before blessing down concept rather

Water Weird Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

those its summoner declares as off limits. When slain, a water weird becomes an inanimate pool of water. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil

interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might turn against its summoner. A water weird loses its evil alignment if its waters are cleansed

Baba Lysaga

Monsters Curse of Strahd

feet. Anything she is wearing transforms with her, but nothing she is carrying does. Blessing of Mother Night. Baba Lysaga is shielded against divination magic, as though protected by a nondetection

that Strahd would never accept her as his true mother, nor could she bear his rejection. As a result, she has never confronted him. She would rather exist in perpetual denial, whiling away the days

Isolde

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Fiendish Blessing. The AC of Isolde includes her Charisma bonus. Innate Spellcasting. Isolde’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). Isolde can innately cast the following

archfey named Zybilna, who had forged secret pacts with some of the fiends Isolde and her companions had slain. Rather than be angry at Isolde, Zybilna was impressed by her. She enlisted a powerful fiend

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips

away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in

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

divination (to find raw materials and foresee threats to the tribe). The main reason why kobolds depend on arcane magic rather than divine is Kurtulmak’s imprisonment, which makes it difficult for

The Soul's Shape

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

The Soul’s Shape Before tasking characters with retrieving it, determine what form the pharaoh’s ka takes. It might be a physical object, a living creature, or a spiritual concept that needs to be

remaining loyal Children of Ankhtepot 4 A blessing granted to those who survive both the Breath of the Forgotten and the Breath of the False 5 A set of relics holy to the old gods of Har’Akir

Secrets of Immortality

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

creature can benefit from only a limited number of potions of longevity before continued consumption is likely to age the drinker rather than reduce their age. When a pinch of Dragon’s Blessing is added to a

of Dragon’s Blessing has been depleted—and this potion might age him rather than adding years to his life. Currently, only the imperial alchemists and their overseer, Grand Secretary Wei, are aware of

Character Names

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

names, that’s fine. If the group would rather take the characters and their names a little more seriously, urge Bob’s player to come up with a more appropriate name. Player character names should match

each other in flavor or concept, and they should also match the flavor of your campaign world — so should the nonplayer characters’ names and place names you create. Travok and Kairon don’t want to undertake a quest for Lord Cupcake, visit Gumdrop Island, or take down a crazy wizard named Ray.

Survival of the Fittest

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

pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to

themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk

Evil Inchoate

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

absolute evil, demons have no concept of empathy. Each demon believes that only its needs and desires matter. This self-centeredness applies even with regard to other demons. These fiends have no

powerful demon usually has an intent that goes beyond merely causing carnage, and a plan to achieve it. DEMONIC AMULETS: BLESSING AND CURSE Some demon lords have a way of cheating death, but this great

Origin of the Ordning

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

the ordning in some mythic future. Giants on some worlds (including Eberron) have no concept of the ordning at all. Such giants might think of themselves as a single species, with the differences

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

Character Advancement

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

taking part in a play session. A character reaches 1 checkpoint for each hour an adventure is designed to last. Note that the award is based on the adventure’s projected playing time, rather than the

designed to take 2 hours, the character reaches 3 checkpoints. Playing time might seem like an odd way to measure experience awards, but the concept is in keeping with how a shared campaign is meant to

Secret

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

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide explores options like these, in the section

Modifying a Class

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

presented as a divine blessing. Changing Spell Lists Modifying a class’s spell list usually has little effect on a character’s power but can change the flavor of a class significantly. In your world

, paladins might not swear their oaths to ideals, but instead swear fealty to powerful sorcerers. To capture this story concept, you could build a new paladin spell list with spells meant to protect

Water Weird

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

. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil. However, a water weird bound to a sacred or befouled source of water begins to take on the nature of that site

, becoming neutral good or neutral evil. A neutral good water weird tries to frighten away interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might

Darklords

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

adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their

concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their

Yuan-ti Cities

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

yuan-ti content themselves with maintaining these ancient places rather than building new ones for their needs. Although these sites are hundreds or even thousands of years old, they don’t look or feel

reflects human ideas about art and beauty. Over time this perspective was skewed toward the concept that the snake is the perfect form, so serpents are a common theme in their aesthetic. The major

Trickery Domain

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

, stealing from the rich, freeing captives, and flouting hollow traditions. They prefer subterfuge, pranks, deception, and theft rather than direct confrontation. Trickery Domain Spells Cleric Level

Spells 1st charm person, disguise self 3rd mirror image, pass without trace 5th blink, dispel magic 7th dimension door, polymorph 9th dominate person, modify memory Blessing of the Trickster

Blood Will Tell

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

pure orc blood. And they aren’t accepted into other societies because of their orc heritage. Half-orcs are seen as off-putting and intimidating by other people, which is both a blessing and a curse

they live, half-orcs usually find themselves defined by others in terms of their usefulness as heavy laborers and soldiers. It is the rare and fortunate few who are judged by their character and their deeds rather than their ancestry.

