beings both decide channel reason

Clockwork Sorcery

Classes Player’s Handbook

Channel Cosmic Forces of Order The cosmic force of order has suffused you with magic. That power arises from Mechanus or a realm like it—a plane of existence shaped entirely by clockwork

efficiency. You or someone from your lineage might have become entangled in the machinations of modrons, the orderly beings who inhabit Mechanus. Perhaps your ancestor even took part in the Great Modron

Hermit Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an herbalism kit, and 5 gp Life of Seclusion What was the reason for your isolation, and what

changed to allow you to end your solitude? You can work with your DM to determine the exact nature of your seclusion, or you can choose or roll on the table below to determine the reason behind your

Kraul Death Priest

Monsters Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

linger at the margins of the undercity but now increasingly making their buzzing voices heard in the subterranean Golgari guildhall. These six-legged, insectile beings are hard-headed and literal-minded

crippling necromantic magic, and the presence of death seems to fortify them. They draw power from the defeat of their enemies and channel it to their followers, ensuring the continuation of the cycle. The current leader of the kraul is a death priest named Mazirek.

Giff

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Giff are tall, broad-shouldered folk with hippo-like features. Some have smooth skin, while others have short bristles on their faces and the tops of their heads. As beings of impressive size and

divine beings who created giff have likewise been forgotten. Their titanic petrified bodies drift on the Astral Sea, isolated and unrecognizable in their current forms. Although they don’t realize

Hadozee

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

branch. Today, hadozees are sapient, bipedal beings eager to leave behind the fearsome predators of their home world and explore other worlds. In addition to being natural climbers, hadozees have feet

glide. Hadozees wrap these wings around themselves to keep warm. Creating Your Character When you create your D&D character, you decide whether your character is a member of the human race or one

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

; Instead, aggressive, stronger creatures register to the lizardfolk as fearsome beings to be avoided if possible. If such creatures attack, lizardfolk flee, fighting only if cornered. Lizardfolk aren

, if other creatures prove useful to lizardfolk, those creatures can trigger a protective response made all the stronger by their apparent weakness. The lizardfolk assess such beings as hatchlings

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

’ presence is marked by an absence of animals and a strange quiet, as if the forest wishes to avoid attracting attention to itself. The faster travelers decide to move on, the better. If these

Reason for Adventuring 1 Outcast for murder 2 Outcast for severely damaging home territory 3 Clan slain by invading humanoids 4 Clan slain by a dragon or demon 5

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

powerful beings of the outer planes, or the forces of nature. It could be a site that no one else has ever seen. You might have uncovered a fact that has long been forgotten, or unearthed some relic of the

past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society. Work with your DM to

Autognome

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Autognomes are mechanical beings built by rock gnomes. Sometimes, because of a malfunction or a unique circumstance, an autognome becomes separated from its creator and strikes out on its own. An

, determined to find a greater purpose. Creating Your Character When you create your D&D character, you decide whether your character is a member of the human race or one of the game’s

Plasmoid

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Plasmoids are amorphous beings with no typical shape. In the presence of other folk, they often adopt a similar shape, but there’s little chance of mistaking a plasmoid for anything else. They

you create your D&D character, you decide whether your character is a member of the human race or one of the game’s fantastical races. If you create a character using a race option

Sorcerer Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

their spells as warlocks do. By learning to harness and channel their own inborn magic, they can discover new and staggering ways to unleash that power. Unexplained Powers Sorcerers are rare in the

;ll choose an origin that ties to a draconic bloodline or the influence of wild magic, but the exact source of your power is up to you to decide. Is it a family curse, passed down to you from distant

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

The prospect of immense wealth is the promise of membership in the Orzhov Syndicate. All of the guild’s endeavors channel wealth from Ravnican society into the ranks of the Orzhov — and

Orzhov contact; you can decide if the contact is an ally or a rival. 8 My childhood friend is now a Rakdos torturer. We still meet for drinks occasionally. 9 I have the key to a vault where

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

villains to add to their terrifying menagerie. To what end, no one knows. The Dark Powers don’t move in the shadows of Ravenloft; they are the shadows. They’re the Mists and the darkness. They’re the reason

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and

, giving each individual and every generation a reason to feel pride and self-respect. The kobolds prefer to run away than fight, to live off the scraps of others, and they are often dominated by larger

Followers

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

Followers Certain dragons act like they’re in danger of forgetting their own grandeur unless they’re surrounded with beings they can demean. I’ve found, on the contrary, that those scorned by others

encounter and adventure design. As you craft an encounter, an adventure, or an entire campaign around a dragon, you can decide how many creatures are in the dragon’s service.

Death Tyrant

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

be perfect beings. No matter how death tyrants come into being, bizarre impulses drive their deathless existences. Their motivations tend to be extreme or beyond the reason of living creatures.

Giff

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Astral Adventurer’s Guide

Giff Giff are tall, broad-shouldered folk with hippo-like features. Some have smooth skin, while others have short bristles on their faces and the tops of their heads. As beings of impressive size

divine beings who created giff have likewise been forgotten. Their titanic petrified bodies drift on the Astral Sea, isolated and unrecognizable in their current forms. Although they don’t realize it

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

sacred glade before nature spirits and fey beings, or in a moment of desperation and grief with the dead as the only witness, a paladin’s oath is a powerful bond. It is a source of power that

while you were at prayer? Did another paladin sense the potential within you and decide to train you as a squire? Or did some terrible event—the destruction of your home, perhaps—drive you to

Dark Sun

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

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

only the strongest survive. One of the hallmarks of the Dark Sun setting is that the heroes don’t need to seek out forgotten dungeons to find adventure — mere survival is adventure enough. But there is no reason you can’t successfully adapt Princes of the Apocalypse to your Dark Sun campaign.

