build before design concerns rather

Mirror of Reflected Pasts

Magic Items Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

This mirror of elven design allows those who stare into it to reflect on positive memories. The 3-foot-tall mirror weighs 25 pounds, and it has AC 11, 10 hit points, and vulnerability to bludgeoning

memories aren’t real, but rather idealized versions of those occurrences. Nearby observers can glimpse flashes of these memories if looking indirectly at the mirror.

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

possibilities. (Neutral) 3 Whimsy. Why waste time on boring, ordinary concerns when the world is filled with fantastic and ludicrous wonders? (Chaotic) 4 Beauty. There is beauty to be found

Alustriel Silverhand

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

gives no hint of her supernaturally extended life span. She typically wears long robes and wields a unicorn-headed staff, her Staff of Silverymoon. Personality Alustriel’s primary concerns

in her true form. She helped create Silverymoon’s famous Moonbridge and cofounded the Lady’s College, the first school in Faerûn for mages as students rather than as apprentices in

Warforged Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced brow ridge. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary based on the purpose for which it was

“Pierce was built by design, while you were built by accident,” Lakashtai said. “The soul is what matters, not the shape of the vessel.” “What makes you think he has

City Watch / Investigator

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter. Variant: Investigator Rarer

Investigation rather than Athletics. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the soldier background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to

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

Moonstone Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

others is often difficult because I’m so easily distr… oh my goodness, is that circlet made of silver? 7 I find the waking world tedious and mundane and would much rather spend my

. Violence need never be the answer in a multiverse of infinite possibilities. (Neutral) 3 Whimsy. Why waste time on boring, ordinary concerns when the world is filled with fantastic and ludicrous

Adult Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

often difficult because I’m so easily distr… 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

never be the answer in a multiverse of infinite possibilities. (Neutral) 3 Whimsy. Why waste time on boring, ordinary concerns when the world is filled with fantastic and ludicrous wonders

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

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

Ancient Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Conversing with others is often difficult because I’m so easily distr… oh my goodness, is that circlet made of silver? 7 I find the waking world tedious and mundane and would much rather

Nonviolence. Violence need never be the answer in a multiverse of infinite possibilities. (Neutral) 3 Whimsy. Why waste time on boring, ordinary concerns when the world is filled with fantastic and

Faction Agent

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often proficient in Investigation, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Harpers, sympathetic bards and

with interests and concerns that transcend local politics and geography, the Alliance has its own cadre of individuals who work on behalf of the organizations, wider agenda. Alliance agents are required

Living Steel and Stone

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

ridge. Beyond these common elements of warforged design, the precise materials and build of a warforged vary based on the purpose for which it was designed. Although they were manufactured, warforged

, darkwood, or stone. Armored plates form a protective outer shell and reinforce joints. Warforged share a common facial design, with a hinged jaw and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced brow

Ancient Dragon Turtle

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

"} Ideal 1 Endurance. We who dwell beneath the waves can weather all storms. (Any) 2 Indifference. What do I care for the fleeting concerns of those who crawl upon the land? (Any

, including deep-sea trenches or underwater volcanoes. Dragon turtles are largely unconcerned with the design of their lairs and seldom work to improve them. A dragon turtle’s primary concern when

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

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

, darkwood or stone. Armored plates form a protective outer shell and reinforce joints. All warforged share a common facial design, with a hinged jaw and crystal eyes embedded beneath a reinforced

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

Encounter Pace and Tension

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

that structure in an adventure where the players control their characters’ actions, but you can use the encounters you plan to build tension toward a climax. Each encounter in an adventure is an

limited resources. Variety also contributes to a sense of escalating tension. Build variety into your encounters in three ways: Vary Encounter Type. Use a mix of social interaction, exploration, and

Creature Summaries

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monstrous Compendium Volume One: Spelljammer Creatures

in space and feeds on the crews of spelljamming ships Clockwork horror 2 Small Construct of insectile design that seeks to build others of its kind Eldritch lich 15 Medium Undead spellcaster linked

