continues records game to have reason

Kasimir Velikov

Monsters Curse of Strahd

strong that he adopted the name of the Vistana who welcomed him into his clan, a man named Velikov. Although Velikov passed away more than a century ago, Kasimir continues to live among Velikov's

led her down a path of evil and deceit. For that reason, Kasimir wants to see the vampire destroyed so that his sister can be rescued from her eternal damnation. Secrets of the Amber Temple. Patrina

Young Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

or deep gnomes, relying on these folk to help protect the territory surrounding their lairs. Martial Hoards Sapphire dragons’ favorite prizes are weapons and armor, records of military

;whether they want to or not. 7 I cannot resist a game of dragonchess—which, I will have you know, my ancestors probably invented. 8 The sight of blood makes me queasy. Sapphire

Ancient Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

to help protect the territory surrounding their lairs. Martial Hoards Sapphire dragons’ favorite prizes are weapons and armor, records of military history and tactics, and magic items that

cannot resist a game of dragonchess—which, I will have you know, my ancestors probably invented. 8 The sight of blood makes me queasy. Sapphire Dragon Ideals d6

Sapphire Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

; favorite prizes are weapons and armor, records of military history and tactics, and magic items that protect against psychic damage or mental intrusion. The centerpiece of a sapphire dragon’s

that can hold their own against me must teach me how—whether they want to or not. 7 I cannot resist a game of dragonchess—which, I will have you know, my ancestors probably invented

Claugiyliamatar (possessed)

Monsters Divine Contention

the crest that begins near its eyes and continues down its spine, reaching full height just behind the skull. A small wooded region near Westbridge hides many old dwarven ruins and the extensive

dragon’s lair serve as the dragon’s eyes and ears. Deer and other large game are strangely absent, hinting at the presence of an unnaturally hungry predator. If the dragon dies, the rodents

Adult Amethyst Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

object dropped down one of the chimneys continues falling endlessly unless it or some outside force has the means to slow or stop it. This property of the lair vanishes after 1d10;{"diceNotation":"1d10

retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This transformation ends if the dragon is reduced to 0 hit points or uses a bonus action to end it. Psychic Step. The dragon magically teleports to an unoccupied space it can see within 60 feet of it.

Adult Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

surrounding their lairs. Martial Hoards Sapphire dragons’ favorite prizes are weapons and armor, records of military history and tactics, and magic items that protect against psychic damage or mental

they do, they obviously cheated. 6 Any creature that can hold their own against me must teach me how—whether they want to or not. 7 I cannot resist a game of dragonchess—which

Ancient Amethyst Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

the lower level brings a creature to the upper level. A creature or object dropped down one of the chimneys continues falling endlessly unless it or some outside force has the means to slow or stop it

magically transforms into any creature that is Medium or Small, while retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This transformation ends if the dragon is reduced to 0 hit points or uses a bonus

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

miles on a side, with each tribe hunting in the lands nearest to their colony, ranging farther should game become scarce. A typical colony consists of one large, open-roofed nest made of woven vines

. Great Purpose Aarakocra enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples and less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it takes an

Adult Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

know of places of power near their lairs and keep detailed records of how phenomena connected to those sites react to outside influences. They also avidly collect magic items and spells that create

Shape. The dragon magically transforms into any creature that is Medium or Small, while retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This transformation ends if the dragon is reduced to 0 hit

Ancient Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

of power near their lairs and keep detailed records of how phenomena connected to those sites react to outside influences. They also avidly collect magic items and spells that create illusions

, but new ones form at a normal rate.Fire, PsychicChange Shape. The dragon magically transforms into any creature that is Medium or Small, while retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This

Animate Dead Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

creature. The target becomes a skeleton if you chose bones or a zombie if you chose a corpse (the GM has the creature's game statistics). On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to mentally

issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete. The creature is under your control

Create Undead Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

You can cast this spell only at night. Choose up to three corpses of Medium or Small humanoids within range. Each corpse becomes a ghoul under your control. (The GM has game statistics for these

general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to

Undead Enthrallment

spells

with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an Undead creature. You can choose for the target to become an Undead creature of CR 3 or lower (the GM has the creature’s game statistics). On each

, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature takes the Dodge Action. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete. The

Ancient Green Dragon Legacy

Monsters Basic Rules (2014)

continues down its spine, reaching full height just behind the skull.The forest-loving green dragons sometimes compete for territory with black dragons in marshy woods and with white dragons in subarctic

game are strangely absent, hinting at the presence of an unnaturally hungry predator. If the dragon dies, the rodents and birds lose their supernatural link to it. The thickets remain, but within

Adult Green Dragon Legacy

Monsters Basic Rules (2014)

treacherous of true dragons, green dragons use misdirection and trickery to get the upper hand against their enemies. A green dragon is recognized by the crest that begins near its eyes and continues down

above. The plants remove themselves from the dragon’s path. Rodents and birds within 1 mile of the dragon’s lair serve as the dragon’s eyes and ears. Deer and other large game are

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

an unappealing place to explore by temporarily diverting springs, driving away game, stealing critical tools, and altering trails to leave hunting or lumber parties hopelessly lost. The firbolgs

Reason for Adventuring 1 Outcast for murder 2 Outcast for severely damaging home territory 3 Clan slain by invading humanoids 4 Clan slain by a dragon or demon 5

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

crawl to make progress. In places where a tunnel opens into a chasm and continues on the other side, the kobolds might connect the two passages with a rope bridge or some other rickety structure

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

Starting the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

they’re working for the dwarf Gundren Rockseeker (see the “Meet Me in Phandalin” adventure hook above) or they have another reason to go to the frontier town. No matter the characters’ motivation, allow

them to join the wagon without additional cost, narrating how each character secured passage as needed. If you establish why the characters are traveling together before you kick off the adventure, your later game sessions will go more smoothly.

