before bearing descend concept rather

Water Weird Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

those its summoner declares as off limits. When slain, a water weird becomes an inanimate pool of water. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil

interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might turn against its summoner. A water weird loses its evil alignment if its waters are cleansed

Githzerai Uniter

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

), telekinesisGithzerai uniters espouse wisdom and unity rather than violence. Many uniters are members of the Sha’sal Khou, a group of githyanki and githzerai who band together to reunify the gith

people. Capable martial artists, uniters are more inclined to disarm and subdue their opponents than destroy them. Githzerai Githzerai descend from an ancient people who were also the progenitors

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

veins making it clear that they’ve been touched by death. Other reborn are marvels of magic or science, being stitched together from disparate beings or bearing mysterious minds in manufactured

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

Fraz-Urb'luu Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

themselves, making navigation in the area exceedingly difficult. If a humanoid spends at least 1 hour within 1 mile of the lair, that creature must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or descend

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

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

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

a patriar’s scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your kin. 6 You aren’t originally from Baldur

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips

away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

earth are strong or weak, are bearing a load or are safe to excavate, or are likely to contain minerals or offer access to water. This ability enables them to fashion secure homes in places where other

other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation

Character Names

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

names, that’s fine. If the group would rather take the characters and their names a little more seriously, urge Bob’s player to come up with a more appropriate name. Player character names should match

each other in flavor or concept, and they should also match the flavor of your campaign world — so should the nonplayer characters’ names and place names you create. Travok and Kairon don’t want to undertake a quest for Lord Cupcake, visit Gumdrop Island, or take down a crazy wizard named Ray.

Survival of the Fittest

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

pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to

themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk

Origin of the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

the ordning in some mythic future. Giants on some worlds (including Eberron) have no concept of the ordning at all. Such giants might think of themselves as a single species, with the differences

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

Character Advancement

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

taking part in a play session. A character reaches 1 checkpoint for each hour an adventure is designed to last. Note that the award is based on the adventure’s projected playing time, rather than the

designed to take 2 hours, the character reaches 3 checkpoints. Playing time might seem like an odd way to measure experience awards, but the concept is in keeping with how a shared campaign is meant to

Chapter 14: The Labyrinth

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

transformed into a vast, sprawling network of passages. Abandoned settlements within the Labyrinth are common, marked out by rusting iron rails and scattered ore carts. Dark mine shafts descend into the

leave a vast, yawning chasm. Some of these rifts run to depths of a few hundred feet. Others ascend and descend for miles. Many of the rifts show their age by the presence of carved switchback

Iroas

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

confident with a soldier’s demeanor, Iroas is the pinnacle of martial pride and bearing. He is stoic almost to a fault, but also exhibits a wry sense of humor. Those who honorably shed blood in Iroas’s

rather than a horse’s, clad in gleaming armor and wielding a spear and shield. He speaks in a booming baritone that projects power, confidence, and courage. He has been known to appear as a burly soldier

Secret

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

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide explores options like these, in the section

Past and Present

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Astral Adventurer’s Guide

, attracting profit-seekers, adventurers, and other more respectable types. Upon Cozar’s death, the rule of Bral passed to Frun, his son and heir. Frun was far from an able politician. Rather, he was a hedonist

only notable accomplishments were the renovation of the royal palace and the construction of the arena that bears his name. Frun was succeeded by his son, Calar, whose bearing and tastes resembled

Darklords

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

adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their

concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their

Water Weird

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

. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil. However, a water weird bound to a sacred or befouled source of water begins to take on the nature of that site

, becoming neutral good or neutral evil. A neutral good water weird tries to frighten away interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might

Life in the Tayyib Empire

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

worshiping the source of divinity rather than its fallible manifestations. Its adherents are called Muwahhid. Some erudite worshipers join the Imperial Ulema, an order of Muwahhid scholars sponsored by

some wealthy citizens sporting garments bearing magic that perfumes the wearer on command or changes color. Tayyib dishes are creamy and mildly spiced, cooked with yogurt, and served with rice or

Yuan-ti Cities

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

yuan-ti content themselves with maintaining these ancient places rather than building new ones for their needs. Although these sites are hundreds or even thousands of years old, they don’t look or feel

reflects human ideas about art and beauty. Over time this perspective was skewed toward the concept that the snake is the perfect form, so serpents are a common theme in their aesthetic. The major

Hermit

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

the poor daily. Bearing witness to such things, and meditating on their contradictions, fills your hours. 4 You tend to some part of the city’s forgotten history: the unmarked graves in Cliffside

, you’ve learned secrets no one else knows. 5 You killed a patriar’s scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your

