before bard don contract rather

Lorwyn Changeling

Species Lorwyn: First Light

The changelings of Lorwyn are charismatic shapeshifters able to crudely mimic the forms of creatures and plants. Unlike most shapeshifters, however, their innate powers don’t allow them to

truly disguise themselves; rather, their transformations are purely surface level. No matter their form, Lorwyn changelings keep their key traits: blue-green skin, tufts of tentacle-like fur, and bulbous

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

, ensuring that her companions’ words will be well received. Whether scholar, skald, or scoundrel, a bard weaves magic through words and music to inspire allies, demoralize foes, manipulate minds

, create illusions, and even heal wounds. Music and Magic In the worlds of D&D, words and music are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with power all their own. The bard is a master

Giff Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

refuse to fight other giff, and will never agree to a contract unless it stipulates that they can sit out a battle rather than wage war against their kin. A giff prizes the reputation of its unit above its

rank. Promotions don’t depend on age but are granted by a superior as a reward for valor. Giff are devoted to their children, even as most of their education is geared toward fighting and war

Vampiric Mist Legacy

Monsters Tales from the Yawning Portal

without squeezing. Each foot of movement in water costs it 2 extra feet, rather than 1 extra foot. The mist can’t manipulate objects in any way that requires fingers or manual dexterity. Sunlight

), several clouds of vampiric mist appear and attempt to engulf any who don’t escape the place quickly. Undead Nature. A vampiric mist doesn’t require air or sleep.PoisonAcid, Cold, Lightning, Necrotic, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

College of Lore Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

following the tenets of a deity. A noble who keeps such a bard as a herald or advisor knows that the bard would rather be honest than politic. The college’s members gather in libraries and

Noodle Eel

Equipment

apparently noodle eels have a rather refined palate and don’t come to just any bowl of broth, seeking only to slurp down the finest ramen—a major irritant to serious chefs. This makes

Swarmkeeper

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

force in battle, as well as helpful company for the ranger. Some Swarmkeepers are outcasts or hermits, keeping to themselves and their attendant swarms rather than dealing with the discomfort of others

into the swarm, instead of a cloud of mist, or the arcane eye spell could create an extension of your swarm that spies for you. Such descriptions don’t change the effects of spells, but they are

Way of Mercy Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

bring a swift end as an act of mercy. Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism

. Some might be gentle-voiced healers, beloved by their communities, while others might be masked bringers of macabre mercies. The walkers of this way usually don robes with deep cowls, and they often conceal their faces with masks, presenting themselves as the faceless bringers of life and death.

Swarmkeeper (TCoE)

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

force in battle, as well as helpful company for the ranger. Some Swarmkeepers are outcasts or hermits, keeping to themselves and their attendant swarms rather than dealing with the discomfort of others

into the swarm, instead of a cloud of mist, or the arcane eye spell could create an extension of your swarm that spies for you. Such descriptions don’t change the effects of spells, but they are

Living Loot Satchel

Magic Items Acquisitions Incorporated

. Class-Based Living Loot Satchel Class Satchel Barbarian Broad belt with a dozen hanging pockets Bard Lute case Cleric Hollowed-out holy tome Druid Made from natural

—even items that wouldn’t normally fit in your satchel, but which fit within the chest. Thanks to Head Office striking deals you don’t want to know about with extraplanar creatures

Ringlerun

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

made him the envy of many rival spellcasters. Ringlerun has a good heart, but he’s easily distracted by intellectual pursuits. He would rather spend time in quiet contemplation or reading than in

frivolous conversation. Alignment. Lawful good. Personality Trait. “Don’t talk to me. I’m reading.” Ideal. “Magic belongs only in the hands of those who use it for

Lady Illmarrow

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Emerald Claw, but her motives for founding the order are buried in her past. Lady Illmarrow has no interest in ruling the living. Rather, she seeks to become Queen of the Dead. The Mark of Death

Lady Illmarrow believe that she’s a champion of their faith, but they don’t worship or serve her. And the powers of priests of the Blood of Vol don’t come from Lady Illmarrow. Necrotic, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical AttacksCold, Lightning

Criminal / Spy Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden. 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 in a situation. Never tell me the odds. 7 The best way to get me to do something is to tell me

Bavlorna Blightstraw

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Trait. “I detest chores and would rather have other creatures do them for me.” Ideal. “I don’t care about the past or the future. I live in the present. What I do now, this very

Warforged Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

warforged embrace a concrete purpose — such as protecting allies, completing a contract, or exploring a land — and embrace this task as they once did war. However, there are warforged who

every creature you meet. 2 You often misread emotional cues. 3 You are fiercely protective of your friends. 4 You try to apply wartime discipline to every situation. 5 You don

Urban Bounty Hunter

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

. 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

Honor. I don’t steal from others in the trade. (Lawful) 2 Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic) 3 Charity. I steal from the wealthy so

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Shiftless, Savage Layabouts When they’re not in battle, bugbears spend much of their time resting or dozing. They don’t engage in crafting or agriculture to any great extent, or

rather than perform the work or confront the foe. Even when subsumed into a goblinoid host and drawn into war, bugbears must often be roused from naps and bribed to get them to do their duties. This

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering. Kind and

land beyond their quiet shires. They typically don’t recognize any sort of halfling nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them. Families preserve their traditional ways

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

I eat like a pig and have bad manners. 6 I think anyone who’s nice to me is hiding evil intent. 7 I don’t like to bathe. 8 I bluntly say what other people are hinting at

;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.

