both before distant contrast reflect

Abhorrent Overlord

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

creatures whose gray, leathery skin is in stark contrast to the gleaming jewelry made of Underworld gold that they adorn themselves with. Their appetite for pain and death is eclipsed only by their greed

, having no understanding of the difference between fiendish species or distant nightmarish planes. A pit fiend might be interpreted by Theros's mortals as one of the Underworld's countless demonic denizens

Rewarded

Backgrounds The Book of Many Things

stumbled across a Deck of Many Things and drawn a card with a potent, positive effect. Or maybe you inherited a modest fortune from a distant relative you didn’t know you had. Regardless, you

family debts with a fortuitous round of three-dragon ante, you might be Lucky instead. Alternatively, you could use the Skilled feat to reflect whatever trial you endured to secure your new destiny and to model the knowledge and abilities imparted to you by whatever force transformed your life.

Valenar High Elf

Species Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

into the eyes of the stunned onlookers. She smiled behind her spirit veil, counting the blades arrayed against her. “But forty will.” Elven culture began on the distant continent of Xen

is why your people constantly seek out conflict; you need to find challenges worthy of a hero. In creating a Valenar, think about your patron ancestor. Your class should reflect their class; if you

Gnome Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

his or her appearance. A male gnome’s beard, in contrast to his wild hair, is kept carefully trimmed but often styled into curious forks or neat points. A gnome’s clothing, though usually

over time. Gnome names are typically variants on the names of ancestors or distant relatives, though some are purely new inventions. When dealing with humans and others who are “stuffy” about

Valenar Wood Elf

Species Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

into the eyes of the stunned onlookers. She smiled behind her spirit veil, counting the blades arrayed against her. “But forty will.” Elven culture began on the distant continent of Xen

is why your people constantly seek out conflict; you need to find challenges worthy of a hero. In creating a Valenar, think about your patron ancestor. Your class should reflect their class; if you

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

lazy, but when Linene came around looking for a missing broach, she was out the door before I could blink an eye. — Toblen Stonehill, innkeeper Hailing from a strange and distant land

tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures or legends lost. Wandering Outcasts Most tabaxi remain in their distant

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth

up to the Sword Coast, and into the Western Heartlands to the east. Some remain in their ancient homeland. In contrast, water and earth genasi have no common history. Individuals have difficulty

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

hold and controls their actions. In contrast, lizardfolk see emotions as traits assigned to other creatures, objects, and situations. A lizardfolk doesn’t think, “I’m scared.&rdquo

emotion and empathy. The same label serves as an apt depiction of lizardfolk. Lacking any internal emotional reactions, lizardfolk behave in a distant manner. They don’t mourn fallen comrades or

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

. Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant

bred by empathy that helps them eventually sort out those who are sincere from those who are not. Verdan Names The oldest verdan names spring from goblinoid traditions, but more recent names reflect

Languages in Eberron

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

closely tied to the distant land of Xen’drik. The following optional rules are a way to explore this aspect of the setting. Optional Rule: Common Languages Common is the language of the Five Nations

regions or cultures. The DM may change the languages assigned to a monster or NPC to reflect this. Giant is the common tongue of Xen’drik. It is rarely encountered on Khorvaire. Monsters in Khorvaire

Vecna's Grasp Locations

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

cavern. Some of the crystal faces reflect distorted images of the cavern, while others flicker with scenes of the lich-god Vecna visiting destruction on distant worlds. Three tunnels branch off the

reflect vague, phantasmagoric scenes of the unreality at the tunnel’s far end. A creature can walk up to 50 feet down a tunnel and remain in Vecna’s Grasp. To the creature, the tunnel appears to go on

Setting the Tone

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

Setting the Tone Clifftop runs with the idea that the player characters are known as adventurers. They’ve accomplished remarkable feats and beaten impossible odds. One way to reflect this is to start

, home to valued comrades and rivals. It’s where you get your next job. But as a Clifftop adventurer you’ll be venturing to exotic locales. You may delve into the ruins below Sharn or crash an airship into Skyway. You may head to Xen’drik or other distant lands. Wherever you go, adventure awaits!

