cultures world reason

Stone Giant Dreamwalker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

adhered to the giant unless the giant is dead, in which case the magic works normally, freeing the petrified creature as well as ending the petrified condition on it.The surface of the world is an alien

. Stone giants sometimes go on dream quests in the surface world, seeking inspiration for their art, a break from decades-long ennui, or satisfaction of simple curiosity. Some who go on these quests let

Path of the Ancestral Guardian

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Some barbarians hail from cultures that revere their ancestors. These tribes teach that the warriors of the past linger in the world as mighty spirits, who can guide and protect the living. When a

barbarian who follows this path rages, the barbarian contacts the spirit world and calls on these guardian spirits for aid. Barbarians who draw on their ancestral guardians can better fight to protect

Path of the Ancestral Guardian (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Some barbarians hail from cultures that revere their ancestors. These tribes teach that the warriors of the past linger in the world as mighty spirits, who can guide and protect the living. When a

barbarian who follows this path rages, the barbarian contacts the spirit world and calls on these guardian spirits for aid. Barbarians who draw on their ancestral guardians can better fight to protect

The Fathomless (TCoE)

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

learn about terrestrial realms, or does it want you to open cosmic floodgates and drown the world? Perhaps you were born into a generational cult that venerates the Fathomless and its spawn. Or you

might have been shipwrecked and on the brink of drowning when your patron’s grasp offered you a chance at life. Whatever the reason for your pact, the sea and its unknown depths call to you

The Fathomless

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

learn about terrestrial realms, or does it want you to open cosmic floodgates and drown the world? Perhaps you were born into a generational cult that venerates the Fathomless and its spawn. Or you

might have been shipwrecked and on the brink of drowning when your patron’s grasp offered you a chance at life. Whatever the reason for your pact, the sea and its unknown depths call to you

Aereni High Elf

Species Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

they split into two distinct cultures: the introspective Aereni and the warlike Tairnadal. While neither of these cultures have much interest in human activities, a small number of elves have immigrated

to Khorvaire over the years and have integrated with the cultures of the Five Nations. As a whole, elves are driven by tradition and respect for the past. Where humans value innovation, elves strive

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

against Auril, who retreated to the coldest corner of Toril to escape their fury. After a world-shaking event known as the Sundering, most of the gods withdrew from Toril, leaving mortals to govern

from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist conceals her island in the Sea of Moving Ice. Roleplaying Auril Portraying a deity, even a lesser god such as Auril the Frostmaiden, can be daunting

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is

, motionless sheets of ice. Umberlee brought Talos and Malar into an alliance against Auril, who retreated to the coldest corner of Toril to escape their fury. After a world-shaking event known as the

Waterdhavian Noble

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Faerûn for being eccentric, spoiled, venal, and, above all else, rich. Whether you are a shining example of the reason for this reputation or one who proves the rule by being an exception, people

and raised in a different world from the one that most folk know—one that grants you privilege but also calls you to fulfill a duty befitting your station. Your bond might be associated with your

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

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

then passing through the shadow of That-Which-Endures changed them forever. Now the newest race to call Faerûn home, the verdan do their best to find their way in an unfamiliar world

world. THAT-WHICH-ENDURES That-Which-Endures is a nameless, faceless, mysterious entity, something between a multiverse-spanning primordial spirit and an over-god. It represents the amoral and all

Aereni Wood Elf

Species Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

they split into two distinct cultures: the introspective Aereni and the warlike Tairnadal. While neither of these cultures have much interest in human activities, a small number of elves have immigrated

to Khorvaire over the years and have integrated with the cultures of the Five Nations. As a whole, elves are driven by tradition and respect for the past. Where humans value innovation, elves strive

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

might prove helpful: So long as she has mortal worshipers, Auril can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals

Toril to escape their fury. After a world-shaking event known as the Sundering, most of the gods withdrew from Toril, leaving mortals to govern their own fates without the gods’ meddling, but the

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

, and how they see the world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues. d8 Personality Trait 1 I fall in and out

want. 4 I’m a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Those who think of other planes at all consider them remote, distant realms, but planar influence can be felt throughout the world. It sometimes manifests in beings who, through an accident of birth

into the mortal world. They adapt well to the mingled elements of the Material Plane, and they sometimes visit—whether of their own volition or compelled by magic. Some genies can adopt mortal

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

practice archaeology travel to the far corners of the world to root through crumbled cities and lost dungeons, digging in search of artifacts that might tell the stories of monarchs and high priests, wars

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society. Work with your DM to

determine the details of your discovery and its impact on the campaign. Buldur’s Gate Feature: The Real City You know the Baldur’s Gate most Baldurians ignore, the dog-eat-dog world of the

Noble - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

your line or even a spiritual member of the family? These details help establish your family and your title as features of the world of the campaign. The patriars of Baldur’s Gate live in the

visit prosperous Bloomridge to try a fashionable restaurant or boutique, or watch a spectacle at the Oasis Theater, the patriars have little reason to venture into the dirtier, more dangerous parts of the

