contrast world risk

Neogi Pirate

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

’s place in the hierarchy—and they must defer to those of higher station or risk harsh punishment. Neogi A neogi looks like an outsize spider with an eel’s neck and head. It can

and the Ethereal Plane. They left their home world long ago to conquer and devour creatures in other realms. During this era, they dominated umber hulk;umber hulks and used them to build sleek, spidery ships capable of traversing the multiverse.

Deathlock

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

a good god, while one that serves a Great Old One might hunt for the materials needed to call forth a horrifying entity into the world. To accomplish a difficult goal, the deathlock might be forced

warlock. The consequences of breaking that pact can be dire and, in some cases, lethal. A warlock who fails to live up to a bargain with an evil patron runs the risk of rising from the dead as a deathlock

Cradle of the Fire Scion

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

rage. If intruders disturb its resting place, the fire scion’s cradle rises as a bipedal juggernaut of molten rock. Sometimes miners risk their lives to find rich veins of ore in a scion&rsquo

scions guard their birthplaces (which are rich in elemental magic) or hold the substance of the world together. (See “Giants of Myth” in chapter 3 for additional inspiration.) Scions of

Faction Agent

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

: In recent years, the Zhentarim have become more visible in the world at large, as the group works to improve its reputation among the common people. The faction draws employees and associates

provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities.

Neogi

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

to those of higher station or risk harsh punishment. Neogi A neogi looks like an outsize spider with an eel’s neck and head. It can poison the body and the mind of its targets and can

subjugate even beings that are physically superior. Neogi usually dwell in far-flung locations on the Material Plane, as well as in the Astral Plane and the Ethereal Plane. They left their home world long

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

against Auril, who retreated to the coldest corner of Toril to escape their fury. After a world-shaking event known as the Sundering, most of the gods withdrew from Toril, leaving mortals to govern

from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist conceals her island in the Sea of Moving Ice. Roleplaying Auril Portraying a deity, even a lesser god such as Auril the Frostmaiden, can be daunting

Scion of Surtur

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

molten rock. Sometimes miners risk their lives to find rich veins of ore in a scion’s volcano, or misguided fire cultists offer sacrifices meant to appease or awaken the volcano, and the awakened

first empires of giants until Annam retreated into seclusion. On other worlds, the scions guard their birthplaces (which are rich in elemental magic) or hold the substance of the world together. (See

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

, motionless sheets of ice. Umberlee brought Talos and Malar into an alliance against Auril, who retreated to the coldest corner of Toril to escape their fury. After a world-shaking event known as the

disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist conceals her island in the Sea of Moving Ice. Roleplaying Auril

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth

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

Deep Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Dragon Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can

other dragons, but we are superior beings and should not lower ourselves to direct conflict. 4 I have no interest in going to the surface world. It’s where one sends one’s servants

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

, and how they see the world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues. d8 Personality Trait 1 I fall in and out

want. 4 I’m a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Toril to escape their fury. After a world-shaking event known as the Sundering, most of the gods withdrew from Toril, leaving mortals to govern their own fates without the gods’ meddling, but the

that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist

Young Deep Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

help select spells for a spellcasting dragon. Deep Dragon Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the

labyrinth of my thoughts. 3 I might disagree with other dragons, but we are superior beings and should not lower ourselves to direct conflict. 4 I have no interest in going to the surface world

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

Imagine a perfect world: one in which nature and civilization exist in harmony, adapted to each other; one in which life is shaped to match its environment and the environment is shaped to match life

. That’s the world you have been trying to grow in the laboratories of the Simic Combine. Nature is all about adaptation, evolution, and balance — but for it to keep up with the pace of

Archaeologist

Backgrounds Tomb of Annihilation

practice archaeology travel to the far corners of the world to root through crumbled cities and lost dungeons, digging in search of artifacts that might tell the stories of monarchs and high priests, wars

the treasures and relics of wizards, warlords, or royalty. Some archaeologists plunder for wealth or fame, while others consider it their calling to illuminate the past or keep the world’s

Selesnya Initiate

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

;Selesnya. As a member of the Selesnya Conclave, you are surrounded by people and other creatures who share your worldview and your longing for deeper spiritual communion with the world, and you have a

proven to be a danger to them. The members of the enclave will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives in this effort. In addition, as a guild

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

a patriar’s scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your kin. 6 You aren’t originally from Baldur

determine the details of your discovery and its impact on the campaign. Buldur’s Gate Feature: The Real City You know the Baldur’s Gate most Baldurians ignore, the dog-eat-dog world of the

