cosmic warning rather - Search

Adult Amethyst Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. They also prize understanding of the cosmic forces that emanate from the Outer Planes, studying the opposing tides of good and evil, chaos and order, so they can offer counsel to those with the

in collecting knowledge and magic dealing with the nature of the planes of existence, cosmic forces, and distant worlds. They prize treasures drawn from different worlds of the Material Plane

Cosmic Horror Settings

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

Cosmic Horror Settings Cosmic horror frequently takes place in academic or maritime settings, both of which imply access to hidden knowledge, whether literal or metaphorical. When not in mortal

realms, cosmic horror dimensions trend toward being unnatural, logic-defying places. Cosmic Horror Settings d8 Setting 1 A wind-blasted dimension of indigo sand and eyeless statues 2 A

Inhabitants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

do, authorities maintain order and stifle cosmic peril. Only when these eruptions threaten the city on a grand scale does the Lady of Pain intervene. Humans are the earliest known inhabitants of the

City of Doors. Some sages track the existence and spread of humans back to Sigil itself, rather than to a deity or its creations. Various factions handle the day-to-day governance of Sigil, enforcement

Secret

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

holy symbol that represents that divinity. Some clerics, especially in a world like Eberron, serve a whole pantheon, rather than a single deity. In certain campaigns, a cleric might instead serve a

cosmic force, such as life or death, or a philosophy or concept, such as love, peace, or one of the nine alignments. Chapter 1 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide explores options like these, in the section

Who Dwells Here?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

such figures have been included as NPCs, but you should not treat this adventure’s approach to those characters as canon. Rather, use them to flesh out this particular adventure in “what-if” fashion

their characters should treat with such legendary figures carefully — a warning that is repeated by whichever agent the characters are dealing with.

Other Inquisitive Agencies

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

inquisitives devoted to solving crimes and tracking down the perpetrators. Warning Guild. Affiliated with but largely independent from House Medani, the Warning Guild provides certification and contract

inquisitives are often called upon to solve mysteries that baffle local law enforcement. Running Your Own. Rather than join an existing inquisitive agency, you can start your own. You need to establish

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

cosmic implications of Maglubiyet’s attacks. To prevent the goblinoids from outstripping her people in population, she urges the orcs to have many offspring and teach them the ways of battle not only

herself and claw Maglubiyet’s beady eyes from his face to prevent him from taking them from her. The cosmic battle between the two pantheons has raged for eons without resolution, leading those

Bluetspur

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

Bluetspur Memories of Bluetspur prove as impossible as they are inescapable Domain of Alien Memories Darklord: The God-Brain of Bluetspur Genre: Cosmic horror Hallmarks: Alien abductions

Bluetspur, and none who witness them remember. This alien domain etches itself not upon the waking mind, but rather upon the body as inexplicable scars and on the psyche through nightmares. Not all the

History of Eberron

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

History of Eberron Every child knows the story of the Progenitor Dragons: Siberys, Eberron, and Khyber. In the dawn of time, these three cosmic beings created thirteen planes of existence, each

dominion over this new reality. She struck Siberys without warning and tore him apart. Eberron wrestled with Khyber and bound the traitor in her coils but could not defeat her. So Eberron became a

The Great Wheel

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

between Bytopia and Arcadia; rather, this theoretical positioning is based on the philosophical shading among the three planes and the relative importance they give to law and good. Other

Configurations For your campaign, you can use a different model of the planes. Here are several examples: Planes situated among the roots and branches of a great cosmic tree (literally or figuratively) Material

Worshiping Kruphix

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Warning. When Purphoros attacked Heliod in a destructive rage, Heliod demanded that Kruphix intervene. Kruphix constrained the forge-god’s mind and memory in punishment for his attack. He warned all

are certainly those among them who might try if they could see a way to retain their own powers. The Silence. When the squabbling of the gods threatened the world once more despite Kruphix’s warning

Mire of Doubt

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

nearest tree, unmoving. The figure is a mezzoloth corpse that the nagas hollowed out and propped up with sticks and its own trident. They hope this warning of a failed attack will keep other mezzoloths

