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Returning 35 results for 'before building defusing contrast rules'.
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Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
Queen, who rules from a castle called Dynnistan. It isn’t known whether these legends are based on any true experience or are simply the result of imagination trying to account for a terrifying and
called lich-knights or fell horsemen.
In stark contrast to the knights of Eldraine, the deathless riders are without virtue of any kind. They are few in number—unless many more lurk in the dark
Half-Elf
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Basic Rules (2014)
contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers.
Half-Elf Names
Half-elves use either human or elven
.
EXCELLENT AMBASSADORS
Many half-elves learn at an early age to get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast
get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast
get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth
Tool Proficiencies: One
Guild took over your family business, ran it into the ground, and burned the building for insurance money. You were driven into crime yourself, but you’ll never work for the Guild. You take
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
Using These Rules Each of the book’s adventures includes Exams. Though each character might be a member of a different college at Strixhaven, the adventures assume that the characters take at least
one general education or interdisciplinary course together each year. It is this course that the Exam rules represent. Each Exam encounter has a Studying phase followed by a Testing phase. In general
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Encounter Building This section introduces new guidelines on building combat encounters for an adventure. They are an alternative to the rules in “Creating Encounters” in chapter 3 of the Dungeon
Master’s Guide. This approach uses the same math that underlies the rules presented in that book, but it makes a few adjustments to the way that math is presented to produce a more flexible system. This
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Mounted Combat A willing creature that is at least one size larger than a rider and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, using the following rules. Mounting and Dismounting During
. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it. In contrast, an independent mount—one that lets you ride but ignores your control—retains its place in the Initiative order
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
run a special session—colloquially called session zero—to establish expectations, outline the terms of a social contract, and share house rules. Making and sticking to these rules can help ensure
that the game is a fun experience for everyone involved. Often a session zero includes building characters together. As the DM, you can help players during the character creation process by advising them to select options that will serve the adventure or campaign that awaits.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
General Features Many of Thundertree’s buildings have crumbled in the years since the town was abandoned, even as nature threatens to swallow what remains. Buildings. A building in Thundertree is
terrain (see “Difficult Terrain” in the Basic Rules). Intact buildings are rundown, ramshackle stone cottages that are otherwise still standing. Their wooden doors are swollen and require a successful
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
a mount, using the following rules. Mounting and Dismounting During your move, you can mount a creature that is within 5 feet of you or dismount. Doing so costs an amount of movement equal to half
only three action options during that turn: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it. In contrast, an independent mount—one that lets you ride
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
describes what happens. Sometimes, however, rules govern what you can do with an object, as detailed in the following sections. What Is an Object? For the purpose of the rules, an object is a discrete
, inanimate item like a window, door, sword, book, table, chair, or stone. It isn’t a building or a vehicle, which are composed of many objects. Time-Limited Object Interactions When time is short, such
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
describes what happens. Sometimes, however, rules govern what you can do with an object, as detailed in the following sections. What Is an Object? For the purpose of the rules, an object is a discrete
, inanimate item like a window, door, sword, book, table, chair, or stone. It isn’t a building or a vehicle, which are composed of many objects. Time-Limited Object Interactions When time is short, such
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
contrast to the usual duergar focus on utility. The duergar she leads are content to follow her for the sake of what their raids will earn them, and they care nothing for the historical value of the relics
stole from Azrok, the hobgoblin warlord who rules Stromkuhldur on level 3 of Undermountain (see “Legion of Azrok”). Returning this dagger to Azrok completes a side quest.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
before the wall does. For the purpose of these rules, an object is a discrete, inanimate item like a window, door, sword, book, table, chair, or stone, not a building or a vehicle that is composed of many other objects.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
before the wall does. For the purpose of these rules, an object is a discrete, inanimate item like a window, door, sword, book, table, chair, or stone, not a building or a vehicle that is composed of many other objects.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
the DM change the pitch or tempo of narration in different situations? Player Participation. Did the players participate in the world-building or make decisions that seemed to send the adventure in an
unexpected direction? How did the DM handle it? Rules Adjudication. To what extent did the DM lean on the rules to adjudicate outcomes? Did the DM adjudicate situations wisely or in ways that made the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
the DM change the pitch or tempo of narration in different situations? Player Participation. Did the players participate in the world-building or make decisions that seemed to send the adventure in an
unexpected direction? How did the DM handle it? Rules Adjudication. To what extent did the DM lean on the rules to adjudicate outcomes? Did the DM adjudicate situations wisely or in ways that made the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
. The chapter opens with optional rules meant to help you run certain parts of the game more smoothly. The chapter then goes into greater depth on several topics — encounter building, random encounters
you. It gives you new rules options, as well as some refined tools for creating and running adventures and campaigns. It is a supplement to the tools and advice offered in the Dungeon Master’s Guide
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Monsters with Classes You can use the rules in chapter 3 of the Player’s Handbook to give class levels to a monster. For example, you can turn an ordinary werewolf into a werewolf with four levels of
little or increase dramatically. For example, a werewolf that gains four barbarian levels is a much greater threat than it was before. In contrast, the hit points, spells, and other class features that an ancient red dragon gains from five levels of wizard don’t increase its challenge rating.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
, building towns and working with steel. If you were raised in one of the clans, the ways of civilization aren’t that strange to you; you’ve seen the city of Zarash’ak and worked with House Tharashk. By
contrast, the Marcher tribes maintain traditions that predate humanity. As nomadic hunter-gatherers, they don’t work metals; they make their tools from stone, hide, wood, and bone. If your character
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
the rules for monster customization and encounter building in the Dungeon Master’s Guide—to build your own adventures. Consult appendix B for monster lists that will help your adventure building. What’s
New in the 2025 Version?
