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Returning 35 results for 'dark setting'.
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dark serving
Species
Player’s Handbook
territorial mob of halflings like those in the Dark Sun setting.
Halflings who prefer to live underground are sometimes called strongheart halflings or stouts. Nomadic halflings, as well as those who
).
Halfling communities come in all varieties. For every sequestered shire tucked away in an unspoiled part of the world, there’s a crime syndicate like the Boromar Clan in the Eberron setting or a
classes
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
the influence of dark forces that drives them to evil. By setting the proper example, and working to heal the wounds of a deeply flawed world, you can set anyone on a righteous path.
Patience.
classes
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
the influence of dark forces that drives them to evil. By setting the proper example, and working to heal the wounds of a deeply flawed world, you can set anyone on a righteous path.
Patience.
Demilich (Variant)
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Monsters
Monster Manual (2014)
curse on a success.The transformation into a demilich isn’t a bitter end for all liches that experience it. Made as a conscious choice, the path of the demilich becomes the next step in a dark
evolution. The lich Acererak — a powerful wizard and demonologist and the infamous master of the Tomb of Horrors — anticipated his own transformation, preparing for it by setting enchanted
Genasi
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
accustomed to a variety of different people.
GENASI ON ATHAS
Although any world that includes one or more elemental planes can feature genasi, on Athas, the world of the Dark Sun campaign setting
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
. Alternatively, the setting might exhibit the effects of a disaster—perhaps an event that gave rise to brutal powers. Such scars appear both upon the setting and upon its inhabitants. Dark Fantasy Settings d8
Dark Fantasy Settings Sinister individuals leave their marks upon dark fantasy domains, whether as oppressive architecture, unavoidable propaganda, or scars upon an exploited environment
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
logic as nightmares: Whatever is the most terrifying is true. The Dark Powers, the Mists, and the nature of domains are purposefully mysterious. Mundane details and the lives of domain inhabitants are
constructed on illusions and impossibilities. Should characters realize the surreality of the setting, those revelations only create a stronger sense of existential dread and suggest greater questions
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Scions of Elemental Evil
Setting the Adventure This adventure takes place in Flanaess, a region in the Greyhawk campaign setting. You can set the adventure on a different world if you wish. Consider the following suggestions
orc Gatekeeper called Rhasshaven seeks the characters’ help. The Dreaming Dark replaces the Elder Elemental Eye. Forgotten Realms. The Sword Coast’s Dessarin Valley is plagued by evil related to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Domains of Ravenloft In a far-flung corner of the Plane of Shadow drifts a hidden expanse of roiling mist and vague semi-reality. At this eerie edge of the multiverse, the Dark Powers collect the
most wicked beings from across ages and worlds within inescapable, mist-shrouded domains. These are the Domains of Dread, the nightmare demiplanes that form the D&D setting of Ravenloft. Untold terrors
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
only the strongest survive. One of the hallmarks of the Dark Sun setting is that the heroes don’t need to seek out forgotten dungeons to find adventure — mere survival is adventure enough. But there is no reason you can’t successfully adapt Princes of the Apocalypse to your Dark Sun campaign.
Dark Sun The dying planet of Athas is a world that is already deeply scarred by elemental power. Long ago the gods of Athas fought a terrible war against the mighty primordial powers of the elemental
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
horrifying elements inform a fantasy tale. Evil dominates a dark fantasy setting, with depravity being commonplace and life holding little value. How dark you want to make your fantasy is up to you, but
Dark Fantasy Dark fantasy is as much a genre of fantasy as it is a genre of horror. Generally, any tale featuring both supernatural elements and horror themes might be considered dark fantasy
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
of Omu in the jungles of Chult in the Forgotten Realms setting (described in the adventure Tomb of Annihilation).
