before broad defusing close run

Deep Crow

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

, echoing from the darkness like a death knell. For by the time those glowing red eyes fix on you, it's far too late to run … Some adventurers and sages whisper that deep crows were first spawned as

resembles a massive version of its namesake bird, this creature is a unique form of avian insect. Seen up close, it can easily be discerned from any other giant bird by its insectoid maw, its four-clawed

Living Demiplane

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

, an unfurnished stone chamber 30 feet in every dimension. A creature too big to fit in this space succeeds on the saving throw automatically. Creatures in the chamber never run out of breathable air

extradimensional chamber are expelled, appearing as close to the living spell's previous location as possible. Each expelled creature appears in a randomly determined unoccupied space, along with whatever it is

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

ground. The dwarf clasped his old friend close for a brief instant, then, remembering his dignity, squirmed and freed himself from the half-elf’s embrace. — Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

like elves, and to elves, they look human. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as elves nor as broad as humans. They range from under 5 feet to

Mister Witch

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

company of their eldest son, Urmius Umbrage—a brooding shadar-kai ne’er do-well with a cruel sense of humor. Naeryx and Urmius were close in age and got along well in all respects. Years later

, without informing the rest of his family, Urmius bought a run-down carnival and persuaded Naeryx to help him operate it. Naeryx and Urmius—now calling themselves Mister Witch and Mister Light

Vedalken

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

external ears, their noses are broad and flat, and they are partially amphibious. Cool Rationality Despite being talkative, vedalken keep their personal lives private, and they tend to engage more

with ideas than with people. They form close friendships based on mutual interests or compelling disagreements, and their interactions dwell on their thoughts about those issues rather than their

Kithkin

races Lorwyn: First Light

Kithkin are short folk with stout legs, long arms, and sturdy torsos. Their broad faces; round ears; and large, expressive eyes lend them a vaguely ursine appearance. Most kithkin are linked by an

. They mostly live in fortified settlements called douns, where strict customs to preserve the social order. Shadowmoor kithkin leaders keep a close eye on their communities, monitoring for any sign of

Gnome Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

stare, then appeared to go back to sleep. — Richard Lee Byers, The Black Bouquet A constant hum of busy activity pervades the warrens and neighborhoods where gnomes form their close-knit

. Gnomes average slightly over 3 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their tan or brown faces are usually adorned with broad smiles (beneath their prodigious noses), and their bright eyes shine with

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds. A Broad Spectrum With their penchant for migration

Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle with members of other races. They get along with almost everyone, though they might not be close to many. Humans serve as ambassadors, diplomats

Centaur Legacy

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

freedom to travel. As much as they can, centaurs run — in wide plazas, spacious parks, and expanses of rubble and ruin. They race the wind, hooves thundering and tails streaming behind them

the Gruul and the Selesnya they are voices of memory and history, preserving old ways and keeping alive the legends of ancestral heroes. They feel a close kinship with wild animals, perhaps because of

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

variety of skills as they do to perfecting their combat abilities, giving them a broad expertise that few other characters can match. Many rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine the

treasure. Creating a Rogue As you create your rogue character, consider the character’s relationship to the law. Do you have a criminal past—or present? Are you on the run from the law or from

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that

that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. Shopkeepers keep a close eye on their goods when tieflings enter their stores, the town

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Guild. If either of them ever finds out, your life as you know it will be over. 6 A close friend or relative joined the Guild and vanished mysteriously. You’ve worked your way into the lower

tail and run when things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.

Strahd von Zarovich

Monsters Curse of Strahd

intelligently and do everything you can to make him a terrifying and cunning adversary for the player characters. When you run an encounter with Strahd, keep the following facts in mind: Strahd

close as he wishes. Closed doors can be magically locked (needing a successful DC 20 Strength check to force open) until Strahd chooses to end the effect, or until Strahd uses this lair action again

Running the Adventure

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

adventure. The “Overview” section describes how the adventure is expected to run and gives you a broad sense of what the player characters should be doing at any given time.

wilderness and adventure. You don’t need to be a Forgotten Realms expert to run the adventure; everything you need to know about the setting is contained in this content. If this is your first time

Finding Viantha

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sleeping Dragon’s Wake

by 4 or less, the characters get close and run into undead (see “Undead Encounter”). On a check failed by 5 or more, the characters find nothing. Undead Encounter The characters run into random undead

from the Undead Encounters table. The undead run amuck in the forest on their way to Claugiyliamatar’s lair and fight the characters to the death. The undead are loyal to Viantha and do not lead the

Know Your Players

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

and run adventures that they will enjoy and remember. Once you know which of the following activities each player in your group enjoys, you can tailor adventures to your players’ preferences. It’s

match their preferences. At best, a group of players is a lot like their characters, in that having different interests and capabilities enables them to handle a broad range of challenges.

Creating a Campaign

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal

broad range of levels. With a little work, you can run a complete campaign using only this book. Starting with The Sunless Citadel, guide your players through the adventures in the order that they are

Kithkin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lorwyn: First Light

Kithkin Kithkin are short folk with stout legs, long arms, and sturdy torsos. Their broad faces; round ears; and large, expressive eyes lend them a vaguely ursine appearance. Most kithkin are linked

, where strict customs to preserve the social order. Shadowmoor kithkin leaders keep a close eye on their communities, monitoring for any sign of crime or treason. Playing a Kithkin Use the Halfling

11. Watch Post

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

depth of 3 feet. The drow in area 11b attack intruders they spot moving through this cave. 11b. Watchers in the Dark Dry land rises gently out of the water to create a broad ledge dotted with 4-foot-high

rulership and move to the swamp’s edge to attack intruders detected in area 11a. If enemies close to melee range, the drow switch to melee weapons. If one drow elite warrior falls in battle, the

