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Ancient Dragon Turtle

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

table to help select spells for a spellcasting dragon. (Though the Monster Manual doesn’t explicitly include dragon turtles in the variant rules for making a dragon a spellcaster, you can apply

those rules to these aquatic dragons.) Dragon Turtle Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I speak slowly and deliberately

Session Zero

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

zero.” Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything outlines how to run session zero discussions, but in general, use this session to discuss the game’s content, social contract, and house rules, and to create

characters. Reinforce Expectations Make it clear that D&D is a group storytelling game. As the DM, you have a role in crafting adventures and arbitrating rules, but you aren’t solely responsible for how

Arcane Subclasses June 26, 2025

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Unearthed Arcana

Arcane Subclasses June 26, 2025 Get ready to be enchanted by the latest Unearthed Arcana content! This document presents nine subclasses: revised subclasses for the Cleric (Arcana Domain), Fighter

(Arcane Archer), Warlock (Hexblade Patron), and Wizard (Conjurer, Enchanter, Necromancer, and Transmuter) and new subclasses for the Monk (Tattooed Warrior) and Sorcerer (Ancestral Sorcery). The material uses the rules in the Player's Handbook.

Introduction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

Introduction This content is written for the Dungeon Master. It contains a complete Dungeons & Dragons adventure, as well as descriptions for every creature and magic item that appears in the

adventure. It also introduces the world of the Forgotten Realms, one of the game’s most enduring settings, and it teaches you how to run a D&D game. The Basic Rules contain the rules you need to adjudicate situations that arise during the adventure.

The Middle Path

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

The Middle Path Many DMs find that using a combination of the two approaches works best. By balancing the use of dice against deciding on success, you can encourage your players to strike a balance

between relying on their bonuses and abilities and paying attention to the game and immersing themselves in its world. Remember that dice don’t run your game — you do. Dice are like rules. They’re

What Does a DM Do?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

session and for creating situations that facilitate fun. Improviser. A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters’ actions in a

way that will make the game fun for everyone. Referee. When it’s not clear what ought to happen next, the DM decides how to apply the rules. Storyteller. The DM crafts adventures, setting situations in

What Does a DM Do?

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

session and for creating situations that facilitate fun. Improviser. A big part of being the DM is deciding how to apply the rules as you go and imagining the consequences of the characters’ actions in a

way that will make the game fun for everyone. Referee. When it’s not clear what ought to happen next, the DM decides how to apply the rules. Storyteller. The DM crafts adventures, setting situations in

Horror Gameplay

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

real-world history, and character creation rules presuppose no standard bar for heroics. Encourage Space A typical D&D session is longer than a typical horror movie, and it can be hard to sustain the

characters worry might happen? Do you want to update any content boundaries? Is there anything that would make the game more enjoyable for you? Ask Permission Players put considerable thought and

Horror Content Survey

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

Horror Content Survey Take advantage of the time before your first game session to learn about your players’ thoughts related to horror adventures. To do this, create a brief list of questions

use them to guide what sort of adventures you’ll create. Content and Themes Questions Start your survey by listing common story and horror elements to determine your players’ comfort with them. The

Chapter 1: This Is Your Life

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

Chapter 1: This Is Your Life The character creation rules in the Player’s Handbook provide all the information you need to define your character in preparation for a life of adventuring. What they

experience before deciding to become an adventurer? What were the circumstances of your birth? How large is your family, and what sorts of relationships do you have with your relatives? Which people

Raiders of Clan Ironeye

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

contrast to the usual duergar focus on utility. The duergar she leads are content to follow her for the sake of what their raids will earn them, and they care nothing for the historical value of the relics

stole from Azrok, the hobgoblin warlord who rules Stromkuhldur on level 3 of Undermountain (see “Legion of Azrok”). Returning this dagger to Azrok completes a side quest.

