before bearing desert 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

Snow Sphinx

monsters

whips around a feline face, revealing piercing blue eyes that can freeze foes with a single glance. Compared to its desert-dwelling cousins, this sphinx is far less likely to be defeated with reason or

logic. Although a snow sphinx can speak, it generally greets its prey with claws and teeth rather than riddles or philosophical conversation. Physically, this fearsome creature is well adapted to harsh

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

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

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

about Mulhorand is alien to someone from the Sword Coast. You likely experienced the same sort of culture shock when you left your desert home and traveled to the unfamiliar climes of northern Faerû

because you have made too many enemies among the desert communities of your home. Sossal. Few have heard of your homeland, but many have questions about it upon seeing you. Humans from Sossal seem

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

Travel in Anauroch

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

, scouts looking for food, or bandits hoping to raid merchant caravans that try to shortcut their way across the desert rather than circumnavigate it. The Bedine nomads can act as guides for lost characters, offer clues for stuck players, and provide food and water for adventurers in desperate need.

Travel in Anauroch Due to its magical history, Anauroch is more than a barren wasteland and a hostile desert climate to those who wander within its borders. Anauroch holds lost cities, savage

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.

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature

used for thrown weapons, such as darts or javelins. Druids from regions that lack the plants described here have chosen other plants to take on similar uses. For instance, a druid of a desert region

Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Background Centuries ago, Cynidicea was the capital of a prosperous kingdom. Through advancements in magic and technology, the Cynidiceans reclaimed land from the desert and transformed their city

protuberance, Zargon devoured the workers and slew the garrisons that followed, drowning them in torrents of slime. Rather than face the grim reality confronting them, some Cynidiceans began to view

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

Atmosphere

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

position, and its commercial importance all have a bearing on its overall atmosphere. A city nestled against the edge of a jungle has a very different feel than one on the edge of a desert. Elf and dwarf

Character Advancement

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Character Advancement If you want to use story-based level advancement, the characters receive experience points for achieving the following milestones rather than defeating monsters: Escape the Maze

reprinted Pharaoh in 1982 but also hired Tracy Hickman. TSR later published two more adventures in the Desert of Desolation trilogy. Pharaoh was praised for blending masterful dungeon design with a

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

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

Arrival in the Outlands

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel

portal, which leads back to Sigil, can be reopened with a piece of lapis lazuli etched with an eye. The surreal nature of the surrounding desert, forest, and hills, as well as the rapid transition

, but rather by a large magical device or machine. A character who succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check recognizes the stone spire in the distance as the Spire that marks the center of the

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

Appendix: Festive Monsters

compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->One-Shot Wonders: Holiday Adventure Pack

single glance. Compared to its desert-dwelling cousins, this sphinx is far less likely to be defeated with reason or logic. Although a snow sphinx can speak, it generally greets its prey with claws and

teeth rather than riddles or philosophical conversation. Physically, this fearsome creature is well adapted to harsh habitats, such as ice-covered mountains or arctic plains. It has wide paws to stop

Dendradis

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel

maintain their vision of equilibrium, no matter the cost. What does that mean? It means I’d rather deal with demons. At least with them I know what to expect!” –Sazraen Tildoma, Fraternity of Order

?” This is Ascetelis, a cuprilach rilmani (see Morte’s Planar Parade). In her hand is a scroll bearing the name of each character along with a brief and unflattering but accurate description. The

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

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

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