Hermit

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer

. Bearing witness to such things, and meditating on their contradictions, fills your hours. 4 You tend to some part of the city’s forgotten history: the unmarked graves in Cliffside Cemetery, the crumbling

one else knows. 5 You killed a patriar’s scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your kin. 6 You aren’t originally

Bronze Dragon Treasures

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

weapons, armor, and magic items built for the battlefield—the more unique, the better. Stories matter to a bronze dragon, who would rather have the humble spear that felled a tyrant than a jeweled

7 An aquatic howdah made of sharkskin and bearing an emblem of a lonely black tower perched high atop a sea stack 8 A statue of a dishonored elf general, which is surrounded by historical

Oyaviggaton

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

the ice, making for an easy climb to the top of the plateau. Captain Lerustah would like to keep his crew members aboard Frostskimmr rather than marching them up to the plateau. He’s not at all

), one of the crew members speaks enough Uluik to get by. The translator will accompany the characters onto the iceberg if he’s paid a bonus of at least 50 gp, but he returns to the ship as soon as the characters descend into the ice caves.

The Attack

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

run this encounter. As the characters load the wagons, storm clouds descend and block the sun. Argus Skeel (male vampire spawn) and two ghouls, plus one ghoul per character, including sidekicks

recover and regroup. Encourage tactical thinking. If one of the sides of the battle consists of savage monsters or mindless undead, give clues that they attack the nearest enemy rather than thinking

Oyaviggaton

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

into the ice, making for an easy climb to the top of the plateau. Captain Lerustah would like to keep his crew members aboard Frostskimmr rather than marching them up to the plateau. He’s not at all

, Uluik), one of the crew members speaks enough Uluik to get by. The translator will accompany the characters onto the iceberg if he’s paid a bonus of at least 50 gp, but he returns to the ship as soon as the characters descend into the ice caves.

General Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

filters through the arrow slits around the castle. During the day, this provides dim light in most areas. At night, all areas are dark. Walls. Exterior walls and load-bearing interior walls are 5 feet

“Cover” in the Basic Rules). DISGUISED CHARACTERS Rather than storm Cragmaw Castle with weapons in hand, clever characters might try to talk their way inside. For example, they might don the scarlet

During the Siege

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

During the Siege Run the siege as a series of encounters rather than one extended battle. As terrible events unfold around the characters, it’s up to them to determine who and how they’ll help. Begin

. 2 Commoners flee the battle. A Talon attacks them, killing deserters to deter further flight. 3 A Talon messenger, bearing orders from General Drakov, struggles to reach a besieged gate

Introduction

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

you receive a cancer diagnosis or a similar health news, you probably appreciate that concept a little more than other people. Watching someone you love waste away is a terrible thing. You want a

magic button to bring things back to the way they should be, this person you love so much restored to who they really are rather than what cancer is grinding them down into. It’s easy to give in to

Creating a Monster Stat Block

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

Manual guide you. Once you have a monster concept in mind, follow the steps below. Step 1. Name A monster’s name should be given as much consideration as any other aspect of the monster, if not more. Your

Player’s Handbook. Step 3. Type A monster’s type provides insight into its origins and nature. The Monster Manual describes each monster type. Choose the type that best fits your concept for the monster

Appendix A: Shared Campaigns

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

hard to keep a campaign going. Enter the concept of the shared campaign. In a shared campaign, more than one member of the group can take on the role of DM. A shared campaign is episodic rather than

Dock Ward

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

magic spell shows that they are indeed magical, though that magic is of the transmutation school rather than conjuration. Each day, a kindly druid who thinks Jerr is an honest soul gives the gnome a

goodberry for his health. Rather than eat the berry, Jerr crushes it up and adds a drop of juice to each pot. Jerr sells maps for 1 gp and the potions for 10 gp. He also tries to sell other useless or

Life in the City of Blades

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

and perfection even as they abhor waste and carelessness. They are merciless masters to the derro and slaves who toil and suffer under them. Strict Hierarchy By appearance and bearing, all duergar know

. Rather, they roll up their sleeves and work harder to increase their prestige through the fruits of their labor. All the honor and honesty the duergar apply among themselves doesn’t apply to

Modifying a Class

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

, paladins might not swear their oaths to ideals, but instead swear fealty to powerful sorcerers. To capture this story concept, you could build a new paladin spell list with spells meant to protect

opportunity to develop the character’s story and that of your world, rather than shutting down possibilities. Substituting Class Features If one or more features of a given class don’t exactly fit the theme

Cavalier

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

have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated. Finally

, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. Unwavering Mark Starting at 3rd level, you can menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them

D&D Beyond

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