both being directly counting rather

Cultist of Bhaal

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

. Cultists of Bhaal sometimes form cabals of assassins or mercenaries, but they perform their brutal slaughter for the perverse love of bloodshed and honor to their sinister god rather than for

follow their paths of tyranny, murder, and necromancy. More than any other gods, the Dead Three directly influence Faerûn—and particularly the city of Baldur’s Gate—in malign

Kalashtar

Species Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

directly with their quori spirits. Rather, kalashtar might experience them as a source of instinct and inspiration, drawing on the spirits’ memories when the kalashtar sleep. This connection grants

Kelubar Demodand

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

farastu minions—rather than fight directly. Demodands Demodands, also called gehreleths, are Fiends from the Tarterian Depths of Carceri. Cast into the prison plane long ago for forgotten

Ivana's Whisper (Inhaled)

Equipment

spell created by Ivana the next time they sleep. This poison is nonmagical, and Ivana doesn’t directly communicate with those affected during the dream. Rather, she creates the illusion of

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

You are the heir to something of great value — not mere coin or wealth, but an object that has been entrusted to you and you alone. Your inheritance might have come directly to you from a

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

Courtier

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

In your earlier days, you were a personage of some significance in a noble court or a bureaucratic organization. You might or might not come from an upper-class family; your talents, rather than the

, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a courtier. The noble court or bureaucratic organization where you got your start is directly or indirectly associated with your bond

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

individual skill. They have a compulsion to keep score, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their

away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in

Kalashtar Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

in a variety of ways. Kalashtar have symmetrical, slightly angular features, and their eyes often glow when they are focused or expressing strong emotions. Kalashtar can’t directly communicate

with their quori spirits. Rather, they might experience this relationship as a sense of instinct and inspiration, drawing on the memories of the spirit when they dream. This connection grants kalashtar

Faction Agent

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp Factions of the Sword Coast The lack of large, centralized governments in the North and along the Sword Coast is likely directly responsible for the

knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often proficient in Investigation, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Harpers, sympathetic bards and

Ancient Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

rather enjoy the company of people—as long as they remain unaware of my true nature. Deep Dragon Ideals d6;{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Ideal"} Ideal

of my power. (Evil) 6 Patience. All creatures might teach me something, and I’m willing to wait and find out what that might be rather than acting in haste. (Good) Deep Dragon

Customizing the Puzzle

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

overcome their own assumptions. An easier version of this puzzle might involve counting the letters in any type of word the guard provides and responding with that number. Alternatively, the response

to the guard’s number might be any word with the same number of letters as that number—for example, “five” has four letters, making “duck” or “smog” suitable responses. The more your puzzle plays with numbers as words rather than digits, the more challenging it’s likely to be.

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

of the world beyond their home. Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s

mull over the stories and rumors they collected like a miser counting coins. Although material wealth holds little attraction for the tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to find and inspect ancient

Barterers of Lore

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

Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s not intrinsically interesting. In the

miser counting coins. Although material wealth holds little attraction for the tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to find and inspect ancient relics, magical items, and other rare objects. Aside

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

retaliation usually prevents them from trying to directly harm the gnomes, but they might spit in the milk, balance dishes on tables so they’re easily knocked over and broken, or scatter sewing

Journey to the Nether Mountains

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

there on her back in only two days. However, this offer is extended only if the adventurers leave directly from the council, rather than first pursuing any other business. The journey takes the

Journey to the Nether Mountains

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

there on her back in only two days. However, this offer is extended only if the adventurers leave directly from the council, rather than first pursuing any other business. The journey takes the

Creature Size

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

miniatures or other tokens, follow these rules. Squares. Each square on the grid represents 5 feet. Speed. Rather than moving foot by foot, move square by square on the grid. This means you use your speed

between two things—whether creatures or objects—start counting squares from a square adjacent to one of them and stop counting in the space of the other one. Count by the shortest route.

Rakdos Lampooner

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

guilds that have seized an outsized measure of power, those who need to be taken down a peg, rather than piling further humiliation onto those who are already struggling. They use masks, marionettes

, or effigies to caricature public figures, or sometimes play pranks on those individuals directly in the streets. Rakdos Lampooner Medium humanoid (any race), chaotic evil Armor Class 12 (leather

Ivana's Intrigues

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

. This poison is nonmagical, and Ivana doesn’t directly communicate with those affected during the dream. Rather, she creates the illusion of speaking with her intended target by alchemically crafting

Kalashtar

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

can’t communicate directly with their quori spirits. Rather, kalashtar might experience them as a source of instinct and inspiration, drawing on the spirits’ memories when the kalashtar sleep. This

Astral Projection

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

of his or her helpless physical body on the Material Plane) can result in the character’s true death. Thus, high-level characters sometimes travel to the Outer Planes by way of astral projection rather

githyanki also have this ability. A character who travels bodily to the Astral Plane (by means of the plane shift spell or one of the rare portals that leads directly there) has no silver cord.

