build before details come reasons

Giant Space Hamster

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

they can be trained to serve as mounts and beasts of burden. Gnomes have tried to build spelljamming ships powered by giant space hamster wheels, so far without success. Space Hamsters Space

hamsters resemble their terrestrial kin, both in their appearance and general demeanor, and they come in a variety of colors.

Goliath Werebear

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Build (Humanoid Form Only). The werebear counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift. Shapechanger. The werebear can use its action to

, Oyaminartok is not a monster but a force of good in the region, and she passes her curse only to goliaths whose hearts are pure. Oyaminartok and others of her kind try to help creatures they come across, for

Tlincalli

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

tlincalli parents come to investigate. Tlincallis eat what they kill, whether their hunt nets desert animals or a caravan, but when they have new mouths to feed, they are careful to take some of their prey

powerful hunter, such as a blue dragon, they carefully weigh whether to serve the superior hunter, move on, or fight to the death to remove it as competition. Tlincallis rarely build cities, make

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to this part of Faerûn for your own reasons, which

number of reasons, and the departure from his or her homeland could have been voluntary or involuntary. To determine why you are so far from home, roll on the table below or choose from the options

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

Memories table to inspire its details. Lost Memories d6 Memory 1 You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to? 2 A memory brings

Sea Spawn

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

of their former selves. Coral encrusts them. Barnacles cling to their cold skin. Lungs that once filled with air can now breathe in water as well. Tales provide myriad reasons for these strange

death. Sea spawn come in a wide variety of forms. An individual might have a tentacle for an arm, the jaws of a shark, a sea urchin’s spines, a whale’s fin, octopus eyes, seaweed hair, or

Outlander - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp Outlander Origins Foreigners of all kinds come to Baldur’s Gate daily, drawn by countless reasons from countless lands. The Outlander Origins

Coming to Baldur’s Gate might seem like a good idea for a spectrum of reasons. Profit, excitement, and cosmopolitan opportunities all present tempting prospects, but rarely does one start on

Leonin

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

-shaking roars, gives most leonin an air that readily shifts between regal and fearsome. Leonin often act with confidence, which can come off as imperiousness. While this can reassure their allies, it can

. Leonin rely on themselves and their prides. A pride is bound together by the experience of a shared challenge and, in particular, the sacred act of the hunt. See chapter 3 for more details on Oreskos and

Relentless Juggernaut

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a relentless killer, consider what circumstances led to their transformation and

Endelyn Moongrave

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Coven. People come to her to learn about their futures, which she spells out through grotesque theatrical pageants. As payment, she snatches away a portion of each client’s free will, preventing

of a symbolic depiction of one. See the stat block for details. Hourglass Coven The Hourglass Coven is a group of three hags, each one bound to an aspect of time: one reflects the past, another

Relentless Slasher

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

fear into innocents across lands and over ages. Creating a Relentless Killer Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a

Wizard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

the fey) that are steeped in magic. The Lure of Knowledge Wizards’ lives are seldom mundane. The closest a wizard is likely to come to an ordinary life is working as a sage or lecturer in a

. Creating a Wizard Creating a wizard character demands a backstory dominated by at least one extraordinary event. How did your character first come into contact with magic? How did you discover you had

Owlin

Species Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

Distant kin of giant owls from the Feywild, owlin come in many shapes and sizes, from petite and fluffy to wide-winged and majestic. Owlin have arms and legs like other Humanoids, as well as wings

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

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

by walls and crowds. They thrive in the wilds of their homelands: the tundra, jungle, or grasslands where their tribes live and hunt. Barbarians come alive in the chaos of combat. They can enter a

character, think about where your character comes from and his or her place in the world. Talk with your DM about an appropriate origin for your barbarian. Did you come from a distant land, making you a

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

among them usually venture into the world for reasons of community, friendship, wanderlust, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple things, such as an exotic food or an unfamiliar

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

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

and ruin. But for the last few generations, some bands among the tribes were tempted to settle, make peace, trade, and even to build towns. Perhaps this is why Uthgar chose to raise up the totems

abandoned the soft ways of civilization. BARBARIAN TRIBES OF FAERÛN Though this section details the Uthgardt specifically, either it or the outlander background from the Player

Bavlorna Blightstraw

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

moment, is all that matters.” Bond. “I’m safe in my cottage. Why should I leave it when I can make others come to me?" Flaw. “Watching someone run widdershins makes me sneeze

within 10 feet of Bavlorna cause her to lapse into a fit of sneezing. See the stat block for more details. Hourglass Coven The Hourglass Coven is a group of three hags, each one bound to an aspect of

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

journals or hidden away in someone’s mind. Even you might not be aware of all the reasons behind the missions you carry out. Sometimes a mission’s sole purpose is to conceal the

