Search Results
All Results
Characters
Compendium
Spells
Items
Monsters
Vehicles
Forums
Returning 35 results for 'contrast well rejection'.
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
called lich-knights or fell horsemen.
In stark contrast to the knights of Eldraine, the deathless riders are without virtue of any kind. They are few in number—unless many more lurk in the dark
heart of the forest than anyone is aware. But when mortal knights meet them in the wilds, the encounter rarely ends well for the living. The deathless riders fight with superhuman strength, heedless
Genasi
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
into the mortal world. They adapt well to the mingled elements of the Material Plane, and they sometimes visit—whether of their own volition or compelled by magic. Some genies can adopt mortal
up to the Sword Coast, and into the Western Heartlands to the east. Some remain in their ancient homeland.
In contrast, water and earth genasi have no common history. Individuals have difficulty
backgrounds
trade of the gravedigger, the mortician, and the embalmer. There are times when you have been the only one to say a kind word in honor of those who passed. The depredations of the Undead are well-known
Warden
Rest wardens tend to be either a dour and somber lot or—in contrast to their trade—are filled with the vibrance and joy of life. Those who understand the thin thread between life
Gnome
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
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
whenever they can. Their homes are well hidden by both clever construction and simple illusions. Welcome visitors are quickly ushered into the bright, warm burrows. Those who are not welcome are
Druid
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Classes
Basic Rules (2014)
, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the Old Faith, in contrast to the worship of gods in temples and shrines.
Druid spells are oriented toward nature and
. Ash is associated with life and oak with strength. These woods make excellent hafts or whole weapons, such as clubs or quarterstaffs, as well as shields. Alder is associated with air, and it might be
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Monsters Ghosts, mind flayers, werewolves—every monster is a story. Consider which monsters complement or contrast a Darklord’s story. In a few sentences, describe which monsters best represent the
ghosts who suffer from the Darklord’s experiments. For inspiration, refer to the “Darklord’s Shadows” section and your answers to the questions there, as well as the Monsters tables in the “Genres of Horror” section later in this chapter.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath
bandits. Others have given up relatively quickly, when the dangers become apparent. The current owner of the Wayside Inn is Martisha Vinetalker, a striking half-elf whose pleasing features contrast with
of Martisha for many years. Cooragh is famous for her incredibly tasty, and alarmingly well-spiced, stews and meat pies.
Map 2: Wayside Inn View Player Version
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
path of the cleric become embittered and seek favor with sinister or forbidden gods or forge pacts with other powerful entities. Religious scholars in the Realms debate whether divine rejection led such
homebodies who serve a particular community of the faithful, but adventuring clerics tend to have a certain crusading zeal to do their deity’s work in the wider world. This work may include ministering to far-flung communities, as well as seeking out and defeating threats to the civilized world.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
, the whistled tune of a well-known nursery rhyme issuing from its lipless mouth, and the unnatural heat that forms ripples in the air around it. These details don’t need to rely on grotesque
descriptions. Sometimes it’s a contrast between mundane and terrifying details that stands out, like a monster’s soulful eyes or pearly teeth set amid vicious features. Make it Personal. There’s a fine line
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
, and red dragons, as well as creatures from the neighboring planes. Lava flows down the slopes of these mountains toward the Plane of Fire. Plane of Ooze The border region between the Plane of Water
fundamentally similar to places found on the Material Plane—the place where all four elements mingle freely. At a symbolic level, the Para-elemental Planes represent the interaction and sometimes the contrast
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin) Also known as svirfneblin, the deep gnomes of the Underdark are a stark contrast to their surface kin, dour and serious compared to the cheerful and generally optimistic
rock gnomes and forest gnomes. They share their cousins’ obsession with privacy, and their homes below the surface of Faerûn are well guarded and deeply hidden. Owing to the hostility of their Underdark
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
fundamental conflict at the heart of Lorehold’s philosophy. This conflict revolves around the forces that underlie and drive history. Is the course of time driving toward a well-ordered ideal state or
of chaos, by contrast, emphasizes individual actions, personal bonds of families and friends, and the disruptive force of lone, passionate people in history. Scholars of chaos gravitate toward
