concept ranging given to have refer

Simic Hybrid

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

called Simic hybrids, though they sometimes refer to themselves as guardians. Extensive Adaptation A hybrid’s biological enhancements can change its appearance drastically, though most hybrids

usually bears the name given by their human, elf, or vedalken parents. Some hybrids assume a new name after their transformation - a name chosen personally or by those who transformed them.

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

. Protruding from her feathery owl’s head is a pair of curved goat horns. A cloak and cowl made of pristine white snow conceals much of her tripartite form, which her worshipers refer to as the

loses all the traits and actions of the old form and gains those of the new form. A stat block is given for each of Auril’s three forms. These descriptions do not reflect Auril at full power, but

Warforged

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

deeper meaning. The typical warforged has a sexless body shape. Some warforged ignore the concept of gender entirely, while others adopt a gender identity. The more a warforged develops its

individuality, the more likely it is to modify its body, seeking out an artificer to customize the look of its face, limbs, and plating. Quirks Warforged often display an odd personality trait or two, given

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips

, 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

Storm of Vengeance Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

damage. Round 3. You call six bolts of lightning from the cloud to strike six creatures or objects of your choice beneath the cloud. A given creature or object can't be struck by more than one bolt. A

, gusts of strong wind (ranging from 20 to 50 miles per hour) automatically disperse fog, mists, and similar phenomena in the area, whether mundane or magical.

Dragonborn Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

colors of their dragon kin, but generations of interbreeding have created a more uniform appearance. Their small, fine scales are usually brass or bronze in color, sometimes ranging to scarlet, rust

to another dragonborn clan before seeking aid from other races—or even from the gods. Dragonborn Names Dragonborn have personal names given at birth, but they put their clan names first as a

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

adopt elven names when they must deal with outsiders, although the concept of names strikes them as strange. They know the animals and plants of the forest without formal names, and instead identify the

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

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

sang from every page. Long into the night Liriel read, lighting candle after precious candle. She’d never given much thought to humans, but these stories fascinated her. In these yellowed

shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty

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

Firbolg Names

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

Firbolg Names Firbolg adopt elven names when they must deal with outsiders, although the concept of names strikes them as strange. They know the animals and plants of the forest without formal names

, and instead identify the 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

Keeping Time from Day to Day

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

their arrangements around such expressions. The concept of hours and minutes exists mainly where wealthy people use clocks, but mechanical clocks are often unreliable, and rarely are two set to the same

time. If a local temple or civic structure has a clock that tolls out the passing of the hours, people refer to hours as “bells,” as in “I’ll meet you at seven bells.”

Kenku Names

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

Kenku Names Given that kenku can duplicate any sound, their names are drawn from a staggering variety of noises and phrases. Kenku names tend to break down into three categories that make no

distinction between male and female names. Kenku thugs, warriors, and toughs adopt noises made by weapons, such as the clang of a mace against armor or the sound made by a breaking bone. Non-kenku refer to

Chapter 2: Downtime Revisited

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

pace works fine for many campaigns, some DMs prefer a campaign story with pauses built into it — times when adventurers are not going on adventures. The downtime rules given in this section can be

they amass on their adventures. The system presented here consists of two elements. First, it introduces the concept of rivals. Second, it details a number of downtime activities that characters can

The Balance

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

eternity. A third point of view exists, held by those who take both sides at their word and strive to make sure that neither outcome ever comes to pass. The adherents of this viewpoint refer to the

concept they espouse as the Balance, and they seek to maintain equilibrium across the cosmos above all. Mordenkainen and his compatriots are among its most notable devotees. Since a true appreciation of

Time in the Realms

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

name. For example, sages would record an event as occurring on “1 Mirtul” or “27 Uktar.” People might also refer to a given day by its relationship to the current date (“two tendays from today”) or the nearest holiday (“three days past Greengrass”).

Secret

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

cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide explores options like these, in the section

up serving, choose a Divine Domain that is appropriate for it, and if it doesn’t have a holy symbol, work with your DM to design one. The cleric’s class features often refer to your deity. If you

Storm of Vengeance

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

six creatures or objects of your choice beneath the cloud. A given creature or object can’t be struck by more than one bolt. A struck creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes

impossible. The wind and rain count as a severe distraction for the purposes of maintaining concentration on spells. Finally, gusts of strong wind (ranging from 20 to 50 miles per hour) automatically disperse fog, mists, and similar phenomena in the area, whether mundane or magical.

Attitudes

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

Attitudes Each dragon councilor has one of four attitudes in this chapter, ranging from unfriendly to cautious, neutral, and friendly. To secure the cooperation of the metallic dragons as a whole

adventurers to secure the metallic dragons’ allegiance. HAVE WE MET BEFORE? The dragons on the council have lived for centuries. Given how quickly humanoids build up progeny, it is possible that one of the

Special Traits

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

is always cast at its lowest possible level and can't be cast at a higher level. If a monster has a cantrip where its level matters and no level is given, use the monster's challenge rating. An innate

drow mage. A monster's innate spells can't be swapped out with other spells. If a monster's innate spells don't require attack rolls, no attack bonus is given for them. Spellcasting A monster with the

Life in San Citlán

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

dance, ball games are a common pastime, ranging from ancient variations played with the hip to more contemporary kicking games. Wrestling evolved into its own form of theatrical entertainment: La

