beyond binding drives content rather

Sammaster (Dracolich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

dracoliches, magically bound dragons to his service, and learned how to drive dragons across Faerûn into a berserk rage. He considered his intellect beyond morality and became paranoid, resentful, and

efficiently as he can. Sammaster personally checks in on the cult’s most important plots, often surprising his minions with his presence. Rather than keep a soul jar as liches do, Sammaster keeps

Sammaster (Lich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

bound dragons to his service, and learned how to drive dragons across Faerûn into a berserk rage. He considered his intellect beyond morality and became paranoid, resentful, and megalomaniacal

can. Sammaster personally checks in on the cult’s most important plots, often surprising his minions with his presence. Rather than keep a soul jar as liches do, Sammaster keeps a magical soul

Choker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

choker can keep its body deep inside the crevice where it hides, beyond the reach of most normal weapons. Chokers tend to set their ambushes alone, rather than working in concert, but where one

choker is a subterranean predator far more dangerous than its small size and spindly, rubbery limbs would suggest. Chokers have cartilage rather than a bony skeleton. This flexible internal structure

Carrionette

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

carrionette and the target die. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the controlled body drives the carrionette out and returns the consciousness of both creatures to their original bodies

, for a time, a creator might feel blessed by their new companion. But carrionettes aren’t content to live as toys and seek to escape the confines of their diminutive bodies. Every carrionette

Mark of Handling Human

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

were born to rule it. —Dalin d’Vadalis The Mark of Handling gives its bearer a primal connection to beasts and the natural world, granting the power to calm and coax. This extends beyond

content; they’re more interested in discovering new monstrosities than engaging in politics. The current head of the house, Dalin d’Vadalis, disdains the use of a title and has no aspirations

Khargra

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

devours any metals it encounters. Though normally content to eat raw veins of ore, this creature considers refined and crafted metals to be particularly delectable. Vexing Scavengers. Khargras are

tasty, refined metal their victim carries, they quickly flee—and will flee before that rather than risk death. Stealthy Couriers. A number of clans among the dwarves, duergar, and azers have trained

Leonin Iconoclast

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

one another and the land. Only in recent times have some leonin started guardedly looking beyond their homeland and wondering what role they might take in the wider world. Most leonin hunters are tribal

warrior;tribal warriors, but those who hunt the servants of the gods rather than game are known as leonin iconoclasts.

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

of the world beyond their home. Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s

homeland, content to dwell in small, tight clans. These tabaxi hunt for food, craft goods, and largely keep to themselves. However, not all tabaxi are satisfied with such a life. The Cat Lord, the divine

Crab Folk

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

are content to lead peaceful lives as hunters and gatherers, the magic that created the crab folk sometimes compels them to lash out in fearsome raids when the conditions are right. Aquatic Vassals

crab folk have little sense of what drives them, but they understand that the effigy represents a mother and creator who must be obeyed. Legend holds that the green hag preferred to travel in the

Caradoc

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

at his core, the seneschal didn’t return as a skeletal knight but rather as an intangible spirit. Caradoc’s Undead form suits him well, allowing him to possess the living and use unwilling

’s swiftly pulled back if caught beyond its walls without a host. Personality Trait. “I might be dead, but there’s no reason I can’t live it up a little.” Ideal. &ldquo

Nosferatu

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

their lair’s comfort. Rather than retiring to crypts, they seek filthy or inaccessible fissures, places any living soul would avoid. For a few moments after feeding, nosferatu are lucid and

capable of considering more than their next meal. In these instants, nosferatu recollect glimpses of what they once were, beings who knew pride, intention, and a world beyond the shadows. They might even

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

colors. Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their

treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering. Kind and

Isolde

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

archfey named Zybilna, who had forged secret pacts with some of the fiends Isolde and her companions had slain. Rather than be angry at Isolde, Zybilna was impressed by her. She enlisted a powerful fiend

endlessly overburdens herself, struggling to protect those around her as her hate for the Caller drives her forward at any cost. Personality Trait. “We all contribute so that we all benefit. Those who

Way of Mercy Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Monks of the Way of Mercy learn to manipulate the life force of others to bring aid to those in need. They are wandering physicians to the poor and hurt. However, to those beyond their help, they

bring a swift end as an act of mercy. Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism

Forlarren

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

bound to their fey lord and unable to bargain away their souls. So rather than claim them, Fierna warped and twisted them before returning them to the Feywild, content that the corruption of the satyrs

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

shapes their lives. This thirst drives warlocks into their pacts and shapes their later careers as well. Stories of warlocks binding themselves to fiends are widely known. But many warlocks serve patrons

, while poring over tomes of forbidden lore, a brilliant student’s mind is opened to realities beyond the material world and to the alien beings that dwell in the outer void. Once a pact is made, a

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds. A Broad Spectrum With their penchant for migration

traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future

Delvers into Secrets

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

Delvers into Secrets Warlocks are driven by an insatiable need for knowledge and power, which compels them into their pacts and shapes their lives. This thirst drives warlocks into their pacts and

shapes their later careers as well. Stories of warlocks binding themselves to fiends are widely known. But many warlocks serve patrons that are not fiendish. Sometimes a traveler in the wilds comes to a

