before being defined choices rather - Search

Way of Mercy Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

bring a swift end as an act of mercy. Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

number of personal choices or ill-fated circumstances might have led you to turn away from society. You may, if you wish, choose or roll an origin event from the Hermit Origins table. d8 Life

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

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power. Sworn and Beholden A warlock is defined by a pact with an otherworldly being. Sometimes the

gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive

Alignment

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

law, chaos, good, or evil. Unaligned. Many creatures of low intelligence have no comprehension of law or chaos, good or evil. They don’t make moral or ethical choices, but rather act on instinct. These creatures are unaligned, which means they don’t have an alignment.

Alignment

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

. Unaligned. Many creatures of low intelligence have no comprehension of law or chaos, good or evil. They don’t make moral or ethical choices, but rather act on instinct. These creatures are unaligned, which means they don’t have an alignment.

Social Interaction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

Social Interaction During their adventures, player characters meet many different people and face some monsters that would rather talk than fight. In those situations, it’s time for social

participating. An NPC’s attitude toward your character is Friendly, Indifferent, or Hostile, as defined in the Rules Glossary. Friendly NPCs are predisposed to help, and Hostile ones are inclined to hinder. Social interactions progress in two ways: through roleplaying and ability checks.

Social Interaction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

monsters that would rather talk than fight. In those situations, it’s time for social interaction, which takes many forms. For example, you might try to convince a burglar to confess to wrongdoing or try

to flatter a guard. The Dungeon Master assumes the roles of any nonplayer characters who are participating. An NPC’s attitude toward your character is Friendly, Indifferent, or Hostile, as defined in

Alignment

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

law or chaos, good or evil. They don’t make moral or ethical choices, but rather act on instinct. These creatures are unaligned, which means they don’t have an alignment.

Alignment

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

good, chaotic neutral, or chaotic evil), as befits its wild nature. Many creatures of low intelligence have no comprehension of law or chaos, good or evil. They don't make moral or ethical choices, but rather act on instinct. These creatures are unaligned, which means they don't have an alignment.

Character Levels

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

adventure involves social interaction and exploration, rather than combat, your work will probably be easier if you use milestone awards. Appropriate milestone awards include the following: Finding

way of example. Be prepared for the fact that the adventure is exceedingly open-ended—one of the hallmarks of the original Ravenloft. The card reading in chapter 1 and the adventurers’ choices can lead

Character Incarnations

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

review their answers to the questions from the previous section and consider how different choices might have led their character down different paths. CoupleOfKooks “Sometimes infinity gets it wrong

“Running Glitch Characters” section. Let players discover that dead characters return in new incarnations during play rather than revealing this outright. When an incarnation appears, they are attuned to

Hermit

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

isn’t comfortable, but it’s unlikely anyone will find you — and you can stay as long as you want. Hermit Origins Any number of personal choices or ill-fated circumstances might have led you to turn away

, 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

isn’t comfortable, but it’s unlikely anyone will find you — and you can stay as long as you want. Hermit Origins Any number of personal choices or ill-fated circumstances might have led you to turn away

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

Blood Will Tell

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

they live, half-orcs usually find themselves defined by others in terms of their usefulness as heavy laborers and soldiers. It is the rare and fortunate few who are judged by their character and their deeds rather than their ancestry.

Helmed Horror

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

by magic. Rather than being unreasoning automatons, these armored shells possess the guile of soldiers and resilience against destructive magic. While their name suggests sinister intentions, these

Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Spell Immunity. The helmed horror is immune to three spells chosen by its creator. Typical choices include Heat Metal, Lightning

Lyrandar Airship

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Works A standard airship (at least as far as standards have been defined for this relatively new creation) looks similar to an oceangoing ship but is rigged with control fins and rudders rather than

Should They or Shouldn't They?

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

Should They or Shouldn’t They? The characters must proceed carefully, since they have no evidence that directly implicates the Gralhunds in the attack in Trollskull Alley. Their two basic choices are

. Their own investigation corroborates much of what the characters said. Barnibus concludes the meeting by saying, rather brusquely, “Thank you for the information.” Cromley adds, “Rest assured, we’ll

Way of Mercy

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism. Some might be gentle-voiced healers, beloved by their communities, while others might be masked bringers of macabre mercies. The

Running the Test

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

okay for the character’s surroundings to shift dramatically or for unexpected individuals to show up. Don’t let these changes make the character feel like their choices don’t matter. Rather, change

seems like things are going too fast, raise the stakes and make things worse to see if the character sticks with their choices.

