currently risk game to have reason

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals’ demands. As the embodiment of winter’s cruelty, she is incapable of showing mercy or compassion. Play her as a supremely cold and

unfeeling entity. Have Auril speak only when necessary. The less she talks, the less risk you have of unintentionally demystifying her in the eyes of your players. Let her actions, not her words

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

incapable of showing mercy or compassion. Play her as a supremely cold and unfeeling entity. Have Auril speak only when necessary. The less she talks, the less risk you have of unintentionally

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

. The less she talks, the less risk you have of unintentionally demystifying her in the eyes of your players. Let her actions, not her words, define her. Lesser gods in the D&D multiverse are

Rictavio

Monsters Curse of Strahd

hunting evil monsters. The Waiting Game. Van Richten isn’t a young man anymore. He knows his road is coming to an end, but his work isn't done. He has come to Barovia to kill Strahd von Zarovich

, he will do so. Van Richten works alone. A curse placed on him long ago by a Vistani seer brings doom to those he befriends. Furthermore, he believes too much is at stake to risk exposure. Consequently

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

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

resist taking a risk if there’s money involved. 5 I can’t resist swindling people who are more powerful than me. 6 I hate to admit it and will hate myself for it, but I’ll run and preserve my own hide if the going gets tough.

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

guildless masses of the city. Consider why you’re embedded in the secondary guild. Create a story with your DM, inspired by rolling on the following table or choosing a reason that suits you

. d8 Reason for Infiltration 1 My parents belong to this guild, and I let them think I’m following in their footsteps. 2 I’ve been assigned to track this guild&rsquo

Crook of Rao

Magic Items Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

crook was again lost. Occasionally it reappears, but the famed artifact is not what it was. Whether or not the artifact’s bearers realize its full threat, few risk using the Crook of Rao&mdash

the years, this curse has spread within the crook, threatening to violently pervert its ancient magic. If this occurs, the Crook of Rao, as it is currently known, is destroyed, its magical matrix

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

prefer for the DM to invent these details as part of the game, allowing you to learn more about your inheritance as your character does. The Dungeon Master is free to use your inheritance as a story

blind to my shortcomings and the risk of failure. 3 The people who knew me when I was young know my shameful secret, so I can never go home again. 4 I have a weakness for the vices of the

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

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

Adult Deep Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. The dragon magically transforms into any creature that is Medium or Small, while retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This transformation ends if the dragon is reduced to 0 hit points

Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can turn

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

miles on a side, with each tribe hunting in the lands nearest to their colony, ranging farther should game become scarce. A typical colony consists of one large, open-roofed nest made of woven vines

. Great Purpose Aarakocra enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples and less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it takes an

Ancient Deep Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. Change Shape. The dragon magically transforms into any creature that is Medium or Small, while retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This transformation ends if the dragon is reduced to 0

Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can turn

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

beautiful and I love gazing upon it, but I abhor being wet. 4 Why should I risk damaging my splendid physique when I can fight with the power of my mind? 5 I am predictable only in my

normal rate.Cold, NecroticChange Shape. The dragon magically transforms into any creature that is Medium or Small, while retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This transformation ends if the

Ancient Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

attention. 3 The sea is beautiful and I love gazing upon it, but I abhor being wet. 4 Why should I risk damaging my splendid physique when I can fight with the power of my mind? 5 I am

, but new ones form at a normal rate.Cold, NecroticChange Shape. The dragon magically transforms into any creature that is Medium or Small, while retaining its game statistics (other than its size). This

Wolfenite

Equipment

take the risk, sneaking into a howler den is another way to find a cache of this rare mineral as they are for some reason drawn to this rare mineral.

Darkling Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

, and doing so wizens the creature, much like the effect of rapid aging. For this reason, darklings cover every part of their body with clothing when exposure to light is a risk. The light a darkling

for the beauty of art. A darkling might risk taking a peek at a sunset or lighting a tiny candle to glimpse the colors in a painting or a jewel. Elder Transformation. A wise and respected darkling can

Darkling Elder Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

. The Killing Light. The Summer Queen's curse causes a darkling's body to absorb light, and doing so wizens the creature, much like the effect of rapid aging. For this reason, darklings cover every

part of their body with clothing when exposure to light is a risk. The light a darkling absorbs over the course of its lifetime explodes outward when the darkling dies, incinerating the creature and

Khargra

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

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

tasty, refined metal their victim carries, they quickly flee—and will flee before that rather than risk death. Stealthy Couriers. A number of clans among the dwarves, duergar, and azers have trained

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

an unappealing place to explore by temporarily diverting springs, driving away game, stealing critical tools, and altering trails to leave hunting or lumber parties hopelessly lost. The firbolgs

something that put their homeland at risk, such as starting a forest fire or killing a rare or beautiful wild creature. These firbolgs are loners who wander the world in hope of finding a new place to

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

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

luxuries faster than I bring them in... 3 I’m convinced that no one could ever fool me the way I fool others. 4 I’m too greedy for my own good. I can’t resist taking a risk if

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and

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

Personality

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

, he eschews cruelty and sees no reason to cause pointless suffering. The wizard doesn’t like to admit it, but he would put his own safety at risk to quell the pain of innocents.

