build before derived content reflect

Moodmark Paint

Magic Items Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

insects or spiders. Applying the paint in this way takes 1 minute. For the next 8 hours, the marks change to reflect your mental state. A creature that can see you and makes a successful DC 10 Wisdom

just saw around the corner, grief at the loss of a friend, or happiness derived from pride in your performance in combat. A dark elf has advantage on this check.

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.

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

, set itself up as a petty lord, and rule over all those who fall into its grasp. A Sinister Cycle. A forlarren in its fey aspect demonstrates self-destructive urges that reflect the inherent tension in

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

, prophecy, clan history, and other esoteric factors. Tabaxi names can apply to both males and females, and most use nicknames derived from or inspired by their full names. Clan names are usually based

Tiefling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable. Infernal Bloodline Tieflings are derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest

three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that

Rak Tulkhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

their lives to build a prison of celestial light: a silver flame that bound the overlords in Khyber once more. These bonds have held for countless generations, but the overlords still yearn to break free

form. The stat blocks provided here reflect the powers they would wield if they were ever unleashed upon the world. Immortal Nature. An overlord doesn't require air, food, drink or sleep. It also

Sul Khatesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

rose up against them. Armies of dragons fought against the fiends of Khyber. And though the overlords couldn't be destroyed, the couatl sacrificed their lives to build a prison of celestial light: a

. Some thirty overlords are bound in Khyber. Two are described here: Rak Tulkhesh and Sul Khatesh, both of whom remain imprisoned and can't take physical form. The stat blocks provided here reflect the

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable. Infernal Bloodline Tieflings are derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest

three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that

Encounter Deck

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

repeat. You can also alter the encounter deck as characters explore an area, adding cards to the deck to reflect changing circumstances and weaving the encounters into a narrative. The following system is derived from Miniatures Handbook (2003).

Tiefling Names

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

Tiefling Names Tiefling names fall into three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language

, passed down through generations, that reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and

Tiefling Names

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

Tiefling Names Tiefling names fall into three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal

language, passed down through generations, that reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other

Ancient Dragon Turtle

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, pausing to reflect after (or sometimes in the middle of) each utterance. 2 I am more interested in the shiny baubles people carry than in anything they have to say. 3 I think of ships as

constructing a dragon turtle’s lair, you can simply take a coastal map and translate it to an underwater environment or use the map as-is if the dragon turtle is content to lair near the surface

The Powers of the Mark

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

The Powers of the Mark Each dragonmark grants a set of abilities that reflect the inherent powers of the mark. Your dragonmarked race gives you a set of traits derived from the magic of your mark. If

Battle Master Builds

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

combined with a fighting style and feats, allows you to create a broad range of fighters, each with its own flavor and play style. Below are recommendations for how you might build a Battle Master to

reflect various types of warriors. Each of these builds contains suggested fighting styles, maneuvers, and feats. Those suggestions are from the Player’s Handbook, except for the ones followed by an asterisk, which indicates an option introduced in this book.

The Powers of the Mark

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

The Powers of the Mark Each dragonmark grants a set of abilities that reflect the inherent powers of the mark. Your dragonmarked race gives you a set of traits derived from the magic of your mark

The D20

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

, Wisdom, and Charisma, and they typically range from 3 to 18 for most adventurers. (Monsters might have scores as low as 1 or as high as 30.) These ability scores, and the ability modifiers derived from

the core of the rules of the game. All three follow these simple steps. Roll the die and add a modifier. Roll a d20 and add the relevant modifier. This is typically the modifier derived from one of

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

commoner’s clothes, a book of research notes, an ink pen, a bottle of squid ink, a flask of oil (made from blubber), a vial of acid (derived from digestive juices), a vial of fish scales, a vial

spellcasting, forming spirals that reflect the mathematical perfection of nature. Suggested Characteristics The bizarre science of the Simic Combine attracts a certain type of personality and encompasses

Eldritch Machines

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

coterminous or it might only be possible to build it in a manifest zone. Ultimately, eldritch machines are plot devices. Their powers are far beyond the standard level of what is possible in Eberron, but such

a device can reflect the culmination of a villain’s master plan or a last defense against evil that must be protected at all costs.

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.

