collective rule groups to her rarely

Gallows Speaker

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

. Such amalgamated spirits are tormented by their collective pain, endlessly moaning disjointed final thoughts as they lash out at the living. Having known untold deaths, gallows speakers can predict

suffering, foreseeing dooms leveled against them and overwhelming their foes with visions of innumerable violent deaths. Gallows speakers rarely speak coherently or communicate with the living, instead

Derro

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

lone derro may seem pitiable, but a cackling, spitting, growling, howling horde of them is horrifying to behold. Fractious in groups and individually weak, derro would have died out long ago but for

some duergar, derro are descended from a dwarven community that was left behind when the others escaped the rule of mind flayers. These remnants were so distorted by the mind flayers’ psionic

Lampad

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Lampads guard the shadowed paths of the world, depths typically trod by souls destined for the Underworld. These rarely seen nymphs assist Athreos in guiding the dead, moving among the spirits that

mind the cycles of nature, the daily interplay of wild animals, or other cosmic forces. Occasionally, though, groups of the same kind of nymphs congregate in a place of natural power or beauty. In times

Green Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat, ready to lay down their lives if needed. Abishais stand

work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus’s. There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by

Black Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

and across the multiverse. Some have simple tasks, such as delivering a message to cultists. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in

and ultimately answering to Tiamat (and Asmodeus, when he chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear

Blue Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

delivering a message to cultists. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat

chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus&rsquo

Marine

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

, marines tend to operate best in groups, valuing camaraderie and the companionship of like-minded individuals. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I speak rarely but mean every word I say

who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them excellent adventurers. Though they are self-reliant

Derro Savant

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

powerful. A lone derro may seem pitiable, but a cackling, spitting, growling, howling horde of them is horrifying to behold. Fractious in groups and individually weak, derro would have died out long

histories of some duergar, derro are descended from a dwarven community that was left behind when the others escaped the rule of mind flayers. These remnants were so distorted by the mind flayers

Mind Drinker Vampire

Monsters Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

the so-called mind drinkers. His secrets are passed on only to other members of his guild, and mind drinkers who leave House Dimir become enemies of the guild — the only exceptions to a rule

. They rarely trust their own agents, though, and often follow their cell members to make sure those members carry out missions as ordered. The most suspicious vampires might even siphon thoughts from their subordinates to detect any hint of betrayal.Necrotic

Returned Sentry

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

tirelessness, which makes them exceptional guards. In the necropoleis, this sees many Returned employed as sentries, though they might also be messengers or laborers. If threatened, groups of these Returned

second lives are rarely what they expected—not that they remember what it was they expected. As a result of having followed the Path of Phenax (see chapter 4), the Returned lose their identities

White Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat, ready to lay down their lives if needed. Abishais stand outside the normal hierarchy of the

do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus’s. There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by Tiamat, but interfering with

Choldrith

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

spiderlike creatures originally created to serve Lolth. They rule colonies of chitine;chitines and lead them into battle in Lolth’s war against her enemies. When devotees of Lolth created the first

supervisors. The choldriths continually jockey for position, although they rarely confront one another in a way that puts the colony at risk. The colony is ruled by a sovereign, who determines which colony

Red Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. Some have simple tasks, such as delivering a message to cultists. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases

to Tiamat (and Asmodeus, when he chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows

Astral Elf

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Long ago, groups of elves ventured from the Feywild to the Astral Plane to be closer to their gods. Life in the Silver Void has imbued their souls with a spark of divine light. That light manifests

character’s ability scores, increase one of those scores by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to

Giff

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

blossom into hard feelings, loud arguments, and head-butting contests, but they rarely escalate beyond that. Creating Your Character When you create your D&D character, you decide whether your

. 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 character’s class offers suggestions on which

Pit Fighter

backgrounds

almost always find small groups of desperate individuals putting their lives on the line for the amusement and enrichment of others. This hidden network of arenas has recently been organized into the

self-proclaimed Pit Fighter’s Guild and developed a series of coded phrases and symbols to identify its members. You follow the unspoken rule of Etharis: only the strong survive.

Gogiteth

monsters

is rarely alone, as they learned that the best means of survival is sticking with others of their own kind. Even the hardiest Darklands residents seek cover when a gogiteth is spotted, for where there

hunt silently without alerting prey. They can also make a high-pitched whistling sound that echoes throughout the caverns where they live. Some Darklands natives report that groups of gogiteths sometimes join together in eerie, discordant songs.Poison

Planar Ally Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

rule of thumb, a task that can be measured in minutes requires a payment worth 100 gp per minute. A task measured in hours requires 1,000 gp per hour. And a task measured in days (up to 10 days) requires

waived. Nonhazardous tasks typically require only half the suggested payment, while especially dangerous tasks might require a greater gift. Creatures rarely accept tasks that seem suicidal. After the

