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Returning 35 results for 'before barely defusing contrast read'.
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Half-Elf
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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
contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers.
Half-Elf Names
Half-elves use either human or elven
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast
get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast
get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent
Lizardfolk
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
hold and controls their actions. In contrast, lizardfolk see emotions as traits assigned to other creatures, objects, and situations. A lizardfolk doesn’t think, “I’m scared.&rdquo
pity. Born into the world lacking stout scales and sharp teeth, it’s a wonder they have managed to survive for so long. The typical human would barely make it through a day in the swamps.
Still
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Mount Celestia The single sacred mountain of Mount Celestia rises from a shining Silver Sea to heights barely visible and utterly incomprehensible, with seven plateaus marking its seven heavenly
the purest souls can. Gazing toward that peak fills even the most jaded of travelers with awe. Optional Rule: Blessed Beneficence In contrast to the dissonance experienced by evil creatures here, good
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Getting the Quest If Dougan’s Hole is the starting town for this adventure, the characters already know some of what’s going on. Read: Dougan’s Hole is beset by winter wolves that stalk the outskirts
in. “Dang winter wolves say they ain’t givin’ ’em back till the town coughs up a king’s ransom in food and gold. This town barely got enough to feed its own, and there ain’t no gold. Ain’t no one
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
rest concludes to the sound of warning horns. Darrett or a messenger from Marshal Vendri urges them to hurry to the command post atop the Trade Gate. Once the characters arrive, read the following text
rapid percussion, their deadly bolts barely keeping the dragonnels wheeling overhead at bay. Beyond the dragonnel riders, the flying citadel looms like a thunderhead, drifting slowly but relentlessly closer.
At this point, there has been no word from Clystran or the dragonnels he went to track down.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
, read or paraphrase the following text: Amid the vast desert, a great pyramid rises from the sands, barely touched by time. Stairs ascend from the sand to an opening in the pyramid.
Near the base of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
’ corruption begins to take hold, the plants have become living traps. Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene: Your path through the woods descends along a ridgeline, with the trees crowding together
characters’ progress. If the check is 14 or higher, or if any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 studies the fey after they’ve been spotted, the fey appear mean and grubby. The fey run off if they are noticed, shouting with barely disguised menace to “enjoy our sunny woods.”
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
their late teens and live less than a century. Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium
. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
their late teens and live less than a century. Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium
. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Preparing for Battle When the characters and people of Vogler arrive at High Hill, read the following description: Passing through woods and fields, Vogler’s parade of militia members and reenactment
spectators finally reaches High Hill. The grassy slope is spotted with trees and crumbled stone fencing. Near the base, several dozen soldiers in matching armor stand in even formation. The contrast
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
Back in Session Once the characters have chosen their colleges and cemented their other second-year decisions, it’s time to kick off this adventure.
The academic year has barely dawned when
you’re ready to begin, read or paraphrase the following, altering the text to incorporate the student’s name or other details:
Your peers’ shouts of camaraderie punctuate the air as you finish your
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
, the check can be repeated after another 10 minutes of searching. The following boxed text assumes that the characters have met Ireena Kolyana. If they have not, don’t read the sentence that mentions
her. Hidden by the fog and elevated a few feet above the surrounding marsh is a raised plot of land, barely ten feet on a side, enclosed by a disintegrating iron fence. In the center of the plot is a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
of Cynidicea. Though the ziggurat is usually buried in the sands, a sandstorm has uncovered its upper tiers. When the characters arrive at the ziggurat, read or paraphrase the following text: Your trek
time have scoured their faces smooth.
A windswept ziggurat towers over the other ruins. Five stepped tiers are visible, though the lowest barely peeks above the sand. In all, the ancient structure
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin) Also known as svirfneblin, the deep gnomes of the Underdark are a stark contrast to their surface kin, dour and serious compared to the cheerful and generally optimistic
. Your darkvision has a radius of 120 feet. Stone Camouflage. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide in rocky terrain. Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write Undercommon. DEEP
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Arrival at the Island When the characters’ transportation first arrives within sight of the island fortress, read: A rock outcropping thrusts up from the sea to form an island here, just offshore. It
causeway, read: The island is bare of vegetation other than mosses, lichens, seaweed, and the occasional clump of coarse grass. No wildlife appears present, but for a few clouds of insects and small
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
free, but other humanoids must pay 5 cp each. When the characters enter the Cog Carnival, read or paraphrase the following boxed text to the players: Smoky, low flames in a fireplace barely illuminate
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
hewn from the rock leads up along one side of the wall.
