build before defend content rather

Brackish Trudge

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

sometimes ill-tempered and territorial, brackish trudges are usually content to mind their own business. When trudges are roused to defend themselves or drive off rivals, their punishing tusks laced

Troglodyte Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

in a frenzy. Troglodytes make little and build less, scavenging their possessions from their prey. They understand the value of metal weapons and armor, and fight among one another for the right to

in the Abyss. Laogzed offers the troglodytes nothing in return except aspiration, for it is the dream of his troglodyte worshipers to become as well-fed and wearily content as he seems to be.

Mite

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

threatened with direct violence, content to otherwise take joy in watching mundane or simple tasks become frustrating, painful experiences. Fey Influence. When mites are about, creatures become

frustration and antipathy build. When adventurers enter the dungeon, the mites go to work to exploit the added chaos. They use their magic to drag visitors into their web of anger and frustration, luring explorers deeper into the site and into situations and locations that promise to yield up the most havoc.

Khargra

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

devours any metals it encounters. Though normally content to eat raw veins of ore, this creature considers refined and crafted metals to be particularly delectable. Vexing Scavengers. Khargras are

tasty, refined metal their victim carries, they quickly flee—and will flee before that rather than risk death. Stealthy Couriers. A number of clans among the dwarves, duergar, and azers have trained

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.

Forlarren

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

bound to their fey lord and unable to bargain away their souls. So rather than claim them, Fierna warped and twisted them before returning them to the Feywild, content that the corruption of the satyrs

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

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

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

homeland, content to dwell in small, tight clans. These tabaxi hunt for food, craft goods, and largely keep to themselves. However, not all tabaxi are satisfied with such a life. The Cat Lord, the divine

of the world beyond their home. Barterers of Lore Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s

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

Session Zero

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

zero.” Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything outlines how to run session zero discussions, but in general, use this session to discuss the game’s content, social contract, and house rules, and to create

content goes. Chapter 1 provides guidance for players participating in horror adventures. Make sure you and the players are aware of this and use it to inform character creation and play. Establish

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

Living Steel and Stone

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

brow ridge. A sigil is engraved into the center of the forehead; this is unique to each warforged. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary

humanoids. A warforged can focus its mind on its body as it rests, adjusting its shape and form to assume one of a few defensive postures. A warforged who expects heavy combat might focus on durability, while during a time of peace they might be content to adopt a lighter, less aggressive form.

Brackish Trudge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

more varied are the plants and fungi that thrive in the tiny ecosystem on its back. While sometimes ill-tempered and territorial, brackish trudges are usually content to mind their own business. When

trudges are roused to defend themselves or drive off rivals, their punishing tusks laced with deadly fungus spores can make short work of the unwary. Trudges are also notoriously difficult to slay; the

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

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

Welcome to Leilon

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

of Leilon were content to leave his tower and the monsters within alone. The Spellplague, a divine phenomenon that twisted Faerûn’s magic, corrupted the tower’s defenses. The creatures sealed within

attempt to build docks for barges, made to cross the marsh and meet merchant ships in the sea. Outside of town, a settler camp nestles under the trees alongside the High Road. At the center of town, the

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

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