concept rather grim to have respectively

Gray Dwarf (Duergar) Legacy

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

obliterated by Moradin’s betrayal. The duergar lead bleak, grim lives devoid of happiness or satisfaction, but they see that as their defining strength — the root of duergar pride, as it were — rather than a drawback to be corrected.

grim, ashen-skinned dwarves now take slaves of their own and are as tyrannical as their former masters. Physically similar to other dwarves in some ways, duergar are wiry and lean, with black eyes and

Vampirate Mage

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

use them to draw vital fluids from prey, which vampirates consider an unsavory act. Rather, a vampirate drains life energy from another creature by touching it or by siphoning off its energy from a

they’re not sleeping or marauding, a crew of vampirates whiles away the hours by drinking rum and singing grim chanteys. A ship crewed by vampirates usually has one or more Shadow;shadows aboard—the Undead remains of some of the vampirates’ victims.Cold, Necrotic, PoisonRadiant

Vampirate

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

vampire’s but doesn’t use them to draw vital fluids from prey, which vampirates consider an unsavory act. Rather, a vampirate drains life energy from another creature by touching it or by

coffin and sleep amid their cargo. When they’re not sleeping or marauding, a crew of vampirates whiles away the hours by drinking rum and singing grim chanteys. A ship crewed by vampirates usually

Vampirate Captain

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

parchment. A vampirate has fangs like a vampire’s but doesn’t use them to draw vital fluids from prey, which vampirates consider an unsavory act. Rather, a vampirate drains life energy from

ship’s hold as one big coffin and sleep amid their cargo. When they’re not sleeping or marauding, a crew of vampirates whiles away the hours by drinking rum and singing grim chanteys. A ship

Way of Mercy Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

bring a swift end as an act of mercy. Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in

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

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some

, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny. Male Infernal Names: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos

Water Weird Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

those its summoner declares as off limits. When slain, a water weird becomes an inanimate pool of water. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil

interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might turn against its summoner. A water weird loses its evil alignment if its waters are cleansed

Accursed

races

of the other typical senses of “curse” in the game. Rather, accursed reflects the grim sense of how most other folk in the campaign will view such a character, especially those who don

chosen with a specific character concept in mind. Accursed are so named not because their birth or creation was the result of magical malfeasance, a hag’s bargain, a corrupted scroll, or any

Arisen

races

unique construct created by magic, mysterious science, or both. Arisen are never born in their current form. They are not undead, nor have they been raised from death by divine magic. Rather, each

. Their rarity among the peoples of Etharis and the grim rumors that swirl around them most often leave arisen socially isolated. But not all arisen are driven to nihilism by the bleakness of their

Tiefling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some

, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny. Male Infernal Names: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos

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

, Dorn, Evendur, Gorstag, Grim, Helm, Malark, Morn, Randal, Stedd; (female) Arveene, Esvele, Jhessail, Kerri, Lureene, Miri, Rowan, Shandri, Tessele; (surnames) Amblecrown, Buckman, Dundragon, Evenwood

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Survival of the Fittest

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

themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk

pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the goliath concept of fair play. A permanently injured goliath is still expected to

Tiefling Names

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

then try to embody that concept. For some, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny. Male Infernal Names: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech

, passed down through generations, that reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and

Tiefling Names

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

concept and then try to embody that concept. For some, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it’s a grim destiny. Male Infernal Names: Akmenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon

Character Names

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

names, that’s fine. If the group would rather take the characters and their names a little more seriously, urge Bob’s player to come up with a more appropriate name. Player character names should match

each other in flavor or concept, and they should also match the flavor of your campaign world — so should the nonplayer characters’ names and place names you create. Travok and Kairon don’t want to undertake a quest for Lord Cupcake, visit Gumdrop Island, or take down a crazy wizard named Ray.

Quest for the Sword

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

are flowcharts that show the two paths characters can take through Avernus to reach the Bleeding Citadel: the Path of Demons and the Path of Devils, respectively. Neither is literally a “path,” but

rather a sequence of locations that the characters must visit in order. If the characters wander off these paths, use optional encounters to pull them back (see “Other Locations,” and “Roaming

Grim Champion of Bloodshed

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

have the frightened condition until the end of its next turn. Domenico Cava Wynemar Brack Well, that’s not quite correct, either. Rather, I fear the sheer destruction those three grim champions

Grim Champion of Bloodshed Wynemar Brack was once a farmer, but mercenaries in a local war razed her fields and sacked her village. In desperation, she yielded to the clever patter of a traveling

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation

divination (to find raw materials and foresee threats to the tribe). The main reason why kobolds depend on arcane magic rather than divine is Kurtulmak’s imprisonment, which makes it difficult for

The Returned

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

The Returned Walking the Path of Phenax doesn’t restore a soul to its life. Those who return from the Underworld are hollow shells inhabited by grim and purposeless spirits. These Returned are

, pseudammas turn tragedy into horror by snatching mortal children and attempting to raise them. However, the Returned have forgotten the needs of the living and they have no concept of how to care for a child.

