before barely defusing complex rolling

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

friends and loved ones age while time barely touches them. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as

. EXCELLENT AMBASSADORS Many half-elves learn at an early age to get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and

Retreat!

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

Retreat! If the adventurers retreat from the sounds of battle, they barely escape from a partial collapse of their local section of Araumycos’s cavern complex. They race ahead of a small horde of

Geographical Features

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

enormous domes 5 A complex of caves connected by passageways formed by Fey magic to create grand galleries and soaring vaults 6 Rolling farmland that yields healthy, bountiful produce of amazing size 7

Geographical Features A small Domain of Delight might have only one prominent geographical feature, which you can determine randomly by rolling on the Geographical Features table. A large Domain of

Fane Features

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

stonework of their city. The complex has the following features. Any exceptions are noted in areas to which they apply. Ceilings. In the passages, the walls slope together unevenly to meet at an angle

weird, phosphorescent lichen — a side effect of the strange magical properties of the area — provides dim light. The lichen is more heavily concentrated in the upper reaches of the large chambers, and just barely visible in the passages. Map 5.1: Fane of the EyeView Player Version

G4. Kitchen

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

oil out of a big red mushroom and filter the liquid into four oil flasks. Panana (female) stands atop a low table and uses a mechanical rolling pin contraption to kneed green bread dough. The severed

to Fibblestib or Dabbledob in the workshop (area G11), as they know more about what’s going on than any other gnomes in the complex. These gnomes won’t leave the kitchen, but they can point characters in the right direction. The gnomes avoid talking about the missing gnomes or Mad King Korboz.

Whorlstone Tunnels

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

barely 2 feet wide at their widest points. A Tiny creature can move through these tunnels unimpeded, while a Small creature must squeeze to pass through them. Medium and larger creatures can’t fit

complex, creating spiral patterns on the walls and ceilings. These spirals are what give the complex its name. Because of these weird spiraling patterns, saving throws to resist faerzress-induced

Using This Source

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

the Dessarin Valley, the setting for this adventure (and many others, if you wish). The Dessarin River, one of the mighty waterways of the North, runs through a barely settled frontier region a few days

, the characters discover that the four cults occupy a sprawling dungeon complex beneath the Sumber Hills. The temples serve as the base for the cultists’ insidious attacks against the Dessarin Valley

Galeb Duhr

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

view galeb duhr as aloof allies and might entrust these long-lived beings with secrets or treasures for future generations. Others speak of galeb duhr songs, barely audible harmonizations by groups of

galeb duhr that are said to influence earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Galeb Duhr Medium Elemental, Neutral AC 16 Initiative +2 (12) HP 123 (13d8 + 65) Speed 15 ft. (30 ft. when rolling, 60

Traps in Play

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

description is clear enough that you can adjudicate whether a character's actions locate or foil the trap. As with many situations, you shouldn't allow die rolling to override clever play and good planning

24d10 Complex Traps Complex traps work like standard traps, except once activated they execute a series of actions each round. A complex trap turns the process of dealing with a trap into something more

Traps in Play

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

description is clear enough that you can adjudicate whether a character’s actions locate or foil the trap. As with many situations, you shouldn’t allow die rolling to override clever play and good planning

18d10 24d10 Complex Traps Complex traps work like standard traps, except once activated they execute a series of actions each round. A complex trap turns the process of dealing with a trap into something

8. Egg Chamber

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

spend in this room, check for a random encounter by rolling a d20 and consulting the Egg Chamber Encounters table. Egg Chamber Encounters d20 Encounter 1–15 No encounter 16–18 1 giant spider from area

pursue fleeing characters anywhere except into the adjoining echo chambers (area 5) or the slop cave (area 10). If it doesn’t detect any intruders, the purple worm exits the complex through the tunnel in area 7, passing through the nearest echo chamber along the way.

