bonds before death contested run

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

You are a member of a teeming horde — one small part of a sprawling organism. Just as you are part of the swarm, the swarm is part of a larger ecosystem, a never-ending cycle of life, death

Golgari, no fear of death or taboo about the dead, just a fierce affirmation of the cycle. Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner’s kit Languages

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

Charity. I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) 4 Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) 5 Friendship. Material goods come and go. Bonds of

weakness and secure their fortunes. 4 I put on new identities like clothes. 5 I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners. 6 I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard

Bavlorna Blightstraw

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

within 10 feet of Bavlorna uses at least 10 feet of movement to run in place counterclockwise, Bavlorna is overcome by a fit of sneezing and can’t cast spells until the end of her next turn. In

moment, is all that matters.” Bond. “I’m safe in my cottage. Why should I leave it when I can make others come to me?" Flaw. “Watching someone run widdershins makes me sneeze

Deep Crow

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

, echoing from the darkness like a death knell. For by the time those glowing red eyes fix on you, it's far too late to run … Some adventurers and sages whisper that deep crows were first spawned as

Rak Tulkhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

death until the children of Eberron and Siberys rose up against them. Armies of dragons fought against the fiends of Khyber. And though the overlords couldn't be destroyed, the couatl sacrificed

their lives to build a prison of celestial light: a silver flame that bound the overlords in Khyber once more. These bonds have held for countless generations, but the overlords still yearn to break free

Sword of Kas Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

) from it: call lightning, divine word, or finger of death. Once you use the sword to cast a spell, you can’t cast that spell again from it until the next dawn. Sentience. The Sword of Kas is a

Kas. The creature must cast the wish spell and make a Charisma check contested by the Charisma check of the sword. The sword must be within 30 feet of the creature, or the spell fails. If the sword

Mark of Shadow Elf

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Thuranni, Regalport (Lhazaar Principalities) Elves have carried the Mark of Shadow for thousands of years. The mark’s bearers left Aerenal after the conflict that wiped out the Mark of Death

maintain a peaceful relationship, but rivalries run deep. Baron Elar d’Thuranni is said to be responsible for the Shadow Schism. Ruling the house from an enclave in Regalport, he is always

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

command, illusory script 2nd enthrall, ray of enfeeblement, zone of truth 3rd bestow curse, speak with dead, spirit guardians 4th blight, death ward

the flesh as long as possible, and as a spirit afterward. (Any) Bonds d6 Bond 1 The unbearable weight of my debt has driven me to desperation. 2 I’m duty-bound

Sul Khatesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

children of Khyber rose from the darkness to reign over Eberron. The greatest among them were the overlords, who held dominion over a world of fear, war, and death until the children of Eberron and Siberys

silver flame that bound the overlords in Khyber once more. These bonds have held for countless generations, but the overlords still yearn to break free and reclaim the world above. As long as the

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

. (Lawful) 3 Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) 4 Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death

will run away from a fight. 2 Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it. 3 I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 I&rsquo

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

bear or boar: stoic, stubborn, and thick-skinned. Longtooth shifters typically have lupine traits and prefer to run with a pack. Swiftstride are often predatory and feline, but a swiftstride could

. The Journey Yet to Come Shifters have a strong presence in the Eldeen Reaches but can be found in rural areas across Khorvaire, where they often live among humans. While they form powerful bonds

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

, 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

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

. 5 I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners. 6 I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard-earned money. FEATURE: FALSE IDENTITY You have created a second

. (Lawful) 3 Charity. I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) 4 Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) 5 Friendship. Material goods

Gruul Anarch

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

;AAAAAARRRRggggh! [To live is to feel and express the rage burning in your belly.] (Chaotic) 6 Tradition. The Old Ways must be preserved and upheld. (Any) Bonds d6 Bond 1

siblings or ancestors.] Flaws d6 Flaw 1 If you question my courage, I will never back down. 2 HrrrGGGAAAARRuuuh! [My anger in battle led to the death of a loved one

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

suspension. 7 Great ideas are fine, but great results are what counts. 8 If you can guess what I’m about to do, that means I’ve run out of imagination. Ideals d6

. (Chaotic) 6 Power. Someday I’ll find or create the magic that will make me the most powerful being in Ravnica. (Evil) Bonds d6 Bond 1 I have dedicated my life

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

) 3 Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) 4 Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in

important person, and I’m wanted for it. 6 No one else should have to endure the hardships I’ve been through. d6 Flaw 1 If I’m outnumbered, I will run away

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

creations are ultimately doomed to death and decomposition, and the dragons’ demeanor is typically morbid and curmudgeonly as a result. Gleaming Gold Upon hatching, topaz dragon wyrmlings&rsquo

visibly in the gem-like spines that run in a ridge from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. These spines hover above a living topaz dragon’s back, dancing and shifting with the dragon

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

a set of beliefs about the nature of life. Simic members’ bonds and flaws derive from their scientific research — including their creation of new life forms, which they can become very

interfere with the conclusions of logic. (Lawful) 6 Superiority. My vast intellect and strength are directed toward increasing my sway over others. (Evil) Bonds d6 Bond

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

gather and celebrate, dwell the followers of Yurtrus, the god of disease and death, and Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Orcs too weak for battle (because of bodily weakness, malformation

, injury, or age) often join these cults instead of facing daily humiliation, exile, or death. Serving as the bridge between the two parts of the tribe are the priestesses of Luthic, the orc goddess who

Young Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

the necrotic energy of the Negative Plane that suffuses them. Their psionic power manifests the fundamental entropic principle that mortal beings and their creations are ultimately doomed to death and

spines that run in a ridge from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. These spines hover above a living topaz dragon’s back, dancing and shifting with the dragon’s mood. Embodiment of

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

realizing the connection. You got the Guild to back off demands for your death by offering to make amends by working for the criminals, but even so the kingpin still plots a personal revenge. 2 The

tail and run when things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.