Marcher Characters

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

independence and suspicious of the houses. Your ties to the Marches might be distant because you were born to a family that left years ago. Do you want to rediscover your ancestral roots? Madness and

contrast, the Marcher tribes maintain traditions that predate humanity. As nomadic hunter-gatherers, they don’t work metals; they make their tools from stone, hide, wood, and bone. If your character

Tabaxi Personality

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

reflect your ever-changing curiosity. TABAXI IN THE FORGOTTEN REALMS In the Forgotten Realms, tabaxi hail from Maztica, a realm located far across the ocean west of the Sword Coast. The tabaxi of

distant land. Tabaxi Obsessions d8 My curiosity is currently fixed on … 1 A god or planar entity 2 A monster 3 A lost civilization 4 A wizard’s secrets 5 A mundane item 6 A magic item 7 A location 8

Genasi Lands

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

to the east. Some remain in their ancient homeland. In contrast, water and earth genasi have no common history. Individuals have difficulty tracing their own lineage, and bloodlines occasionally skip a

the Sea of Fallen Stars. The distant land of Zakhara is known only in legends to most inhabitants of Faerûn. There, genies and spellcasters enter into bargains, and genasi can result from such pacts. Those genasi have been sources of great weal and woe in the history of that land.

Marks of Mystery

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

heirs sometimes manifest their marks years after failing the Test of Siberys. Distant Offshoot You are a distant offshoot of a dragonmarked family line, sharing the species that most commonly manifests

background’s proficiencies to better reflect your character’s origin. Aberrant Mark You bear an aberrant dragonmark. These rare marks appear on members of all species. Aberrant dragonmarks disturb the

Lorehold Student

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

are in the broad field of history. You might dream of using magic to contact great historical figures or your own ancestors or of recreating the mighty magic of a distant age. Skill Proficiencies

, and your spell effects might reflect the appearance of the reference books you study. Building a Lorehold Character Any class or subclass that deals with knowledge of the past can be a good fit in

Upper Northedge

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

are filled with spire-topped manors and grand estates. A host of rooftop parks and gardens provide lovely spaces to sit and reflect. Shae Lias is arguably the most remarkable district of Upper

district of Holdfast. In contrast to the residents of Highhold in Upper Dura, the dwarves of Holdfast have deep roots in Sharn and feel no strong connection to the Mror Holds or its traditions. High

Rewarded

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

might have stumbled across a Deck of Many Things and drawn a card with a potent, positive effect. Or maybe you inherited a modest fortune from a distant relative you didn’t know you had. Regardless, you

reflect whatever trial you endured to secure your new destiny and to model the knowledge and abilities imparted to you by whatever force transformed your life. Building a Rewarded Character Rewarded

Outside the City Proper

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

merchants, the signpost magically directs travelers to well-known distant locations when the names of those locations are spoken into a crystal on the post. The magic of the Waymoot writes the

Amendsfarm) where those convicted of minor offenses work off their debt to the city. Many gnomes and halflings live in this region, and most buildings are built to reflect their stature. Two noble

Ecstasy

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

reflect their demeanors: a flamboyant, golden disc for the Lightcaller and a closed, silver helmet for the coolly distant Nightwhisperer. The circadian monarchs swap places at dusk and dawn, and

Pulp Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

stop them. In Eberron, the gods are distant and don’t directly intervene. The Silver Flame is a divine force of light, but it can only act through mortal champions. The few powerful benevolent NPCs

heroes of pulp adventure are often able to overcome seemingly impossible odds. One way to reflect this is to use the optional hero points rule from chapter 9 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. This is

Recurring Villains

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

villain and improve its challenge rating to make it relevant to the higher-level characters. NPC Stat Blocks. Some of the stat blocks in the Monster Manual can reflect the same character at different

Villain In contrast to a villain who is a part of the characters’ everyday life, an otherworldly villain isn’t only anonymous but also fundamentally mysterious. It’s not just a question of who the