Gnoll Allies

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

largely ignore these animals. They tend to gather around fangs in battle, eager to partake of Yeenoghu’s blessing and its horrid transformation. Leucrottas Brought forth during Yeenoghu’s ancient

incursions into the world, leucrottas are bigger, smarter, and faster than gnolls. When one joins a war band, it doesn’t strive to lead the group (which would cause unneeded conflict) but rather to serve

Introduction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

you receive a cancer diagnosis or a similar health news, you probably appreciate that concept a little more than other people. Watching someone you love waste away is a terrible thing. You want a

magic button to bring things back to the way they should be, this person you love so much restored to who they really are rather than what cancer is grinding them down into. It’s easy to give in to

Appendix A: Shared Campaigns

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

hard to keep a campaign going. Enter the concept of the shared campaign. In a shared campaign, more than one member of the group can take on the role of DM. A shared campaign is episodic rather than

Anatomy of a War Band

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

, and the flesh gnawers, which rely on natural savagery rather than weapons to tear apart their foes. A pack of hyenas is always part of the band, and sometimes these beasts are as numerous as the

bone. While they lack any particular blessing of Yeenoghu, their ferocity makes them formidable enemies. Gnoll Hunters When a war band is on the move, the hunters travel in a wide arc around the

Encounters with Hulgaz

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

Encounters with Hulgaz Hulgaz makes a good adversary for players who especially enjoy roleplaying. If your players prefer to talk to enemies they encounter rather than fight them, consider using

asks in return is for the character to accept an infernal blessing from her. If the character rejects her offer, Hulgaz “tsks” in disappointment, then summons two succubi to attack the party before

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

battle or illness, but an orc can live to about 40, remaining healthy almost up until the end. Luthic’s divine blessing can further extend an orc’s life, though Gruumsh is never happy when

they are more interested in grabbing plunder and food rather than in wanton slaughter. The elderly, children, and any who seem weak or meek enough might escape death. If they leave the population more

Nylea's Influence

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

solitude and serenity of the forest. Birth falls under Nylea’s influence as well, and her priests often double as midwives in their communities, blessing babies as they come into the world. Nylea’s Goals

, blaming her fellow gods for the spread of civilization rather than the mortals themselves. Divine Relationships Nylea seldom comes into open conflict with the other gods, and she would say that all her

Giant Foundling

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

environment—perhaps the food or water that sustained you, elemental magic inherent in the site of your home, or some verdant blessing of growth placed on you—caused you to grow to a remarkable size for your

much rather be in an open field than a bustling tavern. 4 I embrace my shorter stature. It helps me stay unnoticed—and underestimated. 5 Every avalanche begins as a single pebble. 6 The world always feels too big, and I’m afraid I’ll never find my place in it.

Staff

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

concept behind the hirelings and selecting one proficiency for each. The DM can then customize the hirelings as desired, perhaps by adding additional proficiencies or adjusting their combat statistics

(sailors for a seagoing franchise, engineers for a giant hollow statue, and so on). Crew do not leave a franchise and cannot perform franchise tasks. They typically run rather than fight back when attacked

Rejecting the Ordning

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

one their kind traditionally values. These are often giants whose ranking within their kind is low. For example, a contemplative cloud giant might pursue knowledge rather than wealth, or a weak frost

otherwise enjoy in the ordning. When giants join the cults of demon lords, they reject the entire concept of the ordning—the idea that there is any kind of order to the multiverse at all, which is the

Mind Flayer Magic

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

after death would its consciousness be cast into oblivion. Two divine entities have long been associated with mind flayers by the scholars of other races. These aren’t deities, but rather

attitude — actions that have often been misinterpreted by observers as worship. Maanzecorian. The entity/concept called Maanzecorian embodies a complete comprehension of knowledge. It is a state

Annam and the Ordning

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

her father of her clever deeds rather than her feats of strength: she solved a sphinx’s riddles, plumbed the secrets of the ocean, and stole a string of pearls from a god of the kuo-toa. Through these

cleverness. Giants who value or seek to emulate these qualities pray and sacrifice to her, asking her blessing. Those who hold out hope for the restoration of giants’ ancient glory worship her as well

Life and Outlook

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

blows over their differences. Kobolds choose mates primarily for convenience. Their lack of emotional bonding means they have no concept of marriage or permanent family relationships. Their eggs are

at random from kobold eggs, even in a tribe that has no adult urds. Although being able to fly is an incredible gift, and it would be expected for kobolds to interpret the wings as a blessing from

Firenewts

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

muster for war, rather than merely staging occasional raids, they take no prisoners. Their goal is nothing less than the annihilation of their foes — and they reserve their greatest animosity for

rebuke, scorching ray Imix’s Blessing. When the firenewt reduces an enemy to 0 hit points, the firenewt gains 5 temporary hit points. Actions Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

32. Umbraxakar's Lair

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

shadows under his command try to destroy intruders as quickly as possible, enabling the shadow dragon to revel in their misery rather than his own. Umbraxakar’s Despair. The dragon has spent more than

sense, with a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check, that it’s of divine origin. (The moonlight is a blessing from Selûne, though there’s no way for the characters to confirm this.) Three successful

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