. You can choose your secondary guild or roll to determine it randomly. This secondary guild membership determines a portion of your starting equipment and is also where most of your contacts come from

Noble Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them. Work with your DM to come up with an appropriate title and determine how much

your line or even a spiritual member of the family? These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign. Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion Tool

Knight Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them. Work with your DM to come up with an appropriate title and determine how much

your line or even a spiritual member of the family? These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign. A knighthood is among the lowest noble titles in

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

determine your inheritance from among the possibilities in the table below. Work with your Dungeon Master to come up with details: Why is your inheritance so important, and what is its full story? You might

You are the heir to something of great value — not mere coin or wealth, but an object that has been entrusted to you and you alone. Your inheritance might have come directly to you from a

Triton Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

remote even merfolk and sea elves rarely encounter them. Haughty Nobles As a result of their isolation and limited understanding of the Material Plane, tritons can come across as haughty and

catalog all its details in a journal. 6 You mistakenly assume that surface folk know about and are impressed by your people’s history. Triton Names Most triton names have two or three

Waterdhavian Noble

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

expect things of you when they know your surname and what it means. Your reasons for taking up adventuring likely involve your family in some way: Are you the family rebel, who prefers delving in

filthy dungeons to sipping zzar at a ball? Or have you taken up sword or spell on your family’s behalf, ensuring that they have someone of renown to see to their legacy? Work with your DM to come

Adult Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

the signs written in starlight. They read these signs as omens, giving them glimpses of what is to come, and they eagerly examine the potential futures of any creatures who come to them in peace

above to build their lairs. Then, like gem cutters seeking the perfect diamond, they spend much of their lives refining, polishing, and enhancing the beauty of their lairs. Crystal dragons&rsquo

Ancient Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

sky and tracking the signs written in starlight. They read these signs as omens, giving them glimpses of what is to come, and they eagerly examine the potential futures of any creatures who come to

seek out frigid, picturesque locations with clear views of the sky above to build their lairs. Then, like gem cutters seeking the perfect diamond, they spend much of their lives refining, polishing

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

different in personality. With any shifter, identifying the beast within is a crucial part of understanding the character. Similar and Diverse Shifters are similar to humans in height and build but are

hair on nearly every part of their bodies. The traits of the beast within affect a shifter’s appearance as well. A swiftstride shifter may have catlike eyes and delicate build, while a beasthide

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group Membership in an adventurers’ guild doesn’t affect the composition of your party in any way, though it may provide added reasons for why a party features a diverse array of characters with varied fields of expertise.

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

basic knowledge of the structure of buildings, including the stuff behind the walls. You can also find blueprints of a specific building in order to learn the details of its construction. Such

Ideal 1 Guild. My guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 Creativity. Half the world’s troubles come from stodgy thinking, stuck in the past. We need innovative

Fairy

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

a special physical characteristic that sets the fairy apart. For your fairy, roll on the Fey Characteristics table or choose an option from it. You’re also free to come up with your own

regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase

Hobgoblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

to keep the knowledge fresh for new generations. When hobgoblins aren’t waging war, they farm, they build, and they practice both martial and arcane arts. These trappings of civil society do

Maglubiyet, the greater god allows them to retain a measure of their influence over the hobgoblins because their philosophies are in line with his own. Hobgoblins don’t build temples to their gods, lest

Character Creation

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Character Creation If your players are creating 1st-level characters for this adventure, consider setting aside the first game session for character creation. That way, the players can flesh out their adventuring party together and come up with reasons why their characters are friends.

Slouching Toward Sloobludop

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

Slouching Toward Sloobludop The characters can choose to go to Sloobludop for several reasons: They need a boat (and possibly a guide) to navigate the Darklake. Travel along the waterways of the

Darklake is an excellent way to throw off their drow pursuers (see chapter 2 for details). Staying a short while in Sloobludop can provide a respite from pursuit, since the drow are reluctant to provoke

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

come into conflict with bronze dragons when their coastal territories overlap, and they can nurture an inexplicably intense hatred of these metallic dragons. They can also draw the ire of druids and

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

Chapter 1: Dragon's Rest

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

Chapter 1: Dragon’s Rest The adventure begins at a tiny cloister called Dragon’s Rest, a haven where world-weary people come to seek peace, reconciliation, and enlightenment. There, the characters

learn about the dangers facing Stormwreck Isle. Each character has a specific reason for coming to the cloister, as shown on the character sheets. You can also let players invent their own reasons for their characters to seek out Runara’s wisdom and assistance.

Narrative Description

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

Narrative Description After a monster’s introductory information come details that apply to the monster wherever it might be found in the multiverse. Customize these details however is appropriate to your adventures.

D&D Beyond

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