corrupted resolve groups to have rarely

Draconian Mage

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, stinking cloudDraconians born from the eggs of bronze, green, and emerald dragons have some ability to wield magic. They often lead small groups of draconian foot soldiers, using their magic to snipe

bipedal monsters born from dragon eggs that have been corrupted or warped by powerful magic. Most often, this corruption is a deliberate act, the work of an aspiring tyrant seeking to transform stolen eggs

Akroan Hoplite

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

called stratians, number among the fiercest soldiers on Theros. They train relentlessly and possess unflinching resolve. In the annals of Akros, tales abound of squads of stratians that defended a

glorification of the warrior's spirit, the basis of an ethos that forges an unbreakable bond between members of a military unit. In combat, hoplites typically work in groups and use coordinated tactics to

Lampad

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Lampads guard the shadowed paths of the world, depths typically trod by souls destined for the Underworld. These rarely seen nymphs assist Athreos in guiding the dead, moving among the spirits that

mind the cycles of nature, the daily interplay of wild animals, or other cosmic forces. Occasionally, though, groups of the same kind of nymphs congregate in a place of natural power or beauty. In times

Green Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat, ready to lay down their lives if needed. Abishais stand

work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus’s. There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by

Black Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

and across the multiverse. Some have simple tasks, such as delivering a message to cultists. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in

and ultimately answering to Tiamat (and Asmodeus, when he chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear

Blue Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

delivering a message to cultists. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat

chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus&rsquo

Returned Sentry

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

tirelessness, which makes them exceptional guards. In the necropoleis, this sees many Returned employed as sentries, though they might also be messengers or laborers. If threatened, groups of these Returned

second lives are rarely what they expected—not that they remember what it was they expected. As a result of having followed the Path of Phenax (see chapter 4), the Returned lose their identities

White Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat, ready to lay down their lives if needed. Abishais stand outside the normal hierarchy of the

do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus’s. There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by Tiamat, but interfering with

Marine

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

, marines tend to operate best in groups, valuing camaraderie and the companionship of like-minded individuals. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I speak rarely but mean every word I say

who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them excellent adventurers. Though they are self-reliant

Red Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. Some have simple tasks, such as delivering a message to cultists. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases

to Tiamat (and Asmodeus, when he chooses to use them). Other archdevils can command abishais to work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows

Ancient Amethyst Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

godhood, perhaps recreating or replacing Sardior. Connected Creatures Amethyst dragons are generally aloof creatures, dwelling in isolation for long periods of time and rarely cultivating

Realm, an ancient amethyst dragon has been corrupted by aberrant influences and now leads a cult the dragon once opposed. Amethyst Dragon Lairs Amethyst dragons prefer lairs near water

Dark Elf (Drow) Legacy

Species Player’s Handbook (2014)

As a drow, you are infused with the magic of the Underdark, an underground realm of wonders and horrors rarely seen on the surface above. You are at home in shadows and, thanks to your innate magic

, learn to conjure forth both light and darkness. Your kin tend to have stark white hair and grayish skin of many hues. The cult of the god Lolth, Queen of Spiders, has corrupted some of the oldest

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century. Variety in All Things Humans are the most

, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups. Human Names and Ethnicities Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents

Splitting Up

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

Splitting Up Creatures being chased can split up into smaller groups. This tactic forces pursuers to either divide their forces or allow some of the quarry to escape. If a pursuit splits into several

smaller chases, resolve each chase separately. You can keep all the creatures in Initiative order, but track the distances separately for each group.

Running Social Interaction

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

rarely come into play. Other DMs resolve interactions by having characters make Charisma checks. Most games fall somewhere in between, balancing roleplaying with the occasional ability check.

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Gang Mentality Since bugbears aren’t a particularly fecund race, their overall population is small and spread over a wide area. Bugbears live in family groups that operate much like gangs. The

terrifying to them as bugbears are in the eyes of many other races. His name is rarely spoken, and never above a whisper. Skiggaret’s influence manifests at times when bugbears are forced to act

Social Interaction

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

roleplaying exercise, where dice rarely come into play. Other DMs prefer to resolve the outcome of an interaction by having characters make Charisma checks. Either approach works, and most games fall

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master. Although kenku can’t create new things, they have

city, alerting their allies to the approach of a guard patrol or signaling a prime opportunity for a robbery. Since kenku can precisely reproduce any sound, the messages they carry rarely suffer

Dark Elf (Drow) (p. 24)

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

Dark Elf (Drow) (p. 24) The first two paragraphs have been replaced with the following: As a drow, you are infused with the magic of the Underdark, an underground realm of wonders and horrors rarely

hues. The cult of the god Lolth, Queen of Spiders, has corrupted some of the oldest drow cities, especially in the worlds of Oerth and Toril. Eberron, Krynn, and other realms have escaped the cult’s

The Amber Temple

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

The Amber Temple Once a haven of virtuous wizards, the Amber Temple was long ago corrupted by evil. It was here that Strahd made his pact with the Dark Powers to become a vampire, with the blessing

, viewing it as a nexus of secrets underpinning the nature of the Domains of Dread. The priests of Osybus (detailed in the “Other Groups” section later in this chapter) have particular interest in this site.