Adamantine Adamantine is one of the hardest substances in existence, a dark metal
suffer horrible deaths. The most famous of such dungeons is the Tomb of Horrors, hidden in the Vast Swamp in the Greyhawk setting (see “Greyhawk Gazetteer” in chapter 5); another lies under the lost city
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
villains. Some races have unusual traits in different worlds. The halflings of the Dark Sun setting, for example, are jungle-dwelling cannibals, and the elves are desert nomads. Some worlds feature races
have been published as official settings for the D&D game. The legends of the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Mystara, and Eberron settings are woven together in the fabric of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
villains. Some races have unusual traits in different worlds. The halflings of the Dark Sun setting, for example, are jungle-dwelling cannibals, and the elves are desert nomads. Some worlds feature races
have been published as official settings for the D&D game. The legends of the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Mystara, and Eberron settings are woven together in the fabric of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
full of creatures that perfectly suit a storyline of supernatural horror. The most important element of such a campaign, though, isn’t covered by the rules. A dark-fantasy setting requires an
Dark Fantasy Vampires brood on the battlements of their accursed castles. Necromancers toil in dark dungeons to create horrid servants made of dead flesh. Devils corrupt the innocent, and werewolves
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
light. Given those objectives, the Dreaming Dark can drive events on a small scale, by setting bandits in motion or triggering local feuds, or the adventurers might uncover evidence of plans that could reignite the Last War or bring an entire nation or religion under the sway of the Dreaming Dark.
Dreaming Dark Campaign Themes Long ago, the Dreaming Dark caused a long period of strife on the continent of Sarlona, fostering suspicion, rebellion, fear, prejudice, and greed among and within the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
remote, and even angels never make contact with mortals? In the Dark Sun setting, the gods are extremely distant — perhaps nonexistent — and clerics rely instead on elemental power for their magic.
It’s Your World In creating your campaign world, it helps to start with the core assumptions and consider how your setting might change them. The subsequent sections of this chapter address each
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
Secrets of Ravenloft Untold mysteries pervade the Domains of Dread, but these truths underpin the setting: 1: Ravenloft Is Malleable. The domains of Ravenloft are disconnected demiplanes. They don’t
share a world or a certain reality. Few truths connect them, and even inviolate facts—such as time or death—might change. The only constant is fear. 2: The Dark Powers Reign. Sinister forces known as
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
your needs, which has the added benefit of challenging your players’ expectations. The D&D Settings table describes several established campaign settings. D&D Settings Setting Description Dark Sun
Campaign Setting Just like an adventure’s setting (as described in chapter 4), a campaign setting is an essential part of a campaign’s premise, shaping the kinds of stories that unfold there. As the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
Other Elements Replace any mention of deities specific to the Forgotten Realms setting with appropriate Greyhawk deities. For example, the knights based in Summit Hall should be followers of
potential allies for a character who belongs to the right faction.) In addition, the Elder Elemental Eye might be an aspect of the imprisoned god Tharizdun, a dark power of destruction, entropy, and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Roadside Hospitality When the caravan reaches its stopping point for the night, two buxom twin sisters are there ahead of them, setting up camp and tending to their horses. Arietta and Zelina Innevar
comes to strike, they wait until after dark, then try to lure their target away from other people by calling for assistance in a familiar voice. Fortunately for the characters and their fellow travelers, if one is defeated, the other one flees in a flurry of curses and vengeful threats.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
Roadside Hospitality When the caravan reaches its stopping point for the night, two buxom twin sisters are there ahead of them, setting up camp and tending to their horses. Arietta and Zelina Innevar
to strike, they wait until after dark, then try to lure their target away from other people by calling for assistance in a familiar voice. Fortunately for the characters and their fellow travelers, if one is defeated, the other one flees in a flurry of curses and vengeful threats.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
roots of the game. Here you’ll find a dark, gritty world of evil sorcerers and decadent cities, where the protagonists are motivated more by greed and self-interest than by altruistic virtue. Fighter
