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Returning 35 results for 'born before decisions could rules'.
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
he's tight with Levistus. He rules the roost by sheer force of personality, though it chafes him that Hethyl Arkorran has more respect and influence within the cult. Kadroth doesn't involve Avarice
to do so.
For all his political machinations, Kadroth is a visionary who has so far made the cult stronger through his actions and decisions. He spends hours behind his desk, staring into the burning
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Teleport.
Assault (Costs 2 Actions). Titivilus makes one Silver Sword attack, or he uses Frightful Word.Dispater, the gloomy Lord of Dis, rules from his iron palace, seeming to hide behind its
plots are being hatched against him and that Asmodeus himself seeks to remove Dispater from power. In response, Dispater has withdrawn to his palace and left day-to-day decisions to Titivilus, even
Species
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
others were born to non-genasi parents who lived near a place suffused by a genie’s magic.
A typical genasi has a life span of 120 years.
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose
whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.
Ability Score Increases
When
Species
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
descendants of a genie, while others were born to non-genasi parents who lived near a place suffused by a genie’s magic.
A typical genasi has a life span of 120 years.
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation
Backgrounds
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
You have spent your life aboard fishing vessels or combing the shallows for the bounty of the ocean. Perhaps you were born into a family of fisher folk, working with your kin to feed your village
might not.
D6
IDEAL
1
Camaraderie. Good people make even the longest voyage bearable. (Good)
2
Luck. Our luck depends on respecting its rules — now
Species
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
were born to non-genasi parents who lived near a place suffused by a genie’s magic.
A typical genasi has a life span of 120 years.
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose whether
your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.
Ability Score Increases
When
Species
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
others were born to non-genasi parents who lived near a place suffused by a genie’s magic.
A typical genasi has a life span of 120 years.
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose
whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.
Ability Score Increases
When
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
results of the adventurers’ decisions. Adjudicate the Rules. You oversee how the group uses the game’s rules, making sure the rules serve the group’s fun. You’ll want to read the rest of this chapter to understand those rules, and you’ll find the rules glossary essential.
the adventurers face. The players decide what their characters do as they navigate hazards and choose what to explore. Then you use a combination of imagination and the game’s rules to determine the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
explore. Then you use a combination of imagination and the game’s rules to determine the results of the adventurers’ decisions. Adjudicate the Rules. You oversee how the group uses the game’s rules
, making sure the rules serve the group’s fun. You’ll want to read the rest of this chapter to understand those rules, and you’ll find the Rules Glossary essential.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Ideas, Not Rules Even though these pages are full of tables and die rolls, they don’t make up a rules system — in fact, the opposite is true. You can use as much or as little of this material as you
desire, and you can make decisions in any order you want. For instance, you might not want these tables to help you decide who your parents and siblings are, because that’s among the information
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands
explore. Then you use a combination of imagination and the game’s rules to determine the results of the adventurers’ decisions. Adjudicate the Rules. You oversee how the group uses the game’s rules
, making sure the rules serve the group’s fun. Tutorials in each adventure teach you some of those rules, but you’ll want to reference the D&D Beyond Basic Rules to better understand them. Keep It Secret
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium
things they don’t. In a typical D&D session, a DM makes numerous rules decisions—some barely noticeable and others quite obvious. Players also interpret the rules, and the whole group keeps the game
The Role of Rules Why even have a column like Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata
typical D&D session, a DM makes numerous rules decisions—some barely noticeable and others quite obvious. Players also interpret the rules, and the whole group keeps the game running. There are times
The Role of Rules Why even have Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules are meant to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
the DM change the pitch or tempo of narration in different situations? Player Participation. Did the players participate in the world-building or make decisions that seemed to send the adventure in an
unexpected direction? How did the DM handle it? Rules Adjudication. To what extent did the DM lean on the rules to adjudicate outcomes? Did the DM adjudicate situations wisely or in ways that made the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
the DM change the pitch or tempo of narration in different situations? Player Participation. Did the players participate in the world-building or make decisions that seemed to send the adventure in an
unexpected direction? How did the DM handle it? Rules Adjudication. To what extent did the DM lean on the rules to adjudicate outcomes? Did the DM adjudicate situations wisely or in ways that made the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
supporting characters, breathing life into them. And as a referee, the DM interprets the rules and decides when to abide by them and when to change them. Inventing, writing, storytelling, improvising, acting
on the aspects you enjoy and downplay the rest. For example, if you don’t like creating your own adventures, you can use published ones. You can also lean on the other players to help you with rules
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
rules help you do this, but when you need to act as referee, try to make decisions that ensure everyone is having fun. Communicate with Your Players. Open communication is essential to a successful D&D
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
Adventure Structure Much of the adventure’s action is driven by the clash between the adventurers’ decisions and Strahd’s goals, and the adventurers and the vampire are all caught in strands of fate
appendix B. Chapter 2, “The Lands of Barovia,” provides an overview of the realm and includes special rules for it and its people, including the mysterious Vistani. Chapters 3–15 detail areas that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Overview A D&D adventure is a collection of locations, quests, and challenges that inspire you to tell a story. The outcome of that story is determined by the actions and decisions of the adventurers
site, Dragon’s Rest, serves as the characters’ home base during the adventure, where they can rest and get supplies between their visits to the other sites. Magic Items and Monsters. Two appendixes describe rules for magic items and monsters that characters might find in the course of the adventure.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
rules help you do this, but when you need to act as referee, try to make decisions that ensure everyone is having fun. Communicate with Your Players. Open communication is essential to a successful D&D
game and keep track of your campaign. These sheets are also available for download in appendix C.
