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Returning 35 results for 'before both distant cautious reason'.
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
provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location.
d6
Reason
d6
Reason
1
Emissary
4
Pilgrim
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her.
Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale
time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is incapable of showing mercy or compassion. Play her as a supremely cold and
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her.
Auril’s worshipers know better than to
can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is
Lizardfolk
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
emotion and empathy. The same label serves as an apt depiction of lizardfolk.
Lacking any internal emotional reactions, lizardfolk behave in a distant manner. They don’t mourn fallen comrades or
quirk for a lizardfolk character or to inspire a unique mannerism.
Lizardfolk Quirks
d8
Quirk
1
You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and
Kobold
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and
provoke retaliatory attacks from the creatures they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat.
In a couple of situations, kobolds might
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
night while also granting spells to her devoted followers leaves Auril weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures
might prove helpful:
So long as she has mortal worshipers, Auril can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Coast region could host Yeonido. The distant relationship between the people of Krynn and their gods could be another reason why some of the city’s dead have difficulty finding peace. Forgotten Realms
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
sky, anchored in ends so distant she couldn’t perceive them, their middle parts revolving angrily like pieces of string rolled between a child’s fingertips. She glanced down, wondering what supported
great silvery sea, the same above and below, with swirling wisps of white and gray streaking among motes of light like distant stars. Most of the Astral Sea is a vast, empty expanse. Visitors occasionally
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal
A Typical Evening On quiet nights, guests in the Yawning Portal gather around a large fireplace in the taproom and swap tales of distant places, strange monsters, and valuable treasures. On busier
ambitious souls might launch impromptu expeditions into the dungeon. Few such ill-prepared parties ever return. Groups seeking to enter Undermountain for a specific reason generally come to the tavern
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
off from these parts. If the Dessarin Valley isn’t quite as wild and lawless as it once was, it’s still lightly settled territory that serves as a route to distant lands. Residents in places such as
, apples, and hops, then ship them downriver (or drive them down the Long Road) to the coast. Few people become rich from farming, but farmers in the region do well for themselves provided the weather cooperates. (That’s one reason why the unusual weather lately has been a concern.)
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and other useful items, but if they
they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might abandon this careful approach. First, because of their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
villains to add to their terrifying menagerie. To what end, no one knows. The Dark Powers don’t move in the shadows of Ravenloft; they are the shadows. They’re the Mists and the darkness. They’re the reason
Ravenloft, but they are unknown to mortals and desire no worship. Despite the control the Dark Powers exert, these beings remain distant from the domains they manipulate. Although some of their names
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
of your players want to create characters from more distant lands, use the suggestions provided in the previous section for why the characters are now in Neverwinter. If they don’t already have one
, the characters need a reason for Lord Neverember to request their help in chapter 1, even if it’s simply because their heroics are widely known. Regardless, 10th-level characters have already had long
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Where Are You From? The most important decision in creating a far traveler background is determining your homeland. The places discussed here are all sufficiently distant from the North and the Sword
distant parts of Faerûn. Those who leave behind Mulhorand’s sweltering deserts and ancient pyramids for a glimpse at a different life do so for many reasons. You might be in the North simply to see
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
extremely cautious, always on the lookout for monsters and other dangers. 5 You always see the bright side of a situation. 6 You like to collect mementos of your travels. Halfling Ideals d6 Ideal 1
for just one slice when you can have the whole cake. Reasons for Adventuring d6 Reason 1 Peeling taters and herding goats all the time wasn’t your cup of tea. 2 You fell asleep on a raft one day
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
on the High Road. The dwarves of Thornhold at the southern end of the Mere of Dead Men might be concerned allies or remain distant and cautious, more wary of the machinations of the Margaster family
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
keeping watch with other travelers. Then in the midst of a crisis of leadership in distant Elturel, one of the heirs apparent for the post of High Observer, a paladin named Tamal Thent, went missing with
camp at Fort Tamal never seemed to need such a robust guard before. Even the relative nearness of Najara seems to provide little reason for so many of Elturgard’s mightiest defenders to be squandered
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
influence in nations as distant as Calimshan and Cormyr. Be assured that any slighting of a noble will not be forgotten or easily forgiven. If you’re not certain whether someone is a noble, address the
charitable actions such as burial of the unknown dead. Their motives are manifold, but their actions — no matter the reason — earn them loyalty and high regard from those who benefit from their largesse
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
the battlefield for some reason. Vaeve asks the characters to escort Naxa from the citadel back to Carapace Ridge. There’s significant treasure in the citadel, Vaeve says, and Vaeve would be grateful
Camlash’s forces, and the lower entrance is guarded by spyder-fiends. Vaeve points out both entrances to the cliffside redoubt, two miles distant and barely visible through the blowing fog. If the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
ago that are distant or even ancient history to humans might have been experienced firsthand by many elves who are still alive. And an elf’s memory of such events is likely more accurate than a well
humans to comprehend. An elf seldom becomes sentimentally attached to physical objects such as manufactured structures and furnishings, except those of personal significance, for the simple reason that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
. Obviators are cautious because they know precisely how dangerous any moment can be — and they are dangerous for the same reason. An obviator is like a lethal walking library. And if you were to face
