build bad diffusing conceal reason

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

Ideal. “I wish I could make people happy.” Bond. “I would like to find someone—anyone—who isn't afraid of me and who enjoys my company.” Flaw. “When I'm upset, I do bad things.”Poison

Kasimir Velikov

Monsters Curse of Strahd

for instigating the stoning. He wears a cowl to conceal his mutilation. Kasimir's feeling of loss is tinged with simmering rage. Patrina now speaks to her brother in dreams, telling him how years of

led her down a path of evil and deceit. For that reason, Kasimir wants to see the vampire destroyed so that his sister can be rescued from her eternal damnation. Secrets of the Amber Temple. Patrina

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

journals or hidden away in someone’s mind. Even you might not be aware of all the reasons behind the missions you carry out. Sometimes a mission’s sole purpose is to conceal the

guildless masses of the city. Consider why you’re embedded in the secondary guild. Create a story with your DM, inspired by rolling on the following table or choosing a reason that suits you

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe, and how they see the

a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and insults are my

Changeling Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

with people around them. Does the character conceal their true changeling nature? Do they embrace it? Do they have connections to other changelings or are they alone and in search of companions

specific purpose and then might never be used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona with a history and beliefs. This

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

;t a native, your reason for leaving “home” probably has something to do with getting away from a bad situation. Feature: All Eyes on You Your accent, mannerisms, figures of

provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location. d6 Reason d6 Reason 1 Emissary 4 Pilgrim

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

. Suggested Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe

want. 4 I’m a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

a frivolous lark. You’ve maintained a solitary vigil outside the cavern entrance ever since. 2 You crossed the Guild in a bad way. Fortunately, its members think you’re dead. Less

past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society. Work with your DM to

Dragonmarked Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

Dragonmarked Characters Here are examples of characters with the Mark of Warding. Artificer House Agent. Some people want to build a better mousetrap. Better isn’t enough for you — you want to build

. Criminal Rogue. It’s not that you’re a bad person. You’ve just never met a lock you didn’t want to open. It’s like they speak to you, whispering “Free me! Free me!” You’re not even in it for the gold

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

prefer simple, non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. If a tortle doesn’t like its name for whatever reason, it can change it. A tortle might change its name a dozen

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

changes in the prevailing winds that they regarded as a bad omen. Unlike the aarakocra of other worlds on the Material Plane, the aarakocra of the Realms rarely travel to the Elemental Plane of Air

. Great Purpose Aarakocra enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples and less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it takes 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

Hobgoblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

to keep the knowledge fresh for new generations. When hobgoblins aren’t waging war, they farm, they build, and they practice both martial and arcane arts. These trappings of civil society do

little to conceal an underlying brutality that hobgoblins practice on each other and perfect upon other races. Punishment for infractions of hobgoblin law are swift and merciless. Beauty is something

Wearing and Wielding Items

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

magic item that's meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they magically adjust themselves to the wearer. Rare

exceptions exist. If the story suggests a good reason for an item to fit only creatures of a certain size or shape, you can rule that it doesn't adjust. For example, drow-made armor might fit elves only

Adversary

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

deal with than the average member of the city watch. If your character’s backstory doesn’t already include a personage of this sort, you could work with your DM to come up with a reason why an

1 The pirate captain on whose ship you once served; what you call moving on, the captain calls mutiny 2 A master spy to whom you unwittingly fed bad information, which led to the assassination of

Horror in Your Game

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

how to bring it to life through your adventures. Creating Atmosphere. Threatening traps and monsters alone don’t create exciting D&D adventures. This book provides techniques to help you build

attention for both of us. We’ve found no trace of Vhorishkova since arriving, but I feel her watching. It’s like she’s everywhere. It’s bad here, Uncle. Not snake-headed hogs bad. Like, full Delmunster

The Darklake

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

The Darklake To move their expeditionary force across the Darklake, the characters must build rafts or coracles from Underdark materials, or seek out duergar or kuo-toa ferries for hire. Each ferry

chapter 1) was not killed in a previous chapter of the adventure, the characters find him among Sloobludop’s survivors. He is the sole point of calm and reason in the ruined settlement, and the various

The Dark Powers

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

villains to add to their terrifying menagerie. To what end, no one knows. The Dark Powers don’t move in the shadows of Ravenloft; they are the shadows. They’re the Mists and the darkness. They’re the reason

. These diminished vestiges manipulate their realm to create negative forces that sustain their essence and build toward renewed apotheosis. Rudolph, I write you in the throes of a most perplexing

Ephara's Influence

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

build a city. Ephara and Nylea are almost polar opposites, and there is no shortage of bad blood between the god of the cities and the god of the hunt. Nylea resents the construction of every

those who build new cities and those who free others from tyranny. Ephara knows that not all threats to a city come from outside it, and she encourages her followers to watch out for tyranny and

Dock Ward

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

some respects this area has never truly deserved its bad reputation. Yes, aside from the Field Ward, this is the area where most of Waterdeep’s poor reside. Yes, it is home to some of the least

often have no sign at all. You either know where you are going and have reason to be there — or you are lost, and a likely mark for pickpockets or worse. Streetlamps don’t fare well in the Dock Ward

