before blocking death contacts reflect

Cairnwight

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

exclusion of all other tasks, retreating into a spacious cavern and blocking out all distractions. Creating a masterwork can become such a driving obsession that death can’t stop it: a giant who dies

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

command, illusory script 2nd enthrall, ray of enfeeblement, zone of truth 3rd bestow curse, speak with dead, spirit guardians 4th blight, death ward

. Contacts The Orzhov Syndicate operates according to a strict hierarchy built on a network of connections among old, wealthy families. Your family might provide important contacts, while your family’s

Sending Stone

Magic Items Acquisitions Incorporated

stone. These rumors reflect current or historical knowledge possessed by Acquisitions Incorporated or the organization’s many contacts. Improved Rumor Mill At rank 3, when you use your Rumor

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

stronger than members of other guilds, isolated as they are from the realities of life and death. RYAN PANCOAST Contacts To the extent that the Golgari Swarm acts like a single organism

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

Valenar High Elf

Species Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

they came to Khorvaire, they battled the champions of the goblin empire. The greatest heroes of those struggles live on after death, known as the patron ancestors. When you became an adult, one of

is why your people constantly seek out conflict; you need to find challenges worthy of a hero. In creating a Valenar, think about your patron ancestor. Your class should reflect their class; if you

Rak Tulkhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

death until the children of Eberron and Siberys rose up against them. Armies of dragons fought against the fiends of Khyber. And though the overlords couldn't be destroyed, the couatl sacrificed

form. The stat blocks provided here reflect the powers they would wield if they were ever unleashed upon the world. Immortal Nature. An overlord doesn't require air, food, drink or sleep. It also

Valenar Wood Elf

Species Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

they came to Khorvaire, they battled the champions of the goblin empire. The greatest heroes of those struggles live on after death, known as the patron ancestors. When you became an adult, one of

is why your people constantly seek out conflict; you need to find challenges worthy of a hero. In creating a Valenar, think about your patron ancestor. Your class should reflect their class; if you

Forlarren

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

, set itself up as a petty lord, and rule over all those who fall into its grasp. A Sinister Cycle. A forlarren in its fey aspect demonstrates self-destructive urges that reflect the inherent tension in

its nature. That aspect might drive it to drink itself nearly to death, or to throw itself into caring for others with such relentless energy that it eventually collapses from exhaustion

Sul Khatesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

children of Khyber rose from the darkness to reign over Eberron. The greatest among them were the overlords, who held dominion over a world of fear, war, and death until the children of Eberron and Siberys

. Some thirty overlords are bound in Khyber. Two are described here: Rak Tulkhesh and Sul Khatesh, both of whom remain imprisoned and can't take physical form. The stat blocks provided here reflect the

Selesnya Initiate

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

. 3 I enjoy comfort and quiet, and prefer to avoid extra effort. 4 I have a fierce temper that doesn’t reflect the inner calm I seek. 5 I’m convinced that everyone else in the

. Contacts The Selesnya Conclave is all about connections, so its members cultivate contacts throughout the guild. The guild also engages in energetic recruitment to draw converts from other

Gruul Anarch

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

siblings or ancestors.] Flaws d6 Flaw 1 If you question my courage, I will never back down. 2 HrrrGGGAAAARRuuuh! [My anger in battle led to the death of a loved one

manipulated by people I find attractive. 6 I’m not actually all that angry. Contacts The members of the Gruul Clans rely on each other even as they vie for territory and glory. Their

Rakdos Cultist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

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

pleasure. Contacts The Cult of Rakdos is anything but organized. Individuals frequently move from one performance troupe to another. Almost all members of the cult know former castmates now

Boros Legionnaire

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

;sacred flame 1st guiding bolt, heroism 2nd aid, scorching ray 3rd beacon of hope, blinding smite 4th death ward, wall of fire 5th flame strike

. Contacts The ordered structure of the Boros Legion offers abundant opportunities to make friends — and rivals — in higher places. You might have close friends in other guilds that share the

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

spellcasting, forming spirals that reflect the mathematical perfection of nature. Suggested Characteristics The bizarre science of the Simic Combine attracts a certain type of personality and encompasses

my research and any other tasks I have to complete. Contacts The fluid nature of clades, whose rosters span different laboratories and change as researchers discover new interests, creates

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

forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril dwells on Solstice, a frozen island hidden among the titanic

Choosing a Guild

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

favorite guild, create a character from that guild. To reflect your character’s membership in a guild, you can choose the background included in the guild’s description instead of a background from the

Player’s Handbook or some other source. Also make a note of your contacts. Guildless Characters You can play a character who isn’t a member of a guild. Choose one of the character backgrounds in the

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld. You’re far closer than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the

realizing the connection. You got the Guild to back off demands for your death by offering to make amends by working for the criminals, but even so the kingpin still plots a personal revenge. 2 The

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

gather and celebrate, dwell the followers of Yurtrus, the god of disease and death, and Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Orcs too weak for battle (because of bodily weakness, malformation

, injury, or age) often join these cults instead of facing daily humiliation, exile, or death. Serving as the bridge between the two parts of the tribe are the priestesses of Luthic, the orc goddess who

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

who study this entity claim that it is clearly evil and destructive. Others call it simply a necessary part of the cycle of death and rebirth. In the end, though, That-Which-Endures shows precious

bred by empathy that helps them eventually sort out those who are sincere from those who are not. Verdan Names The oldest verdan names spring from goblinoid traditions, but more recent names reflect

