before better device continued risk

Mizzium Apparatus

Magic Items Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

Innovation is a dangerous pursuit, at least the way the mages of the Izzet League engage in it. As protection against the risk of an experiment going awry, they have developed a device to help

Investigator

Backgrounds Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

escaped, but you’ve continued to uncover magical hoaxes. 5 You were wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime. You managed to escape and seek to help others avoid the experience you

suffered, even while still being pursued by the law. 6 You survived the destructive use of a magic device that wiped out your home. Members of a secret organization found you. You now work with them

Folk Hero Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for

you. Suggested Characteristics A folk hero is one of the common people, for better or for worse. Most folk heroes look on their humble origins as a virtue, not a shortcoming, and their

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and insults are my

there, I have a child who doesn’t know me. I’m making the world better for him or her. 4 I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and title from those who

Deep Dragon Wyrmling Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Dragon Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can

"} Ideal 1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours. (Any) 2 Kindred. All dragons are kin to one

Wand of Orcus Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

The ghastly Wand of Orcus rarely leaves Orcus’s side. The device, as evil as its creator, shares the demon lord’s aims to snuff out the lives of all living things and bind the Material

. 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

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale

unfeeling entity. Have Auril speak only when necessary. The less she talks, the less risk you have of unintentionally demystifying her in the eyes of your players. Let her actions, not her words

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to

incapable of showing mercy or compassion. Play her as a supremely cold and unfeeling entity. Have Auril speak only when necessary. The less she talks, the less risk you have of unintentionally

Young Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

help select spells for a spellcasting dragon. Deep Dragon Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the

":"1d6","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Ideal"} Ideal 1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

want. 4 I’m a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and

. 3 Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn’t know me. I’m making the world better for him or her. 4 I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and

Folk Hero - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you. BALDUR’S GATE FEATURE

; Suggested Characteristics A folk hero is one of the common people, for better or for worse. Most folk heroes look on their humble origins as a virtue, not a shortcoming, and their home communities

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

’ presence is marked by an absence of animals and a strange quiet, as if the forest wishes to avoid attracting attention to itself. The faster travelers decide to move on, the better. If these

something that put their homeland at risk, such as starting a forest fire or killing a rare or beautiful wild creature. These firbolgs are loners who wander the world in hope of finding a new place to

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

they don’t believe they have a reasonable chance of success. This reaction isn’t out of cowardice, but practicality—yuan-ti value their own lives much too highly to risk them when the

odds aren’t in their favor. A short retreat might be just the thing to reach a better tactical position, find allies, or to allow the yuan-ti the opportunity to study their opponents and

Fisher

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

’s discretion, a number of those listeners become friendly toward you; this is not a magical effect, and continued amicability on their part depends on your actions. You can roll on the following

throw this salt over your shoulder. (Lawful) 3 Daring. The richest bounty goes to those who risk everything. (Chaotic) 4 Plunder. Take all that you can and leave nothing for the

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

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

. The less she talks, the less risk you have of unintentionally demystifying her in the eyes of your players. Let her actions, not her words, define her. Lesser gods in the D&D multiverse are

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

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

where the townsfolk would try to hunt down all kobolds and put the tribe’s survival at risk. Some aggressive individual kobolds and tribes do exist, but in general kobolds don’t purposely

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure. 3 The people who knew me when I was young know my shameful secret, so I can never go home again. 4 I have a weakness for the vices of the

city, especially hard drink. 5 Secretly, I believe that things would be better if I were a tyrant lording over the land. 6 I have trouble trusting in my allies.

Adult Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can turn

1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours. (Any) 2 Kindred. All dragons are kin to one another

Ancient Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can turn

1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours. (Any) 2 Kindred. All dragons are kin to one another, and

Meeting Rookledust

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

. “The faster I talk, think, and invent, the faster I can improve my designs.” Ideal. “Not only can I make that, I can make it better!” Bond. “Through invention, we make a more interesting world.” Flaw

armor asked to purchase her weed-clearing device, but with some modifications to make it resemble a mythical dragon. She agreed. (Unbeknownst to her, the stranger was a Dragon Army agent and the device

Path to Mystery

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

magic-user escaped, but you’ve continued to uncover magical hoaxes. 5 You were wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime. You managed to escape and seek to help others avoid the experience you

suffered, even while still being pursued by the law. 6 You survived the destructive use of a magic device that wiped out your home. Members of a secret organization found you. You now work with

