better branch down caste realms

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

with that of snakes, producing a caste-based society of hybrids in which the most snakelike are the leaders and the most humanlike are spies and agents in foreign lands. Humans Transformed The

caste system based on how complete a person’s transformation was. The vast majority of yuan-ti fall into three categories — abominations, malisons, and purebloods — while the mutated

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

-tiered caste system made up of lashers, hunters, gatherers, and pariahs. The status of every family in the tribe is based on its importance to the tribe’s survival. Families that belong to the

goblin tribe has to nobility is the caste of lashers — families of goblins trained in the ways of battle, and also possessed of key skills such as strategy, trap-building, beast taming, mining

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

. Beak and Feather From below, aarakocra look much like large birds. Only when they descend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing

aarakocra. To be grounded, trapped underground, or imprisoned by the cold, unyielding earth is a torment few aarakocra can withstand. Even when perched on a high branch or at rest in their mountaintop

Lesser Star Spawn Emissary

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

and just as readily appear as people, animals, or other creatures—the more unassuming, the better. Should it reveal its true form, an emissary appears as a roughly bipedal mass of agitated organs

emissaries are the fingers of alien realms, digits that tip the scales of reality toward terror. Heralded by ominous astrological events, these ravenous invaders make worlds ready for unimaginable masters or

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

Flint squinted into the setting sun. He thought he saw the figure of a man striding up the path. Standing, Flint drew back into the shadow of a tall pine to see better. The man’s walk was

friends and loved ones age while time barely touches them. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as

Plaintiff

Backgrounds Acquisitions Incorporated

and realms of magic and mystery just a dungeon away, you left your old life behind. Now a world of adventure is yours. Just initial here and sign here and here. Absolve Acq Inc of all former claims, and

’re talking about. With common folks who don’t know any better, you might be able to intimidate or deceive to get favors or special treatment.

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

out of sight on a high tree branch in the form of a leopard, a human peers out of the jungle at the strange construction of a temple of Evil Elemental Air, keeping a close eye on the cultists&rsquo

of Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms, druidic circles are not usually connected to the faith of a single nature deity. Any given circle in the Forgotten Realms, for example, might include druids who

Shadow Crossings

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

battlefields, graveyards, and tombs. They manifest only in darkness, closing as soon as they feel light’s kiss. EVERNIGHT The city of Neverwinter in the world of the Forgotten Realms has a dark reflection

bulk of the population consists of the shambling dead. Zombies, wights, vampires, and other undead make the city their home, all under the watchful eyes of the ruling caste: intelligent, flesh-eating ghouls. Rumors abound that this foul place mirrors one city on every world.

Roleplaying a Yuan-ti

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

than among other creatures, including my own kind. 4 I sometimes become consumed by philosophy. 5 I believe I am superior to others of my caste. 6 I am driven by wanderlust and want to explore lands

above those of our race. (Any) 4 Kinship. My allegiance is to my caste and my city. Other settlements can burn for all I care. (Any) 5 Inspiration. My actions set an example for the lesser castes to

Setting the Adventure

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

Mountains becoming the Starpeaks. Forgotten Realms. The Tegefed Mountains could be in the eastern half of the Small Teeth mountain range, located in the region of Amn. Greyhawk. You could place the Tegefed

Mountains near the Crystalmist Mountains, where the Kingdom of Keoland borders the Yeomanry. About the Original Produced by the UK branch of TSR in 1984, When a Star Falls was written by

Running the Adventure

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

set a short distance from the city of Neverwinter in the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms setting. The Sword Coast is part of the North — a vast realm of free settlements surrounded by

wilderness and adventure. You don’t need to be a Forgotten Realms expert to run the adventure; everything you need to know about the setting is contained in this content. If this is your first time

Other Elements

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

Other Elements Replace any mention of deities specific to the Forgotten Realms setting with appropriate Greyhawk deities. For example, the knights based in Summit Hall should be followers of

Heironeous instead of Helm or Tyr. (They could be followers of Saint Cuthbert, but that would mean that one of the player character factions has an important stronghold in the region; better if they are

How Patrons Work

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

as a launchpad tailored for organizations of your design. For example, the guild group patron could represent the Harpers or the Zhentarim of the Forgotten Realms, the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild in

Eberron, or a homebrew league of caravan guards. Or perhaps a criminal syndicate, military force, or other category of patron better fits the party’s goals. Choose and customize the group patron that works best for your party and the types of adventures you want to explore.

