culture ways reality

Quandrix Professor of Theory

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

minds, probability, and the fabric of magic itself. Their equations shift perceptions in profound ways, alter probability, and interfere with the formation of other magic. In battle, the professors tweak

interacts with the world can change the world. They impress upon their students to use magic as a tool to shape the overall experience of reality, and in turn make the world a better place. Quandrix

Woe Strider

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

destiny. Over centuries, these cosmic blasphemers transform into hunched, long-limbed horrors. Sadistic things, woe striders seek ways to reweave themselves into the tapestry of destiny. This leads

them to search for answers within the bowels of other beings, performing murderous haruspicy in pursuit of their discarded cosmic purpose. When they fail to find answers, their unnatural cries cause reality to shudder, undermining magic and sane minds alike.

Balhannoth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

roll.Native to the Shadowfell, the vicious, predatory balhannoth alters reality in its lair to make the place appear inviting to travelers. A limited form of telepathy enables a balhannoth to

identify images of places where its prey expects their needs and desires to be met, such as an inn or a temple offering healing. It then warps reality around itself, hiding itself and remaking its

Graz'zt

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

’zt can transform himself at will, appearing in any humanlike form that pleases him or his onlookers, all equally tempting in their own ways. In every form, though, a subtle wrongness pervades

Argent Palace, a grandiose structure in the city of Zelatar, found within his abyssal domain of Azzagrat. Graz’zt’s demonic influence radiates outward in a tangible ripple, warping reality

Graz'zt Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

foot. Graz’zt can also transform himself at will, appearing in any humanoid form that pleases him, or his onlookers, all equally tempting in their own ways. Graz’zt surrounds himself with

Zelatar, found within his Abyssal domain of Azzatar. Graz’zt’s maddening influence radiates outward in a tangible ripple, warping reality around him. Given enough time in a single location

Adult Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

their way to avoid interacting with other intelligent creatures. However, their interest in history and culture occasionally gets the better of them, prompting them to seek some engagement with the folk

, or crumbling ruins designed to disorient intruders. Circuitous routes within the lair provide the dragon with numerous ways to evade pursuit, while strategically designed choke points allow them to

Ancient Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

avoid interacting with other intelligent creatures. However, their interest in history and culture occasionally gets the better of them, prompting them to seek some engagement with the folk of the world

’s lair is a maze of twisting tunnels, interconnected caverns, or crumbling ruins designed to disorient intruders. Circuitous routes within the lair provide the dragon with numerous ways to evade

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

Yuan-ti Malison (Type 3) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

calculated poise, and its deadly strike. Their advanced philosophy taught the virtue of detachment from emotion and of clear, focused thought. Yuan-ti culture was among the richest in the mortal

bound themselves to the worship of the serpent gods and imitated their ways, indulging in cannibalism and humanoid sacrifice. Through foul sorcery, the yuan-ti bred with snakes, utterly sacrificing

Tiefling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that

tieflings, assuming that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. The reality is that a tiefling’s bloodline doesn’t affect their personality. They are gifted with magic from the infernal realms but chart their own course in life.

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

you might or might not choose to share. Although you will undoubtedly find some of this land’s ways to be strange and discomfiting, you can also be sure that some things its people take for

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

Balhannoth Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

well-traveled roads and paths, snatching people who come along. A balhannoth that has been captured and exploited by drow might lair in caves near Underdark passages and guard the ways in and out of a

the following effects; the balhannoth can’t use the same lair action two rounds in a row: The balhannoth warps reality around it in an area up to 500 feet square. After 10 minutes, the terrain

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal language, passed down through generations, that

watch might follow a tiefling around for a while, and demagogues blame tieflings for strange happenings. The reality, though, is that a tiefling’s bloodline doesn’t affect his or her

Gray Dwarf (Duergar) Legacy

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

grim, ashen-skinned dwarves now take slaves of their own and are as tyrannical as their former masters. Physically similar to other dwarves in some ways, duergar are wiry and lean, with black eyes and

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

Gruul Anarch

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

ruins. You are part of a savage society that clings desperately to the Old Ways — attuned to nature, full of primal rage, and given short shrift by a world consumed with continuing civilization

effects, such as flames smoldering behind your eyes or dancing over your hands. Suggested Characteristics Gruul ways aren’t the ways of civilized folk, and the Gruul have little patience for

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

more, as a member of an Uthgardt tribe. Your people have always tried to hold to the old ways. Tradition and taboo have kept the Uthgardt strong while the kingdoms of others have collapsed into chaos

among the people as living embodiments of his power. Perhaps they needed a reminder of who they were and from whence they came. The Chosen of Uthgar led bands back to the old ways, and most of your people

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

different ways. The verdan assign no cultural or biological relevance to any particular coloration, physical features, or gender. Cultural Chameleons The clan homes of the Underdark goblinoids who

Cultural Chameleon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->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 1 Aarakocra 2 Dwarf 3 Elf 4 Goblin 5 Halfling 6 Human 7 Lizardfolk 8 Orc

Tiefling Names

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

Tiefling Names Tiefling names fall into three broad categories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal

tend to be suspicious of tieflings, assuming that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. The reality is that a tiefling’s bloodline

