before birth driven certain retain

Red Slaad (control gem variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

point. Control Gem. Implanted in the slaad's brain is a magic control gem. The slaad must obey whoever possesses the gem and is immune to being charmed while so controlled. Certain spells can be used to

egg. A humanoid host can carry only one slaad egg to term at a time. Over three months, the egg moves to the chest cavity, gestates, and forms a slaad tadpole. In the 24-hour period before giving birth

Deathlock Mastermind

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

door, dispel magic, fly, invisibilityThough deathlocks exist to serve their patrons, they retain some freedom when it comes to devising tactics and carrying out plans. Powerful deathlocks recruit

to live up to a bargain with an evil patron runs the risk of rising from the dead as a deathlock, a foul Undead driven to serve its otherworldly patron. An powerful necromancer might also discover

Symbol Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

stepping on the glyph, removing another object covering it, approaching within a certain distance of it, or manipulating the object that holds it. For glyphs inscribed within an object, the most

common triggers are opening the object, approaching within a certain distance of it, or seeing or reading the glyph. You can further refine the trigger so the spell is activated only under certain

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

Humanoid Mutate

Monsters Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

as smooth as a salamander’s. Some intelligent Humanoid mutates retain their personalities from before they were exposed to the Far Realm. Some, driven by the allure of otherworldly powers, seek

Relentless Juggernaut

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

a certain area its territory and visits destruction upon all trespassers. Relentless killers are hateful, revenge-obsessed creatures that enter into pacts with fiends or other nefarious entities

its birth, and its wicked nature emerged over time. 4 A wicked place or magic relic seeped into its being, turning it into a monster. 5 The killer used its body to contain an evil entity

The Abbot

Monsters Curse of Strahd

, inbred lepers—came to the abbey seeking salvation. The deva rid them of their diseases, an act for which they were eternally grateful, but could not cure them of certain human defects that had been

present since birth. The Abbot became consumed with a prideful, obsessive desire to rid the poor Belviews of their lingering imperfections. The Belview family, however, had strange ideas of what it

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

advisor in human society. The very rare offspring of such a union are always purebloods, although they may appear fully human at birth and for several years afterward. The yuan-ti know rituals that

— yuan-ti make perfect courtiers. And, worse for the rest of us, rulers. — Elminster The physical and magical prowess of the yuan-ti empire allowed the former humans to retain their

Endelyn Moongrave

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

them from taking certain courses of action in their lives. Her petitioners often learn of a dreadful fate that awaits them but find themselves unable to prevent it due to the cursed terms of their

reflects the present, and the third reflects the future. These hags are utter wickedness distilled into corporeal forms, driven by a lust for secrets that can be used to manipulate their prey. Skabatha

Centaur Legacy

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

In the sprawling city of Ravnica, where “open road” seems like a contradiction and “open plain” is sheer nonsense, centaurs nevertheless retain a love of wide spaces and the

the laboratories of the Simic. Centaurs celebrate life and growth, and the birth of a foal is always cause for festivities. At the same time, they revere the traditions of the past, and among both

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

Blessings Disciples of certain Elder Evils can bestow supernatural gifts on those who serve that cult, including star spawn. The following powers are unique to specific cults; typically a creature has

Ki-rin

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

good fortune. They consider seeing a ki-rin fly overhead a blessing and events that happen on such a day especially auspicious. If a ki-rin alights during a ceremony such as a birth announcement or a

to inspire and strengthen the side of good or to rescue heroes from certain death. Ki-rins are attracted to the worship of deities of courage, loyalty, selflessness, and truth, as well as to the

Courtier

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

circumstances of your birth, could have secured you this position. You might have been one of the many functionaries, attendants, and other hangers-on in the Court of Silverymoon, or perhaps you

(which could pertain to certain individuals in the group, such as your sponsor or mentor). Your ideal might be concerned with the prevailing philosophy of your court or organization. Guild

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

some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead. Life Span The typical life span of a

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

member of your family, by right of birth, or it could have been left to you by a friend, a mentor, a teacher, or someone else important in your life. The revelation of your inheritance changed your life

ability and increases in potency with the passage of time. Or, the true nature of your inheritance might not be apparent at first and is revealed only when certain conditions are met. When you begin

Keresta Delvingstone

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

. Harmed by Running Water. Keresta takes 20 acid damage if she ends her turn in running water. Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into Keresta's heart while Keresta is

(god of birth and renewal) in Waterdeep. She also has her sights set on destroying the House of the Moon — Waterdeep's temple of Selûne, whom she blames for the destruction of Vanrak Moonstar.A Vampire's

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth

, 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

Morkoth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

;s petrified flesh came back to life as morkoths: tentacled monstrosities brimming with malice and greed. Morkoths are driven by greed and selfishness mixed with a yearning for conflict. They hoard

ocean to the void of the Astral Plane. Anything on or within a certain distance of a morkoth’s isle is drawn with it in its journey through the planes. Thus, people from lost civilizations and

Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

, creating dangerous hybrids and a spreading corruption. Opposing the hags’ evil is a female unicorn named Banrion. After years of skirmishes, the hags have driven Banrion to an isolated pinnacle of

rock. This pinnacle stands among the ruins of an ancient city that once housed the Infernal Machine, until Baron Lum the Mad discovered and claimed it for himself. A fallen clock tower still holds some of the machine’s components, which retain enough power to manipulate time.

