before better death contract reflections

Wand of Orcus

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide

some fell goal. The wand is topped with a skull that once belonged to a human hero slain by Orcus. The wand can magically change in size to better conform to the grip of its user. All Holy Water

from it (save DC 18). The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell. Spell Charge Cost Animate Dead 1 Blight 2 Circle of Death 3 Finger of

Scion of the Three

Classes Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn

and murder; and Myrkul, a god of death. While some Rogues of this subclass pledge themselves ardently to those three macabre gods, others are thrust on this path by a curse. Either way, a scion’s

such as the Shadow Thieves of Amn or the Xanathar Guild in Waterdeep might call on a Scion of the Three to undertake an especially violent contract.

Shadar-kai Legacy

Species Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

now they exist in a strange state between life and death. Eladrin and shadar-kai are like reflections of each other: one bursting with emotion, the other nearly devoid of it.

Grim Champion of Pestilence

Monsters The Book of Many Things

Spellcasting.Aleron was once a tiefling adventurer, but unlike so many victims of the Deck of Many Things, he never drew the Skull card. Instead, when one of his allies drew the card and faced the avatar of death

, Aleron came to his ally’s aid. A second avatar of death appeared, and Aleron was slain; soon after, his Undead corpse crawled from Withered Vineyard, tainted with plague. Aleron resents his fellow

Skabatha Nightshade

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Hourglass Coven. Better known as Granny Nightshade, she offers her assistance to those who are haunted by regret. Her deals often result in cruel twists; for example, a petitioner who asks to be reunited

. Personality Trait. “When dealing with outsiders, I present myself as a kindly old grandmother.” Ideal. “Children are better off working for me than picking up lots of bad habits

Orcus Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

tampering with the dead in my search to better understand death.” 61–80 “I want to achieve the everlasting existence of undeath.” 81–00 “I am awash in

with dead. Alternatively, he can expend 1 or more of the wand’s charges to cast one of the following spells from it: circle of death (1 charge), finger of death (1 charge), or power word kill (2

Mark of Shadow Elf

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Thuranni, Regalport (Lhazaar Principalities) Elves have carried the Mark of Shadow for thousands of years. The mark’s bearers left Aerenal after the conflict that wiped out the Mark of Death

espionage in the lands west of the Mournland, while Thuranni operates in the eastern lands. As a rule, Phiarlan elves are the better spies and Thuranni agents are superior assassins. Thuranni and Phiarlan

Sea Spawn

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

recounted in dockside taverns tell of people lost to the sea—but not merely drowned and gone. Some unfortunates taken by the ocean live on as sea spawn, haunting the waves like tortured reflections

death. Sea spawn come in a wide variety of forms. An individual might have a tentacle for an arm, the jaws of a shark, a sea urchin’s spines, a whale’s fin, octopus eyes, seaweed hair, or

Leucrotta

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

cover up the stink of death. The first leucrottas came into being alongside some gnolls during the rampages of Yeenoghu on the Material Plane. While many of the hyenas that ate Yeenoghu’s

like doing their own killing, since leucrottas are meticulous in their cruelty and able to draw out kills for better and longer sport. And when there are no victims to be had, a leucrotta can mimic the

Wand of Orcus Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

. Made from bones as hard as iron, the wand is topped with a magically enlarged skull that once belonged to a human hero slain by Orcus. The wand can magically change in size to better conform to the

or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells (save DC 18) from it: animate dead (1 charge), blight (2 charges), circle of death (3 charges), finger of death (3 charges), power word kill

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

You are a member of a teeming horde — one small part of a sprawling organism. Just as you are part of the swarm, the swarm is part of a larger ecosystem, a never-ending cycle of life, death

Golgari, no fear of death or taboo about the dead, just a fierce affirmation of the cycle. Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner’s kit Languages

