before badly diffusing change realized

The Abbot

Monsters Curse of Strahd

"} hit points and is freed from any curse, disease, poison, blindness, or deafness. Change Shape. The Abbot magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a challenge rating equal to or less

insane. Only then did von Holtz reveal himself to be Strahd von Zarovich. Somehow the deva realized that any attempt to slay Strahd would be futile—that the ancient curse upon the land meant that the

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

life — and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly. d8 Personality Trait 1 I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. 2 I ask a lot

. (Lawful) 3 Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) 4 Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

; and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly. d8 Personality Trait 1 I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. 2 I ask a lot of questions

) 3 Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) 4 Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in

Psychological Horror

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

. Fear of being judged by one’s peers might manifest as a jury of nothics, while fear of change could be represented by a medusa that petrifies those who threaten her community’s status quo

a deadly encounter only to wake up at the end, not having previously realized they were asleep. Before undermining characters’ senses, though, make sure you know what’s driving these skewed

The Abbot

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

realized that any attempt to slay Strahd would be futile—that the ancient curse upon the land meant that the vampire could never truly die, at least not in Barovia. Bride of Strahd. Strahd confided in the

to commit further acts of depravity. Statistics. Use the deva stat block in the Monster Manual, but change the Abbot’s alignment to lawful evil. The Abbot’s Traits Ideal. “I want to rid Barovia of its

The Drow

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

example to emulate. That changed after she saw how Ilvara treated Jorlan Duskryn, a seasoned drow warrior who was the commander’s lover up until he was badly wounded. Ilvara discarded Jorlan without a

her bed, Jorlan realized his recovery would never be sufficient to regain what he had lost. His heartbreak and loss has since become a virulent hatred for Ilvara and Shoor that slowly eats at him

A Flight of Demons

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

A Flight of Demons During a guard change, the prisoners hear a horrible droning buzz echoing through the cavern, followed by inhuman shrieking. Alarm horns sound out as four chasme demons pursue a

additional challenge for the characters, a vrock tumbles almost in front of them as they reach the cavern floor or move toward their chosen exit. The demon is badly wounded, but even with only 11 hit points

Worshiping Keranos

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

paintings are washed away, symbolizing the impermanence of genius and the power of change. Akroan oracles strive to predict the exact time of the first storm in hopes of allowing enough time to stage the

to solve the Riddle of Lightning, an enigma devised by Keranos himself. After days of deliberation, the oracle realized the answer, only to be struck down by a bolt from the heavens. Among the faithful

Resolving Interactions

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

adventurers make their points, trying to frame their statements in terms that are meaningful to the creature they are interacting with. Changing Attitude. The attitude of a creature might change over

the creature cares about. They can guess, but doing so runs the risk of shifting the creature’s attitude in the wrong direction if they guess badly. After interacting with a creature long enough to get

Tips for New Dungeon Masters

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

creature has fewer than half its hit points remaining, you can describe it as being badly wounded or on the ropes. Such information gives the players a sense of accomplishment and might spur them to press

to let the players know that the creature looks like it can take a lot more punishment. That information alone might encourage the players to consider a change of plan, such as a tactical retreat

Journal of Rudolph van Richten

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

who think me a hero will change their minds when they know the whole truth about my life as a hunter of the unnatural. Nevertheless, I must reveal, here and now, that I have been the indirect yet

, they chose to surreptitiously take my son in exchange for their loss! By the time I realized what had occurred, they were already an hour gone. Incensed beyond reason, I strapped the body of the dead

Roleplaying a Hag

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

Ideal 1 Change. I will metamorphose into every kind of hag and live a century as each, becoming something even greater in the end. (Chaotic) 2 Community. Loneliness is the path to madness. That is why

away something before I realized it was priceless, and now I want it back. 6 My daughter was taken from me, and I want to find her and train her. 7 My greatest rival and I know a secret word that will

Narration in Combat

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

badly!” As the characters fight monsters, you can reveal information to help the players make good choices, as described in the sections that follow. Awarding Heroic Inspiration As discussed in the

attack. On the other hand, if the characters aren’t damaging the creature much, let the players know the creature doesn’t look hurt. That might encourage the players to change their plan. Abilities

Pursuit Level

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

went. If you choose to skip over a few days of travel (as described under “Summarizing Travel” later in this chapter), the pursuit level doesn’t change during that time. Catching Up When the pursuit

drow pick up the trail once more. NARROW ESCAPES If an encounter with the drow is going badly and you don’t want the characters recaptured, you can always have fate intercede on their behalf with

26. Ancient Elven Tomb

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

neglect have all but destroyed wall carvings that depict elves mounted on elk, parading through a forest as the seasons change around them. Secret Door. A secret door in the north wall leads to area 26b

is a badly burned wizard’s spellbook that still contains the following spells: comprehend languages, crown of madness, darkvision, gaseous form, ray of sickness, remove curse, Tenser’s floating disk, and unseen servant.

