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Returning 35 results for 'defenses secrets runes'.
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Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
5th
dominate person
Your magic often takes the form of blue or golden runes floating and glowing in the air in circular patterns or of shimmering azure barriers of magical energy. If you
recruited me into the Azorius left and joined the Boros.
3
I have a friendship with a Dimir agent who sometimes funnels me secrets about Azorius activities.
4
A Golgari spore druid would love to
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
advancing civilization, nature needs some help from biomancers and terraformers. If, along the way, you happen to create super-soldiers and mutant monsters that can bolster the combine’s defenses
offer bribes, favors, or other incentives to induce people to reveal their secrets.
Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an inaccessible place, or that it simply can
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
mystic shapes of our runes.
—Diancastra
You’ve dedicated your life to studying runecraft. Whether you were taught by a master rune carver or learned by poring over ancient engravings, you can tap into
the supernatural power held within runes. The art of runecraft was initially created by giants, but over time, the practice has been adopted by many peoples. As such, though Giant runes are the most
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
came here to learn secrets and receive divine guidance. While attuned to the room and inside it, a dwarf can cast the divination spell at will. Answers provided by the spell come from an unknown source
(perhaps the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain, perhaps the mountain itself). Too many castings of the spell in a short amount of time can lead to false readings, as noted in the spell’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
cleft surrounded by foul, bleeding runes. Inside is the Book of Vile Darkness. Secrets of Eternity If a character agrees to let the Scholar share a forbidden secret, the baernaloth requests that the
was meant to know with one interested character (see the “Secrets of Eternity” section below). If the characters ignore the baernaloth, leave its cave, or refuse its offers, it lets them go. If the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
; it isn’t maug, but it isn’t maat, either. Mastering the secrets of magic, though, demands a degree of devotion that would take giants away from pursuits that are valued by the ordning. As a
consequence, it’s a path rarely taken. The exception is rune magic. Giants are drawn to the solidity and permanence of magical runes. Stone giants are great practitioners of rune carving, both because of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
by Melissara. Inside is a small black journal. The first page of the book is trapped with a glyph of warding spell, whose explosive runes deal fire damage (save DC 15). The glyph is keyed to go off if
anyone but Melissara opens the journal (a precaution to prevent her cousins from reading it and discovering her secrets). The journal details Melissara’s unease with her family, as well as her growing
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
Archmage Archmages have mastered incredible magical power. While some use their magic to protect the world, others become tyrants or pursue forbidden secrets. Many archmages retain magical servants
and collect magic items and occult lore. Have you gazed on the Runes of Chaos, held the Death Moon Orb in your trembling hands, entered the Devouring Portal and walked the Paths of the Doomed, or sat
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
gathering supplies and reinforcing Thornhold’s defenses. Stoneshaft dwarves can taste the wealth, bustling energy, and constant excitement of nearby Waterdeep, and want to share in it. They don’t want to be
they hope to weather the challenges to their home. They’re very careful to avoid being caught alone, fearing kidnap or torture at the hands of hired agents of the Margasters eager to learn the secrets
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
with the Giant type, or you could write enmity toward giants into the tenets of your paladin’s Sacred Oath. Giant Lore You might have learned magic, martial techniques, or other secrets from studying
) might use the magic of Giant runes, or a paladin’s Sacred Oath could involve allegiance to the tenets of a philosophy or organization of giants (such as those described in chapter 2). Giant-Made
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
combat, and he values his bodyguards too much to risk their lives in a pointless battle. Unless the characters provoke a fight, he tries to find out more about them and learn any secrets they might
playing them off against each other. If his bodyguards are defeated and he is facing death, Yahru offers small bits of information for the promise of freedom. In addition to the layout and defenses of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
