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Returning 35 results for 'before bad deciding clever rolling'.
Magic Items
Dungeon Master’s Guide
rolling on the Moonblade Properties table.
Minor Property. In addition to its aforementioned properties, each Moonblade has a minor property determined by rolling on the Magic Item’s Minor
. You control this entity, deciding how it acts and moves. It remains until it drops to 0 Hit Points or you dismiss it as a Magic action.
Augury
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Spells
Basic Rules (2014)
By casting gem-inlaid sticks, rolling dragon bones, laying out ornate cards, or employing some other divining tool, you receive an omen from an otherworldly entity about the results of a specific
course of action that you plan to take within the next 30 minutes. The DM chooses from the following possible omens:
Weal, for good results
Woe, for bad results
Weal and woe, for both good and bad
Species
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
adversaries—incredibly clever and well-prepared to play a long game but ultimately doomed to lose their games.
4
I’m certain every bad thing that happens can ultimately be blamed on the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
The Middle Path Many DMs find that using a combination of the two approaches works best. By balancing the use of dice against deciding on success, you can encourage your players to strike a balance
bad die roll foiling the character’s plans. By the same token, a bad plan or unfortunate circumstances can transform the easiest task into an impossibility, or at least impose disadvantage.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
knowledge, but the dragon is cagey on that point. Seeing good and bad in equal measure among the lesser races, Ileuthra recognizes that helping the humanoids is less a case of deciding whether they are worthy
of aid, and more about deciding whether these adventurer ambassadors can be trusted to properly lead the factions. Desire. Ileuthra has no preconceived sense of what might be the best course, and he
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
knowledge, but the dragon is cagey on that point. Seeing good and bad in equal measure among the lesser races, Ileuthra recognizes that helping the humanoids is less a case of deciding whether they are worthy
of aid, and more about deciding whether these adventurer ambassadors can be trusted to properly lead the factions. Desire. Ileuthra has no preconceived sense of what might be the best course, and he
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
determine the outcome. A Charisma check can’t deceive or persuade most devils into a bad deal because the fiends are too clever and experienced in deal-making to be fooled. If devils do get involved in a
, they seal the deal with a physical contract, which can take one of many forms (see “Infernal Contracts”). Ability Checks and Deal-Making Most deals with devils can be resolved without rolling dice to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
creature’s efforts. In a contest, the ability checks are compared to each other, rather than to a target number. When you call for a contest, you pick the ability that each side must use, deciding
crowd, lie to someone convincingly INTELLIGENCE CHECK VS. WISDOM CHECK
If you have trouble deciding whether to call for an Intelligence or a Wisdom check to determine whether a character notices
Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
everywhere in the world around them, and the priests of a tribe are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying these signs and omens — both good and bad — and deciding how the tribe should
ward off diseases if they are worn.
Don’t stand inside a ring of stones, mushrooms, or any other kind of circle.
Seeing a shooting star before a battle is bad luck. To ward it off, you must
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
gem-inlaid sticks, rolling dragon bones, laying out ornate cards, or employing some other divining tool, you receive an omen from an otherworldly entity about the results of a specific course of
action that you plan to take within the next 30 minutes. The DM chooses from the following possible omens: Weal, for good results Woe, for bad results Weal and woe, for both good and bad results Nothing
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
gem-inlaid sticks, rolling dragon bones, laying out ornate cards, or employing some other divining tool, you receive an omen from an otherworldly entity about the results of a specific course of
action that you plan to take within the next 30 minutes. The DM chooses from the following possible omens: Weal, for good results Woe, for bad results Weal and woe, for both good and bad results Nothing
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
and evil are blurred. Choices involve deciding which outcome is least bad. Corruption and suspicion flourish among organizations and individuals. Magic and magic items might be rarer or require a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
What Does a DM Do? The DM gets to play many fun roles: Actor. The DM plays the monsters, choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also plays all the people the characters
session and for creating situations that facilitate fun. Improviser. A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters’ actions in a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
What Does a DM Do? The DM gets to play many fun roles: Actor. The DM plays the monsters, choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also plays all the people the characters
session and for creating situations that facilitate fun. Improviser. A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters’ actions in a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
empty crates, ledges, and balconies) reward clever positioning and encourage characters to jump, climb, fly, or teleport. Defensive Positions. Enemies in hard-to-reach locations or defensive positions
classes and origins. A diverse force is more powerful. Reasons to Move. Use features that encourage characters and their enemies to move around, such as chandeliers, kegs of gunpowder or oil, and rolling stone traps.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
. We’ve visited Waterdeep before, but not like this. Clever heroes will respect the city’s rules. Those who get on the city’s bad side are in for a rough time, as the City of Splendors is home to some of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
around them, and the priests of a tribe are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying these signs and omens — both good and bad — and deciding how the tribe should react to them. As a race, orcs
stones, mushrooms, or any other kind of circle. Seeing a shooting star before a battle is bad luck. To ward it off, you must swallow a stone. A tribute of elf ears brings favor from Gruumsh. If you bury
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
than a couple of days leads to frayed tempers and brawling. Use the following table to determine the mood around the village, rolling once every few days or choosing as you see fit. Saltmarsh Mood
d20 Result 1–6 Poor Catch. The townsfolk are frustrated and prone to bickering; everyone is in a bad mood. 7–12 Bountiful Catch. Music and merriment echo through town as everyone celebrates. 13–20
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
hits the fourth, and a 19 or higher strikes the bull’s-eye. Critical Success or Failure Rolling a 20 or a 1 on an ability check or a saving throw doesn’t normally have any special effect. However, you
. For example, rolling a 1 on a failed attempt to pick a lock might jam the lock, and rolling a 20 on a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check might reveal an extra clue. For attack rolls, the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
which good luck wouldn’t play a part but bad luck might. For example, someone rolling dice would invoke Tymora because they want random chance to fall in their favor, but someone about to cross a
cruel and capricious goddess who must be propitiated to avoid attracting her attention and interest in a negative way. Beshaba’s name is invoked when someone is beset by bad luck — which could be as
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
The meddling of the gods in mortal affairs makes me angry and bitter. I wish they would just leave us all alone!
