before bringing daring cities ranging

College of Swords

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Bards of the College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Blades perform stunts such as sword swallowing, knife throwing and juggling, and mock

might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other blades strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against the cruel and powerful. Most

College of Swords (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Bards of the College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Blades perform stunts such as sword swallowing, knife throwing and juggling, and mock

might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other blades strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against the cruel and powerful. Most

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves

seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing power, wealth, and fame. More than other people

Gith Legacy

Species Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

by revenge and convinced that they deserved to take whatever they wanted from the worlds they traveled. Ranging out from the titanic city of Tu’narath on the Astral Plane, they send raiders out

to plunder the Material Plane and other worlds, bringing treasures and slaves back to their ageless realm. At the same time, they hunt down and kill mind flayers whenever possible, as recompense for

Dragonborn Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

colors of their dragon kin, but generations of interbreeding have created a more uniform appearance. Their small, fine scales are usually brass or bronze in color, sometimes ranging to scarlet, rust

than life itself. Dragonborn owe their devotion and respect to their clan above all else, even the gods. Each dragonborn’s conduct reflects on the honor of his or her clan, and bringing dishonor

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

; scales are dull yellow-orange and have a cloudy or filmy look. As they age, their scales harden and clarify, becoming translucent and faceted, and ranging from bright yellow to rich amber in color

Creatures 1 Moved by pity, a giant eagle continues bringing food to an abandoned topaz dragon wyrmling, despite the wyrmling’s attempts to eat the eagle. 2 A pseudodragon who is

Wizard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

circle, bringing a whiff of brimstone from the otherworldly plane beyond. Crouching on the floor in a dungeon intersection, a gnome tosses a handful of small bones inscribed with mystic symbols

knowledge and power calls even the most unadventurous wizards out of the safety of their libraries and laboratories and into crumbling ruins and lost cities. Most wizards believe that their counterparts

Factions and Organizations

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

and cities, with or without a similarly wide-ranging political authority. Organizations can play an important part in the lives of player characters, becoming their patrons, allies, or enemies just like

Ancient Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

While the petty squabbles of other creatures bore and irritate me, I might hear out those who demonstrate an appreciation for the finer things in life by bringing me delicacies like clams or aboleth

alliances or enmities. Their lairs are highly individual. Some are woven from networks of living fungus. Others are built upon the ruins of ancient cities or carved into caves near underground lakes. Deep

Adult Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

While the petty squabbles of other creatures bore and irritate me, I might hear out those who demonstrate an appreciation for the finer things in life by bringing me delicacies like clams or aboleth

with whom they have alliances or enmities. Their lairs are highly individual. Some are woven from networks of living fungus. Others are built upon the ruins of ancient cities or carved into caves near

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. They settle in places that accept them, usually bleak cities that have fallen on hard times and are overrun with crime. Dreams of Flight Above all else, kenku wish to regain their ability to fly

adventurers are usually the survivors of a flock that has sustained heavy losses, or a rare kenku who has grown weary of a life of crime. These kenku are more ambitious and daring than their fellows

Duergar Calassabrak

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

changed and even deadlier than before. The planetar slaughtered a number of Valtagar’s followers until the prince stood before the planetar alone, empty-handed and daring the fallen angel to kill him

, and seize control of the Terminus Level. Toward that end, he is quick to forge alliances with adventurers who are also interested in bringing about the planetar’s downfall.

The Forgotten Realms

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

D&D settings are somewhere between those two extremes: worlds of medieval high fantasy with knights and castles, as well as elven cities, dwarven mines, and fearsome monsters. The world of the

. Rogues prowl the dark alleyways of teeming cities such as Neverwinter and Baldur’s Gate. Clerics in the service of gods wield mace and spell, questing against the terrifying powers that threaten the land

Chapter 4: Gith and Their Endless War

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

paths. The githyanki were motivated by revenge and convinced that they deserved to take whatever they wanted from the worlds they traveled. Ranging out from the titanic city of Tu’narath on the Astral

Plane, they send raiders out to plunder the Material Plane and other worlds, bringing treasures and slaves back to their ageless realm. At the same time, they hunt down and kill mind flayers whenever

Purphoros as Campaign Villain

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

appreciate his creations, Purphoros breaks the Nyx-infused chains that bind the ancient red dragon Thraxes, allowing it to go on a far-ranging rampage. 3 Gripped by sudden inspiration, Purphoros begins

building a massive Nyx-bronze bridge that will link Mount Velus in the mortal world with Nyx itself. Every god opposes him in this effort. Can the construction effort be sabotaged without bringing the

Half-Orc Homelands

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

and most civilized of these places that half-orcs are likely to find acceptance — in the great cities where people are often more cosmopolitan in their outlook. In Waterdeep, for instance, half-orcs

city, whether they were born there, arrived overland from elsewhere on the continent, or entered the city by way of ships bringing trade.

Phenax's Champions

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

the new moon. 2 One of your parents is a champion of Phenax. 3 You pulled off a daring theft or escaped from confinement at a young age. 4 You have proven yourself a capable liar

daring robbery Obstruct champions of other gods Building or restoring a temple to Phenax Your piety score to Phenax decreases if you diminish Phenax’s influence in the world, contradict his ideals, or make

Background

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

Background The time of dragons dawns. Calling upon ancient magic and a host of draconic allies, the Cult of the Dragon seeks to unleash Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells. By bringing the Queen

major cities and fortresses. Villagers have abandoned their homes, fleeing the constant predation of dragons. In many cities, all-out panic has created a growing movement in favor of agreeing to the

Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Background The time of dragons dawns. Calling upon ancient magic and a host of draconic allies, the Cult of the Dragon seeks to unleash Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells. By bringing the Queen

major cities and fortresses. Villagers have abandoned their homes, fleeing the constant predation of dragons. In many cities, all-out panic has created a growing movement in favor of agreeing to the

