concept readily group to have resultant

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

single mistake can bring doom to an entire tribe, while an individual’s heroic effort can ensure the entire group’s survival. Goliaths thus place a premium on self-sufficiency and

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

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics. EVERYONE’S SECOND-BEST FRIENDS

Just as readily as they mix with each other, humans mingle with members of other races. They get along with almost everyone, though they might not be close to many. Humans serve as ambassadors, diplomats

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and

actions contribute to the survival of the group. The tribe practices for the eventuality of defending the lair against intruders, and their plans always include knowing the best escape routes and who is

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

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

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

two hunters viciously attack. A captured group of invaders might hang in a net while dozens of goblins pass by and pay them no heed until a group of gatherers shows up. Lashers. The closest thing a

, and thus each group has one leader that exerts autocratic control. But as with many tyrannies, the passing of a leader often results in a chaotic transition to the next. Sometimes a goblin boss has

Character Names

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

Character Names Part of your campaign style has to do with naming characters. It’s a good idea to establish some ground rules with your players at the start of a new campaign. In a group consisting

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

Arriving at Blingdenstone

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

characters win the gnomes’ trust, they are welcomed into Inner Blingdenstone, and to what food and comfort the locals can readily provide. ROLEPLAYING THE SVIRFNEBLIN Deep gnomes are a dour lot

require a DC 15 group Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the group check succeeds, the attitude of the svirfneblin shifts by one. If characters are rude or act in a way to make the deep gnomes more

The Golden Vault

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

upstanding local. Once an adventuring group proves itself effective and virtuous, an operative approaches the characters to offer Golden Vault membership. Should the group accept, its members join the ranks of

handler might be able to obtain it for them, provided the equipment is readily available and not too expensive. If you decide to use the Golden Vault as the characters’ patron organization, work with

Life and Outlook

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

mushrooms for food or watching over hatchlings, and they all understand that their actions contribute to the survival of the group. The tribe practices for the eventuality of defending the lair

blows over their differences. Kobolds choose mates primarily for convenience. Their lack of emotional bonding means they have no concept of marriage or permanent family relationships. Their eggs are

Using This Book

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

a new class, the artificer, that reflect the flavor of the world. It also presents group patrons, a new concept that adds a shared purpose to your party of adventurers. You can use this material in

Chamber Campaign Themes

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

or cooperate with demons in order to escape the clutches of the dragons. Throughout the campaign, the goals of the Chamber might not be readily apparent. Locations such as the planar observatory

working with the Chamber to gather information on the Prophecy and fight the Lords of Dust. In this case, the Chamber could act as a group patron; see the “Immortal Being” section of chapter 1.

Athreos's Villains

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

Athreos’s Villains Athreos’s champions readily forsake their connections to other mortals. Working among endless throngs of the dead and grieving can sap one’s empathy and harden any soul. As a

. 4 A group of cult fanatics charges exorbitant prices for funeral rites, threatening to lead the dead astray unless they’re shown proper respect. 5 A priest of Athreos speaks out against healers

Strahd's Vistani Servants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

Strahd’s Vistani Servants During one of Strahd’s military campaigns, years before he became a vampire, a group of Vistani rescued him after he was wounded in battle. These Vistani not only nursed

master, Strahd’s Vistani pretend to be helpful, but the information they impart is misleading at best and often deceptive. They readily tell adventurers that they have a potion that protects them from the

Veldyskar the Basilisk

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

group of characters scouting can sneak up on Veldyskar with a successful DC 10 group Dexterity (Stealth) check. Any characters who observe the basilisk can note that it keeps its eyes downcast, as if

basilisk trained to serve the keepers as a guardian and general-purpose helper. The basilisk adapted readily to the timeless nature of the library and embraced his new duties with great dedication

Character Advancement

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

actual time spent at the table. The reward for completing an adventure designed for 2 hours of play is 2 checkpoints, even if a group spends more than 2 hours playing through it. If a character

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

Ability Checks

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

the player how long the task takes. Alternatively, you can call for a single ability check and use the result to determine how long it takes for the character to complete the task. Group Checks Group

checks are a tool you can use when the party is trying to accomplish something together and the most skilled characters can cover for characters who are less adept at the task. To make a group

Redcloak Battalion

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

up and its units assigned to cities and strongholds across Breland. As an elite group of special forces, the Redcloaks don’t include inexperienced adventurers in their ranks. Considering that, there

are two ways to use the Redcloak Battalion as a group patron. First, the Redcloaks do sometimes take inexperienced adventurers under their wings. Existing Redcloaks proved themselves on the battlefields

Gnome Adventurers

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

of a rare metal, willing to travel the world high and low in search of it. Even a deep gnome might be born with an irrepressible urge to leave the Underdark and join a group to pursue a life of shared

of them take readily to life in the outside world and don’t come back on schedule, returning to the burrow only after spending years or decades away as a member of an adventuring party. The Pull of

Thornwall Keep

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

-floor library. If Darrett is with the characters, he distributes the hand pies he bought for breakfast. If he’s not, he arrives soon after the characters and does the same. Becklin readily makes small

the characters the shield only if at least one of them agrees to participate in the Battle of High Hill reenactment. She leaves it to the group to decide which character keeps the shield or how they

