best before driven compete respond

Fog Giant

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

cloud giants in the ordning—the set of values and expectations that determines their rank in giant society—is driven by wealth. Those cloud giants foolish or unlucky enough to have their

work with ambitious humans, renegade elves, and greedy dwarves—all folk they see as properly civilized. They treat orcs, goblinoids, and other “barbarian” types as pesky vermin, best

Demogorgon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

by a skull-shaped minaret. There, Demogorgon’s heads contemplate the mysteries of the arcane while arguing about how best to obliterate their rivals. The bulk of this palace extends deep

Demogorgon’s followers are typically lone killers driven by the whispering voice of their master. His most blessed followers gain the Two Minds of Chaos trait. Two Minds of Chaos. This creature

Emerald Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

is a magic in the retelling of stories. Each new teller adds a bit of themself to the spell. (Any) 4 Nurture. Rearing a child is our best chance to make sure our own stories are passed on. (Any

they respond. 8 An emerald dragon has been spying for a villainous cabal, ensuring the villains remain one step ahead of the adventurers. Connected Creatures Emerald dragons generally

Star Spawn Hulk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

seer nearby. A hulk appears to have little will of its own and is driven to protect its master. Star Spawn The Material Plane represents only one small part of the multiverse. Beyond the best

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

than my own, for no one else can compete with me. 2 If my offspring can’t care for themselves, I’m not sure they’re worthy of my attention. 3 The sea is beautiful and I

dragons rarely tolerate any company but their own, and they are usually indifferent at best even toward their own kind. Moreover, their unpredictability means that even if a creature proves itself

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying. Driven Competitors Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A

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

Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children. Exploration and Adventure Elves take up adventuring out of wanderlust

, sophistication, and manners, they make up in valor. And I must admit, their best smiths produce art that approaches elven quality.” Halflings. “Halflings are people of simple pleasures, and

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

no company other than my own, for no one else can compete with me. 2 If my offspring can’t care for themselves, I’m not sure they’re worthy of my attention. 3 The sea is

Creatures Topaz dragons rarely tolerate any company but their own, and they are usually indifferent at best even toward their own kind. Moreover, their unpredictability means that even if a creature

Young Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

else can compete with me. 2 If my offspring can’t care for themselves, I’m not sure they’re worthy of my attention. 3 The sea is beautiful and I love gazing upon it, but I

company but their own, and they are usually indifferent at best even toward their own kind. Moreover, their unpredictability means that even if a creature proves itself useful to a topaz dragon, it

Satyr Legacy

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Satyrs have a well-earned reputation for their good spirits, gregarious personalities, and love of revels. Most satyrs are driven by simple desires, to see the world and to sample its every pleasure

importantly—it feels really good. Driven by instinct and intuition, most satyrs prove unpredictable, following their sense of wonder wherever it leads. Very Odd Indeed Satyrs are known for their

Young Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. There is a magic in the retelling of stories. Each new teller adds a bit of themself to the spell. (Any) 4 Nurture. Rearing a child is our best chance to make sure our own stories are passed on

watch how they respond. 8 An emerald dragon has been spying for a villainous cabal, ensuring the villains remain one step ahead of the adventurers. Connected Creatures Emerald dragons

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

concentrates the spoils at the top of the hierarchy. As a functionary in that system, your best hope is to claim as much as possible of the money that passes through your hands on its way up, so that

and wealth. (Evil) 5 Stability. The economy functions best when chaos is kept under control and everyone knows their place. (Lawful) 6 Eternity. I want to live forever — in

Hobgoblin

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Hobgoblins trace their origins to the ancient courts of the Feywild, where they first appeared with their goblin and bugbear kin. Many of them were driven from the Feywild by the conquering god

the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

, Dragons of Autumn Twilight Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity

, 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

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

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

; but what you learn you pass on to the Guild. 4 The inequality of Baldur’s Gate has driven you to take matters into your own hands. You steal from patriars and rich Lower City residents

Ancient Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

"} Trait 1 I seek no company other than my own, for no one else can compete with me. 2 If my offspring can’t care for themselves, I’m not sure they’re worthy of my

. Connected Creatures Topaz dragons rarely tolerate any company but their own, and they are usually indifferent at best even toward their own kind. Moreover, their unpredictability means that

Adult Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

in the retelling of stories. Each new teller adds a bit of themself to the spell. (Any) 4 Nurture. Rearing a child is our best chance to make sure our own stories are passed on. (Any) 5

convinced to defend the school in a contest against a rival college. 7 An emerald dragon invisibly tails a party of adventurers, causing trouble for the heroes so the dragon can watch how they respond

Ancient Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

retelling of stories. Each new teller adds a bit of themself to the spell. (Any) 4 Nurture. Rearing a child is our best chance to make sure our own stories are passed on. (Any) 5 Inquisitiveness

the school in a contest against a rival college. 7 An emerald dragon invisibly tails a party of adventurers, causing trouble for the heroes so the dragon can watch how they respond. 8 An

Draw In the Players

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

things they care about, you can use other techniques to draw in the players. These are best tailored to the motivations of your players and their characters. For example, some adventuring groups are

noble heroes who respond without hesitation to the pleas of innocent villagers crying for help; other groups are hardened mercenaries who respond only to offers of payment. Some groups are devoted to

Newspaper Contacts

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

journalism.” 5 An editor who is more interested in keeping powerful friends happy than in reporting the truth 6 An editor who thinks the way to make reporters do their best work is by making them compete

Testing Phase

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

-biologists believe they quell the creatures’ rumbling acid reflux. Owlbears respond best to training that mimics exactly what their trainer wishes them to do. Crawling on one’s hands and knees is

often the best way to teach an owlbear to be a mount, for example. An owlbear’s screech sounds vaguely similar to the cry of an enormous owl with terrible indigestion. Owls don’t suffer from indigestion, though, making this a sure sign that an owlbear is nearby.

