composed religion groups to her rather

Grippli Warrior

Monsters Candlekeep Mysteries

are raised by the community rather than by a single set of parents, and all of a community’s eggs are kept in freshwater pools until they mature. Protecting their eggs is a major concern for

. Grippli religion is based in animism and nature spirits; the frogfolk do not pay reverence to a single deity, but they might beseech a particular nature spirit for aid from time to time.

Mercion

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her. Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry

administers healing. She uses Radiant Fire against groups of foes when there’s no chance of harming allies or innocent lives, otherwise resorting to hold person spells and Divine Radiance attacks

Deadbark Dryad

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Bramble Walk. Difficult terrain composed of vegetation, such as foliage or thorns, doesn’t cost the dryad extra movement. Magic Resistance. The dryad has advantage on saving throws against

, it becomes stronger and more violent, and it typically gains a renewed dedication to protecting its now-fetid domain. Most deadbark dryads would rather fight to the death than allow any intrusion into

Faction Agent

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

, and their members operate anywhere the organization deems necessary. These groups employ listeners, rumormongers, smugglers, sellswords, cache-holders (people who guard caches of wealth or magic for

knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often proficient in Investigation, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Harpers, sympathetic bards and

Planar Philosopher

Backgrounds Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

coins from different worlds and planes Sigil Faction Affinities Faction Skill Athar Religion Bleak Cabal Insight Doomguard Nature Fated Intimidation

these groups or another ideological faction, perhaps one of your own creation. The primary factions of Sigil, which are further detailed in chapter 2, adhere to the following philosophies: Athar

Nass Lantomir's Ghost

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

overheard her master talking to another wizard about a covert expedition to Icewind Dale being undertaken to seek out long-lost magic from a bygone empire. Rather than carry out her original plan, Nass

and headed toward the Sea of Moving Ice, hoping to find a tome called The Codicil of White, a book of magic and lore composed by servants of Auril the Frostmaiden. The Arcane Brotherhood believes that

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

time apart from the clamor of society, you found quiet, solitude, and perhaps some of the answers you were looking for. Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit

a patriar’s scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your kin. 6 You aren’t originally from Baldur

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

few organizations operating in the North are described below. The Chill. The cold and mysterious Lurkwood serves as the home of numerous groups of goblinoids that have banded together into one tribe

enemies is blind and unreasoning. 5 I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. 6 I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

, 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

. In the Forgotten Realms, nine human ethnic groups are widely recognized, though over a dozen others are found in more localized areas of Faerûn. These groups, and the typical names of their

Giff Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

. Mercenaries Extraordinaire. Giff are in high demand as warriors for hire, but they insist on serving in units composed entirely of giff; a giff hiring itself out individually is unheard of. Giff

refuse to fight other giff, and will never agree to a contract unless it stipulates that they can sit out a battle rather than wage war against their kin. A giff prizes the reputation of its unit above its

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

rather than perform the work or confront the foe. Even when subsumed into a goblinoid host and drawn into war, bugbears must often be roused from naps and bribed to get them to do their duties. This

. 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

Origin of the Ordning

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

among giant kinds reflecting a cultural or geographical distinction rather than an inherent one. They might live in bands composed of multiple giant kinds or family groups of a single kind. Or giants of

Power in Kalaman

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

Power in Kalaman Kalaman is led by the following three groups: Governor. The head of Kalaman’s government is Governor Calof Miat (lawful neutral, human noble). He represents the city’s people and

speaks on their behalf during council sessions. Guild Leaders. A council composed of the leaders of the city’s five most prominent guilds—the Cartographers’ Guild, Dockhands’ Guild, Fishers’ Guild

Life in the Tayyib Empire

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

Life in the Tayyib Empire The Tayyib Empire is a cosmopolitan mix of the native peoples of Suristhanam, immigrants, and various invading groups. Nearly half the population are brown-skinned humans

, with significant elf, hobgoblin, lizardfolk, and yuan-ti populations making up most of the remainder. Faith and Religion The dominant faith is Iwahhid, a philosophy that rejects idols and promotes

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

, smelting, forging, and religion. If the tribe has any spellcasters, this caste includes them. Lashers follow the lead of the tribe’s boss, and enforce their will on other goblins with whips

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

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

kenku, constant attempts to mimic noises can come across as confusing or irritating rather than entertaining. You can just as easily describe the sounds your character makes and what they mean. Be clear

Loyalty

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

can track the loyalty scores of groups of NPCs, such as those belonging to each faction, rather than having to track NPCs individually. The characters must balance the goals and bonds of their followers in order to maintain and improve their loyalty.