, rogue, and barbarian characters tend to be far more common than wizards, clerics, or paladins. In such a pulp fantasy setting, those who wield magic often symbolize the decadence and corruption of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
. GENASI ON ATHAS
Although any world that includes one or more elemental planes can feature genasi, on Athas, the world of the Dark Sun campaign setting, elemental forces hold greater sway than they do
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
Eberron With its emphasis on mystery and exploration, the Eberron campaign setting is a natural fit for Princes of the Apocalypse. Most of the work in adaptation involves changing place names to fit
into Eberron. As you do, consider ways you can use the specifics of the Eberron setting to heighten certain adventure motifs. Eberron is a place of mystery, and there’s already plenty of that in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
don’t record a collectively remembered past, fictions spawn terrible facts, and sheltered villagers remain stubbornly ignorant about the world beyond. Ravenloft is a setting designed to cultivate
might be the first to inquire after obvious inconsistencies or to notice plain impossibilities. But why has no one before them sought answers to such unignorable questions? The Dark Powers, the Mists
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
. Each domain is a complete setting that the Mists might isolate from all other lands. Locations within a domain are often isolated by dark, monster-haunted wildernesses. Even settlements and sanctuaries
Domain Details To reinforce the types of horror your adventures explore and give domains their own malicious personalities, consider these setting elements. Sylvain Sarrailh Those who enter the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
Eberron Sourcebooks These resources are currently available as ebooks via the Dungeon Master’s Guild at: DMsGuild.com The Eberron Campaign Setting and Eberron Campaign Guide both provide an overview
insight into the setting. The other books are largely tied to specific subjects. If you want to run a campaign in the mysterious lands of Xen’drik, Secrets of Xen’drik and City of Stormreach have a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Seven Secrets of Ravenloft Countless mysteries pervade the Domains of Dread, but these strange truths underpin the setting: Ez d’Avenir braves the Mists,
her path haunted by past
and future terrors
Dark Powers Control All. Sinister entities known as the Dark Powers manipulate the Domains of Dread and all who dwell within. Immortal, unknowable, and omnipotent, the Dark Powers revel in sowing
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
Diseases A plague ravages the kingdom, setting the adventurers on a quest to find a cure. An adventurer emerges from an ancient tomb, unopened for centuries, and soon finds herself suffering from a
wasting illness. A warlock offends some dark power and contracts a strange affliction that spreads whenever he casts spells. A simple outbreak might amount to little more than a small drain on party
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
be big or small, but each family is a gerontocracy, with the oldest member ruling the roost. This elder has most of the responsibility for enforcing traditions, settling disputes, setting the course
Domains of Dread, where creatures born in darkness dwell. This “gift” was thrust upon them by mysterious entities called the Dark Powers, as a boon for their kindness toward strangers. The Vistani
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
-sorcery setting at the dawn of civilization, where barbarians battle evil sorcerers, or a post-apocalyptic fantasy where elves and dwarves wield magic amid the wreckage of a technological civilization. Most
Forgotten Realms is one such setting, and that’s where the story in this adventure takes place. In the Realms, knights dare the crypts of the fallen dwarf kings of Delzoun, seeking glory and treasure
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
once he has supplied them with the necessary components and information. The dark heart talisman to be crafted for the ritual (see chapter 15) can be placed anywhere to draw the demons to it. Likewise
Menzoberranzan and take his revenge on the drow who cast him out. A player character spellcaster might be able to reproduce Vizeran’s work to create and perform the ritual, setting up the scenario in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
eternal torment as victims of malign forces known as the Dark Powers. Ravenloft is a fundamentally magical realm, one that takes its name from its most infamous haunted location, the dreaded Castle
Ravenloft in Barovia—home of the notorious Strahd von Zarovich. In this mysterious setting, the land, the passage of time, the tides, and every other reliable truth can shift unpredictably. Rather than
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
halflings like those in the Dark Sun setting. Halflings who prefer to live underground are sometimes called strongheart halflings or stouts. Nomadic halflings, as well as those who live among humans
communities come in all varieties. For every sequestered shire tucked away in an unspoiled part of the world, there’s a crime syndicate like the Boromar Clan in the Eberron setting or a territorial mob of