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Yuan-ti Pit Master

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

him from his slumber by sacrificing Humanoids to him. They are the most traditionalist yuan-ti and believe that they are best equipped to achieve the goals of their people. Pit masters are deeply

and argue for a slow, cautious approach in all matters.PoisonChange Shape. The yuan-ti transforms into a Medium snake or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. If it dies, it stays in its current form.

Fog Giant

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

cloud giants in the ordning—the set of values and expectations that determines their rank in giant society—is driven by wealth. Those cloud giants foolish or unlucky enough to have their

work with ambitious humans, renegade elves, and greedy dwarves—all folk they see as properly civilized. They treat orcs, goblinoids, and other “barbarian” types as pesky vermin, best

Demogorgon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

by a skull-shaped minaret. There, Demogorgon’s heads contemplate the mysteries of the arcane while arguing about how best to obliterate their rivals. The bulk of this palace extends deep

Demogorgon’s followers are typically lone killers driven by the whispering voice of their master. His most blessed followers gain the Two Minds of Chaos trait. Two Minds of Chaos. This creature

Young Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

skin, especially around the head and neck. Their wings are attached to their front legs and can fold in close to the body, allowing deep dragons to easily maneuver through relatively narrow tunnels

deep dragon refuses to leave the cave where the dragon’s best friend—an adventurer who won the dragon’s respect and affection—lingers as a ghost. Poison, Psychic

Fighter Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

exquisite bow. The half-orc nearby shouts orders, helping the two combatants coordinate their assault to the best advantage. A dwarf in chain mail interposes his shield between the ogre’s club

combatants on battlefields and in dungeons alike. Trained for Danger Not every member of the city watch, the village militia, or the queen’s army is a fighter. Most of these troops are relatively

Star Spawn Hulk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

seer nearby. A hulk appears to have little will of its own and is driven to protect its master. Star Spawn The Material Plane represents only one small part of the multiverse. Beyond the best

Ancient Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

honeycombs of hidden passages, deceptively thin walls, and secret chambers that allow them to traverse the entire lair without ever being seen by intruders. The best-defended sapphire dragon lairs have no

top of the map) provides the main access to the lair by way of two sections of relatively thin crystal walls. The dragon can use a lair action to open or close passages through these walls throughout

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying. Driven Competitors Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A

skills. This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves

, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics. EVERYONE’S SECOND-BEST FRIENDS

Satyr Legacy

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Satyrs have a well-earned reputation for their good spirits, gregarious personalities, and love of revels. Most satyrs are driven by simple desires, to see the world and to sample its every pleasure

importantly—it feels really good. Driven by instinct and intuition, most satyrs prove unpredictable, following their sense of wonder wherever it leads. Very Odd Indeed Satyrs are known for their

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

provoke retaliatory attacks from the creatures they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might

; animosity, gnomes tend to avoid or abandon settlements that have a severe infestation of kobolds, and conversely kobolds are usually driven out of communities that have a large gnome population

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

concentrates the spoils at the top of the hierarchy. As a functionary in that system, your best hope is to claim as much as possible of the money that passes through your hands on its way up, so that

and wealth. (Evil) 5 Stability. The economy functions best when chaos is kept under control and everyone knows their place. (Lawful) 6 Eternity. I want to live forever — in

Hobgoblin

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Hobgoblins trace their origins to the ancient courts of the Feywild, where they first appeared with their goblin and bugbear kin. Many of them were driven from the Feywild by the conquering god

the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

, Dragons of Autumn Twilight Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity

, 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

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Guild took over your family business, ran it into the ground, and burned the building for insurance money. You were driven into crime yourself, but you’ll never work for the Guild. You take

; but what you learn you pass on to the Guild. 4 The inequality of Baldur’s Gate has driven you to take matters into your own hands. You steal from patriars and rich Lower City residents

Traps

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

Traps Traps should be used sparingly, lest they lose their charm. A hidden pit can be a fun surprise, but too many traps in an adventure can lead players to become overly cautious, which slows down

the game. The best traps are fleeting distractions that skilled characters can overcome in a short amount of time or deadly puzzles that require quick thinking and teamwork to overcome. Traps that are undetectable and inescapable are rarely fun.

Traps

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

Traps Traps should be used sparingly, lest they lose their charm. A hidden pit can be a fun surprise, but too many traps in an adventure can lead players to become overly cautious, which slows down

the game. The best traps are fleeting distractions that skilled characters can overcome in a short amount of time or deadly puzzles that require quick thinking and teamwork to overcome. Traps that are undetectable and inescapable are rarely fun.

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

called the Chill. Unlike most of their kind, the Chill refrains from raiding the people of the North and maintains relatively good relations so that they can hire themselves out as warriors. Few city

a crude sense of humor. 8 I face problems head-on. A simple, direct solution is the best path to success. d6 Ideal 1 Greater Good. Our lot is to lay down our lives in

Adult Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, and secret chambers that allow them to traverse the entire lair without ever being seen by intruders. The best-defended sapphire dragon lairs have no easily accessible entrances or exits at all, and

by way of two sections of relatively thin crystal walls. The dragon can use a lair action to open or close passages through these walls throughout the lair. Cobweb-Choked Tunnels. Adventurers who

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

along my way. (Good) 2 Reserved. As someone new to these strange lands, I am cautious and respectful in my dealings. (Lawful) 3 Adventure. I’m far from home, and everything is strange

be deluded innocents at best, or ignorant fools at worst. 6 I have a weakness for the exotic beauty of the people of these lands.

