cultures want rather

Vladimir Horngaard

Monsters Curse of Strahd

witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir's beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and

curtains of mist. Blinded by Hatred. Vladimir hates Strahd but doesn't want to see the vampire given his final rest. Vladimir wants Strahd to suffer forever for the deaths of Godfrey and Argynvost, the

Ringlerun

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

made him the envy of many rival spellcasters. Ringlerun has a good heart, but he’s easily distracted by intellectual pursuits. He would rather spend time in quiet contemplation or reading than in

when people who are clearly less intelligent want to tell me what to do.” Combat Notes Ringlerun can fend off melee attackers with wild swings of his staff, but he prefers to fly out of reach and

Anthropologist

Backgrounds Tomb of Annihilation

You have always been fascinated by other cultures, from the most ancient and primeval lost lands to the most modern civilizations. By studying other cultures’ customs, philosophies, laws

; Cultural Chameleon Before becoming an adventurer, you spent much of your adult life away from your homeland, living among people different from your kin. You came to understand these foreign cultures

Manshoon

monsters

. That Manshoon is dead, and the current Manshoon is one of the original’s many clones. Being a magical copy rather than an original doesn’t make Manshoon any less of a threat, as he’s

someone else in disguise, which is just as Manshoon prefers. Manshoon seeks power and is checked only by the many enemies who want to see him dead. He recently failed to seize control of Waterdeep in a

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

them like they were children’s books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather

Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe, and how they see the

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

migrated. Still, a sense of not truly belonging is felt even by verdan who have been welcomed into other cultures. They are often stricken with wanderlust, keeping their possessions limited and

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

entire lives without encountering another one of their kind. There are no great genasi cities or empires. Genasi seldom have communities of their own and typically adopt the cultures and societies into

. Fire genasi often get themselves into difficulty with their fiery tempers. Like their air genasi cousins, they sometimes flaunt their perceived superiority over common folk. But they also want

Courtier

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

In your earlier days, you were a personage of some significance in a noble court or a bureaucratic organization. You might or might not come from an upper-class family; your talents, rather than the

those who can’t appreciate fine art. 3 I always want to know how things work and what makes people tick. 4 I’m full of witty aphorisms and have a proverb for every occasion

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

your adventuring career, you can decide whether to tell your companions about your inheritance right away. Rather than attracting attention to yourself, you might want to keep your inheritance a secret

, and might have set you on the path to adventure, but it could also come with many dangers, including those who covet your gift and want to take it from you — by force, if need be. Skill

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

rather than perform the work or confront the foe. Even when subsumed into a goblinoid host and drawn into war, bugbears must often be roused from naps and bribed to get them to do their duties. This

natural state. Thanks to Grankhul, they can use their size and strength to work as stealthy assassins rather than blundering around like ogres. Bullying, murder, and engaging in battle are all holy

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

a patriar’s scion in an illegal duel. The family swore revenge, and you fled to the slums rather than risk bringing their wrath down on your kin. 6 You aren’t originally from Baldur

questions asked. Living here isn’t comfortable, but it’s unlikely anyone will find you—and you can stay as long as you want. Other Hermits This hermit background assumes a

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

, 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

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can’t be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and

pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome. Cold and Calculating Most humanoids describe cold-blooded people as lacking in

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

guild. 5 I was a member of this guild before the Dimir recruited me. 6 I don’t like what this guild stands for and want to destroy it from within. 7 I secretly wish I could

reveal them. (Any) 4 Knowledge. I want to know as much as I can about this city and how it works. (Any) 5 Independence. I value the freedom to pursue my own goals without interference

Suggested Characteristics

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

civilizations survive — or why they did not. Some anthropologists are driven by intellectual curiosity, while others want the fame and recognition that comes with being the first to discover a new people, a

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

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver. Common sense should steer people away from things that

. Suggested Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

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

rather than among other creatures, including my own kind. 4 I sometimes become consumed by philosophy. 5 I believe I am superior to others of my caste. 6 I am driven by wanderlust

The Drow of Eberron

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

question of the story you want to tell. Do you want to preserve the unique cultures of Eberron? Incorporate Corellon and Lolth into those cultures organically? Or explore the idea of these powers just discovering Eberron and awakening hidden memories in the blood of elf and drow?

were caught in the collapse of its civilizations. Today they linger in the shadows of Xen’drik and are all but unknown on Khorvaire. There are three distinct drow cultures. The Vulkoori are tribal

Archaeologist

Backgrounds Tomb of Annihilation

An archaeologist learns about the long-lost and fallen cultures of the past by studying their remains — their bones, their ruins, their surviving masterworks, and their tombs. Those who

1 Ever since I was a child, I’ve heard stories about a lost city. I aim to find it, learn its secrets, and earn my place in the history books. 2 I want to find my mentor, who

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation

needles all over the floor — petty, vengeful acts that humiliate, injure, or anger the gnomes, but not so much that the gnomes want to hunt down and kill the kobolds. Because of the kobolds&rsquo

Things to Do in Menthis Plateau

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

the best Sharn has to offer. Whether you want to conduct your own research in the library or find a specialist in goblin history, Morgrave likely has what you need. Go into show business. Menthis has a

Smoky Towers sometimes hire brave souls to venture into the Mournland to reclaim lost treasures. See other cultures. Den’iyas brings a touch of Zilargo to Sharn. You might find a clawfoot raptor running down the streets in Little Plains, or a Gatekeeper druid casting bones on Cassan Bridge.

