both before document call rather

Mercion

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her. Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry

against what I hold dear.” Ideal. “Truth begets art and beauty, while deceit does nothing but tear the fabric of our souls.” Bond. “Evildoers beware! Valor’s Call is

Elkhorn

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

destruction of evil in all its forms. He’s not especially bright, so he fights with his heart rather than his wits. Age has drained much of the strength from Elkhorn’s body. Strongheart

dead.” Combat Notes Elkhorn’s challenge rating is based on him using Feint to improve his rather weak sword attack. Having been trained in his youth to fight ogres and trolls, he&rsquo

Ringlerun

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

made him the envy of many rival spellcasters. Ringlerun has a good heart, but he’s easily distracted by intellectual pursuits. He would rather spend time in quiet contemplation or reading than in

attack at range using his staff’s formidable spells (cone of cold being his favorite). Valor's Call The noble adventuring party known as Valor’s Call was founded by Strongheart, a

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

them like they were children’s books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather

. Additionally, you can forge documents including official papers and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy. Suggested

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

your adventuring career, you can decide whether to tell your companions about your inheritance right away. Rather than attracting attention to yourself, you might want to keep your inheritance a secret

until you learn more about what it means to you and what it can do for you. Inheritance d8 Object or Item 1 A document such as a map, a letter, or a journal 2–3 A

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

would rather make one precise strike, placing it exactly where the attack will hurt the target most, than wear an opponent down with a barrage of attacks. Rogues have an almost supernatural knack for

coin you needed to escape the squalor of your life. Did wanderlust finally call you away from your home? Perhaps you suddenly found yourself cut off from your family or your mentor, and you had to find

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

rather than perform the work or confront the foe. Even when subsumed into a goblinoid host and drawn into war, bugbears must often be roused from naps and bribed to get them to do their duties. This

natural state. Thanks to Grankhul, they can use their size and strength to work as stealthy assassins rather than blundering around like ogres. Bullying, murder, and engaging in battle are all holy

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver. Common sense should steer people away from things that

, as long as you have seen an example of the kind of document or the handwriting you are trying to copy. BALDUR’S GATE FEATURE: LONG-LOST HEIR You’re well-versed in the mannerisms and

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

then passing through the shadow of That-Which-Endures changed them forever. Now the newest race to call Faerûn home, the verdan do their best to find their way in an unfamiliar world

. 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

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and lookouts for thieves’ guilds, bandits, and other criminal cartels. A network of kenku can relay a bird call or similar noise across the

kenku, constant attempts to mimic noises can come across as confusing or irritating rather than entertaining. You can just as easily describe the sounds your character makes and what they mean. Be clear

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

one city-state were killed and eaten to create the first yuan-ti, and once the news of how to perform these rituals spread to other leaders, the call for slaves to fuel the process increased. As the

of evil that calls for them to butcher or eradicate all who oppose them. In keeping with their goal of domination, the yuan-ti would rather capture potentially useful opponents than kill them. They use

Intelligence

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

dealt it, or determine the weakest point in a tunnel that could cause it to collapse. Poring through ancient scrolls in search of a hidden fragment of knowledge might also call for an Intelligence

) check measures your ability to recall lore about deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret cults. Other Intelligence Checks. The DM might call for

Intelligence

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

it, or determine the weakest point in a tunnel that could cause it to collapse. Poring through ancient scrolls in search of a hidden fragment of knowledge might also call for an Intelligence

) check measures your ability to recall lore about deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret cults. Other Intelligence Checks The DM might call for an

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

Spells Cantrip produce flame, shocking grasp 1st chaos bolt, create or destroy water, unseen servant 2nd heat metal, rope trick 3rd call lightning,

protocols will lead us toward progress more surely than any belief system. (Lawful) 5 Fun. I love my job! Despite the dangerous working conditions, there’s nothing I’d rather do

Feature: Inheritance

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

conditions are met. When you begin your adventuring career, you can decide whether to tell your companions about your inheritance right away. Rather than attracting attention to yourself, you might

want to keep your inheritance a secret until you learn more about what it means to you and what it can do for you. Inheritance d8 Object or Item 1 A document such as a map, a letter, or a journal

Tracking Initiative

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

the following tools: Paper or a notebook behind the DM screen A spreadsheet or document on a laptop or tablet An app on your tablet or phone Index cards for each character and each group of identical

Hit Points of monsters, as well as other useful notes. If you use this approach, you tell the players when it’s their characters’ turn. When you call out the character whose turn is starting, consider

Chapter 3: Danger at Dunwater

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

alarmed the Saltmarsh Town Council. Greatly troubled and filled with apprehension, the councillors call an emergency meeting. This adventure is designed for a group of four to six 3rd-level characters

challenges the characters to act as ambassadors to a colony of lizardfolk. While such roleplay-focused adventures are the norm today, at the time of its publication (in 1982) this adventure was the first to make interaction an absolute requirement for success, rather than one option among many.

