both build descend copies rather

Shifter

Species Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

Shifters—sometimes called “weretouched”—descend from people who contracted full or partial lycanthropy. Humanoids with a bestial aspect, shifters can’t change shape

fully, but they can enhance their animalistic features temporarily in a process they call “shifting.” Shifters resemble humans in height and build but are typically more lithe and flexible

Githzerai Uniter

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

), telekinesisGithzerai uniters espouse wisdom and unity rather than violence. Many uniters are members of the Sha’sal Khou, a group of githyanki and githzerai who band together to reunify the gith

people. Capable martial artists, uniters are more inclined to disarm and subdue their opponents than destroy them. Githzerai Githzerai descend from an ancient people who were also the progenitors

Water Genasi

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Water genasi descend from marids, aquatic genies from the Elemental Plane of Water. Water genasi are perfectly suited to life underwater and carry the power of the waves inside themselves. Their

determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those

Pidlwick II

Monsters Curse of Strahd

return the courtesy, the duchess commissioned the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg to build a clockwork effigy of Pidlwick as a gift for Strahd's family. Although the duchess's heart was in the right

, instead assuming that the guests had died in their sleep. But Strahd was not fooled. He came to realize fairly quickly that the clockwork effigy had begun to display a murderous nature. Rather than have

Young Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

… oh my goodness, is that circlet made of silver? 7 I find the waking world tedious and mundane and would much rather spend my time asleep, in the realm of dreams. 8 I find the

1 A young moonstone dragon on the cusp of adulthood refuses to settle down and build a lair. To protect the local populace from the dragon’s chaotic activities, a minor deity sends a deva

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty

build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering. Kind and

communities are threatened. Pastoral Pleasantries Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They rarely build kingdoms of their own or even hold much

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

. QUICK BUILD You can make a rogue quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score. Make Intelligence your next-highest if you want to excel at

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

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

, making a bargain for a musical gift in addition to your life and freedom, but at what cost? QUICK BUILD You can make a bard quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive

their patrons in dreams or waking visions, or deal only with intermediaries. QUICK BUILD You can make a warlock quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

degradation or shifts in meaning. Human messengers might switch words or phrases and garble a message inadvertently, but the kenku produce perfect copies of whatever they hear. Kenku Adventurers Kenku

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

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature

? Perhaps your homeland was befouled by evil, and you took up an adventuring life in hopes of finding a new home or purpose. QUICK BUILD You can make a druid quickly by following these suggestions

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

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

it was sabotage that destroyed my first laboratory and killed many of my friends, and I seek revenge against whoever did it. 4 I have the schematics for an invention that I hope to build one day

The Attack

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

. 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

run this encounter. As the characters load the wagons, storm clouds descend and block the sun. Argus Skeel (male vampire spawn) and two ghouls, plus one ghoul per character, including sidekicks

Chapter 14: The Labyrinth

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

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

leave a vast, yawning chasm. Some of these rifts run to depths of a few hundred feet. Others ascend and descend for miles. Many of the rifts show their age by the presence of carved switchback

Shifter

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

Shifter John Thack Shifters—sometimes called “weretouched”—descend from people who contracted full or partial lycanthropy. Humanoids with a bestial aspect, shifters can’t change shape fully, but

they can enhance their animalistic features temporarily in a process they call “shifting.” Shifters resemble humans in height and build but are typically more lithe and flexible. Their facial features

Chapter 3: Balance

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

. You can ensure certain outcomes by stacking the deck with cards placed in a specific order. If you have duplicates of your cards, you can use multiple copies to make a given card more likely to be

Chaturvedi, Yongjae Choi, Vallez Gax, Alessandra Pisano, Francesca Resta, Olena Richards, Ivan Shavrin You can use Magic: The Gathering cards to build idea decks for creatures, items, people, or

Origin of the Ordning

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

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

different kinds might not recognize each other as kindred at all. All these giants build a range of social structures in the same manifold ways other peoples do, without regard to an overarching ordning.