Location Overview

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

her tough demeanor. She is cold, calculating, charismatic, and knows how to run a business with ruthless efficiency and an eye for profit. The bartender is Backes Dunfield, a human with a scarred face

and a crooked smile. He started working for Martisha six months ago and quickly proved himself a valuable lieutenant. The cook is Cooragh Struckt, a half-orc who has been a close friend and confidante

Yellowcrest Lore

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

Yellowcrest Lore A thorough reading of the diary reveals the broad details of the lives of Sarah and the Yellowcrest family. Alternatively, if the characters call Sarah back (see below) and are able

closest business associate was an elf named Faerl, who visited Lord Viallis twice a tenday. Sarah had a romantic relationship with a young squire named Vecken, who lived close to the manor on Immar Street

Running the Siege

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

Running the Siege You have a few options on how to run the battle. Consider the following: You can treat each defender and orc as an individual, and run the combat as a long, complex encounter. If

you do so, the players should control some of the NPCs. You can streamline parts of the fight. The map of the ranch has been divided into specific zones, and you can run regular battles only in the zone

Dangerous Pathways

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

Dangerous Pathways As the characters travel deeper into the woods, they find themselves traversing winding pathways that seem to slowly close in from all sides. At the place where the hags

characters’ progress. If the check is 14 or higher, or if any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 14 studies the fey after they’ve been spotted, the fey appear mean and grubby. The fey run off if they are noticed, shouting with barely disguised menace to “enjoy our sunny woods.”

Character Advancement

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

run away and regroup, or take short or long rests between encounters, if they’re going to survive. In this chapter, you decide how quickly the characters advance in level. Treat the following as

surviving a close encounter with Arveiaturace the White Wyrm. Once the characters reach 7th level, they should no long gain levels by exploring locations or surviving random encounters in this chapter. Instead, direct them to the locations described in chapters 5 through 7.

Campaign Theme

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

and domination, whether embodied by the hosts of the Nine Hells or by humanoid rulers bent on conquering the world. With a theme such as “confrontation with mortality,” you can craft a broad range of

an abandoned building or tower. If you run horror adventures week after week, try using a villain who turns out to be ordinary, perhaps even silly. Comic relief is a great variation on almost any D&D campaign, though players usually provide it themselves.

Mirt's Quarters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer Academy

prone and soaked through by the sudden outflow of water. Topographic Map Close inspection of the map on the table reveals that it is set with tiny figurines representing troops. The figurines magically

is targeted by tiny catapults (+4 to hit; 3 bludgeoning damage on a hit). After making three such attacks, the catapults run out of ammunition. Walk-In Wardrobe This magical wardrobe ensures that

The Watch Arrives

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

suspects by virtue of their proximity to the crime scene, it hardly seems plausible that they would unleash destructive magic so close to their place of business in broad daylight. Consequently

Greyhawk Conflicts

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

Greyhawk Conflicts Although Greyhawk lends itself well to any D&D adventure you might want to run, the default setting features conflicts with three major villainous groups: chromatic dragons

between adventurers and chromatic dragons might follow this broad outline: Levels 1–4. Consider introducing this conflict as the adventurers reach level 3 or 4, with the adventurers confronting an

D3. Courtyard

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

took out the guards in area D2, the courtyard is unguarded, and they can hear hammering from somewhere north of the courtyard (area D7). Windows. The windows that run along the north wall, overlooking

the courtyard, are 20 feet up. They run the length of the south wall of area D7. Each window is an open rectangle 7 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Ruse. If the characters triggered the trap in area D1 or

Vedalken

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

blue or violet. They lack external ears, their noses are broad and flat, and they are partially amphibious. Cool Rationality Despite being talkative, vedalken keep their personal lives private, and they

tend to engage more with ideas than with people. They form close friendships based on mutual interests or compelling disagreements, and their interactions dwell on their thoughts about those issues

Quest: Bank Job

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands

Quest: Bank Job At the service counter, Quink asks the characters if they’re adventurers looking for work. If they say yes, she leans in close and speaks to them in hushed tones. Read the following

lock. The thief is Indifferent toward and wary of the characters if approached but doesn’t immediately run away. As an Influence action, a character can dissuade the thief and make one of these ability

Battle Begins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Battle Begins This section has no set timeline or specific goals beyond involving characters in Kalaman’s desperate defense. Roll on or choose the encounters you want to run from the Defending the

close, the death dragon has already used its Cataclysmic Breath to kill four Kalaman soldiers, transforming them into zombies. Draconian Assassins While the characters are at the Trade Gate command post

Sharn Watch

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

wards, it doesn’t work at all. This assessment is close enough to the truth. There’s an important undercurrent in the situation, however. Although most officers of the Watch take bribes, that doesn’t mean

law, they’re just troublemakers who deserve to be run in. As another example, the guards of the Dura Bazaar have an understanding with the gang of pickpockets known as the Little Fingers. As long as the

Interesting Locations

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

. Students feeling bold may descend as far as Lower Menthis, home to a wide variety of illicit entertainments… including the prizefights of the Burning Ring. But for those who stay close to home, here’s a

a lively debate on the current state of the Race of Eight Winds. Detention is run by a halfling who calls herself Brandy. She claims to be a excoriate, driven from House Ghallanda after refusing to

Life in Akharin Sangar

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

for knowledge permeates Akharin Sangar. Its many independent schools are free to teach broad curricula that beget a well-read populace, although the long list of censored works constrains opportunities

curfew after sundown, and everyday interactions are tinged with restraint to steer clear of Atash’s forbiddances. Sangarians reserve intimacy for family and close friends, lowering their social guard

D&D Beyond

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