Giff Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

of giff society is organized along military lines. From birth until death, every giff has a military rank. It must follow orders from those of superior rank, and it can give orders to those of lower

refuse to fight other giff, and will never agree to a contract unless it stipulates that they can sit out a battle rather than wage war against their kin. A giff prizes the reputation of its unit above its

Gnoll Vampire

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

hours.When a gnoll’s ravenous hunger is so great that it craves flesh and blood even after death, it can rise as a vampire to continue its feeding frenzy. A gnoll vampire is a savage predator

gnolls. Their noses can’t stand the scent of perfumes, and their ears can’t abide words spoken aloud in Celestial. They don’t cast reflections in mirrors unless they want to. Unlike

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate circumstances and embark on a better life? Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of

shaped by lives of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

circumstances and embark on a better life? Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, StealthTool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, thieves’ toolsEquipment: A small knife, a map of the city you grew up

of desperate poverty, for good and for ill. They tend to be driven either by a commitment to the people with whom they shared life on the street or by a burning desire to find a better life &mdash

Sinister Reflections

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

example.” The harsher, the better. Use these exaggerated and opposite reflections as inspirations for creating your Darklord. By basing your Darklord on intimate details drawn from the players’ characters

Sinister Reflections A Darklord’s memories, desires, mistakes, and evil deeds shape the domain’s twisted lands, inhabitants, and features. You need not create these in a vacuum, though. When creating

Planar Categories

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

Planar Categories The planes of the default D&D cosmology are grouped in the following categories: The Material Plane and Its Echoes. The Feywild and the Shadowfell are reflections of the Material

shades of philosophical difference between them. The Positive and Negative Planes. These two planes enfold the rest of the cosmology, providing the raw forces of life and death that underlie the rest of existence in the multiverse.

Infernal Contracts

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

would rather risk death than demotion to a lower form of devil and the scorn of its peers. A devil might be persuaded to void a contract in exchange for one of the following: One or more soul coins

Infernal Contracts Once the devil and the character agree to the terms of a deal, the agreement must be sealed with a contract, which the devil can produce as an action. The contract often appears in

Keresta Delvingstone

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

4th level (3 slots): blight, death ward, divination 5th level (1 slot): antilife shell, destructive waveMultiattack. (Vampire Form Only). Keresta makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite

stranger to hardship. Hoping to make a better life for herself, she became an adventurer and sought fame and fortune in Undermountain. Keresta met her end in the lair of a vampire and became a vampire spawn

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

her to explode and die. A mephit that dies in this way does not use its Death Burst. Instead, each creature within 10 feet of the exploding mephit must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking

that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist

Rakdos Cultist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

law-abiding citizens of Ravnica. Personality Traits d8 Personality Trait 1 I revel in mayhem, the more destructive the better. 2 When violence breaks out, I lose myself in

guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 Hedonism. Death comes for everyone, so take as much pleasure as you can from every moment of life. (Neutral) 3 Creativity. I strive to

Devil Traits

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

Devil Traits Common traits among devils include the following: Charm. Devils are consummate charmers. Like humans, some are better at it than others. The good ones savor the exchange of pleasantries

, speaking in measured sentences or noticing pleasant details about the environment or a character’s clothing. Patience. Devils are rarely in a rush to make a deal or sign a contract. As masters of the

Asmodeus

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

Primus, leader of the modrons. As a creature of absolute law, Primus could be trusted to issue a fair and impartial verdict. Asmodeus drafted a contract to seal the deal, and the angels — after carefully

mortals to evil, but he and his minions never breached a contract and explained the terms clearly. Had they not obeyed the rule of law in doing so? Was it not mortal ambition, rather than infernal deception

Heralds of Dust Roles

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Adventure Atlas: The Mortuary

contract the rights to recently deceased corpses—or soon-to-be-dead folk—through death contracts and raise them as skeletons, zombies, and other Undead. Remnants. Remnants are Dusters who exist in a

Heralds of Dust Roles Eulogists, gravediggers, and morticians, the Heralds of Dust serve Sigil in all things related to death. The faction attracts the grief stricken, the undead, and those with a

