driven idea are best

Demogorgon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

by a skull-shaped minaret. There, Demogorgon’s heads contemplate the mysteries of the arcane while arguing about how best to obliterate their rivals. The bulk of this palace extends deep

Demogorgon’s followers are typically lone killers driven by the whispering voice of their master. His most blessed followers gain the Two Minds of Chaos trait. Two Minds of Chaos. This creature

Star Spawn Hulk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

seer nearby. A hulk appears to have little will of its own and is driven to protect its master. Star Spawn The Material Plane represents only one small part of the multiverse. Beyond the best

Belashyrra

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

minute or until the target takes damage. Belashyrra can issue telepathic commands to the charmed creature (no action required), which it does its best to obey. 3. Mind-Weakening Ray. The target must

close my eyes, I see my past misdeeds.” 5 “I don’t trust my sight. I have no idea what’s real and what’s a hallucination.” 6 “Something watches the world through my eyes. To thwart them, I keep my eyes closed or covered.” Poison, Psychic

Adult Moonstone Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

together form a shape that’s reminiscent of a slender crescent moon. Moonstone dragons are playful and impetuous forces of mischief in their early years, but the best of them mature into wise

a night hag (coven variant);night hag coven are determined to prevent an adult moonstone dragon from contacting creatures in the dream realm, and the dragon has no idea why. 7 An adult

Fog Giant

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

cloud giants in the ordning—the set of values and expectations that determines their rank in giant society—is driven by wealth. Those cloud giants foolish or unlucky enough to have their

work with ambitious humans, renegade elves, and greedy dwarves—all folk they see as properly civilized. They treat orcs, goblinoids, and other “barbarian” types as pesky vermin, best

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Guild took over your family business, ran it into the ground, and burned the building for insurance money. You were driven into crime yourself, but you’ll never work for the Guild. You take

; but what you learn you pass on to the Guild. 4 The inequality of Baldur’s Gate has driven you to take matters into your own hands. You steal from patriars and rich Lower City residents

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying. Driven Competitors Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A

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

Satyr Legacy

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Satyrs have a well-earned reputation for their good spirits, gregarious personalities, and love of revels. Most satyrs are driven by simple desires, to see the world and to sample its every pleasure

importantly—it feels really good. Driven by instinct and intuition, most satyrs prove unpredictable, following their sense of wonder wherever it leads. Very Odd Indeed Satyrs are known for their

Hobgoblin

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Hobgoblins trace their origins to the ancient courts of the Feywild, where they first appeared with their goblin and bugbear kin. Many of them were driven from the Feywild by the conquering god

the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

concentrates the spoils at the top of the hierarchy. As a functionary in that system, your best hope is to claim as much as possible of the money that passes through your hands on its way up, so that

and wealth. (Evil) 5 Stability. The economy functions best when chaos is kept under control and everyone knows their place. (Lawful) 6 Eternity. I want to live forever — in

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

, Dragons of Autumn Twilight Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity

, wandering the wilds as trappers, foresters, hunters, or adventurers and visiting civilization only rarely. Like elves, they are driven by the wanderlust that comes of their longevity. Others, in

Cosmic Horror

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

Cosmic Horror Cosmic horror revolves around the fear of personal insignificance. The genre is predicated on the idea of entities so vast and so genuinely beyond our comprehension that we cannot

emerges through imagination and the indescribable, not details. At its best, cosmic horror makes characters feel gradually unmoored from their familiar reality. Cosmic horror is about ineffable forces

Giff

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

own, which giff have learned to channel through their weapons. Most giff have no idea where this so-called astral spark comes from, but they feel its presence most strongly when they are in Wildspace

determine your character’s height or weight randomly, consult the Random Height and Weight table in the Player’s Handbook, and choose the row in the table that best represents the build you imagine for your character.

Triton Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the depths revealed that krakens, sahuagin, and far worse foes had fled the Plane of Water for the Material Plane. The tritons, driven by a sense of duty and responsibility, would not allow their foes

have never been to the surface world. They struggle with the idea that they can’t easily move up and down out of water, and the changing of the seasons mystifies them. Tritons also find the

Preparing for the Worst

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

evacuate Vogler, the mayor initially dismisses the idea, but a character who succeeds on a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces her it’s in the village’s best interest. Becklin agrees and

Preparing for the Worst Whether the characters drive off the Dragon Army soldiers or make other plans within town, Mayor Raven eventually seeks the characters’ council in determining how best to

Dwarves

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

cherish the memory of this ancient nation, for all dwarves in Khorvaire are descended from exiles driven from the realm below — which was later destroyed by the daelkyr. Particularly in the Mror Holds

, many dwarves cherish the idea of returning to the subterranean reaches and reestablishing their ancient nation, restoring them to a greatness they have all but forgotten.

Nylea as Campaign Villain

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Nylea as Campaign Villain As a villain, Nylea is most likely driven by transgressions against her realm, whether by mortals or by other gods. She might begin her retaliation by barring all sapient

Theros, drawing in multiple gods and threatening the idea of civilization itself. Player characters who are champions of other gods could find themselves marked for death by hunters who have a grudge

Gibbet Crossing

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

it. Reaching Gibbet Crossing is normally a daunting affair, as Underdark dangers deter most travelers. Qunbraxel has killed or driven away the dangerous creatures that normally lurk in the area so the

grimlocks can come and go with ease. The dangers of Gibbet Crossing itself have proven harder to uproot, but Qunbraxel has an idea where the obelisk fragment is located, so the mind flayer hasn’t

Adventure Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

dracolich. Displeased with the idea of a dracolich on his doorstep, Vrakir slew the cultists before they could finish the ritual, destroying Drendarylix in the process. Only once the dust settled did the

efreeti learn what had given the cultists their power: the Book of Vile Darkness. Without hesitation, Vrakir claimed the artifact, taking it to Brimstone Hold to plot how best to use it to fuel his evil.