Bound to Spirits

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

affects them in a variety of ways. Kalashtar have symmetrical, slightly angular features, and their eyes often glow when they are focused or expressing strong emotions. Kalashtar can’t directly

communicate with their quori spirits. Rather, they might experience this relationship as a sense of instinct and inspiration, drawing on the memories of the spirit when they dream. This connection grants

Describing Horror

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

Describing Horror The horrors populating your adventures can take endless forms, whether they be foes, impending events, or magical forces. Rather than just naming what the terrible thing is, inspire

gaps that inspire horrific implications. Fixate on a specific trait, like only describing a vampire’s eyes as it attacks. Alternatively, directly ask players to fill in details. Ask questions like

Moving Around Other Creatures

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

GRID If you play out a combat using a square grid and miniatures or other tokens, follow these rules. Squares. Each square on the grid represents 5 feet. Speed. Rather than moving foot by foot

that fills its space. Ranges. To determine the range on a grid between two things—whether creatures or objects—start counting squares from a square adjacent to one of them and stop counting in the space of the other one. Count by the shortest route.

Targets

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

, permeating every bit of matter and present in every manifestation of energy throughout the multiverse. Mortals can’t directly shape this raw magic. Instead, they make use of a fabric of magic, a

an understanding—learned or intuitive—of the workings of the Weave. The caster plucks directly at the strands of the Weave to create the desired effect. Eldritch knights and arcane tricksters also

Ability Checks

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

. Contests A contest is a kind of ability check that matches two creatures against each other. Use a contest if a character attempts something that either directly foils or is directly opposed by another

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

Membership

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

, the angel chose to establish the Solar Bastion rather than return to his god’s service. A powerful and immortal Celestial, Hilarion sees no reason for additional tiers of leadership in the organization

. All members of the Solar Bastion report directly to him, and the knights are largely self-directed in choosing missions. Hilarion and the rest of the organization represent a pool of resources

Studies and Philosophy

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

philosophy of Witherbloom. The decay philosophy sees life energy as a resource to be consumed, rather than a good to be nourished for its own sake. Mages who adopt this view wield negative energy and

Growth 4 Boughcaller, summoning creatures from bogs Growth 5 Dreadbones, infusing dead tissue with magic to create Undead servants Decay 6 Earthcroucher, connecting directly with the land to power

Rival Explorers

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

research grant or an academic award. Or they might be conspicuously spending ill-gotten wealth, boasting of their accomplishments, or directly taunting the characters. (A rival group at these levels might

characters solve this problem by breaking the curse rather than killing the rivals, but either way, these foils no longer trouble the characters after they resolve this situation. (A rival group at these levels might consist of an Archmage, an Archpriest, a Spy Master, and a Warrior Commander.)

Able Scavengers

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

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 where the townsfolk would try to

hatred of gnomes, city kobolds often go out of their way to target gnomes’ houses and shops. Even in such cases, the kobolds’ fear of retaliation usually prevents them from trying to directly harm

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

area is at risk. If orcs come upon a target that is too large to assault directly, they will lurk along supply routes, taking out their frustration on caravans and travelers. Left unchecked, a tribe can

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

19. Obo'laka's Shrine

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

from this side, though three knock spells will do the trick. 19C. Sun Pool A glorious sun is carved on the ceiling, directly above a pool of still water. The ceiling reflected in the pool doesn’t show a

sun carving, but rather a moon carving. The pool is a magic portal that connects to the pool in area 19D. Characters who immerse themselves in the pool surface in area 19D. 19D. Moon Pool If the

Roleplaying Bel

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

says, “A pity. All those poor people in Elturel were counting on you.” He then offers to teleport them out of his fortress, so they can be on their way. Gracious host that Bel is, he won’t attack the

characters directly unless they attack him first, in which case he casts imprisonment on a party member (Lulu being his first choice). If the spell works, Bel vows to release his prisoner once the nine

Creating a Rival

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

the others might be neutral or good; conflicts with those rivals might be social or political, rather than manifesting as direct attacks. The best rivals have a connection with their adversaries on a

characters stand in the way, and how the conflict could be resolved. Ideally, a rival’s goal directly involves the characters or something they care about. Assets. Think about the resources the rival can

4. Bats and Prisoners

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

goblins and ogres, and they are trying to remain as quiet as possible for reasons that might not be readily apparent to the characters. Directly below this cavern is another similarly sized cavern

), the owner and proprietor of the Nightstone Inn, speaks on behalf of the villagers. Morak is an optimist, and he’s counting on Lady Velrosa Nandar coming to the rescue. When he lays eyes on the

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