Able Scavengers

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

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 where the townsfolk would try to

hunt down all kobolds and put the tribe’s survival at risk. Some aggressive individual kobolds and tribes do exist, but in general kobolds don’t purposely provoke retaliatory attacks from the creatures

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

against the schemes and ambitions of the other guilds, so much the better. Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Medicine Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: A Simic insignia, a set of

confident in my ability to adapt to any situation and handle any danger. 5 I’ll take any risk to earn recognition for my scientific brilliance. 6 I have a tendency to take shortcuts in

Fighter

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

the heart of every fighter’s motivation lies the same basic truth: it is better to wound than to be wounded. Although some adventuring fighters risk their lives fighting for glory or treasure, others

Sharn Watch

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

all of them don’t care about their city and won’t try to keep their communities safe; they do so because they see their benefactors as being an important part of the continued health of their

place the law above all else, and most of those are willing to risk their lives to save an innocent bystander from a rampaging Daask troll. But most members of the Watch are pragmatists who put the

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

respect all beings who risk their lives in defense of something greater than themselves. 2 My payment is a matter of principle. Requiring even a small fee for my service allows those I help to

Re-created by the Doctor

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

Re-created by the Doctor If the characters oppose Dr. Mordenheim, they face droves of her bizarre creations. They also risk becoming her newest experimental subjects. Dr. Mordenheim’s experiments

such possibilities. It’s better to tip your hand about the plot than to lose a player’s investment in the game. When delivering characters into the Darklord’s clutches, employ scenarios where the

Purple Worm Attack

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

cling to their buzzing boomhailers as they flee. A character who spends an action alerting an anarchist to the risk and succeeds on a DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check convinces that

anarchist to drop their device. The purple worm ignores creatures that don’t have a boomhailer and that don’t threaten it. If all five boomhailers are destroyed, the purple worm retreats down the hole

A Quick Sharn Story

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

package. 6 A delirious street preacher has an apocalyptic vision concerning one of the player characters. 7 The PCs discover a bound-elemental explosive device in their quarters. They have

three rounds to flee or attempt to disarm the device. 8 A skycoach crashes through the wall. Is this an attack, or the result of sabotage? The Villain 1d12 Villain 1 A dragonmarked

Black Cabin Locations

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

first time a creature picks up the Summer Star, its core glows with a golden radiance as bright as a candle flame. Unless the creature drops the device immediately, the light suddenly blossoms, becoming

a 10-foot-radius sphere of incinerating golden radiance centered on the device. Each creature in the sphere must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 90 (10d10 + 35) radiant damage on a

Reaching the Engine

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

nalfeshnee named Slaughtertusk to watch over the crevasse and prevent any creature from approaching the device. Slaughtertusk would rather be helping the Horned King track down and kill Yeenoghu. The

nalfeshnee is bored with its assigned task, although it knows better than to disobey the Horned King. Still, rather than immediately destroying any intruders, it toys with them for as long as possible

Viktra Mordenheim

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

artificial organ Mordenheim called the Unbreakable Heart. But as she stitched the miraculous device into place, constables burst into the lab and accused the doctor of facilitating numerous murders. As Dr

rumors of a glowing woman wandering in the icy wastes. Since then, Mordenheim has continued her experiments on the dead and living, striving to recreate her successes and failing every time. Between

Netherese Necropolis

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

radius. The characters can use this device to counteract Auril’s spell and free Icewind Dale from her Everlasting Rime. Chardalyn More than a hundred years prior to this adventure, a wizard named Akar

Kessel found an artifact suffused with demonic magic called Crenshinibon (better known as the Crystal Shard) and used it to erect a great black tower in Icewind Dale. When this tower was destroyed

Weird Magic

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

how to invoke the razor wind, or the runestone containing the three syllables for crystallizing blood, it is better to use such things than to risk death by not doing so.

, a hag should be able to use weird magic only once or twice per encounter in her lair, or only once per encounter if she is elsewhere. A hag who is expecting a fight might be better prepared and able

The Elder Brain

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

elder brain. Although such missions risk attracting unwanted attention, they can yield a treasure trove of knowledge and insights to be shared throughout the entire colony when a roaming mind flayer

individual mind flayers. Perhaps at one time each mind flayer was independent, but now the elder brain is the only true power. The illithids know that their continued survival and their eventual return to

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