Emotionless Evil

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

well enough to know that they can get away with this casual disregard for life almost anytime. Furthermore, in the yuan-ti caste system, a greater yuan-ti’s life is worth far more than a lesser one’s

own lives much too highly to risk them when the odds aren’t in their favor. A short retreat might be just the thing to reach a better tactical position, find allies, or to allow the yuan-ti the

Path of the Battlerager

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

the Battlerager. The battlerager fills a particular niche in dwarven society and culture. Your DM can lift this restriction to better suit the campaign. The restriction exists for the Forgotten Realms

. It might not apply to your DM’s setting or your DM’s version of the Realms. Battlerager Armor When you choose this path at 3rd level, you gain the ability to use spiked armor (see the “Spiked Armor

Goblins

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

is a yellow-and-red striped whip made of leather. This mark of his authority is used by its wielder against goblins of a lower caste as well as on slaves and enemies. The knowledge of how to make

such a whip is enough to elevate a goblin to the master caste of lashers. Often the secret is guarded by one family in a tribe, which enjoys prestige and influence because it controls the supply of whips

The Ordning

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

The Ordning Giant society (such as it is) is defined in large part by the ordning, a caste system imposed upon the giants by their gods, chief among them Annam the All-Father. The ordning determines

realms of small folk and sparking conflict. The greatest storm giants are powerful seers, skilled at identifying and interpreting cosmic signs and divine omens. The aloof and aristocratic cloud giants

Half-Elf

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

Half-Elf Flint squinted into the setting sun. He thought he saw the figure of a man striding up the path. Standing, Flint drew back into the shadow of a tall pine to see better. The man’s walk was

. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as children. Many half-elves, unable to fit into either society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.

Roleplaying Strahd

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

believed, that he is the master of his own fate. When he was alive, Strahd could admit to letting his emotions get the better of him from time to time. Now, as a vampire, he is more monster than man

. In his mind, her death couldn’t have been prevented, and what is done cannot be undone. In life, Strahd lived to conquer. In undeath, he conquers still—not realms, but people, driving good souls to

The Adventuring Biz

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

, faced down mechanical beholders, and robbed a bank operated by devils. The team has also rubbed shoulders with some of the most notorious figures in the Forgotten Realms, including bumping into Drizzt

clone to a devil. It seemed prudent at the time. However, nothing in Acquisitions Incorporated’s storied history encapsulates the company’s efficacy better than the recovery of Omin’s sister, Auspicia

The Lords' Alliance

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

larger powers, has kept the ambitions of Luskan in check, and has taught the rulers of many cities that it is better to cooperate, even for a time, then to merely shut one’s doors and allow the storms

. Better instead to look to the future, repair the walls, and wait for word from the watching sentries. — Andwe Cururen, agent of the Lords’ Alliance The Lords’ Alliance isn’t a nation unto itself, but

Candlekeep

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

gain entry discover a cloistered community of scholars milling around inside Candlekeep’s walls, a place of enlightened conversation and friendly debate. No better place in the Realms exists for those

Half-Elf

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

Half-Elf Flint squinted into the setting sun. He thought he saw the figure of a man striding up the path. Standing, Flint drew back into the shadow of a tall pine to see better. The man’s walk was

. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms, while their peers continue to live as children. Many half-elves, unable to fit into either society, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life.

Rogues

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

cities, but can be placed to good use in dealing with dangerous monsters and lost treasure. Most large cities in the Realms have a number of thieves’ dens that compete with one another. A few places, such

better-known thieves and assassins. Such rogues blend more easily into civilized society, more often acting as grease in the wheels than a wrench in the works.

