better before device continued reason

Vertebrae Sword

Equipment

The jagged vertebrae sword of a fishfolk warrior can barely be called a sword. Locals would say it’s better described as a makeshift weapon crafted from a fish skeleton and sea trash. Its poor

construction is the reason it’s not often a weapon seen on land, though when used by a skilled fighter, it most certainly can be a formidable tool. When you successfully hit a creature with a

Investigator

Backgrounds Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

escaped, but you’ve continued to uncover magical hoaxes. 5 You were wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime. You managed to escape and seek to help others avoid the experience you

suffered, even while still being pursued by the law. 6 You survived the destructive use of a magic device that wiped out your home. Members of a secret organization found you. You now work with them

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale

time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is incapable of showing mercy or compassion. Play her as a supremely cold and

Wand of Orcus Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

The ghastly Wand of Orcus rarely leaves Orcus’s side. The device, as evil as its creator, shares the demon lord’s aims to snuff out the lives of all living things and bind the Material

. Made from bones as hard as iron, the wand is topped with a magically enlarged skull that once belonged to a human hero slain by Orcus. The wand can magically change in size to better conform to the

Eye and Hand of Vecna Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

would allow him to live on as a lich. Beyond death, he became the greatest of all liches. Even though his body gradually withered and decayed, Vecna continued to expand his evil dominion. So formidable

’s lieutenant Kas coveted the Spider Throne for himself, or that the sword his lord made for him seduced him into rebellion. Whatever the reason, Kas brought the Undying King’s rule to an

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to

can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and insults are my

there, I have a child who doesn’t know me. I’m making the world better for him or her. 4 I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and title from those who

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

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location. d6 Reason d6 Reason 1 Emissary 4 Pilgrim

hundreds of miles of the Great Glacier and the Great Ice Sea. No one from your nation makes the effort to cross such colossal barriers without a convincing reason. You must fear something truly

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

quirk for a lizardfolk character or to inspire a unique mannerism. Lizardfolk Quirks d8 Quirk 1 You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and

learned to laugh. You use this talent in response to all emotional situations, to better fit in with your comrades. 6 You still don’t understand how metaphors work. That doesn’t stop

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist

might prove helpful: So long as she has mortal worshipers, Auril can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals

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

provoke retaliatory attacks from the creatures they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

want. 4 I’m a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and

. 3 Somewhere out there, I have a child who doesn’t know me. I’m making the world better for him or her. 4 I come from a noble family, and one day I’ll reclaim my lands and

Meeting Rookledust

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

. “The faster I talk, think, and invent, the faster I can improve my designs.” Ideal. “Not only can I make that, I can make it better!” Bond. “Through invention, we make a more interesting world.” Flaw

armor asked to purchase her weed-clearing device, but with some modifications to make it resemble a mythical dragon. She agreed. (Unbeknownst to her, the stranger was a Dragon Army agent and the device

Path to Mystery

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

magic-user escaped, but you’ve continued to uncover magical hoaxes. 5 You were wrongfully accused and convicted of a crime. You managed to escape and seek to help others avoid the experience you

suffered, even while still being pursued by the law. 6 You survived the destructive use of a magic device that wiped out your home. Members of a secret organization found you. You now work with

Lizardfolk Personality

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

waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and 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 learned to laugh. You use this talent in response to all emotional situations, to better fit in with your comrades. 6 You still don’t understand how

Adventure Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

. Arthur continued his thriving business and lived a quiet, contented life alone at Holrow Homestead. SECRET OF HOLROW HOMESTEAD The animals and plants that grow on and around the hill at Holrow

Homestead are extraordinary. That’s partly due to Arthur’s magical experiments and his skill with druidic magic. But there’s another, more ominous reason for the land’s fecundity. The hill at Holrow

Chapter 5: Spring Madness

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Chapter 5: Spring Madness Xanathar has let its paranoia get the better of it, and the beholder trusts no one. The Stone of Golorr disappeared from its lair while it was brokering a deal that would

has access to lair actions, and characters might encounter the beholder’s regional effects as well. Characters who don’t visit Xanathar’s lair in the course of this adventure might have reason to do

Personalities

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

unique mannerism. Lizardfolk Quirks d8 Quirk 1 You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and portable! 2 You sleep best while mostly submerged in water

to all emotional situations, to better fit in with your comrades. 6 You still don’t understand how metaphors work. This doesn’t stop you from trying to use them at every opportunity. 7 You appreciate

Breaking the Law

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

, and murder are severe, regardless of the reason for the crime. If the characters express interest in knowing more about crimes and punishments in Waterdeep, give them the Code Legal handout in

could end with one or more of the characters being exiled, sentenced to several years of hard labor, imprisoned, or put to death. If that’s how their adventure ends, so be it. Hopefully, your next group will fare better.

Using the Golden Vault

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

profane entity. Four adventurers hired to retrieve the book from Delphi Mansion have disappeared without a trace. We have good reason to believe they’re dead. This quest, should you choose to undertake

it, requires you to travel to Delphi Mansion and retrieve The Celestial Codex. May you fare better than the last group. Good luck, operatives.” Closing the music box causes the golden key to vanish.