Visitors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

Visitors Klax’s traders and Vrakir himself are visitors rather than full-time occupants. You can determine whether Vrakir and the traders are present by rolling a d10 and a d20. A result of 1 or 2 on

on how challenging you want the heist to be. The efreeti keeps his own schedule, and not even his most trusted servants know when or where he will appear next.

The Cassalanters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

characters rather than murder them. Victoro and Ammalia rely on their noble status to protect them, and the last thing they want is the City Watch on their doorstep. If you choose the Cassalanters as the villains, the adventure takes place in the summer.

Donnabella Fiasco

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sleeping Dragon’s Wake

sidekick stat block to represent her. Personality. “I’d rather talk to a book than most people.” Ideal. “We all have a little magic in us. The trick is finding it and bringing it forth.” Bond. “I

want to join a prestigious wizards’ academy one day. I just hope they accept unicorns!” Flaw. “I can’t keep a secret to save my life—or anyone else’s.”

Character Advancement

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Character Advancement If you want to use story-based level advancement, the characters receive experience points for achieving the following milestones rather than defeating monsters: Obtaining the

Level 6: Cradle of the Death God

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

remains sealed until five skeleton keys are used to unlock it. If the characters failed to obtain all five skeleton keys from the upper levels, they won’t get far on this level. If you want to keep

the adventure moving forward rather than have the characters backtrack, place the remaining skeleton keys in area 71 or somewhere else nearby. Map 5.6: Cradle of the Death God View Player Version

Donnabella Fiasco

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

stat block to represent her. Personality. “I’d rather talk to a book than most people.” Ideal. “We all have a little magic in us. The trick is finding it and bringing it forth.” Bond. “I want

Donnabella Fiasco

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

sidekick stat block to represent her. Personality. “I’d rather talk to a book than most people.” Ideal. “We all have a little magic in us. The trick is finding it and bringing it forth.” Bond. “I

want to join a prestigious wizards’ academy one day. I just hope they accept unicorns!” Flaw. “I can’t keep a secret to save my life—or anyone else’s.”

Donnabella Fiasco

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

sidekick stat block to represent her. Personality. “I’d rather talk to a book than most people.” Ideal. “We all have a little magic in us. The trick is finding it and bringing it forth.” Bond. “I

want to join a prestigious wizards’ academy one day. I just hope they accept unicorns!” Flaw. “I can’t keep a secret to save my life—or anyone else’s.”

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

; did I mention focus? 2 I get really excited about my ideas and I can’t wait to talk about them and start putting them into practice and tinkering with them and I want to tell you about how

protocols will lead us toward progress more surely than any belief system. (Lawful) 5 Fun. I love my job! Despite the dangerous working conditions, there’s nothing I’d rather do

The Noble Knife

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

The Noble Knife The Noble Knife is a somewhat mysterious organization known for its high level of engagement with the cultures and societies within which its members work. Having made such

for the greater good. The organization doesn’t “take jobs” as such. Rather, its leadership assesses the moral and political landscape of the realm and selects targets thusly. The Noble Knife is named

Adulthood

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

experience. Elder elves look for signs of this change in young elves and try to guide them through it. Most elven cultures mark the Drawing of the Veil with a ceremony of pride or celebration, as a way of

the world, to change things for the better (as they see it). Elves want to leave a mark on the world that future generations will remember. Over time, an adult elf can become accomplished in many

Marcher Characters

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

independence and suspicious of the houses. Your ties to the Marches might be distant because you were born to a family that left years ago. Do you want to rediscover your ancestral roots? Madness and

Sovereign Host, or the Dragon Below, superstitions inform your path. Clan or Tribe? The people of the Shadow Marches are split into two distinct cultures. The clans blend the traditions of human and orc

Dragonmarked Characters

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

Dragonmarked Characters Some characters with the Mark of Handling: Noble Druid. Your family is one of the most powerful in the house. You’re a druid, but you don’t hold any druidic beliefs; rather

, but you want to get out into the world and discover new creatures that have never been harnessed. Outlander Druid. Your dragonmark gives you a powerful connection to the natural world. You hate what

Skill Proficiencies

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

convincing lie, or wear a disguise convincingly. History Intelligence Recall lore about historical events, people, nations, and cultures. Insight Wisdom Discern a person’s mood and intentions. Intimidation

Charisma Awe or threaten someone into doing what you want. Investigation Intelligence Find obscure information in books, or deduce how something works. Medicine Wisdom Diagnose an illness, or

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