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

serve as a battering ram if a settlement dares to close its gates, blocking the way to the treasures and tasty food that lie within. A heavily laden wagon that requires the strongest orcs to return it to

everywhere in the world around them, and the priests of a tribe are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying these signs and omens — both good and bad — and deciding how the tribe should

Useful Additions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

and why you might want to hide die rolls.) Most DM screens have art on the outward-facing panels and handy rules information on the inside-facing panels. Others might be made of fancy wood or sculpted

definitions, common actions, and other key rules. Some DMs set up a physical DM screen near their computer screen. A virtual tabletop might have reference information like this built in. Adventures and

Creating a New Item

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

it has several different abilities, but simply deciding that an item is always active or can be used a fixed number of times per day is easier to manage. Power Level If you make an item that lets a

column suggests an appropriate bonus based on the item’s rarity. Attunement Decide whether the item requires a character to be attuned to it to use its properties. Use these rules of thumb to help you

Goblin Ambush

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

feet ahead of you, blocking the path. Each has several black-feathered arrows sticking out of it. The woods press close to the trail here, with a steep embankment and dense thickets on either side. If

than the goblins’ check total is surprised and therefore can’t do anything on his or her first turn in the combat (see “Surprise” in the Basic Rules). Use the initiative rules in the Basic Rules to

Player's Handbook Credits

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

Player’s Handbook Credits Lead Designer: Jeremy Crawford Designers: Christopher Perkins, Ben Petrisor, F. Wesley Schneider, Ray Winninger, James Wyatt Rules Developers: Jeremy Crawford (lead

Operations Engineer: Basil Hale, Scott West Imaging Technicians: Daniel Corona, Meagan Kenreck, Kevin Yee Prepress Specialist: Jefferson Dunlap Includes revised content from Xanathar’s Guide to

Useful Additions

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

and why you might want to hide die rolls.) Most DM screens have art on the outward-facing panels and handy rules information on the inside-facing panels. Others might be made of fancy wood or sculpted

definitions, common actions, and other key rules. Some DMs set up a physical DM screen near their computer screen. A virtual tabletop might have reference information like this built in. Adventures and

The Rank and File

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

all. Rules for Everything Devils are evil schemers by nature, but they must operate within the bounds of the Nine Hells’ intricate legal code. A devil’s attitude toward the law is in part driven by its

law that “prevents” it from offering help. Three Paths to Power Rank-and-file devils have three ways of ascending through the ranks. The Nine Hells uses a complex system of rules to quantify and

Angels in the Outlands

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

Angels in the Outlands CoupleOfKooks “If you think you’re prepared for the ultimate struggle between good and evil, the deciding contest between all that is righteous and all that is foul, then to

is called Spireball. The modron happily explains the game’s rules, its stakes, and the two teams, all of which are detailed below. Good versus Evil Two teams—the Noxious Stampede and the Righteous

Ability Checks

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

involved.” Sometimes the rules allow for any one of two or more proficiencies to apply to a check. When deciding what check a character should make, be generous in determining if the character’s

each ability is used for. (Constitution checks are rare, as tests of a character’s endurance are usually passive or reactive, making a saving throw more appropriate.) Proficiency When the rules or a

Arrival at Korth

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fated Flight of the Recluse

human’s dragonmark and garb suggests high ranking in House Cannith. If the check succeeds by 5 or more, the character recognizes the human as Zorlan d’Cannith, the Cannith baron that rules Cannith

. Baron Zorlan doesn’t care who receives payment; as long as he takes delivery of the cargo, he is content to leave his payment on the dock for whomever wants to fight over it. In fact, he takes an

Horror in Your Game

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

threat. Use this book to help you and your players communicate about a game’s rules, plots, and other content, assuring it includes only the elements you all enjoy. Focus on Fun. Suspenseful stories don’t

2. Captured Troglodytes

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

Halaster’s gates (see “Gates”). Carved into the arch’s keystone is a hand-shaped indentation with a sigil representing magic scribed into the palm. Its rules are as follows: Casting the mage hand

until the item is washed. The stench is not as potent as a troglodyte’s Stench trait and imposes no conditions on those who catch a whiff of it. The drow mage is deciding whether to kill the

Tips for Dungeon Masters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Borderlands Quest: Goblin Trouble

Tips for Dungeon Masters Rule 0. Rule 0 of D&D is simple: Have fun. It’s fine if everyone agrees to change the rules as long as doing so means the game is more fun for everyone. Be Supportive. The

into a part of the ongoing story. What does it look like when a monster is defeated? What does the Gnome Barbarian say or do if the heavy boulder blocking the cave doesn’t budge? These points in the

Goblin

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

. In their own minds, though, they are content to lurk in the shadows only until they fully come into their own and receive the recognition they believe they deserve. They are entitled to some credit

. You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin. In Ravnica, Goblin is a simplistic language with a limited vocabulary and fluid rules of grammar, unsuited for any sophisticated conversation.