Recurring NPCs

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

villains, they can deepen players’ investment in the world. You can use different stat blocks in the Monster Manual, perhaps with some tweaks, to reflect the same NPC at different times as they grow over

at least coming up with a plausible way for the villain to return from death. After all, death is rarely the final word for adventurers, so it needn’t be for their opponents. Don’t Go Overboard

Areas of the Heart

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

of purple flesh dimly lit by pinkish, bioluminescent orbs. The air reeks of death. An opening in one wall leads to another chamber. A character holding the first rod piece divines that the next

book’s introduction. Caved-In Artery. A 10-foot-wide petrified artery leads from this chamber. The artery has caved in, blocking that exit from the chamber. A character who uses an action to dig through

Adventures in Dementlieu

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

figure out what magic she used to bewitch her way into a role. 2 A Phlegethan Hospital patient contacts the party, claiming to be the rightful Duke d’Honaire. He has a preternatural ability to bend

replaced by lifelike constructs, while the originals are held captive in the cellar beneath Alexandre du Cire’s House of Wax. A party member is the next target. 5 A crusader hunting the Red Death

Oozing Royalty

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

. The characters must contend with Princess Ebonmire and Prince Livid (see the “Royal Oozes” sidebar). These dimly intelligent oozes defend their master to the death, blocking the characters from

Cairnwight

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

tasks, retreating into a spacious cavern and blocking out all distractions. Creating a masterwork can become such a driving obsession that death can’t stop it: a giant who dies while creating art might

The Wayward Son

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Astarion's Book of Hungers

) with the characters, Astarion recognizes two Vampire Wardens from Cazador’s palace. The wardens are blocking the public exit to Rat’s Run. Certain that someone from the palace wants to kidnap him

, Astarion is subdued and brought back to Cazador’s palace. A particularly reckless breed of sailors frequents Rat’s Run.To them, death lurks around every corner, whether it’s on the stormy sea or here

Build Your Group

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

forcefully pulled from this work and thrust into life-or-death situations, with or without help from more hardened adventurers. The knowledge and experience of a Civil Servant can often be useful, with

some developing skills as clerics, rogues, wizards, or other classes. Such characters often come from the sage background and have proficiency in skills that reflect their studies, such as Arcana

Material Echoes

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

world of the Material Plane but reflect those features into different forms—more marvelous and magical in the Feywild, distorted and colorless in the Shadowfell. Where a volcano stands in the Material

, also called the Plane of Faerie, is a land of soft lights and wonder, a country of little people with great desires, a place of music and death. It is a realm of eternal twilight, with slow lanterns

Elves of Valenar

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

goblin empire. The greatest heroes of those struggles live on after death, known as the patron ancestors. When you became an adult, one of the patron ancestors formed a bond with you. Now it is your

find challenges worthy of a hero. In creating a Valenar, think about your patron ancestor. Your class should reflect their class; if you’re a wizard, your ancestor was likely a legendary archmage. If

Weird Magic

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

blackness equivalent to darkness (a 2nd-level spell). A hag carefully shepherds her use of weird magic because the items in her repertoire are often impossible to duplicate or replace. To reflect this fact

if it helps her stay alive. After all, a hag that’s not dead has a virtually limitless lifetime to replace what was spent. No matter how hard it was to acquire that jar of death slugs, or that book on

Individual Quests

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

of death. If the character talks to Runara about the dream or their quest, Runara listens closely, then pauses to think. “Well,” she says, “I am no expert on interpreting dreams, but perhaps the

zombies you fought are the ‘hunger of death’ you spoke of.” She points the character toward the wreck of Compass Rose (see “Shipwreck” above) to investigate further. The Fighter The fighter has come to

Syndra Silvane's Curse

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

offer. They’re stymied by what is happening.” “My contacts in the Harpers have learned that the cause of the death curse is a necromantic artifact called the Soulmonger. According to their sources, the

Tethyrian human archmage, with these changes: Syndra is lawful neutral and speaks Common, Dwarvish, Elvish, and Halfling. Syndra’s hit point maximum has been reduced to 79 by the Soulmonger’s death curse

Meeting Captain Zodge

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

Meeting Captain Zodge Captain Zodge is expecting the characters. If they choose not to speak with him, he tracks them down eventually. The Flaming Fist has contacts throughout the city, so hiding

: “Baldur’s Gate has long been plagued by followers of the Dead Three — the gods Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul. I thought we had wiped them out, but apparently not. These purveyors of fear and death are

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

responsible for blocking tunnels to deter pursuit. Kobolds feel a cool affinity or something like kinship for other members of their tribe, but they are rarely affectionate with each other. Two kobolds

serve similar roles but under threat of death. URDS: WINGED KOBOLDS Winged kobolds, known as urds, hatch seemingly at random from kobold eggs, even in a tribe that has no adult urds. Although

Star Spawn Larva Mage

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

other spellcaster — contacts the comet-borne emissary of an Elder Evil, the emissary can merge with a mortal consciousness to create a larva mage. None of the original cultist’s personality survives

death Return to Worms. When the larva mage is reduced to 0 hit points, it breaks apart into a swarm of insects in the same space. Unless the swarm is destroyed, the larva mage reforms from it 24 hours

The Enemy of Our Enemy

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

The Enemy of Our Enemy As the characters explore the library, ideally after encountering an echo or two, they meet the venerable drow archmage Vizeran DeVir, accompanied by Kleve, a death slaad

Gravenhollow. Despite their attack upon him, the archmage contacts the characters again in an attempt to forge an alliance (see chapter 12, “The Tower of Vengeance”).

D&D Beyond

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