before being dread come race

Yuan-ti Nightmare Speaker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

exchange for power in the mortal world. These priests receive nightmarish visions from Dendar that they interpret as prophecies, and they then use their magic and influence to make these visions come true

. Nightmare speakers revel in torturing others, keeping their victims in a constant state of fear and dread. They prefer to terrify rather than kill their opponents. They manipulate communities for

Hexblood

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

mark of the bargain between hag and hexblood, a debt owed, or a change to come. Hexblood Origins A bargain with a hag or other eerie forces transformed your character into a magical being. Roll on

changed you and forced you from your home. 6 A slighted druid transformed you and bound you to live only so long as a sacred tree bears fruit. Hexbloods in the Domains of Dread When

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

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

resurrected, but something went wrong. 2 Stitches bind your body’s mismatched pieces, and your memories come from multiple different lives. 3 After clawing free from your grave, you realized

Shadar-kai

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Shadar-kai are the elves of the Shadowfell, originally drawn to that dread realm by the Raven Queen. Over the centuries, some of them have continued to serve her, while others have ventured into the

, shadar-kai can live to be over 750 years old. Creating Your Character At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical

Pirate Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new. Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your Dungeon Master. Was it a merchant ship, a naval

under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and lawlessness. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one

Sailor Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new. Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your Dungeon Master. Was it a merchant ship, a naval

You spent your youth under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent

Lineages

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

In the Land of the Mists, power and dread lie in the simple question “What happened to me?” The following lineages are races that characters might gain through remarkable events. These

overshadow their original race, if any, becoming their new race. A character might choose a lineage during character creation, their transformation having occurred before play begins. Or, events might

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Gang Mentality Since bugbears aren’t a particularly fecund race, their overall population is small and spread over a wide area. Bugbears live in family groups that operate much like gangs. The

remove opposition or exile weaker or unpopular members to keep the rest of the gang strong. Fortunately for the race as a whole, even young and elderly bugbears have the ability to survive alone in the

Sailor - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

the bottomless depths. Your first love is the distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new. Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your

dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one deserving soul to a briny grave

Fairy

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

a special physical characteristic that sets the fairy apart. For your fairy, roll on the Fey Characteristics table or choose an option from it. You’re also free to come up with your own

member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race such as the fairy or the harengon in this section, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability

Dread Warriors

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

the fighting skill they possessed in life. No race is immune from being transformed into a dread warrior. Once set upon a task, these undead will do nothing—will not pause or turn aside—until they’ve fulfilled their orders.

Dread Warriors Created from the freshly dead bodies of skilled warriors, dread warriors are especially formidable zombie-like creatures, retaining some of their intelligence and much of

Dread Warriors

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

the fighting skill they possessed in life. No race is immune from being transformed into a dread warrior. Once set upon a task, these undead will do nothing—will not pause or turn aside—until they’ve fulfilled their orders.

Dread Warriors Created from the freshly dead bodies of skilled warriors, dread warriors are especially formidable zombie-like creatures, retaining some of their intelligence and much of

The Zhentarim

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

possessed in life. No race is immune from being transformed into a dread warrior. Once set upon a task, these undead will do nothing—will not pause or turn aside—until they’ve fulfilled their orders. Dread warriors make up the terrifying undead army of the Red Wizards. Dread Warrior

another. A winged snake is trained to serve a particular master. If its master dies, the snake has been known to remain nearby and starve to death. Zhentarim agent and winged snake Dread Warriors

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to this part of Faerûn for your own reasons, which

of those who emigrate from Evermeet are either exiles, forced out for committing some infraction of elven law, or emissaries who come to Faerûn for a purpose that benefits elven culture or

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

weretouched, as many believe they are the descendants of humans and lycanthropes. Whatever their origins, shifters have evolved into a unique race. They are humanoids with a bestial aspect; while they

. The Journey Yet to Come Shifters have a strong presence in the Eldeen Reaches but can be found in rural areas across Khorvaire, where they often live among humans. While they form powerful bonds

Lineages

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

Lineages In the Land of the Mists, power and dread lie in the simple question “What happened to me?” The following lineages are races that characters might gain through remarkable events. These

overshadow their original race, if any, becoming their new race. A character might choose a lineage during character creation, their transformation having occurred before play begins. Or, events might

Dwarf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

a dwarf saying that might be hyperbole, but certainly points to how difficult it can be for a member of a short-lived race like humans to earn a dwarf’s trust. Elves. “It’s not wise

frivolous. Two things to be said for them, though: They don’t have many smiths, but the ones they have do very fine work. And when orcs or goblins come streaming down out of the mountains, an elf

Character Creation

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

nightmares. This chapter explores how to create a character prepared to face the horrors of Ravenloft, while also forging ties to the haunted pedigrees and grim fates common to the Domains of Dread

adventures. Lineages. Consider an origin that ties you to a grim progenitor or inexplicable experience. Lineages can serve as your character’s race or overshadow your previous race. Dark Gifts. Determine

Creating Domains of Dread

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

Creating Domains of Dread Ravenloft is a place where your nightmares can run wild, where anything you can imagine in moments of dread or despair can come to frightful life among the Mists. The

Kalashtar Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

I am kalashtar, born of two worlds. Over a thousand years ago, my ancestor bound her bloodline to the spirit Kashtai, and I am a child of that union. Kashtai moves within me. Her memories come to

