before bards driving contrast reality

Fraz-Urb'luu Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

. Fraz-Urb’luu wears all these masks and more. He particularly delights in aiding demon-hunters against his demonic adversaries, driving the hunters to greater and greater atrocities in the name

elaborate fantasies that have no bearing on reality. When I return my focus to the world, I have a hard time remembering that it was just a daydream.” 61–80 “I convince myself that

Sorcerer Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

chaos of Limbo, or a glimpse into the inner workings of reality. Sorcerers have no use for the spellbooks and ancient tomes of magic lore that wizards rely on, nor do they rely on a patron to grant

motivations driving them to adventure. Some seek a greater understanding of the magical force that infuses them, or the answer to the mystery of its origin. Others hope to find a way to get rid of it, or to

Psychological Horror

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

. Uncertainty, paranoia, and blurred lines between reality and fiction also shape psychological horror stories. In your adventures, this might take the form of unreliable information. Characters might experience

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

Lich

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

Lich Deathless Master of Magic Habitat: Any; Treasure: Arcana Viko Menezes An ancient lich and her ghast gravecaller attendants warp reality with forbidden magic Some nefarious magic-users carry out

. Over ages, some liches lose their connection to time and the physical world, degenerating into demiliches. Ambition can become an addiction of the mind and spirit. It builds beyond a driving flame

Para-elemental Planes

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

Frostfell’s monsters and bitter cold make it a dangerous place to travel. Most planar voyagers keep to the air, braving the powerful winds and driving snow to avoid setting foot on the great glacier. Plane

fundamentally similar to places found on the Material Plane—the place where all four elements mingle freely. At a symbolic level, the Para-elemental Planes represent the interaction and sometimes the contrast

Studies and Philosophy

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

fundamental conflict at the heart of Lorehold’s philosophy. This conflict revolves around the forces that underlie and drive history. Is the course of time driving toward a well-ordered ideal state or

of chaos, by contrast, emphasizes individual actions, personal bonds of families and friends, and the disruptive force of lone, passionate people in history. Scholars of chaos gravitate toward

Genies

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

their thralls, but never to the extent that they can no longer work. In contrast to their love of servants, most genies loathe being bound to service themselves. A genie obeys the will of another only

objects of their desire. This constant indulgence has made them decadent, while their supreme power over reality makes them haughty and arrogant. Their vast palaces overflow with wonders and sensory

Birth of a Beholder

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

images of itself or of other beholders (which might or might not actually exist). On extremely rare occasions when a beholder dreams of another beholder, the act creates a warp in reality — from which

solitary beholder lairs within a cave system or a ruined structure, either one of its own making or a place the creature took over after killing or driving off the beholder that gave it birth. A solitary

Recurring Villains

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

Villain In contrast to a villain who is a part of the characters’ everyday life, an otherworldly villain isn’t only anonymous but also fundamentally mysterious. It’s not just a question of who the

such a villain compelling, with curiosity driving the adventurers to delve ever deeper into their foe’s secrets. When the time is right, you can turn a mysterious villain into an unnervingly familiar

Build Your Group

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

connection to the divine. This character might be the driving force behind the group’s quests, steering them according to divine will. Proficiency in skills such as Insight and Religion can help reflect

Persuasion (or sometimes Intimidation) and Religion can be useful for this character. Many clerics fill this role, but devout bards can also be effective Teachers. Some Teachers bring skills from the

Dragon Factions

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

to the highest standards of behavior, and wields cold magic. The Brass Order could be a loose affiliation of good-hearted scoundrels, including rogues and bards, who favor fire magic and trickery. An

to amass as much wealth and power as possible. The Gem Circle, by contrast, might be dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, while the Metallic Circle is more altruistic, working to further the

The Grand Design

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

end, each colony conducts research into the nature of the world and the creatures that inhabit it. The mind flayers examine all facets of reality, seeking any knowledge that could give them the edge

society’s central authority, such as by inciting years of famine while driving the local nobility to bouts of madness through psionic assaults, they can create widespread unrest that the colony can use to

Classes

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

pragmatic terms of strategy and maneuvering, and see herself as just a pawn in a much larger game. A cleric, by contrast, might see himself as a willing servant in a god’s unfolding plan or a conflict

Wizard A scholarly magic-user capable of manipulating the structures of reality d6 Intelligence Intelligence & Wisdom Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows

Manor Locations

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

ballroom’s stage is filled with set pieces, props, and costumes. Treasure. Among the many other instruments stored here is Quill’s instrument of the bards (Cli lyre), which is kept in an ornate wooden case

ability to warp reality and bring to life things from their imagination. Renekor dreamed itself into Wisteria Vale from the Underdark. The beholder believes that the village and its residents are its own

Scourge of Worlds

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

, rain, or snow that aren’t typical of the normal climate. Living things in the area flee or are killed by the demons. At this stage, natives can stop the incursion by killing or driving away the demons

on Reality In its third phase, the demonic virus invades fully and becomes a part of the world. Simply killing the demons in an afflicted area is no longer enough to remove the Abyss’s stain. The size

Alignment

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

townsfolk. Chaotic Neutral. (CN) creatures follow their whims, holding their personal freedom above all else. Many rogues and bards are chaotic neutral. Lawful Evil. (LE) creatures methodically take

much like ideals, driving a character’s motivations and goals. Bonds might answer any of these questions: Whom do you care most about? To what place do you feel a special connection? What is your most

Screaming Devilkin

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

believe that their appearance derives from the primal fear inspired by fiendish creatures, while bards assert that panic, being such a repulsive emotion, is embodied by an equally ugly creature

—broken and consumed by the march of eternity. It has no sense of empathy or compassion, driven only to unmake so that the resulting base elements of reality can fuel the multiverse’s endless cycles of

Temple of Tharizdun

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

the aboleth’s defenses around the Styes, and are just as much a threat to the district and its people as to it. If the characters are so inclined, Sgothgah says, it could use their help in driving them

a tightly sewn oilcloth — an instrument of the bards (Cli lyre) found by a cultist years before. The lyre is the cult’s greatest treasure, and has been kept as a gift for the leader that the cultists

The Dark Seldarine

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

, sometimes behave in ways that seem consistent with reverence for That Which Lurks. Those who are faithful to Lolth often oppose Ghaunadaur’s cultists, driving them into hiding or forcing them into

Keptolo. But Vhaeraun represents a different aspect of drow masculinity: strong, silent, obedient, swift, and deadly. He is thought of as Lolth’s favored son, in contrast to Keptolo’s role as her beautiful

Stone Giants

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

to be in reality. A world of all-encompassing stone is a realm of permanence and solidity, one where a lifetime of laborious carving can last through countless eons. The surface world, with its

most prone to laughter and enjoying fellowship with his siblings. That image of Stronmaus is in sharp contrast to how storm giants are perceived in the world: aloof and dour. Nonetheless, it is an

Howling Hatred Cultists

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

women who can make hard choices for the good of their realms. In reality, they are bound to Yan-C-Bin and are blind to their own corruption and decadence. Despite their refined manners and social

the Howling Hatred. In contrast to their hurricane counterparts in the air cult, skyweavers embrace the worship of Elemental Evil for a quick path to power. With little experience wielding the might

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