3 I view the gods as worthy adversaries—incredibly clever and well-prepared to
play a long game but ultimately doomed to lose their games.
4 I’m certain every bad thing that happens can ultimately be blamed on the gods, but I roll my eyes at each new twist of fate and try to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
example, a fighter wants to turn a winch to raise a portcullis. This is a complex, difficult action. You could rule that it incurs a -5 initiative penalty. Rolling Initiative. After deciding on an action
initiative that introduces more uncertainty into combat, at the cost of speed of play. Under this variant, the participants in a battle roll initiative each round. Before rolling, each character or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
paraphrase the following: “Not bad. You are clever—I acknowledge that much. But I wonder how you would fare against the master of this chamber. I hereby challenge you to a dragonchess match: winner takes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
rune beyond the first grants the Moonblade an additional property. The DM chooses each property or determines it randomly by rolling on the Moonblade Properties table. Minor Property. In addition to its
aforementioned properties, each Moonblade has a minor property determined by rolling on the Magic Item’s Minor Property table (see earlier in this chapter). Sentience. A Moonblade is a sentient weapon
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
realize what the party is up to, they immediately suspect the characters are out to make them look bad. In that case, they become surly and tight-lipped. All the militia guards have been assured by
superiors and fellow guards, and she doesn’t need any more trouble in that area. If she’s reassured that the characters aren’t trying to make the militia look bad, Jute gives a frank account of her
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
following snippets of conversation from the crowd: A halfling woman complains, “I thought the Redbrands were bad, but at least they never smashed the bar. Who does that?” A human miner shouts, “The
Exchange is falling over, and some of my friends are missin’!” An annoyed elf man in a baker’s apron says, “If I see one more of those gremlins come near my shop, I’m hitting them with a rolling pin. I
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen
night tied to posts alongside the monk Leosin. Characters have one night to escape this fate. They might wriggle out of their bonds, bribe or charm a cultist to set them free, or come up with a clever
effect is the same as if they’d been recognized. If characters lie to Mondath — claiming they are new recruits and this is all a mistake, for example, or that they are studying the cult before deciding
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
posts alongside the monk Leosin. Characters have one night to escape this fate. They might wriggle out of their bonds, bribe or charm a cultist to set them free, or come up with a clever use for a
as if they’d been recognized. If characters lie to Mondath—claiming they are new recruits and this is all a mistake, for example, or that they are studying the cult before deciding whether to join
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
polyhedral dice (shown in chapter 1). You can find dice like these in game stores and from online retailers. Dice-rolling apps are also available. Character Sheet. To keep track of important
useful: DM Screen. Many DMs like to use a screen to shield their notes and dice rolls from players. It’s bad manners to peek over the screen! Miniatures and Battle Grid. Some DMs use a battle grid and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
and two magic items, determined by rolling on Magic Item Table B in Dungeon Master’s Guide. 2. Upper Level Nothing of value is to be found on this level of the tower except a large sack lying on the
floor. Determine its contents by rolling three times on the Items in a Giant’s Bag table in the introduction. Moog is here unless she has been lured elsewhere. If the characters wait her out, Moog gets
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Clever Beast When a roll on the Lake Events table indicates that the lake monster takes an interest in the characters, read: Ripples disrupt the surface of the lake, causing your boat to bob from
boats from Bremen but does not attack indiscriminately, trying to gauge the strength and determination of the crew before deciding what to do. Roll on the Plesiosaurus Behavior table to determine how
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
of the Clever Animal. For the next 10 minutes, whenever the target makes an Intelligence, a Wisdom, or a Charisma check, the target can roll an extra die immediately after rolling the d20 and add the
target of the tale’s effect. Once you do so, you can’t bestow the tale’s effect again until you roll it again. You can retain only one of these tales in mind at a time, and rolling on the Spirit
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
with Clever Twists It might seem stereotypical to build an adventure around dragons, orcs, and wizards in towers, but these are staples of fantasy storytelling. It might also seem trite to begin an
describing the present situation, what the bad guys are up to, and how the adventurers become involved in the story. Heroes Who Matter An adventure should allow the adventurers’ actions and decisions to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
above the trip wire is in bad repair, and anyone who can see it can tell that it's in danger of collapse. When the trap is triggered, the unstable ceiling collapses. Any creature in the area beneath the
triggers the trap. Rolling Sphere Mechanical trap When 20 or more pounds of pressure are placed on this trap's pressure plate, a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling opens, releasing a 10-foot-diameter
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
extremely clever and observant. See the “Cerulean Hall” section later in this chapter for more information about gaining favor with her. Rezran “Snake Eyes” Agrodro Master of the Viridian Den Rezran, a greedy
green abishai (see appendix A), is the master of the casino’s games of chance. His nickname “Snake Eyes” comes from his penchant for rolling ones in Triple Hydra (see the “Viridian Den” section for