. The spirit naga Valsyx lurks here, composing abstruse riddles unless the characters encountered him elsewhere. He knows confusion rather than blight. Valsyx is at home in the mire and isn’t slowed

Gnoll Allies

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

accompanied by other beings of evil. Demons A fang of Yeenoghu is sometimes gifted with the cosmic insight needed to summon forth mindless demons. When Yeenoghu deigns to allow it, a war band might find

incursions into the world, leucrottas are bigger, smarter, and faster than gnolls. When one joins a war band, it doesn’t strive to lead the group (which would cause unneeded conflict) but rather to serve

Breaking the Contract

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

Zariel voids all the active contracts she has made with beings across the multiverse. This causes no small amount of cosmic chaos. The Fate of Thavius Kreeg If the characters killed Thavius Kreeg in

possesses, the devil Thavius is a coward who would rather grovel than fight. Killing him marks a wretched end to a wretched life. If the characters left Thavius alive in chapter 1, they must find a way

Zilargo

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

gnome charlatan to connive another gnome out of a jewel mine—as long as this is accomplished through cunning, negotiation, or deception rather than violence or outright theft, and as long as the mine

, it acts preemptively. If a problem can be solved without violence—by sharing a piece of information, or a whispered warning sent via message—that’s what they’ll do. But the Trust won’t hesitate to

Guardian Naga

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

convoluted plots to thwart the evil designs of their enemies. A guardian naga doesn’t seek out violence, warning off intruders rather than attacking. Only if its foes persist does the naga attack

Zilargo

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

gnome—as long as the charlatan accomplishes the deed through cunning, negotiation, or deception rather than violence or outright theft, and as long as the mine stays in Zil hands. The same applies to

. Trust agents prefer to solve a problem without violence—by sharing a piece of information or a whispered warning sent via a message spell. But the Trust won’t hesitate to eliminate a threat, whether with poison, spell, or blade. Typically, a target never sees the agent of their demise.

Thassa's Champions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

campaigns to overturn it. Rather, her champions’ work often serves her immediate interests or embodies her ire about some recent slight. The Thassa’s Quests table suggests a few adventures the god’s

discovering ancient knowledge. The campaign might begin with Thassa warning the characters about an impending attack or disaster involving a seaside community, leaving them to convince others and organize a

Nightmare Logic

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

and fun for the entire group. Revisit these considerations and safety tools often, until they’re just as much a part of your game as character sheets and dice. Content Warning. With this in mind, be

genre in all its myriad forms is explored—from moody gothic horror and ghost stories to visceral body horror and mind-bending cosmic horror. Chapter 2 explores how to choose the horror themes that are right for your game, but read on at your discretion.

Gnome Adventurers

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

the Stars Because of their extensive travels, gnome adventurers often become fascinated with the grandeur of the cosmos as seen in the motion of the stars across the sky. They view the cosmic array as a

cautious, brings a sense of duty rather than a sense of humor to an adventuring group. With their grit and iron will, deep gnomes meet adversity with hammers, picks, and their dour, dry wit — or no wit at all — as their weapons of choice.

Nyx

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

cosmic phenomena. Its power slips into the world in the same form, with star fields filling the shadows of Nyxborn beings that are infused with its power (see chapter 6 for details on Nyxborn). While

territory. He doesn’t maintain a central residence. Rather, his influence binds the conflict, encompassing all perspectives and preventing the battle from spilling forth into the rest of Nyx.

Respect for the Players

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

talking, and make sure you check in about what every character is doing, especially during periods of exploration and social interaction, rather than focusing just on one player’s character. Sometimes

the characters are racing toward a goal or destination. (Use this technique with caution, as time pressure can increase players’ anxiety.) Telegraph Encounters. Give players advance warning that an

Respect for the Players

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

talking, and make sure you check in about what every character is doing, especially during periods of exploration and social interaction, rather than focusing just on one player’s character. Sometimes

the characters are racing toward a goal or destination. (Use this technique with caution, as time pressure can increase players’ anxiety.) Telegraph Encounters. Give players advance warning that an

Astral Plane

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

by physical eyes, their colors are understood rather than seen.) Traveling to another plane requires locating a color pool that leads to the desired plane. These gateways can be identified by color

comes into view—often millions of miles away—along with colorful gas clouds, planets, moons, and other cosmic bodies. A Wildspace system teems with space-dwelling life-forms, including spores

