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Returning 35 results for 'both before dark could rival'.
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
—a nervous disorder that manifests as trembling. It can affect her balance and her stride, but she has learned to cast her spells unimpeded by it.
Despite her firm grasp of the dark arts, she
by Vellynne’s rival, Nass Lantomir), but Vellynne animated their corpses, turning them into zombies.
If she is wounded, Vellynne can cast vampiric touch and use the spell to regain hit points
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
in different troupes, which allows for the possibility of a widespread network of contacts.
Roll twice on the Rakdos Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Rakdos Contacts table
very amusing dark side.
2
A Boros captain really wants to “redeem” me.
3
I think a member of my troupe is a Dimir agent.
4
I once convinced a Golgari medusa to participate
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
;Disguise kit
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A Dimir insignia, three small knives, a set of dark-colored common clothes, and the starting equipment of the background described in this
Contacts table, giving you an ally who serves as your contact in Dimir. Then roll twice on the table for your secondary guild. The first roll gives you an ally there, and the second roll gives you a rival
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
; Elminster
The serpent creatures known as yuan-ti are all that remains of an ancient, decadent human empire. Ages ago their dark gods taught them profane, cannibalistic rituals to mix their flesh
primordial world heeded the prayers of these people and hissed dark demands into their ears. The people tainted their souls by performing human sacrifices in the name of the gods, debased their flesh by
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
, rot, and rebirth. You have spent your life in the slow churn of that ecosystem, in the dark places of the city where the messy parts of existence are on display. There is little squeamishness among the
meaningful connections with others.
Roll twice on the Golgari Contacts table (for an ally and a rival) and once on the Non-Golgari Contacts table.
Golgari Contacts
d8
Contact
1
One
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer
Morgrave Conflicts A campaign centered on Morgrave University suggests three significant campaign conflicts: Rival Explorers. Characters can explore the tension between legitimate scholarship and
greed as they undertake expeditions and explorations in competition with rival adventurers. Emerald Claw. Adventures can bring characters into conflict with sinister forces such as the Order of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Dark Fantasy Plots Adventures in dark fantasy domains involve unlikely or reluctant heroes (or rival villains) striking back against the evil at work in the land. This might involve taking on a world
-ruining conspiracy or the street-level depravity affecting a single slum. Dark Fantasy Plots d8 Plot
1 Track down a beholder-shaped flesh golem and learn why it’s targeting specific
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
(see chapter 3). Dangerous Beauty Stone giant artisans find inspiration in the Endless Rockslide and create beautiful works from its material, but a fomorian warlock of the dark (see chapter 6) curses
exchange for help retaking the site. Rival Elements A djinni assaults the Endless Rockslide to disrupt the plans of her dao rival. Each genie asks the characters to side against the other. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
operatives of rival organizations, a bit of well-timed sabotage on some manufacturing equipment, or intimidating contractors into turning their backs on a rival are all regular business for an Acq Inc
warlock. Standard Dark Spellcaster Franchise Rules
No summoning circles in the bathroom. No “tentacle talk” during mealtimes. You must wear a gag at bedtime. That constant screaming makes it hard for
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer
, the sinister forces of the Dream Dark have infiltrated many places of power within the city. You can replace one or more of these threats with other groups from Eberron: Rising from the Last War—such as
work (House Tharashk’s Finders Guild or House Medani’s Warning Guild), you also can incorporate conflicts with rival houses, as described in chapter 5. This section outlines the three conflicts suggested above, the goals of the villainous groups involved, and possible plot arcs tied to them.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
, and how the franchise’s enemies — or potential enemies — might get caught up in those complications. When a complication or a rival comes into play during downtime or franchise activities, the DM
families can all take notice as a franchise grows in power. And outside the characters’ immediate sphere of influence, factions such as Dran Enterprises and the Six work dark plots that might make the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
prevent national secrets from falling into the hands of rival intelligence agencies. The Dark Lanterns also have an unwritten license to eliminate any creature that threatens their nation, its sovereign
King’s Dark Lanterns The King’s Dark Lanterns is the intelligence division of the King’s Citadel, an organization sworn to defend Breland from its enemies and dispense justice in the name of King
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Rival Vendors Dyn Singh Night Market vendors Lamai Tyenmo and Kusa Xungoon inherited a long-standing rivalry between their families, but they want to move past it. Circumstances and family grudges
conspire to exacerbate their enmity. In the course of the adventure, the characters are drawn into their conflict. Lamai Tyenmo Lamai Tyenmo (lawful good, gnome commoner) has dark, wild hair and a wide