Appendix C: Adapting to Other Worlds

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

of Elemental Evil in the world of the Forgotten Realms setting. However, there is no reason you couldn’t adjust this adventure to fit in almost any world that is part of the Dungeons & Dragons

multiverse. In this appendix, we take a look at how you can adapt this adventure to some of the well-known settings for the D&D game, or to your own campaign world.

The Order of Combat

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

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes the chaos of combat into a

cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat

The Order of Combat

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

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes the chaos of combat into a

cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat

Absent Players

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

is elsewhere while the rest of the party continues the adventure. Come up with in-game reasons for the character to temporarily leave the party and rejoin later, such as following up on a rumor or

background. This requires everyone to step out of the game world a bit and suspend disbelief, but it might be the easiest solution. Act as if the character were absent, but don’t try to come up with any

Mournland Villains

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

Mournland Villains Few people have reason to spend time anywhere near the Mournland. Among the exceptions are those who seek to plunder the riches of lost Cyre, such as Ikar’s Salvage (described

undead army from the corpses in the Mournland. 5 A rakshasa works to free a fiendish overlord trapped in a whirlwind of stone and sand somewhere in the Mournland. 6 A servant of the Lords of Dust maintains an extensive collection of severed heads and continues to draw on the knowledge in their brains.

Roleplaying Phandalin NPCs

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

have no reason to fight ordinary townsfolk. Hence, no game statistics are provided for them. If statistics become necessary, use the commoner stat block to represent an adult NPC of any race.

, and television. Adjust the volume as appropriate. An NPC can be loud, soft-spoken, or something in between. Keep the game moving. Let the players steer the interactions with the NPCs. The characters

Missing Players

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

should strive to keep the character alive and use resources wisely. Run the character yourself. It’s an extra burden for you, but it can work. Decide the character isn’t there. Invent a good reason for

character fade into the background. This solution requires everyone to step out of the game world a bit and suspend disbelief, but might be the easiest solution. You act as if the character’s not there

Creating a Monster

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

new monsters and customizing existing ones, if for no other reason than to surprise and delight your players with something they’ve never faced before. The first step in the process is coming up with

weird abilities? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can start figuring out how to represent your monster in the game.

29. The Tomb of Pelota

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a3

) force damage. When the ball moves out of a goal, it flies to the center of the corridor and hovers, awaiting the start of another point. The game continues until the characters die or score a goal

29. The Tomb of Pelota As you approach a bend in the passage, you see a series of faint line drawings on the walls depicting people playing a game that uses a ball and has goals on either end of the

Mausoleum: Spring

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

they must sneak a peek at her records, which she keeps in an iron safe that can be opened with a knock spell or similar magic. To pick the combination lock on the safe, a character must succeed on

three DC 20 Dexterity (Investigation) checks in a row. Each attempt made to pick the lock requires an action. From Elaspra or her records, the characters learn that she sold the key to a man named Volkarr

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

created the orcs and continues to direct their destiny. He is aided and abetted by the other warrior deities, Bahgtru and Ilneval, who bring strength and cunning to the battlefield. The followers of all

rarely keep records or write down their thoughts. When orcs need to communicate in writing, they use crude symbols to convey basic information, such as “food stored here,” “danger close

Improvising Answers

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

players give you into your story. An equally important principle is “No, but...” Sometimes characters can’t do what their players want, but you can keep the game moving forward by offering an

alternative. For example, imagine the characters are searching for a lich’s lair. A player asks you if there’s a mages’ guild operating in a nearby city, hoping to find records that mention the lich. This

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. The kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter. For this reason, many

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

Loremonger

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

records all lore relevant to its operation, including tracking the economic, technical, and arcane methods by which the franchise can be improved. A loremonger records the deeds and history of the franchise

, including the names of places visited and people met during missions. Those records are then sent to Head Office (often through a franchise’s documancer) to ensure brand integrity. As a loremonger

Mascots Everywhere!

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

outside the Biblioplex to discuss an important matter. She says the following in a confiding voice: “It’s fortunate that you’ve found me now. This Mage Tower game is my event to organize, but everything

cheesecloth sack filled with small woven bands, each embroidered with a number. She continues: “Each of them must be tagged with these bands. But I can’t do it myself. With the start of classes, I’m

Animate Dead

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

becomes a skeleton if you chose bones or a zombie if you chose a corpse (the DM has the creature’s game statistics). On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to mentally command any creature

creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete. The creature is under your control for 24 hours, after

D&D Beyond

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