build before design connect 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.

Mark of Hospitality Halfling

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

allows the bearer to keep a place clean, and to heat, chill, and season food. But it also helps the bearer connect with others. House Ghallanda Leader: Yoren d’Ghallanda Headquarters: Gatherhold

Ghallanda don’t sell information; they prefer to build friendship and deal in favors. But should a Ghallanda baron ever truly need something, they likely have a favor they can call in. Ghallanda has

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

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

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

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

Waterdeep Dangers A number of hooks can connect to the exploits of characters engaged in a Waterdeep: Dragon Heist campaign. The famed walking statues of Waterdeep are showing signs of getting ready

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

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

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

crawl to make progress. In places where a tunnel opens into a chasm and continues on the other side, the kobolds might connect the two passages with a rope bridge or some other rickety structure

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

Teleportation Circles

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

teleportation circle connect with these circles, which are found in temples, academies, the headquarters of arcane organizations, and prominent civic locations. However, since every teleportation

circle is a possible means of entry into a city, they’re guarded by military and magical protection. As you design a fantasy city, think about the teleportation circles it might contain and which ones

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

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

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

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

Mysteries

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

adventure around that villain’s crimes. Similarly, if the adventurers’ goals include determining the villain’s identity, that might be part of a mystery. To build a mystery adventure, follow the steps for

, such as an unfinished message written in the victim’s blood, a piece of jewelry left behind by the villain, or a weapon found hidden in a suspect’s room. A clue should connect a suspect to the crime

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

Expert Tunnelers

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

opens into a chasm and continues on the other side, the kobolds might connect the two passages with a rope bridge or some other rickety structure, designed to collapse under the weight of any creature

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 network of passages beneath the streets, connecting them to a nearby

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

Introduction: How to Use a Monster

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

the rules for monster customization and encounter building in the Dungeon Master’s Guide—to build your own adventures. Consult appendix B for monster lists that will help your adventure building. What’s

block has been updated for ease of use and game balance. Enhanced Stat Blocks. New stat block design and language prioritize details vital during play. Versatile Groups. Nonplayer characters now

Battle Balloon

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

. The standard design of an Acquisitions Incorporated-grade airship features an enormous balloon covered in a rope net. Trailing lines connect the balloon to the vessel of metal and wood suspended

an original design created by the Heuristic Arcane Research and Development department of Acquisitions Incorporated. But the wizards of Halruaa developed similar skyships in ages past, and the Cult of

Origin of the Ordning

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

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

different kinds might not recognize each other as kindred at all. All these giants build a range of social structures in the same manifold ways other peoples do, without regard to an overarching ordning.

Secret

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

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

up serving, choose a Divine Domain that is appropriate for it, and if it doesn’t have a holy symbol, work with your DM to design one. The cleric’s class features often refer to your deity. If you

Droaam

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

Droaam are learning to work together and finding ways to use their supernatural gifts to help build and sustain society. A medusa might use its petrifying gaze to preserve the life of an injured ally

until medical attention can be obtained. Harpies in the taverns of Droaam use their hypnotic songs to entertain rather than to harm. When you bring creatures from Droaam into the campaign, consider how

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