Inside the Swarm

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

world. But the Golgari have also learned patience from nature; they are content to work from the shadows, harnessing the energy that comes from decay while the civilization of Ravnica slowly erodes and

power. Regardless of who rules the guild, the Devkarin follow the guidance of a high priest, called the matka. The matka’s spiritual leadership usually aligns with the guildmaster’s temporal commands

Drow

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

parties to the surface to capture humanoids under cover of darkness, bringing them back to their cities to be tortured into submission. Beyond those occasional excursions, the drow are content to remain

social ladder are drow of low birth and the occasional non-drow captive. Matriarchal Rule. Lolth, through her faithful priestesses, dictates the rules of drow society, ensuring that her orders and plots

Inspiration

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

those conventions. Players and Inspiration. Remember that a player with inspiration can award it to another player. Some groups even like to treat inspiration as a group resource, deciding collectively

your campaign is one where you let the dice fall where they may. It’s a good option for gritty campaigns or ones where the DM focuses on playing an impartial role as a rules arbiter. Variant: Only

Introducing Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Borderlands Quest: Goblin Trouble

do things. Encourage the other players on their turns and give suggestions when they ask for them. Be respectful if another player decides to do something that you wouldn’t do. More Rules Detail

an ability check or saving throw is the number that a player’s roll must equal or exceed to succeed. For example, if the Barbarian wants to move a heavy boulder blocking the mouth of a cave, that

Shipwreck Locations

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

seconds. C4: Captain’s Quarters The door to the captain’s quarters is barricaded from the inside, though the heavy wooden bar blocking the door is half rotten. A character who tries to force the door

makes the entire lower deck difficult terrain (see “Difficult Terrain” in the Basic Rules). Hole to the Hold. A hole in the ceiling in the northwest part of the area leads up to the captain’s quarters

Landgrave's Folly

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

available from alchemists in the Styes, being one of the district’s more popular exports. Before running this final part of the adventure, make sure you’re familiar with the rules on underwater combat

, unknown destiny. It was content to let Sgothgah serve its needs as it grew, but it had already decided to kill the aboleth once Sgothgah’s usefulness had run its course. The kraken has no interest in

Factions of Gracklstugh

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

laird, who rules over his or her own holdings and directs the clan in dedicating its efforts toward a particular trade or craft. A caste of priests called thuldar officiate all rituals and record the

to chafe under the Keepers’ control. He now wonders why he is content with a mere trickle of gold and a paltry handful of slaves, when he could simply force the entire city to bend knee to him and

Ruinous Citadel Locations

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

of the characters’ reaction to this revelation, learning it counts as a secret for the purposes of the Power of Secrets rules. At your discretion, if the characters help Naxa return to her sister and

troops fighting elsewhere, and Jallizanx is deciding how to give directions the dim-witted kakkuus can be reasonably expected to convey. When they see the characters, the kakkuus rush into melee while

Necropolis Locations (Y1-Y9)

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

barrier, which is immune to all damage and can’t be dispelled by dispel magic. The barrier also extends into the Ethereal Plane, blocking ethereal travel. Any creature that touches the barrier for the

. The rival team is composed of six galvan magen in white garments. All these magen are magically summoned to the field. The rules of Chain Lightning are summarized in the accompanying sidebar. If the

[Important] Beta Phase One - Basic Rules Content Only!

Forums - Re: [Important] Beta Phase One - Basic Rules Content Only!

point about what's available currently, so I thought I would pin this post to hopefully clear up some of that. Only the Basic Rules (SRD) content is live as of now! If you can't find a certain

spell, monster, or magic item, it's likely because it is not in the SRD. We will absolutely have all the official content available as we get a little further down the road - thanks again for helping us test!

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