beyond both down concept reason

Caradoc

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

’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

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

world. A few rare firbolgs are entrusted by their clan with an important mission that takes them beyond their homes. These firbolgs feel like pilgrims in a strange land, and usually they wish only to

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

Warforged Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

as a new species. Warforged are made from wood and metal, but they can feel pain and emotion. Built as weapons, they must now find a purpose beyond war. A warforged can be a steadfast ally, a cold

and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced brow ridge. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary based on the purpose for which it was

Demilich (Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

their quest for power beyond the mortal world. As their patron did, they secure their remains within well-guarded vaults, using soul gems to maintain their phylacteries and destroy the adventurers who

its existence. Few liches seek to become demiliches, for it means an end to the existence they hoped to preserve by becoming undead. However, time can erode the lich’s reason and memory, causing

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

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

, 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

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

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

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

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

plans, or cultivating other methods to progress beyond their simple existence as hunters and gatherers. Hapless Soft Ones At their core, lizardfolk view other humanoids with an indifference verging on

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

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

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

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

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

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

beyond — from the boundless vistas of the Elemental Plane of Air. They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a world both strange and alien

. Great Purpose Aarakocra enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples and less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it takes an

Creating a Monster

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

new monsters and customizing existing ones, if for no other reason than to surprise and delight your players with something they’ve never faced before. The first step in the process is coming up with

the concept for your monster. What makes it unique? Where does it live? What role do you want it to serve in your adventure, your campaign, or your world? What does it look like? Does it have any

Keeping Time from Day to Day

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

Keeping Time from Day to Day Most people don’t keep track of the time of day beyond notions such as “mid-morning” or “nigh sunset.” If people plan to meet at a particular time, they tend to base

their arrangements around such expressions. The concept of hours and minutes exists mainly where wealthy people use clocks, but mechanical clocks are often unreliable, and rarely are two set to the same

Evil Inchoate

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

absolute evil, demons have no concept of empathy. Each demon believes that only its needs and desires matter. This self-centeredness applies even with regard to other demons. These fiends have no

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

Orog

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

foremost — because they believe that the gods have strength beyond reason, and physical might is all they respect. Servants of Darkness. Mistrusted by orcs, some orogs form independent mercenary war

terrifying presence on the battlefield. They form no attachments, even to their parents and siblings, and have no concept of love or dedication. They worship the orc pantheon of gods — Gruumsh and Luthic

Appendix E: Concept Gallery

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

Appendix E: Concept Gallery Just as most adventurers don’t walk into a dragon’s lair without a plan, neither were D&D’s iconic monsters developed without considerable forethought. This gallery

recognize from the events of the Tyranny of Dragons adventures, while others were meant to provide inspiration for events parallel stories could detail. Beyond these, this gallery also includes a

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.

Death Tyrant Beholder beyond Death Habitat: Underdark; Treasure: Any Simon Dominic A death tyrant is a beholder that pursues aberrant goals beyond its death. Ten magical singularities—all that

Goldenfields

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

“food for a tenday or more on the road, and seeds for the future beyond that.” Reason to Visit. Darovik is a useful contact for characters with a connection to the Emerald Enclave. Goldenfields is also an intended destination of the missing delegation, though they obviously never arrived.

Goldenfields Goldenfields is a huge walled temple-farm dedicated to Chauntea, the goddess of agriculture. Called “the granary of the North,” it’s the only reason many Northerners ever taste soft

Using This Book

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

a new class, the artificer, that reflect the flavor of the world. It also presents group patrons, a new concept that adds a shared purpose to your party of adventurers. You can use this material in

Eberron or any other D&D setting. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the nations of Khorvaire (and beyond) and the religions of Eberron, handy details whether you’re a player seeking inspiration for your

Using This Book

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

2 and 3. If you come across a game concept in part 1 that you don’t understand, consult the book’s index. Part 2 (chapters 7–9) details the rules of how to play the game, beyond the basics described

Appendix E: Concept Gallery

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

Appendix E: Concept Gallery Just as most adventurers don’t walk into a dragon’s lair without a plan, neither were D&D’s iconic monsters developed without considerable forethought. This gallery

recognize from the events of the Tyranny of Dragons adventures, while others were meant to provide inspiration for events parallel stories could detail. Beyond these, this gallery also includes a

