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Orcsplitter

Magic Items Princes of the Apocalypse

rare occasions it uses a limited form of telepathy to bring to the wielder’s mind a couplet or stanza of ancient Dwarvish verse. Personality. Orcsplitter is grim, taciturn, and inflexible. It

defend dwarves and to serve as a symbol of dwarven resolve. It hates the traditional foes of dwarves — giants, goblins, and, most of all, orcs — and silently urges its possessor to meet such creatures in battle.

Soulknife Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Most assassins strike with physical weapons, and many burglars and spies use thieves’ tools to infiltrate secure locations. In contrast, a Soulknife strikes and infiltrates with the mind

, cutting through barriers both physical and psychic. These rogues discover psionic power within themselves and channel it to do their roguish work. They find easy employment as members of thieves&rsquo

Using These Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

, a character can approach Studying in any way they desire, with that phase then culminating in a single ability check of their choice. In contrast, Testing requires ability checks using specific skills

. In each phase, resolve the outcome of one character’s ability checks before moving on to another character. (If any characters are studying together, however, resolve their ability checks at the

Azorius Functionary

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

5th dominate person Your magic often takes the form of blue or golden runes floating and glowing in the air in circular patterns or of shimmering azure barriers of magical energy. If you

the entire city, your place in the Azorius can easily bring you into contact with members of other guilds, for good or ill. Roll twice on the Azorius Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and

Mapping a Wilderness

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

Mapping a Wilderness In contrast to a dungeon, an outdoor setting presents seemingly limitless options. The adventurers can move in any direction over a trackless desert or an open grassland, so how

uneven ground. Valleys and ridges channel travel in certain directions. Mountain ranges present forbidding barriers traversed only by remote passes. Even the most trackless desert reveals favored

Ghost Stories

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

Ghost Stories Ghost stories number among the more psychologically elaborate genres of horror. Only through revealing tales of tragedy and past wrongs can heroes truly bring peace to forces that share

closure, lingering in a place until they bring about the completion of the work they hoped to accomplish in life. In addition, consider the following genre tropes when creating your haunted domain: All

Dragonmarked Houses

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Khorvaire and beyond. Those interests often bring them into conflict with local rulers and national governments. Unified Galifar had the strength and influence to impose its will on the collected

seeks to mediate disputes and encourage cooperation between the houses. Adventurers could be caught up in the rivalries and schemes of the houses, or they could work with the Twelve in an effort to resolve these feuds.

Yeonido Gazetteer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

, they return as one of these spirits. It’s up to the spirit’s family to resolve the injustice and bring peace to the gwishin, allowing it to move onward. If a gwishin is allowed to endure, it grows

Atmosphere

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

gate? The noisy hubbub of merchants and buyers thronging the market square? The overpowering stench of manure? Sensory details help bring a settlement to life and vividly communicate its personality to

cities present a distinct aesthetic, clearly identifiable in contrast to human-built ones. Soldiers patrol the streets to quell any hint of dissent in a city ruled by a tyrant, while a city fostering

Servants of the Queen

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

lead them to where the barriers are weakest so they can then slip across planes to their destination. Once at their destination, the shadar-kai watch and wait, looking for the tragedies their queen

wishes them to collect. Sometimes they are small: a spurned lover, a lost item, a betrayal. But some tragedies are much graver: a murder, a war, a diabolical bargain. To bring back a trinket for their

Encounters

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

situation, ask the players what their characters want to do. Note what the players say, and identify how to resolve their actions. Ask them for more information if you need it. Sometimes the players

characters don’t need to take turns, but you need to give each player a chance to tell you what their character is doing so you can decide how to resolve everyone’s actions. In combat, everyone takes

Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

Once you’re done describing the situation, ask the players what their characters want to do. Note what the players say, and identify how to resolve their actions. Ask them for more information if you

bookshelf. Outside combat, the characters don’t need to take turns, but you need to give each player a chance to tell you what their character is doing so you can decide how to resolve everyone’s

Breaking the Archetypes

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

Those elves really know how to bring the hurt from a distance, don’t they? Fortunately for the arrow-slinging world, they were willing to share their arcane archery knowledge with friends, and now every

, providing a boon to your franchise’s standing in the community. Any franchise could do worse than having you as its public face — especially when your sense of quiet resolve is needed to quietly resolve some unexpected business disaster.