Chapter 2: The Land of Chult

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

level. If the adventuring party is relatively weak, it’s up to the players to choose whether to flee instead of fight, negotiate instead of attack, or surrender instead of die. It’s up to you as the

DM to be flexible and keep the story moving forward as best you can. If an encounter is going badly for the adventurers, you can have the monsters suddenly withdraw, demand the party’s surrender, or

Location Overview

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

call the area home: young dragons, trolls, lizardfolk tribes, swamp beasts, and even more aberrant monsters. At best, the forces of civilization hope to keep the High Road safely passable to

facilitate trade and travel between Waterdeep and the lands of the north. Recently, a relatively peaceful lizardfolk tribe living in the vicinity of the High Road was forced to relocate when a group of rot

Cosmic Horror Plots

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

Cosmic Horror Plots Adventures in cosmic horror realms are bleak, desperate affairs where the best one can hope for is to survive relatively intact. There is no stopping the ultimate evil, but

The Zhentarim

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

dangerous times as opportunities. When a merchant caravan needs an escort, a noble needs bodyguards, or a city needs trained soldiers, the Zhentarim provides the best-trained fighting forces money can

full extent of the threat, as corruption and madness have already infiltrated their secret outpost since those initial reports (see chapter 9). However, even the most cautious member of the Zhentarim

Running the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a4

for a party to investigate all three branches of the dungeon. If this is the case, it would be best if the party were required to leave the dungeon and reenter upon resumption of the game. If they stay

in the nearest village (several miles away) they will be relatively safe, but if they camp near White Plume Mountain it would be a good idea to roll for random encounters. PLACING THE ADVENTURE

Cosmic Horror

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

emerges through imagination and the indescribable, not details. At its best, cosmic horror makes characters feel gradually unmoored from their familiar reality. Cosmic horror is about ineffable forces

driven by motivations humans can’t understand. Cults, forbidden books, and strange symbols form the cornerstones of cosmic horror. The genre has a history of framing marginalized demographics as monstrous and stigmatizing mental illness. Be aware and avoid those tropes.

Treasure

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

Treasure Just as they must ensure sufficient supplies for all the NPCs, the characters need to think about how best to share the spoils of encounters and adventures with their followers. Although the

, whether NPCs stealing from spoils not yet divided, stealing from the adventurers, or stealing from each other. Such theft might be driven by sheer greed, or it could be a manifestation of madness. A

Nymmurh

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

potential of humanoids is partly driven by his affection for and protection of the noble Silmerhelve human family in Waterdeep (including Dala Silmerhelve; see “Chapter 9:Council of Waterdeep”). Desire

. Nymmurh would like to help the factions, looking to the Harpers and the Order of the Gauntlet as epitomizing the best traits of humanoid aspiration. Attitude. Unless the party has engaged in

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

, seeing them as accidents. Many feel nothing for their genasi children at all. Some genasi live as outcasts, driven into exile for their unsettling appearance and strange magic, or assuming leadership

time. People there tend to be less accepting of differences. Sometimes a cold shoulder and a suspicious glare are the best genasi can hope for; in more backward places, they face ostracism and even

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

have more in common with iguanas or dragons than they do with humans, dwarves, or elves. Lizardfolk possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of

portable! 2 You sleep best while mostly submerged in water. 3 Money is meaningless to you. 4 You think there are only two species of humanoid: lizardfolk and meat. 5 You have

Epic Fantasy

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

and evil as a prominent element of the game, with the adventurers more or less squarely on the side of good. These characters are heroes in the best sense, driven by a higher purpose than selfish

The Bedine

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

.” Ideal. “Life is an adventure.” Bond. “My grandfather is my best friend.” Flaw. “Sometimes I put curiosity before caution.” Shamir 64-year-old human nomad Shamir is Pesh’s grandfather. He’s cautious and

once lush and verdant land. Shamir is cautious and superstitious, but he’s also intelligent and curious. The blue circle painted on the golem’s chest and the symbols on its body make him think it’s the

Able Scavengers

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

they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might abandon this careful approach. First, because of their

infestation of kobolds, and conversely kobolds are usually driven out of communities that have a large gnome population. Second, kobolds are always on the lookout for magic that might help them free their

Nymmurh

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

potential of humanoids is partly driven by his affection for and protection of the noble Silmerhelve human family in Waterdeep (including Dala Silmerhelve; see “Chapter 9: Council of Waterdeep

”). Desire. Nymmurh would like to help the factions, looking to the Harpers and the Order of the Gauntlet as epitomizing the best traits of humanoid aspiration. Attitude. Unless the party has engaged in

Kas the Betrayer

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

made for him (the Sword of Kas, described in chapter 7) by his liege. But the evil sword convinced Kas to betray Vecna, and now Kas is driven primarily by his hatred for his former lord. Keraptis

figure best known as the Worm That Walks. Kyuss manifests on the Material Plane as a colossal mass of maggots and worms animated by a single evil will. HELGE C. BALZER Kyuss

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