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Returning 35 results for 'dark past'.
Giant Spider
Legacy
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Monsters
Basic Rules (2014)
webbing from its abdomen. Giant spiders are most commonly found underground, making their lairs on ceilings or in dark, web-filled crevices. Such lairs are often festooned with web cocoons holding past victims.
Monsters
The Tortle Package
. The geonid touches a stone object or surface and knows what types of creatures have been within 10 feet of that stone in the past 24 hours. The geonid can also determine the number of creatures of
geonid can’t see and relies on its tremorsense to detect other creatures nearby.
Dark Lairs. Geonids live in natural tunnels and caves. They feed primarily on lizards, rats, slugs, and other
Monsters
Out of the Abyss
commonly found underground, making their lairs on ceilings or in dark, web-filled crevices. Such lairs are often festooned with web cocoons holding past victims.
feats
Dark Gift Feat (Prerequisite: Ravenloft Campaign)
You experience echoes from a past or alternate life. You gain the following features.
Channeled Prowess. You have proficiency in two skills of your
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
hint of their ancestors’ physical form, and even less of the giants’ culture.
A mist hulk resembles a bipedal figure made of dark rain clouds. Parts of its body seem more solid than others
at any time. When it is slain, its misty form condenses into a torrent of water.
A mist hulk’s mood is always gloomy, and when threatened, it often howls in infectious misery. All who hear this wail are magically reminded of past regrets, real or imagined.PoisonThunder
backgrounds
Ability Scores: Constitution, Wisdom, Charisma
Feat: Survivor or a Dark Gift feat of your choice (see “Feats”)
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana and Survival
Tool Proficiencies: Choose one
, Waterskin, and 14 GP; or (B) 50 GP
You are haunted by the events of your past. Whether it was a lone terrible incident or an accumulation of painful moments, you bear the unshakable weight of what
Monsters
Quests from the Infinite Staircase
18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern that the memory web is animate.
Memory Flood. When the memory web is reduced to 0 hit points, it discharges any memories it consumed over the past 24
webs lie in ambush draped over plant life, wrapped around corpses, or stuck to ossuaries in dark catacombs.
Memory webs feed on memories and require daily sustenance. When a memory web’s prey
Human
Legacy
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Species
Basic Rules (2014)
;
Elves. “It’s best not to wander into elven woods. They don’t like intruders, and you’ll as likely be bewitched as peppered with arrows. Still, if an elf can get past that damned
the Inner Sea, the Mulan are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown, but in the lands where the Mulan are most prominent, nobles
Monsters
Candlekeep Mysteries
death, Bak Mei became obsessed with living an unending life. He began collecting texts on the subject, consulting with practitioners of the necromantic arts, and seeking audiences with dark forces.
The
past by giving me an unending future.”
Bond. “I will lead my students to a life unstained by the problems of the world. We will rise above all into eternity.”
Flaw. “I am
Goliath
Legacy
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Species
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
skills.
This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might
seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to battle. Few goliath adventurers reach old age, as most die attempting to surpass their past accomplishments.
Fair Play
For goliaths, competition exists only
Reborn
Legacy
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Species
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back.
Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark
fulfill.
Mordent. You emerged from the mysterious device known as the Apparatus, your body a lifeless shell and your past a mystery.
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose whether your
monsters
—over and over again. Tormented by the Dark Powers, Strahd is haunted by visions of his lost family and tarnished nobility. The count spends long years brooding in the depths of Castle Ravenloft, but
a reincarnation of his obsession appears every generation: Tatyana. Each time Tatyana’s reincarnation emerges, Strahd seeks to undo the failures of his past and find a way to win her love. Time
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
dozen adopted grandparents inviting you in for a meal.
3
Seeing a lost patriar after dark in the Outer City, you guided the wayward noble through back streets to safety. The patriar repaid your
, and I will protect the land.
3
A proud noble once gave me a horrible beating, and I will take my revenge on any bully I encounter.
4
My tools are symbols of my past life, and I carry
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
Darklord’s Past Every Darklord has committed irredeemable acts that attract the attention of the Dark Powers. Yet Darklords are still individuals who, at one point, had a home, childhood, and family
. The following sections each examine a different aspect of the Darklord’s life prior to imprisonment. Past Life What circumstances and choices pushed the Darklord down their twisted path? Choose or
Yuan-ti Pureblood
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
; Elminster
The serpent creatures known as yuan-ti are all that remains of an ancient, decadent human empire. Ages ago their dark gods taught them profane, cannibalistic rituals to mix their flesh
primordial world heeded the prayers of these people and hissed dark demands into their ears. The people tainted their souls by performing human sacrifices in the name of the gods, debased their flesh by
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
K48. Offstair This spiraling staircase is dark and dusty. This stairway rises from area K47, past area K54, to area K57.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
feat and a Dark Gift feat, so you can tailor your character’s relationship to sinister forces in their past.
