been before divinity concept rather

Cultist of Bhaal

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

. Cultists of Bhaal sometimes form cabals of assassins or mercenaries, but they perform their brutal slaughter for the perverse love of bloodshed and honor to their sinister god rather than for

adventurers Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul seized divinity but were slain for their hubris. All three have been reborn and are now known as the Dead Three. Each of the Dead Three has inspired wicked cults that

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

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

Secret

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

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide explores options like these, in the section

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

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.

Trickery Domain

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

, stealing from the rich, freeing captives, and flouting hollow traditions. They prefer subterfuge, pranks, deception, and theft rather than direct confrontation. Trickery Domain Spells Cleric Level

or until you use this feature again. Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to create an illusory duplicate of yourself. As an action, you create

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

Origin of the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

the ordning in some mythic future. Giants on some worlds (including Eberron) have no concept of the ordning at all. Such giants might think of themselves as a single species, with the differences

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

Cleric: Order Domain

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

else, rather than to a specific individual or the passing influence of emotion or popular rule. Clerics of order are typically concerned with how things are done, rather than whether an action’s results

multiverse. Order Domain Features Cleric Level Feature 1st Domain Spells, Bonus Proficiencies, Voice of Authority 2nd Channel Divinity: Order’s Demand 6th Embodiment of the Law 8th Divine Strike 17th

Life in the Tayyib Empire

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

worshiping the source of divinity rather than its fallible manifestations. Its adherents are called Muwahhid. Some erudite worshipers join the Imperial Ulema, an order of Muwahhid scholars sponsored by

Character Advancement

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

taking part in a play session. A character reaches 1 checkpoint for each hour an adventure is designed to last. Note that the award is based on the adventure’s projected playing time, rather than the

designed to take 2 hours, the character reaches 3 checkpoints. Playing time might seem like an odd way to measure experience awards, but the concept is in keeping with how a shared campaign is meant to

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation

divination (to find raw materials and foresee threats to the tribe). The main reason why kobolds depend on arcane magic rather than divine is Kurtulmak’s imprisonment, which makes it difficult for

Water Weird

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

. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil. However, a water weird bound to a sacred or befouled source of water begins to take on the nature of that site

, becoming neutral good or neutral evil. A neutral good water weird tries to frighten away interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might

Darklords

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

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

concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their

Yuan-ti Cities

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

yuan-ti content themselves with maintaining these ancient places rather than building new ones for their needs. Although these sites are hundreds or even thousands of years old, they don’t look or feel

reflects human ideas about art and beauty. Over time this perspective was skewed toward the concept that the snake is the perfect form, so serpents are a common theme in their aesthetic. The major

Cleric Subclasses

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

of your Channel Divinity to cast Shield of Faith or Spiritual Weapon rather than expending a spell slot. When you cast either spell in this way, the spell doesn’t require Concentration. Instead the

Ward 9 Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds Level 3: Preserve Life As a Magic action, you present your Holy Symbol and expend a use of your Channel Divinity to evoke healing energy that can restore

Introduction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

you receive a cancer diagnosis or a similar health news, you probably appreciate that concept a little more than other people. Watching someone you love waste away is a terrible thing. You want a

magic button to bring things back to the way they should be, this person you love so much restored to who they really are rather than what cancer is grinding them down into. It’s easy to give in to

Appendix A: Shared Campaigns

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

hard to keep a campaign going. Enter the concept of the shared campaign. In a shared campaign, more than one member of the group can take on the role of DM. A shared campaign is episodic rather than

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

opportunity to develop the character’s story and that of your world, rather than shutting down possibilities. Substituting Class Features If one or more features of a given class don’t exactly fit the theme

Staff

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

concept behind the hirelings and selecting one proficiency for each. The DM can then customize the hirelings as desired, perhaps by adding additional proficiencies or adjusting their combat statistics

(sailors for a seagoing franchise, engineers for a giant hollow statue, and so on). Crew do not leave a franchise and cannot perform franchise tasks. They typically run rather than fight back when attacked

Rejecting the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

one their kind traditionally values. These are often giants whose ranking within their kind is low. For example, a contemplative cloud giant might pursue knowledge rather than wealth, or a weak frost

otherwise enjoy in the ordning. When giants join the cults of demon lords, they reject the entire concept of the ordning—the idea that there is any kind of order to the multiverse at all, which is the

Mind Flayer Magic

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

after death would its consciousness be cast into oblivion. Two divine entities have long been associated with mind flayers by the scholars of other races. These aren’t deities, but rather

attitude — actions that have often been misinterpreted by observers as worship. Maanzecorian. The entity/concept called Maanzecorian embodies a complete comprehension of knowledge. It is a state

Other Religious Systems

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

rather than from a specific nature deity, some clerics devote themselves to ideals rather than to a god. Paladins might serve a philosophy of justice and chivalry rather than a specific deity. Forces and

can attain divinity. In fact, ascending to godhood is the ultimate goal of some philosophies. The power of a philosophy stems from the belief that mortals invest in it. A philosophy that only one person believes in isn’t strong enough to bestow magical power on that person.