Alley: Autumn

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

direction, rolling downhill. Riding on the cart is a tiefling boy with an eye patch, screaming at the top of his lungs. “Look out!” he shouts. A character in the path of the apple cart must succeed on a

the stone. After searching Fenerus’s home and finding nothing, they were waiting for Fenerus to return when the drow showed up. The drow barely got away with their lives. THE THREE URCHINS Three

Lower Level (M17-M19)

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

and powders. Books are stacked between the glassware and chemicals. Yellowed paper charts and blackboards full of complex formulas cover the walls. The books here cover chemical science and alchemy

from a rudimentary, barely humanoid shape to a small, winged body so lifelike that it almost appears to be a real creature that is merely asleep. A character who makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence

Areas of the Cauldron Caves

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

into the lake. That water is now frozen solid, creating a floor of ice several feet thick. The fishers entered the cave complex by this route, as evidenced by tracks in the snow that clings to the ice

musings about the cave complex. Characters who examine the pages find a couple of noteworthy passages: “These caves are sacred to the frost giants. The carvings on the wall suggest that the giants came

Random Encounters

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

telepathically asks the characters to rid the cave complex of the derro cultists (see area 14) because it knows what they’re trying to do and wants to stop them. If the characters agree and seem friendly, the

rolling a d4 and consulting the Beneath the Yellow Mold table. Tampering with the mold-encrusted object causing the yellow mold to release its deadly spores. Beneath the Yellow Mold d4 Encounter 1 A

Initiative Variants

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

example, a fighter wants to turn a winch to raise a portcullis. This is a complex, difficult action. You could rule that it incurs a -5 initiative penalty. Rolling Initiative. After deciding on an action

initiative that introduces more uncertainty into combat, at the cost of speed of play. Under this variant, the participants in a battle roll initiative each round. Before rolling, each character or

Starting the Adventure

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

mask. The rider barely manages to stay in the saddle, his body bristling with cruel black arrows. Blind with panic, the horse plows on, threatening to trample travelers in its path. Before it can

, read the following text: The sound of racing hooves rises like rolling thunder from the direction the fallen rider emerged. Two more riders round the bend, both wearing dark tunics. The fading light

Arrival

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

. The familiar sounds of a harbor — creaking ropes, slapping waves, heavy barrels rolling across cobblestones — mingle with voices shouting and cursing in an unfamiliar language filled with clicks

boats along the canals. Dinosaurs compete in weekly races through the streets. These brightly painted racing dinosaurs are fast, vicious, and barely under their riders’ control. Flowers, green plants, and

Other Nonplayer Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

long distances. But that’s what fills Sechepol’s wagon. He will make his money on the road, selling his stock to his fellow travelers in the caravan. He is diplomatic and has a gift for defusing

silent as the grave, staring sullenly at the road ahead, barely moving on the seat of his wagon, seeming hardly to breathe. No one knows what he transports in his wagon, but it is guarded by a brooding

Other Nonplayer Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

distances. But that’s what fills Sechepol’s wagon. He will make his money on the road, selling his stock to his fellow travelers in the caravan. He is diplomatic and has a gift for defusing arguments

as the grave, staring sullenly at the road ahead, barely moving on the seat of his wagon, seeming hardly to breathe. No one knows what he transports in his wagon, but it is guarded by a brooding

Encounter Pace and Tension

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

opportunity to make the characters’ situation more complex and urgent, with more significant consequences. Successive encounters raise the tension in an adventure naturally, as characters spend their

danger and urgency by rolling dice behind your DM screen, even without an actual encounter!) Drain Character Resources. By draining the party’s Hit Points and spell slots, leaving the adventurers feeling

Reinforcements

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

Reinforcements Check to see if reinforcements arrive once during the day and once at night by rolling d100 and consulting the Ironslag Reinforcements table. If reinforcements are indicated, the fire

until Duke Zalto commands them to go elsewhere. If Duke Zalto isn’t around and there’s evidence that the foundry has been attacked, the reinforcements begin searching the complex for intruders and

22. Garrux's Brewery

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

22. Garrux’s Brewery This complex was built by a dwarf named Garrux, who served as Master of Ale and Provisions for the Melairkyn dwarves. 22a. Ale Dispenser Pillar. A stone pillar in the middle of

constructed the pit covers so that they won’t open if an object is rolled over them. A character can circumvent the traps by climbing into an empty barrel and rolling down the hall or climbing onto a barrel

Rillyn House

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

weapons, unmarked crates, and shelves of bric-a-brac. The grimy windows barely allow a view of the city beyond. Machil’s notes and journals are packed haphazardly into three boxes in this storeroom

pockets a random trinket (determined by rolling on the Trinkets table in the Player’s Handbook). On a failed check, the character sends a pile of dusty items spilling to the floor and earns a stern look

