both both defending clear rather

Water Weird Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

location, such as a pool or fountain. Invisible while immersed in water, its serpentine shape becomes clear only when it emerges to attack, using its coils to crush any creature other than its summoner and

interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might turn against its summoner. A water weird loses its evil alignment if its waters are cleansed

Vladimir Horngaard

Monsters Curse of Strahd

Strahd's armies time and again as they swept across the land. When it became clear that Strahd couldn't be stopped, the knights of the order led hundreds of refugees to Argynvost's valley, but Strahd

witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir's beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and

Spectral Cloud

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

’s appearance becomes clear: a skeletal cloud giant corpse. Tales suggest cloud giants sometimes seek this fate rather than accept the end of their naturally long lives. In such stories, a

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

veins making it clear that they’ve been touched by death. Other reborn are marvels of magic or science, being stitched together from disparate beings or bearing mysterious minds in manufactured

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

versatility. Many bards prefer to stick to the sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. But bards are capable of defending themselves in melee if

necessary, using their magic to bolster their swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

to begin your career as a mere attendant, you can aspire to become a skilled mage or alchemist, a laboratory supervisor, or even a flamethrower-wielding scorchbringer tasked with defending Izzet

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

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

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

Through the Tunnels

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

Through the Tunnels As the characters travel between Illithinoch and Phandalin, they can clear out any dangerous areas they missed in the “Journey through the Deep” section in chapter 7. Continue to

roll on the Tunnel Encounters table in that chapter, as the route is never truly safe. However, since the characters have already faced several threats, roll every 2 hours of travel rather than every hour.

Questioning Corlie

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hold Back The Dead

—that’s not clear. I’ve had conflicting reports about the horde’s leader, but it’s some kind of ghost or creature made of dark mist.” Who’s Defending the Other Wall Sections? “We have a few soldiers

Flight to Steel Springs

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

outnumbered. Rather than joining the Kalaman forces in their advance, the characters find themselves defending a retreat. The adventure unfolds in one of two ways: With Mass Combat. If you’re using

Music and Magic

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

sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. But bards are capable of defending themselves in melee if necessary, using their magic to bolster their

swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many subjects and a natural aptitude that lets them do

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

laden wagon or after heroically defending it from thieves gain great respect and advance higher in the tribe’s pecking order. All Are Fighters Most of the orcs that stay behind when the

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

invasion and oppression. Although individually they are timid and shy away from conflict, kobolds are dangerous if cornered, vicious when defending their eggs, and notorious for the dangerous

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

Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hold Back The Dead

. Rather than abandon the fortress, the five cities supporting the reconstruction efforts committed to defending Ironspine Keep against Szass Tam’s horde. When the characters arrive for what they expect to

Music and Magic

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

sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. But bards are capable of defending themselves in melee if necessary, using their magic to bolster their

swords and armor. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of many subjects and a natural aptitude that lets them do

Druids' Ritual

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

the tree has been destroyed know enough not to attempt the ritual. Strahd observes the proceedings, defending the druids if they are attacked and retreating if outmatched. Development If the characters

might not understand what the druids are up to, they will no doubt wonder where the druids are sending the tree blight. As Wintersplinter travels north, its destination should become clear to characters

Kenku Adventurers

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

you’re playing a 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 about your character’s intentions unless you’re deliberately aiming for inscrutable or mysterious. You might say, “Snapper makes the noise of a hammer slowly and rhythmically

Sigil at a Glance

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

behind observers, as if they stood in a bowl or valley, stretching upward and disappearing into an industrial haze. On a clear day, a creature that looks upward sees the other side of the city

edge are ever heard from again. Those who pass over the edge don’t end up in the Outlands; rather, they are flung to random corners of the planes.

Special NPCs

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

Special NPCs In this chapter, each player runs not only a player character but also an NPC who has ties to the settlement that the characters are defending. Once you’ve determined where the adventure

encourage players to roleplay these traits accurately, players can portray the NPCs as they choose. Rather than have each player roll initiative for a special NPC, assume that the NPC acts on the same

Province Scale

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

travel in any direction from the center of the map, assuming clear terrain. As such, province scale is a useful scale for mapping a campaign’s starting area (see “Creating a Campaign,” later in this

chapter) or any location where you expect to track the adventurers’ movement in hours rather than days. The ground cover of an area this size will include broad stretches of one predominant terrain type

