culture wanted rather

Alustriel Silverhand

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

are to spread kindness, reward virtue, and promote a culture of compassion throughout the multiverse. She is good at building alliances and quick to intervene when she senses a threat to the forces of

in her true form. She helped create Silverymoon’s famous Moonbridge and cofounded the Lady’s College, the first school in Faerûn for mages as students rather than as apprentices in

Anthropologist

Backgrounds Tomb of Annihilation

and the ways of their people, who eventually treated you as one of their own. One culture had more of an influence on you than any other, shaping your beliefs and customs. Choose a race whose culture

you’ve adopted, or roll on the Adopted Culture table. Adopted Culture d8 Culture d8 Culture 1 Aarakocra 5 Halfling 2 Dwarf 6 Human 3

Gray Dwarf (Duergar) Legacy

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

bald heads, with the males growing long, unkempt, gray beards. Duergar value toil above all else. Showing emotions other than grim determination or wrath is frowned on in their culture, but they can

obliterated by Moradin’s betrayal. The duergar lead bleak, grim lives devoid of happiness or satisfaction, but they see that as their defining strength — the root of duergar pride, as it were — rather than a drawback to be corrected.

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

robbing an important person, and I’m wanted for it. 6 No one else should have to endure the hardships I’ve been through. d6 Flaw 1 If I’m outnumbered, I

;d rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair. 5 It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else. 6 People who can’t take care of themselves get what they deserve.

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

build cities to last for the ages, and great kingdoms that can persist for long centuries. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves

, 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

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

of our camp. Soveliss told me that firbolgs must have claimed the forest, and they wanted to show us we had no further business there. If we lingered, he assured me, our heads would be next. &mdash

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

cluster of allied city-states. Conquered neighbors were allowed to keep their leaders and culture so long as they paid tribute, swore allegiance to the victors, and incorporated their conquerors

of evil that calls for them to butcher or eradicate all who oppose them. In keeping with their goal of domination, the yuan-ti would rather capture potentially useful opponents than kill them. They use

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

of those who emigrate from Evermeet are either exiles, forced out for committing some infraction of elven law, or emissaries who come to Faerûn for a purpose that benefits elven culture or

about Mulhorand is alien to someone from the Sword Coast. You likely experienced the same sort of culture shock when you left your desert home and traveled to the unfamiliar climes of northern Faerû

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

important person, and I’m wanted for it. 6 No one else should have to endure the hardships I’ve been through. d6 Flaw 1 If I’m outnumbered, I will run away

from a fight. 2 Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it. 3 I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 I’d rather

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

ranks hoping to find out what happened to them. 7 You’ve always wanted to be a member of the Guild. As a child, you looked up to the Guild members’ swagger, their flashy dress, and

could be hidden. 4 I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy. 5 I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide. 6 I don’t pay

Suggested Characteristics

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

to observing proper etiquette and local customs. 3 I would rather observe than meddle. 4 By living among violent people, I have become 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 customs. d6 Ideal 1 Discovery. I want to be the first person to

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

. Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant

steeped in a culture, the verdan remain on the lookout for oppression and curtailment of freedoms. They understand the need for laws that protect, but they rail against laws that restrict and oppress

Kinds of Treasure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

the Player’s Handbook) rather than coins 2–3 Coins from an ancient culture local to this region, ancestral to the people who live here now 4–5 Coins from an ancient culture in a distant

region 6–7 Coins from a nearby contemporary culture 8–9 Coins from a local contemporary culture 10 Coins from another world You might decide that all the coins in a dragon’s hoard

Roleplaying a Yuan-ti

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

Personality Trait 1 I see omens in every event and action. The serpent gods continue to advise us. 2 I have very high standards for food, drink, and physical pleasures. 3 I prefer to be alone rather

far from our cities. 7 I am interested in modern human culture, even as primitive as it is. 8 I await the day when we again conquer lands by force, as we did in the old times. Yuan-ti Ideals d6 Ideal

Appendix B: Character Names

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

have a dwarven name. Or, as DM, you might decide that dragonborn in your campaign have a culture reminiscent of ancient Rome and therefore use Roman names, rather than the dragonborn names suggested here.

Life in San Citlán

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

Life in San Citlán Molded through generations of cosmopolitan mingling, San Citlán’s culture is ever-evolving but not without honored traditions. Food and Recreation Food is a particular point of

Lucha, where luchadores don colorful masks, adopt epic personas, and battle using acrobatic maneuvers. Faith and Festivals Worship is ingrained in city culture, and major religions have temples ranging

Life in Umizu

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

from dark brown to black. Social Mores Umizu is a matrilineal culture with a preference for succession by women. Most families live in multigenerational homes, and the wealthiest favor polyamorous

gender. Titles such as “daimyo” are gender-neutral, as are most names. Clothing varies by class status rather than gender—instead, people express their gender through perfumes. Bright citrus scents

Fire Snake

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

salamanders dedicated to the cults of Elemental Evil, they slay them rather than enslaving them. Domineering Nobles. Although salamanders follow the destructive impulses of their fiery nature

, slavery under the efreet has impacted the culture of free salamanders. They rule their own societies according to the efreet model, in which larger and stronger salamanders claim dominion over their lesser

Blood Will Tell

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

other races, he swore the orcs would avenge themselves by taking what they wanted by force. The great orc hordes continue to do just that today, appearing periodically from out of the wilderness to

they live, half-orcs usually find themselves defined by others in terms of their usefulness as heavy laborers and soldiers. It is the rare and fortunate few who are judged by their character and their deeds rather than their ancestry.