Flumph Colors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

Flumph Colors A flumph’s extremities change color to reflect its mood. The Flumph Colors and Emotions table summarizes common flumph colors and the human emotions to which they most closely

ft.; Passive Perception 12 Languages Understands Undercommon but can’t speak; telepathy 60 ft. CR 1/8 (XP 25; PB +2) Traits Advanced Telepathy. The flumph perceives the content of any

Recurring NPCs

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

Recurring NPCs NPCs who keep showing up over the course of a campaign build the sense that the world of the game is a living, breathing place. Whether these NPCs are allies, patrons, friends, or

villains, they can deepen players’ investment in the world. You can use different stat blocks in the Monster Manual, perhaps with some tweaks, to reflect the same NPC at different times as they grow over

The Dreaming Dark in the War

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

opportunity to call attention to a detail the characters overlooked. Clearly, this character’s subconscious registered the detail as important! Involve a current villain. This can help build the

players’ hatred for an elusive recurring villain! Foreshadow the future. This could simply reflect a character’s fears, but it might also convey a warning from a celestial or other supernatural

Marks of Mystery

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

determine to what extent you become drawn into house politics. Taking the background associated with your house (such as House Jorasco Heir) is the best way to build your character as a dragonmarked heir

you, it would try to bring you and your family line into the house. To build this kind of character, choose a Dragonmark feat at level 4 or later. Mark of Prophecy You might bear a mark unrelated to

Choosing a Guild

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

one catch your eye. If you have access to Magic: the Gathering cards from a Ravnica set, find a card that appeals to you and build that character. If you’re a Magic player and you already have a

favorite guild, create a character from that guild. To reflect your character’s membership in a guild, you can choose the background included in the guild’s description instead of a background from the

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

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group A head of state like Prince Oargev requires a variety of adventurers to do the range of tasks they require. Depending on the kinds of work you do, your party might include some or

some developing skills as clerics, rogues, wizards, or other classes. Such characters often come from the sage background and have proficiency in skills that reflect their studies, such as Arcana

Proficiency

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

applies. But if the answer is yes, assign an appropriate skill or tool proficiency to reflect that training and practice. Skills As described in the Player’s Handbook, a skill proficiency represents a

wooden flute, an Intelligence check to craft a wooden secret door, or a Strength check to build a working trebuchet. However, the proficiency bonus wouldn’t apply to an ability check made to identify

Welcome to Leilon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sleeping Dragon’s Wake

disappeared, the people 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

, new settlers attempt to build docks for barges, made to cross the marsh and meet merchant ships in the sea. Outside of town, the settlers’ campground becomes ever smaller as new buildings made of

Nightmare Logic

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

, and the nature of domains and Darklords all claim part of the answer, but ultimately they reflect aspects of the same cause: nightmare logic. Ravenloft is inherently a vast nightmare. Most of those

and fun for the entire group. Revisit these considerations and safety tools often, until they’re just as much a part of your game as character sheets and dice. Content Warning. With this in mind, be

Troglodyte

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

or hesitation, other troglodytes attack and eat it in a frenzy. Troglodytes make little and build less, scavenging their possessions from their prey. They understand the value of metal weapons and

-fed and wearily content as he seems to be. “Smells like an orc’s loincloth in here!” — Last words of Arlax Hammermantle, dwarf spelunker Troglodyte Medium humanoid (troglodyte), chaotic evil

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

Modifying a Class

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

modify existing classes to better serve your game’s needs. Changing Proficiencies Changing a class’s proficiencies is a safe and simple way to modify a class to better reflect your world. Swapping

your world might worship a patron deity, performing secret missions in that deity’s name. To reflect this cultural detail, you could add Religion to the list of skills that a rogue character can choose

Horror Atmosphere

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

Horror Atmosphere Atmosphere is the overall mood of your game. It’s the sense of levity, excitement, or dread that stems from a story’s content and players’ perception of it. Atmosphere can be

challenging to build and easy to disrupt, but any D&D game—particularly scary games—benefit from your work to cultivate an atmosphere consistent with the experience you’re trying to create. Consider the

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

threat. Use this book to help you and your players communicate about a game’s rules, plots, and other content, assuring it includes only the elements you all enjoy. Focus on Fun. Suspenseful stories don’t

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