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Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

elements that can tip the balance one way or the other. Goliaths happily rely on such benefits, but they are careful to remember that such an advantage can always be lost. A goliath who relies too

, committed by the goliath. Goliaths assign and use nicknames with their friends of other races, and change them to refer to an individual’s notable deeds. Goliaths present all three names when

Nafas

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

creature to take his place. If the creature accepts, it is transformed into a noble djinni. The creature’s game statistics are replaced by those of Nafas (including this trait), though it

circumstance, Nafas relies on adventurers—whom he considers the living manifestations of a wish granted—to respond to these calls. To friendly adventurers and weary travelers along the

Plasmoid

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

internal organs of the usual sort. Their bodies are composed of cells, fibers, plasma-like ooze, and clusters of nerves. These nerves enable a plasmoid to detect light, heat, texture, sound, pain, and

you create your D&D character, you decide whether your character is a member of the human race or one of the game’s fantastical races. If you create a character using a race option

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

an unappealing place to explore by temporarily diverting springs, driving away game, stealing critical tools, and altering trails to leave hunting or lumber parties hopelessly lost. The firbolgs

forest’s children by their deeds, habits, and other actions. By the same token, their tribe names merely refer to their homes. When dealing with other races, firbolgs refer to their lands by

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

might sound like fun, but it can prove distracting and could slow down the game. Kenku Names Given that kenku can duplicate any sound, their names are drawn from a staggering variety of

clang of a mace against armor or the sound made by a breaking bone. Non-kenku refer to the kenku by describing this noise. Examples of this type of name include Smasher, Clanger, Slicer, and Basher

Introduction: Vast Oceans of Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Astral Adventurer’s Guide

Introduction: Vast Oceans of Adventure In a D&D game, adventures can unfold in any corner of the multiverse—not just in the dungeons and wildernesses of the Material Plane but also on other planes of

existence, including what celestial navigators refer to as Wildspace. When you stand on a Material Plane world and look up at the night sky, what you’re seeing is Wildspace and, beyond that, the

Session Zero

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

characters. Reinforce Expectations Make it clear that D&D is a group storytelling game. As the DM, you have a role in crafting adventures and arbitrating rules, but you aren’t solely responsible for how

much fun the group has. Everyone is responsible for the group’s enjoyment of the game. By the same token, the whole group has a role in determining how scary the game is and how far that frightful

Creature Type

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

categorization and have no rules of their own, but certain game effects might refer to them. Lists of monster groups related by descriptive tags appear in appendix B.

Creature Type Each monster has a tag that identifies the type of creature it is. Certain spells, magic items, class features, and other effects in the game interact in special ways with creatures of

Creature Type

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

, and zombies. Descriptive Tags A monster might have one or more tags in parentheses following its type. Such tags provide additional categorization and have no rules of their own, but certain game effects might refer to them.

Creature Type Each monster has a tag that identifies the type of creature it is. Certain spells, magic items, class features, and other effects in the game interact in special ways with creatures of

The D20

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

avoid the main blast of a fireball, or does he or she take full damage from the blaze? In cases where the outcome of an action is uncertain, the Dungeons & Dragons game relies on rolls of a 20-sided

die, a d20, to determine success or failure. Every character and monster in the game has capabilities defined by six ability scores. The abilities are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence

Time

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

Gate to Waterdeep, the adventurers spend four uneventful days before a goblin ambush interrupts their journey. In combat and other fast-paced situations, the game relies on rounds, a 6-second span of time.

Time

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

Gate to Waterdeep, the adventurers spend four uneventful days before a goblin ambush interrupts their journey. In combat and other fast-paced situations, the game relies on rounds, a 6-second span of time described in chapter 9, “Combat.”

Pandemonium

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

ability check that relies on hearing. Most of the plane’s inhabitants are creatures that were banished to the plane with no hope of escape, and the incessant winds have driven many to delirium and

a random form of indefinite madness, as described in chapter 8, “Running the Game.” Finishing a long rest doesn’t reduce a creature’s exhaustion level unless the creature can somehow escape the maddening winds.

Building a Party

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

of the action in a Ravnica campaign, it’s important not to let that tension cause too much friction in a party of adventurers. The D&D game relies on cooperation among the players, so it’s helpful

. Choose a guild and refer to its description in chapter 2 for suggestions on building the party around it. 2 Classic Party. Boros or Selesnya cleric (Life Domain), Azorius or Boros fighter (Champion

It's All Optional

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

encourage you to choose the ones that fit best with your campaign’s story and with your group’s style of play. Whatever options you choose to use, this book relies on the rules in the Player’s

originally appeared in Unearthed Arcana, a series of online articles we publish to explore rules that might officially become part of the game. Some Unearthed Arcana offerings don’t end up resonating with

What If Everyone Dies?

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

What If Everyone Dies? Misadventure can wipe out an entire group. (You’ll sometimes hear players refer to this as a “total party kill” or “TPK.”) Such a catastrophe doesn’t have to end the whole game

—rather, it presents an opportunity to take the game in a new direction. Consider these possibilities. A Fresh Start Everyone makes new characters, and the campaign starts anew. This might be the most

What Dwells Here?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Plane, the githyanki must bring their offspring to the Material Plane to mature. Unfamiliar with the asteroid’s actual name, the githyanki refer to Stardock as Crèche K’liir. THE ORIGINAL CRYSTAL

&D game. Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage presents alternative versions of the Crystal Labyrinth and Stardock scaled for fifth edition and this product. If you want to expand this level of Undermountain, the original adventure would be a fine source of inspiration.