Wanderer and Spirit Medium, offer Dark Gift feats rather than Origin feats; these feats appear at the end of the chapter. The Haunted One and Investigator backgrounds provide a choice between an Origin
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their skills. This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious
competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to battle. Few goliath adventurers reach old age, as most die attempting to surpass their past accomplishments.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
People of the Mists Romain Kurdi The inhabitants of the Domains of Dread fall into these categories: Soulless Shells. Some domain inhabitants are creations of the Dark Powers. These beings are
indistinguishable from normal creatures, living unremarkable lives and existing to reinforce whatever status quo the Dark Powers impose. At the will of the Dark Powers, these inhabitants might reappear in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
The Depths Sharn was built on the foundations of an older city, which was itself built atop goblin ruins. This old city was destroyed by dark magic—the elemental powers of the infamous Halas Tarkanan
magic. These portals remain sealed today, and it’s illegal to tamper with them. But it’s generally assumed that there may be many treasures hidden in the ruins of Old Sharn, along with untold secrets of the past.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
evil? What ambitions and flaws drove them to commit heinous acts? How did the Darklord first attract the attention of the Dark Powers? The “Darklord’s Past” section provides a multitude of prompts to
Darklord’s past and personality. Choose or randomly generate prompts to develop your Darklord further, or use the table entries as inspiration. To build a Darklord, follow these steps: Step 1: Choose
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Evil Inside This book assumes you’re playing a character who pits themself against fearful foes. That said, if you’re eager to play a character with a shadowy past or sinister origins, the lineages
and Dark Gifts presented later in this chapter provide such opportunities. How a character engages with the evil inside themself can make for exciting conflicts. Be sure that your choices allow your
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark, silent stretches. Occasionally, though, in a moment of
with. Their memories of events before this interruption are often vague or absent. Occasionally, the most unexpected experiences might cause sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Domain Overview The domain’s buildings, natural elements, and landmarks all represent the Darklord’s vile past. When developing these features, follow these steps: Specify Locations. Choose locations
similar to settings that appear in your Darklord’s past, or take inspiration from the Settings tables in the “Genres of Horror” section later in this chapter. Combine Locations and Visceral Details
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Young Race, Old Roots In the distant past, half-elves were scarce because humans and elves came into contact only infrequently. The ancient elven kingdoms of Cormanthyr and Myth Drannor had
significant populations of half-elves. It is only in the past thousand years or so, as the races have intermingled more and more, that the number of half-elves has increased so that they are now found
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
. The other two books were The Dark Hunger (about a powerful entity served by star-fearing warlocks) and Fallen Tethyamar (about a dwarf king named Ghellin who sought to reclaim his kingdom in the
Desertmouth Mountains). All three books were used to gain entrance to Candlekeep in the past two months. The Avowed keep records of the seekers allowed into Candlekeep and the books they gifted the library
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
The Dreaming Dark in the War The chaos that reigned during the Last War enabled the agents of the Dreaming Dark to move and act with absolute freedom throughout Khorvaire. Any direct conflict among
Eberron’s humanoid populations is a boon to this group, which wants to destabilize all of them. Many of the intense battles near the end of the war might have been avoided, if not for Dreaming Dark
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
bell. The Dark Powers have created a false image of Strahd’s ancestral home within the fog, just beyond reach. Strahd comes to the hill on occasion to gaze upon the city, even though he knows it can’t
mists entrapped all of Barovia. The ancient folk called the mist the Whispering Wall, for within it they could hear the whisper of voices from the past and the future. They believed that an ancient
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
Haunted One Mikael Javaid Ability Scores: Constitution, Wisdom, Charisma
Feat: Survivor or a Dark Gift feat of your choice (see “Feats” later in this chapter)
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana and
, Traveler’s Clothes, 5 Torches, Waterskin, and 14 GP; or (B) 50 GP
You are haunted by the events of your past. Whether it was a lone terrible incident or an accumulation of painful moments, you bear
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
people through their dreams, while others claim they have psychic agents hidden across Khorvaire. Beyond the enigmatic daelkyr and the Dreaming Dark, other threats have arisen in the past century
Dark Forces Dragons and demons are just a few of the dangerous forces at work in the world. The daelkyr came to Eberron from the Plane of Madness. They came with armies of aberrations — forces
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
The Way of the Lion Read the following boxed text to describe the characters’ final day of travel to Candlekeep: Over the past four days, the weather on the Coast Way has gradually worsened. Dark
clouds release heavy rain until the road runs thick with mud, yet you trudge on, passing by friendly merchant caravans heading north.
On the morning of the fifth day, the rain subsides but the dark
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Shadows of Sithicus
Adventure Background Lord Soth is the Dark Lord of the Dread Domain of Sithicus. He broods in his castle, tormented by his past and haunted by spirits who remind him of his failures. Recently, Soth’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
, gemstones, and rare minerals
Organizations: The Miners’ Guild, the Stoneheart Enclave
The defenses in Outer Blingdenstone paint a picture of a paranoid people under siege, but once past the final gates
Blingdenstone, omitting the second paragraph if they arrive unescorted. You leave the dark tunnel behind and step into what looks like another world. These aren’t sinister drow caverns or harsh, bare stone
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
other in the streets. The realities of survival demand that the residents live and work together, and not dwell on history. A visitor can make many friends here but would be wise not to drudge up the dark deeds of anyone’s past in this small town.
thick forest looming behind it conceals the dark and sordid dealings that sometimes transpire there. Despite its attraction to criminals and miscreants, Lonelywood is not a place where folk murder each
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
The Amber Temple Once a haven of virtuous wizards, the Amber Temple was long ago corrupted by evil. It was here that Strahd made his pact with the Dark Powers to become a vampire, with the blessing
vestiges of dead, hateful gods—beings that aspire to re-create past depravities and manipulate mortals to fulfill unspeakable agendas. Various evil forces set their intentions upon the Amber Temple