brings build down compound rather

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

dozen) in a fortified compound enclosed by stone walls that are easily defensible. If no such compound exists, they build one. The parents spend the remainder of their lives guarding the compound

, defending their offspring, and sharing a lifetime of knowledge before they die. When the children are old enough to leave the compound, they pick up whatever weapons and tools their parents left behind and

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

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

Memories table to inspire its details. Lost Memories d6 Memory 1 You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to? 2 A memory brings

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

Kalashtar Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

-Lashtavar. —Lakashtai, servant of the light The kalashtar are a compound race created from the union of humanity and renegade spirits from the plane of dreams — spirits called quori

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

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

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

sun and have no desire to get wet, beyond enjoying a bit of sea spray in the air. But they love 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 frequently brings topaz dragons into conflict with other creatures, since they resent having to share their

Life of a Tortle

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

by stone walls that are easily defensible. If no such compound exists, they build one. The parents spend the remainder of their lives guarding the compound, defending their offspring, and sharing a

skills. When a tortle nears the end of its natural lifespan, it seeks out a mate and procreates. Tortles lay their eggs (numbering as few as one or as many as a dozen) in a fortified compound enclosed

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

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

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

swallow a stone. A tribute of elf ears brings favor from Gruumsh. If you bury five stones at dawn before a long journey, you will always find your way back to the war hearth. Stomping your foot three

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying. Driven Competitors Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A

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

New Downtime Activity: Establish an Outpost

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

build, assuming its location is clear of creatures and hazards. Multiple characters can combine their efforts to reduce the completion time. Each Underdark outpost is basically a fortified encampment

. It can take one of the following forms: A small cave, roughly 20 feet square, with one or more gated or barricaded exits A walled compound, up to 20 feet square, within a much larger cavern A island with boats or rafts A hard-to-reach ledge, pinnacle, or promontory accessed by ladders and/or ropes

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

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

Faded Memories

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

. 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, silent stretches. Occasionally, though, in a moment of

Memory 1 You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to? 2 A memory brings tears to your eyes. Is it a bitter or cheerful memory? Does recalling

Lizardfolk Names

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

Common words. Lizardfolk use active verbs to describe the world. A lizardfolk in cold weather might say, “This wind brings cold” rather than “I feel cold.” Lizardfolk tend to define things in terms of actions, rather than effects.

How to Use These Rules

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

How to Use These Rules The best thing about being a DM is that you get to invent your own fantasy world and bring it to life, and nothing brings a D&D world to life more than the creatures that

the Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, which demonstrates how to take a bunch of monsters and build an exciting adventure around them.

Character and Party Creation

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

character’s bond is, “I’m trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor.” If that’s the character’s bond, you should work with the player to decide who that generous benefactor is and build

relevant story lines into the larger campaign. Party Formation During session zero, your role is to let the players build the characters they want and to help them come up with explanations for how their

Being Your Own Patron

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

to worry about; when you run your own mercenary company, for example, you need to stock your own armory rather than drawing on an existing organization’s stockpile. The organization brings in income

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

frequently brings topaz dragons into conflict with other creatures, since they resent having to share their chosen scenic locations with anything that isn’t food. They often abandon lairs to seek new vistas

Bronze Dragon Treasures

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

weapons, armor, and magic items built for the battlefield—the more unique, the better. Stories matter to a bronze dragon, who would rather have the humble spear that felled a tyrant than a jeweled

compound eyes 10 An elaborate clockwork zoetrope that, when activated, displays a moving picture of a bronze dragon fighting a red dragon over a burning city

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

thrives on creating despair and tragedy in the lives of her victims, using her skill with illusion magic to help in this goal. Destroying the hopes of others brings her unbridled joy. Night hags have

Ancient Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, beyond enjoying a bit of sea spray in the air. But they love 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 frequently brings topaz dragons into conflict with other creatures, since they resent having to share their chosen scenic locations with anything

Communication and Disposition

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

in cold weather might say, “This wind brings cold” rather than “I feel cold.” Lizardfolk tend to express concepts in terms of actions, rather than effects. Parley and Surrender The lizardfolk are

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

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.

Suggested Characteristics

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

d8 Personality Trait 1 I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me. 2 I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. 3 I spend money freely and live

life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. 4 I live for the thrill of the hunt. 5 I don’t talk about the thing that torments me. I’d rather not burden others with my curse. 6 I expect

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

Membership

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

is relevant. Characters who prove themselves competent and good-hearted might earn an invitation to become knights themselves. If the characters express interest, the knight brings them to the Solar

, 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

Goldenfields Locations

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

of all three shifts, and any attack on the gates brings the full force of the gatehouse staff to bear. Merchants and other visitors who come seeking food are rarely turned away, but their wagons and

top of the parapet down to the compound. A set of locked, ironbound wooden doors at ground level provide access to storerooms and cellars located underneath each watch post. Picking a door lock requires

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

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group Religious orders attract people from all walks of life. It can be fun to play against type—to make a devout character with the criminal or charlatan background, for example

this character’s divine connection. The Prophet is often a cleric or druid, but could also be an NPC with no real adventuring skills, who needs the group’s protection. Scholar. The Scholar brings

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