same

Character Names

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

names, that’s fine. If the group would rather take the characters and their names a little more seriously, urge Bob’s player to come up with a more appropriate name. Player character names should match

each other in flavor or concept, and they should also match the flavor of your campaign world — so should the nonplayer characters’ names and place names you create. Travok and Kairon don’t want to undertake a quest for Lord Cupcake, visit Gumdrop Island, or take down a crazy wizard named Ray.

Selesnya Initiate

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

1 I never raise my voice or lose my temper. 2 I feel the pains and joys of everyone around me, friend or foe. 3 I would rather make a friend than thwart an enemy. 4 I’m

always straining to peer into another reality that seems to be just beyond my senses. 5 I’m uneasy if I can’t see plants growing or feel soil beneath my feet. 6 Seeing illness

College of Lore

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

College of Lore Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads

in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning

College of Lore

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

College of Lore Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads

in taverns or elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning

Modifying a Class

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

, paladins might not swear their oaths to ideals, but instead swear fealty to powerful sorcerers. To capture this story concept, you could build a new paladin spell list with spells meant to protect

firmly in the world by associating the class with a particular race or culture. For example, you might decide that bards, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards represent the magical traditions of four

Iriad Beyond 1st Level (p. 217)

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

Iriad Beyond 1st Level (p. 217) In the 5th- and 9th-level rows, Iriad’s passive Perception score now increases by 2 rather than 1.

Darklords

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

Darklords are deadly or possess foul gifts from the Dark Powers, many pose little threat in battle. Their menace is the result of capabilities beyond physical prowess. Darklords Are Active. Darklords might

adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their

Survival of the Fittest

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

pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to

themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk

D&D Beyond

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