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Fate d4 Fate
1 Azalin was destroyed—slain by a failed magical experiment, a rival, or the Dark Powers.
2 Azalin escaped the Domains of Dread and returned to his home world of Oerth
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
those adventurers driven to seek and destroy him — and partly to claim those adventurers’ souls to feed his phylactery. Even after Acererak eventually became an archlich whose dark plots would threaten
, the balor Tarnhem. Over the years of the tomb’s construction, Moghadam and his rival artificer, Thessalar, have competed fiercely against each other’s endeavors. Moghadam takes pleasure in having lured
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
Rival Princes When the characters arrive at the square, read or paraphrase the following: Locals crowd a shaded square, listening to a fervent argument between two well-dressed human men wearing dark
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
gang conflict. A Callestan campaign is a dark neo-noir story. Clifftop in Upper Dura is a district catering to established adventurers. This is a place for pulp heroes, established explorers whose
your home—what does it say about your character that this place is your home? Friends and Rivals. Who do you know in the district? The DM should work with each player to develop a friend or rival in the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
bureaucracy of a specific city-state can serve a similar role in a Dark Sun conversion of this adventure. The city-state most immediately concerned with the rise of a dangerous magical cult in the Great
Alluvial Sand Wastes is Tyr, struggling to find its way after the death of King Kalak. The templars of Tyr can’t allow a new threat to grow on their doorstep — or allow the templars of a rival city such
Orc
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
who serve Yurtrus and Shargaas. Some are sent forth into the cities dominated by humans, on dark missions. Beware them.
— Elminster
Search, Destroy, Repeat
When a tribe is on the move, orc
rival orcs first and foremost as competitors for food and victims.
On some occasions, though, tribes that have a common concern band together. The result is an orc horde — a sea of slavering
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
used to craft scrolls, angering a wizard in town. 2 The priest of a temple of good accuses you of trafficking in dark magic.* 3 A wizard eager to collect one of your spells in a book presses you to sell
the scroll. 4 Due to a strange error in creating the scroll, it is instead a random spell of the same level. 5 The rare parchment you bought for your scroll has a barely visible map on it. 6 A thief attempts to break into your workroom.* *Might involve a rival
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
suggests a few adventures the god’s champions might involve themselves in. Mogis’s Quests d6 Adventure Goal
1 Foment a war between rival poleis.
2 Bring about anarchy and lawlessness in
fealty. As the characters become immersed in their plans for vengeance, Mogis, acting through his agents, pushes them farther down a dark path until, at last, they realize what they have become. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
as a friend, paramour, mentor, or rival, the Caller isolates its target, leading the victim to depend on it emotionally or materially. Over time, the Caller coerces or outright forces its victim to
, and truths hinting at the nature of the Dark Powers. Consider the following plots when featuring the Caller in an adventure: One of the characters’ allies requests they check in on the ally’s brother
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
or ending abruptly. Baphomet the Horned King appeared in the Labyrinth when the demon lords were summoned to the Underdark. At the same time, Baphomet’s rival Yeenoghu, Demon Lord of Gnolls, has taken
transformed into a vast, sprawling network of passages. Abandoned settlements within the Labyrinth are common, marked out by rusting iron rails and scattered ore carts. Dark mine shafts descend into the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
leaders enact their monstrous agendas upon the land, leading only to continued suffering. The Dark Powers ensure that the defeated faction doesn’t remain quelled for long, though. The characters might
rival through martial skill Loyalists
+1 Evicting rebels from a community Loyalists
+1 Attaining victory over a rival through duplicity Rebels
+2 Completing a mission assigned by the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
mutation. Over the years that were the height of Thessalar’s power in the temple, the artificer’s chief rival was the artificer Moghadam, architect of the Tomb of Horrors. Moghadam recently lured away
Thessalar’s experiments, but were captured. The gemsmith Seodra is now forced to labor for Thessalar, while the thieves are the subjects of dark experiments. All are desperate to escape.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
a business rival looking to acquire your wealth, your blood, or your soul. No matter how dark the adventure gets, your role as a Monster Slayer makes you the best offense and defense against whatever stands in your franchise’s path to success.