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Setessa’s Surroundings Beyond the city’s encircling trees, the territory of Setessa extends to cover about a third of the Nessian Wood and a wide swath of the open chaparral. In contrast to Meletis
Setessan society. Experts train the renowned falcons of Setessa here, along with horses for riding and for combat. More unusual animals are found here as well: trainers work with pegasi, wolves, and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monstrous Compendium Volume Four
through the remotest parts of the wilds. They are sometimes called lich-knights or fell horsemen. In stark contrast to the knights of Eldraine, the deathless riders are without virtue of any kind. They are
few in number—unless many more lurk in the dark heart of the forest than anyone is aware. But when mortal knights meet them in the wilds, the encounter rarely ends well for the living. The deathless
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
Presents: Glory of the Giants includes many additional giant stat blocks as well as descriptions of other creatures that might be found in Stormkeld, such as giant geese and giant oxen. Redcaps. Redcaps (use
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
entrance to the abyss of Khyber, and foul creatures live among the caves that honeycomb its walls. A nearby village—also called Black Pit—provides a haven for deserters and other criminals as well as a
atmosphere. Perched on a rocky island in the middle of the river, surrounded by military docks and barracks, is Brokenblade Castle, the king’s stern fortress. In contrast to its welcoming countenance, Wroat
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Castle Ward; in contrast, squads of eight walk the Dock Ward, increasing to as many as a dozen at night. If Watch members spot trouble they can’t handle, they blow shrill tin whistles to summon more
of their members — an act that alerts nearby citizens as well. City Watch members follow a strict code of conduct that makes them one of the most trusted police forces aside from paladin-patrolled
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
gender, as well as one or two key personality traits. Although they resemble humanoid beings, genies are elemental spirits given physical form. They don’t mate with other genies or produce genie
their thralls, but never to the extent that they can no longer work. In contrast to their love of servants, most genies loathe being bound to service themselves. A genie obeys the will of another only
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
. For example, children (and even some adults) hop on one foot when crossing Asmagh’s Alley in the Castle Ward. Why? Well, Asmagh was an apothecary who poisoned many patients, then buried them upright
,” “bullyblades,” and “alleyblades” Those who boast of martial skill but who shrink from violence or lack real ability are “sharpjaws.” In sharp contrast are Waterdeep’s “fastfists” (any lout easily provoked to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
answering these four questions: Is the encounter a goal or an obstacle? Dragons (particularly adult and older dragons) are well suited to being the climactic encounter in an adventure, and slaying evil
dragons is a well-established quest in literature and legend. But you can also use a dragon as just one of many encounters to overcome in an adventure. What’s the goal of the encounter? Not every
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
throughout. The contrast between easy and hard encounters, as well as simple and complex encounters, encourages characters to vary their tactics and keeps the encounters from seeming too similar.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
The Iron Tabernacle The Iron Tabernacle is Gauntlgrym’s spiritual and cultural heart as well as its physical center. More than a temple, the tabernacle is an entire section of the city larger than
upon the characters to be on their guard, or to take guards with them, if they visit. From time to time, the sound of combat rings through the tabernacle hallways, a contrast to the chanting voices of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
together to track the band, and to do so quickly, rescuing the captives. I’ve been welcomed in this area ever since, and have gotten to know the goodly folk here well. Hardbuckler At the southern edge of the
underground inns are well heated by generous hearths, and thus provide for very comfortable accommodations. More than a few merchants arrange their travels so as to be in Hardbuckler ere winter arrives, so
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
escapes to fight another day. A well-developed recurring villain can put a face to the sinister conspiracies that lurk in the darkness and thus strengthen the players’ sense of immersion in the world. You
more powerful as well. There are three ways you can approach this issue: Mechanical Improvement. Use the guidelines in chapter 9 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide to add class levels or Hit Dice to the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
off, the dragon might start to test its outer defenses in advance of mounting a larger assault. This strategy can take years to come to fruition, but from the dragon’s perspective it is time well
reminisce over the defeat of a dragon, or weep as they recall the death of a beloved elder.