How to Use These Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

How to Use These Rules The best thing about being a DM is that you get to invent your own fantasy world and bring it to life, and nothing brings a D&D world to life more than the creatures that

inhabit it. You might read a monster’s entry and be spurred to create an adventure revolving around it, or you might have an awesome idea for a dungeon and need just the right monsters to populate it

Small Groups

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

Small Groups Most of the time, each player runs one character. The game plays best that way, without overwhelming anyone. But if your group is small, players can control more than one character. Or

can be a good idea in a game that features nonstop peril and a high rate of character death. If your group agrees to the premise, have each player keep one or two additional characters on hand, ready

Treasure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

Treasure Just as they must ensure sufficient supplies for all the NPCs, the characters need to think about how best to share the spoils of encounters and adventures with their followers. Although the

, whether NPCs stealing from spoils not yet divided, stealing from the adventurers, or stealing from each other. Such theft might be driven by sheer greed, or it could be a manifestation of madness. A

Epic Fantasy

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

and evil as a prominent element of the game, with the adventurers more or less squarely on the side of good. These characters are heroes in the best sense, driven by a higher purpose than selfish

Nymmurh

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

potential of humanoids is partly driven by his affection for and protection of the noble Silmerhelve human family in Waterdeep (including Dala Silmerhelve; see “Chapter 9: Council of Waterdeep

”). Desire. Nymmurh would like to help the factions, looking to the Harpers and the Order of the Gauntlet as epitomizing the best traits of humanoid aspiration. Attitude. Unless the party has engaged in

Nymmurh

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

potential of humanoids is partly driven by his affection for and protection of the noble Silmerhelve human family in Waterdeep (including Dala Silmerhelve; see “Chapter 9:Council of Waterdeep”). Desire

. Nymmurh would like to help the factions, looking to the Harpers and the Order of the Gauntlet as epitomizing the best traits of humanoid aspiration. Attitude. Unless the party has engaged in

Kas the Betrayer

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

made for him (the Sword of Kas, described in chapter 7) by his liege. But the evil sword convinced Kas to betray Vecna, and now Kas is driven primarily by his hatred for his former lord. Keraptis

figure best known as the Worm That Walks. Kyuss manifests on the Material Plane as a colossal mass of maggots and worms animated by a single evil will. HELGE C. BALZER Kyuss

Silvanus

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

Silvanus’s faith. His priests seek to know the total situation, to view the macrocosm; their viewpoint isn’t confined to one person’s or one nation’s idea of what is best. The loss of a farming community to

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

, seeing them as accidents. Many feel nothing for their genasi children at all. Some genasi live as outcasts, driven into exile for their unsettling appearance and strange magic, or assuming leadership

time. People there tend to be less accepting of differences. Sometimes a cold shoulder and a suspicious glare are the best genasi can hope for; in more backward places, they face ostracism and even

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

have more in common with iguanas or dragons than they do with humans, dwarves, or elves. Lizardfolk possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of

portable! 2 You sleep best while mostly submerged in water. 3 Money is meaningless to you. 4 You think there are only two species of humanoid: lizardfolk and meat. 5 You have

Rumors in Red Larch

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

Rumors in Red Larch Red Larch is described in detail in chapter 2. Characters who take the time to talk to locals might gain a lead or learn something useful. The best places to hear the latest

appeared on a windswept hilltop in the Sumber Hills, a few miles outside of town. The shepherd Larmon Greenboot found them, and he has no idea who would have been buried out there in the last few days

Running the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a4

for a party to investigate all three branches of the dungeon. If this is the case, it would be best if the party were required to leave the dungeon and reenter upon resumption of the game. If they stay

in the nearest village (several miles away) they will be relatively safe, but if they camp near White Plume Mountain it would be a good idea to roll for random encounters. PLACING THE ADVENTURE

Criminal

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

The Guild took over your family business, ran it into the ground, and burned the building for insurance money. You were driven into crime yourself, but you’ll never work for the Guild. You take

Guild. 4 The inequality of Baldur’s Gate has driven you to take matters into your own hands. You steal from patriars and rich Lower City residents, funneling the money through charitable fronts

Death of the Emperor

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

characters 200 feet away from the derelict.) When it hears noise from the characters’ fight against the ghouls in area 12, the creature comes back for another attack. (For best dramatic effect, you

anything they can wrap around. From that point on, don’t give the players the luxury of pondering their characters’ next moves. Push them to make fast decisions and do everything you can to reinforce the idea that they’re caught in a panicked flight from a sinking ship.

A Bard's Muse

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

versatility. Others adopt a more personal approach to their art, driven by their attachment to a muse — a particular concept that inspires much of what those bards do in front of an audience. A bard who

follows a muse generally does so to gain a deeper understanding of what that muse represents and how to best convey that understanding to others through performance. If your bard character has a muse, it

Karametra's Champions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

idea of settling down in a safe, prosperous community can be a profoundly seductive prospect. Karametra lavishes her favor on those who protect established communities, but her most cherished champions

the line between cultivating bounty and protecting the vulnerable versus becoming greed-driven and paternalistic. Karametra values humility, and often seeks to teach those who grow too big for their britches sharp lessons against hubris.

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