creating recently groups to have respectively

Oread

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

volcanoes, where they caper among the forces of dissolution and rebirth. During avalanches and volcanic eruptions, groups of oreads might race ahead of the destruction, dancing, singing, and doing what

nymphs and convincing them to aid in creating phenomenal works. In some tales, a smith finds an oread and allows it to relish in the destruction of a novel or remarkable item. In recompense, the

Selenelion Twin

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

until recently performed amazing acts of balance and agility at the Witchlight Carnival. Together, they are known as the Selenelion twins. (A selenelion is a celestial event during a lunar eclipse in

.) Gleam and Glister were born during such an event, and they are blessed with magical abilities tied to moonlight (Gleam) and sunlight (Glister), respectively. The twins are easily distinguished by

Geryon (Variant)

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

competent replacement for both.Geryon’s Lair Geryon has recently reclaimed his ancient fortress, Coldsteel, a sprawling complex that rises from the ice and snow at the center of Stygia. He roams

Effects The region containing Geryon’s lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the following effects: Chilling Wind. Freezing strong winds howl around the area within 1 mile of

Geryon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

replacement for both.Geryon’s Lair Geryon has recently reclaimed his ancient fortress, Coldsteel, a sprawling complex that rises from the ice and snow at the center of Stygia. He roams the

The region containing Geryon’s lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the following effects: Chilling Wind. Freezing strong winds howl around the area within 1 mile of the lair

Astral Elf

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Long ago, groups of elves ventured from the Feywild to the Astral Plane to be closer to their gods. Life in the Silver Void has imbued their souls with a spark of divine light. That light manifests

Astral Plane can live to be more than 750 years old. Creating Your Character When you create your D&D character, you decide whether your character is a member of the human race or one of the game

Halaster Blackcloak

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

exceed those of most mortal wizards. His expertise with magic gates allows him to travel far and wide to engage in magical research. He spends much of his time creating gates, moving them around, and

groups of adventurers try to gain decisive control of just a small section of Undermountain’s halls, Halaster constantly alters the dungeon’s perils to thwart them. Halaster’s true

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

few organizations operating in the North are described below. The Chill. The cold and mysterious Lurkwood serves as the home of numerous groups of goblinoids that have banded together into one tribe

company, including the names and reputations of its commanders and leaders, and who has hired them recently. You can find the taverns and festhalls where mercenaries abide in any area, as long as you speak

Pit Fighter

backgrounds

almost always find small groups of desperate individuals putting their lives on the line for the amusement and enrichment of others. This hidden network of arenas has recently been organized into the

Geryon Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

recently reclaimed his ancient fortress, Coldsteel, a sprawling complex that rises from the ice and snow at the center of Stygia. He roams the passages of this place, scattering the ice devil;ice devils

banishment spell. Regional Effects. The region containing Geryon's lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the following effects: Intelligent creatures within 1 mile of the lair frequently

Geryon (Summoner Variant) Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

of Geryon until the end of its next turn. Swift Sting (Costs 2 Actions). Geryon attacks with his stinger. Teleport. Geryon uses his Teleport action.Geryon's Lair Geryon has recently reclaimed his

itself if it deals any damage to one or more of its allies. Geryon casts the banishment spell. Regional Effects. The region containing Geryon's lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the

Vallaki

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

. Additionally, numerous factions are active within the town, including the Keepers of the Feather and the priests of Osybus (see “Travelers in the Mists” and “Other Groups,” respectively, later in this chapter).

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

, and even the smallest victory against it can tilt the cosmic balance away from oblivion. Creating a Paladin The most important aspect of a paladin character is the nature of his or her holy quest

Loyalty

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

Loyalty Having the adventurers leading an expanded party gives you the opportunity to use the optional loyalty rules in chapter 4, “Creating Nonplayer Characters,” of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. You

can track the loyalty scores of groups of NPCs, such as those belonging to each faction, rather than having to track NPCs individually. The characters must balance the goals and bonds of their followers in order to maintain and improve their loyalty.

Gibbet Crossing

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

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

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

Benefits of Renown

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

. Other members of the group are Friendly toward the character by default and provide the character with lodging and food in dire circumstances. Rank Some groups have hierarchies that characters can ascend

as they improve their Renown Scores. Other groups have positions of honor that characters can apply for if their Renown Score is high enough. Characters can earn promotions as their Renown Scores

The Undertakers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

) check. The leaders of the gang, Uktarl Krannoc and Harria Valashtar, were lovers once, but their relationship soured recently. They’re fed up with each other, and each is plotting to eliminate the

other and take control of the gang. Harria is the likely winner of this conflict, because she recently acquired a flesh golem that wandered up from level 2. Struck by Harria’s resemblance to its creator

Adventure Background

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

Neverember, hired a group of his citizens to rebuild the town, a construction project that has recently completed. They hope to create a fortified waypoint for travelers and merchants that can ward off the

, known also as Ebondeath, has recently allied with Ularan Mortus to steal a mythical artifact called the ruinstone from a tower inside Leilon. The people of Leilon have just begun to uncover the threats

Noteworthy Sites

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

, and boatbuilders. More recently, metalworkers and inventors are fueling a growing industry, though some citizens dismiss them as eccentrics creating unnecessary, newfangled contrivances. Sagorpur

Noteworthy Sites Hundreds of rivers flow through Shankhabhumi, creating natural paths to its three great cities. Map 9.2: shankhabhumiView Player Version Ashwadhatu The Mehul River flows from the

Incarnations of Tatyana

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

takes, Strahd unceasingly seeks her, determined to possess her and soothe his rejected ego. The following section explores creating stories with Tatyana’s latest incarnation at their center. This

incarnation allows you to give your own distinct spin to Ravenloft’s classic tale. Characters and groups marked with an asterisk on the following tables are further detailed in the “Travelers in the Mist” section at the end of in this chapter.

