bodies build diffusing come retain

Shifter

Species Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

fully, but they can enhance their animalistic features temporarily in a process they call “shifting.” Shifters resemble humans in height and build but are typically more lithe and flexible

. Their facial features have a bestial cast, often with large eyes and pointed ears; most shifters also possess prominent canine teeth. They grow fur-like hair on nearly every part of their bodies. While

Giant Space Hamster

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

they can be trained to serve as mounts and beasts of burden. Gnomes have tried to build spelljamming ships powered by giant space hamster wheels, so far without success. Space Hamsters Space

hamsters resemble their terrestrial kin, both in their appearance and general demeanor, and they come in a variety of colors.

Cranium Rat

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

rats come together to form a swarm, they merge their minds into a single intelligence with the accumulated memories of all the swarm’s constituents. The rats become smarter as a result, and retain

Dust Hulk

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

, barely maintaining a cohesive form. When a dust hulk dies, it disperses into a cloud of dust. Dust hulks retain their ancestors’ passion for artistry, but instead of carving stone, they view

their bodies as living works of art. As they fly, coursing along wind currents or blowing through underground tunnels like living sandstorms, they create mesmerizing dances with their ever-shifting forms.Poison

Gray Scavver

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

, living off droppings and discarded refuse. They can enter the air envelopes of these bodies, so that as their “host” moves (often at high speed), the scavvers keep pace. The lesser varieties

—brown and gray—rarely rise above the level of nuisances. The larger varieties are more formidable, in part because they often don’t wait for their meals to come to them. A scavver

Swarm of Cranium Rats

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

ordinary rats and behave as such. If enough cranium rats come together to form a swarm, they merge their minds into a single intelligence with the accumulated memories of all the swarm’s

constituents. The rats become smarter as a result, and retain their heightened intelligence for as long as the swarm persists. The swarm also awakens latent psionic abilities implanted within each cranium

Night Scavver

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

refuse. They can enter the air envelopes of these bodies, so that as their “host” moves (often at high speed), the scavvers keep pace. The lesser varieties—brown and gray&mdash

;rarely rise above the level of nuisances. The larger varieties are more formidable, in part because they often don’t wait for their meals to come to them. A scavver has a single large eye in the

Goliath Werebear

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Build (Humanoid Form Only). The werebear counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift. Shapechanger. The werebear can use its action to

, Oyaminartok is not a monster but a force of good in the region, and she passes her curse only to goliaths whose hearts are pure. Oyaminartok and others of her kind try to help creatures they come across, for

Tlincalli

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

tlincalli parents come to investigate. Tlincallis eat what they kill, whether their hunt nets desert animals or a caravan, but when they have new mouths to feed, they are careful to take some of their prey

powerful hunter, such as a blue dragon, they carefully weigh whether to serve the superior hunter, move on, or fight to the death to remove it as competition. Tlincallis rarely build cities, make

Centaur Legacy

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

In the sprawling city of Ravnica, where “open road” seems like a contradiction and “open plain” is sheer nonsense, centaurs nevertheless retain a love of wide spaces and the

, until the next wall looms in their path and brings them to a stop. Nature’s Cavalry Centaurs have the upper bodies, down to the waist, of muscular humans, displaying all the human variety of skin

Brown Scavver

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

always aggressive; often they trail behind larger creatures as well as ships and asteroids, living off droppings and discarded refuse. They can enter the air envelopes of these bodies, so that as

formidable, in part because they often don’t wait for their meals to come to them. A scavver has a single large eye in the leading edge of its head. This eye glows while the creature is awake. Its

Simic Hybrid

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

animals into humans, elves, and vedalken. The goal of the Guardian Project is to build a Simic army of soldiers perfectly adapted to a variety of combat situations. These hyper-evolved specimens are

retain their basic physical form. All are augmented with characteristics of animals, mostly aquatic, reptilian, or amphibian creatures. These include crab claws, squid tentacles, wings or fins like

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

. Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of

the magic that suffuses the multiverse—specifically, the element that flows through living bodies. Monks harness this power within themselves to create magical effects and exceed their bodies

Failed Merchant

Backgrounds Acquisitions Incorporated

Maybe you come from a long line of merchants. Perhaps you were an entrepreneur. Regardless, your ventures ended poorly. Whether it was because of outside influences, bad luck, or simply because your

clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp Feature: Supply Chain From your time as a merchant, you retain connections with wholesalers, suppliers, and other merchants and entrepreneurs. You can call upon these connections when looking for items or information.

Nightmare Haunt

Monsters Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures

where the Wicked Slumber is prominent. Purple tendrils of wispy nightmares spread like vines across those areas and surround the bodies of those who sleep. Heroes throughout Eldraine have ventured

, Eriette and Ashiok conspire to build a nightmare realm in the ruins of Castle Ardenvale at the heart of the Wicked Slumber, replacing the virtuous court with one composed of sleepwalkers and dreamers

Crystal Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

life, crystal dragons enjoy an innate psionic connection to the Positive Plane that suffuses their bodies as well as their personalities with light. Though they prefer to live in desolate, frigid regions

their bodies and the spines and horns that hover close to their heads and backs. These horns shift with the dragon’s mood: bristling with anger, lying back with fear or suspicion, and rippling

Jabberwock

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

jabberwocks are difficult to come by, because the rare survivors of an encounter with one retain only a confused impression of its parts and not a sense of the whole. Pieced-together accounts