Delvers into Secrets

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

Delvers into Secrets Warlocks are driven by an insatiable need for knowledge and power, which compels them into their pacts and shapes their lives. This thirst drives warlocks into their pacts and

shapes their later careers as well. Stories of warlocks binding themselves to fiends are widely known. But many warlocks serve patrons that are not fiendish. Sometimes a traveler in the wilds comes to a

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

would rather make one precise strike, placing it exactly where the attack will hurt the target most, than wear an opponent down with a barrage of attacks. Rogues have an almost supernatural knack for

an angry thieves’ guild master? Or did you leave your guild in search of bigger risks and bigger rewards? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures, or some other desire or ideal? What

Artus Cimber

Monsters Tomb of Annihilation

Chult, where he also met his wife, Alisanda. The ring halts its wearer’s natural aging and has allowed Artus to survive well beyond his natural lifespan. The ring also defies magical attempts to

city of Mezro during the Spellplague. No longer content to wait for Alisanda and Mezro to return on their own, Artus has been seeking the means to bring them back. He believes that Saja N’baza, an

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

, Auril is reborn at full strength during the next winter solstice, with divine power far beyond what is reflected in the stat blocks presented here. After finishing a long rest, Auril regains any of

. A stat block is given for each of Auril’s three forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

form, Auril dies. As long as she has mortal followers who worship her, however, Auril is reborn at full strength during the next winter solstice, with divine power far beyond what is reflected in the

rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril dwells on Solstice, a frozen island hidden among the titanic icebergs in the Sea of Moving Ice. Few creatures know of this

Salamanders

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

Salamanders Serpentine Artists of the Inferno Habitat: Planar (Elemental Plane of Fire), Underdark; Treasure: Armaments Brian Valenzuela A salamander inferno master drives its salamander and fire

typically content to dwell on the Elemental Plane of Fire, creating strange, temporary art amid the flames. Some travel to other planes of existence and worlds to experience the flames of other realms or create conflagrations of unprecedented scale.

Roleplaying the God-Brain

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

Roleplaying the God-Brain The God-Brain’s influence drives the mind flayers beyond their domain to purse all manner of subtle observations, bizarre experiments, repeat abductions, and visceral mutilations.

Lady Illmarrow

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Emerald Claw, but her motives for founding the order are buried in her past. Lady Illmarrow has no interest in ruling the living. Rather, she seeks to become Queen of the Dead. The Mark of Death

. Illmarrow is a fiefdom on the isle of Farlnen — home to a community of elves exiled from Aerenal, who have practiced necromancy for centuries. But Lady Illmarrow’s roots extend far beyond her

Dragonshards

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

Dragonshards Dragonshards are crystals imbued with raw mystical energy. They are the fuel that drives the magical economy, playing a vital role in the creation of magic items and the performance of

activity. Khyber dragonshards are deep blue or dark violet, laced with gleaming veins. Khyber dragonshards have a affinity for binding magics. Elemental binding—which is behind airships, the lightning

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

solstice, with divine power far beyond what is reflected in the stat blocks presented here. After finishing a long rest, Auril regains any of her forms that were destroyed, provided at least one

forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but rather Auril as she is encountered in this adventure.Lair Actions Auril dwells on Solstice, a frozen island hidden among the titanic

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

necessary, using their magic to bolster their swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many

beyond the horizon—makes an adventuring career a natural calling. Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost works of magic

Selesnya Initiate

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

1 I never raise my voice or lose my temper. 2 I feel the pains and joys of everyone around me, friend or foe. 3 I would rather make a friend than thwart an enemy. 4 I’m

always straining to peer into another reality that seems to be just beyond my senses. 5 I’m uneasy if I can’t see plants growing or feel soil beneath my feet. 6 Seeing illness

Zombies

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

, merciless, and resilient, and their dead flesh can carry on even after suffering grievous wounds. While they can follow simple orders, they rely on primal drives rather than thought. They fulfill

Chapter 4: Escape From the Past

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Netheril’s Fall: Tales of Terror, Treasure, and Time Travel

Chapter 4: Escape From the Past Chapter 4 Escape From the Past SAMUEL PERIN The cosmos-shaking magic of Karsus’s Folly drives a caldron magen into a violent frenzy Experimentation with temporal

period in the Forgotten Realms or beyond into ancient Netheril, where they can adventure before discovering a way back home.

Horror Gameplay

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

traditionally nullifies heroes’ strengths, doing so can remove the players’ agency and undercut their enjoyment. Beyond the Dungeon Master’s Guide advice for creating dangerous encounters, consider the

boundaries. Beyond impromptu checks, once during a session, after a scheduled break, check in with the group and consider asking the following questions: What do your characters hope will happen? What do your

Group Patrons

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

patron. These patrons provide a strong binding element: an individual or an organization that unites a party as a team in service to a greater purpose. A group patron can help set the tone of your

party. Rather than (or in addition to) creating a web of established relationships, players can work with the DM to choose a group patron. And if you’re interested in being your own patron, see the

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