before blessings decades concept rather

Manshoon

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

. That Manshoon is dead, and the current Manshoon is one of the original’s many clones. Being a magical copy rather than an original doesn’t make Manshoon any less of a threat, as he’s

formative influence. Manshoon made many enemies and sought to preserve his power by crafting several clones. A magical accident decades ago caused all his clones to activate at once and fight against

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

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

rather than perform the work or confront the foe. Even when subsumed into a goblinoid host and drawn into war, bugbears must often be roused from naps and bribed to get them to do their duties. This

natural state. Thanks to Grankhul, they can use their size and strength to work as stealthy assassins rather than blundering around like ogres. Bullying, murder, and engaging in battle are all holy

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

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

. Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant

the head with a single ring to keep them from flapping about. Changes in gender are also a known and accepted part of verdan life. These fluid aspects of form and identity are seen as blessings

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

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.

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

Hulgaz first probes the characters to test their virtue, then tries to tempt them, and finally confronts them. At the end of each encounter, Hulgaz offers the characters one or more infernal blessings

Quaggoths

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

—earns the enmity of that quaggoth’s band regardless of reason or fault. These grudges sometimes extend to whole communities rather than individuals. Generations of quaggoths might seek revenge against a

settlement’s inhabitants for decades-old slights. Only the leader of a quaggoth band can demand that a grudge ends. DAARKEN

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

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

Adventure Overview

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

Adventure Overview The strange happenings on campus in this adventure are caused by a corrupted substance known as eldritch balm. Used at Strixhaven for decades, eldritch balm is an alchemical salve

the resulting chaos would disrupt life at Strixhaven. A Standalone Adventure If you’re running this chapter’s adventure as a standalone, the corruption of Sedgemoor’s waters is not the result of a sinister plot. Rather, a surge of wild magic caused the corruption, but the outcome is the same.

Credits

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

, Riccardo Moscatello, Irina Nordsol, Hinchel Or, Vicki Pangestu, Claudio Pozas, Arash Radkia, Chris Rahn, Julio Reyna, Matias Tapia, Brian Valeza, Jabari Weathers, Daneen Wilkerson Concept Artists

, Hilary Ross, Chris Tulach Kim Mohan edited more D&D books and mentored more D&D writers than anyone in memory. His kindness and wit are woven into decades of the game, and he will influence its

Mentor

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

mentor was a wise treant who taught you to think in terms of years and decades rather than days or months. 2 You were tutored by a dryad who watched over a slumbering portal to the Abyss. During your

Anvilwrought

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

Rest. When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and

serve him. 3 I was created decades ago and, fearing that I’m growing obsolete, recently fled Mount Velus. 4 Purphoros regrets my creation and wants to reforge me into something better

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

Past and Present

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Astral Adventurer’s Guide

burgeoning city became known as Bral, in his honor, and its location as the Rock of Bral. For the next several decades, various pirate captains held sway in the city, but none of them demonstrated an

, attracting profit-seekers, adventurers, and other more respectable types. Upon Cozar’s death, the rule of Bral passed to Frun, his son and heir. Frun was far from an able politician. Rather, he was a hedonist

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

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

Birth of the Poleis

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

together, established its legal code, and defended it for decades. After the fall of Agnomakhos and the other archons of Trax, humans and minotaurs waged a bloody war in the highlands. The poleis of

Akros and Skophos were born from that bloodshed, inspired by the martial doctrines of Iroas and Mogis rather than the legal code of Ephara. Eventually the years of war settled into an uneasy peace with

What If Everyone Dies?

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

—rather, it presents an opportunity to take the game in a new direction. Consider these possibilities. A Fresh Start Everyone makes new characters, and the campaign starts anew. This might be the most

and has them raised from the dead, putting the adventurers in the debt of their rescuer. What if the adventurers wake up decades after their death, returned to life by a Resurrection spell cast by

Secrets of Immortality

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

supplemented with a rare reagent called Dragon’s Blessing. The primary ingredient of this reagent is powdered eggshell from a legendary being known as the Dragon of Heavenly Blessings. Normally, a

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

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

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

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

The True Threat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

restored an old lizardfolk stronghold that had been abandoned for decades. Determined to recapture their home, the lizardfolk have been busily purchasing arms and negotiating an alliance with other nearby

them to participate rather than the elves. Members of these four races have come together, overlooking their previous rivalries and differences, to negotiate an agreement of cooperation. But even as

Circle of Dreams

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

Shadow 10th Hidden Paths 14th Walker in Dreams Balm of the Summer Court At 2nd level, you become imbued with the blessings of the Summer Court. You are a font of energy that offers respite from

teleportation circle is special. Rather than opening a portal to a permanent teleportation circle, it opens a portal to the last location where you finished a long rest on your current plane of

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

Life in San Citlán

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

—believed to be death herself—is the patron spirit of the city. She is a capricious figure who wishes to be celebrated rather than feared. While numerous festivals are held throughout the year, the most

recent decades, the city has undergone significant transformations marked by great discoveries attributed to the Argent Congregation. Doña Estela, a dwarf landowner who held a seat in the Trecena for

The Draconic Prophecy

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

The Draconic Prophecy The language of the Draconic Prophecy is richly symbolic and largely conditional. Rather than laying out a predetermined series of events, it explores causation and consequences

cascades into another, acting out a drama that unfolds over decades, centuries, or even millennia. Every verse will be fulfilled in time, these immortals believe, and their goal is simply to tilt the

Vallaki Lore

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

rather serve the devil than a madman.” She owns an old house in town (area N4) but rarely leaves her estate. Her two adult sons, Nikolai and Karl, are local troublemakers. Lady Wachter also has a mad

dragon died there long, long ago. South of town is a village that has been abandoned for decades. Its burgomaster committed some terrible offense and incurred the wrath of Strahd.

The Dual Role of Abbathor

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

their creation, or actually steal them. Greed distorts the joy that dwarves normally take from their work. It focuses on the value of the end result, rather than the importance of the process of creation

among themselves at a human farmer who bought a shovel from them that will last only a few decades. To the dwarves, that’s a shoddy tool; to the farmer, it’s a purchase that lasts a lifetime. In my

Types of Hags

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

local hags. Grandmothers and aunties are more likely than other hags to take up permanent residence in unfriendly terrain, since their long-range plans sometimes require spending decades or years in

, and most are stout or have a medium build rather than being thin or emaciated. Night hags enjoy corrupting the dreams of good people, compromising the ideals of their victims to get them to

Gnome Adventurers

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

of them take readily to life in the outside world and don’t come back on schedule, returning to the burrow only after spending years or decades away as a member of an adventuring party. The Pull of

cautious, brings a sense of duty rather than a sense of humor to an adventuring group. With their grit and iron will, deep gnomes meet adversity with hammers, picks, and their dour, dry wit — or no wit at all — as their weapons of choice.

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