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Returning 35 results for 'before bards dying contain runes'.
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Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 11):
At will: minor illusion, spare the dying
1/day each: animal friendship, faerie fire, meld into stone, silence
Time Lapse (Recharges after a Short or
wish stones, discarding the ones that contain wishes of ill intent and keeping those that hold good wishes. Brigganocks refine wish stones into gems and use them to decorate their architecture
Bard
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Classes
Basic Rules (2014)
of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation
still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers. The greatest strength of bards is their sheer
Magic Items
Storm King's Thunder
the ground and is a massive thing made of polished obsidian with oversized feet — the impaled skulls of four ancient blue dragons. Runes glisten in the carved obsidian, winking to life with blue
breaking at least five Ruling Scepters of Shanatar simultaneously on it. This fact has never been recorded or sung of among the dwarves or any bards or storytellers, and it can’t be discovered
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
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 of song, speech, and the magic they contain
. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
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 of song, speech, and the magic they contain
. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath
to its final destination. When the characters arrive, there is no one here, but there are several closed crates awaiting transport. Most of the crates contain commercial goods like cloth, crafted
runes on the edge of the lid, which can be noticed with a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The runes can be deactivated with a dispel magic spell, or carefully filed away with a DC 15 Dexterity
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
retreat’s flooded library holds five crystalline, coral archives that contain knowledge preserved in crackling lightning. The formations are 10 feet across and 20 feet high. Two are shattered and useless
spirits of the slain storm giants congregate in this chamber, harmlessly but mournfully wailing their sorrow. A circle of Giant runes on the floor hums softly (see “Storm Call” below). Trench. The oceanic trench dives into darkness (see “Planar Crossing” below).
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
wall above the arch are the following words in Draconic: “Only a dragon can unlock this gate.”
Fountains. Alcoves to the west and east contain stone fountains, each carved to look like a perched
Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes through the gate appears in area 30a on level 15, in the closest unoccupied space next to the similar gate located there.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes through the gate appears in area 9 on level 5, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there. Armor and
Weapons The racks contain a total of twenty suits of dwarf-sized scale mail, twenty battleaxes, twenty war picks, and twenty steel shields emblazoned with the symbol of Dumathoin. All the equipment
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
48. Shagambi’s Tomb Each character who teleports into this tomb from area 47C appears atop a randomly determined teleportation rune (see “Teleportation Runes” below). Characters can also enter the
this area: Nervous Unkh suggests that her host leave the tomb at once using one of the teleportation runes, though she can’t decide which rune is best. Impulsive Wongo thinks it’s a good idea to shatter
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
in the crate’s sides. These devils burst forth and attack intruders on sight. The other crates in the middle of the cellar contain dried meat, loaves of bread, wheels of cheese, and other assorted
foodstuffs — enough to sustain the Vanthampurs and the cultists in the dungeon for a month. The crates by the south wall contain candles, oil flasks, incense, and rat traps. Six of the barrels contain
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
archway is 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall. Six different runes are carved into it, each one inlaid with mithral, and a glowing mist fills the arch. Niches in the walls on either side of it contain empty
weight of each weapon and the archway rune associated with each weapon (see “Archway and Runes”). Each statue has AC 20, a damage threshold of 10, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. The statue of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
doorway in runes that anyone who knows Dwarvish or Giant understands: The past is a crystal, for it can be seen from many facets yet it always remains the same.
These rooms contain crystals of many
, monoliths, and stelae fitting neatly in niches carved into the walls of every room. Thanks to the library’s comprehend languages effect, anyone can easily decipher and understand the runes and glyphs
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
; for example, the “Orcs” section contains stat blocks for various kinds of orcs, including tanarukks (demonic orcs). Immediately following this chapter are two appendices that contain additional stat
chapter, the lore and maps in chapter 1 might inspire you. Similarly, the racial traits in chapter 2 can be applied to the stat blocks in appendix B to create such memorable NPCs as goliath champions, kenku master thieves, and tabaxi bards.
Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
. These tenets vary from tribe to tribe, and are often based in events that the tribe has experienced. Here are a few examples:
If a dwarf or a human invokes its god upon dying, you must carry the
return from a raid.
The gaze of the One Eye brings madness to many an orc.