Monsters and Motivations

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

Monsters and Motivations See chapter 3, “Creating Adventures” for guidance on creating encounters with monsters. To foster variety and suspense, be sure to include encounters of varying difficulty

presence in the dungeon. For large groups of monsters encountered across multiple chambers, motivation could apply to the entire group, or each subgroup could have conflicting goals. Monster Motivation

Shared World

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

Shared World Some groups take a large, established campaign setting and divide it up geographically so different DMs can run separate campaigns in the same setting. In theory, characters can travel

from one DM’s region of the world to another’s, creating continuity in the campaign even as characters might be involved in several plotlines. Rather than dividing a campaign geographically, you and

Nolzur

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

specialization in alchemy that will one day lead to the crafting of such items as his famed Nolzur’s marvelous pigments. In this age, Nolzur most recently studied with Thessalar, learning secrets of alchemy and

, Quaal’s feather token, Heward’s handy haversack, and Tasha’s hideous laughter. Nolzur was a noted thief, illusionist, and alchemist, most famous for creating Nolzur’s marvelous pigments.

Dead in Thay

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5

would surely overthrow and take control of the North. However, groups of heroes recently assaulted Bloodgate Keep and its master, the lich Tarul Var. With the help of a renegade Red Wizard named

Lost Spire of Netheril

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

wizard’s shield guardian not only survived but also dug its way out, creating a tunnel that others can use to reach the spire’s interior. Until recently, the mouth of this tunnel was buried under ice

and snow. After exiting the spire, the shield guardian wandered into the Spine of the World, where it shut down and was lost for centuries until a band of goblins found it recently and brought it to

Tracking Monster Hit Points

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

onerous, but it helps to have a system for larger groups of monsters. If you aren’t using miniatures or other visual aids, the easiest way to keep track of your monsters is to assign them unique

encounter with three ogres, you could use three identical ogre miniatures tagged with stickers marked A, B, and C, respectively. To track the ogres’ hit points, you can sort them by letter, then

Tracking Monsters' Hit Points

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

Points a monster has remaining. It helps to have a system to track damage for groups of monsters. If you aren’t using miniatures or other visual aids, one way to track your monsters is to assign them

mountain pass For example, in a combat encounter with three ogres, you could use three identical ogre miniatures tagged with stickers marked A, B, and C, respectively. To track the ogres’ Hit Points, you

Artus and the Ring of Winter

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

for the Ring of Winter. If the characters make their way back to civilization with Artus in tow, they should encounter one or more of these groups along the way. Valindra Shadowmantle and the Red

chooses the latter. Alternatively, a portal to Mezro’s demiplane might be hidden somewhere in Chult, creating the seeds of a wonderful new adventure.

Beholder

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

they act on agendas beyond human reasoning. While some keep to themselves, others force weaker creatures into their service. Still others cultivate grand ambitions, creating networks of minions to

manipulate groups, settlements, and whole nations in the Underdark and sometimes the surface world. Few creatures loathe beholders more than other beholders. Every beholder views itself as the physical

Chamber Contents

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

controls an area. Pets and allied creatures are subservient to the dominant inhabitant. “Random creatures” are scavengers or nuisances, usually lone monsters or small groups passing through the area. They

include such creatures as carrion crawlers, dire rats, gelatinous cubes, and rust monsters. See chapter 3, "Creating Adventures" for more information on random encounters. Dungeon Chamber Contents

Orcs and Half-Orcs

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

Gatekeepers put the dragon’s teaching to the test, creating magical seals that bound the daelkyr in the depths of Khyber and protected Eberron against further incursion from the plane of madness

. Three prominent groups of orcs have survived into the present age: The Ghaash’kala are servants of the Silver Flame (which they call Kalok Shash, the “binding flame”), who devote their lives to battling

Small Groups

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

Small Groups Most of the time, each player runs one character. The game plays best that way, without overwhelming anyone. But if your group is small, players can control more than one character. Or

you can fill out the group with NPC followers, using the guidelines in chapter 4, "Creating Nonplayer Characters." You can also make the characters more resilient by using the healing surge option in

Larine Arneza

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

a ticket taker, a job she’s recently switched to as a result of struggling to give correct change while working at the box office. Extracurriculars: Intramural Water-Dancing Club Job: Strixhaven

Performing Arts Society ticket taker Bond Boon: Larine is an expert at creating stylized distractions. If you want to slip away unnoticed from anywhere on campus, Larine or her club members help you escape. Bond Bane: You are offered the worst tickets to performances, if any at all.

Moghadam

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

delights in creating despair, and works on the tomb in the hope that his name will go down alongside Acererak’s in legend. Moghadam competes with a rival artificer named Thessalar, who operates out of a

. More recently, the architect sent his own expert gemsmith along with a group of thieves to the Temple of Moloch, so that they might steal the gemstone eyes from its most famous statue. However, the

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

tapping a stone to show how bored he is. He plays with his dagger and studies the Lords’ Alliance agent sitting at the bar.” Creating a vocabulary of noises for the other players to decode

Right and Wrong

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

larger or smaller groups, you can adjust the encounters using the guidelines given in chapter 3, “Creating Adventures,” in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Or maybe you’ll adjust them anyway to keep things

D&D Beyond

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