before both defeat creating realize

Relentless Slasher

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

fear into innocents across lands and over ages. Creating a Relentless Killer Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a

relentless killer, consider what circumstances led to their transformation and signature methods. Roll or choose options from the Relentless Origins and Relentless Methods tables when creating your own

Relentless Juggernaut

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

is washed away in a tide of gore and rage. These killers’ grisly work swiftly becomes the stuff of legends,striking fear into innocents across lands and over ages. Creating a Relentless Killer

Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a relentless killer, consider what circumstances led to their transformation and

Soldier Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and

forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. 5 Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. 6 I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

sufficient to defeat whatever threats arise. A Life of Danger A barbarian plays an important role as a protector of their people and a leader in times of war. Life in the wild places of the world is

the closeknit family structures of the tribe, but eventually find them replaced by the bonds formed among the members of their adventuring parties. Creating a Barbarian When creating a barbarian

Morkoth Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

without expending a spell slot. Regional Effects The island surrounding a morkoth's lair is warped by the creature's presence, creating the following effects: The morkoth is aware of any new

each of its turns to enter the lair and to move toward the morkoth's location (the target doesn't realize it's heading toward a creature). The target moves toward the morkoth by the most direct route

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can’t be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and

you from using them at every opportunity. 7 You appreciate the soft humanoids who realize they need chain mail and swords to match the gifts you were born with. 8 You enjoy eating your

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred. d8 Personality Trait 1 I’m always polite and

life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind. 3 My honor is my life. 4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it

Morkoth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

warped by the creature’s presence, creating the following effects: Alter Water. With a thought (no action required), the morkoth can initiate a change in the water within its lair that takes

failed save, the creature feels an intense urge to use its movement on each of its turns to enter the lair and to move toward the morkoth’s location (the target doesn’t realize it’s

Giff

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

divine beings who created giff have likewise been forgotten. Their titanic petrified bodies drift on the Astral Sea, isolated and unrecognizable in their current forms. Although they don’t realize

blossom into hard feelings, loud arguments, and head-butting contests, but they rarely escalate beyond that. Creating Your Character When you create your D&D character, you decide whether your

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

few miles from where they were born. You aren’t one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk in the North realize that it exists, and chances are

2 Exile 5 Sightseer 3 Fugitive 6 Wanderer Where Are You From? The most important decision in creating a far traveler background is determining your homeland. The places

Wrapping Up

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

Wrapping Up If the characters defeat the refraction of Ilvaash, the entire Briny Maze shudders. Any denizens of the maze still within it realize that the godlet has been dealt a terrible blow, and

defeat the refraction: Far Realm Access. Access to the rest of the Far Realm is enabled. A second gateway opens beside the passage to Illithinoch in the Briny Maze (area B1). The second gateway

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

an orc war band celebrating its recent victory. Silently, he stalks into their midst and whispers an oath, and two orcs are dead before they even realize he is there. Silver hair shining in a shaft

, and even the smallest victory against it can tilt the cosmic balance away from oblivion. Creating a Paladin The most important aspect of a paladin character is the nature of his or her holy quest

9. Closed Chambers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

outward if a simple latch is turned. When the characters arrive, one cult fanatic and four cultists are searching the floor for Iskander. The cultists quickly realize they can’t defeat the adventurers

9. Closed Chambers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

outward if a simple latch is turned. When the characters arrive, one cult fanatic and four cultists are searching the floor for Iskander. The cultists quickly realize they can’t defeat the adventurers

Experience Points

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

challenge rating. When adventurers defeat one or more monsters — typically by killing, routing, or capturing them — they divide the total XP value of the monsters evenly among themselves. If the party

received substantial assistance from one or more NPCs, count those NPCs as party members when dividing up the XP. (Because the NPCs made the fight easier, individual characters receive fewer XP.) Chapter 3, "Creating Adventures" provides guidelines for designing combat encounters using experience points.

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

energy. And they are particularly intrigued by Undead, sometimes keeping them in their hoards as curios. Creating a Topaz Dragon Use the Topaz Dragon Personality Traits and Topaz Dragon Ideals tables

realize they enjoy hunting together. 5 A tempestuous marid continually floods the carefully dried-out lair of a topaz dragon. 6 A sahuagin baron attempts to gain the support of other sahuagin

Mogis's Champions

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

Triumph in a contest of strength or endurance to prove Mogis’s superiority over other gods. 6 Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Iroas, Heliod, or Ephara). A Mogis Campaign A campaign

fealty. As the characters become immersed in their plans for vengeance, Mogis, acting through his agents, pushes them farther down a dark path until, at last, they realize what they have become. The

Developing a Darklord

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

when creating your Darklord’s backstory: What was the first depraved act the Darklord chose to commit, and how did their ideal encourage them down this path? Was the Darklord rewarded or celebrated for

future Darklord realize that they were losing any hope of redemption, yet choose to commit other heinous acts in keeping with their flaw? What evil act was so atrocious that the future Darklord’s

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

Mogis as Campaign Villain

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

d4 Scheme 1 A champion of Mogis unites the minotaur bands and cyclops tribes of Phoberos under her banner, creating a terrifying army. At Mogis’s command, she leads the army in an all-out

assault on Akros, hoping to draw Iroas into battle and defeat him once and for all. 2 Mogis bargains with Pharika, convincing her to create elixirs that will turn his followers into invincible

