build before desire cower reason

Mahadi the Rakshasa

Monsters Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

existence, catering to their every whim and desire. While he is equally cordial to all guests of the Wandering Emporium, those entering his establishment fall under a special contract and therefore

rank most highly in his esteem. Of course, guests leaving Infernal Rapture are expected to pay their bills in full prior to departure. If a guest cannot pay for whatever reason, the contract they

Waterdhavian Noble

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Faerûn for being eccentric, spoiled, venal, and, above all else, rich. Whether you are a shining example of the reason for this reputation or one who proves the rule by being an exception, people

insatiable desire for carnal pleasures. 5 In fact, the world does revolve around me. 6 By my words and actions, I often bring shame to my family.

Unspeakable Horror (Malleable Mass)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

vaporous visions amid the fog, mysterious eddies in the Mists sometimes gather such evils, forcing them into unique, misshapen bodies untethered from the laws of reason or reality. Such unspeakable

horror’s form and the interplay between its parts however you desire. The more discordant and unexpected a horror’s parts, the more unsettling it might be. Mist Horrors Some who wander into

Unspeakable Horror

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

into unique, misshapen bodies untethered from the laws of reason or reality. Such unspeakable horrors might continue to haunt the misty netherworld between the Domains of Dread, or they might slink

these tables are meant to be broad, so feel free to describe the details of an unspeakable horror’s form and the interplay between its parts however you desire. The more discordant and

Unspeakable Horror (Aberrant Armor)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

unique, misshapen bodies untethered from the laws of reason or reality. Such unspeakable horrors might continue to haunt the misty netherworld between the Domains of Dread, or they might slink forth into

tables are meant to be broad, so feel free to describe the details of an unspeakable horror’s form and the interplay between its parts however you desire. The more discordant and unexpected a

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater

lawful in alignment. QUICK BUILD You can make a monk quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the hermit background

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

an angry thieves’ guild master? Or did you leave your guild in search of bigger risks and bigger rewards? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures, or some other desire or ideal? What

. 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

Unspeakable Horror (Loathsome Limbs)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

eddies in the Mists sometimes gather such evils, forcing them into unique, misshapen bodies untethered from the laws of reason or reality. Such unspeakable horrors might continue to haunt the misty

between its parts however you desire. The more discordant and unexpected a horror’s parts, the more unsettling it might be. Mist Horrors Some who wander into the Land of the Mists seek to stay

Unspeakable Horror (Oozing Organs)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

, forcing them into unique, misshapen bodies untethered from the laws of reason or reality. Such unspeakable horrors might continue to haunt the misty netherworld between the Domains of Dread, or they

. The results of these tables are meant to be broad, so feel free to describe the details of an unspeakable horror’s form and the interplay between its parts however you desire. The more discordant

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

sun and have no desire to get wet, beyond enjoying a bit of sea spray in the air. But they love being able to see the water, so they build their lairs on the heights of seaside cliffs or near perfect

almost never show them to anyone else. Topaz Dragon Lairs Topaz dragons are happiest by the sea. They spend most of their time basking in the sun and have no desire to get wet, beyond enjoying a bit of

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Every kenku is born with a desire to take to the air, and those who learn spellcasting do so in hope of mastering spells that will allow them to fly. Rumors of magic items such as flying carpets, brooms

capable of flight, and similar objects provoke a great desire for the kenku to acquire the items for themselves. Despite their lack of wings, kenku love dwelling in towers and other tall structures

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

dozen) in a fortified compound enclosed by stone walls that are easily defensible. If no such compound exists, they build one. The parents spend the remainder of their lives guarding the compound

prefer simple, non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. If a tortle doesn’t like its name for whatever reason, it can change it. A tortle might change its name a dozen

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

set bards apart from their fellows. Only rarely do bards settle in one place for long, and their natural desire to travel—to find new tales to tell, new skills to learn, and new discoveries

, 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

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

The Dark Powers

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

villains to add to their terrifying menagerie. To what end, no one knows. The Dark Powers don’t move in the shadows of Ravenloft; they are the shadows. They’re the Mists and the darkness. They’re the reason

Ravenloft, but they are unknown to mortals and desire no worship. Despite the control the Dark Powers exert, these beings remain distant from the domains they manipulate. Although some of their names

Racial Traits

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

races—a reason for the monstrous races to be used in a campaign with care. Bugbear Traits Your bugbear character has the following racial traits. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by

discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Long-Limbed. When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal. Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when

Coins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

Coins This suit symbolizes avarice and the desire for personal and material gain. It is also symbolic of gluttony, lust, and obsession. On the side of good, this suit can suggest the accumulation of

wealth for the benefit of a charity or a just cause. On the side of evil, it embodies the worst aspects of greed. It speaks to the power of gold, and how that power can build or destroy nations. Coins

Stars

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

Stars This suit symbolizes the desire for personal power and control over things beyond the ken of mortals. It is the suit of arcane mages, sages, and intellectuals. It also represents the triumph of

magic, science, and reason over religion, mysticism, and superstition. Stars Card Name Represents Master of stars Wizard Mystery and riddles; the unknown; those who crave magical power and great

Wearing and Wielding Items

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

magic item that's meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they magically adjust themselves to the wearer. Rare

exceptions exist. If the story suggests a good reason for an item to fit only creatures of a certain size or shape, you can rule that it doesn't adjust. For example, drow-made armor might fit elves only