Church of the Silver Flame

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Khorvaire. In contrast to the Sovereign Host, the church maintains a defined structure and creed. Archbishops monitor regions; cardinals lead the church; and the ultimate authority is the Keeper of the

to form in the foundation. In Breland, some priests fell prey to greed or forged ties to criminal organizations. In Aundair, a zealous faction known as the Pure Flame advocates using violence rather

Fighter Class Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

mastery properties of three kinds of Simple or Martial weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices. When you reach

check, you can expend a use of your Second Wind to push yourself toward success. Rather than regaining Hit Points, you roll 1d10 and add the number rolled to the ability check, potentially turning it

Acquisition as a Holy Chore

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

consistent amount of the follow-up action that your franchise is famous for. Sune The wise know that people are defined by their desires as much as anything else, and the Princess of Passion is the

the rhetorical question, “Would you rather be lucky or good at something?” Because no matter how good you are, you’ll eventually have the bad luck of facing off against someone who’s a whole lot

Staff

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

(sailors for a seagoing franchise, engineers for a giant hollow statue, and so on). Crew do not leave a franchise and cannot perform franchise tasks. They typically run rather than fight back when attacked

franchisees. Choices might be offered by the DM, as between a team of ex-militia who lost their last battle and a crew of recently released criminals who swear they were wrongly imprisoned. Names

Sovereign

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

is hope and the fragile promise of peace. Types of Sovereigns Broadly defined, a sovereign ranges from the head of a government to the leader of a powerful, private institution. Queens, chieftains

, sultans, and rajahs are ready choices for powerful individuals who patronize a party of adventurers. Those on track to become such individuals—such as cunning senators, royal heirs, or influential

Boggle

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse

hiding a baby in an attic. Although a boggle’s antics might cause distress and unintentional harm, mischief—not mayhem—is usually the intent. If threatened, a boggle flees rather than stand and fight

defined by a frame, such as an open window or a doorway, a gap between the bars of a cage, or the opening between the feet of a bed and the floor. The rift is invisible and disappears after a few seconds

Fighter Class Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

mastery properties of three kinds of Simple or Martial weapons of your choice. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can practice weapon drills and change one of those weapon choices. When you reach

check, you can expend a use of your Second Wind to push yourself toward success. Rather than regaining Hit Points, you roll 1d10 and add the number rolled to the ability check, potentially turning it

Using Survivors

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

Domains of Dread. They don’t always claim their victims bodily, though. Rather, the Mists might steal characters’ minds, placing them into survivors involved in specific terrifying scenarios. Perhaps

desperate choices powerful characters can avoid. Tools for Terror Survivors allow you to control how players will engage with a horror adventure. The stat blocks in the following section are designed to

Boggle

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

threatened, a boggle flees rather than stand and fight. Oily Excretions. A boggle excretes an oil from its pores and can make its oil slippery or sticky. The oil dries up and disappears an hour later

to a space defined by a frame, such as an open window or a doorway, a gap between the bars of a cage, or the opening between the feet of a bed and the floor. The rift is invisible and disappears after

Eric

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Uni and the Hunt for the Lost Horn

weapon drills and change one of these weapon choices. (You have selected Daggers, Heavy Crossbows, Longswords, and Spears, which have the following mastery properties.) Nick. When you make the extra

use of your Second Wind to push yourself toward success. Rather than regaining Hit Points, you roll 1d10 and add the number rolled to the ability check, potentially turning it into a success. If the

Getting Players Invested

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

Getting Players Invested To get your players excited about and invested in your campaign, create a setting that features people and places they recognize and where their characters’ choices matter

with a comedic flavor—such as flumphs, pixies, faerie dragons, or chatty mimics—in a situation that leads to mischief and humor rather than combat. Missing Pet Episode. Someone’s pet is missing. The

Other Religious Systems

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

opposing forces must remain in balance, always pulling away from each other but remaining bound together in creative tension. In a cosmology defined by an eternal conflict between good and evil, mortals are

rather than from a specific nature deity, some clerics devote themselves to ideals rather than to a god. Paladins might serve a philosophy of justice and chivalry rather than a specific deity. Forces and

Inspiration

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

emphasize action-packed heroics. For such campaigns, consider allowing inspiration to be spent after a d20 roll, rather than before. This approach turns inspiration into a cushion against failure — and

more freedom to do what they want. Telling a player that an action will earn inspiration provides clarity, but it can make it feel like you are manipulating the players or making choices for them

Modifying a Class

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

as a proficiency. You could even mandate that skill as one of the choices for rogues who belong to this guild. You can also change armor and weapon proficiencies to reflect certain aspects of your

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

Elven Tomb Locations

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

and light equivalent to that of a campfire and can’t be extinguished. E4. Sarcophagus and Crystal Pillars Atop the eastern berm, a granite sarcophagus rests in a half-circle defined by five crystal

most sensible, although its Intelligence score of 6 means that it can make bad choices. Sahnar speaks Common and Elvish. The mummy knows how the moon dial functions (see area E5) but knows nothing about

Lair Locations

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

notice the characters until they make themselves known to him. Ralvald is Indifferent to the characters and would rather talk than fight. Talking with Ralvald. Ralvald treats the characters with

.) Ralvald’s Goals. Ralvald is eager for aid and wants the dragon dead. He would prefer that his sister survive, but he understands that her choices might have serious consequences. Advice for Ralvald

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