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century. Variety in All Things Humans are the most

, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups. Human Names and Ethnicities Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Gang Mentality Since bugbears aren’t a particularly fecund race, their overall population is small and spread over a wide area. Bugbears live in family groups that operate much like gangs. The

bugbears recognize two other gods, both of which they disdain and fear: Maglubiyet and Skiggaret. Maglubiyet, the leader of the goblinoid pantheon, forced both brothers to submit to his rule, but

Myconids

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

passage through their colonies. Circles and Melds. The largest myconid in a colony is its sovereign, which presides over one or more social groups called circles. A circle consists of twenty or more

it in the pursuit of higher consciousness, collective union, and spiritual apotheosis. Myconids also use their rapport spores to communicate telepathically with other sentient creatures. Myconid

Myconids

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

passage through their colonies. Circles and Melds. The largest myconid in a colony is its sovereign, which presides over one or more social groups called circles. A circle consists of twenty or more

it in the pursuit of higher consciousness, collective union, and spiritual apotheosis. Myconids also use their rapport spores to communicate telepathically with other sentient creatures. Myconid

Arms, Armor, and Other Equipment

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

Arms, Armor, and Other Equipment As a general rule, undamaged weapons, armor, and other equipment fetch half their cost when sold in a market. Weapons and armor used by monsters are rarely in good enough condition to sell.

Arms, Armor, and Other Equipment

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

Arms, Armor, and Other Equipment As a general rule, undamaged weapons, armor, and other equipment fetch half their cost when sold in a market. Weapons and armor used by monsters are rarely in good enough condition to sell.

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master. Although kenku can’t create new things, they have

city, alerting their allies to the approach of a guard patrol or signaling a prime opportunity for a robbery. Since kenku can precisely reproduce any sound, the messages they carry rarely suffer

Splitting Loyalties

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

. Brightguard Before Atash, the Brightguard was a fringe collective of devout protectors who vowed to defend Akharin Sangar from evil in the name of their deity, the Sunweaver. When the angel Atash—an

seek to return Atash to the Sunweaver and restore Akharin Sangar to a state of self-rule. Named for the lions that roam the lands beyond the city, the faction is secretly led by famed actor Afsoun

Splitting Loyalties

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

. Brightguard Before Atash, the Brightguard was a fringe collective of devout protectors who vowed to defend Akharin Sangar from evil in the name of their deity, the Sunweaver. When the angel Atash—an

seek to return Atash to the Sunweaver and restore Akharin Sangar to a state of self-rule. Named for the lions that roam the lands beyond the city, the faction is secretly led by famed actor Afsoun

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

opportunity to supervise and dominate such creatures, which have no status at all. WHO'S THE BOSS? Goblins pattern the rule of their tribes after the whip-cracking rule of their god, Khurgorbaeyag

new leader can act as the real boss. If the creature brushes aside such manipulation, the tribe falls into line behind the new tyrant—better to abide the new rule than conspire against it and be

Rules Discussions

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

Rules Discussions You might need to set a policy on rules discussions at the table. Some groups don’t mind putting the game on hold while they hash out different interpretations of a rule. Others

The Rise of Tiamat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

removing a few opponents from combat encounters. If the group is bigger, add opponents to the fights. Consider altering encounters for smaller groups to avoid overly tough battles. Character

Advancement. This adventure uses the milestone experience rule. Under this rule, completing certain events in the campaign causes the characters to level up. See “Advancement” later in this introduction.

Rules Discussions

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

Rules Discussions You might need to set a policy on rules discussions at the table. Some groups don’t mind putting the game on hold while they hash out different interpretations of a rule. Others

The Rise of Tiamat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

removing a few opponents from combat encounters. If the group is bigger, add opponents to the fights. Consider altering encounters for smaller groups to avoid overly tough battles. Character

Advancement. This adventure uses the milestone experience rule. Under this rule, completing certain events in the campaign causes the characters to level up. See “Advancement” later in this introduction.

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

their oaths lead them into the service of the crown as leaders of elite groups of knights, but even then their loyalty is first to the cause of righteousness, not to crown and country. Adventuring

, paladins are rarely of any evil alignment. Most of them walk the paths of charity and justice. Consider how your alignment colors the way you pursue your holy quest and the manner in which you conduct

Difficult Terrain

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Difficult Terrain Combat rarely takes place in bare rooms or on featureless plains. Boulder-strewn caverns, briar-choked forests, treacherous staircases — the setting of a typical fight contains

difficult terrain. Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a space count as difficult terrain. Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth

Socializing

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

Socializing Many groups include players who come to the game primarily because they enjoy the social event and want to spend time with their friends, not because they’re especially invested in any

details of the game, rules, or story. As a rule, don’t try to force these players to be more involved than they want to be.

D&D Beyond

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