Breaking the Contract

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

Breaking the Contract Voiding the infernal contract between Zariel and Thavius Kreeg causes the hellish chains binding Elturel to crumble to ash. This can be accomplished by either killing Zariel or

by destroying the original contract. Zariel can use an action to summon the contract, which appears in her one hand. The contract is otherwise hidden in a secret place known only to her. Getting

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

; Elves. “It’s best not to wander into elven woods. They don’t like intruders, and you’ll as likely be bewitched as peppered with arrows. Still, if an elf can get past that damned

racial pride and actually treat you like an equal, you can learn a lot from them.” Halflings. “It’s hard to beat a meal in a halfling home, as long as you don’t crack your

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

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

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

18. Hallway of the Ancestors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a3

took damage from the monsters must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or contract sewer plague (see “Sample Diseases” in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). Unlike the normal disease, symptoms of this disease manifest in an infected creature after 1 hour rather than 1d4 days.

Anthropologist

Backgrounds Tomb of Annihilation

Elf 7 Lizardfolk 4 Goblin 8 Orc FEATURE: ADEPT LINGUIST You can communicate with humanoids who don’t speak any language you know. You must observe the

. 2 I’m a stickler when it comes to observing proper etiquette and local customs. 3 I would rather observe than meddle. 4 By living among violent people, I have become

Asmodeus

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

mortals to evil, but he and his minions never breached a contract and explained the terms clearly. Had they not obeyed the rule of law in doing so? Was it not mortal ambition, rather than infernal deception

most epic of all his achievements is chronicled in The Trial of Asmodeus, a play based on purportedly true events as researched by the aasimar bard Anodius. In ancient times, as the Blood War raged

Infernal Contracts

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

would rather risk death than demotion to a lower form of devil and the scorn of its peers. A devil might be persuaded to void a contract in exchange for one of the following: One or more soul coins

Infernal Contracts Once the devil and the character agree to the terms of a deal, the agreement must be sealed with a contract, which the devil can produce as an action. The contract often appears in

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

guild. 5 I was a member of this guild before the Dimir recruited me. 6 I don’t like what this guild stands for and want to destroy it from within. 7 I secretly wish I could

don’t share it. 3 I like to sound mysterious, because wisdom hidden grows deeper with time. 4 I have no patience with people who get in my way. 5 I love hearing about other

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

? 4 A memory brings with it the voice of someone once close to you. How do they advise you? 5 You recall enjoying something that you can’t stand doing now. What is it? Why don’t

Chapter 3: Danger at Dunwater

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

. ABOUT THE ORIGINAL Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull continued the Saltmarsh series in this classic. Doubling down on TSR UK’s penchant for exploration and interaction in their work, this scenario

challenges the characters to act as ambassadors to a colony of lizardfolk. While such roleplay-focused adventures are the norm today, at the time of its publication (in 1982) this adventure was the first to make interaction an absolute requirement for success, rather than one option among many.

Fey Contracts

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Domains of Delight: A Feywild Accessory

Fey Contracts A fey contract is formed when a creature receives a gift (or the promise of a gift) from a Fey and is expected to give the Fey something in return. The gift can be almost anything, and

the contract forms as soon as the gift is received. Accidental Fey Contracts A creature can accidentally stumble into a fey contract in a number of ways. The one bit of good news for the novice

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

could be hidden. 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

Ideal 1 Honor. I don’t steal from others in the trade. (Lawful) 2 Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are those who would forge them. (Chaotic) 3 Charity. I steal

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

hidden that the surface-dwelling citizens in the area often don’t know what lies beneath them. Because the kobolds make sure they stay out of the way of anyone more dangerous than themselves, grow

have clearly been lost or thrown away, which is easy to do without attracting attention. At the same time, they don’t automatically shy away from trying to grab items that are the property of

Noble - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

inheritance that no one cares what you do, as long as you don’t embarrass the family? How does the head of your family feel about your adventuring career? Are you in your family’s good graces, or

wish to use the background’s standard feature might have gained their standing in Baldur’s Gate from business rather than inheritance. Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion Tool

Courtier

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

In your earlier days, you were a personage of some significance in a noble court or a bureaucratic organization. You might or might not come from an upper-class family; your talents, rather than the

. 5 I’m rude to people who lack my commitment to hard work and fair play. 6 I like to talk at length about my profession. 7 I don’t part with my money easily and will haggle

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

betters. Leaders rely on this zealotry in their plans, and although they don’t needlessly waste the lives of purebloods on futile actions, most strategies include a fallback option in which mobs

they don’t believe they have a reasonable chance of success. This reaction isn’t out of cowardice, but practicality—yuan-ti value their own lives much too highly to risk them when the

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