concept reflecting group to have reluctant

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

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

Mephits

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

Mephits The characters might encounter magma mephits, mud mephits, smoke mephits, or steam mephits (each appearing as a group of 2d6). The mephits don’t attack unless they outnumber the characters two to one, but they’re reluctant to be helpful unless they themselves are outnumbered.

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

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

Working Together

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

advantage, reflecting the help provided by the other characters. In combat, this requires the Help action. A character can only provide help if the task is one that he or she could attempt alone. For

more individuals working together would actually be productive. Some tasks, such as threading a needle, are no easier with help. Group Checks When a number of individuals are trying to accomplish

Working Together

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

advantage, reflecting the help provided by the other characters. In combat, this requires the Help action (see chapter 9, “Combat”). A character can only provide help if the task is one that he or she

character can help only when two or more individuals working together would actually be productive. Some tasks, such as threading a needle, are no easier with help. Group Checks When a number of individuals

Small Groups

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

Small Groups Most of the time, each player runs one character. The game plays best that way, without overwhelming anyone. But if your group is small, players can control more than one character. Or

you can fill out the group with NPC followers, using the guidelines in chapter 4, "Creating Nonplayer Characters." You can also make the characters more resilient by using the healing surge option in

Halflings of the Five Nations

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

the syndicate, who occasionally pulls you in to criminal affairs. Or you could even be the reluctant heir of a Boromar leader; perhaps you’ve gone on the run rather than take your appointed place in

the criminal empire, but your past may yet catch up with you. You could also be the point of contact who has made the Boromar Clan your party’s group patron, as described later in this chapter.

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

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

The Dungeon Master

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

adventures, like the prisoner in the goblin lair or the innkeeper in town. Who should be the DM for your gaming group? Whoever wants to be! The person who has the most drive to pull a group together and

for your group. Rules to game by As the Dungeon Master, you are the final authority when it comes to rules questions or disputes during the game. Here are some guidelines to help you arbitrate

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

Caregiver

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Flee, Mortals! Rule Primer

can also take other actions if their caregiver is incapacitated or if the companion enters a rampage (as discussed below). One Companion per Group Companions are a lot of fun, but having more than

level, those statistics might fluctuate if the characters in a party are different levels, reflecting that a more experienced caregiver is more adept at directing a companion. Charmed Caregiver A

Travel Distances

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

by foot). On any other result, their caution is rewarded, and they travel the same distance as a group moving at a normal pace. Characters moving at a slow pace can move stealthily. As long as they’re

per day at a normal pace, 15 miles per day at a fast pace, or 9 miles per day at a slow pace), but this is likely to be more bother than it’s worth if the group switches pace from day to day. A

Encountering Ignis

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes’ Feast: Saving the Children’s Menu

. Otherwise, the characters must hide and succeed on a DC 16 group Dexterity (Stealth) check to avoid attracting her attention. Negotiating with Ignis Ignis speaks only Giant, but she is intelligent and can

ingredients from the farm, so long as the characters don’t trample the plants or harm the animals. Ignis is suspicious of intruders, but she’s also reluctant to start a fight. If the party displeases

The Dispute

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

of warforged who fought in the Last War. What They’ll Settle For. Ultimately, Kalyth’s group wants money, and Mercy’s group wants respect. If both parties get what they want, the dispute ends. Settling

the Dispute Mercy doesn’t understand that the Cyran veterans’ true motivation is money, nor does Mercy recognize the value of the items in the pilgrims’ possession. Though reluctant to bargain with

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

Mere of Dead Men Random Encounters

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

that these are trained lizards moving ahead of a lizardfolk encounter group. If so, those lizardfolk (see below) appear on the scene at the start of the sixth round of combat. Giant Spiders. The

spiders’ web is nearly invisible in an area of heavy fog. Spiders of the Mere of Dead Men have the Hold Breath trait. Lizardfolk. The lizardfolk of the mere are reluctant allies of the cult, mostly because

Mere of Dead Men Random Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

that these are trained lizards moving ahead of a lizardfolk encounter group. If so, those lizardfolk (see below) appear on the scene at the start of the sixth round of combat. Giant Spiders. The spiders

’ web is nearly invisible in an area of heavy fog. Spiders of the Mere of Dead Men have the Hold Breath trait. Lizardfolk. The lizardfolk of the mere are reluctant allies of the cult, mostly because

Cave Fisher

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

to a hiding spot and adheres itself to the surface to rest and wait. When prey blunders into the filament, the cave fisher reels in its meal. A group of cave fishers might work together to cover a

prey by shooting a filament out to capture it again. Moving Up in the World. Scarce food might draw a group of cave fishers up to the surface, into a shadowy canyon or a gloomy forest that features both

Role of the Dungeon Master

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

group, so let the players contribute to the outcome through the words and deeds of their characters. If some players are reluctant to speak up, remember to ask them what their characters are doing

charge of the game. Choosing a Dungeon Master Who should be the DM for your gaming group? Whoever wants to be! The person who has the most drive to pull a group together and start up a game often ends up

Wizardly Groups

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

Wizardly Groups Many wizardly groups exist in the Forgotten Realms, but two, in particular, stand out. The Red Wizards The most infamous group of wizards in the Realms are the Red Wizards of Thay

wear complex tattoos reflecting their ambitions and achievements and their favored school of magic. In Thay, the Red Wizards have ultimate power, although they give governance of day-to-day affairs to

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

Where to Go?

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

. Sarith Kzekarit is the best potential guide in the group, but also the most deceptive. He can navigate to any region of the Underdark shown on the map, but will encourage the characters to travel to

wise in the hidden ways of the Underdark. Topsy and Turvy can navigate to Blingdenstone, but they’re reluctant to do so. As such, they are likely to support any suggestion that will not take them to

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

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

Catching Coal

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

(Intimidation) check compels the captive to reveal the following information: The group works for Daask, a criminal organization. The criminals were told to kill Coal via a letter sent by a Daask lieutenant

, due to the fact that many businesses are reluctant to hire warforged foreigners. The pair became desperate for money. A month ago, Razor told Coal she had a job working on a long-term secret mission

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

Djeneba's Curiosity

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

the festivities with them, perhaps by dancing, drumming, or joining a group of Night Revelers in a vigorous debate. Dancing. The dance of the Night Revelers involves graceful acrobatics and exuberance

, the character stuns the group with some insight, and several philosophers ask the character to sign their favorite journals. Djeneba’s Offer After the characters interact with the Night Revelers or an

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

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

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