been before desire claiming rather

Sammaster (Dracolich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

megalomaniacal. Sammaster’s travels brought him into contact with people who revered dragons as icons of primeval might. Masquerading his desire to dominate dragonkind as devotion, Sammaster

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

. Sammaster’s travels brought him into contact with people who revered dragons as icons of primeval might. Masquerading his desire to dominate dragonkind as devotion, Sammaster established himself

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

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

, silent stretches. Occasionally, though, in a moment of peace, stress, or excitement, a reborn gains a glimpse of what came before. When you desire to have such a dreamlike vision, roll on the Lost

Isolde

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

archfey named Zybilna, who had forged secret pacts with some of the fiends Isolde and her companions had slain. Rather than be angry at Isolde, Zybilna was impressed by her. She enlisted a powerful fiend

Isolde place her devotion to the carnival above her desire to leave it. When Isolde’s fey carnival crossed paths with another carnival from the Shadowfell, the eladrin found the escape she

Madam Eva

Monsters Curse of Strahd

the master of Ravenloft, but she has all the power she desires and doesn’t seek to supplant him. She would rather help Strahd find someone else to succeed him, although she has grave doubts about

her ability to locate such an individual. None of Madam Eva’s Vistani kin know her true identity or purpose. They puzzle over her desire to remain in Barovia. Madam Eva’s Traits Ideal

Nass Lantomir's Ghost

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

overheard her master talking to another wizard about a covert expedition to Icewind Dale being undertaken to seek out long-lost magic from a bygone empire. Rather than carry out her original plan, Nass

followed her fellow wizards to Icewind Dale. She caught up to them in Bryn Shander and made her presence known, claiming she was sent by her master to aid the expedition with her divinations. Egos and

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

shaped by lives of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better

;d rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair. 5 It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else. 6 People who can’t take care of themselves get what they deserve.

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

of the world beyond their home. Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s

mull over the stories and rumors they collected like a miser counting coins. Although material wealth holds little attraction for the tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to find and inspect ancient

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better life &mdash

from a fight. 2 Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it. 3 I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 I’d rather

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

would rather make one precise strike, placing it exactly where the attack will hurt the target most, than wear an opponent down with a barrage of attacks. Rogues have an almost supernatural knack for

an angry thieves’ guild master? Or did you leave your guild in search of bigger risks and bigger rewards? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures, or some other desire or ideal? What

Urban Bounty Hunter

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

bond might involve other bounty hunters or the organizations or individuals that employ you. Your ideal could be associated with your determination always to catch your quarry or your desire to maintain

. 4 I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. 5 I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. 6 I don’t pay attention to the risks

Selesnya Initiate

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

fervent desire to share the joy you have experienced with Ravnica. Along with the rest of the conclave, you are committed to resisting the ambitions of the other guilds — with military force if

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

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Every kenku is born with a desire to take to the air, and those who learn spellcasting do so in hope of mastering spells that will allow them to fly. Rumors of magic items such as flying carpets, brooms

capable of flight, and similar objects provoke a great desire for the kenku to acquire the items for themselves. Despite their lack of wings, kenku love dwelling in towers and other tall structures

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

necessary, using their magic to bolster their swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many

set bards apart from their fellows. Only rarely do bards settle in one place for long, and their natural desire to travel—to find new tales to tell, new skills to learn, and new discoveries

Gith

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

bloodshed, Gith and her followers threw off the yoke of their illithid masters, but another leader named Zerthimon emerged in the aftermath of battle. Zerthimon challenged Gith’s motives, claiming that her

strict martial leadership and desire for vengeance amounted to little more than another form of servitude for her people. A rift erupted between followers of each leader, and they eventually became the

Barterers of Lore

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

Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s not intrinsically interesting. In the

miser counting coins. Although material wealth holds little attraction for the tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to find and inspect ancient relics, magical items, and other rare objects. Aside

Otaaryliakkarnos

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

guidance, and should be shown Bahamut’s righteous way of living rather than ignored and treated as children. If the dragons refuse to engage the humanoids and focus only on their own advancement, the

unfriendly. Desire. Otaaryliakkarnos would like the metallic dragons to strike now as Protanther suggests, but she does not know if they can succeed alone. An alliance would reduce casualties for all

Faded Memories

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

. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark, silent stretches. Occasionally, though, in a moment of

peace, stress, or excitement, a reborn gains a glimpse of what came before. When you desire to have such a dreamlike vision, roll on the Lost Memories table to inspire its details. Lost Memories d6

Otaaryliakkarnos

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

guidance, and should be shown Bahamut’s righteous way of living rather than ignored and treated as children. If the dragons refuse to engage the humanoids and focus only on their own advancement, the

instead unfriendly. Desire. Otaaryliakkarnos would like the metallic dragons to strike now as Protanther suggests, but she does not know if they can succeed alone. An alliance would reduce casualties for

Topaz Dragon Lairs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. Her desire is born not of greed, though, but rather from her study of the Material Plane, its magic, and dragons’ interconnection with both. Dragons on many worlds acknowledge Astilabor as they establish new lairs to host their hoards, linking them to the magic of the surrounding region.