Anthropologist

Backgrounds Tomb of Annihilation

; Suggested Characteristics Anthropologists leave behind the societies into which they were born to discover what life is like in other parts of the world. They seek to see how other races and civilizations

desensitized to violence. 5 I would risk life and limb to discover a new culture or unravel the secrets of a dead one. 6 When I arrive at a new settlement for the first time, I must learn all its

Adult Deep Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can turn

dragons, but we are superior beings and should not lower ourselves to direct conflict. 4 I have no interest in going to the surface world. It’s where one sends one’s servants. 5

Ancient Deep Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can turn

dragons, but we are superior beings and should not lower ourselves to direct conflict. 4 I have no interest in going to the surface world. It’s where one sends one’s servants. 5

Khargra

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

summoned into the world. Khargras can eat and digest most metals, though they prefer iron, copper, and tin above others. They find gold bland and mushy, akin to a flavorless gruel. Though khargras digest

tasty, refined metal their victim carries, they quickly flee—and will flee before that rather than risk death. Stealthy Couriers. A number of clans among the dwarves, duergar, and azers have trained

Class Legacy

Rules

Class is the primary definition of what your character can do. It's more than a profession; it's your character's calling. Class shapes the way you think about the world and interact with it and your

relationship with other people and powers in the multiverse. A fighter, for example, might view the world in pragmatic terms of strategy and maneuvering, and see herself as just a pawn in a much

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues. d8 Personality Trait 1 I fall in and out of love easily, and am

a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and insults are my

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

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

leather, carefully tooled in the intricate designs the elves loved. But no elf in the world of Krynn could grow a beard . . . no elf, but . . . “Tanis?” said Flint hesitantly as the man

between these two worlds. In most parts of the world, though, half-elves are uncommon enough that one might live for years without meeting another. Some half-elves prefer to avoid company altogether

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

. Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature’s resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over

, 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

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

something that put their homeland at risk, such as starting a forest fire or killing a rare or beautiful wild creature. These firbolgs are loners who wander the world in hope of finding a new place to

heart of the world and monuments to the durability of life. In their role as caretakers, firbolgs live off the land while striving to remain in balance with nature. Their methods reflect common

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

a perfect world, the creatures would be left alone to dig their tunnels and raise the next generation of kobolds, all the while seeking the magic that will free their imprisoned god (see the &ldquo

;Kurtulmak: God of Kobolds” sidebar). In the world they occupy, kobolds are often bullied and enslaved by larger creatures — or, when they live on their own, they are constantly fearful of

Childhood

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

to usher a child into the world. They cannot understand how a birth is both a joy and a sorrow, a reunion and a parting. Each birth represents an elf soul that has been to Arvandor and returned

. Mortal elves cannot know if it is the soul of someone recently dead or someone who died millennia ago. They cannot even be certain it is an elf of the same world. The only assurance they have is that it

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

hold and controls their actions. In contrast, lizardfolk see emotions as traits assigned to other creatures, objects, and situations. A lizardfolk doesn’t think, “I’m scared.&rdquo

into the future. This approach allows them to maintain their current level of influence in the world, but it limits their growth. Lizardfolk have no interest in developing writing, making long-term

Giants: World Shakers

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

Giants: World Shakers If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that any empire that rises will fall. They all come crashing down. — Volo The saga of giantkind began in the dawn of the

world. Elves had yet to set dainty foot out of the fey realm when the thunder of the giants’ steps shook the world to its bones, and even the dragons were yet unaware of the power and glory they would

Ocean Environs

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

Ocean Environs For those who dwell on land, the sea is an alien world filled with unpredictable hazards. Yet rare treasures hide in the depths, making such dangers well worth the risk for brave and

Improvising Damage

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

to cause a setback rarely poses a risk of death to characters of the level shown, but a severely weakened character might be laid low by this damage. In contrast, dangerous damage values pose a

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

advancement and expanding their territory. They believed themselves to be the most enlightened mortals in the world, and in their hubris they sought to become ever greater. The serpent gods of the

primordial world heeded the prayers of these people and hissed dark demands into their ears. The people tainted their souls by performing human sacrifices in the name of the gods, debased their flesh by

Campaign Events

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

Campaign Events Significant events in the history of a fantasy world tend toward immense upheavals: wars that pit the forces of good against evil in an epic confrontation, natural disasters that lay

waste to entire civilizations, invasions of vast armies or extraplanar hordes, assassinations of world leaders. These world-shaking events title the chapters of history. In a D&D game, such events

D&D Beyond

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