contrast rulers get to have related

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

self-assurance in one genasi and as arrogance in another. Such self- confidence can sometimes blind genasi to risk, and their great plans often get them and others into trouble. Too much failure can

genasi in the Realms are descendants of the djinn and efreet who once ruled Calimshan. When those rulers were overthrown, their planetouched children were scattered. Over thousands of years, the

Clan Crafter

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

as a clan crafter. (For instance, consider the words “guild” and “clan” to be interchangeable.) Your bond is almost certainly related to the master or the clan that taught

tirelessly to get the best deal possible. 8 I’m well known for my work, and I want to make sure everyone appreciates it. I’m always taken aback when people haven’t heard of me

Shipwright

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

it. 6 A pipe, an ale, and the smell of the sea: paradise. 7 I have an endless supply of cautionary tales related to the sea. 8 I don’t mind getting my hands dirty

teeth shall adorn my hearth. D6 FLAW 1 I don’t know when to throw something away. You never know when it might be useful again. 2 I get frustrated to the

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

inheritor. Your bond might be directly related to your inheritance, or to the person from whom you received it. Your ideal might be influenced by what you know about your inheritance, or by what you

. 7 I misuse long words in an attempt to sound smarter. 8 I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny? d6 Ideal 1 Respect. People deserve to be treated

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Fist or the Watch. If you do, you have responsibilities related to your post. For as long as you perform these responsibilities, you gain benefits. If you stop performing your responsibilities, though

regard you with suspicion, and you generally get a chilly reception while in uniform. BALDUR’S GATE FEATURE: LOYALTY TEST You’ve had enough dealings with crooked soldiers that you can spot

Gnome Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

his or her appearance. A male gnome’s beard, in contrast to his wild hair, is kept carefully trimmed but often styled into curious forks or neat points. A gnome’s clothing, though usually

beauties of the world in their long years, but gnomes seem to worry that even with all that time, they can’t get in enough of the things they want to do and see. Gnomes speak as if they can’t

Dwarf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

identities and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf. Dwarves in other lands are

field of battle centuries ago. SLOW TO TRUST Dwarves get along passably well with most other races. “The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years,” is

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

contrast, throw themselves into the thick of society, putting their charisma and social skills to great use in diplomatic roles or as swindlers. Half-Elf Names Half-elves use either human or elven

. EXCELLENT AMBASSADORS Many half-elves learn at an early age to get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and

Halfling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

communities travel as a way of life, driving wagons or guiding boats from place to place and maintaining no permanent home. AFFABLE AND POSITIVE Halflings try to get along with everyone else and are

more like closely related families than true subraces. Choose one of these subraces or one from another source.

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

can transform an individual into a more powerful type. The cost and time required to perform the ritual is prohibitive, and as a result most yuan-ti never get the opportunity to undergo such a

— yuan-ti make perfect courtiers. And, worse for the rest of us, rulers. — Elminster The physical and magical prowess of the yuan-ti empire allowed the former humans to retain their

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

wilderness in which to hunt, catch fish, and get by. With each passing year, a tortle hones its survival skills. It forms friendships with its neighbors while also respecting their privacy. At some

related to a god and choose to worship that deity. In the Forgotten Realms, tortles are especially fond of Eldath, Gond, Lathander, Savras, Selûne, and Tymora. In the Greyhawk setting, they

Fighter

classes Basic Rules (2014)

Fighter As you build your fighter, think about two related elements of your character’s background: Where did you get your combat training, and what set you apart from the mundane warriors

around you? Were you particularly ruthless? Did you get extra help from a mentor, perhaps because of your exceptional dedication? What drove you to this training in the first place? A threat to your

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

use for healing magic, and a sorcerer can meet most of the tribe’s other magic-related needs. Kobold shamans are very rare; priests of Kurtulmak, when they reveal themselves, are easily recognized

considered an adult. Most succumb to violence, accidents, or disease by age 20, but a kobold can live for up to 120 years — a longevity they attribute to being distantly related to dragons. A female can

Names and Surnames

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

name or related to an occupation or region of origin. So Sorn Fellhorn, Kara of Windshire, and Tellan Magewright are all names you might find among the common folk. The noble families of Galifar

Wynarns were the royal line of Galifar, and the current rulers of Aundair, Breland, and Karrnath are all heirs of the Wynarn bloodline. Thus, Queen Aurala of Aundair is Aurala ir’Wynarn. Another common

Feature: Official Inquiry

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

Feature: Official Inquiry You’re experienced at gaining access to people and places to get the information you need. Through a combination of fast-talking, determination, and official-looking

documentation, you can gain access to a place or an individual related to a crime you’re investigating. Those who aren’t involved in your investigation avoid impeding you or pass along your requests

White Plume Mountain

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

White Plume Mountain Lawrence Schick, the author of White Plume Mountain, related in the 2013 compilation Dungeons of Dread that he wrote the adventure as a way of persuading Gary Gygax to hire him

as a game designer. Not only did he get the job, but White Plume became an instant favorite when it was first published in 1979. The version of the adventure in this book is tailored to a group of characters of 8th level.

Names in the Five Nations

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

Nations, most citizens have a given name followed by a surname. This surname is either a family name or related to an occupation or region of origin. So Sorn Fellhorn, Kara of Windshire, and Tellan

the prefix ir’ to their surname. So the name Darro ir’Lain tells you that this individual is a landed noble. The Wynarns were the royal line of Galifar, and the current rulers of Aundair, Breland, and

Part 3: Sabotage!

