black before driven content rules

Cultist (Knights of the Black Sword)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

(1d6 + 1);{"diceNotation":"1d6+1","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Scimitar","rollDamageType":"slashing"} slashing damage.The Knights of the Black Sword are a secret society of cultists devoted to

Levistus, the archdevil who rules Stygia, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells, from the confines of an ice prison from which he cannot escape. Most of the cultists are Icewind Dale natives who would

Silverquill Apprentice

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

stirring prose, allowing the creature to reroll the saving throw and use the higher result.Stylish and driven, the students of Silverquill College—first as apprentices and then as silverquill

pledgemage;pledgemages—cut imposing figures on campus. Dressed in smartly trimmed black-and-white uniforms, these budding mages practice bolstering speeches and wield inky blades. Some Silverquill

Cult Fanatic (Knights of the Black Sword)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

","rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage.The Knights of the Black Sword are a secret society of cultists devoted to Levistus, the archdevil who rules Stygia, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells, from the

Avarice

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

challenge, even when the odds are clearly stacked against her. Seeing other wizards as a threat, paranoia rules her life. Avarice has been a member of the Arcane Brotherhood for almost two years. She

urged her to seek out the Black Sword. Avarice didn’t know who or what the Black Sword was until she was approached by cultists of Levistus bearing swordlike shards of chardalyn worn as pendants

Silverquill Pledgemage

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

weaves together stirring prose, allowing the creature to reroll the saving throw and use the higher result.Stylish and driven, the students of Silverquill College—first as silverquill apprentice

;apprentices and then as pledgemages—cut imposing figures on campus. Dressed in smartly trimmed black-and-white uniforms, these budding mages practice bolstering speeches and wield inky blades

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

material is coughed up. Reluctant Predators. Khargras find living flesh disgusting, and they attack creatures only when driven by hunger and a lack of safer options. After securing a meal of whatever

Sahuagin Baron Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

, slaughtering the crews of ships and decimating coastal villages. Devils of the Deep. Sahuagin are a predatory, piscine race that ventures from the ocean’s black depths to hunt the creatures of the

driven into a frenzy by the smell of fresh blood. As worshipers of Sekolah, they also have a special kinship with sharks, which they train as attack animals. Even untrained sharks recognize sahuagin

Sahuagin Priestess Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

villages. Devils of the Deep. Sahuagin are a predatory, piscine race that ventures from the ocean's black depths to hunt the creatures of the shallows and shore. Though they dwell in the deepest

female sahuagin are deemed worthy of channeling the god's power, and priestesses hold tremendous sway in sahuagin communities. Sahuagin are driven into a frenzy by the smell of fresh blood. As

Amnizu

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

have no personalities or memories; they’re driven only by the desire to commit evil. The amnizus that patrol here drill the rules of the Nine Hells into the new arrivals’ minds and marshal

Amnizu (Summoner Variant)

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, where it flows through Dis and Stygia. They collect the souls arriving in the form of lemure;lemures (see the Monster Manual). Lemures have no personalities or memories; they’re driven only by the

desire to commit evil. The amnizus that patrol here drill the rules of the Nine Hells into the new arrivals’ minds and marshal them into legions.Fire, PoisonCold; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered

Void Scavver

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 10 feet of movement, exiting prone.Void scavvers are 20 feet long. Each one is a solitary menace with a pitch-black hide

. While most other scavvers are content to feed on kitchen scraps, a void scavver goes after the cook. A void scavver can emit an invisible ray from its eye that causes its target to feel fear even

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

bad luck a gull might happen to land near a crab folk lair and utter the right combination of cries to summon up this ancient compulsion. Driven to action, the crab folk rampage along the coast

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

exhales and a blast of fire roars from his mouth, engulfing his foes. Moving with the silence of the night, a black-clad halfling steps into a shadow beneath an arch and emerges from another inky

seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater

Forlarren

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

demands of the Nine Hells and the impulsive hedonism of the Feywild. Driven by dramatic and unpredictable emotions, these feral creatures wreak havoc wherever they go. Corrupted Essence. The devils

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

Chromatic Dragonborn

Species Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Dragonborn with chromatic ancestry claim the raw elemental power of chromatic dragons. The vibrant colors of black, blue, green, red, and white dragons gleam in those dragonborn’s scaled skin

. If you select one of the dragonborn races in this chapter, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s ability scores

Hobgoblin

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Hobgoblins trace their origins to the ancient courts of the Feywild, where they first appeared with their goblin and bugbear kin. Many of them were driven from the Feywild by the conquering god

fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation. Ability Score Increases When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying. Driven Competitors Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A

skills. This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society. Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth Tool Proficiencies: One

Guild took over your family business, ran it into the ground, and burned the building for insurance money. You were driven into crime yourself, but you’ll never work for the Guild. You take

Deep Dragon Wyrmling Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

; black-and-gray hide is smooth like a salamander’s, and their eyes are pale. As they age, their spore breath causes fungi to bloom across their skin, especially around the head and neck. Their

it to the surface world. Lost and confused, the wyrmling has been captured by a group of cruel adventurers. 3 A deep dragon wyrmling whimsically rules over a worshipful group of kobolds, sending

Ancient Dragon Turtle

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

table to help select spells for a spellcasting dragon. (Though the Monster Manual doesn’t explicitly include dragon turtles in the variant rules for making a dragon a spellcaster, you can apply

those rules to these aquatic dragons.) Dragon Turtle Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I speak slowly and deliberately

