Search Results
All Results
Characters
Compendium
Spells
Items
Monsters
Vehicles
Forums
Returning 35 results for 'barely before down could read'.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Getting the Quest If Dougan’s Hole is the starting town for this adventure, the characters already know some of what’s going on. Read: Dougan’s Hole is beset by winter wolves that stalk the outskirts
in. “Dang winter wolves say they ain’t givin’ ’em back till the town coughs up a king’s ransom in food and gold. This town barely got enough to feed its own, and there ain’t no gold. Ain’t no one
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
rest concludes to the sound of warning horns. Darrett or a messenger from Marshal Vendri urges them to hurry to the command post atop the Trade Gate. Once the characters arrive, read the following text
rapid percussion, their deadly bolts barely keeping the dragonnels wheeling overhead at bay. Beyond the dragonnel riders, the flying citadel looms like a thunderhead, drifting slowly but relentlessly closer.
At this point, there has been no word from Clystran or the dragonnels he went to track down.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
their late teens and live less than a century. Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium
. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
’ corruption begins to take hold, the plants have become living traps. Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene: Your path through the woods descends along a ridgeline, with the trees crowding together
characters’ progress. If the check is 14 or higher, or if any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 studies the fey after they’ve been spotted, the fey appear mean and grubby. The fey run off if they are noticed, shouting with barely disguised menace to “enjoy our sunny woods.”
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
, read or paraphrase the following text: Amid the vast desert, a great pyramid rises from the sands, barely touched by time. Stairs ascend from the sand to an opening in the pyramid.
Near the base of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
their late teens and live less than a century. Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium
. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
Back in Session Once the characters have chosen their colleges and cemented their other second-year decisions, it’s time to kick off this adventure.
The academic year has barely dawned when
you’re ready to begin, read or paraphrase the following, altering the text to incorporate the student’s name or other details:
Your peers’ shouts of camaraderie punctuate the air as you finish your
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
, the check can be repeated after another 10 minutes of searching. The following boxed text assumes that the characters have met Ireena Kolyana. If they have not, don’t read the sentence that mentions
her. Hidden by the fog and elevated a few feet above the surrounding marsh is a raised plot of land, barely ten feet on a side, enclosed by a disintegrating iron fence. In the center of the plot is a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
of Cynidicea. Though the ziggurat is usually buried in the sands, a sandstorm has uncovered its upper tiers. When the characters arrive at the ziggurat, read or paraphrase the following text: Your trek
time have scoured their faces smooth.
A windswept ziggurat towers over the other ruins. Five stepped tiers are visible, though the lowest barely peeks above the sand. In all, the ancient structure
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
free, but other humanoids must pay 5 cp each. When the characters enter the Cog Carnival, read or paraphrase the following boxed text to the players: Smoky, low flames in a fireplace barely illuminate
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
hewn from the rock leads up along one side of the wall.
The steps leading up to it are barely 5 feet wide and climb 150 feet to a frost-covered shelf that adjoins the main entrance (area X1). Difficult
Decision As the characters begin their ascent, read: From high above comes a loud grinding noise as large sheets of ice break off the fortress walls and tumble down the mountainside. Suddenly, great
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
others have yet to board a boat. The remaining boats have enough space for them and the characters. Before the characters head to their boats, read the following text: “Hold the boat!” a voice rasps from
details. Last Glimpse of Vogler Evacuees flee the Dragon Army’s invasion of Vogler The characters escape Vogler on the last boat, a small fishing vessel barely large enough for the characters, Darrett
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a7
the center of the cliff face, read: Bright, brilliant colors are to be seen everywhere, the stones and pigments undimmed by the passage of decades. The floor of the corridor is a colorful mosaic of
studied all the way from the entrance to where the path forks toward areas 5 and 6, the individual with such perseverance will be rewarded by suddenly understanding that a message is contained in barely
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
The Waters of Lyth Eventually, the party crosses a vale not noted on Khea’s map. Read or paraphrase the following description: A shallow valley lies amid the rise and fall of the Katachthon foothills
humanoid bones barely covered by the water. Outcropping Caves Three natural caves open near the top of the 30-foot-high rock formation at the far end of the pool. These crevices might be noticed by
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
Sanctum Showdown If the characters show no sign of joining Ruxithid, or if any of them threaten violence, Ruxithid becomes hostile. Read or paraphrase the following: Green light pulses from
Disturbing Truth Revealed If Ruxithid is slain, read the following: Ruxithid falls to the ground, and his crystalline brain splits asunder. The sanctum fills with a cacophony, like thousands of voices crying
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
side, read: Stately galleons, sleek cutters that resemble flying fish, and warships built to look like hammerhead sharks line the docks of Bral. Krux waves his arm toward a craft that seems modest by
comparison.
The ship’s sails are patchworks of mended canvas, while its hull seems barely held together by thick vines that bind it like rope. Its strangest feature is the full-grown tree that sprouts
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
to know each other before this scene, but it’s fine if they do. Once the players are ready, read or paraphrase the following text: The sun sinks low in the west, stretching shadows across the well
mask. The rider barely manages to stay in the saddle, his body bristling with cruel black arrows.
