before bards deities claim reason

College of Whispers

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

against others through extortion and threats. Many other bards hate the College of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses a bard’s reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason

Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing songs, and telling

College of Whispers (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

against others through extortion and threats. Many other bards hate the College of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses a bard’s reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason

Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing songs, and telling

Norker

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

and his followers the initial, unwilling recruits into his crusade. Today, hobgoblins chafe at the suggestion that creatures as lazy and untamed as norkers could claim such an honor. For that reason

' strength and ferocity.. For this reason, norkers are likely encountered away from their brethren. Their natural armor and weapons make them dangerous foes even when relegated to menial labor. Only

Norker War Leader

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

norkers could claim such an honor. For that reason alone, hobgoblin warlords are loath to use these creatures, preferring to keep them around as disposable labor in mines and quarries. Nasty, Brutish

defeat goblinoids that underestimate the norkers' strength and ferocity.. For this reason, norkers are likely encountered away from their brethren. Their natural armor and weapons make them dangerous

Naiad

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

personality. Aquatic Collectors. Curious by nature, naiads often seek out what the seas and rivers claim. As a result, they might be found among sunken ruins and shipwrecks, sifting through the remains

-crossed castaway has even been known to become part of such collections. Secret Routes of the Sea. Sailors across the world claim that naiads know all the secret aquatic routes of Theros. Using this

Hermit Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an herbalism kit, and 5 gp Life of Seclusion What was the reason for your isolation, and what

changed to allow you to end your solitude? You can work with your DM to determine the exact nature of your seclusion, or you can choose or roll on the table below to determine the reason behind your

Life Domain Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

healing the sick and wounded, caring for those in need, and driving away the forces of death and undeath. Almost any non-evil deity can claim influence over this domain, particularly agricultural deities

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

fortunately, maintaining that deception might require you to stay in hiding until you actually are. 3 You study the puzzles of mortal natures. You’ve seen followers of evil deities perform

miracles for the helpless at Twin Songs, and you’ve seen patriars who worship good deities turn their backs on the poor daily. Bearing witness to such things, and meditating on their

Demilich (Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

, accepting that it would molder and dissolve to dust while he traveled the planes as a disembodied consciousness. If the skull that was his last physical remains was ever disturbed, its gems would claim the

its existence. Few liches seek to become demiliches, for it means an end to the existence they hoped to preserve by becoming undead. However, time can erode the lich’s reason and memory, causing

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location. d6 Reason d6 Reason 1 Emissary 4 Pilgrim

hundreds of miles of the Great Glacier and the Great Ice Sea. No one from your nation makes the effort to cross such colossal barriers without a convincing reason. You must fear something truly

Hobgoblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

would prefer the position were filled by someone more like himself, but Bargrivyek was all he was left with after Maglubiyet’s conquest. Although both deities are ultimately beholden to

careful to position themselves and their banners to claim the greatest victories in any conflict, and they portion out opportunities and responsibilities to other banners as politics dictate. Each

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

gravitate toward Celestian, Fharlanghn, Pelor, Pholtus, and St. Cuthbert. Tortles are often drawn to the Gods of Good in Dragonlance and the Sovereign Host in Eberron. Among the nonhuman deities, Moradin and

prefer simple, non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. If a tortle doesn’t like its name for whatever reason, it can change it. A tortle might change its name a dozen

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and

, giving each individual and every generation a reason to feel pride and self-respect. The kobolds prefer to run away than fight, to live off the scraps of others, and they are often dominated by larger

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

. Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature’s resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over

might value the yucca tree and cactus plants. DRUIDS AND THE GODS Some druids venerate the forces of nature themselves, but most druids are devoted to one of the many nature deities worshiped in

College of Whispers

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

this reason, members of this college rarely reveal their true nature. They typically claim to follow some other college, or they keep their actual calling secret in order to infiltrate and exploit royal

College of Whispers Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of the College of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like other bards, sharing news, singing

Tanarukks

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

maul or tearing them apart. A tanarukk is spawned when an orc tribe turns away from its gods and makes sacrifices to the demon lord Baphomet. The lords of the Abyss are always eager to claim more

followers, and the violent orcs are prime candidates for corruption. A tribe pushed to the edge of destruction, its faith in its deities shattered, might beseech Baphomet to bless its next generation of

The Gods of Two Peoples

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

The Gods of Two Peoples There are no half-elven gods, so half-elves follow elven or human deities of their choosing — although just as many religious half-elves believe that their gods choose them

for rangers, Milil or Corellon for poets and bards, and so forth. Many half-elves worship Sune or Hanali Celanil in appreciation for the love their parents felt for one another, and the two goddesses

Kuo-toa

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

, humanoid bodies and the heads of goggle-eyed deep-sea fish. They claim they once dominated whole worlds, their empires spanning land and sea under the blessings of piscine gods. The kuo-toa can’t say

frequently serve depraved masterminds such as aboleths and krakens. Such kuo-toa believe these powerful creatures are avatars of kuo-toan deities or gods in their own right. Kuo-toa might temporarily ally

Background

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

exceptionally devout, consider reviewing the deities presented in chapter 2 and see if you gravitate toward one. Perhaps this god has a special interest in you, is the deity your family has hailed as a

likely a reason why you’ve avoided them. In addition to the gods, the supernatural gifts presented earlier in this chapter might influence your background. Consider what story emerges from your