Black Cabin Locations

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

first time a creature picks up the Summer Star, its core glows with a golden radiance as bright as a candle flame. Unless the creature drops the device immediately, the light suddenly blossoms, becoming

a 10-foot-radius sphere of incinerating golden radiance centered on the device. Each creature in the sphere must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 90 (10d10 + 35) radiant damage on a

Reaching the Engine

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

nalfeshnee named Slaughtertusk to watch over the crevasse and prevent any creature from approaching the device. Slaughtertusk would rather be helping the Horned King track down and kill Yeenoghu. The

nalfeshnee is bored with its assigned task, although it knows better than to disobey the Horned King. Still, rather than immediately destroying any intruders, it toys with them for as long as possible

Viktra Mordenheim

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

artificial organ Mordenheim called the Unbreakable Heart. But as she stitched the miraculous device into place, constables burst into the lab and accused the doctor of facilitating numerous murders. As Dr

rumors of a glowing woman wandering in the icy wastes. Since then, Mordenheim has continued her experiments on the dead and living, striving to recreate her successes and failing every time. Between

Netherese Necropolis

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

radius. The characters can use this device to counteract Auril’s spell and free Icewind Dale from her Everlasting Rime. Chardalyn More than a hundred years prior to this adventure, a wizard named Akar

Kessel found an artifact suffused with demonic magic called Crenshinibon (better known as the Crystal Shard) and used it to erect a great black tower in Icewind Dale. When this tower was destroyed

March to Nowhere

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

them that it and its fellows are on a mission of supreme importance, though it doesn’t reveal the nature of that mission. A character can puzzle out the reason why the modrons might be here by making a

Labyrinth, explaining that a malfunctioning “Orderer” is there. The characters might know the device by its other name: the Maze Engine. Because the device was built on Mechanus, its magical energy

Chapter 2: Raiders' Camp

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

heavily on his bandaged left leg. “I hear that you intend to follow the raiders and see where they’ve gone. I’d like nothing better than to come with you, but in this condition, I’d slow you down. In the

midst of all this tragedy, there’s no reason you would have heard about the fate of my master, Leosin Erlanthar, but it’s important you know. He is a monk from Berdusk. He disappeared last night

Templars of the Silver Flame

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

knights are operating and what they are doing, but this system works better in some places—and between some commanders—than others. Allies. The other two orders of the Church of the Silver Flame’s clergy

regardless of order. You can count on these clergy to help you secure spellcasting services, and to offer you other material aid within reason. Enemies. Since the order of knights templar is sworn to

Chapter 2: Raiders' Camp

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

heavily on his bandaged left leg. “I hear that you intend to follow the raiders and see where they’ve gone. I’d like nothing better than to come with you, but in this condition, I’d slow you down. In the

midst of all this tragedy, there’s no reason you would have heard about the fate of my master, Leosin Erlanthar, but it’s important you know. He is a monk from Berdusk. He disappeared last night, after

Bruenor's Plan

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

what we know, and to get their backing for what it is I propose. Ye have braved the Underdark and lived to tell the tale. Ye know, better than anyone, what it is we face, but we need to know more

support our cause and your mission. From all I’ve seen and heard, there’s no one better to do what needs be done. “So, what say ye?” Paraphrase Bruenor’s speech as needed to handle interjections by

Orcs of the Shadow Marches

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

, consider what circumstances brought you into the wider world. The Leaving the Shadow Marches table offers some inspiration. Leaving the Shadow Marches d8 Reason for Leaving 1 You’re associated with

. 7 The leader of your clan committed a great wrong against another clan, which has now sworn to exterminate every last member of your clan. What better time to see the world? 8 Your work as an investigator has set you upon a trail of mysteries that leads far beyond the Marches.

Lost Mine of Phandelver

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

grasslands and foothills. You can simply declare that the party makes the uneventful journey, or you can offer some reason why they would want to visit Triboar. The town is a good place for them to resupply

the characters to deliver a letter to Darathra Shendrel, the lord protector of Triboar. In the letter, Harbin demands that the lord protector do a better job of patrolling the territory between their

Able Scavengers

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

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 other useful items, but if they

they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might abandon this careful approach. First, because of their

Should They or Shouldn't They?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

learned to the constables there. Shortly thereafter, the characters receive a visit from Barnibus Blastwind and Saeth Cromley (see appendix B), who have no reason to suspect the characters are lying

, the nimblewright flees the estate with the Stone of Golorr (see chapter 4 for more information on its destination). If the characters are using Nim’s nimblewright detector to track the nimblewright, the device lets them know that the nimblewright has fled the scene, but not the direction it went.

The Dispute

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

fund new, better lives for themselves. What Mercy Wants. Mercy regards Docents (and any other items intended for warforged use) as sacred. The pilgrims believe that such objects belong in the hands

powered not by a Docent, but by a device called a graymatter engine that incorporated part of an artifact—perhaps that’s what you seek? The graymatter engine was said to generate a magical barrier

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