This is the 2025 version of the fifth edition Monster Manual. If you’ve read the 2014 version, much of this book will feel familiar, since the fundamental rules and variety
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer
associate with different houses but have a common purpose. (See the “Building a Party” section below for suggestions on bringing together a party from different houses.) If the characters work for a single
house or an organization, like the Twelve, that unites them in a mutual purpose, use the group patron rules in Eberron: Rising from the Last War to provide benefits from their shared mission. The House
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
rogue who likes hand-to-hand combat, or a sharpshooter who picks off enemies from afar. Do you like fantasy fiction featuring dwarves or elves? Try building a character of one of those races. Do you
your character, whether it’s a formal character sheet (like the one at the end of these rules), some form of digital record, or a piece of notebook paper. An official D&D character sheet is a fine
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
mastery and world-building. The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren’t in charge. You’re the DM, and you are in charge of the game. That said, your goal isn’t
supporting characters, breathing life into them. And as a referee, the DM interprets the rules and decides when to abide by them and when to change them. Inventing, writing, storytelling, improvising, acting
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
game and keep track of your campaign. These sheets are also available for download in appendix C.
Encounter-Building Assistance. The rules for estimating the difficulty of combat encounters have
rules help you do this, but when you need to act as referee, try to make decisions that ensure everyone is having fun. Communicate with Your Players. Open communication is essential to a successful D&D
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
, drawing on player character rules from the Player’s Handbook and other D&D books. This chapter adds to that wealth of options with the material in the following sections: “Race Option” presents the
owlin, a character race option perfect for playing an owl-like student. “Choosing a College” gives advice on building a character for adventuring in Strixhaven. “Strixhaven Backgrounds” presents a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
Lionshield Coster Hanging above the front door of this modest trading post is a sign shaped like a wooden shield with a blue lion painted on it.
This building is owned by the Lionshields, a
, all of which are for sale to interested buyers. (For prices, see “Adventuring Gear” in the Basic Rules.) Linene has a few scruples, however, and won’t sell weapons to anyone she thinks might be a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
2, five 13th-level characters for tier 3, and five 18th-level characters for tier 4. Use that assumption when creating combat encounters, whether you use the encounter-building rules in the Dungeon
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Scaling Lethality You can adjust the lethality of your campaign using the encounter-building guidelines in chapter 4. If your players enjoy games that test their characters to the utmost and are
your players agree to avoid character death in your game, you might consider an alternative: a character who would otherwise die is instead “defeated.” The following rules apply to a defeated character
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves
aloud: Mayhem rules in the seaside village of Respite. The Cobblehook Corsairs, a crew of troublemakers who aren’t normally violent, have raided the village. Black smoke billows from buildings
. Sizzling streams of acid flow down the streets. Villagers rush about, shouting for loved ones and struggling to contain the damage.
Near the shore, flames leap from the windows of a low-roofed building
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
Men toward a pyramid scheme. Starting your own Acquisitions Incorporated franchise means stepping into a world of possibility. It opens up countless adventure hooks, rules for building and growing your
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
full of creatures that perfectly suit a storyline of supernatural horror. The most important element of such a campaign, though, isn’t covered by the rules. A dark-fantasy setting requires an
atmosphere of building dread, created through careful pacing and evocative description. Your players contribute too; they have to be willing to embrace the mood you’re trying to evoke. Whether you want to run
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
terms of strategy and maneuvering, and see herself as just a pawn in a much larger game. A cleric, by contrast, might see himself as a willing servant in a god’s unfolding plan or a conflict brewing
continuing to advance as a barbarian. Elves are known to combine martial mastery with magical training and advance as fighters and wizards simultaneously. Optional rules for combining classes in this
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
in the legal code of Waterdeep, but guilds are mentioned in the oldest surviving legal documents — penned by Ahghairon himself — and the rules of Guild Law are respected by wise city folk. Guilds
the outsider. In Neverwinter, if you want to construct a building, you simply purchase the land and hire workers to build it. In Waterdeep, the Surveyors’, Map-, and Chart-makers’ Guild must first be






