birds before descended concept rather

Water Weird Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

those its summoner declares as off limits. When slain, a water weird becomes an inanimate pool of water. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil

interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might turn against its summoner. A water weird loses its evil alignment if its waters are cleansed

Rod of Seven Parts

Magic Items Vecna: Eve of Ruin

annihilation. Desperate to save themselves and their allies, powerful elemental beings called the Wind Dukes of Aaqa rose against Miska. Committed to the concept of law, the Wind Dukes descended from a

Cradle of the Cloud Scion

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

feet tall and wields a morningstar made from magically dense clouds. It tends to regard other creatures as toys rather than serious threats, and it uses its illusion magic to manipulate creatures into

others. If the scion dies, these effects end immediately. Scions of Giants’ Gods Giants are descended from the All-Father, Annam, and his children. But scions of giants’ gods boast a

Scion of Memnor

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

made from magically dense clouds. It tends to regard other creatures as toys rather than serious threats, and it uses its illusion magic to manipulate creatures into fighting each other. If seriously

effects end immediately. Scions of Giants’ Gods Giants are descended from the All-Father, Annam, and his children. But scions of giants’ gods boast a greater claim: they are Annam

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

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips

away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in

Nib Addlespur

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

birds and will do what I can to look after them.” Flaw. “Deep water terrifies me. I would rather be swallowed by a dragon than get in a boat or go for a swim.”

Nib Addlespur

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

. Use the Spellcaster sidekick stat block to represent her. Personality. “I can’t resist a sure bet or a friendly wager.” Ideal. “The more complicated the scheme, the better.” Bond. “I love birds

and will do what I can to look after them.” Flaw. “Deep water terrifies me. I would rather be swallowed by a dragon than get in a boat or go for a swim.”

Nib Addlespur

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sleeping Dragon’s Wake

birds and will do what I can to look after them.” Flaw. “Deep water terrifies me. I would rather be swallowed by a dragon than get in a boat or go for a swim.”

New Race: Verdan

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

New Race: Verdan The verdan owe their existence to chaos. Descended and transformed from a large clan of goblins and hobgoblins, those who became the verdan were simply living their lives, doing

. Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant, and the Verdan emerged. I’m sorry, was that the question? — K’thriss Drow’b

Nib Addlespur

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

birds and will do what I can to look after them.” Flaw. “Deep water terrifies me. I would rather be swallowed by a dragon than get in a boat or go for a swim.”

Character Names

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

names, that’s fine. If the group would rather take the characters and their names a little more seriously, urge Bob’s player to come up with a more appropriate name. Player character names should match

each other in flavor or concept, and they should also match the flavor of your campaign world — so should the nonplayer characters’ names and place names you create. Travok and Kairon don’t want to undertake a quest for Lord Cupcake, visit Gumdrop Island, or take down a crazy wizard named Ray.

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

The verdan owe their existence to chaos. Descended and transformed from a large clan of goblins and hobgoblins, those who became the verdan were simply living their lives, doing goblinoid things. But

. Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant

Dusthawk Hill

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer

slums outside Baldur’s Gate consumed its habitat. Local legend holds that the dusthawk was Balduran’s favorite hunting bird, and that the Chionthar population is descended from his own personal hunting

be off limits to unlicensed hunters. Despite the fences and cliffs that cordon off most of the hill, trespassers remain common, the demand for dusthawk hunting birds having exploded among the wealthy

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

at the burned-out building, a sudden cacophony erupted around us. Birds squawked, cats hissed, and dogs growled. Lidda hustled us back to the city’s safer avenues. Only when we were back within

kenku, constant attempts to mimic noises can come across as confusing or irritating rather than entertaining. You can just as easily describe the sounds your character makes and what they mean. Be clear

Dusthawk Hill

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

slums outside Baldur’s Gate consumed its habitat. Local legend holds that the dusthawk was Balduran’s favorite hunting bird, and that the Chionthar population is descended from his own personal hunting

be off limits to unlicensed hunters. Despite the fences and cliffs that cordon off most of the hill, trespassers remain common, the demand for dusthawk hunting birds having exploded among the wealthy

Survival of the Fittest

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

pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to

themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk

Origin of the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

the ordning in some mythic future. Giants on some worlds (including Eberron) have no concept of the ordning at all. Such giants might think of themselves as a single species, with the differences

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

Character Advancement

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

taking part in a play session. A character reaches 1 checkpoint for each hour an adventure is designed to last. Note that the award is based on the adventure’s projected playing time, rather than the

designed to take 2 hours, the character reaches 3 checkpoints. Playing time might seem like an odd way to measure experience awards, but the concept is in keeping with how a shared campaign is meant to