Story Overview

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

, a rival goblin gang that often deals in illicit arms. Rumors swirled that Krenko killed Dargig, the youngest of the three brothers, after a weapons drop went bad. The remaining two brothers, Rikkig

Krenko’s freedom, and are desperate to make him pay. GUILDLESS VILLAINS Not every villain in a Ravnica campaign is a member of a guild, and not every scheme originates in the guildhalls. As you build

Survival Skills

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

itself to give its fellows time to collapse a nearby tunnel and prevent invaders from getting to the rest of the tribe. All kobolds know that fleeing from danger, especially against bad odds, is the smart

sacrifice when it presents itself. This practice contributes to the reason why most common folk (and adventurers) think kobolds are stupid as well as weak; they’ve seen or heard of a lone kobold trying to

The Stone Bridge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

. “Not a bad place to die,” the mage says with mild amusement. The doppelganger posing as Gargosh doesn’t take part in the fight, remaining on the fringes of the battle and rooting for the characters to

to make haste and catch up with him!” Characters who have reason to suspect Gargosh might be lying or holding back information can make a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check. A character who succeeds on

Personal Impact

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

fight in the war, how and why did they remain on the sidelines? Did they oppose the war? Did they do something to avoid conscription, or was there a reason they were considered unsuitable for service

of Cyre, or do they have other ideas for the nation’s future? For example, when an Aundairan player character meets a group of Eldeen druids, it’s an opportunity to exploit the bad blood between

Gambler

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

Gambler All you need to make a lot of gold is a little gold. Except at those times when all you need to have no gold at all is a little gold. Whether you’re a good gambler or a bad one rarely matters

be repaid. 2 I’m loyal to the friend or family member who taught me how to gamble. 3 The person who saved me from my gambling addiction is the only reason I’m alive today. 4 A patron

Wearing and Wielding Items

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

cases, a magic item that’s meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they magically adjust themselves to the wearer. Rare

exceptions exist. If the story suggests a good reason for an item to fit only creatures of a certain size or shape, you can rule that it doesn’t adjust. For example, armor made by the drow might fit

One for All: The Stronghold

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

at the touch of a child when they are unlocked. While some other races erect statues or build special structures to honor their heroes or commemorate momentous events, the dwarves live and work within

of art makes any stronghold a prime target for thieves and raiders. For that reason, the entrance to a stronghold doesn’t broadcast its presence by being a stellar example of dwarven stonework. The

Kasimir Velikov

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

instigating the stoning. He wears a cowl to conceal his mutilation. Kasimir’s feeling of loss is tinged with simmering rage. Patrina now speaks to her brother in dreams, telling him how years of guilt and

down a path of evil and deceit. For that reason, Kasimir wants to see the vampire destroyed so that his sister can be rescued from her eternal damnation. Secrets of the Amber Temple. Patrina has told

Copper Dragon Lairs

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

Copper Dragon Lairs Copper dragons prefer dry uplands, hilltops, or mountainous foothills, where they build their lairs in caves, crags, or tunnels. Although sometimes natural, the passages and

walls in the lair can conceal cunning hidden passages or might be stone or clay thin enough for the dragon to burst through them. The narrowest tunnels in a copper dragon’s lair are just barely wide

Approaching the Prison

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

guard room (area R3). These guards insist on confiscating the characters’ weapons. In addition, one guard searches each character for concealed weapons. A character can conceal a dagger or similarly

the characters fail to provide a satisfactory reason for their visit, the warden sees that their weapons and animals are returned to them before throwing them out. Legitimate reasons for coming to

Old Tower: Summer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

any reason other than to break into the Vault of Dragons. Esvele is willing to bring them on as business partners, allowing them access to the vault (preferably when there aren’t guild

looking after herself. However this business with the party unfolds, she tries to conceal her secret identity from the characters for as long as possible. Esvele doesn’t use a key to lock and unlock

Ability Checks

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

Constitution Stamina and health Endure a marathon, grasp hot metal without flinching, win a drinking contest Intelligence Memory and reason Recall a bit of lore, recognize a clue’s significance

something, think of it in terms of what a very high or low score in those two abilities might mean. A character with a high Wisdom but low Intelligence is aware of the surroundings but is bad at

Adventure Structure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

goal is to prevent the gold from falling into the hands of the bad guys. If all goes well, some of the gold will find its way into the characters’ pockets. Characters will have a hard time claiming it

all for themselves, however. Chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8 describe the lairs of the story’s villains and can be used at any time, in any order, or not at all. The characters might have reason to visit one

Approaching the Prison

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Prisoner 13

conceal a dagger or similarly sized weapon from a guard’s notice with a successful DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. If the characters have sled dogs or pack animals, a guard grants the party

provide a satisfactory reason for their visit and subterfuge. The warden only accepts the characters’ presence if they are seeking shelter. In that case, she grants them temporary accommodations (in

Approaching the Prison

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

conceal a dagger or similarly sized weapon from a guard’s notice with a successful DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. If the characters have sled dogs or pack animals, a guard grants the party

provide a satisfactory reason for their visit and subterfuge. The warden only accepts the characters’ presence if they are seeking shelter. In that case, she grants them temporary accommodations (in

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