Attack Rolls

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

; they have no rules of their own, although some rules refer to the schools. Abjuration spells are protective in nature, though some of them have aggressive uses. They create magical barriers, negate

and death. Such spells can grant an extra reserve of life force, drain the life energy from another creature, create the undead, or even bring the dead back to life. Creating the undead through the

Setessa's Surroundings

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Setessa’s Surroundings Beyond the city’s encircling trees, the territory of Setessa extends to cover about a third of the Nessian Wood and a wide swath of the open chaparral. In contrast to Meletis

illicit hunters, as well as any intruders who might bring danger upon the polis. Cypress Gates. A natural gap between two mountains on the west side of the Sperche River provides access into the

Neighbors, Rivals, and Allies

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

, the city can count on the other members of the Lords’ Alliance to come to its defense. This arrangement infuriates Amn, which is not prepared to test the alliance’s resolve. To the east, the nations of

question, selling them at a high markup. Travelers seeking a specific book also hire mercenaries or adventurers to venture into dungeons or ruins and bring back the prize. If information can’t be

Neighbors, Rivals, and Allies

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer

, the city can count on the other members of the Lords’ Alliance to come to its defense. This arrangement infuriates Amn, which is not prepared to test the alliance’s resolve. To the east, the nations of

question, selling them at a high markup. Travelers seeking a specific book also hire mercenaries or adventurers to venture into dungeons or ruins and bring back the prize. If information can’t be

Cities and Sites

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Kaius II was newly seated on the steel throne and lacked the resolve to bring the dwarf lords to heel. Now we see the harvest we have sown, and it is horrifying. Without the firm hand of Karrnath to

Relics of Besilmer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

telepathy to bring to the wielder’s mind a couplet or stanza of ancient Dwarvish verse. Personality. Orcsplitter is grim, taciturn, and inflexible. It knows little more than the desire to face orcs in battle

and serve a courageous, just wielder. It disdains cowards and any form of duplicity, deception, or disloyalty. The weapon’s purpose is to defend dwarves and to serve as a symbol of dwarven resolve

Zariel

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

, that change signaled a major shift in the devils’ tactics. Zariel’s fiery temperament and reckless maneuvering stand in stark contrast to Bel’s approach, which relied on his expertise in logistics and

a defeat that leads to her removal. For now, though, the devils are fighting with a berserker fury under her charge. Zariel leads their offensives herself, and her unyielding resolve coupled with the

Scourge of Worlds

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

presence begins to erode the barriers between their location and the Abyss. It can take a few years for weaker demons to warp their environment, while changes begin to occur around the location of a

demon prince in about a month. To bring about these changes, the invaders must remain in the same location for some time, usually an area no more than six miles on a side, to combine their influence

Small Stalls

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Prizes table, or twice if the successful check occurs on the first attempt. Gnome Poetry Contest “Sound the chime, it’s time to rhyme! You bring the poem! We’ll bring the gno-em!” Gnome Poetry

by the goblin; two goblins working together make one check with advantage. Resolve a tie by rerolling. A victorious participant earns one roll on the Carnival Prizes table. Guess the Number of

Creating a Rival

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

you resolve one or more workweeks of downtime, pick one of the ways a rival’s plans might be advanced and introduce it into play. Think about how a rival might operate in order to bring specific

methods the rival can bring to bear against the characters. Goals. An effective rival has a clear reason for interfering with the characters’ lives. Think about what the rival wants, how and why the

Chase Complications

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

pursuers to either divide their forces or allow some of the quarry to escape. If a pursuit splits into several smaller chases, resolve each chase separately. Run a round of one chase, then a round of

ones in this section. Otherwise, improvise as you play. Complications can be barriers to progress or opportunities for mayhem. Characters being chased through a forest by bugbears might spot a wasp nest

Dungeon Inhabitants

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

empire. Such creatures might approach adventurers with an offer of alliance, hoping to prevent the characters from laying waste to their lair and to secure aid against their enemies. Bring the NPC leaders

throughout. The contrast between easy and hard encounters, as well as simple and complex encounters, encourages characters to vary their tactics and keeps the encounters from seeming too similar.

