beings before dark concept retain

Great Old One Patron

Classes Player’s Handbook

Chained God; Zargon, the Returner; Hadar, the Dark Hunger; or Great Cthulhu. Or you might invoke several entities without yoking yourself to one. The motives of these beings are incomprehensible, and the

Unearth Forbidden Lore of Ineffable Beings When you choose this subclass, you might bind yourself to an unspeakable being from the Far Realm or an elder god—a being such as Tharizdun, the

Living Portent

Monsters The Book of Many Things

the living portents impact the earth, they carve great craters, yet miraculously, none who live in the impact zone are harmed. These beings of light then assume Humanoid forms to blend in with the

inhabitants of the world. Living portents seek out beings who will play a part in the prophecies they serve, and as the living portents search, they relate fragments of the prophecies to those they

Darkling Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

speak of a seelie fey who betrayed the Summer Queen. His true name has been stricken from history, but the stories call him Dubh Catha ("Dark Crow" in Common). So great was the Summer Queen's wrath

absorbs over the course of its lifetime explodes outward when the darkling dies, incinerating the creature and much of its possessions. Love of Art. Despite their curse, darklings retain a fondness

Darkling Elder Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

call him Dubh Catha ("Dark Crow" in Common). So great was the Summer Queen's wrath that she cursed every member of his house. Other fey refer to the descendants of Dubh Catha's house as the dubh sith-or

much of its possessions. Love of Art. Despite their curse, darklings retain a fondness for the beauty of art. A darkling might risk taking a peek at a sunset or lighting a tiny candle to glimpse

Mist Hulk

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

embody their ancestors’ mixed elemental nature of Air and Water. After countless ages of isolation—often on one of the Elemental Planes or some hidden demiplane—they retain the barest

hint of their ancestors’ physical form, and even less of the giants’ culture. A mist hulk resembles a bipedal figure made of dark rain clouds. Parts of its body seem more solid than others

Crown of Lies

Magic Items Vecna: Eve of Ruin

, the Dark Powers of the Domain of Dread lured Kas to a hidden forge, where he found the Crown of Lies. Once Kas vowed to deliver Vecna into the Dark Powers’ clutches and donned the crown, the

Dark Powers released Kas. From there, Kas set out to ruin his former master. Should Kas fail, the Dark Powers will reclaim him. The crown is made of burnished and entwined metal rods. To attune to it

Drowned Master

Monsters Ghosts of Saltmarsh

head retain their former shapes, but its legs have split into shadowy tentacles. The drowned master is tethered to a source of powerful magic that prevents it from traveling far. It commands other drowned ones, compelling them to serve as agents in its dark plots.Poison

Tiefling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red

reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some

Rod of Seven Parts

Magic Items Vecna: Eve of Ruin

annihilation. Desperate to save themselves and their allies, powerful elemental beings called the Wind Dukes of Aaqa rose against Miska. Committed to the concept of law, the Wind Dukes descended from a

Strahd, Master of Death House

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

. Little happens there without the Darklord’s knowledge, although Strahd rarely pays attention to what he considers the uninteresting dealings of lesser beings. History In life, Strahd von

Zarovich was a prince, a soldier, and a conqueror. His thirst for power never sated, Strahd made a pact with the Dark Powers to become immortal. Meanwhile, Strahd’s evil deepened, until in a jealous

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth

of savage humanoids and weird cults in untamed lands. Others gain positions of great influence, especially where elemental beings are revered. A few genasi leave the Material Plane to find refuge in

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red

reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some

Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

humans translate their family names into Common, but others retain the Elvish version. Child Names: Ara, Bryn, Del, Eryn, Faen, Innil, Lael, Mella, Naill, Naeris, Phann, Rael, Rinn, Sai, Syllin

(Moonbrook), Xiloscient (Goldpetal) Subrace Ancient divides among the elven people resulted in three main subraces: high elves, wood elves, and dark elves, who are commonly called drow. Choose one of

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

veins making it clear that they’ve been touched by death. Other reborn are marvels of magic or science, being stitched together from disparate beings or bearing mysterious minds in manufactured

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

The Returned

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

separated from their memories, which become wandering eidolons (see chapter 6). They retain their personalities and skills, but each Returned tends to be a very different being from who they once were

. Their second life is theirs to do with as they please, but it’s typically a confused, cursed life, plagued by frustration, bitterness, loneliness, and melancholy. Such leads many Returned along dark paths

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

; Elminster The serpent creatures known as yuan-ti are all that remains of an ancient, decadent human empire. Ages ago their dark gods taught them profane, cannibalistic rituals to mix their flesh

primordial world heeded the prayers of these people and hissed dark demands into their ears. The people tainted their souls by performing human sacrifices in the name of the gods, debased their flesh by

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

skills. This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might

the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips

Domains of Dread

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

, overlooked by the towering spires of Castle Ravenloft and ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich, the first vampire. Beings of the Shadowfell called the Dark Powers created these domains as prisons for these “darklords,” and through cruelty or carelessness trapped innocent mortals in these domains as well.

Domains of Dread In remote corners of the Shadowfell, it is easy to reach horrific demiplanes ruled over by accursed beings of terrible evil. The best known of these is the valley of Barovia

Background

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

Background A large section of a fey-infused woodland has fallen under the control of a coven of green hags. Using dark gardening techniques, the hags have grafted myconids into the trees of the wood

rock. This pinnacle stands among the ruins of an ancient city that once housed the Infernal Machine, until Baron Lum the Mad discovered and claimed it for himself. A fallen clock tower still holds some of the machine’s components, which retain enough power to manipulate time.