Ending a Session

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

Ending a Session Try not to end a game session in the middle of an encounter. It’s difficult to keep track of information such as Initiative order and other round-by-round details between sessions

everyone to discuss the events of the session. Ask your players what parts of the session they liked and what they would have liked to see more. Take notes on what happened and the situation at the end of the session so you can refer back to those notes as you prepare the next session.

Ending a Session

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

Ending a Session Try not to end a game session in the middle of an encounter. It’s difficult to keep track of information such as Initiative order and other round-by-round details between sessions

everyone to discuss the events of the session. Ask your players what parts of the session they liked and what they would have liked to see more. Take notes on what happened and the situation at the end of the session so you can refer back to those notes as you prepare the next session.

Introduction: How to Use a Monster

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

books. This book is intended for Dungeon Masters (DMs) and provides game statistics for monsters: all sorts of creatures—whether friend or foe—controlled by the DM. Those statistics appear in stat blocks

. The book presents the monsters’ sections alphabetically, with animals gathered in appendix A. Official D&D adventures refer to the monsters in this book, and you may use these monsters—along with

Schools of Magic

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

Schools of Magic The rules of the game refer to the schools of magic (abjuration, illusion, necromancy, and so on), but it’s up to you to determine what those schools signify in your world. Similarly

Lay Out the Premise

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

Players need to feel like they’re in control of their characters, the choices they make matter, and what they do has some effect on the outcome of the adventure and on the game world. Keep that in mind

as you’re planning adventures. If your adventure relies on certain events, plan for multiple ways they might come about, or be prepared for clever players to prevent those events from happening as

Customizing the Giants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a6

originally produced in 1981 as a compilation of three adventures written in the earliest days of the game. Those adventures were created and originally released in 1978, during the time when Gary Gygax was

still writing the Player’s Handbook for the original AD&D game. Despite being (in a sense) older than the game itself, these adventures continue to hold a special place in the hearts and memories of D

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

and know the most about the territory farthest from the tribe’s lair. These individuals hunt game in peaceful times, and in combat they serve as scouts, foot soldiers, and cavalry. Gatherers

castes that give goblins their reputation for cowardice. Pariahs. Some goblin families are the lowest of the low, composed of the most dimwitted, least educated, and weakest goblins. They get the worst

Tracking Time

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

Tracking Time If tracking the passage of time is important during exploration, use a time scale appropriate for the situation at hand: Rounds. In combat and other fast-paced situations, the game

relies on 6-second rounds. Minutes. In a dungeon or settlement, movement happens on a scale of minutes. In the Free City of Greyhawk, getting from the Silver Dragon Inn to the wharf takes about 10 minutes

Spell Attacks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata

by several classes, including the Fighter and Paladin) doesn’t let you cast extra attack spells. That feature specifically relies on the Attack action, not the Magic action or any other action. In

summary, to make a spell attack, you have to first cast a spell or use a feature that creates the spell’s effect. A game feature, such as Extra Attack, that lets you make an attack doesn’t let you cast a

How to Play

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

uncertain, the Dungeons & Dragons game relies on rolls of a 20-sided die, a d20, to determine success or failure. Every character and monster in the game has capabilities defined by six ability

How to Play The play of the Dungeons & Dragons game unfolds according to this basic pattern. 1. The DM describes the environment. The DM tells the players where their adventurers are and what’s

Lockbury Henge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

each other’s company while singing, dancing, and playing games. Argantle is playing a chess-like game called Crowns with her cousin, Jagu, when a howling wind warns her of the party’s approach, giving

center of this henge, a small, checkered game board with stone playing pieces rests on the ground near the dying embers of a campfire. Each of the eight standing stones is about 20 feet tall and hewn

Special Traits

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

its Spellcasting or Innate Spellcasting special trait. This tag carries no special rules of its own, but other parts of the game might refer to it. A monster that has this tag typically doesn't require any components to cast its spells.

Encounters in Phandalin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

what information they want to share, then can move on to the next location. These scenes are a series of roleplaying encounters that take place over the course of a couple of days of game time. To

homes and businesses. Where do you want to go?” When the players pick a spot, refer to the description in the following section, introduce the NPCs there, and let the interaction begin. The Stonehill

Special Traits

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

using only the power of its mind has the psionics tag added to its Spellcasting or Innate Spellcasting special trait. This tag carries no special rules of its own, but other parts of the game might refer to it. A monster that has this tag typically doesn’t require any components to cast its spells.

Life in Shankhabhumi

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

Life in Shankhabhumi Outsiders often refer to the people of Shankhabhumi collectively as “riverlanders,” but the folk of the three city-states call themselves Sagorpuri, Ashwadhatuj, or Tippuri, and

favor clothing composed of lengths of cotton or silk cloth called bastras, which are wrapped around the body in various styles. These include the loose, voluminous drapes of a sedentary noble, the

Wuxia

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

character works just fine in a game inspired by medieval Asian cultures. Wuxia Weapon Names Having players refer to a tetsubo or a katana rather than a greatclub or a longsword can enhance the flavor

actions in the game don’t change the nuts and bolts of the rules, but they make all the difference in the feel of a campaign. Similarly, a class doesn’t need new rules to reflect a cultural influence; a

Pixie Kingdom

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

carnival has to offer. Entry to the attraction costs 1 ticket punch. Jeremy encourages the characters to adopt pixie names before entering; refer to the table below for ideas. The carnival’s mood rises

of the gondola swans. That bugbear has brains as well as brawn.” Playing Hide-and-seek After a short while, the characters are invited to play a game of hide-and-seek, organized by two pixies: the

Skill Variants

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

would gain an additional skill proficiency, that character instead selects another ability check in which to gain proficiency. This option removes skills from the game and doesn’t allow for much

as my family’s ambassador to the court, and this sort of thing is second nature to me now.” This simple system relies heavily on players developing their characters’ histories. Don’t let it result in

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