build before devote calling reason

College of Whispers

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

against others through extortion and threats. Many other bards hate the College of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses a bard’s reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason

, members of this college rarely reveal their true nature. They typically claim to follow some other college, or they keep their actual calling secret in order to infiltrate and exploit royal courts and

College of Whispers (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

against others through extortion and threats. Many other bards hate the College of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses a bard’s reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason

, members of this college rarely reveal their true nature. They typically claim to follow some other college, or they keep their actual calling secret in order to infiltrate and exploit royal courts and

Fog Giant

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

down the gate of a backwater duke’s castle, slaying a dozen or more guards, then calling for parley is a typical fog giant strategy—followed by an offer to leave the duke alive in return

roof of a merchant’s home, seizing what they seek, and stalking away before the town watch can rally. Intricate Networks. Clever, ambitious, and greedy, many fog giants build up whole networks of

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

his axe in wide swaths to cut through the ranks of orcs arrayed against him, shouting praise to the gods with every foe’s fall. Calling down a curse upon the forces of undeath, a human lifts

to those chosen to fulfill a high calling. Harnessing divine magic doesn’t rely on study or training. A cleric might learn formulaic prayers and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

any problem, demonstrating a resourcefulness and versatility that is the cornerstone of any successful adventuring party. Skill and Precision Rogues devote as much effort to mastering the use of a

. 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

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

whistles to the hawk that circles high above him, calling the bird back to his side. Whispering instructions in Elvish, he points to the owlbear he’s been tracking and sends the hawk to distract

ranger’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of monsters that press in from the wild. In some places, rangers gather in secretive orders or join forces with

Loxodon

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

ingrained that they are often at a loss when they try to impart that knowledge to others. Among the Selesnya, it primarily falls to loxodons to build the guild’s magnificent, cathedral-like arboretum

in any capacity, loxodons devote themselves to maintaining that bond. They coordinate their efforts and are often willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the group. They expect reciprocal

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

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

. Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature’s resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over

becoming a druid was part of your character’s destiny. Have you always been an adventurer as part of your druidic calling, or did you first spend time as a caretaker of a sacred grove or spring

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of the world, but even fewer people can claim the true calling of a paladin. When they do receive the call, these warriors turn from their former occupations and take up arms to fight evil. Sometimes

earliest memories that the paladin’s life was your calling, almost as if you had been sent into the world with that purpose stamped on your soul. As guardians against the forces of wickedness

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

beyond the horizon—makes an adventuring career a natural calling. Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost works of magic

, 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

Tyr

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

signify his blindness, caused by a wound dealt to him by Ao when he questioned the justice of the Overgod’s actions. Tyr’s followers devote themselves to the cause of justice, to the righting of wrongs and

contempt others who can’t live by it — it wouldn’t be an honorable calling if everyone could muster the strength of will to follow it. Many orders of knighthood are devoted to Tyr, including the

Dragonmarked Characters

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

remarkable (and the source of your clerical abilities) and you feel that you’re just beginning to unlock its power. Are you willing to devote your abilities to your house? Or do you think that you may have

a greater calling? Folk Hero Bard. You served as a medic in the Last War, using humor and stories to keep up the spirits of your patients. You’ve seen too much suffering, and you need to do something

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

Karametra's Champions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Karametra’s Champions Karametra’s champions build community, advance civilization, and bestow bounty wherever they go in the name of their god. Karametra seeks to provide for all, end famine and

raiders to give up their ways, settle down, found a village, and devote their lives to farming. A Karametra Campaign At first glance, a campaign in which the player characters are champions of

Wizardry

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

Wizardry There’s a reason most powerful wizards are old. The special formulas of action, item, and sound that produce wizardly magic require precision, and such precision comes only from long

mental barriers in order to achieve ever greater mastery. Of all peoples, elves are perhaps best suited to wizardry. They have centuries of life to devote to their studies, and their trance effectively

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

Asphodel and the Despair Lands

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Returned never speak, rendering their judgments only in gestures. Order of Phaios A cabal of mages known as the Order of Phaios defend Asphodel with their magic. The mages of the order devote themselves to

studying arcane mysteries that could never be unraveled in a single life. Like all Returned, though, they have difficulty remembering what they learn. For this reason, the rooms of their order’s

