build before defend carve rather

Young Kruthik

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

feed primarily on offal and one another. Within a month, the survivors become young kruthiks large enough to hunt and defend themselves. Kruthiks Kruthiks are chitin-covered reptiles that hunt in

packs and nest in sprawling subterranean warrens. They are attracted to sources of heat, such as dwarven forges and pools of molten lava, and carve out lairs as close to such locations as possible

Returned Drifter

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

. Despite this, even the most languorous Returned defend themselves if threatened and might be pressed into the service of their more willful brethren. Returned have escaped the Underworld and dwell among

long-term memories, they generally can’t build meaningful relationships or establish new lives. Instead, most experience fleeting emotions and follow hollow routines, their existences reduced to

Jammer Leech

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

that of a snail. It has a single watery eye at one end and a spiked tentacle protruding from just below the eye, which it uses to defend itself. A mated pair of leeches produces 1d6;{"diceNotation

defensive measure. If the crew of a ship becomes aware of leeches that have become attached, it’s customary for them to try to scrape the leeches off the hull rather than attack them with weapons

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

transgressions, these bitter, wicked creatures have appointed themselves the jailers of the plane. Demodands viciously defend the few known portals that lead out of Carceri and ruthlessly torment other

Grippli Warrior

Monsters Candlekeep Mysteries

grasping and climbing. A grippli can move as quickly on all fours as it can on two legs. Communal Effort. Grippli rely on ambushes and guerrilla warfare to defend themselves and their settlements. They

are raised by the community rather than by a single set of parents, and all of a community’s eggs are kept in freshwater pools until they mature. Protecting their eggs is a major concern for

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

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

better life. d6 Bond 1 My town or city is my home, and I’ll fight to defend it. 2 I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure

;d rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair. 5 It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else. 6 People who can’t take care of themselves get what they deserve.

Minotaur

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

carve their horns to sharpen their edges, etch symbols of power into them, or sheathe them in bronze to prevent them from shattering during battle. Thick hair extends down minotaurs’ necks and

you use to 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

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

Nass Lantomir's Ghost

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

feeling unwanted. After much thought, however, Nass came around to the idea. She could put her magic to the test and carve out a name for herself. As she was preparing to leave the Hosttower, Nass

overheard her master talking to another wizard about a covert expedition to Icewind Dale being undertaken to seek out long-lost magic from a bygone empire. Rather than carry out her original plan, Nass

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

Kalashtar Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

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

manipulate the folk of Khorvaire to eliminate kalashtar whenever possible. Many kalashtar defend themselves from the Dreaming Dark by focusing on devotion to the Path of Light. Others, though, seek

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

Kobold

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

dangerous those dragons can be and help others defend against draconic destruction. Whatever their relationship to dragons, kobold scales tend to be rust colored, although the occasional kobold sports

by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

. d6 Bond 1 My town or city is my home, and I’ll fight to defend it. 2 I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure. 3 I

from a fight. 2 Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it. 3 I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 I’d rather

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

ranger’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of monsters that press in from the wild. In some places, rangers gather in secretive orders or join forces with

relief from solitude that they offer? QUICK BUILD You can make a ranger quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. (Some rangers who

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

Merfolk

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

face a common threat or to complete a conquest. Such unifications can be the beginning of undersea kingdoms with dynasties lasting hundreds of years. Merfolk Settlements. Merfolk build their settlements

in vast undersea caverns, mazes of coral, the ruins of sunken cities, or structures they carve from the rocky seabed. They live in water shallow enough that the passage of time can be marked by the

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

Karametra's Champions

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

Karametra’s Champions Karametra’s champions build community, advance civilization, and bestow bounty wherever they go in the name of their god. Karametra seeks to provide for all, end famine and

village whose crops are failing. 3 Defend or found an orphanage. 4 Teach a settlement to defend itself from wild beasts. 5 Reunite an orphan with living relatives. 6 Convince

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

Deep Gnomes

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

comfortable. Although they are skilled stonemasons, svirfneblin appreciate the beauty of natural stone and prefer either to carve to accentuate its features or to leave it unchanged. Their architecture

is marked by smooth, curving shapes rather than straight lines and hard edges. Svirfneblin are intensely community-minded and have little concern about privacy among themselves. Thus, they don’t

Denizens

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

Denizens The erinyes, duergar, and salamanders that defend the hold are united by their loyalty to Vrakir, but each group otherwise disdains the others. The defenders are slow to assist or seek

, the defenders bring their reports to Jarazoun first, allowing him to deal with any trouble himself rather than risk Vrakir’s ire. While on high alert, the hold’s inhabitants can’t be surprised, and

The Noble Knife

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

for the greater good. The organization doesn’t “take jobs” as such. Rather, its leadership assesses the moral and political landscape of the realm and selects targets thusly. The Noble Knife is named

without saying that the Noble Knife is chock full of true believers. Members of the Noble Knife are said to be able to carve their symbol into surfaces and “pry” reality in such a way that they can

Arcane Workshop

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

and tools to diagrams etched into the floors and walls. Although most workshops are controlled by House Cannith, that house is not the only group of artificers who build and operate such locations

build specialized workshops for those purposes. Arcane Workshop Adventures Characters might find their way to an arcane workshop for a variety of reasons. Some possibilities are outlined in the Arcane

Thundering Observatory Adventures

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

their favor, and they hire adventurers to secure it. Final Key A storm giant offers the characters a stunning reward if the characters can use the Star Forge (in this chapter) to build him a machine

. Creatures from the Frost Giant Encounters and Elemental Air Encounters tables (see chapter 3) defend the observatory. History Lesson A rock gnome mage has pieced together accounts from ancient sites

Small and Practical

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

concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have

, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. They rarely build kingdoms of their own or even hold much land beyond their quiet shires. They typically don’t recognize any sort of halfling

Orders

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

special facilities in their Bastion on a given Bastion turn. The Maintain order is unusual; it is issued to the whole Bastion rather than to one or more special facilities. If a character isn’t in

hirelings focus on maintaining the Bastion rather than executing orders in special facilities. Issuing this order prohibits other orders from being issued to the Bastion on the current Bastion turn

Artillerist

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

war is over, some members of this specialization have sought to build a more peaceful world by using their powers to fight the resurgence of strife in Khorvaire. The gnome artificer Vi, an unlikely

tools to carve special sigils into a wand, staff, or rod and thereby turn it into your arcane firearm. The sigils disappear from the object if you later carve them on a different item. The sigils

Resolving the Mystery

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

gingwatzims defend Korvala’s office. Were they guarding something else as well? Characters who choose this violent path might never uncover the pack’s motives, but they can find the real Mazfroth’s Mighty

Digressions and see the book safely back to Candlekeep, if they so desire. NIDALIA The true leader of the Amberdune Pack, Nidalia is a lamia who delights in hoarding books rather than in corruption and

4. Flumph Cloister

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

to become an elder brain. Githyanki want to destroy the illithid colony and any flumphs they encounter. The mind flayers have spawned a neothelid — a worm-like behemoth — to defend their colony and

rely on the illithid colony for sustenance. The flumphs would rather feed on the psionic energy of the mind flayers, who couldn’t care less, than the energy of the githyanki, who abhor the flumphs and attack them on sight.

Natural Druids

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

every action the tribe takes, the druids weigh not only the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry

’ magical heritage also expresses itself in other ways; those who become bards preserve the clan’s lore, and firbolg sorcerers defend their communities. Firbolg wizards arise when a clan becomes

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