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer Academy

Miken’s simulated hammerhead ship to malfunction at the end of part 2. The characters won’t learn the full story in this adventure, but the sabotage is related to the recent rash of thefts at the

academy and the attack on Mirt. The saboteurs’ targets are the academy’s instructors—but cadets are prone to get caught in the crossfire.

Diplomats or Wanderers

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

, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast

get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent

Travel

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

related to travel in an Eberron campaign and presents the Gold Dragon Inns, a chain of hotels that offer consistent accommodation for travelers anywhere in Khorvaire. As described in chapter 5 of the

Dungeon Master’s Guide, it’s up to you whether you gloss over travel in your campaign or narrate it in more detail. If the point is to get the characters to their destination so they can get the

Creating a Fighter

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

Creating a Fighter As you build your fighter, think about two related elements of your character’s background: Where did you get your combat training, and what set you apart from the mundane

warriors around you? Were you particularly ruthless? Did you get extra help from a mentor, perhaps because of your exceptional dedication? What drove you to this training in the first place? A threat to your

Lightfoot Halflings

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

foot. Bands consist of loosely related individuals, and when bands meet, membership frequently shifts. Lightfoot halflings typically excel at tasks related to travel — be it navigation, handling pack

themselves, which enables them to make friends easily. Their facile friendships and ease with partings can make lightfoot halflings seem disingenuous to others. Lightfoot halflings get stereotyped as

Genasi Lands

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

and efreet who once ruled Calimshan. When those rulers were overthrown, their planetouched children were scattered. Over thousands of years, the bloodlines of those genasi have spread into other lands

to the east. Some remain in their ancient homeland. In contrast, water and earth genasi have no common history. Individuals have difficulty tracing their own lineage, and bloodlines occasionally skip a

Multiclassing

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

. When multiclassing, do you get the cantrips from all your classes? If any of your classes grants you cantrips, you get all of them. Do you gain proficiency in more saving throws when multiclassing? A

class offers various starting proficiencies that you get if it is your first class. If the class isn’t your first, you get only the starting proficiencies listed for that class in the Multiclassing

Diplomats or Wanderers

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

, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in contrast

get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and human energy without human boorishness. They often make excellent

Sentinel

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

feat doesn’t specify the bonus attack’s timing, and when a reaction has no timing specified, the reaction occurs after its trigger finishes (DMG, "Adjudicating Reaction Timing"). In contrast, an

or the Mobile feat? Does the character with the Sentinel feat still get the opportunity attack? The second benefit of the Sentinel feat is intended to counteract the Disengage action only. An enemy

Mapping a Wilderness

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

Mapping a Wilderness In contrast to a dungeon, an outdoor setting presents seemingly limitless options. The adventurers can move in any direction over a trackless desert or an open grassland, so how

different scales to help you design your world and the starting area of your campaign. Especially when you get down to province scale (1 hex = 1 mile), think about paths of travel — roads, passes, ridges and valleys, and so on — that can guide character movement across your map.

Narrative Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

, event, or dilemma (see “Battlefield Events”). When the players get to the end of the flowchart, count their victories to determine the success or failure of the overall conflict (see “Determining

surprise their enemies in the next combat. The players gain advantage on any ability checks related to their current task. Each character gains inspiration. If the players fail this objective, their allies

Mystery

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

awaken him? Who murdered the guildmaster, and how did the killer get into the guild’s locked vault? A mystery-themed campaign puts the characters in the role of investigators, perhaps traveling from

the greater mystery only once in a while; individual adventures might be at best tangentially related to that theme. A diet of nothing but puzzles can become frustrating, so be sure to mix up the

Factions of Krynn

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

leaders in Abanasinia What would be the Lords’ Alliance instead represents the local rulers of the scattered towns of Abanasinia that are not controlled by the Seekers. These settlements mostly lie

truly do search for evidence of the gods, many are more concerned with establishing and controlling local rule, and do not shy away from using coercion and threats to get their way.

Draw In the Players

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

Draw In the Players If an adventure situation directly affects the characters or the people and places they care about, that is often enough motivation for the characters to get involved. (However

gods, rulers, or other patrons who might send them on quests, either directly or through intermediaries. Subvert Clichés As you populate your world with interesting supporting characters, consider

The Wilds

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monstrous Compendium Volume Four

The Wilds Past the courts, across the stream, into the woods—there lie the wilds, the most magical, strange, and dangerous lands in all Eldraine. In contrast to the order and structure of the realm

Garenbrig and Embereth, fire giants and stone giants served as mighty knights and strong laborers. In the wilds, hill giants have always been hostile to the rulers of the realm, even when elves governed

Docks

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

Docks The docks of Saltmarsh are the beating heart of the town. The fishing trade and related commerce that keep the town alive are based here. The docks have recently undergone a series of

been going through everyone’s trash at night. Something from the swamp, I’d reckon — maybe a troll. 8 Sometimes on a moonless night, you can meet the ghost of a drowned sailor trying to get home. Lead

Soldier

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer

You may choose to currently serve in either the Flaming Fist or the Watch. If you do, you have responsibilities related to your post. For as long as you perform these responsibilities, you gain benefits

, however, most people regard you with suspicion, and you generally get a chilly reception while in uniform. Baldur’s Gate Feature: Loyalty Test You’ve had enough dealings with crooked soldiers that you

Creating a Fighter

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

Creating a Fighter As you build your fighter, think about two related elements of your character’s background: Where did you get your combat training, and what set you apart from the mundane

warriors around you? Were you particularly ruthless? Did you get extra help from a mentor, perhaps because of your exceptional dedication? What drove you to this training in the first place? A threat to your

D&D Beyond

Search Results