Acquisition as a Holy Chore

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

fundamental urge for survival. If gold is power and power is life, then the more gold you accumulate, the better and longer your life will be. Why is it that people who have money and power are admired

want a model for efficiency and motivation in an organization, look no further than the infernal expanse of Nessus. You want to talk about a perfect sales pitch and a diabolically intricate contract

Shadar-kai

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

, and now they exist in a strange state between life and death. Eladrin and shadar-kai are like reflections of each other: one bursting with emotion, the other nearly devoid of it. Shadar-kai Traits

Mahadi, Emporium Master

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

rendered, guests need not fear being trapped within, since Mahadi is very serious about maintaining the contract between host and guest. Each guest must agree to this formal arrangement prior to

establishment fall under a special contract and therefore rank most highly in his esteem. Of course, guests leaving Infernal Rapture are expected to pay their bills in full prior to departure. If a guest

43. The Smoking Mirrors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a3

frame and is blue in color. Reflections in this mirror ripple as if the viewer were looking into a pool of water. Red Mirror. A creature that looks into the red mirror sees a ghostly white form

next to its own reflection. This mirror falsely predicts the viewer’s death. The ghostly image takes on the appearance of a monster or a trap from this adventure. The image then assaults and kills the

The Demonic Point of View

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

devils both know that a yugoloth’s loyalty is constantly for sale — even during a conflict on the battlefield — and a yugoloth never agrees to a contract that prohibits it from seeking a better offer

to their dominion, but also because striking in force anywhere else would play into the devils’ hands. YUGOLOTHS: FICKLE ALLIES Yugoloths are major players on both sides of the Blood War. The death

Running This Chapter

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

Running This Chapter In this chapter, the characters explore the halls of Lavoglia, better known as the Palace of Heart’s Desire. Most likely, they’ve learned of Zybilna’s betrayal at the hands of

’ experience as entertaining as possible: Read the description of Iggwilv’s Cauldron in appendix A. Read this chapter in its entirety, and reacquaint yourself with the “Rules of Conduct” and “Death in

Creating a Bronze Dragon

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

this matter, simpler is better! -Fizban Use the Bronze Dragon Personality Traits and Bronze Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your portrayal of distinctive bronze dragon characters, and use the Bronze

strategy. A quick death in combat is its own kind of courtesy. 6 I trust my gut. I’d rather act on incomplete information than be hamstrung by indecision. 7 I’m fascinated by other species

Seeds of Fear

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

1 “I can’t stand dark places.” 2 “I’m terrified of a particular kind of animal.” 3 “Deep water will be the death of me.” 4 “I can’t stand heights.” 5 “I hate being stuck in

followed chills my blood.” 10 “Sudden noises or appearances fray my nerves.” 11 “I can’t be comfortable around creatures larger than I am.” 12 “Reflections always seem like they’re

Devils

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

positively ruthless at enforcing the terms of an agreement. Moreover, a contract with even the lowliest devil is enforced by Asmodeus’s will. Any mortal creature that breaks such a contract instantly

power and boons they can provide. A soul is usually forfeited when a mortal dies naturally, for devils are immortal and can wait years for a contract to play out. If a contract allows a devil to claim a

What Devils Want

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

, they are promising to serve in the Nine Hells as devils themselves after death. Once promised to a devil, a character’s soul can’t be claimed by another creature. Services A devil that can’t claim a

darker deals in the future. Here are a few examples: Without using magical coercion, the character must convince another mortal to enter into an infernal contract with the devil. The character is told

Death Giants

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

and the Material Plane for souls that might please their divine queen. Most giants know better than to make regular use of the death rune. —Diancastra “Know better”? Perhaps, but there’s no

Death Giants Long ago, a large band of cloud giants traveled to the Shadowfell in search of a way to preserve their collapsing empire. Desperate to save themselves and their way of life, they

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