Waterdeep Dangers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Laboratory of Kwalish

destruction across the city. After stopping the threat, the characters learn that it was built based on a Kwalish design, and that other such designs might be used to build great engines of destruction. The

Conflict without End

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

in a vicious assault that leaves few survivors. If robbery rather than murder is the goal, a duergar war party might surreptitiously dig for weeks to penetrate a dwarf treasure vault, hoping to seize

activity or to recover stolen treasures if they can do so without attracting too much attention. This eternal enmity between duergar and dwarves doesn’t consume either side; both have other concerns

Ivana's Intrigues

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

poisons detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide as a baseline for the effects Ivana creates and combine them with the effects of enchantment and illusion spells to design custom, nonmagical toxins for her

. This poison is nonmagical, and Ivana doesn’t directly communicate with those affected during the dream. Rather, she creates the illusion of speaking with her intended target by alchemically crafting

Character Advancement

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Character Advancement If you want to use story-based level advancement, the characters receive experience points for achieving milestones rather than defeating monsters. When the characters leave the

Romeo and Juliet. It was a departure from the more expected adventure design of the time in that violent solutions to problems aren’t an automatic path to victory—inquisitive minds and compassionate

Character Advancement

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Character Advancement If you want to use story-based level advancement, the characters receive experience points for achieving the following milestones rather than defeating monsters: Escape the Maze

reprinted Pharaoh in 1982 but also hired Tracy Hickman. TSR later published two more adventures in the Desert of Desolation trilogy. Pharaoh was praised for blending masterful dungeon design with a

Creating a Moonstone Dragon

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

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 whimsy of fey, and whimsy in

) 2 Nonviolence. Violence need never be the answer in a multiverse of infinite possibilities. (Neutral) 3 Whimsy. Why waste time on boring, ordinary concerns when the world is filled with

Wicked Personality

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

them. 2 Others’ concerns bore me, and I would rather have my lessers handle everything possible. 3 I am always right, and anyone who doesn’t agree with me is cut out of my life. 4

When someone loves me, I will do anything for them, no matter whom they hurt. 5 I’ve given up resisting my habits and indulge myself whenever possible. 6 I would rather be righteously angry

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata

The Role of Rules Why even have Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules are meant to

direction we took for fifth edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we celebrate the DM as the bridge between the things the rules address and the things they don’t. In a

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

The Role of Rules Why even have a column like Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules

D&D. The direction we chose for the current edition was to lay a foundation of rules that a DM could build on, and we embraced the DM’s role as the bridge between the things the rules address and the

Meeting Rookledust

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

dangerous, she doesn’t build them with violence in mind. She’s particularly interested in devices for long-distance communication and inventions that mechanize the work of farm animals. Personality Trait

was the boilerdrak used in Vogler.) The stranger also hired her to design another device, which he was supposed to pick up today. Instead, the goblinoids showed up and demanded she turn over “the

Fraz-Urb'luu

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

all of reality’s lies and understand the truth that lies beyond them. Yet the truth that he sees remains known only to him. He utters cryptic remarks about a grand design that guides the cosmos toward

-called “cultists,” rather than being true volunteers, are unfortunates duped into honoring him because they listened to his lies. Fraz-Urb’luu might appear to a desperate paladin and claim to be a

Gond

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

large, linked metal medallions and enormous sun hats. A traveling priest of Gond offers services to distant villages as a tinker, a carpenter, and a civil engineer rolled into one, ready to help build

and a museum of craft and design called the Hall of Wonders. Lantan had been the preeminent place of Gond’s worship in the world until a century ago, when the island nation disappeared, and since its

Modifying a Class

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

, paladins might not swear their oaths to ideals, but instead swear fealty to powerful sorcerers. To capture this story concept, you could build a new paladin spell list with spells meant to protect

opportunity to develop the character’s story and that of your world, rather than shutting down possibilities. Substituting Class Features If one or more features of a given class don’t exactly fit the theme

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