Class Training

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

out those who could help me call it forth and master it. 6 I was wild and undisciplined as a youngster, but then I realized the error of my ways. I applied to a monastery and became a monk as a way to

spoke of my ancestors, and when I asked, they would change the subject. It wasn’t until I started displaying strange talents that the full truth of my heritage came out. 4 When a monster threatened one of

Evermeet

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

realized their folly. For thousands of years, no elf dared set foot on Evermeet. But eventually Corellon must have forgiven his wayward children, for the oldest elves began to feel the call to the west

of stars until the stars change and then follow new stars. (I swear by Garl’s nugget that’s what he said!) Those who stray from the path are lost. How I wish I could have asked the captain where the

Dark Bargains and Cursed Paintings

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

score for that ability increases by 2, as does the character’s maximum for that score. Physical Transformation. A character bargaining with the hags can choose to change their race, sex, or appearance

) was a mighty warrior who sought even greater strength through her bargain with the hags. When she realized the true nature of the bargain shortly before the curse struck, the dragonborn returned to

Combat Encounters

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

challenging: Changes in Elevation. Terrain features that provide a change of elevation (such as stacks of empty crates, ledges, and balconies) reward clever positioning and encourage characters to jump, climb

-difficulty challenge for a party of four characters whose level equals the monster’s CR. Moderate Difficulty. Absent healing and other resources, an encounter of moderate difficulty could go badly for the

Evil Students

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

while giving them assurances that things will change for the better. Wormriddle the night hag has been keeping an eye on the sisters, who take advantage of any distraction to flee back to Skullport

conquer Skullport for his family. Like most drow, he is predictably treacherous. His silken words are pleasant enough, but any alliance forged with him is doomed to end badly — and most likely in

Hollow Mine Locations

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

depths of a crumbling mineshaft. The stone of the mine entrance cavern is crumbling badly, but a character who has the Stonecunning trait or who succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (Nature) check can tell

the cavern is in no immediate danger of collapsing. See the “Cave-In!” section for details on how that might change. Elevator. The elevator is rusted in place, and the shaft it once traversed is

Dhargun Ironworks

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

bears many scars from the battles they’ve fought together. He loves battle still, and is struggling to understand and support Tannus’s change of heart and mind. Gorat carries no weapons for the

things start going badly at any point, the characters can say “Whippoorwill” into the stone token given to them by Flabbergast to have him perform the ritual — or they might have the ritual cast for

Meeting the Inhabitants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

Minn, now follow Sparkrender, the blue wyrmling in Clifftop Observatory (see chapter 4). When Myla’s wings were badly injured in an attack by stirges (which she describes as “hungry, icky, blood

working in the temple recently, she witnessed a ship change course and crash into the rocks to the north (see “Cloister Quests”). Varnoth is indifferent to visitors, but a character can shift her attitude

The Foundry

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a2

Charisma (Persuasion) check. The characters can change her attitude to indifferent, reducing the check DC to 10, with a suitable bribe (at least 100 gp). Ghared can share any of the following information if

they prohibit entry into area 39. If the characters don’t negotiate, or if talks go badly, combat ensues. Tactics. If combat occurs, the duerger guards first attack with their javelins. They use their

The Lucent Edict

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis

crew’s harrowing encounter with a group of neogi. The tale is not entirely fanciful—a band of neogi did recently board the Lucent Edict in search of salvage, but they retreated once they realized the

total of 23 gp and 117 sp in loose change and a bloodstone ring (50 gp). 17: Cellblock The rotting corpse of a headless mind flayer lies amid the hacked-up corpses of three hulking creatures with

Gibbet Crossing Locations

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

from their svirfneblin neighbors. The bars are badly rusted and valueless. If a dwarf character or a character proficient in the History skill inspects the bars, they identify markings indicating they

trust each other but realized the benefits of working together to obtain greater profits from their wares. This is the room where duergar prepared for negotiations with drow. The metal pieces on the

Spaceship Locations, Level 3

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

character to pet. If the characters treat the aurumvoraxes badly, the creatures retreat to their burrows. S50: Crew Room (Green) Off-duty crew relaxed in this break room, which features comfortable

, it automatically maintains a programmed cycle of carefully calibrated lighting, temperatures, and precipitation. As an action, a character can adjust the machine’s settings to change the weather over

Blood Pens

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5

reaches area 42. Its presence there will change the characters’ encounter with the other otyughs (see area 42). Glyph Key. The wight has a glyph key attuned to this zone and the Prison of Filth. White Gates

. If the battle goes badly for the Thayans, the Red Wizard surrenders. Her name is Myrja, and her allegiance to Szass Tam is less than resolute. If the characters spare her, she offers the pass phrase

Faerûn

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

place Aglarond will be in a generation’s time, except that its potential for great change will be realized. REGIONS OF THE REALMS Just as “the North” describes an area that includes a number of

Illithinoch Locations

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

attack intruders, but Ahooshathan has a strong survival instinct. If both nothics are slain, or if Ahooshathan is badly injured and plainly outmatched, the mind flayer surrenders. Ahooshathan offers what

in the adjacent room containing the infected elder brain. When they finally realized how to turn the alcove here into a gateway to the Far Realm, they didn’t hesitate to use it. The fanatics took

Locations on the Fortress Level

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a1

the kobolds within to unbar the door. Otherwise, the kobolds open the door only when guards return to the room for a shift change. Several small but smoky fires light this wide and high chamber

. Development. If things go badly for the goblins, one of them attempts to warn the goblin warriors in area 39. 34. Goblin Stockade The wooden door is closed and locked. It can be opened by a character

D&D Beyond

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