Example Traps

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

scale the trap for higher levels by increasing each dart’s Poison damage as follows: 7 (2d6) at levels 5–10, 14 (4d6) at levels 11–16, or 24 (7d6) at levels 17–20. Linda Lithen Bobby and Hank barely

5–10 11 (2d10) 13 11–16 22 (4d10) 15 17–20 55 (10d10) 17 Rolling Stone Deadly Trap (Levels 11–16) or Nuisance Trap (Levels 17–20) Trigger: A creature moves onto a pressure plate Duration: Until

Kobold Lairs

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

noisy activities. Mines Any chamber in the kobolds’ underground complex that isn’t immediately needed for another purpose is mined and excavated, both to extract usable ore and minerals and to provide

cookpots or from cooling the kiln) Pits with disease-covered spikes Pots of green slime Rolling boulders Small-size bridges and ladders rigged to break if there is too much weight on them Snares Tripwires, either connected to traps or just for tripping creatures Volleys of needles

Combat Encounters

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

move around, such as chandeliers, kegs of gunpowder or oil, and rolling stone traps. Combat Encounter Difficulty Use the following guidelines to create a combat encounter of a desired level of difficulty

two or three stat blocks for a single encounter can be daunting, particularly if the creatures are complex. Powerful Creatures. If your combat encounter includes a creature whose CR is higher than the

1. Secret Entrances

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

of monsters, but the Zhents have installed trip wires and pressure plates at irregular intervals. These are triggering mechanisms for collapsing roofs, poison darts, and rolling spheres (see “Sample

Traps” in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). The passage ends at a dungeon complex under a ruined watchtower overlooking the Surbrin River, north of the Evermoors. The Zhentarim have guards

Beholder Lairs

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

chambers are connected by vertical or steeply sloped tunnels that the beholder carves out of the surrounding stone, each passage barely large enough to admit the beholder’s body. Enemies that are too big

collapsing roof, the falling net, and the rolling sphere, a beholder can use its disintegration ray to blast a hole in the ceiling above its enemies, opening up a previously prepared chamber filled with mud

The Survivors

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

in area 2 of the ruins. At night they stay in their rooms. The major personalities among the survivors are detailed below. Ozymandias Ozymandias (NE male human priest) barely survived the battle

property or about the dangers of the Winding Way. GOLDEN MEDALLION This medallion is a golden disk inscribed with complex geometric designs, worth 30 gp. It is not magical, but undead of the Winding Way

Wyrmheart Mine

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

grease to get it rolling again. The old brake looks solid, but each time it’s used, it has a 10 percent chance to fail utterly. This risk is recognized by someone who inspects the brake and makes a

, which serves as the kobolds’ egg nursery. These kobolds protect their eggs with flinty resolve. The mossy niches in the walls contain a total of thirty eggs. 6C. Rolling Stone Trap A tripwire

Cottage Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

-wide wooden rolling pin falls from the ceiling at the north end of the hall and rolls the length of the hallway, flattening creatures in its path. Each creature in the hallway must succeed on a DC 15

. The rolling pin stops at the south end of the hall. C7: Candied Apple Orchard Nestled in this courtyard are four trees with peppermint bark. Candied apples dangle from their delicate white branches

6. Annam's Temple

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

sound of rolling thunder fills the temple, loud enough to be heard throughout the complex. Any creature that steps into the archway appears in area 11. The archway remains active for 1 hour. Any

Upper Level Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

to jump the gap falls 10 feet into area S7. S18: Security Station This is a complex location, so review it carefully before reading the following text to the players to set the scene: This area is

decorated like a parlor, complete with padded divans and armchairs, a rolling cart topped with crystal goblets and decanters, and a coat rack. The east room contains a comfortable four-poster bed, a

Where to Start?

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

oversized elf heads with fangs, or any other horrific form you can imagine. Personality If you haven’t already settled on a personality for your archfey, you can determine it randomly by rolling on the

might be plundered. 3 Imperious. The archfey surrounds themself with a court of sycophants and expects visitors to grovel before them. Their mercy is rare, and their superiority complex is legendary

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