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

they are more interested in grabbing plunder and food rather than in wanton slaughter. The elderly, children, and any who seem weak or meek enough might escape death. If they leave the population more

stand against the wave. Orc Culture and Beliefs Orcs live in constant fear of their gods, and their behavior is rooted in that mentality. They believe that they can see the influence of the gods

Yuan-ti Cities

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

yuan-ti content themselves with maintaining these ancient places rather than building new ones for their needs. Although these sites are hundreds or even thousands of years old, they don’t look or feel

primitive — the yuan-ti empire was once very advanced, and although it has declined, its culture is still thriving on a smaller scale. Because the yuan-ti were previously human, their architecture

If It Exists In D&D, There's A Place for It in Eberron

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

archetypes assigned to those things. A few factors here: No fixed alignments. Mortal creatures are shaped by their culture and personal circumstances. An orc is just as likely to be lawful good as chaotic

Eberron. For example, if you wanted to use Gruumsh in Eberron, you could re-imagine him as one of the demon overlords of the first age. You could decide that he’s the classic Gruumsh, who has recently

Suggested Characteristics

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

so secretly) convinced of the superiority of my own culture over that of this foreign land. 2 I pretend not to understand the local language in order to avoid interactions I would rather not have. 3 I

Languages

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

Languages In Eberron, languages reflect culture and geography; a dwarf raised in Breland might not know Dwarvish, but a halfling raised in the Mror Holds might. The historical development of

languages and cultures also explains the scripts used to write various languages. For example, the Orc language is written using the Goblin script (rather than Dwarvish, as stated in the Player’s Handbook

Gnomes of Zilargo

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

goals — of which there are many — often still prefers to use trickery and cunning rather than the unreliable tools of honesty or brute force. Most Zil gnomes belong to the forest gnome subrace. Their

code. 6 You know the location of a wanted war criminal, and you’ve been trying to decide whether to turn them in or try to get something in exchange for your silence. 7 You’ve been selling false

Life in the Domains of Dread

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

domains they call the Land of the Mists. Culture and Technology Each domain boasts its own culture, either drawn from the Material Plane or a parody manufactured to torment a Darklord. As such, a domain

science or inventions such as firearms (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide), feel free to do so. Regardless of a domain’s culture and innovations, the Mists prevent knowledge of them from spreading. Even if an

Eladrin and the Feywild

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

waterfalls, gardens and copses, and structures of stone and wood are commingled in ways that are original and yet completely natural-looking. Eladrin culture is older than any other elven civilization

are. Elves from the Material Plane who have researched eladrin culture blame these traits on the influence of the Feywild. As part of their argument, they point out that eladrin who spend a

Central Flanaess

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

, naming his domain after himself. These lands are so despoiled and dangerous that the otherwise fierce nomads of the Hunting Lands and Wegwiur pass through the Cold Marshes rather than enter the

Vesve Forest’s evil inhabitants. Central Flanaess Culture The culture of the Central Flanaess is a result of the long imposition of the Great Kingdom’s rule over a variety of peoples living in close

Cavalier

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

, mounting or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. Unwavering Mark Starting at 3rd level, you can menace your foes, foiling their attacks and punishing them

cavaliers and samurai existed in the real world, our inspirations for both fighter archetypes are taken from popular culture (folk tales, movies, and comic books), not from history. Our intent is to capture

Life in the Poleis

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

territory, and each one has its own distinct society and culture. To the people of Theros, “Meletis” is more or less synonymous with “Meletians”—the polis isn’t just the people who live in the city of Meletis

extensively. Its Abora Market, just inside the city gates, is open to outsiders only on certain days, and Setessan merchants prefer to barter goods rather than accept currency. Despite these restrictions

Wuxia

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

character works just fine in a game inspired by medieval Asian cultures. Wuxia Weapon Names Having players refer to a tetsubo or a katana rather than a greatclub or a longsword can enhance the flavor

none of the weapon’s properties as they are described in the Player’s Handbook. Wuxia Weapon Names Weapon Other Names (Culture) Battleaxe fu (China); masakari (Japan) Club bian (China); tonfa (Japan

The Spirit and the Storyteller

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

, human mage) is a binukot in Kalapang, a scholar who collects and orally shares the region’s wisdom, laws, traditions, culture, songs, poetry, literature, and more. Though young, she is so distinguished

the island of Lambakluha. The pair originally wanted the characters to journey to the island and discover the source of Lungtian’s visions along with any signs of Pangil ng Buwan. Now, this mission is

Life in the City of Blades

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

, the duergar have a culture as rich and complex as any other, and nowhere is this so evident as in Gracklstugh. Work never stops in the City of Blades, and the gray dwarves take pride in efficiency

. Rather, they roll up their sleeves and work harder to increase their prestige through the fruits of their labor. All the honor and honesty the duergar apply among themselves doesn’t apply to

Enemies All Around

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

to possess the material goods in a stronghold’s hoard, and would much rather snatch up living treasure. Using its powers of deception, a green dragon might try to entice dwarves it encounters to ally

moves in to finish the job. DWARVES AND ALE Dwarves have a reputation for being able to consume great quantities of ale. Although drinking plays a significant role in their culture, it is a mistake

Special Features

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

table entries make more sense for certain items than for others. Some magic items are made only by certain kinds of creatures, for instance; a cloak of elvenkind is made by elves, rather than dwarves. If

light in a 5-foot radius. Any metal in the item is silver or mithral, rather than iron or steel. 17 Fiend. The item is made of black iron or horn inscribed with runes, and any cloth or leather

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