Gods and Divine Magic

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

Gods and Divine Magic Divine magic—which includes the spells cast by Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Rangers—is mediated through beings and forces that are categorized as divine. These can include

universe. These beings and forces grant characters the power to wield the magic of their planar domains. For game purposes, wielding divine power isn’t dependent on the gods’ ongoing approval or the

Wei's Betrayal

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

, she witnesses the discovery of the potions of longevity, the lack of Dragon’s Blessing, and any slips Zhong Yin makes when talking about the reason for the investigation. After this, whenever the

characters decide to head for area Y1 to leave the ruins, read the following: Rumbling fills the tunnels, and a tremor disturbs the nearby rubble. All goes quiet again, but now a haze of dust hangs in

Improvising Ability Checks

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

things that the adventure can’t possibly anticipate. It’s up to you to decide whether their attempts are successful. If it seems like anyone should have an easy time doing it, don’t ask for an ability

ability check? How hard is it? What’s the result? Use the descriptions of the ability scores and their associated skills in the Basic Rules to help you decide what kind of ability check to use. Then

A Decision

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

A Decision At some point, the characters must decide which vessel and captain they prefer. The town covers the cost of passage there and back for the characters, and both captains ask the same fare

are. If for any reason the characters attack Kristoffen because they learn of his affiliation with the Cult of Talos, he defends himself. Kristoffen (use half-red dragon veteran statistics but

Using Enclaves

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

Using Enclaves Each of the locations in this chapter is a blank slate; you can decide who lives there, what they want, and how they interact with visitors. Each location includes a selection of

adventure hooks that might attract characters to the enclave or give them a reason to draw on its magic. The adventure hooks also suggest specific creatures or encounter tables appearing in the “Encounters

Nyxborn Creatures

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

Nyxborn Creatures Just as the gods are born of Nyx, so are many creatures. Nyxborn creatures are beings of legend, some the subjects of hopeful dreams and others the product of nightmares. They come

never were and repeat legends that glorify historic individuals, Nyxborn creatures of those stories might arise. Whether monsters, manifestations of long-dead mortals, or other beings, Nyxborn creatures

Assignments

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

interesting stories can emerge if you decide to refuse an assignment. Even a patron that isn’t heavy-handed can significantly motivate your group. Maybe you’ll seek adventures based on what pleases your

patron and so earn a reward. A university, for example, might not send you on a particular mission, but you might decide to follow leads to an ancient artifact hoping the university might reward you

Animal Lord

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

they defend. They frequently change into giant, idealized versions of the animals they’re associated with—albeit with glowing eyes. When contending with people, they sometimes appear as humanlike beings

lords can summon spectral animals, channel spiritual energy, and exhibit powers associated with one of three broad groups: foragers, hunters, or sages. These powers are tied to an animal lord’s

Bhaal

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

beings through unlawful means. Some people pray to Bhaal when they want to commit murder. A person might have good reason to resort to murder, such as when one is unable to redress some injustice

Resolving Outcomes

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

Resolving Outcomes You decide when a player makes a D20 Test based on what the character is trying to do. Players shouldn’t just roll ability checks without context; they should tell you what their

you decide: Is a D20 Test Warranted? If the task is trivial or impossible, don’t bother with a D20 Test. A character can move across an empty room or drink from a flask without making a Dexterity check

Evil Inchoate

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

Evil Inchoate I will be the last creature when I am done. The cosmos will then be perfect, free of the braying abominations that are all other living things. — Orcus As beings of utter chaos and

particular affinity for their own kind, which is the biggest reason why they seldom cooperate with one another unless they are forced to submit to a demon lord or other leader. Going even farther, every

Appendix B: Gods of the Multiverse

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

Appendix B: Gods of the Multiverse Religion is an important part of life in the worlds of the D&D multiverse. When gods walk the world, clerics channel divine power, evil cults perform dark

revered in your DM’s campaign so you can invoke their names when appropriate. If you’re playing a cleric or a character with the Acolyte background, decide which god your deity serves or served, and consider the deity’s suggested domains when selecting your character’s domain.

Leaving the Chasm

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

Leaving the Chasm Once the characters get what they came for, there’s little reason to stay. In fact, characters who stay too long run the risk of encountering six gnolls returning from a hunt

they leave alive remain a potential threat to Ten-Towns. Real Adventure Hook If the characters retrieve the hook of fisher’s delight, they might decide to keep it, or they might try returning it to

Missing Players

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

should strive to keep the character alive and use resources wisely. Run the character yourself. It’s an extra burden for you, but it can work. Decide the character isn’t there. Invent a good reason for

Appendix B: Gods of the Multiverse

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

Appendix B: Gods of the Multiverse Religion is an important part of life in the worlds of the D&D multiverse. When gods walk the world, clerics channel divine power, evil cults perform sacrifices in

in your DM’s campaign so you can invoke their names when appropriate. If you’re playing a cleric or a character with the Acolyte background, decide which god your deity serves or served, and consider the deity’s suggested domains when selecting your character’s domain.

Dragon Servitors

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

legend of the creatures’ origin is passed down from elder to hatchling, giving each individual and every generation a reason to feel pride and self-respect. The kobolds prefer to run away than fight, to

dragons. Kobolds willingly serve chromatic dragons and worship them as if they were demigods — mighty beings of divine descent. This isn’t a casual sort of worship or lip service; kobolds are awed in the

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