Boros Legionnaire

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

;sacred flame 1st guiding bolt, heroism 2nd aid, scorching ray 3rd beacon of hope, blinding smite 4th death ward, wall of fire 5th flame strike

;Society functions only if people do their duty and respect the chain of command. (Lawful) 6 Conviction. Anything worth doing is worth doing with your whole heart. (Lawful) Bonds

Rakdos Cultist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 Hedonism. Death comes for everyone, so take as much pleasure as you can from every moment of life. (Neutral) 3 Creativity. I strive to

remade, with no guilds and no hierarchies. (Chaotic) 6 Spectacle. People are inspired by the greatness they see in art. (Any) Bonds d6 Bond 1 I have belonged to

Acquisitions

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

description of the different locations throughout the outpost as a guide to opportunities. Taking something without being noticed requires a successful Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the

of death. What equipment and treasures the characters claim during their escape depend on how much of the outpost they are able to explore before fleeing. For some characters, it might be a fun

Intrigue

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

combat, and the party might go for several sessions without seeing a monster. Again, make sure your players know ahead of time that you want to run this kind of campaign. Otherwise, a player might

setting, from the backstabbing politics of the Nine Hells to the contested succession of Cormyrean royalty.

Rat's Run Adventures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Astarion's Book of Hungers

plan and has turned the vampire hunters on Astarion. 4 Has lured too many customers to their death, and the manager of Rat’s Run has placed a bounty on Astarion. Astarion visits the tavern with the characters and doesn’t know the regulars plan to kill him.

Rat’s Run Adventures This section presents short adventures in Rat’s Run. In these adventures, characters should be Astarion’s associates or infamous by reputation in the seedier parts of Baldur’s

Sarusanda's Company

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

Sarusanda’s Company Once the characters have defeated the Death House cultists and claimed the rod piece, run the “Crisis of Faith” encounter detailed in the “Meetings with Sarusanda” section earlier

Seven Parts piece is safe with the characters, Sarusanda’s work in the house is done. She accompanies the characters for the remainder of their time in Death House (see the “Leaving the House” section).

Adventurer NPCs

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

built (either by you or your players) using the character creation and advancement rules in the Player’s Handbook. It’s easiest on you if you let the players create and run these supporting characters

. Encourage players to roleplay supporting characters as true to the NPCs’ personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws as possible, so that they don’t come across as automatons. If you don’t feel that an

Developments

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

Developments This battle will likely be a challenge to run. It is designed to create an emotional low spot in the adventure, during which overall defeat for the forces of good looks like a real

possibility. Character death—even if temporary—can crush some players’ spirits. For those players, don’t make this battle just a relentless slog toward death. Give the adventurers opportunities to save

Developments

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

Developments This battle will likely be a challenge to run. It is designed to create an emotional low spot in the adventure, during which overall defeat for the forces of good looks like a real

possibility. Character death — even if temporary — can crush some players’ spirits. For those players, don’t make this battle just a relentless slog toward death. Give the adventurers opportunities to save

9. Fountain of Evil

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

follow Droki into this chamber, they see him sneaking carefully along the eastern path. They can attempt to follow him with a group Dexterity (Stealth) check contested by the water weird’s passive

Wisdom (Perception) score. If more than half the characters fail the check, the water weird notices them and attacks. If the characters are attacked by the water weird while following Droki, the wily derro realizes he’s being shadowed and makes a run for it.

Approaching Death House

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

Approaching Death House As the characters come within sight of Death House, read or paraphrase the following: A boy and a girl stand in the middle of the dirt road outside a grim house. The boy is

hesitation about leaving the children alone, a friendly neighbor arrives and offers to keep the children safe. Sarusanda Splits Off As soon as the characters enter Death House, Sarusanda suggests she and

Running This Chapter

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

piece is located in the village of Barovia, in the domain of Strahd von Zarovich. Although it’s a small village, Barovia teems with supernatural threats—including the forebodingly named Death House, the

location of the fourth piece. By researching Death House in the Sigil sanctum or asking the Wizards Three about it, the characters learn that Death House is owned by two Barovians named Gustav and

History of Eberron

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

embodying a concept. Their final work was the Material Plane, where all ideas would become manifest: a realm that could know war and peace, life and death, order and chaos. But cruel Khyber sought ultimate

struggling against her bonds and yearning to destroy the world above. Another tale shared across cultures describes one more conflict that occurred in the first age of the world. Long ago, powerful

Finding Viantha

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

from the Undead Encounters table. The undead run amuck in the forest on their way to Claugiyliamatar’s lair and fight the characters to the death. The undead are loyal to Viantha and do not lead the

by 4 or less, the characters get close and run into undead (see “Undead Encounter”). On a check failed by 5 or more, the characters find nothing. Undead Encounter The characters run into random undead

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