New Race: Verdan

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

goblinoid things. But then passing through the shadow of That-Which-Endures changed them forever. Now the newest race to call Faerûn home, the verdan do their best to find their way in an unfamiliar world

. 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, and the Verdan emerged. I’m sorry, was that the question? — K’thriss Drow’b

Constitution

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

ability represents is largely passive rather than involving a specific effort on the part of a character or monster. A Constitution check can model your attempt to push beyond normal limits, however. The

DM might call for a Constitution check when you try to accomplish tasks like the following: Hold your breath March or labor for hours without rest Go without sleep Survive without food or water Quaff

Constitution

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

ability represents is largely passive rather than involving a specific effort on the part of a character or monster. A Constitution check can model your attempt to push beyond normal limits, however. The

DM might call for a Constitution check when you try to accomplish tasks like the following: Hold your breath March or labor for hours without rest Go without sleep Survive without food or water Quaff

Boromar Villains

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

Boromar Villains With few exceptions, Boromar villains shun violence and would prefer to bribe, deceive, or manipulate the characters rather than send a squad of goons to attack them. That said, any

1 A halfling dreamlily dealer (an excoriate of House Ghallanda) smooth-talks new customers into sampling her wares. If pressed, she can call in favors from a number of dangerous clients. 2 A judge

Secret Doors

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

, as shown in the Secret Doors table. You can instead call for an Intelligence (Investigation) check if the challenge involves deducing that a door is present from noticeable clues, rather than

Shadow of Soth

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

“Bastion of Takhisis” section. Shortly afterward, if the characters have a fargab (see appendix A) with them, they get a call from Tatina Rookledust. “Are you okay?!” Rookledust asks, then she rapidly

get at whoever’s in charge in there!” Rookledust encourages the characters to find the Dragon Army’s leaders within the city rather than pursing Soth. The gnome is confident that Kalaman’s forces

Communication and Disposition

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

refusal to do so automatically prompts an attack. In such an attack, the lizardfolk’s first priority is the expulsion, rather than the death, of the intruders, but they fight to the death if provoked. Once

the characters are identified as a threat, the only way to calm the lizardfolk’s aggression is to call for a truce and parley with the queen. See “Parley and Surrender” below. If the entire lair were

Other Inquisitive Agencies

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

agents of the King’s Citadel serve crown and country as the ultimate agency for dispensing the king’s justice in Breland. Local watches and constabularies can call on its agents when a crime or situation

inquisitives are often called upon to solve mysteries that baffle local law enforcement. Running Your Own. Rather than join an existing inquisitive agency, you can start your own. You need to establish

Appendix A: Shared Campaigns

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

hard to keep a campaign going. Enter the concept of the shared campaign. In a shared campaign, more than one member of the group can take on the role of DM. A shared campaign is episodic rather than

getting together to play is defeated. The basic code of conduct for a shared campaign might be modeled on a similar document that another organization or location uses. Beyond that, some special

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

hatred of the civilized races of the world and their need to satisfy the demands of their deities, the orcs know that if they fight well and bring glory to their tribe, Gruumsh will call them home to

they are more interested in grabbing plunder and food rather than in wanton slaughter. The elderly, children, and any who seem weak or meek enough might escape death. If they leave the population more

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

divination (to find raw materials and foresee threats to the tribe). The main reason why kobolds depend on arcane magic rather than divine is Kurtulmak’s imprisonment, which makes it difficult for

Ability Checks

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

creature’s efforts. In a contest, the ability checks are compared to each other, rather than to a target number. When you call for a contest, you pick the ability that each side must use, deciding

crowd, lie to someone convincingly INTELLIGENCE CHECK VS. WISDOM CHECK If you have trouble deciding whether to call for an Intelligence or a Wisdom check to determine whether a character notices

Droaam

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

minotaurs rub shoulders with gnolls and goblins. Gargoyles and wyverns circle in the sky, while harpies call work crews to the quarries with their songs. Under the rule of the enigmatic Daughters of

until medical attention can be obtained. Harpies in the taverns of Droaam use their hypnotic songs to entertain rather than to harm. When you bring creatures from Droaam into the campaign, consider how

Demon Showdown

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

break cover to aid their allies against the demons. If they do, another demon sortie attacks them 1d4 rounds later. OPTION: PLAYING OUT THE BATTLE OPTION Rather than focusing on the adventurers

point you choose must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 bludgeoning damage and falling prone on a failure. 5–6 Close Call. A character you choose must make a successful DC 13 Dexterity

Breaking the Contract

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

Zariel to call forth the contract takes guile, as the archdevil can’t be charmed. Destroying the original copy of Thavius Kreeg’s contract frees Elturel while leaving Zariel’s other contracts intact. The

possesses, the devil Thavius is a coward who would rather grovel than fight. Killing him marks a wretched end to a wretched life. If the characters left Thavius alive in chapter 1, they must find a way

Ez d'Avenir

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

reconnect with Erasmus, now a ghost. She and the spirit renewed their friendship and ultimately discovered paths beyond Rudolph van Richten’s obsession. Rather than let her relationship with the

after a werewolf attack. She hopes that her explorations and her old mentor’s wisdom eventually allow her to create a place that feels safe enough to call home. Ez d’Avenir’s Traits Ideal. “Evil that

Mercion

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Mercion Mercion strikes the balance of a natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her. Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather

on my watch—unless they stand against what I hold dear.” Ideal. “Truth begets art and beauty, while deceit does nothing but tear the fabric of our souls.” Bond. “Evildoers beware! Valor’s Call is

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