The Forgotten Realms

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

in the service of gods wield mace and spell, defending against the terrifying powers that threaten the land. Wizards plunder the ruins of the fallen Netherese empire, delving into secrets too

. Good maps and clear trails can take even an inexperienced youth with dreams of glory far across the world, but these paths are never safe. Travelers in the Realms face fell magic and deadly monsters

The Attack

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

recover and regroup. Encourage tactical thinking. If one of the sides of the battle consists of savage monsters or mindless undead, give clues that they attack the nearest enemy rather than thinking

. Three-sided battles can sometimes take longer because of the number of combatants participating. Use your discretion as the DM to have the excitement of the battle build up rather than fizzle out

Dragons

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

avoid contact with those they see as lesser creatures. They are obsessed with the Draconic Prophecy, which is a map of possible futures rather than a clear-cut prediction. Its paths are revealed in

Darklake District

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

with drow, svirfneblin, orcs, and others — pay little attention to the characters unless they are looking to do business. Guards posted at the gates make it clear to the characters that non-duergar are

restricted to the Darklake District, and the characters have better luck asking other outsiders for directions rather than trying to engage the duergar locals. They are directed to the Blade Bazaar if

Across the Fungal Fields

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

rise up and attack the characters. Created by Araumycos to perfectly duplicate the abilities, traits, and actions of otyughs, these creatures are plants rather than aberrations. They attack until slain

defeated. The creature bursts like an overfull wineskin, releasing a clear ichor and a cloud of dusty spores. The deflating bulk of its body sinks back beneath the shimmering fungal field where you

Shadow of Soth

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

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

can retreat safely, telling the characters she has a few tricks in store for their pursuers. Make it clear the characters don’t need to rush their exploration of the city to return to their allies.

Perception

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

Passive Perception. Sometimes, asking players to make Wisdom (Perception) checks for their characters tips them off that there’s something they should be searching for, giving them a clue you’d rather

opening the desk drawer, suggesting the presence of a hidden compartment in the back or bottom of the drawer) or obvious (clear footprints lead across the room to a blank wall that is actually a

Siege Weapon Sabotage

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hold Back The Dead

. It’s immediately clear that they are destroying the siege weapon rather than taking it apart, which should alert the characters that something is wrong. Once the siege weapon is destroyed, or if the

Daring Dancer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

keeps their distance only if threatened or rebuffed in extremely clear terms. Ollin Ollin is a chaotic good tiefling. They use the priest stat block but have Performance +3 rather than Persuasion, and

What's Going On?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

to Nidalia, even though she has been dead for months. Rather than corrupting and tormenting others, Nidalia preferred to collect books and scrolls. Though she was peaceful and compassionate, she was

working on a way to resurrect Nidalia. It soon became clear that wouldn’t be a simple task. After all, the resurrection spell requires both a diamond worth at least 1,000 gp and the services of a

Mirabar

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

, since no one in Mirabar wishes to see the surface city wiped out. It would simply be bad for business. Mirabar spares no expense in defending its wealth, and hires as many mages and adventurers as

necessary to clear threats away from roads, investigate sabotage, and otherwise protect its vital trade. With the rise of Mithral Hall in the last century, and now Gauntlgrym, Mirabar fears its place as the

The Skull Dunes

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

across sides and not on a diagonal path. Pirates’ Path. Before they start moving, the characters can attempt to find the clear path. The party must select one character to lead the way. That character

that square). The characters continue to move, one square at a time, awakening skeletons and defending themselves until they navigate their way across the dunes to safety, or slay twenty or more

Iroas as Campaign Villain

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

) to blunt Iroas’s anger, or even battle Iroas with the support of other gods. Iroas’s Divine Schemes Iroas isn’t much of a schemer. His view of the world is through the crystal-clear lens of battle

, forms a group in support of Mogis. Iroas, rather than accepting Heliod’s aid, launches a grand campaign of his own against his brother. 3 Mogis arms one of his champions with an axe capable of

Creating a Blue Dragon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

fortune that I can’t stop laughing or chuckling. 7 I would rather destroy my lair and lose my hoard than allow anyone to steal from me. 8 I am sometimes secretly impressed by what other

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

Targets

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

more subtle effect, such as an attempt to read a creature's thoughts, typically goes unnoticed, unless a spell says otherwise. A Clear Path to the Target To target something, you must have a clear path

such as detect magic or identify, they glimpse the Weave. A spell such as dispel magic smooths the Weave. Spells such as antimagic field rearrange the Weave so that magic flows around, rather than

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