Genies

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

their thralls, but never to the extent that they can no longer work. In contrast to their love of servants, most genies loathe being bound to service themselves. A genie obeys the will of another only

it. The genie can then cast the wish spell on the creature’s behalf to bring about the effect. Depending on the genie’s nature, the genie might try to pervert the intent of the wish by exploiting the wish’s poor wording. The perversion of the wording is usually crafted to be to the genie’s benefit.

Components

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

, although some rules refer to the schools. Abjuration spells are protective in nature, though some of them have aggressive uses. They create magical barriers, negate harmful effects, harm

an extra reserve of life force, drain the life energy from another creature, create the undead, or even bring the dead back to life. Creating the undead through the use of necromancy spells such as

Fierna and Belial

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

contrast to the stiff regimentation of the rest of the Nine Hells, the laws that govern Abriymoch allow the place to operate as a carnival in which any wanton desire can be fulfilled. Justice in All Its

. The flames either bring searing agony that reduces a devil to a weaker form, or ecstatic joy that transforms it into a mightier being. Soul Searching Like the rulers of the other layers, Belial and

When Clans Collapse

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

individuals in a clan to fall prey to occasional bickering and infighting. Abbathor’s influence affects some dwarves more than others, and even those with the strongest resolve can be tempted to

weaker than it was before the unrest occurred, and thus it’s an easier target for outside enemies. If selfishness and greed were not enough to bring the clan to utter destruction, the horde of orcs

Mutual Respect

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

behavior is interfering with everyone else’s enjoyment, everyone has a stake in helping to resolve the issue. Setting Expectations Before you assemble a group around a game table, pitch the

make sure everyone’s comfortable with how the game is developing, updating the group’s limits as needed. Shifting Limits. Encourage players to bring any additional limits to you, privately or in the

Mutual Respect

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

behavior is interfering with everyone else’s enjoyment, everyone has a stake in helping to resolve the issue. Setting Expectations Before you assemble a group around a game table, pitch the

the group every few sessions to make sure everyone’s comfortable with how the game is developing, updating the group’s limits as needed. Shifting Limits. Encourage players to bring any additional

Enemies All Around

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

reminisce over the defeat of a dragon, or weep as they recall the death of a beloved elder. In contrast to clan gatherings, dwarves who drink alone invariably become morose and sullen — when

dwarves, but they do consider them ideal slaves. Even when captured and put to work against their will, dwarves are innately driven to bring their full effort to a task at hand. Even simple toil

Recurring Villains

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

the middle of Lake Galifar. Her scheme to bring the towers of Arcanix to the ground likewise seemed ended. But yesterday, according to eyewitness reports, ir’Rannan was seen in the common room of

someone the characters see every day — someone who moves around society in plain sight but keeps their evil deeds well hidden. The law enforcers and adventurers who are trying to bring the villain to

Silverquill Scholars

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

battle or strike at their foes with searing radiance. These Silverquill teachers seek to inspire greatness in all that they do, pushing their students to look for the good in all things and bring that into

and debilitating inky shadow. Whether weaving their magic through spoken incantations and scathing insults or through shadows, these teachers break down the resolve of their foes. The professors strive

Centaur

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

. Koletras are said to bring good luck to a band, but are also usually fated to die in defense of their family. Not every guros has a koletra of its own, and guri share their best warriors among each other

herds. These herds are voluntary associations, in contrast to the family groups of the Lagonna. When necessary, several small bands join together in a larger herd to target particularly dangerous but

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