— Elminster
Roleplaying an Orc
When you’re roleplaying an orc, the following tables contain possible
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
6. Special Effects These areas contain some of the Mad Mage’s harmless regional effects (see “Halaster’s Lair”). The earthen floor throughout is covered by a 2-foot-thick layer of fog. 6a. “Help Me
or higher to pass through this gate (see “Jhesiyra Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes through the gate
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
between the segments contain a multitude of hungry astral predators. The creatures trapped in the segments don’t traverse the wreck for this reason. When the characters enter one of these areas, roll on
lock himself in his quarters, where one of the safe room’s ward runes is located. Characters approaching this wreck segment can land on either the sterncastle deck (area Z1a) or in the companionway
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
gold, and the pendant bears the symbol of two hands cupping the sun. Summer Star Summer Star. This magic item looks like a 6-inch-diameter gyroscope featuring two scorched rings inlaid with runes and a
Black Cabin (see “Dying in the Black Cabin”). Don’t fret if this happens to one or more characters; as spirits, they can figure out a way back to the realm of the living. Once the Summer Star discharges
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
, and both wear ornate collars of silvery metal. Each stands within a square scribed onto the floor, ten feet on a side and edged with runes. The rune-marked boundaries appear to push the creatures back
“crated” here. The hell hounds can’t leave the rune-bounded areas unless the runes are disturbed (including by a character who enters the warded area), or if the characters activate the runes on the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
spore drifted into this cave from area 8. Its spores contain memory fragments of the dead beholder that birthed it. A creature that inhales the spores inherits a random memory, determined by rolling on
must be 16th level or higher to pass through this gate (see “Jhesiyra Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
spellbooks that Arcturia has accumulated over the years. They contain most of the wizard spells in the Player’s Handbook, plus any others of your choosing. All the 8th-level and 9th-level spells that
arcane runes and phrases. The book is titled Arcturia’s Arcane Esoterica: Vol. IX, and it contains the following spells: antimagic field, astral projection, dominate monster, feeblemind, gate, incendiary
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
. Inscribed on the floor in the middle of the room is a 40-foot-diameter circle of glowing runes. Halaster uses it to summon an empyrean who owes him a favor. (The circle serves no other purpose
of runes on the floor to summon Nalkara (see “Nalkara the Empyrean” below). He then uses the power of the throne to throw his voice so that he doesn’t betray his location when he speaks to the empyrean
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
down a well, an echo of that wish becomes lodged in a stone buried deep in the earth of the Feywild. Brigganocks seek out these wish stones, discarding the ones that contain wishes of ill intent and
ability (spell save DC 11):
At will: minor illusion, spare the dying
1/day each: animal friendship, faerie fire, meld into stone, silence
Time Lapse (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
alchemical materials. In addition, two of the vials contain potions of healing. Puzzle Book. The puzzle book with the letter B on its spine is propped up against a large beaker. M18. Summoning Room This dark
, stone-walled room contains only a few objects. A five-foot-diameter circle of intricate runes covers the floor. There’s an empty wooden bookstand opposite the door and bronze braziers at the other
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
shell is carved with Draconic runes that spell out prayers to Tiamat, is joined by four ghouls that serve as his assistants. The ghouls gnaw on bones and eye the characters hungrily as Krull negotiates
): chill touch, mending, resistance, sacred flame, spare the dying, thaumaturgy
1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, detect evil and good, false life, inflict wounds, ray of sickness
2nd level (3
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
succeeds on a DC 10 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check can safely retrieve the three alchemist’s fire flasks, disarming the trap. The crates and casks contain building supplies (nails, mortar, glue
desiccated and skeletal humanoid corpses litter the floor of this small chamber. The stone of the north wall has been etched with intricate runes, but the pattern ends abruptly.
Bodies and Runes. A closer
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
to an end a few months ago when the ship collided with the body of a dying god. Strange Magic. The ship’s prow was outfitted with “fancy magic stuff” beyond the githyanki’s understanding. This magic
front of the ship. During the Lambent Zenith’s crash, arcane wards should have sealed the safe room’s doors. The safe room is inaccessible while the wards are active. Ward Runes. Two runes hidden on the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5
hall are scorched. Cracks in the panels reveal bare stone. Three mystic circles have been scribed in the floor, each edged with rough runes.
Locked Doors. These steel double doors are locked. Tarul
orb is part of the mystic circle trap. Mystic Circle Trap. The circles are magical but misleadingly so. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals that hidden among gibberish runes are
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
otherwise avoid combat. Southeast Door This door has a stone wall behind it, inscribed upon which is an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). Determine the rune randomly by drawing a card from the Elder Rune Deck
butterfly swarm is an instrument of the bards (Anstruth harp). The yellow sapphires carried by the animal-headed guards fit into the pillars in area 8. Each gemstone is worth 1,000 gp.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer Academy
Simulation Chambers Each simulation chamber is a broad circular space with a domed ceiling, its stone walls carved with arcane runes that fill the area with bright light. Each chamber is equipped
creates. Damage. Any character who is reduced to 0 hit points by the simulation falls unconscious but isn’t dying. The character remains unconscious until the simulation ends, at which point the character
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Anatomy of a War Band A gnoll war band is likely to contain a variety of gnolls and other creatures, and no two of these groups have the same composition. The gnolls that make up the rank and file
gnolls themselves. A war band that has been through hard times might contain a number of gnoll witherlings, while one that enjoys Yeenoghu’s favor might be led by a flind — the scarcest and strongest of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
Indigo Sanctum later in this chapter, has a key. The goblin leader doesn’t allow any others access to this room. These personal quarters contain a large, plush, four-poster bed covered in silk sheets
. Stone shelves bearing books and ornamental ceramic jars line the walls alongside dust-covered banners embroidered with Dwarven runes. In one corner stands an elegant mahogany desk, on top of which is a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
alcoves: The two southernmost alcoves contain secret doors to areas 20b and 20d, respectively. The alcove to the north has an arch embedded in its back wall. Carved into the arch’s keystone is an image of
higher to pass through this gate (see “Jhesiyra Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes through the gate appears in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
, the summoning of a demon to another plane can bring a vargouille along for the ride, attaching itself like a tick. The precautions a mortal takes to contain and control a summoned demon rarely account
for a stowaway, and thus a vargouille enters the world unbidden. Until ye’ve seen a king’s head tear off his shoulders and flap aloft amid fountaining blood, only to turn and lap his own dying gore as
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
Coast Adventurer’s Guide contain a number of character backgrounds that are well suited for this adventure. If your players are having trouble fleshing out their characters’ backgrounds, share the
Coast Adventurer’s Guide A terrible curse is sweeping across Faerûn, and a dying merchant is gathering adventurers for a bold mission to destroy the source of the curse, which lies deep in the jungles of