Outer Planes

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

Outer Planes If the Inner Planes are the raw matter and energy that make up the multiverse, the Outer Planes provide the direction, thought, and purpose for its construction. These are realms of

and their realms, the language used must be highly metaphorical. Their actual homes aren’t literally places at all but exemplify the idea that the Outer Planes are realms of thought and spirit. The

Patrons in the Realms

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

Patrons in the Realms The gods are far from the only forces at work in the Realms, and ambitious warlocks have many potential patrons able to offer them arcane power. The Archfey In the vast

wilderness of the Realms one can still find connections to the Feywild. These are fey crossings, places of mysterious natural beauty in the world that have a near-perfect mirror in the Feywild. You can pass

Netherese Necropolis

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

of the Realms, including a Netherese demilich. It also contains a mythallar (described in appendix D), a magic item that can raise an entire city into the air and alter the weather in a fifty-mile

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

Where to Go?

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

NPC companions have destinations of their own in mind, and are the ones best able to navigate the subterranean realms. As such, the adventurers will be dependent on their guidance. The NPCs can offer

characters to go to Gracklstugh to acquire better equipment, and out of a desire to return to his people. He also intends to murder the characters one by one along the way, believing them to be divine

Vizeran's Plan

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

break down magical resistance and overcome magical forces. Six feathers from six different angels — the authority of the celestial realms and a force to enrage fiendish creatures. The heart of a

in. A few drops of blood or ichor from a demon lord, to connect with the demons the ritual will call. Gromph Baenre’s grimoires and notes on his ritual, to assist in better understanding the power

Adventures in I'Cath

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

. Working with or undermining them provides paths to disrupting the Dream of I’Cath and ultimately escaping. But Tsien Chiang holds great power over both her realms, and if she is convinced that either her

wakes from the dream and attempts to set I’Cath on fire, believing it’s better for everything to burn than to live a lie. The characters must choose how to contend with the murderous arsonist. 10

The Demonic Point of View

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

against the Abyss and end its threat forever. Instead, as long as the demons focus most of their efforts on the doorstep of the Nine Hells, realms such as the Seven Heavens and Bytopia are loath to commit

devils both know that a yugoloth’s loyalty is constantly for sale — even during a conflict on the battlefield — and a yugoloth never agrees to a contract that prohibits it from seeking a better offer

Klothys's Influence

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

respects the other gods whose interests balance creation and destruction, such as Thassa, Purphoros, and Nylea, considering them better attuned to Theros’s needs and destiny’s myriad outcomes. Nylea shares

borders between the realms, as she draws horrors into the mortal realm with her and thereby raises Athreos’s ire. Of course, Klothys trusts no other god as much as she does Kruphix, who also recalls Theros’s earliest hours. The two have a deep respect for one another.

Outer Planes

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

must be highly metaphorical. Their actual homes are not literally “places” at all, but exemplify the idea that the Outer Planes are realms of thought and spirit. As with the Elemental Planes, one can

Outer Planes. The desires of the mighty forces that dwell on these planes can remake them completely, effectively erasing and rebuilding existence itself to better fulfill their own needs. Distance is

Outer Planes

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

exemplify the idea that the Outer Planes are realms of thought and spirit. As with the Elemental Planes, one can imagine the perceptible part of the Outer Planes as a border region, while extensive

Material Plane. But the landscape can change at a whim of the powerful forces that dwell on these planes, which can remake them completely, effectively erasing and rebuilding existence to better fulfill

Magic and Metaphysics

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

fundamental ways, controlling magic, the nature of life and death, and the means of escaping from their nightmare realms. Mysterious Magic In some domains, magic is an everyday part of life, while in

Land of the Mists who have souls tend to be vibrant, imaginative, and ambitious. But they find these virtues stifled by the dour, soulless individuals who outnumber them, leading many to seek better

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