Rogues' Gallery

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

magic might provide a glimpse of the future, but it can also manipulate reality in large or small ways. If the character who drew the card has a secret or has performed some action that would turn a

created by the reality-altering power of the deck. Turncoat. The villain is someone the characters know and have had positive dealings with. The villain’s attitude toward the character who drew the

Chiang's Torment

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

Chiang’s Torment Fortune confounds Tsien Chiang in numerous ways, but the following are the most pronounced examples: Chiang wishes to make the dream of I’Cath a reality, and though her servants

follow her plans perfectly, the city grows endlessly more disordered. Chiang relishes the dream vision of I’Cath, but it makes the reality of her city all the more unbearable. She won’t let the corruption

Strangers to the Surface

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

of the seasons mystifies them. Tritons also find the variety of social institutions, kingdoms, and other customs bewildering. For all their proud culture, they remain innocent of the surface world. The

petty grievances that prevent the surface folk from truly unifying. At its worst, a triton’s arrogance compounds the tendency for the triton not to understand the ways of the surface world. It’s easy

Triton Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

variety of social institutions, kingdoms, and other customs bewildering. For all their proud culture, they remain innocent of the surface world. The typical triton protectorate is tightly regimented

truly unifying. At its worst, a triton’s arrogance compounds the tendency for the triton not to understand the ways of the surface world. It’s easy for a triton to blame baffling social

Raw Magic

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

with the magic of dragons. Others carry a raw, uncontrolled magic within them, a chaotic storm that manifests in unexpected ways. The appearance of sorcerous powers is wildly unpredictable. Some

the inner workings of reality. Sorcerers have no use for the spellbooks and ancient tomes of magic lore that wizards rely on, nor do they rely on a patron to grant their spells as warlocks do. By

Vistani

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

single domain, the Mists, or any terror. Vistani Culture Unlike the denizens of individual domains, Vistani are inhabitants of the Land of the Mist as a whole. Although they trace their origins to the

now are full-fledged members of Vistani culture (see the “Vistani Characters” sidebar for details). As they travel, members of a Vistani band walk, ride on horseback, and drive ledge wagons, stopping

Fear

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

spells. An enemy demonstrates it can deal enough damage to reduce a character to 0 hit points in one blow. A creature is alien or monstrous in ways the character never could have imagined. An object undermines a character’s understanding of reality.

Raw Magic

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

with the magic of dragons. Others carry a raw, uncontrolled magic within them, a chaotic storm that manifests in unexpected ways. The appearance of sorcerous powers is wildly unpredictable. Some

the inner workings of reality. Sorcerers have no use for the spellbooks and ancient tomes of magic lore that wizards rely on, nor do they rely on a patron to grant their spells as warlocks do. By

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

Domain Overview

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

, something creepy with something cute, dead with alive, threatening with welcoming. Mix details together in unexpected ways, the more unnatural or off-putting the better. Rationalize and Normalize

creations of the Dark Powers and the domain is the only reality they know, but what logical and psychological leaps might an outsider need to make to sleep at night?

History of Eberron

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

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

living prison, a world that would forever contain Khyber’s evil. Almost every culture in the world shares this story as a myth that explains the world. Shattered Siberys became the ring of golden

Dark Elves (Drow)

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

name of their demon-goddess. Almost always, dark elves who reject the ways of their people are exiled, or executed for being rebels, heretics, and insurrectionists who have turned against drow culture

the city-states. Most of these individuals live as outcasts and wanderers, though a rare few find new homes with another race or culture. Drow have the racial traits of dark elves in the Player’s

Chapter 1: Monster Lore

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

that, as you explore each monster section, you’ll come up with new ways to challenge and entertain your players, as well as find new things that you can borrow for your own D&D campaign. Let each entry

spark your imagination! The lore in this chapter represents the perspective of Volo and is mostly limited to the Forgotten Realms. In the Realms and elsewhere in the D&D multiverse, reality is more

Adventures in I'Cath

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

Adventures in I’Cath I’Cath presents two worlds: a reality of want and desperation, and a dream of beautiful control, both dominated by Tsien Chiang. The reality of I’Cath is an inescapable ghost

second layer to the prison city. The characters might find ways to move in and out of the dream. I’Cath’s people have no such recourse on their own, but if the characters wake individuals or disrupt the

Suggested Characteristics

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

code of honor or sense of propriety that others don’t comprehend. 4 I express affection or contempt in ways that are unfamiliar to others. 5 I honor my deities through practices that are foreign to this

. Though I may not know their ways, neither do they know mine, which can be to my advantage. (Evil) 5 Inquisitive. Everything is new, but I have a thirst to learn. (Neutral) 6 Suspicious. I must be

Iconoclast

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

Iconoclast No one can deny the reality of the gods of Theros, whose presence and deeds are visible in the night sky and sometimes directly in the mortal realm. But some people refute the idea that

the gods are worthy of reverence. Such iconoclasts are common among the leonin, but members of any culture can adopt this supernatural gift. The Iconoclast Characteristics table presents suggestions for

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