before build defusing courage rather

Pidlwick II

Monsters Curse of Strahd

return the courtesy, the duchess commissioned the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg to build a clockwork effigy of Pidlwick as a gift for Strahd's family. Although the duchess's heart was in the right

, instead assuming that the guests had died in their sleep. But Strahd was not fooled. He came to realize fairly quickly that the clockwork effigy had begun to display a murderous nature. Rather than have

Young Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

… oh my goodness, is that circlet made of silver? 7 I find the waking world tedious and mundane and would much rather spend my time asleep, in the realm of dreams. 8 I find the

1 A young moonstone dragon on the cusp of adulthood refuses to settle down and build a lair. To protect the local populace from the dragon’s chaotic activities, a minor deity sends a deva

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty

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

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering. Kind and

communities are threatened. Pastoral Pleasantries Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They rarely build kingdoms of their own or even hold much

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

would rather make one precise strike, placing it exactly where the attack will hurt the target most, than wear an opponent down with a barrage of attacks. Rogues have an almost supernatural knack for

. QUICK BUILD You can make a rogue quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score. Make Intelligence your next-highest if you want to excel at

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

fraught with peril: rival tribes, deadly weather, and terrifying monsters. Barbarians charge headlong into that danger so that their people don’t have to. Their courage in the face of danger makes

violated, or a coup that removed you from a position of authority. QUICK BUILD You can make a barbarian quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

necessary, using their magic to bolster their swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many

, making a bargain for a musical gift in addition to your life and freedom, but at what cost? QUICK BUILD You can make a bard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive

their patrons in dreams or waking visions, or deal only with intermediaries. QUICK BUILD You can make a warlock quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability

Iroas

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

rather than a horse’s, clad in gleaming armor and wielding a spear and shield. He speaks in a booming baritone that projects power, confidence, and courage. He has been known to appear as a burly soldier

, mercenaries, and athletes all pray for Iroas’s favor in securing victory. Common folk pray to Iroas for courage and fortitude in times of struggle, for his is the battle nobly fought and won. Bold and

Droaam

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

ogres and mangy gnolls, King Boranel’s legendary courage has apparently faltered. We can only assume he means to yield to Cyre next. Thanks to the guidance of the hags, the diverse inhabitants of

Droaam are learning to work together and finding ways to use their supernatural gifts to help build and sustain society. A medusa might use its petrifying gaze to preserve the life of an injured ally

Quick Build

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Quick Build You can make a paladin quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the noble background. The

— — — 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 4 3 — — — 9th +4 — 4 3 2 — — 10th +4 Aura of Courage 4 3 2 — — 11th

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

yourself before gods and mortals. Your oath and alignment might be in harmony, or your oath might represent standards of behavior that you have not yet attained. QUICK BUILD You can make a paladin

3 2 — — 10th +4 Aura of Courage 4 3 2 — — 11th +4 Improved Divine Smite 4 3 3

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature

? Perhaps your homeland was befouled by evil, and you took up an adventuring life in hopes of finding a new home or purpose. QUICK BUILD You can make a druid quickly by following these suggestions

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

protocols will lead us toward progress more surely than any belief system. (Lawful) 5 Fun. I love my job! Despite the dangerous working conditions, there’s nothing I’d rather do

it was sabotage that destroyed my first laboratory and killed many of my friends, and I seek revenge against whoever did it. 4 I have the schematics for an invention that I hope to build one day

Creating a Bronze Dragon

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

Dragon Spellcasting table to help select spells for a spellcasting dragon. Bronze Dragon Personality Traits d8 Trait 1 The weakest creatures sometimes display the greatest courage. I

strategy. A quick death in combat is its own kind of courtesy. 6 I trust my gut. I’d rather act on incomplete information than be hamstrung by indecision. 7 I’m fascinated by other species

Origin of the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

different kinds might not recognize each other as kindred at all. All these giants build a range of social structures in the same manifold ways other peoples do, without regard to an overarching ordning.

L1. Stele Forest

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

a slim, athletic build and stares at you with piercing green eyes. Around him are four younger individuals who are similarly balanced on other stone slabs. With the grace of a bird, he floats down

from his perch, silently landing on the ground as he draws a nine-sectioned chain whip from around his waist. “You’ve got courage. I’ll give you that. But before you get a chance to fight Bak Mei

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

sewer tunnels, paying them with food and tools the kobolds wouldn’t have access to on their own. If they are treated well and left alone to do the job, the kobolds work industriously and build a

, they might build a warren and make a permanent home there, while continuing to expand the town’s sewers as the community grows. These so-called “city kobolds” live underground but

Creating a Paladin

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

have not yet attained. Quick Build You can make a paladin quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the noble

— — 10th +4 Aura of Courage 4 3 2 — — 11th +4 Improved Divine Smite 4 3 3 — — 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 4 3 3 — — 13th +5 — 4 3 3