Encounter-Building Assistance. The rules for estimating the difficulty of combat encounters have
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Radiant Citadel
in crisis. Strict rules of engagement prevent them from impacting local conditions or taking sides in a conflict; their mandate allows them only to extract those in danger and defend themselves if
outlander backgrounds. Arayat Arayat (neutral, human assassin) was born to a family of Dayawlongon freedom fighters who had no more wars to fight. Peace did not bring them prosperity, and the family’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
in crisis. Strict rules of engagement prevent them from impacting local conditions or taking sides in a conflict; their mandate allows them only to extract those in danger and defend themselves if
outlander backgrounds. Arayat Arayat (neutral, human assassin) was born to a family of Dayawlongon freedom fighters who had no more wars to fight. Peace did not bring them prosperity, and the family’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
opportunity to converse with the adventurers before making their decisions as to whether they will support Bruenor’s plans. To play out these meetings, use the social interaction rules provided in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
your decisions. While such players can be helpful when you’re stuck or make a rules mistake that’s easily corrected, players who argue the rules too often can disrupt the flow of the game. If a player
(with their input), arbitrate the rules, and settle arguments. And when you’re narrating the action of the game, the players should be paying attention. Player Die Rolling Players should roll their dice
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
a bond of loyalty, gratitude, or love. You can delegate decisions about an NPC’s actions to one of the players, especially in combat, but you can override the player’s decisions to reflect the NPC’s
, but they can’t be relied on to make wise decisions or hold up their end in battle. Wallflower Warrior. A wallflower warrior NPC is good at fading into the background, doesn’t usually chat or engage
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
Things, complete with magical effects created by the constellations as well as a zodiac that might influence the destiny of those born under its signs.
The latter part of the chapter, intended for the
DM, includes details and rules for observatories: locations that facilitate stargazing and astronomical studies.
The Sky of Many Things A zodiac is a series of constellations that appear to rotate
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
gloss over a rules issue in play, make a note of it and return to the issue later. Some players like to use the rules to argue against your decisions. While such players can be helpful when you’re stuck
(with their input), arbitrate the rules, and settle arguments. And when you’re narrating the action of the game, the players should be paying attention. Player Die Rolling Players should roll their dice
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
beings, such as the sphinx Medomai, an oracle like Atris or Kydele, or a repository of mystical knowledge. Some heroes are born with supernatural power or born as a result of supernatural events. A
rules from chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook, your Dungeon Master might allow you to take a feat as a variant supernatural gift. You gain one feat of your choice. This list suggests twelve feats from
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
what catches your interest. Once you have a character in mind, follow these steps in order, making decisions that reflect the character you want. Your conception of your character might evolve with
your character, whether it’s a formal character sheet (like the one at the end of these rules), some form of digital record, or a piece of notebook paper. An official D&D character sheet is a fine
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
.
2 Why waste time and energy murdering weaker creatures when I can make them entertain me instead?
3 My children, whether born to me or chosen by me, are treasures.
4 Nothing is
peoples can accomplish with the proper guidance.
Blue Dragon Ideals d6 Ideal
1 Order. Life is best when everyone is part of a hierarchy and rules are clear and consistent. (Lawful)
2
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Powers fashion them as living puppets—individuals who live unremarkable lives that reinforce the status quo, culture, and frustration that torment a domain’s Darklord. Bright Souls. Individuals born in the
lives and answers to the mysteries of their home domain. Every player’s character who was born in a domain is one of these vibrant souls. Death in Ravenloft. When a creature with a soul dies among the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
. Perhaps Klothys arose from a sense of inevitability, a notion that the world was unfolding as it must, and thus the actions of mortals made little difference. Kruphix might have been born from a sense of
destiny that left behind the trials of life, they could formulate the notions of principles, order, and natural law. Out of those ideas, the third generation of deities was born: sun-crowned Heliod, deep
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
universally described as twins.) Any of Mogis’s actions and endeavors contribute to undermining and ultimately destroying Iroas. Any divine relationships Mogis might enter into are born of convenience and as
abiding disrespect, verging on hatred, for Ephara and Karametra. Ephara’s neat, orderly cities are a delight to destroy, especially given her fussy, precise adherence to rules. Likewise, Ephara’s close
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
, and criminals? What made him think you would be a good champion? The Phenax’s Favor table offers a handful of suggestions. Phenax’s Favor d6 Circumstance
1 You were born at midnight under
he hadn’t.
Devotion to Phenax Following Phenax means devoting yourself to a life of trickery and guile. To a champion of Phenax, a life without risk is no life at all. Some rules are meant to be
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
female human Hellrider (use the veteran stat block). Reya speaks Common. Born in the land of Turmish, Reya came to the holy city of Elturel to train as a Hellrider when she was twelve. As a faithful
Gate, and she can’t reach Vanthampur Villa in the heavily guarded Upper City without help. She does her best to aid the party, as long as the characters’ actions and decisions lead her closer to