Circle of Stars

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

starry form, rather than transforming into a beast. While in your starry form, you retain your game statistics, but your body becomes luminous; your joints glimmer like stars, and glowing lines connect

of 9 or lower on the d20 as a 10. Cosmic Omen 6th-level Circle of the Stars feature Whenever you finish a long rest, you can consult your Star Map for omens. When you do so, roll a die. Until you

Agents of the Wyrmsmith

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

withholding things from him, but rather than demand disclosure, he has waited and observed. He wants agents of his own, and sees the interest of the Keepers in the adventurers as an opportunity. The dragon

under coins and not visible at a glance. One must dig through the coins to find them. A character who tries to get closer receives a friendly warning in the form of a growl, a stare, and claws clicking

Beholder Lairs

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

the beholder’s favorite pieces of sculpture. Vestibule Beyond the lair entrance lies the vestibule. Rather than being sculpted with tools or eye rays, the entrance and the vestibule are left in their

often inhabited by shriekers, which act as an early warning system. Traps A room not dedicated to some other purpose could be festooned with a variety of traps. In addition to traps that are meant to

Gods of the Orcs

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

the cosmic implications of Maglubiyet’s attacks. To prevent the goblinoids from outstripping her people in population, she urges the orcs to have many offspring and teach them the ways of battle not

herself and claw Maglubiyet’s beady eyes from his face to prevent him from taking them from her. The cosmic battle between the two pantheons has raged for eons without resolution, leading those who

Warehouse Environs

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

is Captain Mergen Truff (NG female elf veteran), a laconic figure who would rather be doing “real work” than standing here warning off vagrants too foolish to avoid falling into a massive hole in the

conversation — and make sure to work in the first three points as a warning from the guards, even if the players fail to seek more information: The fissure opened beneath the warehouse during the

Glorium

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

cosmic tree that connects the Outer Planes. It appears as a mass of knotted, intertwined roots surrounded by softly drifting motes of light. The tangled roots part to form an arched portal to Ysgard

their treaty shattered, a death tyrant attacks the gate-town. 3 A frost giant jarl learns of the entrance to the World Tree within Serpent’s Rise. Rather than attack Glorium, he sets out to find the

Interloper Gods

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

the ordning (and from the notion of a cosmic order more generally), and exactly the kind of power their ordning rewards. Of the countless rulers of the infinite Abyss, four have particular influence

Elemental Eye directly rather than serving one of the subordinate cults. As described earlier in this chapter (see “Rejecting the Ordning”), membership in the cults of Elemental Evil replaces the ordning with

Random Encounters

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

warning them that any interference might get them arrested or killed. Bystanders look a little surprised or concerned but don’t intervene, not even to aid the unconscious merchant once the guards leave. If

contempt, their first thought is to enslave them or use them rather than kill them. The duergar of Gracklstugh are beginning to suffer the effects of the arrival of the demon lords — and specifically

Encounters in the Crypt

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

blames himself for not seeing warning signs of Zariel’s fall from grace early on — her single-minded determination to slay demons at all costs. Olanthius took his life rather than face damnation, but

and transformed into fiends. One of Zariel’s generals, Olanthius, killed himself rather than embrace tyranny. Zariel raised him as a death knight to ensure his loyalty. The knights’ souls are cursed

Fishbone Tavern

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

frequently, though he hasn’t seen any of them in a few days. He ponders a while on how that’s rather unusual. Zurb can suggest the characters talk to Fryer the bartender to figure out why. (She earned

that name when she hit a would-be-thief with a searing-hot frying pan.) Zurb can also describe any of the tavern’s regulars, including warning the characters that Rakeem can’t be trusted. When the

Other Religious Systems

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

experiences new meaning in life. DIVINE RANK The divine beings of the multiverse are often categorized according to their cosmic power. Some gods are worshiped on multiple worlds and have a

rather than from a specific nature deity, some clerics devote themselves to ideals rather than to a god. Paladins might serve a philosophy of justice and chivalry rather than a specific deity. Forces and

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