Prepare to Be Scared

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

courage not as the absence of fear but as the process of overcoming it. How might your character react in surprise before they rally to overcome the terror they face? Do they scream, flee, or freeze? Or

rules every time something frightening occurs, but your group might use them as a way to highlight individual fears and build an adventure’s overarching sense of dread. FROM THE MISTS OR BEYOND

Life in the Sensa Empire

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

and craftspeople to build social and professional connections, better their craft, and organize for improved labor conditions. Each city-state has its own chapter of the guild that pushes back when

. Historically, rather than a single imperial line controlling the throne, each empress or emperor selects an heir from among the eldest children of each city-state’s monarch. While no law prevents rulers

NPC Stat Blocks

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

can build the NPC as you would a player character, as discussed in the Player’s Handbook. If you decide to build an NPC the same way you build a player character, you can skip choosing a background and

affect a monster’s challenge rating are listed in the Monster Features table. The NPC’s proficiency bonus is determined by its level, just like a character, rather than by its challenge rating. If the

Mogis's Villains

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

Mogis’s Villains Unquestionably, Mogis makes an excellent villain. His lust for bloodshed and willingness to fight all comers makes him easy to build a campaign around if you want a straightforward

associated with vicious monsters bent on wholesale destruction. He isn’t at all concerned with subtlety, but rather with creating mayhem. Adventures that bring characters into conflict with agents of

Fire Snake

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

emerges as a fire snake. A fire snake matures into a salamander adult within a year. Enslaved by the Efreet. Long ago, the efreet hired azer to build the fabled City of Brass, but then failed in

salamanders dedicated to the cults of Elemental Evil, they slay them rather than enslaving them. Domineering Nobles. Although salamanders follow the destructive impulses of their fiery nature

Purple Dragon Knight

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

knight’s actions can awaken reserves of courage and conviction in allies that they never suspected they had. Restriction: Knighthood Purple Dragon knights are tied to a specific order of Cormyrean

, rather than one. Bulwark Beginning at 15th level, you can extend the benefit of your Indomitable feature to an ally. When you decide to use Indomitable to reroll an Intelligence, a Wisdom, or a

Encounters with Hulgaz

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

Encounters with Hulgaz Hulgaz makes a good adversary for players who especially enjoy roleplaying. If your players prefer to talk to enemies they encounter rather than fight them, consider using

the succubi interact with the characters depends on how the characters react to this situation: The Party Helps. If the party intervenes, the knight thanks the characters for their courage and offers

The Attack

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

. Three-sided battles can sometimes take longer because of the number of combatants participating. Use your discretion as the DM to have the excitement of the battle build up rather than fizzle out

recover and regroup. Encourage tactical thinking. If one of the sides of the battle consists of savage monsters or mindless undead, give clues that they attack the nearest enemy rather than thinking

Church of the Silver Flame

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

position of the Church. Now eleven years old, Jaela Daran continues to astound all who encounter her. She possesses poise and wisdom beyond her years, and she displays the blend of courage and

to form in the foundation. In Breland, some priests fell prey to greed or forged ties to criminal organizations. In Aundair, a zealous faction known as the Pure Flame advocates using violence rather

Types of Hags

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

, and most are stout or have a medium build rather than being thin or emaciated. Night hags enjoy corrupting the dreams of good people, compromising the ideals of their victims to get them to

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata

The Role of Rules Why even have Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules are meant to

direction we took for fifth edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we celebrate the DM as the bridge between the things the rules address and the things they don’t. In a

Centaur

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

basic physiology, the centaur bands are commonly associated with their own distinct traits. Lagonna band centaurs tend to be sleek and muscular, with powerful legs built for endurance rather than

strike out on their own. These renegades often feel like outsiders in their own band. They might be pacifists, wishing to learn about other people rather than fighting them. Or they might feel a

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

The Role of Rules Why even have a column like Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules

D&D. The direction we chose for the current edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we embraced the DM’s role as the bridge between the things the rules address and the

Small and Practical

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have

, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They rarely build kingdoms of their own or even hold much land beyond their quiet shires. They typically don’t recognize any sort of halfling

Topaz Dragon Lairs

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

being able to see the water, so they build their lairs on the heights of seaside cliffs or near perfect sunbathing beaches where they can best accomplish this. Their preference for lair sites

. Her desire is born not of greed, though, but rather from her study of the Material Plane, its magic, and dragons’ interconnection with both. Dragons on many worlds acknowledge Astilabor as they establish new lairs to host their hoards, linking them to the magic of the surrounding region.

53. Crypt of the Sun Queen

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

queen, chose not to flee, and instead offered herself as a sacrifice in exchange for the release of her people. Acererak was impressed by the queen’s courage — not enough to spare her life or honor her

. Napaka came to believe that the gods of Omu were not truly divine beings but rather trickster spirits that had fooled the Omuan people into worshiping them. The queen remembers Acererak killing the

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