The Dark Powers

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

The Dark Powers Unfathomable, hidden forces manipulate life, death, and reality within Ravenloft. These mysterious, deathless beings are the architects of the Domains of Dread, and have secreted

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

Dark Sun

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

Dark Sun The dying planet of Athas is a world that is already deeply scarred by elemental power. Long ago the gods of Athas fought a terrible war against the mighty primordial powers of the elemental

planes — and they lost. The gods were slain or driven into exile, leaving Athas under the dominion of elemental beings who took little interest in the affairs of mortals. In the grim age that

Domains of Ravenloft

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

Domains of Ravenloft In a far-flung corner of the Plane of Shadow drifts a hidden expanse of roiling mist and vague semi-reality. At this eerie edge of the multiverse, the Dark Powers collect the

most wicked beings from across ages and worlds within inescapable, mist-shrouded domains. These are the Domains of Dread, the nightmare demiplanes that form the D&D setting of Ravenloft. Untold terrors

Dark Bargains

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

of such a bargain reflects the agenda of the being or beings offering the bargain, be it the Dark Powers, a Darklord, or a more mysterious force. The particulars of the Dark Gift and how it will

Dark Bargains Characters who don’t have a Dark Gift might gain one in the course of their adventures. At the DM’s discretion, sinister forces might contact a character and offer them a Dark Gift in

Continuing the Adventure

compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->One-Shot Wonders: Holiday Adventure Pack

completely without threat. The realm is rich with magic, bringing both boons and peril to daily life. Marvellous creatures soar overhead and lurk in dark caverns. Ancient curses and strange prophecies shape

the fabric of reality. Powerful mages conjure incredible constructs and terrifying entities. Beings from other realms stray into the world, bringing miracles and mischief with them. Around every bend is a new wonder to behold.

Ancient Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

creatures. On the rare occasion that one forms nonhostile relationships with other beings, it is almost always to bolster the defenses of the dragon’s lair and hoard. Ancient Sapphire Dragon

the lair. Cobweb-Choked Tunnels. Adventurers who manage to access the other side of the cave’s crystal walls discover a network of dark, cobweb-choked tunnels extending deep into the earth, set

Dark Fantasy Adventure Sites

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

Dark Fantasy Adventure Sites Evil is entrenched and effective in dark fantasy domains, truths reflected by grandiose adventure locations. Their size and grandeur seem out of proportion with the

common structures of the domain and the magic that helped create them is clearly beyond the reach of mere mortals to create or destroy. Dark Fantasy Adventure Sites d8 Adventure Site 1 An

Dark Fantasy Settings

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

Dark Fantasy Settings Sinister individuals leave their marks upon dark fantasy domains, whether as oppressive architecture, unavoidable propaganda, or scars upon an exploited environment

. Alternatively, the setting might exhibit the effects of a disaster—perhaps an event that gave rise to brutal powers. Such scars appear both upon the setting and upon its inhabitants. Dark Fantasy Settings d8

The Soul's Shape

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

The Soul’s Shape Before tasking characters with retrieving it, determine what form the pharaoh’s ka takes. It might be a physical object, a living creature, or a spiritual concept that needs to be

6 The manifestation of a joyous song sung by Muhar’s people 7 The soul of an innocent healer who resembles the pharaoh as he was in life 8 The soul of a character, perhaps one with an Echoing Soul (a Dark Gift detailed in chapter 1)

Gothic Horror Villains

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

Gothic Horror Villains Villains in gothic horror tales are subtle or unassuming until they reveal their true nature. Any intriguing figure with a dark secret can serve as a gothic horror villain, and

isn’t a vampire, but uses his reputation as one to terrorize his vassals 2 An indulgent socialite who made a terrible bargain with a fell power to retain her youth 3 A scientist obsessed with

Darklords

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

concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their

. Darklords Are Prisoners. Darklords cannot leave their domains. If a Darklord enters the Mists or uses another method to attempt an escape, the Dark Powers return them to their domain. Even death rarely

Elder Evils

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

), while others are akin to gods or primordial beings of the Elemental Planes. Some are thought to be imprisoned, while others are said to be slumbering until they awaken in some apocalyptic cataclysm

. The names given to these terrible entities include such strange descriptions as Atropus, the World Born Dead; Dendar, the Night Serpent; Hadar, the Dark Hunger; Haemnathuun, the Blood Lord; Ityak

The Amber Temple

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

The Amber Temple Once a haven of virtuous wizards, the Amber Temple was long ago corrupted by evil. It was here that Strahd made his pact with the Dark Powers to become a vampire, with the blessing

vestiges of dead, hateful gods—beings that aspire to re-create past depravities and manipulate mortals to fulfill unspeakable agendas. Various evil forces set their intentions upon the Amber Temple

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

they were demigods — mighty beings of divine descent. This isn’t a casual sort of worship or lip service; kobolds are awed in the presence of a dragon, as if an actual avatar of a deity

lack of emotional bonding means they have no concept of marriage or permanent family relationships. Their eggs are placed in a common tribal hatchery with no effort to keep track of who each one

The Oraniad Mountains

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

The Oraniad Mountains The Oraniad mountains stretch along the east side of Oreskos. While they don’t share the dark reputation of their western neighbor, they are the more dangerous territory. Tall

, beings that should have long ago passed into Nyx, or that have slipped from the divine realm before the gods intended from them to appear upon the world.

Secret

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

Secret No mortal soul is entirely free of second thoughts or doubt. Even a cleric must grapple with dark desires or the forbidden attraction of turning against the teachings of one’s deity. If you

haven’t considered this aspect of your character yet, see the table entries for some possibilities, or use them for inspiration. Your deep, dark secret might involve something you did (or are doing), or

D&D Beyond

Search Results