Alignment

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

plane of lawful evil. A devil does not choose to be lawful evil or tend toward lawful evil, but rather it is lawful evil in its essence. If it somehow ceases to be lawful evil, it changes into something

one person, concept, or event that you are terrified of? What are your vices? TIKA AND ARTEMIS: PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Tika and Artemis have distinct personality traits. Tika Waylan dislikes

Uthgardt Lands

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

call themselves “children of Uthgar.” Though the Uthgardt each belong to a given tribe, these are markers of identity, rather than coherent populations. In my experience, it is rare outside of

size that near the ancient ancestral mound of the Red Tiger tribe. The settlement was founded some time ago by members of the Black Lion tribe, who put down roots here rather than continuing to live

Orcs

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

Fang of Shargaas Shargaas is the orc deity of deep darkness and sneakiness, a murderous god who hates anything that lives that isn’t an orc. Orcs consider Shargaas to be a divinity suited to pariahs and

tribe, reckless war is the course it inevitably chooses. If a tanarukk manages to breed, its blood taints numerous subsequent generations, so its female descendants randomly produce tanarukks. Rather

Halfling Gods and Myths

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

halfling gods are viewed as folk heroes — mortal beings who ascended to divinity, rather than divine entities who descend from their realms to influence the world. Because of this outlook, halflings

Ascendant Factions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

transcend their potential and attain the power of gods. Even still, Seekers suspect that divinity isn’t the ultimate expression of their core beliefs, but rather a stepping stone to an unknowable

gather in the Shattered Temple, a place once dedicated to Aoskar, a now-dead god of portals. Rather than serve in Sigil’s government, the Athar’s self-appointed spy network closely surveils the city’s

Random Encounters in Yon

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

the cyclops long enough for the party to escape. Alternatively, a character might use a speak with animals spell to find out what Pollenella wants. The bee would rather stay with Amidor than return to

in love. This statement causes the cyclops to blink in confusion and ask, “What is love?” If the concept is explained to him, Mudlump declares that he’d like to be in love, too, and gives the

The Seldarine

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

The Seldarine The pantheon of elven deities, called the Seldarine, includes Corellon and the group of primal elves whom he graced with divinity. These gods were the ones who brought word to Corellon

choose, as long as their way of contributing combines with the others to form a grand display of reverence. Such a gathering has the atmosphere of a festival rather than of an organized worship service

Silent Sound Lighthouse

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

: This area is gloomy and dancing with shadows. A ten-foot-wide catwalk encircles the fifteen-foot-high lantern room housing the lighthouse’s crystal lens. The lens rotates lazily, but rather than

within the lens. A successful DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check subtly sabotages the runes scribed into the lens. A character can expend one use of Channel Divinity to force divine power into

Tour of the Planes

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

draws merchants and travelers from across reality. Syrania is home to a host of angels that devote their immortal lives to serene contemplation. Each angel seeks to achieve mastery of one pure concept

— rather, it’s a domain frozen by its prince’s broken heart. If the prince’s story were changed, the realm would change with it. Time and space are both malleable in the Faerie Court, and a mortal who

Illithinoch Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

images rather than viewing it. Michele Giorgi Oshundo the Alhoon Oshundo is the fanatics’ most powerful and knowledgeable ally in Illithinoch, although Oshundo’s information is predominantly about

elsewhere, pieces of the God-Brain sloughed away and awoke to sentience. This is Ilvaash, the Dissonant Psyche, which Gulguush considers to be true heir to the Far Realm and Ilsensine’s divinity. Godlet’s

Wedding Itinerary

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

, several NPCs have secrets triggered by events rather than a specific time. For example, you would provide Tannus’s player with the groom’s secret if at any time Tannus is about to swing a weapon to

players to embrace the roles and enjoy the concept of momentarily placing their NPC’s secret goal as a top priority. Players might be more willing to take this on if you let them know that the scenario

D&D Beyond

Search Results