Mire of Doubt

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

. The spirit naga Valsyx lurks here, composing abstruse riddles unless the characters encountered him elsewhere. He knows confusion rather than blight. Valsyx is at home in the mire and isn’t slowed

precision. She knows major image rather than water breathing. Charnyz is at home in the mire and isn’t slowed by its difficult terrain. Charnyz’s Ruse. If approached in her lair, Charnyz offers an

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

sewer tunnels, paying them with food and tools the kobolds wouldn’t have access to on their own. If they are treated well and left alone to do the job, the kobolds work industriously and build a

, they might build a warren and make a permanent home there, while continuing to expand the town’s sewers as the community grows. These so-called “city kobolds” live underground but

Droaam

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

Droaam are learning to work together and finding ways to use their supernatural gifts to help build and sustain society. A medusa might use its petrifying gaze to preserve the life of an injured ally

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

Life in the Sensa Empire

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

and craftspeople to build social and professional connections, better their craft, and organize for improved labor conditions. Each city-state has its own chapter of the guild that pushes back when

. Historically, rather than a single imperial line controlling the throne, each empress or emperor selects an heir from among the eldest children of each city-state’s monarch. While no law prevents rulers

Oyaviggaton

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

into the ice, making for an easy climb to the top of the plateau. Captain Lerustah would like to keep his crew members aboard Frostskimmr rather than marching them up to the plateau. He’s not at all

, Uluik), one of the crew members speaks enough Uluik to get by. The translator will accompany the characters onto the iceberg if he’s paid a bonus of at least 50 gp, but he returns to the ship as soon as the characters descend into the ice caves.

Oyaviggaton

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

the ice, making for an easy climb to the top of the plateau. Captain Lerustah would like to keep his crew members aboard Frostskimmr rather than marching them up to the plateau. He’s not at all

), one of the crew members speaks enough Uluik to get by. The translator will accompany the characters onto the iceberg if he’s paid a bonus of at least 50 gp, but he returns to the ship as soon as the characters descend into the ice caves.

Mogis's Villains

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

Mogis’s Villains Unquestionably, Mogis makes an excellent villain. His lust for bloodshed and willingness to fight all comers makes him easy to build a campaign around if you want a straightforward

associated with vicious monsters bent on wholesale destruction. He isn’t at all concerned with subtlety, but rather with creating mayhem. Adventures that bring characters into conflict with agents of

Fire Snake

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

emerges as a fire snake. A fire snake matures into a salamander adult within a year. Enslaved by the Efreet. Long ago, the efreet hired azer to build the fabled City of Brass, but then failed in

salamanders dedicated to the cults of Elemental Evil, they slay them rather than enslaving them. Domineering Nobles. Although salamanders follow the destructive impulses of their fiery nature

NPC Stat Blocks

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

can build the NPC as you would a player character, as discussed in the Player’s Handbook. If you decide to build an NPC the same way you build a player character, you can skip choosing a background and

affect a monster’s challenge rating are listed in the Monster Features table. The NPC’s proficiency bonus is determined by its level, just like a character, rather than by its challenge rating. If the

Topaz Dragon Lairs

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

being able to see the water, so they build their lairs on the heights of seaside cliffs or near perfect sunbathing beaches where they can best accomplish this. Their preference for lair sites

. Her desire is born not of greed, though, but rather from her study of the Material Plane, its magic, and dragons’ interconnection with both. Dragons on many worlds acknowledge Astilabor as they establish new lairs to host their hoards, linking them to the magic of the surrounding region.

Cavalier

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

have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount. If you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, you can land on your feet if you’re not incapacitated. Finally

, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. Unwavering Mark Starting at 3rd level, you can menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata

The Role of Rules Why even have Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules are meant to

direction we took for fifth edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we celebrate the DM as the bridge between the things the rules address and the things they don’t. In a

Types of Hags

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

, and most are stout or have a medium build rather than being thin or emaciated. Night hags enjoy corrupting the dreams of good people, compromising the ideals of their victims to get them to

The Xanathar Guild

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

series of such creatures. Like its predecessors, the beholder uses “the Xanathar” as a title rather than its personal name (which is Zushaxx). The guild has been in operation for nearly two hundred years

objectives is to get an agent into the place that can start sending copies of that information back to the Xanathar for review. The Xanathar’s ultimate goal is to control the entire region under

Encounters in the Crypt

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

feet tall and hewn from solid rock. C1. Sealed Gates When the characters descend into the catacombs, read: A pair of basalt doors block the passage ahead, their surfaces engraved with a relief of a

and transformed into fiends. One of Zariel’s generals, Olanthius, killed himself rather than embrace tyranny. Zariel raised him as a death knight to ensure his loyalty. The knights’ souls are cursed

Centaur

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

basic physiology, the centaur bands are commonly associated with their own distinct traits. Lagonna band centaurs tend to be sleek and muscular, with powerful legs built for endurance rather than

strike out on their own. These renegades often feel like outsiders in their own band. They might be pacifists, wishing to learn about other people rather than fighting them. Or they might feel a

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

The Role of Rules Why even have a column like Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules

D&D. The direction we chose for the current edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we embraced the DM’s role as the bridge between the things the rules address and the

D&D Beyond

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