Death

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

Death Adventures involve risk, with consequences that can be as catastrophic as the death of a single character or an entire group. Given the degree to which players get attached to their characters

, character death can be an emotionally charged situation. It might even be a hard limit for some players (see “Ensuring Fun for All” in chapter 1), so it’s worth having a conversation about how to handle character death at the start of a new game.

Rogue

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

Rogue The City of Greyhawk is known as the City of Thieves for good reason. Its thieves’ guild exerts power across the world. Nestled at the center of the Flanaess’s economic network, the guild and

a personal risk on a job but more comfortable directing muscle, this flavor of rogue is a great match for a character who wants to follow in the footsteps of Nerof Gasgol and rise to political and

Battle of Strixhaven

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

Battle of Strixhaven Before the day of the Battle of Strixhaven dawns, allow the players plenty of time to tie up any loose ends their characters currently have on campus. If they haven’t chosen a

mascot to play the Mage Tower game with, prompt them to do so now. They need to choose whether they’re playing the game with an art elemental from Prismari, a fractal from Quandrix, an inkling from

Something to Lose

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

Something to Lose In a noir story, things don’t necessarily end well. But any adventure carries a risk of death or failure, so what additional factors might be at risk for the characters? They should

have something to lose beyond hit points, vulnerabilities not reflected in game statistics: fear of a tarnished reputation, a threat to a friend or lover, a favorite business destroyed or taken over

Appendix C: Adapting to Other Worlds

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

of Elemental Evil in the world of the Forgotten Realms setting. However, there is no reason you couldn’t adjust this adventure to fit in almost any world that is part of the Dungeons & Dragons

multiverse. In this appendix, we take a look at how you can adapt this adventure to some of the well-known settings for the D&D game, or to your own campaign world.

Starting the Adventure

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

they’re working for the dwarf Gundren Rockseeker (see the “Meet Me in Phandalin” adventure hook above) or they have another reason to go to the frontier town. No matter the characters’ motivation, allow

them to join the wagon without additional cost, narrating how each character secured passage as needed. If you establish why the characters are traveling together before you kick off the adventure, your later game sessions will go more smoothly.

Able Scavengers

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

give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and 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 where the townsfolk would try to

The Grand Masquerade

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

not be sufficient motivation to take that risk. The Grand Masquerade is a fantastic adventure backdrop, but not a complete adventure. Adventurers need a good reason to attend; you can give them one by

, moving in her social circle, and dancing to the music of her first-class orchestra are delights to be savored—and entirely worth the risk of discovery. To adventurers, though, these delights might

Triboar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

cultists on the Long Road. They are currently held in area W6 of the Weeping Colossus.) Reason to Visit. Any Harper can readily find refuge and aid in the Home of the Boars, a lodge on the outskirts

, two important merchants from Waterdeep, Kharloss and Jarlee, are overdue. (Gervor is currently a prisoner in area B14 of the Temple of the Black Earth, while the two Waterdhavians were captured by fire

Floon Blagmaar

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

Floon Blagmaar Floon, a native Waterdavian in his early thirties, is a handsome fellow but not very bright. He used to work as an escort in festhalls but is currently unemployed. Several months ago

drinking and carousing. He gets by on his looks and doesn’t know what to do with his life, and has shown little interest in working for a living. Game Statistics Floon is a chaotic good Illuskan human commoner with an Intelligence of 7 (−2) and a Charisma of 13 (+1). He speaks Common.

Leaving the Chasm

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

Leaving the Chasm Once the characters get what they came for, there’s little reason to stay. In fact, characters who stay too long run the risk of encountering six gnolls returning from a hunt

Campaign Events

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

waste to entire civilizations, invasions of vast armies or extraplanar hordes, assassinations of world leaders. These world-shaking events title the chapters of history. In a D&D game, such events

, a D&D campaign runs the risk of retreading the same ground long after the enjoyment’s gone. Just as actors or writers drift away from those other mediums, so can players — the actors and writers of a

Yartar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

be missed — poor people and drunkards, mostly — and smuggling them out of the city. These missing Yartarrans are currently being held in area A12 of the Temple of Howling Hatred (see chapter 4

). Reason to Visit. The “Dark Dealings in Yartar” side trek (chapter 6) brings the characters here. More broadly, characters affiliated with the Lords’ Alliance can readily receive support in Yartar, and Harpers and Zhentarim can get aid, too, if they’re discreet and know how to contact an agent in town.

D&D Beyond

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