birth burden diffusing certain reasons

Red Slaad (control gem variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

point. Control Gem. Implanted in the slaad's brain is a magic control gem. The slaad must obey whoever possesses the gem and is immune to being charmed while so controlled. Certain spells can be used to

egg. A humanoid host can carry only one slaad egg to term at a time. Over three months, the egg moves to the chest cavity, gestates, and forms a slaad tadpole. In the 24-hour period before giving birth

Relentless Juggernaut

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

a certain area its territory and visits destruction upon all trespassers. Relentless killers are hateful, revenge-obsessed creatures that enter into pacts with fiends or other nefarious entities

Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a relentless killer, consider what circumstances led to their transformation and

Relentless Slasher

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

fear into innocents across lands and over ages. Creating a Relentless Killer Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a

’s bargain with sinister forces. 3 It was marked by a fiend before its birth, and its wicked nature emerged over time. 4 A wicked place or magic relic seeped into its being, turning it

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to this part of Faerûn for your own reasons, which

number of reasons, and the departure from his or her homeland could have been voluntary or involuntary. To determine why you are so far from home, roll on the table below or choose from the options

The Abbot

Monsters Curse of Strahd

, inbred lepers—came to the abbey seeking salvation. The deva rid them of their diseases, an act for which they were eternally grateful, but could not cure them of certain human defects that had been

present since birth. The Abbot became consumed with a prideful, obsessive desire to rid the poor Belviews of their lingering imperfections. The Belview family, however, had strange ideas of what it

Waterdhavian Noble

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

expect things of you when they know your surname and what it means. Your reasons for taking up adventuring likely involve your family in some way: Are you the family rebel, who prefers delving in

. 6 Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood. 7 My favor, once lost, is lost forever. 8 If you do me an injury, I will crush you, ruin

Ki-rin

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

good fortune. They consider seeing a ki-rin fly overhead a blessing and events that happen on such a day especially auspicious. If a ki-rin alights during a ceremony such as a birth announcement or a

to inspire and strengthen the side of good or to rescue heroes from certain death. Ki-rins are attracted to the worship of deities of courage, loyalty, selflessness, and truth, as well as to the

Courtier

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

circumstances of your birth, could have secured you this position. You might have been one of the many functionaries, attendants, and other hangers-on in the Court of Silverymoon, or perhaps you

(which could pertain to certain individuals in the group, such as your sponsor or mentor). Your ideal might be concerned with the prevailing philosophy of your court or organization. Guild

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

member of your family, by right of birth, or it could have been left to you by a friend, a mentor, a teacher, or someone else important in your life. The revelation of your inheritance changed your life

ability and increases in potency with the passage of time. Or, the true nature of your inheritance might not be apparent at first and is revealed only when certain conditions are met. When you begin

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

journals or hidden away in someone’s mind. Even you might not be aware of all the reasons behind the missions you carry out. Sometimes a mission’s sole purpose is to conceal the

unmasked and killed. My revenge on the killers will be thorough and painful. 4 I spend as much time as I can in the Ismeri Library because I’m certain an information hub operates behind its

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

advisor in human society. The very rare offspring of such a union are always purebloods, although they may appear fully human at birth and for several years afterward. The yuan-ti know rituals that

royal family could poison a meal and declare it “safe” after taking a bite. There are legends of certain yuan-ti infiltrating human cities and forming deadly covert societies that sell

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

in a fight against monstrous foes are worth any extra burden. Coddled city folk might not know how to feed themselves or find fresh water in the wild, but they make up for it in other ways. Creating a

a magical connection to nature through the necessity of surviving in the wilds. What’s the source of your particular hatred of a certain kind of enemy? Did a monster kill someone you loved or

Auroral Diamond

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

, light, and unique artifices depend on the Diamond. The Auroral Diamond changes color for unknown reasons. Sometimes it holds a color for an entire year, while other times it shifts twice in a single

week. Rarely does it ever repeat a color. Some scholars believe each color represents the birth of a new civilization somewhere in the multiverse, and repetition of a color means the death of that

Auroral Diamond

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

, light, and unique artifices depend on the Diamond. The Auroral Diamond changes color for unknown reasons. Sometimes it holds a color for an entire year, while other times it shifts twice in a single

week. Rarely does it ever repeat a color. Some scholars believe each color represents the birth of a new civilization somewhere in the multiverse, and repetition of a color means the death of that

Origin of the Ordning

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

Origin of the Ordning Most giants believe Annam established the ordning at the very beginning and that it reflects the birth order of his sons. One myth likens the ordning to the structure of the

they proved themselves incapable of governing the world. The ordning might be necessary, or a burden giants are expected to bear, but giants who hold these views often look forward to Annam abolishing

Education and Research

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

Education and Research Morgrave University, though not the most respectable institution of higher learning in Khorvaire, has an extensive library that boasts definitive collections of lore in certain

around Morgrave, with their homes and businesses almost all located in the University, Den’iyas, and Ivy Towers districts of Upper Menthis. Another important site for certain kinds of research is the

Childhood

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

to usher a child into the world. They cannot understand how a birth is both a joy and a sorrow, a reunion and a parting. Each birth represents an elf soul that has been to Arvandor and returned

. Mortal elves cannot know if it is the soul of someone recently dead or someone who died millennia ago. They cannot even be certain it is an elf of the same world. The only assurance they have is that it

Tragic Flaws

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

don’t want a god to learn or certain to provoke a god’s anger. For example, some of the flaws listed for the outlander background in the Player’s Handbook could put a character into conflict with a god

. NATAL OMENS The birth of a hero is often accompanied by signs in Nyx and Theros alike. You can use the Omens table in chapter 4 to randomly determine an omen that appeared when you were born. It’s up to you and your DM to determine the omen’s meaning.