an Obviator? d8 Reason
1 There’s nothing that excites you more than a puzzle you can’t immediately solve.
2 Your favorite saying is, “All according to plan.” Especially when you have
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
goats, the soil being too thin and too poor for farming. They aren’t Uthgardt or related to them, but they might have some distant ties to the Northlanders, as they seem to be of Illuskan stock. They
forest aren’t in a foul mood or stirred up against outsiders for some other reason. Secomber Just off the High Moor, on the north bank of the Delimbiyr near the Unicorn Run, is the small town of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
, and other peoples, as some of them rise to greet the morning and others retire after a hard night of work or play. They are the reason she is here: sworn to protect them, she leads a flight of roc
a distant tower. Standing in her stirrups and raising her sword, she turns her mount toward the dragon, ready to battle once again for the sake of Ravnica. Ravnica is a whole new world for your
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
glasses.
3 Burning a small piece of the body and looking for shapes in the smoke.
4 A cautious, reasoned, professional guesstimate.
5 Careful measurements. The distance between
dawn seven days later. I don’t really understand occultants, and to be honest, they scare the Abyss out of me.
— Jim Darkmagic
Why Be an Occultant? d8 Reason
1 You believe in karmic
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
noble visiting from a distant city. Resolution. After a workweek of carousing, a character stands to make contacts within the selected social class. The character makes a Charisma (Persuasion) check
has made two allied contacts. 21+ Character has made three allied contacts. Contacts are NPCs who now share a bond with the character. Each one either owes the character a favor or has some reason to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Evermeet What I tell you now is truth as pure as Garl’s nugget, and the only reason I’ve written it in a book for all to see is that no one else shall ever achieve the feat: I stowed away on a ship
enraptured. As to what we beheld, well, imagine a place of staggering natural beauty and impossible elven artifice, an alien realm as distant and beautiful as the stars, but as much a part of you as
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
wisps of white and gray streaking among motes of light—the distant stars of far-flung Wildspace systems. Most of the Astral Sea is a vast, empty expanse. Visitors occasionally stumble upon the
. Creatures on the Astral Plane don’t age or suffer from hunger or thirst. For this reason, creatures that live on the Astral Plane (such as githyanki) establish outposts on other planes, often the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
stop them. In Eberron, the gods are distant and don’t directly intervene. The Silver Flame is a divine force of light, but it can only act through mortal champions. The few powerful benevolent NPCs
match for every story. Remarkable Villains. One reason the world needs heroes is because it already has villains. It may be a long time before you’re ready to face the archlich Erandis Vol in battle. But
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Domains of Delight: A Feywild Accessory
indebted to look to the killer to make good on the creature’s unfulfilled debts. Fey are understandably cautious when collecting debts from a person who is prone to violence. They usually make their
creature, that allows a character to claim what would otherwise be impossible to obtain. For this reason, a Fey can’t claim such a thing unless they and the creature with which they made the contract are
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Serpent Hills, where we were taken prisoner by yuan-ti patrolling the borders of their domain. The half-elf was hauled away in slaver’s chains, but for some reason I was taken to the court of Jarant
Wyrms that I fled Najara, though Dhosun advised me against doing so. Ultimately, I chose it for the same reason he tried to discourage me: because only a fool would enter this wood intentionally. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
, such appellations come about because in the distant past, a halfling matriarch or patriarch performed a memorable feat or displayed some amazing skill that led to a name that stuck. Clans with
. Whatever the reason, travelers might look for a halfling village, but they fail to notice a narrow path that cuts through the underbrush, or they find themselves traveling in circles and getting no
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
with a potion of healing or a flask of acid, as you choose. 9 You found a treasure map. 10 A distant relative left you a stipend that enables you to live at the comfortable lifestyle for 1d20 years
becomes indifferent at best, though they might eventually forgive you. 10 For a reason you were never told, you were exiled from your community. You then either wandered in the wilderness for a time or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
; otherwise, several dwarf clerks work here during the day, logging deliveries at the docks to be transported to the mine and arranging for the processed ore to be loaded on trade ships bound for distant ports
nearly 7 feet — make him an unmistakable figure in town. Keledek came to town years ago from Ket, a distant kingdom held in a mix of contempt, mistrust, and fear by the locals. Rumor around town claims
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Netheril’s Fall: Tales of Terror, Treasure, and Time Travel
by mages are frigid cracks in reality leading to the Plane of Ice, Stygia (the frozen fifth layer of the Nine Hells), Limbo, and other distant planes. Adventurers might be asked to deal with monsters
resources or governing tribunals. Adventurers looking to sway the city’s legal authority might approach Derathar, but they would do well to be cautious of her famously short temper and long memory
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
contact distant patrons. J3: Grell Lair This tall chamber contains stalactites and stalagmites. Many of them are broken, littering the floor with sharp stones.
Four grells lurk amid the stalactites
. The behir is hungry but cautious. If the characters don’t attack, the behir asks them in Draconic to drive the gricks out of the adjoining cave. If a fight breaks out, the behir tries to maneuver into