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of the world, but even fewer people can claim the true calling of a paladin. When they do receive the call, these warriors turn from their former occupations and take up arms to fight evil. Sometimes

angel of death by the gods or driven by your need for revenge? The Gods of the Multiverse section lists many deities worshiped by paladins throughout the multiverse, such as Torm, Tyr, Heironeous

Vellynne's Help

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

excellent refuge against the extreme cold. She tries to be as useful as possible while staking claim to her fair share of whatever treasure is found in Ythryn. She is particularly interested in magic items

, especially those of a wizardly bent (such as Iriolarthas’s staff of power). Vellynne’s Fall If the characters part ways with Vellynne for any reason, she tries to explore Ythryn alone and contracts the

Loose Pantheons

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

Loose Pantheons Most D&D worlds have a loose pantheon of gods. A multitude of deities rule the various aspects of existence, variously cooperating with and competing against one another to administer

nobly and in the cause of justice. People in most D&D worlds are polytheistic, honoring deities of their own and acknowledging pantheons of other cultures. Individuals pay homage to various gods

Elegy for the First World

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

came to the First World, seeking a home for their legions of followers. Mighty in magic and numbers, conquering deities seized their victory. Fallen was noble Bahamut, Sardior hid in the

-bringers seized her and bound her, snatched her from death, entombed her in torment— Sealed in the darkness forever, captive to gods laying claim to creation. Breathe, dragons; sing of the

Humanoids and the Gods

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

humanoids have tight pantheons. It is expected that an orc will worship Gruumsh or one of a handful of subordinate deities. In comparison, humanity embraces a staggering variety of deities. Each human

culture might have its own array of gods. In most D&D settings, there is no single god that can claim to have created humanity. Thus, the human proclivity for building institutions extends to religion

Sun Elves

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

— even other elves — are subordinate to them in skill, significance, and sophistication. They claim the title of “high elves” with pride, and indeed their race is responsible for great, and sometimes

with other art forms, which produces the complex dance of the bladesingers as well as the enchanting music of their bards and the meticulous craftwork of their artisans. Sun elf adventurers often bring

Mielikki

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

attract. She is the patron of rangers in the same way that Milil is the patron of bards, but even rangers rarely pray to her directly. They instead pray to Gwaeron Windstrom, who they believe will

relationships with other deities of the natural world are more complex. Silvanus is sometimes thought of as her father and Eldath is considered her sister, but Mielikki walks her own path through the

Intelligence

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

Intelligence Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and the ability to reason. Intelligence Checks An Intelligence check comes into play when you need to draw on logic, education

) check measures your ability to recall lore about deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret cults. Other Intelligence Checks. The DM might call for

The Lady of Pain

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

on par with deities. Strong enough to bar gods and their ilk from entering her city, the Lady of Pain forbids followers of her own. To worship her is more than taboo; it is an unforgivable crime

elsewhere as she passes by. Some locals claim that the Lady’s features occasionally take on a golden or steely sheen. Whether this is in response to threats to her city or other influences is a

Intelligence

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

Intelligence Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and the ability to reason. Intelligence Checks An Intelligence check comes into play when you need to draw on logic, education

) check measures your ability to recall lore about deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret cults. Other Intelligence Checks The DM might call for an

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group Naturally, a large portion of the Boromar Clan’s members come from a criminal background. There’s no reason characters with other backgrounds can’t be part of the syndicate, though

give them a broad range of knowledge to support their schemes. Bards, rogues, and wizards are often drawn to this role. Safecracker. The “breaking” part of “breaking and entering” is the Safecracker’s

Finding the Books

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

adventures rests within the walls of Candlekeep is reason enough for an adventurer to seek out this legendary book and claim a cozy corner to read about the escapades of Alkazaar and his dungeon-delving

The Dark Powers

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

villains to add to their terrifying menagerie. To what end, no one knows. The Dark Powers don’t move in the shadows of Ravenloft; they are the shadows. They’re the Mists and the darkness. They’re the reason

. Undying Remnants. The Dark Powers are all that remain of a multitude of vanquished evil deities and demigods. Traces of their power linger in amber sarcophagi scattered throughout the Domains of Dread

Dwarven Religion

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

religion of the dwarves is at the root of the societal roles that dwarves follow. Where most other creatures view their deities as ultrapowerful beings who stand forever apart from their worshipers

, the dwarves see their gods as exemplars who blaze a path for their lives to follow. Dwarven deities exist in a wide variety, with a few common across many worlds. They are collectively known as the

Odunos

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

streets, quarreling for no apparent reason. Beyond the city’s walls, undead raiders strike out, menacing the lands of Akros, Meletis, and Phoberos. These raids are led by the city’s de facto ruler

the corpses and dust. Occasionally, Returned who’ve grown tired of their half-lives congregate here, waiting for a final death to claim them. Some tales claim that treasures lie amid the crypts, but

Evil Inchoate

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

lays claim to such an item can command the demon to do as they wish. For this reason, demon lords hide their amulets away and trust no one, not even their followers, with knowledge of the location

particular affinity for their own kind, which is the biggest reason why they seldom cooperate with one another unless they are forced to submit to a demon lord or other leader. Going even farther, every

D&D Beyond

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