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

their oaths lead them into the service of the crown as leaders of elite groups of knights, but even then their loyalty is first to the cause of righteousness, not to crown and country. Adventuring

, paladins are rarely of any evil alignment. Most of them walk the paths of charity and justice. Consider how your alignment colors the way you pursue your holy quest and the manner in which you conduct

Paladin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

devote themselves expressly to protecting the innocent and spreading justice in the world, while others resolve to attain that goal by conquering those who stand defiant and bringing them under the rule of

who take up the adventuring life, however, rarely remain so rigid in their attitudes — if only to keep from alienating their companions. You can flesh out your paladin character by using the

Inside the Swarm

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

Jarad’s sister, Savra, took control of the guild before him. Various groups of people and monsters coexist within the swarm, their relative power waxing and waning with the years, and through it all

, the guild goes on. The three most important power groups within the Golgari are the Devkarin elves, the medusas (also called gorgons in Ravnica), and the insectile kraul. Jarad is an undead

Loviatar

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

their victims. She is favored by sadists and masochists, and some of her followers form cultish cells of secret adherents. Each of these groups is led by someone who takes pleasure in administering pain

and dominating others, supported and backed up by a number of submissive sycophants. Worshipers of Loviatar rarely gather in numbers except in the more populous cities. When small cadres of faithful

Large Groups

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

Large Groups The biggest considerations with large groups are maintaining order at the table and keeping combat from becoming too slow. Structured Turns If you find yourself in a situation where

Information. If you tell the players what the Armor Class of their opponents is, you reduce the steps of interaction needed to resolve an attack. Instead of telling you a number and asking if it hits

Gibbet Crossing

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

mind flayers attacked the area long ago, the groups didn’t fight alongside one another and were individually annihilated. Only monsters live in the crossroads region today. Humanoids rarely travel

security in exchange for inclusion in svirfneblin trade contracts, while the drow simultaneously negotiated fair prices for duergar goods. Tensions between the three groups were always present. When

Dragons

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

Dragons The dragons of Eberron are much more than mere monsters; adventurers will rarely barge into a dragon’s lair in search of its treasure horde. Dragons in the world are either aloof and

Khorvaire without contact with Argonnessen, and some dragons have been twisted by the daelkyr or corrupted by fiends; any of these could be an antagonist if the adventure you’re crafting calls for a cruel

Ideal Minions

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

Ideal Minions Kenku gather in groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master. Although kenku can’t

rarely suffer degradation or shifts in meaning. Human messengers might switch words or phrases and garble a message inadvertently, but the kenku produce perfect copies of whatever they hear.

Dark Elf (Drow)

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

Dark Elf (Drow) As a drow, you are infused with the magic of the Underdark, an underground realm of wonders and horrors rarely seen on the surface above. You are at home in shadows and, thanks to

your innate magic, learn to conjure forth both light and darkness. Your kin tend to have stark white hair and grayish skin of many hues. The cult of the god Lolth, Queen of Spiders, has corrupted some

Going to Neverlight Grove

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

Going to Neverlight Grove Because so few Underdark travelers have ever stumbled upon Neverlight Grove, it rarely appears on any maps. Nearly all the routes leading to it are dangerous and difficult

the party. A myconid sprout traveling with a troupe of infected myconids, Rumpadump has avoided infection and can also lead characters to the grove. He also expresses concern that the corrupted spores of its previous traveling companions might have also infected its home.

Ogres

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

devices, and other delicate or lovingly made things. Occasionally they kidnap victims to eat later or, more rarely, performers who catch their interest. Ogres trace their origins to wrathful deities

such as Erythnul, Takhisis, and Vaprak. They magically emerge from the earth of lands corrupted by evil gods, sinister magic, or ancient curses. Some bear evidence of the places that spawned them

Actions in Exploration

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

assist each other in these actions. Other actions come up only rarely. It’s seldom necessary to rely on the action rules during exploration, except to remember that a character can do only one thing at a

in action.) In such situations, have the characters take turns, though it’s usually not necessary to roll Initiative as you would in a combat encounter. Resolve one character’s actions before moving

Animal Lord

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

animal lords make their homes in the Beastlands, but they occasionally journey to the Feywild or other idyllic realms. They rarely travel to the Material Plane, making exceptions only when a world

lords can summon spectral animals, channel spiritual energy, and exhibit powers associated with one of three broad groups: foragers, hunters, or sages. These powers are tied to an animal lord’s

Splitting Loyalties

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

agent of the Sunweaver—deemed service in the Brightguard a holy calling, the group’s ranks swelled. Most members have unshakable resolve, but recent revolutionary acts have the order on edge. The

they defend the order and its members like lions protect their prides. They resent other revolutionary groups whose violent ways cause the people to distrust the Silent Roar by extension. Many Silent

Meeting at the Tomb

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

, saying, “No closer, friends! This is a private matter, and we don’t wish to be disturbed.” Unferth presents himself with a false joviality, making light of the fact that two groups of upstanding

citizens should find themselves engaged in an ugly bit of skulduggery involving opening a tomb. Underneath the self-deprecating manner is a stern resolve. The Kraken Society paid good money for the orb

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