before bad defusing certain raid

Crab Folk

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

bad luck a gull might happen to land near a crab folk lair and utter the right combination of cries to summon up this ancient compulsion. Driven to action, the crab folk rampage along the coast

, looting and smashing any settlements they know of or encounter. After six days exactly, their rampage ends, and they return to their humble lives. Deep-Seated Memories. When a coastal raid or a theft of

Sailor Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your Dungeon

more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town. Variant Feature: Bad

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

raid just as another group returns, laden with severed heads, sacks of loot, and armfuls of food. Warriors also serve as scouts, bringing back detailed reports about the surrounding area so that the

or less intact, the orcs leave themselves the option of returning to raid the community over and over. When orcs fight elves, all of that changes. The enmity between the two races cuts to the core

Criminal / Spy Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

. Even criminals who operate outside of such organizations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below

. 4 I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying. 5 I turn tail and run when things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.

Leonin

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

Sailor - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

you served on, or another ship you have good relations with (perhaps one captained by a former crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route

. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town. Variant Feature: Bad Reputation If your character has a sailor

Dwarf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male

subraces or one from another source. DUERGAR In cities deep in the Underdark live the duergar, or gray dwarves. These vicious, stealthy slave traders raid the surface world for captives, then sell

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

Rough and wild looking, a human stalks alone through the shadows of trees, hunting the orcs he knows are planning a raid on a nearby farm. Clutching a shortsword in each hand, he becomes a whirlwind

a magical connection to nature through the necessity of surviving in the wilds. What’s the source of your particular hatred of a certain kind of enemy? Did a monster kill someone you loved or

Testing Phase

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

, green, gray, and death slaadi requires a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Defusing Slaad Confrontations. Writing short essays about commonly accepted ways to keep slaadi calm during

fireballs and magical flames at its foes. Death slaadi are rumored to have a stench so bad it can be deadly. In reality, they can cast the cloudkill spell. Inexperienced scholars and adventurers

Orc Culture and Beliefs

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

have to meditate for hours or days to get a vision of its meaning. Every group of orcs has particular superstitions and recognizes certain omens. These tenets vary from tribe to tribe, and are often

Dragonmarked Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

. Rogue Folk Hero. You’re an inquisitive trained by your house. You grew up in a bad neighborhood, and while you could make more gold solving the problems of nobles, you’re more interested in helping

dragons — or both. You don’t know how deep it goes, but you’re certain that other dragonmarked houses and noble families have been infiltrated.

Clientele

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

Clientele Inquisitives tend to acquire a reputation for working with a certain type of person. Some are known for discretion, attracting wealthy clients who trust them to keep a secret. Others are

justice. 3 Magnet for Trouble. Maybe you trust people too easily or it’s just bad luck, but every client who walks into your office has some double deal, hidden agenda, or scam they’re running. 4

Saving Throws

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

Saving Throws A saving throw is an instant response to a harmful effect and is almost never done by choice. A save makes the most sense when something bad happens to a character and the character has

Dodging out of harm’s way Constitution Enduring a disease, poison, or other hazard that saps vitality Intelligence Disbelieving certain illusions and resisting mental assaults that can be refuted with

Otaaryliakkarnos

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

Otaaryliakkarnos Female Silver Dragon The representative of the silver dragons believes that among the lesser races, neither good nor bad is ever absolute. The humanoids are in need of protection and

all parties, but the dragons must be certain of the intentions of the factions and their leaders. Concession. Otaaryliakkarnos knows that the skin of her slain kin was used to make armor for the dwarf

Otaaryliakkarnos

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

Otaaryliakkarnos Female Silver Dragon The representative of the silver dragons believes that among the lesser races, neither good nor bad is ever absolute. The humanoids are in need of protection and

parties, but the dragons must be certain of the intentions of the factions and their leaders. Concession. Otaaryliakkarnos knows that the skin of her slain kin was used to make armor for the dwarf

Merrow

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

undersea lairs. Merrow often keep prisoners in their larders as future meals. Merrow raid coastal settlements and merfolk communities to steal weapons and treasure. This leads to conflicts between merfolk

theories reveal little about these monsters but overmuch of the dread lurking beyond our certain shores. —Leomund David Auden nash Merrow Large Monstrosity, Chaotic Evil AC 13 Initiative

Vistani Curses

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

end: The target is unable to perform a certain kind of act involving fine motor control, such as tying knots, writing, playing an instrument, sewing, or casting spells that have somatic components. When

target’s teeth into yellow fangs, or give the target bad breath. When this curse ends, the Vistana it takes 1d6 psychic damage. A nonmagical item in the target’s possession (chosen by the DM) disappears

Complications and Rivals

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

campaign story unfolds. Perhaps the characters were forced to slay an evil guard in a raid gone bad. Later, their majordomo engages in a little gambling as part of a franchise task … and finds the

.) When a complication occurs during a downtime or franchise activity, the DM determines whether and how that complication connects to a rival. Certain complications might be caused by rivals, as when

Gambler

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

Gambler All you need to make a lot of gold is a little gold. Except at those times when all you need to have no gold at all is a little gold. Whether you’re a good gambler or a bad one rarely matters

. 4 I’ve lost so much to gambling that I refuse to spend money on anything anymore. 5 Nothing is certain. Planning is a coward’s act. 6 I can’t be sure who I’ve swindled, cheated, or

Vistani Lore

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

Vistani Lore Vistani know or believe certain facts about their people and their surroundings. This common lore is summarized here. Characters can learn this information after earning a Vistana’s

who is undeserving of such punishment can have grave consequences for the one who utters such a curse. Ravens carry lost souls within them, so killing one is bad luck. (The ravens don’t carry souls within.)