Lucha, where luchadores don colorful masks, adopt epic personas, and battle using acrobatic maneuvers. Faith and Festivals Worship is ingrained in city culture, and major religions have temples ranging

Special Traits

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

is always cast at its lowest possible level and can’t be cast at a higher level. If a monster has a cantrip where its level matters and no level is given, use the monster’s challenge rating. An innate

drow mage. A monster’s innate spells can’t be swapped out with other spells. If a monster’s innate spells don’t require attack rolls, no attack bonus is given for them. Spellcasting A monster with the

Storm of Vengeance

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

six creatures or objects of your choice beneath the cloud. A given creature or object can’t be struck by more than one bolt. A struck creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes

impossible. The wind and rain count as a severe distraction for the purposes of maintaining concentration on spells. Finally, gusts of strong wind (ranging from 20 to 50 miles per hour) automatically disperse fog, mists, and similar phenomena in the area, whether mundane or magical.

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

they can be raised from the dead or given proper burials. If the dead characters have Bastions (see chapter 8), the stand-in party could consist of hirelings from those Bastions.

Wide Magic, Not High Magic

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

beyond the reach of most people. People are familiar with the concept of spells like teleportation or raise dead, but few people have ever seen either of these things actually performed. Only the most

magic items can be purchased, with prices ranging anywhere from 2,000 gp–20,000 gp. In practice, these things are rare. A rare magic item might be the prize of a collection in a Sharn emporium, or the

Outer Planes

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

refer to the Outer Planes as divine planes, spiritual planes, or godly planes, for the Outer Planes are best known as the homes of deities. When discussing anything to do with deities, the language used

a virtually meaningless concept on the Outer Planes. The perceptible regions of the planes often seem quite small, but they can also stretch on to what seems like infinity. It might be possible to

History

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

Forgotten Realms number the years by the Dalereckoning calendar, which is abbreviated “DR.” Years are also given names, which are drawn from the writings of a great seer from long ago. The adventure is

set in 1491 DR, the Year of the Scarlet Witch. Each month consists of three ten-day long weeks called tendays. People refer to tendays the way people in other worlds refer to weeks.

Outer Planes

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

, the Outer Planes provide the direction, thought, and purpose for its construction. Accordingly, many sages refer to the Outer Planes as divine planes, spiritual planes, or godly planes, for the Outer

their divine needs. Distance is a virtually meaningless concept on the Outer Planes. The perceptible regions of the planes can seem quite small, but they can also stretch on to what seems like infinity

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

on. Even a stupid or physically weak kobold is given a role in the tribe, whether something as simple as picking mushrooms for food or watching over hatchlings, and they all understand that their

lack of emotional bonding means they have no concept of marriage or permanent family relationships. Their eggs are placed in a common tribal hatchery with no effort to keep track of who each one

M6. Performers' Quarters

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

Westerly (a nonbinary human from the world of Tal’dorei) paces angrily while muttering their lines. All five actors urge the characters to leave Motherhorn before the hag, whom they refer to as Creeping

Lyn or Bitter End, snares them in her traps. Given a chance, one or more of the actors also share the following information: “Even if Creeping Lyn hates you, it’s still possible to win her favor by

Modifying a Class

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

, paladins might not swear their oaths to ideals, but instead swear fealty to powerful sorcerers. To capture this story concept, you could build a new paladin spell list with spells meant to protect

opportunity to develop the character’s story and that of your world, rather than shutting down possibilities. Substituting Class Features If one or more features of a given class don’t exactly fit the theme

Inner Ward

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

heights vary, ranging from as low as ten feet to as high as one hundred feet in the tallest towers. The Avowed use floating disks, each one large enough to hold three Medium creatures, to reach the

case they’re allowed a room and given strict instructions not to wander the halls without their assigned guides. The halls of Exaltation connect to its classrooms, kitchens, bakeries, dining halls

New Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

local museums, the character has thwarted threats ranging from ettins to glabrezus. 6 The character is in the service of a god and on a mission to protect the helpless. The work doesn’t pay well, but

Neverember’s villa. It’s up to you to decide why; perhaps a god’s or spellcaster’s intervention is involved. 4 The character defeated an evil leader and was given the pick of the spoils from the villain’s

Life in Tletepec

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

vary from village to village, ranging from tests of knowledge to trials of physical prowess. In earlier days, villages that fought over resources were quickly wiped out, while those whose people

eagle effigy whose burning signifies the offerings given and whose light represents the blessings from the gods. Watchers of the Ashes The Watchers of the Ashes are a religious coalition dedicated to

Difficulty Class

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

Nearly impossible 30 The numbers associated with these categories of difficulty are meant to be easy to keep in your head, so that you don’t have to refer to these rules every time you decide on a

ability score against any given check. If you want some risk of failure, you need to set higher DCs. Doing this, though, can aggravate the problem you’re trying to solve: higher DCs require higher die rolls, and thus rely even more on luck.

Childhood

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

is an elf of their own kind, for when the primal elves went against Corellon and took permanent shapes, they chose this fate for themselves. How many elves are born to which parents or in any given

rely on friends for the development of their social skills. In exceedingly rare cases, a birth might produce twins or — scarcer yet — triplets. These offspring, which the elves refer to as soul siblings

D&D Beyond

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