Topaz Dragon Lairs Topaz dragons are happiest by the sea. They spend most of their time basking in the sun and have no desire to get wet, beyond enjoying a bit of sea spray in the air. But they love

Resolving the Mystery

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

Digressions and see the book safely back to Candlekeep, if they so desire. NIDALIA The true leader of the Amberdune Pack, Nidalia is a lamia who delights in hoarding books rather than in corruption and

the real books back to Candlekeep without offering a compromise, the jackalweres put up a fight, though they’ll surrender rather than fight to the death. Losing the books is a great setback to the

Other Crime Syndicates

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

secrets, blackmail powerful people, and forge everything from identification papers to coins and works of art. Running Your Own. Rather than join an existing syndicate, you can start your own. You need

to establish your own headquarters and direct the activities of the 3d6 criminals who work for you. By claiming a 15 percent share of their take, you can rely on an income that will sustain you at a

Rival Explorers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

Morgrave’s bad reputation. They seek fame, wealth, and power by plundering the secrets of ancient civilizations and claiming the magic and money they find for themselves. On the other hand, if the

characters solve this problem by breaking the curse rather than killing the rivals, but either way, these foils no longer trouble the characters after they resolve this situation. (A rival group at these levels might consist of an Archmage, an Archpriest, a Spy Master, and a Warrior Commander.)

Seven Secrets of Ravenloft

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

1. Ravenloft Is Not a World. The lands and characters of Ravenloft don’t share a planet. Rather, the Domains of Dread consist of innumerable demiplanes hidden amid the Plane of Shadow. Mysterious

and falling as the Dark Powers desire. Tales attribute ominous powers to the Mists, from cloaking monsters to causing entire villages to vanish. The Mists are not bound to Ravenloft and slip across

Iroas as Campaign Villain

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

, involving attacks on people who may seem unrelated to the initial conflict. As a campaign villain, Iroas is most likely driven by his desire to win in battle, to confront Mogis, or to avenge an insult to

, forms a group in support of Mogis. Iroas, rather than accepting Heliod’s aid, launches a grand campaign of his own against his brother. 3 Mogis arms one of his champions with an axe capable of

Thassa's Champions

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

campaigns to overturn it. Rather, her champions’ work often serves her immediate interests or embodies her ire about some recent slight. The Thassa’s Quests table suggests a few adventures the god’s

, or lands affected by (or starved of) water. She makes a fantastic patron for sea-based campaigns, but also land-based journeys where the characters might spread Thassa’s desire for change and

Isolde

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

other threats. In time, her heroics caught the eye of an archfey named Zybilna, who had forged secret pacts with some of the fiends Isolde and her companions had slain. Rather than be angry at Isolde

secretly used wish spells to make Isolde place her devotion to the carnival above her desire to leave it. When Isolde’s fey carnival crossed paths with another carnival from the Shadowfell, the eladrin

Adventure Structure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

goal is to prevent the gold from falling into the hands of the bad guys. If all goes well, some of the gold will find its way into the characters’ pockets. Characters will have a hard time claiming it

unconscious rather than killed. Such characters might awaken in an alley, a sewer tunnel, or a prison cell, with or without their gear. Conversely, they might awaken safe and sound with all their gear in a private residence, being cared for by friendly NPCs who took them in.

Pharika's Influence

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

Pharika’s medicinal virtues, and she is always seeking subtle ways to use city-states in her experiments without provoking her peers. She disdains Ephara’s and Karametra’s desire to tame the world rather

inevitable effects of aging or the petrification of her medusa children’s victims. Pharika’s Goals To Pharika, Theros is an ongoing experiment and mortals are her agents in carrying it out. Rather than

Baphomet

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

of Spiders and her brood rarely take part directly in the Blood War; rather, her agents in the Abyss contrive to lure her enemies into throwing themselves into the struggle. Her servitors spy on both

vacancy left by a departed rival, expanding the reach of the Demonweb Pits and claiming those servants her enemies have left behind as new spies and informants for her.

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods. Booming Birth Rate In order to replenish the casualties of their endless warring

they are more interested in grabbing plunder and food rather than in wanton slaughter. The elderly, children, and any who seem weak or meek enough might escape death. If they leave the population more

Never Alone

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

. Accustomed to inspiring fear, and having grown somewhat lazy in its guardian role, it is usually content to let foes flee from it rather than pursuing. Each time the characters finish a long rest in

. Destroying the construct or claiming all the Infernal Machine components is the only way to end this effect. The thessalheart construct has a telepathic bond to Thessalar, who becomes aware of the

Gala at the Cerulean Lyceum

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

—signs of her fervent desire to prove her connection and dedication to Djaynai. Personality Trait. “I have more important matters to attend to than you.” Ideal. “Tradition must be preserved at all costs

interrupts and orders all the characters to introduce themselves rather than first sharing her own name. If the characters speak about the ghost ship, Zisatta tensely reports that sightings of a ghostly

Cult of the Eternal Flame

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

reckless attacks with no regard for their own lives, seeking to cause as much damage as possible before falling. They are fearless and would rather die fighting among a mob of enemies than retreat a

, or else they’re just not doing their part. Fire Prophet Through all-consuming ambition and a desire to punish all who ever thwarted her dreams, the tiefling Vanifer has risen to leadership of the

Purphoros's Influence

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

Purphoros’s Influence The raw creative force that Purphoros embodies is chaotic, but Purphoros isn’t a god of unbridled chaos. Rather, he shows mortals how to harness that primal energy, shaping it

Purphoros, deeply involved in the project of civilization. Purphoros’s desire to overturn the established order with violence stands in stark contrast to their measured ways. As a result, Purphoros stands aloof from them.

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