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation

divination (to find raw materials and foresee threats to the tribe). The main reason why kobolds depend on arcane magic rather than divine is Kurtulmak’s imprisonment, which makes it difficult for

Secret

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

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide explores options like these, in the section

33. Illusion Classroom

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

. White marble benches encircle a central fountain with a trident-wielding sahuagin statue as its centerpiece. Flora and Fauna. Ivy creeps up the walls, and birds flutter about as they perch on the

, in a rather exhaustive and encyclopedic manner. A successful dispel magic spell (DC 17) cast on Professor Figment ends the illusion. The first creature that tries to dispel the illusion of Professor

Giantkind

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

world to world and from one teller to another. Most tellings make a distinction between the main families of giants who are descended from the sons of Annam and the various other creatures whose

Giant type, who are not included in the category of “giants,” are connected to Annam but not descended from him. Trolls and Ogres. The monstrous god Vaprak is connected to Annam in some myths, though he

Water Weird

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

. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil. However, a water weird bound to a sacred or befouled source of water begins to take on the nature of that site

, becoming neutral good or neutral evil. A neutral good water weird tries to frighten away interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might

Darklords

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

adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their

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

Yuan-ti Cities

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

yuan-ti content themselves with maintaining these ancient places rather than building new ones for their needs. Although these sites are hundreds or even thousands of years old, they don’t look or feel

reflects human ideas about art and beauty. Over time this perspective was skewed toward the concept that the snake is the perfect form, so serpents are a common theme in their aesthetic. The major

Wood Elves: The Tairnadal

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

Tairnadal most often encountered in Khorvaire. Despite sharing a homeland with the Aereni, the Tairnadal have distinct religious traditions, revering their patron ancestors rather than the Undying Court. In

: Revenant Blade Prerequisite: Elf You are descended from a master of the double-bladed scimitar, and some of that mastery has passed on to you. You gain the following benefits: Increase your Dexterity or

Introduction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

you receive a cancer diagnosis or a similar health news, you probably appreciate that concept a little more than other people. Watching someone you love waste away is a terrible thing. You want a

magic button to bring things back to the way they should be, this person you love so much restored to who they really are rather than what cancer is grinding them down into. It’s easy to give in to

Appendix A: Shared Campaigns

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

hard to keep a campaign going. Enter the concept of the shared campaign. In a shared campaign, more than one member of the group can take on the role of DM. A shared campaign is episodic rather than

Modifying a Class

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

, paladins might not swear their oaths to ideals, but instead swear fealty to powerful sorcerers. To capture this story concept, you could build a new paladin spell list with spells meant to protect

opportunity to develop the character’s story and that of your world, rather than shutting down possibilities. Substituting Class Features If one or more features of a given class don’t exactly fit the theme

Confronting Vecna

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

annihilation. Desperate to save themselves and their allies, powerful elemental beings called the Wind Dukes of Aaqa rose against Miska. Committed to the concept of law, the Wind Dukes descended from

Travel-Montage Approach

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

. There, the rogue finds a small rock that looks like a grinning face, but otherwise you encounter nothing out of the ordinary.” The trick is to focus on a few details that reinforce the desired mood rather

fantasy world. Once in a while, spice up your descriptions with some truly magical element. A forest might be home to tiny dragonets instead of birds, or its trees might be festooned with giant webs or

Peryton

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

humanoid rather than reflecting the creature’s physical form. Sages postulate that the first perytons were humans transformed by a hideous curse or magical experiment, but bards tell a different tale

until the woman’s villainy was exposed. She was hanged for her crime, but the lingering magic of her foul ritual caused the carrion birds that feasted on her corpse to transform into the first

The Scarlet Sash

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

hunters. Personality Trait. “Words fail me often, so I’m happy to let others speak on my behalf.” Ideal. “I would rather eat a snake than fall prey to the trappings of the civilized world.” Bond. “Birds

can be greedy, but they’re not half as greedy as humans. I prefer to live among the birds, thank you very much.” Flaw. “I stutter when I’m agitated.” Rennick Groka Lawful good human wereraven (age 22

Mbala

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

descended in half that time. As the characters climb ever higher above the tree line, they are treated to stunning views of the surrounding wilderness. Across the Aldani Basin to the southeast, they can see

side of the plateau. She is the only survivor — too stringy or too wily for the predators. She lives on the roots in her garden and the few birds and lizards she catches in snares. If asked her name, she

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