Attack of the Nematode

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

arrives on a dark night, its darker shadow against the starlight the only indication of its presence. The people of Phandalin don’t initially realize the Nematode is anything other than a cloud passing

Nematode writhing 500 feet above the town like a malevolent cloud. The creature is far too large to defeat by conventional attacks or spells, so the characters must once again explore the Nematode from

Chapter 8: Arena of Blood

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis

coalition to defeat the Xaryxian Empire doesn’t exist—but that a mercane arms merchant named Vocath might be the key to creating one. If the characters want to form a coalition, they must first persuade

Optional Encounter

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

Optional Encounter If the characters are struggling or you worry about their ability to defeat the dracolich at the end of the adventure, this encounter adds a “here comes the cavalry” possibility to

realize that the golem can dispel magic, you can have the golem do this automatically and the players learn about it that way. If freed, Ogruhl expresses its immense gratitude and eagerly wants to reclaim its ancestral territory. The bravest chwingas come out to bestow a charm on each of the characters.

Evolving the Encounter Deck

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

Evolving the Encounter Deck Evolving your encounter deck fosters a sense of progress, creating a rough narrative arc as the adventurers explore an area. You can evolve the deck to make encounters

; don’t put that card into the deck until the characters defeat one or more creatures from the second deck. At that point, shuffle the goal card into the second deck.

Doppelganger

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

-reading abilities aid them in creating near-perfect disguises and plucking secrets from unguarded minds. Occasionally, doppelgangers use their shape-shifting ability in more overt ways, transforming into

is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. Meeting yourself is the surest way to realize you’re not as charming as you think you are. —Someone claiming to be Lorhirin of Fearchor Keep

Folk Horror

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

traditions beyond their understanding. Alternatively, characters might realize their own beliefs are lies as others reveal unsettling truths. Communities that ascribe to the traditions of folk horror

traditions have ways of excising blasphemers. Consider the following genre tropes when creating your folk horror domain: Strange and potentially dangerous traditions flourish in isolated or otherwise private

Creating a Bronze Dragon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Creating a Bronze Dragon Bronze dragons are the absolute worst at transforming themselves into human form. They always embellish with extra hair in all sorts of places. I applaud ingenuity, but in

lie outright, though I choose my words carefully. I will fight to the death rather than break my word or abandon a comrade. (Lawful) 4 Discipline. Disorganization breeds defeat. I demand self

Roleplaying a Beholder

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

, emotionless logic is the way I defeat my foes. 3 I determine if a creature is worth keeping alive within the first minute of speaking to it. 4 I frequently dream of [a particular creature] and am

to recover an ancient tome that contains the secret of creating perfect, obedient clones of myself. Beholder Flaws d6 Flaw 1 I usually ignore advice from my minions. 2 I enjoy taunting rivals with

During the Siege

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

horde soon begins overwhelming defenses nearby. Once the characters defeat a few zombies, roll 1d6 and consult the Zombie Siege Encounters table. The event rolled unfolds within sight of one of the

wall. 6 Zombie bodies pile up, creating a growing ramp onto a section of wall. 7 Zombies dig through or under the wall, allowing them to flow steadily into the city. 8 Zombies cause a

Hazlik

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

pursuits, such as creating the perfect mortal form and visiting dream realms within an individual’s psyche. As Hazlik advanced in power, he developed rivalries with his fellow Red Wizards. Through

one competitor Hazlik was unable to defeat: the Red Wizard Indreficus. Hazlik gradually came to fixate on Indreficus as his true rival. Indreficus shared Hazlik’s genius and arrogance, and they spent

Drowned Sailors

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

the cleric’s sacred flame cantrip), you might describe the creature howling in agony. This can help the players realize that radiant damage is a way to get around Undead Fortitude. If the players ask

damage can help finish off a zombie. Runara’s Aid. In the unlikely event that the zombies defeat the adventurers, Runara comes to their rescue. The characters wake up in the temple (area A5 in Dragon’s

Xanthoria's Defeat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

Xanthoria’s Defeat Once Xanthoria is defeated, the characters find the last few pages of her notes among her possessions. They detail her growing obsession with undead and her success at turning

. Promising to complete Xanthoria’s original mission to rid the surrounding forest of undead. Destroying Xanthoria’s notes so that the process of creating a lichen lich can never be duplicated by anyone else

Drowned Sailors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Intro to Stormwreck Isle

players realize that radiant damage is a way to get around Undead Fortitude. If the players ask whether their characters know anything about fighting zombies, have them make DC 10 Intelligence checks

. Those who succeed might recall that a particularly powerful blow (a critical hit) or radiant damage can help finish off a zombie. Runara’s Aid. In the unlikely event that the zombies defeat the

Creating Sentient Magic Items

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

Creating Sentient Magic Items When you decide to make a magic item sentient, you create the item's persona in the same way you would create an NPC, with a few exceptions described here. Abilities A

defeat or destroy those of a diametrically opposed alignment. (Such an item is never neutral.) 2 Bane: The item seeks to defeat or destroy creatures of a particular kind, such as fiends, shapechangers

Neverlight Grove

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

. Through telepathically shared dreams, corruption has taken root deep within the colony, warping the myconids’ normally placid and peaceful nature into something restive and rapturous. A few realize what is

the growth of fungi and the myconids. Abundant Fungi. Mushrooms, molds, and fungi grow in abundance in Neverlight Grove, creating a bizarre yet beautiful tapestry of color. Quiet Cacophony

D&D Beyond

Search Results