Describing Monsters

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

its description. You could tell the players that they see a merrow or hold up the creature’s picture from the Monster Manual. But that first moment of revelation is the best time to paint a

here: Don’t dictate a character’s actions in response to what they see. But you can touch on the feelings that the creature provokes, leaving it up to the players to describe how they respond to those

Treasure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

Treasure Just as they must ensure sufficient supplies for all the NPCs, the characters need to think about how best to share the spoils of encounters and adventures with their followers. Although the

, whether NPCs stealing from spoils not yet divided, stealing from the adventurers, or stealing from each other. Such theft might be driven by sheer greed, or it could be a manifestation of madness. A

Nymmurh

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

potential of humanoids is partly driven by his affection for and protection of the noble Silmerhelve human family in Waterdeep (including Dala Silmerhelve; see “Chapter 9:Council of Waterdeep”). Desire

. Nymmurh would like to help the factions, looking to the Harpers and the Order of the Gauntlet as epitomizing the best traits of humanoid aspiration. Attitude. Unless the party has engaged in

Cosmic Horror

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

emerges through imagination and the indescribable, not details. At its best, cosmic horror makes characters feel gradually unmoored from their familiar reality. Cosmic horror is about ineffable forces

driven by motivations humans can’t understand. Cults, forbidden books, and strange symbols form the cornerstones of cosmic horror. The genre has a history of framing marginalized demographics as monstrous and stigmatizing mental illness. Be aware and avoid those tropes.

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

, seeing them as accidents. Many feel nothing for their genasi children at all. Some genasi live as outcasts, driven into exile for their unsettling appearance and strange magic, or assuming leadership

time. People there tend to be less accepting of differences. Sometimes a cold shoulder and a suspicious glare are the best genasi can hope for; in more backward places, they face ostracism and even

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

have more in common with iguanas or dragons than they do with humans, dwarves, or elves. Lizardfolk possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of

portable! 2 You sleep best while mostly submerged in water. 3 Money is meaningless to you. 4 You think there are only two species of humanoid: lizardfolk and meat. 5 You have

Epic Fantasy

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

and evil as a prominent element of the game, with the adventurers more or less squarely on the side of good. These characters are heroes in the best sense, driven by a higher purpose than selfish

Meeting Diasma

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Giants of the Star Forge

one of the monastery’s best giant wrestlers. She still considers herself an adventurer, though, and has recently begun to feel the itch of wanderlust. The characters’ quest to rid the Star Forge of evil

giants might just be the impetus Diasma needs to leave the monastery and continue her adventuring career. Diasma’s Challenge Diasma questions whether the characters have what it takes to compete with

Nymmurh

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

potential of humanoids is partly driven by his affection for and protection of the noble Silmerhelve human family in Waterdeep (including Dala Silmerhelve; see “Chapter 9: Council of Waterdeep

”). Desire. Nymmurh would like to help the factions, looking to the Harpers and the Order of the Gauntlet as epitomizing the best traits of humanoid aspiration. Attitude. Unless the party has engaged in

Kas the Betrayer

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

made for him (the Sword of Kas, described in chapter 7) by his liege. But the evil sword convinced Kas to betray Vecna, and now Kas is driven primarily by his hatred for his former lord. Keraptis

figure best known as the Worm That Walks. Kyuss manifests on the Material Plane as a colossal mass of maggots and worms animated by a single evil will. HELGE C. BALZER Kyuss

Goblinoids (Heirs of Dhakaan)

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

clan, or kech, believes its leader has the right to control all the others. And so the champions of Dhakaan continuously compete with each other to prove their right to rule. The Kech Sharaat

(Bladebearers) believe that leadership is best achieved through force of arms. The Kech Volaar (Wordbearers) believe that knowledge is the greater weapon, and they seek to recover artifacts and weapons that were

Inside the Cult

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

Quarter in Precinct Six of the Tenth District. Goals of the Rakdos The Cult of Rakdos is centered on a demon lord who exemplifies the concepts of chaos and evil. At its worst, the cult is driven by a lust

self-centered philosophy. The cult’s chaotic nature fuels its passion, impulsiveness, and obsession with freedom. A guild of unbridled hedonism, it does what it wants, driven by base desires and a strong

Reaching the Tower

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

characters tell him. If they admit they’ve never met Shalfey, Hadley is disappointed but decides the characters are his best shot at rescuing the elder sage. What Hadley Knows. If the characters respond to

character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check gets the sense Hadley is looking for a specific reply. If the party doesn’t respond with the other half of the phrase, Hadley offers to take

Keeping Combat Moving

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

Keeping Combat Moving Sometimes even the best-planned combat encounter can turn into a slog, where no one’s moving and neither side is hitting or dealing much damage to the other. When that happens

respond by putting things back to the way they were before. For example, if a character takes the Disengage action to move away from a group of monsters, don’t respond by having those same monsters

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