Character Advancement

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

taking part in a play session. A character reaches 1 checkpoint for each hour an adventure is designed to last. Note that the award is based on the adventure’s projected playing time, rather than the

designed to take 2 hours, the character reaches 3 checkpoints. Playing time might seem like an odd way to measure experience awards, but the concept is in keeping with how a shared campaign is meant to

Origin of the Ordning

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

the ordning in some mythic future. Giants on some worlds (including Eberron) have no concept of the ordning at all. Such giants might think of themselves as a single species, with the differences

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

Vampirates

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Boo’s Astral Menagerie

use them to draw vital fluids from prey, which vampirates consider an unsavory act. Rather, a vampirate drains life energy from another creature by touching it or by siphoning off its energy from a

not sleeping or marauding, a crew of vampirates whiles away the hours by drinking rum and singing grim chanteys. A ship crewed by vampirates usually has one or more shadows aboard—the Undead remains of some of the vampirates’ victims.

Goals

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

the Grim Harrow’s attention (the Grim Harrow is detailed in chapter 19). Research the Deck of Many Things. When they aren’t actively pursuing copies of the Deck of Many Things, knights of the Solar

of Many Things in their possession. Warn of the Grim Harrow. The Solar Bastion is on the lookout for the Grim Harrow: Undead that pursue Decks of Many Things across the multiverse (see chapter 19

What If Everyone Dies?

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

—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

characters must convince the council to return them to life. Escape from the Underworld The dead characters wake up in Hades (see chapter 6) and must find a way to escape the grim underworld and return

Siege Weapon Sabotage

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hold Back The Dead

characters’ Short Rest if they take one). Corlie strides from the door of one of the fortress’s interior buildings. Three grim-looking soldiers fall in behind her. She gives you a wide grin. “My friends

. It’s immediately clear that they are destroying the siege weapon rather than taking it apart, which should alert the characters that something is wrong. Once the siege weapon is destroyed, or if the

Darklords

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

adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their

concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their

Yuan-ti Cities

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

yuan-ti content themselves with maintaining these ancient places rather than building new ones for their needs. Although these sites are hundreds or even thousands of years old, they don’t look or feel

reflects human ideas about art and beauty. Over time this perspective was skewed toward the concept that the snake is the perfect form, so serpents are a common theme in their aesthetic. The major

Water Weird

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

. Good and Evil Weirds. Like most elementals, a water weird has no concept of good or evil. However, a water weird bound to a sacred or befouled source of water begins to take on the nature of that site

, becoming neutral good or neutral evil. A neutral good water weird tries to frighten away interlopers rather than kill them, while a neutral evil water weird kills its victims for pleasure and might

Secret

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

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

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

Glorium

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

Grim. Loyal and tempestuous, she leaps into the fray with a thunderous cry. The one-armed warrior’s face and body bear the scars of countless duels, and the gnarled haft of her trusty battleaxe is

patron deities of fire and frost giants, respectively—regularly send hulking subjects to pillage the wintry camp, darkening its skies with ash and snow. Meanwhile, nomadic groups of mountain bariaurs hold

Warduke

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

beneath it is that of a grim, hideously scarred gladiator. Alignment. Chaotic evil. Personality Trait. “I speak with the flames and razor-sharp edges of my sword. They beat words to hell.” Ideal. “I expect

to be paid well for my handiwork.” Bond. “The League of Malevolence is a convenient arrangement—until something better comes along.” Flaw. “I would rather die than surrender.” Combat Notes Warduke

Welcome to Ravenloft

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

Ravenloft in Barovia—home of the notorious Strahd von Zarovich. In this mysterious setting, the land, the passage of time, the tides, and every other reliable truth can shift unpredictably. Rather than

hidden within these supernatural mists, and of these secret realms, the most terrifying are those born of your nightmares and given grim life through your adventures. Although Ravenloft is a setting of

Introduction

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

you receive a cancer diagnosis or a similar health news, you probably appreciate that concept a little more than other people. Watching someone you love waste away is a terrible thing. You want a

magic button to bring things back to the way they should be, this person you love so much restored to who they really are rather than what cancer is grinding them down into. It’s easy to give in to

D&D Beyond

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