The steps leading up to it are barely 5 feet wide and climb 150 feet to a frost-covered shelf that adjoins the main entrance (area X1). Difficult
Decision As the characters begin their ascent, read: From high above comes a loud grinding noise as large sheets of ice break off the fortress walls and tumble down the mountainside. Suddenly, great
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
others have yet to board a boat. The remaining boats have enough space for them and the characters. Before the characters head to their boats, read the following text: “Hold the boat!” a voice rasps from
details. Last Glimpse of Vogler Evacuees flee the Dragon Army’s invasion of Vogler The characters escape Vogler on the last boat, a small fishing vessel barely large enough for the characters, Darrett
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium
spells the warlock knows. Does the Eyes of the Rune Keeper invocation work on magical runes? Eyes of the Rune Keeper lets you read any form of writing, including the linguistic meaning of a rune, if any
, but the feature doesn’t give that creature the ability to telepathically reply. In contrast, the telepathy ability that some monsters have (MM , "Telepathy") does make two-way communication possible
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a7
the center of the cliff face, read: Bright, brilliant colors are to be seen everywhere, the stones and pigments undimmed by the passage of decades. The floor of the corridor is a colorful mosaic of
studied all the way from the entrance to where the path forks toward areas 5 and 6, the individual with such perseverance will be rewarded by suddenly understanding that a message is contained in barely
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
The Waters of Lyth Eventually, the party crosses a vale not noted on Khea’s map. Read or paraphrase the following description: A shallow valley lies amid the rise and fall of the Katachthon foothills
humanoid bones barely covered by the water. Outcropping Caves Three natural caves open near the top of the 30-foot-high rock formation at the far end of the pool. These crevices might be noticed by
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
Sanctum Showdown If the characters show no sign of joining Ruxithid, or if any of them threaten violence, Ruxithid becomes hostile. Read or paraphrase the following: Green light pulses from
Disturbing Truth Revealed If Ruxithid is slain, read the following: Ruxithid falls to the ground, and his crystalline brain splits asunder. The sanctum fills with a cacophony, like thousands of voices crying
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
to know each other before this scene, but it’s fine if they do. Once the players are ready, read or paraphrase the following text: The sun sinks low in the west, stretching shadows across the well
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
side, read: Stately galleons, sleek cutters that resemble flying fish, and warships built to look like hammerhead sharks line the docks of Bral. Krux waves his arm toward a craft that seems modest by
comparison.
The ship’s sails are patchworks of mended canvas, while its hull seems barely held together by thick vines that bind it like rope. Its strangest feature is the full-grown tree that sprouts
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
whose tusks have been set with gems (see “Treasure” below). The inscriptions on the statue are written in Old Omuan. They read as follows: Let your bones watch over my treasure, brave Ghom. As you
is claimed and set head-first into the indentation, read: A thunderous trumpeting sound erupts from the mastodon’s trunk, causing a block of stone to seal off the room. The cog under the mastodon’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
Warehouse Environs Eventually, the characters spot the sign for Jolly’s Lamp Emporium. Read the following as they move toward their goal: Jolly’s Lamp Emporium is an unassuming, ramshackle shop in
pack and squints at its barely legible writing. “So which one of you is Ozgood the Ugly? I need you to sign before you go in. Nothing but paperwork and signatures since the newest Masked Lords got
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
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
. Otherwise, the thrones are empty, and the characters have nothing else to interact with. The apparitions refuse to speak in the characters’ presence, and they can’t be harmed or turned. Barely lifting
-foot-high ceilings throughout. As the characters descend the stairs, read: To your left as you enter this dark hall is a closed, stone double door with no handles or hinges on this side. To your right is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
brightly lit by continual flame spells cast in wall sconces. Y19a. Main Entrance If the characters reach this area by ascending the strut at area Y6, read: Near the apex of the strut, the ceiling of
, attacks them. Y19b. Ballroom Chamber music washes over you as you enter this ballroom. In contrast to the desolate, frozen ruins outside, a dozen people mill around in here, dressed in flowing silk
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
Arrival Syndra Silvane teleports herself and the characters to Port Nyanzaru’s Harbor Ward, not far from the harbormaster’s office (area 13). Read: You appear in a tropical city under the blazing sun
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
the ordeal. Dream 1: Rainbow Angels Read the following boxed text when the characters first enter Lulu’s dreamscape: As the rich, radiant light of a hundred dancing rainbows slowly dissolves, warm
next dream. Dream 4: Desolation When the fourth dream begins, read: You wander a vast, barren landscape of utter devastation. Black sludge rises rapidly out of the ground, enveloping your feet and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
, read the following: The interior of the shrine has the appearance of having been abandoned after some sort of terrible confrontation years ago. Broken benches with shredded cushions are overgrown by
here with a well-worn broom.
The cursed dragonborn, Gorba Daardenrian (see “Coven Victims” earlier in the adventure), is so weak that she can barely hold her broom. When she sees the characters