Dwarf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male

up the adventuring life might be motivated by a desire for treasure—for its own sake, for a specific purpose, or even out of an altruistic desire to help others. Other dwarves are driven by the

Wight

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

them beyond death. Unlike mere zombies, they retain the memories and evil agendas they harbored in life. After dying and returning from the grave, a wight continues its villainous ways, but it is now

driven by a hunger for life. A wight drains living essence through its attacks. Humanoids slain by a wight’s life-sapping grip reanimate a day later and serve the wight as obedient zombies. Valera

Glitch Characters

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

character wishes they could change about themselves? How would the best version of themselves be different? What is your character’s signature possession or physical trait? What makes you certain that

your character would retain this no matter what could have happened in their life? Riccardo Moscatello Wizard, paladin, and druid incarnations of the same glitch character share a distinctive sunburst nexus feature

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods. Booming Birth Rate In order to replenish the casualties of their endless warring

, orcs breed prodigiously (and they aren’t choosy about what they breed with, which is why such creatures as half-orcs and ogrillons are found in the world). Females that are about to give birth are

Education and Research

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

Education and Research Morgrave University, though not the most respectable institution of higher learning in Khorvaire, has an extensive library that boasts definitive collections of lore in certain

around Morgrave, with their homes and businesses almost all located in the University, Den’iyas, and Ivy Towers districts of Upper Menthis. Another important site for certain kinds of research is the

Dwarves

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

. To the dwarves, Moradin is the Creator. With his impeccable skills, he crafted the first dwarves and imbued them with a sense of relentless purpose, driven to apply their own crafting skills to the

aspect as well, he is credited not only for the birth of the dwarves but for fostering in them a deep appreciation for clan and family. He demonstrates how dwarf parents should raise their children

Childhood

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

to usher a child into the world. They cannot understand how a birth is both a joy and a sorrow, a reunion and a parting. Each birth represents an elf soul that has been to Arvandor and returned

. Mortal elves cannot know if it is the soul of someone recently dead or someone who died millennia ago. They cannot even be certain it is an elf of the same world. The only assurance they have is that it

Humanoid Mutate

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

. Its skin becomes clammy and as smooth as a salamander’s. Some intelligent Humanoid mutates retain their personalities from before they were exposed to the Far Realm. Some, driven by the allure of

Tragic Flaws

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

don’t want a god to learn or certain to provoke a god’s anger. For example, some of the flaws listed for the outlander background in the Player’s Handbook could put a character into conflict with a god

. NATAL OMENS The birth of a hero is often accompanied by signs in Nyx and Theros alike. You can use the Omens table in chapter 4 to randomly determine an omen that appeared when you were born. It’s up to you and your DM to determine the omen’s meaning.

Dragonmarked House Campaign Themes

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

certain houses, with idealistic leaders seeking to direct the house along a more responsible path while barons are driven by greed alone. As a prominent part of society, the dragonmarked houses strive

Symbol

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

most typical triggers include touching or stepping on the glyph, removing another object covering it, approaching within a certain distance of it, or manipulating the object that holds it. For glyphs

inscribed within an object, the most common triggers are opening the object, approaching within a certain distance of it, or seeing or reading the glyph. You can further refine the trigger so the spell

Souls and Shells

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

, soulless or not, can give birth. A child born in Barovia might have a soul even if one or both parents do not. Conversely, the child of two parents with souls isn’t certain to have a soul of its own

Vladeska Drakov

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

Vladeska Drakov In the world of her birth, Vladeska Drakov was known as the Crimson Falcon, leader of a peerless mercenary army called the Falcon’s Talons. She and her troops executed a thousand

veteran troops. Since then, Drakov has lost nearly her entire nation. Every month a new desperate battle unfolds. She prepares ceaselessly for each, certain of her plans and ultimate victory, but

2. Northern Terraces

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

2. Northern Terraces The terraces lining the northern walls are suffused with faerzress, and the myconids reserve these areas for cultivating certain fungi. Water trickling from the walls of this

builders’ circle leader is a pioneering would-be architect and a supporter of Sovereign Phylo. Already driven mad by Zuggtmoy’s spores, Gasbide dreams of bizarre, elaborate structures no myconids

Creating Your Character

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

campaign. If you are replacing your race with a lineage, you retain any languages you had and gain no new languages. Creature Type Every creature in D&D, including every player character, has a special

have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the text of the cure wounds spell specifies that the spell doesn’t work on a creature of the Construct type.

People of Akros

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

People of Akros For most of Akros’s neighbors, the term “Akroan” evokes legendary warriors, trained from birth in every martial discipline known to humankind. It brings to mind songs of tight-knit

to have transformed into a pillar of fire and vanished into the wind, but until her death is certain, the lektoi are reluctant to name a new monarch. Anax and Cymede have no children, so the king’s

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