Campaign Events

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

Campaign Events If you don’t want to build a world that focuses on the presence or absence of giants, you can instead build a campaign around world-shaking events that are instigated by giants. Storm

neighbors, secretly motivated by the desire to access an ancient ruin in neighboring territory. 5 Humanoids mobilize to overthrow their giant oppressors, but the Humanoids are hopelessly outmatched in

Evil Inchoate

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

particular affinity for their own kind, which is the biggest reason why they seldom cooperate with one another unless they are forced to submit to a demon lord or other leader. Going even farther, every

status, and they typically don’t set impossible goals — a lesser demon, for instance, might simply run amok when unleashed into the world, its only desire to spread chaos, but a marilith or other

Topaz Dragon Lairs

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

Topaz Dragon Lairs Topaz dragons are happiest by the sea. They spend most of their time basking in the sun and have no desire to get wet, beyond enjoying a bit of sea spray in the air. But they love

being able to see the water, so they build their lairs on the heights of seaside cliffs or near perfect sunbathing beaches where they can best accomplish this. Their preference for lair sites

The Darklake

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

The Darklake To move their expeditionary force across the Darklake, the characters must build rafts or coracles from Underdark materials, or seek out duergar or kuo-toa ferries for hire. Each ferry

chapter 1) was not killed in a previous chapter of the adventure, the characters find him among Sloobludop’s survivors. He is the sole point of calm and reason in the ruined settlement, and the various

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods. Booming Birth Rate In order to replenish the casualties of their endless warring

greatness. (Evil) 3 Dominance. I will have achieved glory when all cower before my might. (Evil) 4 Intimidation. I can get what I want from weaklings that fear me. (Evil) 5 Glory. The

Ancient Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

threatens shipping and caravans around a major city. Topaz Dragon Lairs Topaz dragons are happiest by the sea. They spend most of their time basking in the sun and have no desire to get wet

, beyond enjoying a bit of sea spray in the air. But they love being able to see the water, so they build their lairs on the heights of seaside cliffs or near perfect sunbathing beaches where they can

Creating a Rogue

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

thieves’ guild master? Or did you leave your guild in search of bigger risks and bigger rewards? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures, or some other desire or ideal? What was the trigger that

support. Or maybe you made a new friend — another member of your adventuring party — who showed you new possibilities for earning a living and employing your particular talents. Quick Build You can make a

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group No common thread unites adventurers with an immortal patron, except perhaps uncommon openness to the mysterious and unknown. You haven’t been chosen because of your capabilities

intention of becoming adventurers and desire no connection to the machinations of the immortals, but they get caught up in schemes and prophecies anyway. The Innocent might have been identified as a

Glitch the Quadrone

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

oversee hospitality on the Concordant Express. For this reason, it was imbued with the ability to speak Celestial, Common, and Infernal in addition to Modron. Conflicting directives from two pentadrone

superiors caused a glitch that prompted the confused quadrone to quit its job. Glitch has become a free-thinking being with no desire to reintegrate into the modron hierarchy. Eager to help the

Magic Items

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

Yes Artifact Teeth of Dahlver-Nar Yes Who doesn’t love magic items? The desire for them is one of the few things Mordenkainen and I have in common. And magic tattoos—they’re especially fun. I think

tattoos are a reason robes are so popular with wizards. Robes cover the ankle and lower-back tattoos so many of us got as apprentices. Don’t even ask. Tasha

Wearing and Wielding Items

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

cases, a magic item that’s meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they magically adjust themselves to the wearer. Rare

exceptions exist. If the story suggests a good reason for an item to fit only creatures of a certain size or shape, you can rule that it doesn’t adjust. For example, armor made by the drow might fit

One for All: The Stronghold

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

at the touch of a child when they are unlocked. While some other races erect statues or build special structures to honor their heroes or commemorate momentous events, the dwarves live and work within

of art makes any stronghold a prime target for thieves and raiders. For that reason, the entrance to a stronghold doesn’t broadcast its presence by being a stellar example of dwarven stonework. The

Deck of Many More Things

Magic Items The Book of Many Things

draw the same card multiple times. The DM can use the physical cards provided in The Deck of Many Things card set to build a combined Deck of Many Things and Deck of Many More Things, including

whichever cards they desire. Alternatively, roll on the Deck of Many More Things table below to randomly determine what cards are drawn. Deck of Many More Things d100 Card 01 Aberration

The Challenge

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

” section in chapter 3 can issue this challenge. Why a Challenge? Choose one of the following grudges as the reason for the challenge: Dangerous. The Rival accuses the characters of causing the dangerous

to participate in this challenge, the Rival tries to compel the character to participate. This could include any of the following coercions: Offering the characters something they desire or important

Pseudodragon

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

pseudodragon often vocalizes animal noises. A rasping purr indicates pleasure, while a hiss means unpleasant surprise. A bird-like chirping represents desire, and a growl always means anger or discontent

companion shares the pseudodragon’s Magic Resistance trait. At any time and for any reason, the pseudodragon can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.

Waterdeep

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

spot by nightfall. Azbara Jos remains with the cultists during this time, and Jamna expresses her desire to stick with them until they uncover the treasure’s destination. The cultists spend a day resting

they are. The Mere of Dead Men is wild and dangerous. Lord Neverember’s agents in this endeavor are perpetually looking for laborers to build the road and fighters to protect the laborers. Turnover in those jobs is pretty high.

D&D Beyond

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