Preparing for Battle

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

, if for no other reason than to honor Ispin Greenshield’s last wishes. If a character refuses, Mayor Raven offers to pay them 5 gp to be a judge during the battle, making sure no one uses real weapons

and calling for aid if someone gets hurt. To prepare for the battle, Mayor Raven calls out to those assembled, explaining the mercenaries will charge up the west side of the hill while the militia

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

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

. These diminished vestiges manipulate their realm to create negative forces that sustain their essence and build toward renewed apotheosis. Rudolph, I write you in the throes of a most perplexing

Creating a Druid

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

an adventurer as part of your druidic calling, or did you first spend time as a caretaker of a sacred grove or spring? 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. First, Wisdom should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second

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

Loxodon

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

ingrained that they are often at a loss when they try to impart that knowledge to others. Among the Selesnya, it primarily falls to loxodons to build the guild’s magnificent, cathedral-like arboretum

capacity, loxodons devote themselves to maintaining that bond. They coordinate their efforts and are often willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the group. They expect reciprocal loyalty

The Guild

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer

, calling them in when it suits them — often with interest. Rivalries exist between kingpins, and their territorial borders shift constantly. As long as these internal feuds don’t disrupt Guild

business or draw the attention of the authorities, no one interferes. Recent rumors claim that an Outer City kingpin known as Straightstick is calling in all his favors to make a move on a Lower City turf

The Guild

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

, calling them in when it suits them — often with interest. Rivalries exist between kingpins, and their territorial borders shift constantly. As long as these internal feuds don’t disrupt Guild

business or draw the attention of the authorities, no one interferes. Recent rumors claim that an Outer City kingpin known as Straightstick is calling in all his favors to make a move on a Lower City turf

Assassin

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

assassins kill for a reason, perhaps hiring themselves out to wealthy patrons or slaying for an unscrupulous cause. They use poisons and other deadly tools, and they might carry equipment to help them

hollow furnishings. 3 Leaving behind a signature item, such as a calling card, flower, seashell, or tooth. 4 Posing as celebrities, holy people, or servants. 5 Taking trophies from their victims. 6 Using

Loose Pantheons

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

hunting. Some individuals feel a calling to a particular deity’s service and claim that god as a patron. Particularly devoted individuals become priests by setting up a shrine or helping to staff a holy

site. Much more rarely, those who feel such a calling become clerics or paladins invested with the responsibility of true divine power. Shrines and temples serve as community gathering points for

Creating a Paladin

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

refuges of goodness and beauty. Or you might have known from your earliest memories that the paladin’s life was your calling, almost as if you had been sent into the world with that purpose stamped on

have not yet attained. Quick Build You can make a paladin quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the noble

Haunted Keeps

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

outside their walls — or to make sure visitors who learn the truth either join the cult or never return from their visit. Reason to Visit. These four sites are central to the adventure (see chapter 3

across the Sumber Hills. It can be seen from afar by anyone traversing the hills and is used as a private retreat by an elite hippogriff flying club comprised of rich Waterdhavians calling themselves

The Demonweb Connection

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

could handle. Calling forth a demon and failing to rein it in is a capital crime in most drow communities — an uncontrolled demon often spells disaster not only for the drow who pulled it from the Abyss

actually yochlols in disguise, spying for Lolth. The higher a drow’s standing, the more worrisome this prospect becomes. After all, Lolth has little reason to care about those at the bottom of society

Heroes of Destiny

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

choose the entries that speak to you or randomly pull cards from The Deck of Many Things card set. One of the most important steps of a warrior’s journey is discovering the reason why you fight. Glory

path of the warrior. Fates A fortune teller foresaw that you would find your calling in a life of battle. Flames When the heat of battle takes over, you barely recognize yourself. This scares you. Fool

Old Owl Well

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

tattoo on the head represents a wizard’s school of magic specialty, Hamun’s being necromancy. If any character attempts to talk to Hamun, even by calling out a greeting or answering his questions

. Hamun stays tight-lipped about the reason for his presence in the region. He is, however, willing to provide the information the party needs in exchange for a favor. If the characters give Hamun some

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group Naturally, a large portion of the Boromar Clan’s members come from a criminal background. There’s no reason characters with other backgrounds can’t be part of the syndicate, though

D&D Beyond

Search Results