include Chalnefaaz, a community of myconids that bud tiny, wailing faces, and the Bulwark of Secrets, an abbey of guardian nagas who protect dangerous lore. You can use the nodules in the Endless Void
interlocked links of Ilvaash’s runes (knots of tentacles, brains, and jagged lines reminiscent of jaws). A brain breaker uses the stat block of an infected elder brain (see chapter 7) with the following
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
approach the characters take, remember that learning the full scope of the orrery’s history, the secrets of its creator, and the range of its powers is the goal of the whole campaign. Whatever small bits
Waterdeep can undertake research to study its mysterious runes, which can lead to information regarding That-Which-Endures (see the sidebar in the “New Race: Verdan” section in chapter 3.) Gorkoh the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
grants immortality to its wearer, was last seen in the possession of a human adventurer (and former Harper) named Artus Cimber. Guided by magical runes of tracking, Storvald plans to find the ring and
empower his runes. Unbeknown to Storvald, the runes are steering the frost giants not to Artus Cimber but to other, closer individuals who carry the Cimber bloodline — Artus’s living relatives, most of whom
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
front of the ship. During the Lambent Zenith’s crash, arcane wards should have sealed the safe room’s doors. The safe room is inaccessible while the wards are active. Ward Runes. Two runes hidden on the
ship power the wards. Kycera knows one rune was placed in the ship’s stateroom, but she doesn’t remember the second rune’s location. She believes that magic or a pass phrase can deactivate the runes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
The Archfey Your patron is a lord or lady of the fey, a creature of legend who holds secrets that were forgotten before the mortal races were born. This being’s motivations are often inscrutable, and
short or long rest. Beguiling Defenses Beginning at 10th level, your patron teaches you how to turn the mind-affecting magic of your enemies against them. You are immune to being charmed, and when another
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
character manages to get her sword past a hobgoblin’s defenses and turn a near miss into a hit, but the hobgoblin twists its shield and disarms her. A character narrowly escapes the full brunt of a
fireball but ends up prone. A character fails to intimidate a kobold prisoner, but the kobold reveals its secrets anyway while shrieking at the top of its lungs, alerting other nearby monsters. A
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
, you can offer to let the character succeed at the cost of a complication or hindrance. Such complications can run along any of the following lines: A character gets her sword past an enemy’s defenses
prisoner, but the kobold reveals its secrets anyway while shrieking at the top of its lungs, alerting other nearby monsters. By putting the choice of success at a cost in the players’ hands, and even
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
warrior researches ways to assert his will over the artifact known as the Hand of Vecna, so he can use its secrets to free the evil dragon queen Tiamat from the Nine Hells. Arkhan has traveled to a nearby
shell is carved with Draconic runes that spell out prayers to Tiamat, is joined by four ghouls that serve as his assistants. The ghouls gnaw on bones and eye the characters hungrily as Krull negotiates
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
touching it. CANDLEKEEP DEFENSES
Attacking Candlekeep would be foolhardy. Although most of the monks are simple scholars, a few are powerful spellcasters. If any trouble occurs, an archmage and 1d4
apart. Inside the box is a stack of nine chain-linked plates, each three inches on a side, cast of dark iron, and stamped with Infernal runes. Anyone who understands Infernal can translate the runes as
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
found its defenses lacking. An invasion is imminent. The capture of Skullport will give the drow a firm base from which to strike into the heart of Undermountain. What’s next? Waterdeep?” 10d. Water
damages the cauldron, an elder rune materializes above it (see “Elder Runes”). Draw from the Elder Runes Deck (see appendix B) to determine which rune appears. The elder rune targets a random creature
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
almost as patient and stoic as the followers of the earth cult. They understand the value of outlasting formidable foes and slowly eroding their defenses. However, they are far more flexible and
at fighting in water, so they look for opportunities to surprise their enemies by using bodies of water to slip around or through defenses. Because the cultists see water as the wellspring of all life
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
usually end a fight quickly.
