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Returning 35 results for 'bards both descent court runes'.
Bard
Legacy
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Classes
Basic Rules (2014)
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
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
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
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 (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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Court of Whispers The denizens of the Court of Whispers barter for current knowledge. Heralds, criers, bards, and griots buy and sell information from the fifteen founding civilizations active in the
Citadel, as well as other lands. Skilled scouts and spies can also be hired for short-term reconnaissance or long-term infiltration. The Court is a mixed outdoor-indoor space with quiet alcoves and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Radiant Citadel
Court of Whispers The denizens of the Court of Whispers barter for current knowledge. Heralds, criers, bards, and griots buy and sell information from the fifteen founding civilizations active in the
Citadel, as well as other lands. Skilled scouts and spies can also be hired for short-term reconnaissance or long-term infiltration. The Court is a mixed outdoor-indoor space with quiet alcoves and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
. The descent to Janya is approximately 4,500 feet. This should take about 4 minutes for characters who have a swimming speed of 60 feet, or 15 minutes for those who don’t have a swimming speed. Word
has been sent ahead to Xoese-Addae, an emissary of the High Court that rules Janya. He’ll meet the characters when they arrive. Once Gurau has shared these details, Kisaroua has little patience for
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Traveler, and Touched by the Far Realm: A Wizard’s Lamentable Descent into Lunacy. Tucked among these mundane tomes is Melissara’s spellbook, which bears the (right side up) Shadowdusk family crest on the
by Melissara. Inside is a small black journal. The first page of the book is trapped with a glyph of warding spell, whose explosive runes deal fire damage (save DC 15). The glyph is keyed to go off if
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
filled with Janyans enraptured by the low-toned, hypnotic music of a group of bards. Xoese-Addae leads the characters to a private audience suite overlooking the quad, occupied by a single Janyan wearing
fine, billowing robes—this is Zisatta. Zisatta Zisatta The aloof Zisatta is a member of the High Court and commands Janya’s security forces, called the Billowing Patrol for their sable robes that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
Kayalithica After fleeing Hekaton’s court, Kayalithica, an inscrutable stone giant thane, withdrew to her canyon sanctuary of Deadstone Cleft. There, in its hallowed halls, she hoped to elevate her
grants immortality to its wearer, was last seen in the possession of a human adventurer (and former Harper) named Artus Cimber. Guided by magical runes of tracking, Storvald plans to find the ring and
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->Storm King's Thunder
Words of the Oracle Etched into the floor of area 11 and hidden under a thin layer of frost is a 20-foot-diameter, mithral-inlaid circle inscribed with the kong (king) rune (see "Giant Runes" in the
to stop the giants? “Find a magic conch of the storm giant king, Hekaton. Use it to visit Hekaton’s court. Root out the evil therein.” If the characters already have a conch of teleportation in their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
17. Arcturia’s Court Characters who listen at the doors to this room hear harp music beyond. The room has a vaulted ceiling 20 feet high and contains the following: Arcturia. Arcturia — a gaunt
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
crop, and with a frown, summon wildfires. She rules the seelie of the Summer Court. Oberon, the Green Lord, an unrivaled hunter and woodland warrior, is Titania’s lover and frequently her foe. Oberon is
unseelie of the Gloaming Court from an onyx throne that sits empty except for the hovering Night Diamond, a black gem the size of a human head that dully glimmers with captured stars. The Queen of Air
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
”). Each apparition takes a harmless swing at any creatures that pass through the area before sinking back into the fog. 9c. Unpleasant Descent This 10-foot-high passage slopes down gently as it runs
higher to pass through this gate (see “Jhesiyra Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes through the gate appears in area 34a on level 6, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
broke in half during its descent, its bow section gone missing but its stern plunged backward into the seafloor like a spike.