Other Religious Systems

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

), or even forces and philosophies that don’t center on deities. Tight Pantheons In contrast to a loose pantheon, a tight pantheon focuses on a single religion whose teachings and edicts embrace a small

moon deities and agricultural deities — gods whose portfolios reflect the cycles of nature. The cult’s ritual of initiation follows the pattern of its foundation myth. Neophytes retrace the god’s

Demons of Theros

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

species or distant nightmarish planes. A pit fiend might be interpreted by Theros’s mortals as one of the Underworld’s countless demonic denizens, while a balor meeting a Theros demon on some other

the incarnate wickedness you desire. (SLAWOMIR MANIAK) Abhorrent Overlord Abhorrent overlords are gaunt, bipedal creatures whose gray, leathery skin is in stark contrast to the gleaming jewelry made

Connected Creatures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

, or saddles—that reflect the culture and nature of the giants who care for them. Hill giants might use crude twisted rope or rough leather cords, while storm giants could use bridles of spun copper

ancient giants. You can alter the appearance of any Construct on this table to reflect the nature of its creators. An iron golem built by fire giants might spew embers and sooty smoke between its iron

Eileanar Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Netheril’s Fall: Tales of Terror, Treasure, and Time Travel

bridges spiral and swirl everywhere. Some groves have no gravity, and visitors are encouraged to float among the beauty and reflect upon their lives. Reasons to Visit. Adventurers might visit the

. There is no finer lodging in all Netheril than the court, and its astronomical prices reflect its grandeur and sophistication. A single room costs 10 PP per night; a suite that sleeps five people costs

Locations in Saltmarsh

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

; otherwise, several dwarf clerks work here during the day, logging deliveries at the docks to be transported to the mine and arranging for the processed ore to be loaded on trade ships bound for distant ports

nearly 7 feet — make him an unmistakable figure in town. Keledek came to town years ago from Ket, a distant kingdom held in a mix of contempt, mistrust, and fear by the locals. Rumor around town claims

Blood Pens

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5

) check hears distant chittering. Light. None. The sunken floor of this huge hall is covered in dead insects, their dried shells shifting and whispering in a faint breeze. Dozens of demonic faces are

zone. White Gate. A white gate is located in the south branch of the corridor that leads east from this area toward the Swine Run. 18. Barracks Rough cots scattered across the floor contrast with the

Necropolis Locations (Y10-Y18)

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Necropolis Locations (Y10-Y18) Y10. Arboretum A canopy of golden leaves crowns the trees inside a sunken basin. The trees grow in stark contrast to their bleak surroundings, their branches swaying

intruding fragment bears a strange inscription on one side. By training the magic telescope on distant stars, Ythryn’s astronomers could summon alien creatures from those stars to be questioned

Stone Giants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

, to serve as guards on the tribe’s most distant borders or as hunters that wander beyond those borders. As such, the stone giants that are first encountered by outsiders are almost always the least

most prone to laughter and enjoying fellowship with his siblings. That image of Stronmaus is in sharp contrast to how storm giants are perceived in the world: aloof and dour. Nonetheless, it is an

Locations on the Lower Level

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a6

the party will cause her to fulfill her obligation as quickly as possible and depart. By contrast, she might strike up a long-term friendship with a party of good-aligned characters. Treasure. The

check). If the bar is pushed downward, that act transports whatever or whoever is standing on the floor of the alcove to a spot some 50 feet distant from the entrance to Snurre’s hall (the Hall of the

Candlekeep

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

adjacent to other towers and having bridges to more distant ones, the chambers that guests can reach in the necessariums don’t allow access to the rest of the keep. Within the Keep Unfortunately, the

up the book, or pay an additional price to have it delivered. Spellbooks. In contrast, magical books of spells and formulae cost much, much more — a spellbook might be priced at thousands or even

Locations on the Second Level

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a6

is cleared of opponents. The headsman, by contrast, uses his axe after tossing one victim down the well. Treasure. The stakes of the game include six pieces of jewelry (worth 250 gp each) and ten

floor in the western half of the area is of porphyry, and the pillars are made of serpentine. Their well-polished surfaces reflect the strange light that permeates the place. The scenes on the west

D&D Beyond

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