Daask Campaign Themes

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

they play in a campaign: a ready source of sudden violence. Low-level characters might work with the Sharn Watch or the Boromar Clan to curtail Daask muggings and raid dreamlily houses. This crusade

properties throughout the lower wards, all owned by a certain halfling family, as if Daask were attempting a violent takeover of Sharn’s underworld. Once these monsters control the city’s crime, what will

Difficulty Class

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

say a door requires a successful DC 15 Strength check to be battered down. A fighter with a Strength of 20 might helplessly flail against the door because of bad die rolls. Meanwhile, the rogue with a

Strength of 10 rolls a 20 and knocks the door from its hinges. If such results bother you, consider allowing automatic success on certain checks. Under this optional rule, a character automatically

Sailor

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

crewmate). Because you’re calling in a favor, you can’t be certain of a schedule or route that will meet your every need. Your Dungeon Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to

the Bad Reputation feature (see sidebar) instead of the Ship’s Passage feature. Variant Feature: Bad Reputation If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature

Barthen's Well

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

was used as the drum for the well’s winch. Recently, goblins came during the night to retrieve the obelisk shard, destroying the well in the process. But their raid was interrupted by Ander, one of

he’s drawn water from the well, he’s also had vivid nightmares. Ander believes the well is cursed with bad luck and is happy it’s out of service. Unbeknownst to Ander, the water’s ill effects were

Crab Folk

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

, to harangue the crab folk with its cries and drive them to war. Today, by a stroke of bad luck a gull might happen to land near a crab folk lair and utter the right combination of cries to summon up

return to their humble lives. Deep-Seated Memories. When a coastal raid or a theft of silver is done, crab folk gather the treasures they have won and place them at the feet of a simple effigy of their

Occultant

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

the fabric of causality. As a tiefling, she often generates a kind of ambient unease in others, but she is always certain to account for this carefully, lest it bloom into “the unforeseen” that is the

balance, but hate the idea that “balance” means good and bad things can both happen to you. Good things happening to you and bad things happening to other people seems perfectly reasonable. 2 You

Mutual Respect

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

, enslavement, and violence toward children and animals. Limits can also apply to certain creatures, such as spiders, snakes, rats, and demons. It’s also important to discuss limits around what harm might

befall characters, including mind-control magic, helplessness, and death. That said, D&D is a game that has in-world conflicts and mayhem. Certain core elements of the game are difficult to ignore. For

The Drow

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

appendix B), which once belonged to Jorlan and is used to capture and restrain prisoners. Jorlan Duskryn Jorlan turned a talent for inflicting pain into skill as a warrior, and a certain roguish charm

otherwise routine raid. Ilvara’s healing magic saved his life but couldn’t undo the terrible damage wrought by the ooze’s acid. With his once-handsome face melted and scarred, and his sword hand twisted and

Master Manipulators

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

trust a hag. Hags are curious about other creatures of power. They enjoy receiving news and gossip about other hags and influential creatures such as dragons, demons, genies, and certain mortals

and therefore more dangerous when disappointed or angered by a deal gone bad. Fey are also long-lived and thus have more time to retaliate against the hag, whereas most humanoids die within a few

Adventure Hooks

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

cruel bandits planning a raid and intends to stop them. The bandits report to someone named Grimjaw in a place called Rivergard Keep. The character earns inspiration for defeating the villains in the

fire cultists but never took up arms with them. Now the character wants to stop the villains before they give all mercenaries a bad name. The character earns inspiration for clearing out Scarlet Moon Hall and again for reaching the Temple of Eternal Flame.

Leonin

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

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

Criminal

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

such organizations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below. d8 Specialty 1 Blackmailer 2 Burglar

money. 3 If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it. 4 I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying. 5 I turn tail and run when things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in

Criminal

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

such organizations have strong preferences for certain kinds of crimes over others. Choose the role you played in your criminal life, or roll on the table below. d8 Specialty 1 Blackmailer 2 Burglar

money. 3 If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it. 4 I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying. 5 I turn tail and run when things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in

Aberrant Mind

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Aberrant Mind Tentacles, psychic powers, beings from beyond the stars—one person’s bad dream is another person’s good time. Tasha An alien influence has wrapped its tendrils around your mind

the truth to you: your psionic powers are not your own. You draw them from your parasitic twin! Psionic Spells 1st-level Aberrant Mind feature You learn additional spells when you reach certain

Overkill Attacks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Flee, Mortals! Rule Primer

. Overkill Range Minions must be within a certain range to qualify for an overkill attack, determined by whether the attack is a melee or ranged attack. In addition to the examples below, the “Overkill

damage other minions with this attack. Outnumbered? Switch to area-of-effect powers. Otherwise you’re gonna have a bad day, which will probably last the rest of your life. The Sun, Senior

D&D Beyond

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