In contrast to clan gatherings, dwarves who drink alone invariably become morose and sullen — when
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
persona intact while infusing it with a fanatical loyalty to the colony’s elder brain as well as telepathic power that allows the victim to communicate with its new masters as if it were a mind flayer
to use humanoids as thralls, since they have a good balance of physical attributes and proper anatomy. Animals, in contrast, require a lot of direct oversight and lack the ability to use tools to help
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
families. Finally, every guros tries to travel with at least one koletra, one of the mighty, well-trained warriors of the Lagonna who are said to have the blood of the first, legendary centaur heroes
herds. These herds are voluntary associations, in contrast to the family groups of the Lagonna. When necessary, several small bands join together in a larger herd to target particularly dangerous but
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Necropolis Locations (Y10-Y18) Y10. Arboretum A canopy of golden leaves crowns the trees inside a sunken basin. The trees grow in stark contrast to their bleak surroundings, their branches swaying
limit to how many times it can be used is how many eyeballs the party has remaining. Y12. Wellspring of Answers A deep well plunges through the city floor into darkness. Five crystal benches encircle it
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
except the strange powers of the old hermit living in the nearby woods, which they regard with suspicion and mention only in whispers. By contrast, magic is common enough in the Free City of Greyhawk
pleasant and rich, roamed by Baklunish nomads. The former Suloise capital, by contrast, in the heart of the Sea of Dust, is beset by howling winds, terrible dust storms, and rains of volcanic ash and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
Fuggelstruck and speaks to the guards, Captain Truff might think it odd that they aren’t speaking with Fuggelstruck’s well-known lisp, or predilection for using rhyming couplets, or what have you. You can let
, strapping female human who has seen her share of scuffles and doesn’t back down from a fight. If something took her out, it must be powerful. By contrast, Constable Boot is a runty male human, and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
, attacks them. Y19b. Ballroom Chamber music washes over you as you enter this ballroom. In contrast to the desolate, frozen ruins outside, a dozen people mill around in here, dressed in flowing silk
dispelled, read: Well-dressed revelers mill about, talking loudly to each other while servants carry bottles of wine and spirits around to refill their cups. Behind a rectangular counter, a bald, pale
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a6
is cleared of opponents. The headsman, by contrast, uses his axe after tossing one victim down the well. Treasure. The stakes of the game include six pieces of jewelry (worth 250 gp each) and ten
in the chamber. The place holds several beds, two large cabinets, two tables, miscellaneous smaller furniture, a crate, and three small boxes. Lit torches are set along on the walls, as well as pegs
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
overtaken by frost. From the center rises the largest and thickest tower of Candlekeep. If the other towers are well-wrought branches and blossoms, then this surely is the bole of the tree: strong
, massive, and rising well above the perimeter structures. About the central keep a garden spirals in rising steps, and those lucky enough to enter the library proper do so by passing around and up through
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
here with a well-worn broom.
The cursed dragonborn, Gorba Daardenrian (see “Coven Victims” earlier in the adventure), is so weak that she can barely hold her broom. When she sees the characters
total, though finding a buyer for such vile materials might be a challenge. T16. Tower Kitchen A dank scent fills the air in this well-used kitchen. Three tables stand in the room, one of which is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium
modifier to the attack and damage rolls of the attack. In contrast, if you make the spell attack of the fire bolt cantrip, you add your spellcasting ability modifier to the attack roll. If you’re a
, or can melee spell attacks as well? If you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, you can knock the creature out. That melee attack isn’t restricted to weapons. Even a melee spell