Monastic Icon

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

certain creatures with special regard, either because the creature is tied to the order’s history or because it serves as an example of a quality the monks seek to emulate. If your character’s monastery

the treetops are two of the reasons why your order admires the monkey. 2 Dragon Turtle. The monks of your seaside monastery venerate the dragon turtle, reciting ancient prayers and offering garlands of

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods. Booming Birth Rate In order to replenish the casualties of their endless warring

, orcs breed prodigiously (and they aren’t choosy about what they breed with, which is why such creatures as half-orcs and ogrillons are found in the world). Females that are about to give birth are

Vistani Lore

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

Vistani Lore Vistani know or believe certain facts about their people and their surroundings. This common lore is summarized here. Characters can learn this information after earning a Vistana’s

another Vistana. It is the burden of the Vistani’s great gift that their own fates can’t be divined. Vistani curses are potent, but they are invoked with great caution. Vistani know that to curse one

Master Manipulators

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

deliver a mysterious letter at a crossroads at noon on a certain day could be the key to ruining the mortal’s life. The hag’s reasons might not become apparent for years or even decades, or won’t be

trust a hag. Hags are curious about other creatures of power. They enjoy receiving news and gossip about other hags and influential creatures such as dragons, demons, genies, and certain mortals

Suggested Characteristics

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

life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. 4 I live for the thrill of the hunt. 5 I don’t talk about the thing that torments me. I’d rather not burden others with my curse. 6 I expect

never be set free. 6 I have a child to protect. I must make the world a safer place for him (or her). Flaws d6 Flaw 1 I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them. 2

Souls and Shells

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

, soulless or not, can give birth. A child born in Barovia might have a soul even if one or both parents do not. Conversely, the child of two parents with souls isn’t certain to have a soul of its own

Vladeska Drakov

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

Vladeska Drakov In the world of her birth, Vladeska Drakov was known as the Crimson Falcon, leader of a peerless mercenary army called the Falcon’s Talons. She and her troops executed a thousand

veteran troops. Since then, Drakov has lost nearly her entire nation. Every month a new desperate battle unfolds. She prepares ceaselessly for each, certain of her plans and ultimate victory, but

Wight

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

Lutfullina Wights might return from the dead for a multitude of sinister reasons. Roll on or choose a result from the Wight Motives table to inspire why a wight plagues the living. Wight

Motives 1d8 The Wight Returned from the Dead To... 1 Challenge anyone who passes near its grave on a certain cursed night. 2 Conquer the land it believes it should rule. 3 Continue

Life in Yeonido

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

—whether for love or for social or political reasons, both of which are considered equally valid—they must choose which partner’s clan they will belong to after the union. In rare cases, a new couple

decides to establish their own clan, though they often face judgment from their birth clans. Rule by Magistrates The city-state of Yeonido is ruled by the beloved Queen Jin-Mi, a dragonborn said to be

Where Are You From?

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

even the least of their people can work magic. Halruaans usually make their journeys into Faerûn for personal reasons, since their government has a strict stance against unauthorized involvement with

distant parts of Faerûn. Those who leave behind Mulhorand’s sweltering deserts and ancient pyramids for a glimpse at a different life do so for many reasons. You might be in the North simply to see

Ythryn Lore

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

are immortalized in the city’s museum. 3 The city’s creators used giant mimics as construction tools and beasts of burden. 4 Apprentice mages would graduate from the House of the Arcane and

valets. These constructs were created using a powerful spell. 15 The wizards imbued certain spells with their own life force, turning them into living entities. 16 The wizards of Ythryn were

Finding Iymrith

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

Finding Iymrith The storm giants bear the burden of finding the dragon so that the characters can focus on preparing themselves for the final showdown. Hekaton and Serissa know that blue dragons

of the Temple of Annam. The truth is that he escaped certain death by leaping into the oracle chamber. There he was trapped until a friendly wizard appeared and rescued him with the aid of a teleport

Tracking Time

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

god of agriculture is honored in the harvest season) or significant events in the history of the deity’s worship, such as the birth or death of a holy person, the date of a god’s manifestation, the

accession of the current high priest, and so on. Certain holy days are civic events, observed by every citizen of a town where a god’s temple can be found. Harvest festivals are often celebrations on a

Lost Treasures

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

wants to add it to his private collection of Chultan relics, Kwayothé wants to melt it down, and Zhanthi wants it for sentimental reasons. Denying any one of them would be a grave mistake on the

characters’ part and might result in them receiving an ominous Ytepka Society token. Magic Items of the Trickster Gods Certain magic items — specifically those in which the spirits of the nine trickster

The Forgotten Realms

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

worshiped locally, by individual tribes, small cults, or certain sects of larger religious temples. Deities of the Forgotten Realms Deity Alignment Suggested Domains Symbol Auril, goddess

endurance LG Life Hands bound at the wrist with red cord Kelemvor, god of the dead LN Death Upright skeletal arm holding balanced scales Lathander, god of birth and renewal NG Life, Light Road

The Draconic Prophecy

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

at each individual fragment of the Prophecy as a self-contained challenge, and they explore how a certain series of actions might fulfill the Prophecy. The immortal beings who are truly invested in

forge, especially when connected to House Cannith as the gorgon in the previous line. Or they could refer to the birth of a new thing from the ashes of the old, or to mortal passions (the fires of the

The Abbot

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

for which they were eternally grateful, but could not cure them of certain human defects that had been present since birth. The Abbot became consumed with a prideful, obsessive desire to rid the poor

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