their work in the Underdark, but shadows are shadows wherever they occur. As a Gloom Stalker ranger, you find solace and refuge in dark alleys, dimly lit back rooms, and the shadowy corners of any
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Tough warriors 9 Dark magic 10 Decadence 11 Piety 12 Gambling 13 Godlessness 14 Education 15 Wines 16 High fashion 17 Political intrigue 18 Powerful guilds 19 Strong drink 20 Patriotism Current
Calamity d20 Calamity 1 Suspected vampire infestation 2 New cult seeks converts 3 Important figure died (murder suspected) 4 War between rival thieves’ guilds 5–6 Plague or famine (sparks riots) 7
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
manipulator. No more devout than I in the service of the Spider Queen, he arranged for my disgrace and exile. Deprived of my considerable skills, my house fell to our rival, House Do’Urden. Gromph became
insanity of the demon lords spreads. Gromph Baenre vanished following the ritual. Vizeran has not been able to detect any trace of his rival archmage using any of the resources at his command. Demogorgon
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
, invisibility, or some other magic, a beholder can lurk in the dark and shoot any creature it can see within the range of its darkvision. A dark room with a 120-foot ceiling allows it to use this tactic
see its opponents before 60-foot darkvision sees it. A beholder always has several backup plans ready. When dealing with one, I have three plans of my own: run, hide, and distract. Rival adventurers
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
cults of rival gods among their people. Other Dark Powers. Selvetarm is god of warriors, and therefore patron of male drow, although perhaps not so much as Vhaeraun, the rogue god of thievery and of
god of oozes, rebels, and outcasts, occasionally revered by drow. The Dark Maiden. Some drow exiles have heard the song of Eilistraee, urging them out onto the surface to behold the moon as it rises
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
. Unwilling to go the way of his father, Strahd studied magic and forged a pact with the Dark Powers of the Shadowfell in return for the promise of immortality. Strahd scoured his conquered lands for
wizards and artisans, brought them to the valley of Barovia, and commanded them to raise a castle to rival the magnificent fortresses of his ancestral homeland. Strahd named the castle Ravenloft, after
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
of this chapter. Past the heavy iron door that is the tower’s only visible entrance, a short tunnel extends through five feet of solid rock into a cool, dark chamber. As you enter, a floating orb of
exile as an unbeliever in Lolth. Ironically, this might have saved Vizeran’s life, as House DeVir was wiped out not long thereafter by its rival, House Do’Urden. Consigned to solitude in the Underdark
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
The Dark Seldarine Lolth demands the lion’s share of worship from the drow, according to her wishes and by the command of her priestesses. The Spider Queen isn’t, however, the only entity venerated
by drow. They revere a host of divine entities, which they refer to as the Dark Seldarine in mockery of the surface elves’ deities. The Dark Seldarine are mighty, immortal beings, survivors from the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Laboratory of Kwalish
Barrier Peaks. His studies of an ancient, crashed planar craft set him on a path that might have seen him rival Ioun and Heward — until his experiments overtook him, and he became lost to the ages
dark monastery — and establishing its own cult. After much wandering in the mountains, Kwalish relocated to an equally remote location — Daoine Gloine, the mysterious city his expedition had
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
(Silver Flame)
7 A clever doppelganger (Tyrants)
8 A vengeful warforged (Lord of Blades)
9 A possessed innocent (Dreaming Dark)
10 An oni mastermind (Daask)
11 An enigmatic
magical weapon.
4 Defeat a rival.
5 Open a planar portal.
6 Summon fiends or undead.
7 Overthrow a peer or superior.
8 Cause a riot in the Cogs.
9 Start a war