Baphomet Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

, the Horned King and the Prince of Beasts. He rules over minotaur;minotaurs and others with savage hearts. He is worshiped by those who want to break the confines of civility and unleash their bestial

minotaur—considered the greatest gift of the Prince of Beasts. Baphomet himself appears as a great, black-furred minotaur, 20 feet tall with six iron horns. An infernal light burns in his red eyes

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

, wandering tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world’s wonders. Ultimate travelers, the inquisitive

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

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

shines from her hands, the man’s wounds knit closed, and his eyes open wide with amazement. A dwarf crouches behind an outcrop, his black cloak making him nearly invisible in the night, and watches

paladins take their work seriously. A delve into an ancient ruin or dusty crypt can be a quest driven by a higher purpose than the acquisition of treasure. Evil lurks in dungeons and primeval forests

Session Zero

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

zero.” Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything outlines how to run session zero discussions, but in general, use this session to discuss the game’s content, social contract, and house rules, and to create

characters. Reinforce Expectations Make it clear that D&D is a group storytelling game. As the DM, you have a role in crafting adventures and arbitrating rules, but you aren’t solely responsible for how

Arcane Subclasses June 26, 2025

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Unearthed Arcana

Arcane Subclasses June 26, 2025 Get ready to be enchanted by the latest Unearthed Arcana content! This document presents nine subclasses: revised subclasses for the Cleric (Arcana Domain), Fighter

(Arcane Archer), Warlock (Hexblade Patron), and Wizard (Conjurer, Enchanter, Necromancer, and Transmuter) and new subclasses for the Monk (Tattooed Warrior) and Sorcerer (Ancestral Sorcery). The material uses the rules in the Player's Handbook.

Horror Gameplay

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

scene with a vague ending (like in a film where things fade to black). The person using the content tool doesn’t have to explain why the content is objectionable, nor should anyone question it

real-world history, and character creation rules presuppose no standard bar for heroics. Encourage Space A typical D&D session is longer than a typical horror movie, and it can be hard to sustain the

Dwarf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male

up the adventuring life might be motivated by a desire for treasure—for its own sake, for a specific purpose, or even out of an altruistic desire to help others. Other dwarves are driven by the

Introduction

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

Introduction This content is written for the Dungeon Master. It contains a complete Dungeons & Dragons adventure, as well as descriptions for every creature and magic item that appears in the

adventure. It also introduces the world of the Forgotten Realms, one of the game’s most enduring settings, and it teaches you how to run a D&D game. The Basic Rules contain the rules you need to adjudicate situations that arise during the adventure.

Mutated Apprentices

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

Mutated Apprentices Halaster handed over this level to his fervent pupils, almost all of whom were driven mad by their studies and mutated by the magic they wrought, becoming gibbering mouthers and

nothics. A mezzoloth summoned from the Lower Planes to serve as a wizard’s assistant now rules over them all.

Stranded

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

, but the six hobgoblins and one hobgoblin captain assailing them seem content to keep them under siege until sundown, when they plan to rush the wagon with darkness as cover. These are Urshani hobgoblins

driven off, then the injured attended to, and then something must be done about the stranded wagon. The trader has money to buy more horses if anyone is willing to sell. Otherwise, he’ll take a lift to the next hostelry, where he can buy animals, while his three guards stay behind.

Stranded

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

, but the six hobgoblins and one hobgoblin captain assailing them seem content to keep them under siege until sundown, when they plan to rush the wagon with darkness as cover. These are Urshani hobgoblins

driven off, then the injured attended to, and then something must be done about the stranded wagon. The trader has money to buy more horses if anyone is willing to sell. Otherwise, he’ll take a lift to the next hostelry, where he can buy animals, while his three guards stay behind.

Horror Content Survey

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

Horror Content Survey Take advantage of the time before your first game session to learn about your players’ thoughts related to horror adventures. To do this, create a brief list of questions

use them to guide what sort of adventures you’ll create. Content and Themes Questions Start your survey by listing common story and horror elements to determine your players’ comfort with them. The

Black Dragon Adventures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

secretly being driven to war by the machinations of a black dragon, who hopes to revel in the resulting carnage. 4 When swamplands shrink due to a prolonged drought, two black dragons form a temporary

nearing fruition. If their pact succeeds, they will unleash devastation on a continental scale. 4 An ancient black dragon rules a vast, decadent city built on artificial islands within a polluted

Treasure

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

, most of the followers will be content. However, the NPCs will complain if all the choice pieces of treasure go to the adventurers. The characters might also need to contend with the problem of theft

, whether NPCs stealing from spoils not yet divided, stealing from the adventurers, or stealing from each other. Such theft might be driven by sheer greed, or it could be a manifestation of madness. A

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

have more in common with iguanas or dragons than they do with humans, dwarves, or elves. Lizardfolk possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of

(secret), Jhank (hammer), Kepesk (storm), Kethend (gem), Korth (danger), Kosj (small), Kothar (demon), Litrix (armor), Mirik (song), Othokent (smart), Sauriv (eye), Throden (many), Thurkear (night), Usk (iron), Valignat (burn), Vargach (battle), Verthica (mountain), Vutha (black), Vyth (steel)

D&D Beyond

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