Background

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

Background The time of dragons dawns. Calling upon ancient magic and a host of draconic allies, the Cult of the Dragon seeks to unleash Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells. By bringing the Queen

major cities and fortresses. Villagers have abandoned their homes, fleeing the constant predation of dragons. In many cities, all-out panic has created a growing movement in favor of agreeing to the

The Forgotten Realms

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

the Realms, fighters dare the crypts of the fallen dwarf kings of Delzoun, seeking glory and treasure. Rogues prowl the dark alleyways of teeming cities such as Neverwinter and Baldur’s Gate. Clerics

called the Sword Coast. This region is a place of adventure, where daring souls delve into ancient strongholds and explore the ruins of long-lost kingdoms. Amid a lawless wilderness of jagged, snow

Life in Shankhabhumi

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

swamps. Citizens who were away from home were left stranded. Those survivors and their descendants assimilated into the other cities, bringing Manivarsha’s traditions of gem-cutting and jewel-setting

cities as a reminder that life in Shankhabhumi can easily be swept away. Power in each city is shared between three factions—fifteen senators who officially govern the affairs of the city-state; a

Heliod as Campaign Villain

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

. From there, it’s a small step to suppressing the open worship of other gods, then trying to spread both policies to other cities. If the characters are champions of other gods, they might find

a wide-ranging impact on the pantheon and the mortal world. The Heliod’s Divine Schemes table offers examples of how the god might have a mythic impact on the mortal world, embroiling the characters

Transportation

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

elemental engine pulls a train of linked coaches over a path of conductor stones, maintaining a speed of 30 miles per hour. The rail links most of the major cities of the Five Nations, though the

ranging between the modest coaches shared by most travelers (1 gp/day) and the wealthy luxury coaches (4 gp/day). People satisfied with squalid accomodations can try to stow away on a cargo car, but

Build Your Group

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

land and bringing fugitives to justice. Fighters and paladins make natural Marshals, many being former soldiers who continue fighting the Last War in different venues. They often have reasonable

disasters jeopardizing the nation as a whole. Wardens are often rangers or druids, with proficiency in Nature and Perception. They might come from backgrounds as outlanders or hermits, making them more comfortable in the wilds than in cities or royal courts.

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

in their subterranean realm, where they feel secure and in control. Underdark Cities. The drow build fantastic cities in enormous caverns where food and water are abundant. Their ability to sculpt

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

who serve Yurtrus and Shargaas. Some are sent forth into the cities dominated by humans, on dark missions. Beware them. — Elminster Search, Destroy, Repeat When a tribe is on the move, orc

raid just as another group returns, laden with severed heads, sacks of loot, and armfuls of food. Warriors also serve as scouts, bringing back detailed reports about the surrounding area so that the

Life in the Styes

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

Styes, ranging from large public houses to holes-in-the-wall with two tables and nothing but acrid, home-brewed rotgut on tap. The clientele are uniformly glum and morose, and brawls and fights are

common. The best taverns in the Styes would be considered dives in most cities — and its inns are no better. Visitors are advised to bring their own bedding to avoid bugs, and to move the bed in front

The First Flowering

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

dwarf clans united as the nation of Delzoun, named for its forge-founder, with dwarfholds built on sites ranging from the Ice Mountains to the Nether Mountains and the Narrow Sea, and settlements and

the sunlit lands of the World Above into the Underdark. They abandoned all loyalty to the elven gods who betrayed and banished them, turning instead to Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders, as their patron. Wars soon began between the drow and the underground cities of the dwarves.

Thassa's Influence

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

Thassa’s Influence To most mortals, Thassa is the sea, and the sea is Thassa. The wind and waves, the tides, and the ocean’s bounty, ranging from small fish to the enormous krakens—all these are

for the gods who oversee work she believes best left to mortals: Ephara with her cities, Karametra with her fields, Pharika with her tinctures, Mogis and Iroas with their armies. To Thassa’s mind, her peers are building castles in the sand, unaware or unmindful that the tide will sweep them away.

Flavors of Fantasy

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

on Greek myth or the Epic of Gilgamesh, and so on. Heroic Fantasy Heroic fantasy features adventurers bringing magic to bear against monstrous threats—the default subgenre presented in the core D&D

decadent cities, where the protagonists are often motivated more by greed and self-interest than by altruistic virtue. Sword-and-Sorcery Conflicts. In this flavor of campaign, magic-users often

College of Swords

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

College of Swords Bards of the College of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Blades perform stunts such as sword swallowing, knife throwing and

lives. One blade might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other blades strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against the cruel and

Map of the Sword Coast

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

Map of the Sword Coast The map below shows a region of the Forgotten Realms called the Sword Coast. This is a place of adventure, where daring souls delve into ancient strongholds and explore the

monsters. High Road This highway hugs the coast, connecting Neverwinter to the coastal cities of Luskan to the north and Waterdeep to the south. For years, the stretch of road south of Neverwinter fell

Redeeming Zariel

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

blade. Presenting the Sword To redeem Zariel, the characters must possess the Sword of Zariel. Bringing the sword within 10 feet of Zariel causes the weapon to glow brighter, then levitate to hover

tale of the two cities has been successfully completed to the characters’ satisfaction, the events of the adventure continue to play out in Baldur’s Gate and Elturel after the fact. In particular, if

Adventure Setting

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

from grim fortresses to wage war against their neighbors, ogres and trolls plunder farmsteads for food, and monstrous spiders drop from web-shrouded trees. Adventures can also take place in cities

images that can inspire your mapmaking. Bringing a Location to Life An inhabited adventure location has its own ecosystem. The creatures that live there need to eat, drink, breathe, and sleep

D&D Beyond

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