Void Scavver

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

of these bodies, so that as their “host” moves (often at high speed), the scavvers keep pace. The lesser varieties—brown and gray—rarely rise above the level of nuisances. The

larger varieties are more formidable, in part because they often don’t wait for their meals to come to them. A scavver has a single large eye in the leading edge of its head. This eye glows

Izek Strazni

Monsters Curse of Strahd

trouble killing them and disposing of their bodies. He was eventually caught in the act and brought to the burgomaster. Instead of punishing the boy for his crimes, Baron Vallakovich pardoned Izek and

come between them. Izek Strazni’s Traits Ideal. “Fear is a powerful weapon. I use it to get what I want.” Bond. “I am loyal to my master, Baron Vallakovich, for he brought me

Leonin

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

. Noble and Fierce Leonin tend to be tall compared to humans and move with a boldness that suggests their physical might. Tawny fur covers leonin bodies, and some grow thick manes ranging in shades from

-shaking roars, gives most leonin an air that readily shifts between regal and fearsome. Leonin often act with confidence, which can come off as imperiousness. While this can reassure their allies, it can

Adult Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

brimming with life, crystal dragons enjoy an innate psionic connection to the Positive Plane that suffuses their bodies as well as their personalities with light. Though they prefer to live in desolate

; scales. It glows like starlight between their bodies and the spines and horns that hover close to their heads and backs. These horns shift with the dragon’s mood: bristling with anger, lying back

Ancient Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

energy and brimming with life, crystal dragons enjoy an innate psionic connection to the Positive Plane that suffuses their bodies as well as their personalities with light. Though they prefer to live

dragons’ scales. It glows like starlight between their bodies and the spines and horns that hover close to their heads and backs. These horns shift with the dragon’s mood: bristling with

Young Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, crystal dragons enjoy an innate psionic connection to the Positive Plane that suffuses their bodies as well as their personalities with light. Though they prefer to live in desolate, frigid regions, many

starlight between their bodies and the spines and horns that hover close to their heads and backs. These horns shift with the dragon’s mood: bristling with anger, lying back with fear or

Owlin

Species Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

Distant kin of giant owls from the Feywild, owlin come in many shapes and sizes, from petite and fluffy to wide-winged and majestic. Owlin have arms and legs like other Humanoids, as well as wings

increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your

Thorny Vegepygmy

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, instead of a bipedal vegepygmy. Thornies are less intelligent than other vegepygmies, but they are larger and more ferocious and have thorn-covered bodies. Vegepygmies Vegepygmies are fungus creatures

. Among themselves, vegepygmies communicate by hissing, gestures, and tapping. Vegepygmies build and craft little; any gear they have is acquired from other creatures or built by copying simple

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

bodies. Whatever their origins, reborn know a new life and seek experiences and answers all their own. Faded Memories Reborn suffer from some manner of discontinuity, an interruption of their lives or

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

Mongrelfolk

Monsters Curse of Strahd

whose ancestors underwent, horrific magical transformations, to the extent that they retain only a fraction of their original being. Their humanoid bodies incorporate the features of various beasts. For

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

by walls and crowds. They thrive in the wilds of their homelands: the tundra, jungle, or grasslands where their tribes live and hunt. Barbarians come alive in the chaos of combat. They can enter a

character, think about where your character comes from and his or her place in the world. Talk with your DM about an appropriate origin for your barbarian. Did you come from a distant land, making you a

Returned Palamnite

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Returned palamnites. These Returned led violent lives, existences filled with such pain and hatred that violence now suffuses their deathless bodies. Such makes them exceptionally dangerous to the

they cover with distinctive golden masks. Returned reenter the world blank and undead. No longer possessing the ability to form long-term memories, they generally can’t build meaningful

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

indolence offers no clue to how vicious the creatures are. Bugbears are capable of bouts of incredible ferocity, using their muscular bodies to exact swift and ruthless violence. At their core

crafting simple tools and hunting and gathering food, and gangs sometimes come together peacefully to exchange members and goods between them. Malevolent Worship of Malign Gods Bugbears worship two

Wizard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

the fey) that are steeped in magic. The Lure of Knowledge Wizards’ lives are seldom mundane. The closest a wizard is likely to come to an ordinary life is working as a sage or lecturer in a

. Creating a Wizard Creating a wizard character demands a backstory dominated by at least one extraordinary event. How did your character first come into contact with magic? How did you discover you had

Shifter Legacy

races Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

they can temporarily enhance their animalistic features by entering a state they call shifting. Shifters are similar to humans in height and build but are typically more lithe and flexible. Their

facial features have a bestial cast, often with large eyes and pointed ears; most shifters also have prominent canine teeth. They grow fur-like hair on nearly every part of their bodies. While a shifter

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

hair on nearly every part of their bodies. The traits of the beast within affect a shifter’s appearance as well. A swiftstride shifter may have catlike eyes and delicate build, while a beasthide

different in personality. With any shifter, identifying the beast within is a crucial part of understanding the character. Similar and Diverse Shifters are similar to humans in height and build but are

Aarakocra

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

taper to sharp talons. Feathers cover their bodies—usually red, orange, yellow, brown, or gray. Their heads are also avian, often resembling those of parrots or eagles. Creating Your Character

regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. Their bodies are wider at the haunches, tapering in a wedge shape toward the head, and their wings are shaped to propel them through both air and water. A topaz dragon’s psionic power manifests

, their favorite food is giant squid, so these dragons have ample opportunity to complain bitterly about being wet after diving deep into the ocean in search of prey. Topaz dragons often come into

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