Arborean Springs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

a mix of recent wooden construction and ancient stone buildings. The people of Arborean Springs fall into three broad groups: Traditionalists. Most of the people of Arborean Springs are farmers and

, followers of a druidic nature religion came here, drawn by the unique plants that have spread from the githyanki’s magical gardens. Merchants. In the two centuries since the dragon’s last fiery

Young White Dragon

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

Young White Dragon Young white dragons defend their hunting grounds from rivals. In some cases, kobolds and groups of humanoids might offer food and treasure to young white dragons, attempting to

dragon can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, Difficult Terrain composed of ice or snow doesn’t cost it extra movement. Actions Multiattack

Factions of the Sword Coast

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

and reorganized several times, the Harpers remain a powerful, behind-the-scenes agency, which acts to thwart evil and promote fairness through knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often

aligned with the Harpers’ ideals. The Order of the Gauntlet. One of the newest power groups in Faerûn, the Order of the Gauntlet has an agenda similar to that of the Harpers. Its methods are vastly

Shared World

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

Shared World Some groups take a large, established campaign setting and divide it up geographically so different DMs can run separate campaigns in the same setting. In theory, characters can travel

from one DM’s region of the world to another’s, creating continuity in the campaign even as characters might be involved in several plotlines. Rather than dividing a campaign geographically, you and

Other Groups

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

Other Groups Representatives of various organizations have their own reasons for exploring the Mists and might be encountered in multiple domains. Church of Ezra Pious souls in various domains pray

would-be heroes. The Kargat and the Kargatane Darkon’s secret police, the Kargat, is composed of vampires and others supernaturally disposed toward intrigue. Since Azalin’s disappearance (see “Darkon

Cogwork Archivist

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

be found among the towering shelves of the Biblioplex, simultaneously retrieving scrolls for curious students while keeping a stern eye on any rowdy groups that might disrupt the quiet atmosphere

) INT 17 (+3) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 6 (−2) Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Nature +5, Religion +5, Perception +2 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion

Humans

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

risen to power in the region. This power-hungry religion controls the city of Haven and surrounding settlements in the name of vague, fickle deities who condemn the use of magic. The broad plains of the

enclave of Hylo and the goblins of the arid southern lands, with whom they share their island. Fewer humans make their home on Southern Ergoth, living primarily along the coast and avoiding dangerous groups

Exemplars of Ambition

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

, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups. EVERYONE’S SECOND-BEST FRIENDS Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle with members

Daask Operations

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

Daask Operations Violence and intimidation are Daask’s most used tools. Rather than using bribery, Daask manipulates the Sharn Watch through displays of force and brutal reprisals against officers

sells a highly addictive drug called dragon’s blood. Daask has another, perhaps surprising area of operation: religion. The organization has brought priests of the Dark Six to Sharn and has restored a

Gods, Celestials, and Fiends

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

outlook means that religion is driven by faith, as opposed to the concrete actions of deities. The faithful believe that their triumphs reflect the assistance of a divine influence. They don’t expect a god

such, player characters are more likely to encounter celestials and fiends that are native to Eberron, spawned by Khyber or Siberys, rather than extraplanar entities.

Narthus

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands

Narthus Cult Leader’s Cruel Understudy A craven lackey, Narthus serves Ivlis out of fear rather than loyalty. Narthus spends his days groveling before Ivlis and cruelly whipping new initiates to the

Medicine +4, Religion +2 Gear Chain Shirt, Mace Senses Passive Perception 12 Languages Common CR 1 (XP 200; PB +2) Actions Multiattack. Narthus makes two attacks using Vile Mace or Fateful

Exemplars of Ambition

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

, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups. EVERYONE'S SECOND-BEST FRIENDS Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle with members

Gods and Religion

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

Gods and Religion The myths of giants across the Material Plane differ in many details, but most of them portray giants as descendants of a progenitor god, typically Annam, the All-Father. Giants

don’t typically exalt themselves and demand worship from lesser beings. Rather, they are often drawn to follow gods—and sometimes other powerful beings—who help them live out their part in that epic

Appendix B: Character Names

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

character race in the Player’s Handbook or a real-world ethnic or language group, with a focus on groups from antiquity and the Middle Ages. You can select from the possibilities here, or use dice to

have a dwarven name. Or, as DM, you might decide that dragonborn in your campaign have a culture reminiscent of ancient Rome and therefore use Roman names, rather than the dragonborn names suggested here.

Espionage Agency Contacts

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

Espionage Agency Contacts Your assignments come from a superior in the agency who typically works at a desk rather than in the field—compiling intelligence into reports for their superiors and

coordinating the activities of multiple groups. Use the Agency Contacts table to determine the character of your superior, which can shape the kinds of missions you undertake and the degree of support you

Travel in Anauroch

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

roads and paths that crisscross Anauroch. Some of these paths are invisible on the ground, and the Bedine navigate by using the stars at night. Groups of Bedine might be traders carrying goods

, scouts looking for food, or bandits hoping to raid merchant caravans that try to shortcut their way across the desert rather than circumnavigate it. The Bedine nomads can act as guides for lost characters, offer clues for stuck players, and provide food and water for adventurers in desperate need.

Inhabitants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

City of Doors. Some sages track the existence and spread of humans back to Sigil itself, rather than to a deity or its creations. Various factions handle the day-to-day governance of Sigil, enforcement

of laws, and maintenance of civic infrastructure. These groups each follow a philosophy inspired by a cosmic aspect of the multiverse, and they actively recruit visitors and citizens into their ranks

Ancient White Dragon

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

lethal cold. While they might ignore animals or small groups of polar wanderers, these dragons are quick to challenge other dragons and creatures wielding powerful magic, hoping to add their foes

. Additionally, Difficult Terrain composed of ice or snow doesn’t cost it extra movement. Legendary Resistance (4/Day, or 5/Day in Lair). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed

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