Appendix A: Shared Campaigns

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

hard to keep a campaign going. Enter the concept of the shared campaign. In a shared campaign, more than one member of the group can take on the role of DM. A shared campaign is episodic rather than

take part. In order to be successful, a shared campaign needs a champion — someone who takes on the responsibility of organizing and maintaining the group. If you’re interested in learning more about

Staff

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

band of ex-soldiers or reformed criminals) can add personality to the group. Consider using the rules in chapter 4 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, applying the results of a single set of rolls to the

entire group. Those hirelings could all shave their heads zealously, be brawny but absentminded, play various musical instruments, use colorful oaths and exclamations, and so on. Group ideals, bonds

Outer Planes

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

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

grueling trek across a single layer. The default Outer Planes are a group of sixteen planes that correspond to the eight alignments (excluding neutrality, which is represented by the Outlands, described in

Life in Dayawlongon

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

generous family bonds create varied ways to join different clans. Clans have few proscribed roles for their members, with each group sharing responsibilities in ways that work for their members

and curses the names of their enemy’s family. Debt of the Soul One of the cornerstones of Dayawlongo culture is the concept of utang ng loob, a debt of the soul. If someone saves another from mortal

Outer Planes

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

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

single layer. The most well-known Outer Planes are a group of sixteen planes that correspond to the eight alignments (excluding neutrality) and the shades of distinction between them. Outer Planes Outer

Using the Maps

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

the characters explore the carnival. Certain carnival events occur only when the Time Tracker reaches a certain point. Though it’s not necessary, your group can place tokens or miniatures on the map

originals, and you can alter a map’s features as you see fit. Nor do your maps need to be painstakingly rendered. You can omit details that are not readily visible (such as secret doors and other hidden

Nightspider Dead Ahead

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis

group of four neogi pirates and one umber hulk to board the Moondancer, then have the patrol arrive at a suitably dramatic moment during the fight. To the Rescue! As the nightspider approaches the

—an offer Sartell readily accepts in the wake of the nightspider’s ambush. If the Moondancer appears to be under the control of someone other than Captain Sartell (such as Traevus, the astral elves, or

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

to help a player express a particular character concept, and any class feature you replace is also removing an aspect of that character. Substituting a class feature should be done only to fit a

Guild

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

Guild There’s power in groups. One bee’s a pest, but nobody messes with the swarm. Tasha Your group has ties to a powerful consortium of professionals who work together for mutual benefit. You

represent guild patrons. A guild could even embody a more sinister group, such as one that deals in terrifying wares like deadly monsters, dangerous knowledge, or souls. Roll or pick from the Guild Types

Solitary but Social

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

than herself, and she loves being alone (except for the company of minions and other creatures under her sway). That’s the ordinary state of affairs. But when a group of hags have a common goal or they

members intend to keep the group from dissolving, they immediately attempt to recruit a replacement. This process involves each prospective member committing cruel acts with the aim of impressing the

Rejecting the Ordning

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

otherwise enjoy in the ordning. When giants join the cults of demon lords, they reject the entire concept of the ordning—the idea that there is any kind of order to the multiverse at all, which is the

giant serving a demon lord attacks a town. The town’s leaders ask the characters to retaliate against the giant’s kin—which is exactly what the demon cultist was hoping for. 8 A group of giants seeks adventurers to deal with a surge of demon cult activity within the giants’ community.

The Monastery

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Laboratory of Kwalish

polearm on another target. In addition, each group of five monks is led by an elder monk. These are cult fanatics that have outfitted their polearms with laser weapons secured from the monastery’s stores of

the control room of area M8). They readily direct characters toward the Grand Master in the central abbey (area M3). If the monks are harassed, or if the characters spend too much time exploring on

The Assault

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

party earns during their incursion. If the group caused particular damage to the sahuagin fortress on their first visit, feel free to grant them a discretionary 5 to 15 victory points based on the

table to determine what sahuagin forces linger there. The sahuagin throughout the fortress fight to the death, though the last surviving sahuagin of every group will attempt to escape to raise the

Build Your Group

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

Build Your Group Religious orders attract people from all walks of life. It can be fun to play against type—to make a devout character with the criminal or charlatan background, for example

Sir Baerdren would readily surrender his position, were it not for his distrust of his seneschal, Ofejjaia of Korth. Lady Ofejjaia, it seems, has other issues on her personal agenda besides

The Stone Tooth

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a2

woods block the view upslope, making it difficult to ascertain the origin of the smoke (a natural chimney). Have the party’s guide make a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check when the group first enters the

outside the stronghold to recuperate after difficult battles. The party can readily find defensible campsites in the forest near the Stone Tooth. Wait and Watch The characters might choose to observe

Dragon Relationships

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. One key to this devotion is the fact that a dragon’s power is more concrete than the power of most gods; the supernatural fear inspired by a dragon’s presence readily translates into reverence among

Humanoid form are often drawn to this role, and their minions might have no idea that their generous patrons are actually dragons. If you want to have a dragon act as a patron for a group of adventurers

D&D Beyond

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