3 You fight with your off hand at the start of a battle, so that your opponent sets their defenses and attacks to one side. Then you quickly switch hands at the most
with images of the phases of the moon
11 A dagger with a handle made of bone, etched with worn and unreadable runes
12 A backpack made from the leather and fur of a skunk
Victory Is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
composed recounting of deeds, events, and important persons. Dwarves combine their runes into patterns, present pictorial histories in seemingly unconnected murals and images, and otherwise leave their
. Dwarves use a variety of approaches and devices in setting their defenses. The strongholds of many clans are honeycombed with secret passages designed to enable the dwarves to ambush and flank enemies
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
or fewer, Kavil switches sides and offers information in exchange for his life. He knows one random Undermountain secret, determined by drawing a card from the Secrets Deck (see appendix C), as well as
through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes through the gate appears in area 16 on level 18, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
an outsider. Based on the complex’s defenses, Laysa believes something valuable is held within. Nikki Dawes Laysa Matulin Some Progress. Laysa’s crew uncovered the complex’s entrance, as well as two
characters’ reaction to this revelation, learning it counts as a secret for the purposes of the Power of Secrets rules in this book’s introduction. Francesca Baerald Map 7.2: Tomb Complex
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Laboratory of Kwalish
throughout the lab can access the armor’s controls given enough time. Even after accessing the controls, though, no one can approach the armor without setting off its automatic defenses. See the
concerns, and he believes that the secrets of the technology found in the Barrier Peaks hold a vast potential to advance knowledge. If questioned, he proudly details his experiments (including with
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
runes. The doors have neither handles nor hinges. The writing on them reads, “THE THREE KEYS. BRING THEM FORTH.” The doors part, sliding back into the walls, when the three correct keys are brought
side of the hammer that was facing the wall is the following inscription in Dwarvish runes: “Let hearts be lifted and battles won.” The hammer must be removed from its indentation for the inscription
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
manner of Underdark denizens, this maze forms part of Menzoberranzan’s defenses as well as its underworld — a dangerous place for dark dealings and clandestine meetings. The Dark Dominion is a great
whenever a non-drow passes by it. A drow glyph of warding has a spell save DC of 13 and an explosive runes effect (see the spell’s description in the Player’s Handbook). Intellect Devourers Mind flayers
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
mountains, in the Mournland, filled with secrets and waiting to be explored. History of the Colossi House Cannith spent much of the war working on various kinds of constructs that could serve as soldiers
though a colossus has fallen, its docent nodes and elemental defenses might still be active. The dragonshards that once bound the elemental that powered the colossus’s main weapon might have been
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
treasures, and the secrets of the earth. It is said he gave Surtur the secret of smelting, showed Thrym how to carve magic runes on weapons, and crafted spears for Hiatea so she could complete her tasks of
her father of her clever deeds rather than her feats of strength: she solved a sphinx’s riddles, plumbed the secrets of the ocean, and stole a string of pearls from a god of the kuo-toa. Through these
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
: Escape Tunnel This tunnel stretches one hundred feet before ending at a flat wall.
The secret door in the wall is obvious: emblazoned on the masonry is a wide circle of dimly glowing runes. A character
who examines the secret door immediately realizes they can trace the runes to cause that circular section of wall to disappear, revealing the remainder of the tunnel on the other side. The wall re
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
brain from bringing its full telepathic might to bear, orchestrating defenses within the stronghold, or responding to anyone other than the fanatics. For all its weakness, the elder brain still
shallow alcove on this room’s north wall contains only bare stone. Faintly glowing runes surround the alcove, each of them sputtering and slowly fading. A table of jars and bowls stands against the west
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Encounters
Cloud Giant Encounters Cloud giants and related creatures thrive where there is fantastic wealth to be earned, plundered, or swindled; where there are secrets to be uncovered; and where
diplomacy or guile can carry the day. Cloud Giant Encounters d12† Encounter
1 1 cloud giant seeking to learn the secrets of 1 spectral cloud* (attitude for both: 1d8)
2 1 cloud giant
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye
catacombs several months ago, whispering about strange rituals and secrets. Delvin. Chanelle saw a man matching Delvin’s description flee through the rotunda from deeper within the catacombs, pursued by
the symbol of Vecna, a powerful lich and god of secrets known and feared on many worlds. Any loud noises here awaken the cultists in area N13, who investigate at once. N13: Cultist Quarters If the