Blind with panic, the horse plows on, threatening to trample travelers in its path. Before it can
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
whose tusks have been set with gems (see “Treasure” below). The inscriptions on the statue are written in Old Omuan. They read as follows: Let your bones watch over my treasure, brave Ghom. As you
is claimed and set head-first into the indentation, read: A thunderous trumpeting sound erupts from the mastodon’s trunk, causing a block of stone to seal off the room. The cog under the mastodon’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
. Otherwise, the thrones are empty, and the characters have nothing else to interact with. The apparitions refuse to speak in the characters’ presence, and they can’t be harmed or turned. Barely lifting
-foot-high ceilings throughout. As the characters descend the stairs, read: To your left as you enter this dark hall is a closed, stone double door with no handles or hinges on this side. To your right is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
Arrival Syndra Silvane teleports herself and the characters to Port Nyanzaru’s Harbor Ward, not far from the harbormaster’s office (area 13). Read: You appear in a tropical city under the blazing sun
boats along the canals. Dinosaurs compete in weekly races through the streets. These brightly painted racing dinosaurs are fast, vicious, and barely under their riders’ control. Flowers, green plants, and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
the ordeal. Dream 1: Rainbow Angels Read the following boxed text when the characters first enter Lulu’s dreamscape: As the rich, radiant light of a hundred dancing rainbows slowly dissolves, warm
next dream. Dream 4: Desolation When the fourth dream begins, read: You wander a vast, barren landscape of utter devastation. Black sludge rises rapidly out of the ground, enveloping your feet and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
silver nameplate is worth 75 gp. B4: Vault This vault contains six pedestals, each bearing treasure.
Carvings encircling the base of each pedestal read, “What good are treasures when home is denied
is illegible due to advanced age, but the carved phrase “Home Again, To Rest Forever” is barely legible above the tomb’s doorway.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
magic here D3. Lonely Crate At the far end of a broken bridge is a mound of earth barely large enough for one person to stand on. A dented metal crate is partially embedded in the mound.
One of the
, conclude that a big creature with powerful jaws and sharp teeth tore the crate open. Enter the Hydra. When the characters reach the broken crate, read or paraphrase the following: You hear the sound
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
enter the alley from either end. Determine their marching order, then read the following text once they reach the alley’s midpoint: A cart laden with apples comes careening toward you from the opposite
the stone. After searching Fenerus’s home and finding nothing, they were waiting for Fenerus to return when the drow showed up. The drow barely got away with their lives. THE THREE URCHINS
Three
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
leads to the caverns. When the party approaches the doors in the east end of the room, read: The door to your left appears normal, but the one ahead has a wooden bar across it, held in brackets on the
undead within. Light spilling in from the large room behind you barely shows that the chamber is only about twelve feet across and the corners are filled with shadow. What little you can see is dingy
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
71. Lair of the Sewn Sisters Green smoke billows out from a bronze cauldron in the middle of this twenty-foot-high vaulted hall. Barely visible through the haze are three rocking chairs, several work
characters are in a position to get a better view of the upper galleries, read: Five wooden doors are set into the walls of the galleries, each carved with a geometric symbol: a triangle, a square, a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
drawbridge is down, and the portcullis is up. Read or paraphrase the following if the characters get close enough to see into the moat: The bottom of the dry moat is littered with bones as well as complete
window. Stairs lead to the crypt below. If the characters haven’t encountered the Gloved Hand (area 14) yet, they hear the faint echo of an argument coming from below. 6: Dining Hall Read or paraphrase
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
Warehouse Environs Eventually, the characters spot the sign for Jolly’s Lamp Emporium. Read the following as they move toward their goal: Jolly’s Lamp Emporium is an unassuming, ramshackle shop in
pack and squints at its barely legible writing. “So which one of you is Ozgood the Ugly? I need you to sign before you go in. Nothing but paperwork and signatures since the newest Masked Lords got
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
supply of colored inks. It’s a Rental At rank 1, at the start of any mission, you can requisition a second-hand draft horse and cart (barely functional), riding horses and ponies (typically well aged
the gods, you’re going to be one too.
3 You’re fairly certain no one else in your party even knows how to hold a map, let alone read one.
4 You like spyglasses. A lot.
5 Your nickname
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check determines these are dragon bones. When a character makes it halfway down the corridor, read or paraphrase the following: The tunnel fills with the
flooded, with the remains of tables, chairs, and a bar barely protruding above the water’s surface.
Murky water fills this room to a height of 3 feet, making the flooded area difficult terrain for
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault
, which are posted on placards near the docks. The placards read as follows: RULES IN THE AFTERLIFE:
Stay out of the River Styx.
Don’t cheat. (Cheaters never prosper.)
Don’t accost or threaten other
9 pounds. A character who examines the display case and succeeds on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check spots a line of barely visible runes inscribed around the perimeter of each pane of glass
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
transport. Crypt 4 Prince Ariel du Plumette (Ariel the Heavy) If the characters open the door to this crypt, read: The apparition of a large, rotund man forms within the dark crypt, its eyes wild with
can be triggered a total of four times before its supply of darts is depleted. If the door to the crypt is opened, read: This crypt smells of roses. The remains atop its marble slab have disintegrated
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
(Survival) check while examining the road sees scorch marks indicative of firenewts or other flame creatures using it. When the characters reach Hrakhamar, read: The entrance is a 10-foot-tall arched
second fragment of gold, so thoroughly hammered that it’s barely recognizable. These keys once unlocked the door to the treasury (area 6) and are beyond repair; so little of them remains that not
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
2.1: Buried Ziggurat, Tiers 1-3 View Player Version B1: Statue Room When the characters ascend the monument, read or paraphrase the following text: Near the ziggurat’s peak, a once-secret entrance
13 Intelligence (Investigation) check spots a tripped pressure plate on the floor and an empty crossbow in the wall. When the characters enter the chamber, read or paraphrase the following text: The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
barely make out a circular ledge 50 feet down, while the bottom of the sinkhole is hidden in the gloom 100 feet below. Lying around the mouth of the sinkhole are more wrecked ships, and looming above
other small folk from perusing the tomes. Since the books are small by Serissa’s standards, she uses a spyglass to read them. The spyglass rests on top of the 20-foot-tall bookshelf. Other furnishings