-Lashtavar. —Lakashtai, servant of the light The kalashtar are a compound race created from the union of humanity and renegade spirits from the plane of dreams — spirits called quori

Seven Secrets of Ravenloft

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

Seven Secrets of Ravenloft Countless mysteries pervade the Domains of Dread, but these strange truths underpin the setting: Ez d’Avenir braves the Mists, her path haunted by past and future terrors

1. Ravenloft Is Not a World. The lands and characters of Ravenloft don’t share a planet. Rather, the Domains of Dread consist of innumerable demiplanes hidden amid the Plane of Shadow. Mysterious

Prepare to Be Scared

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

originate from. The DM can provide details from chapter 3 to help inform your decision. Although humans predominate many of the Domains of Dread, adventurers in Ravenloft can belong to any race in the

atmosphere of the adventure. Don’t consider fear a tactical disadvantage or something to be avoided. As part of playing a frightening game, you’re a participant in building and reinforcing a sense of dread

Chapter 4: Yon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

of their own, and the air is filled with a sense of impending dread. Carved into the realm’s tallest pinnacle is Motherhorn, Endelyn’s theater, where hapless souls come seeking hope, only to leave

The Mists

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

within their territories. The Mists slip through the Domains of Dread, rising to claim unwitting travelers or releasing terrors upon unsuspecting villagers. Most infamously, the Mists slither into other

worlds to claim innocents, villains, or whole lands, dragging them back to become the newest prisoners of Ravenloft. Inhabitants of the Domains of Dread know of the Mists and ascribe sinister stories

Survivors

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

Survivors Terror doesn’t come just for the brave and prepared—often quite the opposite. Some of the most harrowing horror stories involve the least likely heroes, individuals who find their simple

the dread inherent to having limited resources and facing impending doom without forcing players to risk their favorite characters.

Leaving the Past Behind

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

Leaving the Past Behind Before beginning the adventure, ask each player to contemplate where and how their character lives. Their answers don’t need to be specific or rooted in the Domains of Dread

has conveyed their broad thoughts about their character’s situation, inform them that their character has come to possess a cryptic message and directions to an unfamiliar but nearby meeting place

Chapter 2: Character Races

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

Chapter 2: Character Races Heroes come in many shapes and sizes. This chapter presents character races that are some of the more distinctive race options in the D&D multiverse. They supplement the

consider the implications for their world before adding a new race. Your DM may say yes or no to you using a race or may modifiy it in some way. The following races are detailed in this chapter: Aasimar

The Dark Powers

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

The Dark Powers Unfathomable, hidden forces manipulate life, death, and reality within Ravenloft. These mysterious, deathless beings are the architects of the Domains of Dread, and have secreted

hint at ways to escape the Domains of Dread. Consider the following possibilities when developing your perspective on the Dark Powers: Amoral Guardians. The Dark Powers are a group of powerful beings

Chapter 3: Sunblight

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

Chapter 3: Sunblight Adventurers race against time to stop Xardorok Sunblight from unleashing terror upon Ten-Towns. Sequestered among the crags of the Spine of the World is a grim fortress hewn out

is Deep Duerra (the duergar god of conquest). Unknown to Xardorok, his warlock powers come from Asmodeus, the Lord of the Nine Hells, who enjoys impersonating other gods. It is Asmodeus, not Deep

Dark Elves (Drow)

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

Sildëyuir near the Feywild. A conflict with the nilshai, a race of wormlike sorcerers from the Ethereal Plane, forced some star elves to leave their home and come to Faerûn. Wild Elves. These

of these few heroic drow have tempered some people’s opinions toward the race, although the appearance of a dark elf on the surface remains a rare event and a cause for alarm. Many drow in Faerûn hail

Celebrate

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

, this day is especially important for Cyran survivors. It is a time when Cyrans come together to remember their lost kingdom. Some tell stories or sing traditional songs, ensuring their culture isn’t

martyred while exposing hidden lycanthropes in Sharn. It is a time when followers of the Flame come together, but often causes tensions with the shifter community. The Hunt (4 Barrakas). In honor of the

Kalashtar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

come to me in dreams, and at times her voice whispers in the silence of my mind. As long as at least one of my sisters is alive, Kashtai will survive—and as long as she lives, she will fight il

-Lashtavar. —Lakashtai, servant of the light The kalashtar are a compound race created from the union of humanity and renegade spirits from the plane of dreams—spirits called quori. Kalashtar are often

Berserker

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

Berserker Unpredictable berserkers come together in war parties and seek conflict wherever they can find it. Berserker Medium humanoid (any race), any chaotic alignment Armor Class 13 (hide armor

Extras

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

no importance becomes a central figure in an improvised roleplaying scene. Whenever extras are present, be prepared to come up with names and mannerisms on the fly. In a pinch, you can plunder the race-specific character names found in chapter 2 of the Player’s Handbook.

Chapter 3: Dwarves and Duergar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

bitterness and resentment. Once the dwarves were unified in their worship of Moradin, the deity who crafted the first dwarves from metal and fire. Today, the race is splintered into those who still embrace him

duergar are joyless, hateful creatures who create their works out of an urge to build and acquire. They come closest to feeling true joy when they raid dwarven strongholds to satisfy their lust for blood and treasure.

D&D Beyond

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