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. Many aarakocra aren’t even native to the Material Plane. They hail from a world

beyond — from the boundless vistas of the Elemental Plane of Air. They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a world both strange and alien

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

world around them. Do they embrace their primal instincts or the path of civilization? The Beast Within Early in childhood, a shifter forms a bond with a beast within, a totemic force that shapes their

in blended communities. Their names typically overlap with the names of other cultures in their region. Many shifters prefer to keep their personal names for their friends and use “wandering

Norker War Leader

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

days, norkers were found deep within the earth. They were always few in number, and their god was a cruel, merciless tyrant who kept his children close and the outside world at a distance. This long

norkers could claim such an honor. For that reason alone, hobgoblin warlords are loath to use these creatures, preferring to keep them around as disposable labor in mines and quarries. Nasty, Brutish

Norker

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

. They were always few in number, and their god was a cruel, merciless tyrant who kept his children close and the outside world at a distance. This long-lost god may have been Maglubiyet's first conquest

and his followers the initial, unwilling recruits into his crusade. Today, hobgoblins chafe at the suggestion that creatures as lazy and untamed as norkers could claim such an honor. For that reason

Yuan-ti Malison (Type 3) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

world. Their warriors were legendary, their empires always expanding. Yuan-ti temples stood at the centers of ancient metropolises, reaching ever higher in prayer to the gods they longed to emulate. In

emotions are foreign to most yuan-ti, which understand sentiment only as an exploitable weakness. A yuan-ti views the world and the events of its own life with such extreme pragmatism that it is nearly

Ogresh

races

The more populous cultures of Etharis all have stories about the ogresh, although few have seen these gentle giants in person. Tales describe them as solitary, wise figures who often serve as founts

appetite and a mostly sedentary lifestyle. More than a single ogresh could easily deplete the surplus of a small village, so the reason for their wanderlust is a simple case of biological necessity

Khargra

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

summoned into the world. Khargras can eat and digest most metals, though they prefer iron, copper, and tin above others. They find gold bland and mushy, akin to a flavorless gruel. Though khargras digest

metal with ease, organic matter and gems are repugnant to them. If a khargra eats such morsels for whatever reason, they remain lodged in its gullet for a few days of indigestion before the offending

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

world. But their true selves are sometimes plagued by an uneasy conscience, an old enemy, or deep-seated trust issues. d8 Personality Trait 1 I fall in and out of love easily, and am

a born gambler who can’t resist taking a risk for a potential payoff. 5 I lie about almost everything, even when there’s no good reason to. 6 Sarcasm and insults are my

Demilich (Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

their quest for power beyond the mortal world. As their patron did, they secure their remains within well-guarded vaults, using soul gems to maintain their phylacteries and destroy the adventurers who

its existence. Few liches seek to become demiliches, for it means an end to the existence they hoped to preserve by becoming undead. However, time can erode the lich’s reason and memory, causing

Eye and Hand of Vecna Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

’s lieutenant Kas coveted the Spider Throne for himself, or that the sword his lord made for him seduced him into rebellion. Whatever the reason, Kas brought the Undying King’s rule to an

the world. The Eye of Vecna and the Hand of Vecna might be found together or separately. The eye looks like a bloodshot organ torn free from the socket. The hand is a mummified and shriveled left

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

heart of the world and monuments to the durability of life. In their role as caretakers, firbolgs live off the land while striving to remain in balance with nature. Their methods reflect common

wood survive until springtime. In a firbolg’s eyes, there is no greater fault than greed. The firbolgs believe that the world remains healthiest when each creature takes only what it needs

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

into the future. This approach allows them to maintain their current level of influence in the world, but it limits their growth. Lizardfolk have no interest in developing writing, making long-term

pity. Born into the world lacking stout scales and sharp teeth, it’s a wonder they have managed to survive for so long. The typical human would barely make it through a day in the swamps. Still

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their

, 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

Life in Khorvaire

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

Life in Khorvaire Although Eberron is a vast world with many continents and cultures, your adventures begin in the land of Khorvaire. Here are a few details about everyday life there.

Life in Khorvaire

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

Life in Khorvaire Although Eberron is a vast world with many continents and cultures, your adventures begin in the land of Khorvaire. Here are a few details about everyday life there.

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

point, a tortle feels an almost overwhelming urge to venture far away from home and see more of the world. It gathers up its possessions and heads into the wilderness, returning months or years later

feeling homesick. Tortles embrace a simple view of the world. It is a place of wonder, and tortles see beauty in the ordinary. They live for the chance to hear a soft wind blowing through palm trees, to

Creating a Background

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

Creating a Background Backgrounds are designed to root player characters in the world, and creating new backgrounds is a great way to introduce players to the special features of your world

. Backgrounds that have ties to particular cultures, organizations, and historical events from your campaign are particularly strong. Perhaps the priests of a certain religion live as beggars supported by a

D&D Beyond

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