The sandy bed around the wreckage is scattered with partially buried
to be inscribed with ancient runes. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces that the slab is the product of magic. A subsequent successful DC 16 Intelligence
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
sins entered the court record. Even Primus’s patience has its limits, and in time, the remaining angels who were eager to testify were told that only a few more would be allowed to speak. A brawl
definitive judgment. He rebuked the angels for their descent into infighting, but didn’t punish Asmodeus for his evil ways. He did, however, order Asmodeus to forever carry a mighty artifact, the Ruby Rod
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
threat) The court jester devised a deadly trap to foil anyone who sought to steal his magic fool’s cap. The jester’s tomb is located at the end of a 10-foot-wide, 150-foot-long hallway that descends
it takes time. Faint runes in the ceiling and floor at both ends of the hallway are involved in the functioning of the portals. A creature must first use an action to examine a set of runes, then use a
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
creatures in the court of a cruel noble or foul necromancer. Should a minor bandit chief or low-ranking acolyte of evil gain the service of these creatures, take care. When the devilkin take notice of such
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
Court of Air This wide courtyard has nary a tree nor a well cluttering its cobblestone expanse. House of Rest This three-story bunkhouse in the Court of Air provides seekers with a place to rest and
effect similar to a feather fall spell. The caretaker of the temple in 1492 DR is a human priest of Shou descent named Lorekeeper Kei Tigersteel. Though not officially an Avowed, the Lorekeeper enjoys the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault
intrinsic monetary value but could lead to adventure.) Royal Scepter. The card reads, “Used in the coronation of Queen Calinia. Possible gift from elven court.” This golden scepter is intricately engraved
and succeeds on a DC 22 Intelligence (Arcana) check finds a page that serves as a spell scroll of sequester. (The thesis is worth 500 gp.) Each item is protected by two separate abjuration runes that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
are held 13–14 Storage, mostly nonperishable goods 15 Throne room where the lair’s leaders hold court 16 Torture chamber 17 Training and exercise room 18 Trophy room or museum 19 Latrine or bath 20
traps 41–42 Dining room (large) for the temple’s servants and lesser priests 43 Dining room (small) for the temple’s high priests 44–46 Divination room, inscribed with runes and stocked with
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
23. Fazrian’s Court Time and neglect have diminished the grandeur of these vaulted halls, wherein the fallen angel awaits. 23a. Grand Foyer The 18-foot-high double doors to the west swing inward
within 10 feet of it. Characters must be 15th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “Jhesiyra Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands
, they plead with the characters to represent them in court. 5 When the coast is clear, a shady-looking Doomguard rot blade (see Morte’s Planar Parade) opens their long overcoat in front of the characters
, supposedly impartial magistrate appointed by the Guvners. Punishments are tailored to fit the crime, and advocates are strongly encouraged. Lawyers and orators, these civil servants include bards
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
stairs has the word “HAVEN” and a crude picture of a quill scratched into it, left by Machil before he made his descent. A narrow spiral staircase descends fifty feet from the ruins on the surface. A
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->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
arrive. T6. Watery Descent A wide flight of slippery stairs stands at the end of this antechamber, leading down into a pool of slimy, murky water. The shape above the stairs is a rotting shark’s
a tightly sewn oilcloth — an instrument of the bards (Cli lyre) found by a cultist years before. The lyre is the cult’s greatest treasure, and has been kept as a gift for the leader that the cultists
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
to the west is a bathhouse and laundry area with three large wooden tubs. M8. Sandstone Court This area is open to the sky. Characters on the monastery roof can enter the building here. This long
, narrow court is paved in red sandstone. To the north stands the main temple or shrine of the monastery, its copper-sheathed doors emblazoned with a triangular symbol. Doors also exit the court at its
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
plot the conquest of the multiverse. At the center of the layer stands a vast rift of unknown depth, out of which rises the great citadel-spire of Malsheem, home to Asmodeus and his infernal court
deceit and manipulation, and their unhindered pursuit of their own agendas make them truly terrifying foes. A descent into the Nine Hells is a journey into the heart of evil. Every shred of evil is
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye
holy symbol of Oghma, god of knowledge and patron to bards and wizards. If the check succeeds by 3 or more, the character intuits that rededicating the shrine to Oghma could help against the zombies
flashes with lurid light. As if being extinguished, the glow of the runes dims as shadowy smoke rises from the carvings. The smoke gathers in the center of the chamber, where it coalesces into an
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
track. A stout, lever-operated brake controls its descent. Carts can be shunted onto the side passages if the tracks are switched using a crowbar (one is stashed near each siding). When characters arrive
made to swim. Etched into the haft of the battleaxe are Dethek (Dwarvish) runes that spell the weapon’s name: Bob.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
and the new arrivals, but Mirran orders the guards to stand down so that she and Nym can learn “what brings these puny creatures to court.” If the characters make demands, Mirran is enraged by their
dragon has infiltrated and compromised the storm giants’ court, grant advantage on the check. Hellenhild. The frost giant jarl respects battle prowess. If the character making the check wounds
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
Artista DeSlop—Court Ceiling Painter The domed ceiling of this crypt is painted with an image of imps holding bouquets of colorful flowers. A skeleton draped in rags lies atop a marble slab in the center
descends 1 foot for every 10 feet of horizontal distance covered. At the end of the flight, the wearer lands on its feet and the glider is intact. If the wearer tries to accelerate the rate of descent
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
instead of a Dexterity saving throw, provided the creature doesn’t have the prone condition, with the aim of slowing the ceiling’s descent for the betterment of others. The creature making the Strength
room. A five-foot-tall, triangular stone covered in runes stands in this bare room’s center. At the top of the stone, a plum-sized diamond pulses with red light.
The triangular stone is immovable and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
-square vertical shaft of smooth stone that descends to the Howling Caves (see chapter 5). The updraft slows the descent of any creature that leaps or falls into the pit, as if a feather fall spell had been
court, her illusory wings gently fanning the air. She keeps her magic spear, Windvane (see chapter 7), close to her at all times. If Aerisi is here, her ever-watchful invisible stalker companion