4. Describe Your Character

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

. Your DM might offer additional backgrounds beyond the ones included in chapter 4, and might be willing to work with you to craft a background that’s a more precise fit for your character concept. A

Chapter 2: Downtime Revisited

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Chapter 2: Downtime Revisited It’s possible for the characters to start a campaign at 1st level, dive into an epic story, and reach 10th level and beyond in a short amount of game time. Although that

they amass on their adventures. The system presented here consists of two elements. First, it introduces the concept of rivals. Second, it details a number of downtime activities that characters can

Appendix E: Concept Gallery

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

Appendix E: Concept Gallery Just as most adventurers don’t walk into a dragon’s lair without a plan, neither were D&D’s iconic monsters developed without considerable forethought. This gallery

recognize from the events of the Tyranny of Dragons adventures, while others were meant to provide inspiration for events parallel stories could detail. Beyond these, this gallery also includes a

Escape from Barovia

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

, most Barovians realize that they have nowhere to go and no reason to leave. A few depart, fearing the return of the darkness or longing to see their ancestral homelands. Those who have souls can leave

the valley, while those without souls fade into nothingness as they take their first steps beyond the edge of Strahd’s former domain.

The Returned

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

. There’s no rhyme or reason to what the Gray Merchants seek, and the merchants themselves never speak. They conduct business through gestures, making their unusual trades and plodding off into the shadows

, pseudammas turn tragedy into horror by snatching mortal children and attempting to raise them. However, the Returned have forgotten the needs of the living and they have no concept of how to care for a child.

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

the Gatekeepers, and you’re on a quest to combat a daelkyr-related threat beyond the bounds of the Shadow Marches. 2 House Tharashk recruited you from the Marches to serve as a mercenary in the Last

Palace of Spires

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

let the magic that preserved her own life beyond its natural span end. The Gardener said their final farewell to Caerwyn and Porphura, sealed the tomb, and left the palace forever. Out of respect for their late friends, the Gardener won’t enter the Palace of Spires for any reason.

Stars

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

Stars This suit symbolizes the desire for personal power and control over things beyond the ken of mortals. It is the suit of arcane mages, sages, and intellectuals. It also represents the triumph of

magic, science, and reason over religion, mysticism, and superstition. Stars Card Name Represents Master of stars Wizard Mystery and riddles; the unknown; those who crave magical power and great

Adventure Hooks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer Academy

Adventure Hooks All the characters have volunteered, for whatever reason, to join Spelljammer Academy: a shadowy enclave of spellcasters and swords-for-hire situated on the remote and mysterious

characters to the stars and beyond, and there might be no coming back afterward! Orientation throws the characters right into the action. To maximize the impact of part 1 of the adventure, you might

17. Midden

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

17. Midden As the characters approach this area, a foul stench begins to rise. When the door is opened, read: The stench from the chamber beyond the door delivers a punch like an angered demigod. The

here with a bucket of waste to dispose of. The lizardfolk ignores the characters, expecting that anyone hanging out in the midden must have some good reason to do so.

Citadel Defenses

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

deflects all attacks. Nothing can pass or teleport through it. If the diamond sphere cannot be erected for any reason, the Radiant Citadel is not helpless. Due to its many mysteries and its magical

Diamond’s illumination also provides strong protection. It radiates bright light throughout the city and dim light 1,000 feet beyond the city’s borders. This light is akin to sunlight, which many natives of the Ethereal Plane and evil Undead abhor.

Outcast Adventurers

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

firbolgs are entrusted by their clan with an important mission that takes them beyond their homes. These firbolgs feel like pilgrims in a strange land, and usually they wish only to complete their quests

and return home as quickly as possible. The Firbolg Adventurers table can serve as inspiration for determining why a firbolg character leaves home. Firbolg Adventurers d8 Reason for Adventuring 1

Citadel Defenses

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Radiant Citadel

deflects all attacks. Nothing can pass or teleport through it. If the diamond sphere cannot be erected for any reason, the Radiant Citadel is not helpless. Due to its many mysteries and its magical

Diamond’s illumination also provides strong protection. It radiates bright light throughout the city and dim light 1,000 feet beyond the city’s borders. This light is akin to sunlight, which many natives of the Ethereal Plane and evil Undead abhor.

Darklords

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

Darklords are deadly or possess foul gifts from the Dark Powers, many pose little threat in battle. Their menace is the result of capabilities beyond physical prowess. Darklords Are Active. Darklords might

concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their

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