example rarely have personas continued - Search

Tressym

Monsters Storm King's Thunder

, but they rarely lair or hunt together. They peacefully ignore bats, faerie dragons, and the like, but they hate stirges and evil flying monsters such as manticores. They also enjoy teasing dogs

others will be normal cats. Tressym have good memories, particularly when it comes to danger. For example, a tressym that sees a human use a wand of lightning bolts remembers the danger of &ldquo

Wereraven

monsters

forces that oppose them, and to protect those they hold dear, wereravens hide their identities and rarely reveal their hybrid forms. Nevertheless, folktales persist of eerie, raven-winged figures who

groups tend to be loosely organized, since members understand the importance of anonymity. The Keepers of the Feather (described in Ravenloft Adventures) is one example of a secret society of evil

Dire Troll

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

resulting dire trolls crave more and more troll flesh to fuel their continued growth. Dire trolls also increase their size by grafting flesh onto themselves. When a slab of quivering troll flesh is bound

shaped by the ritual magic of evil spellcasters or by trolls’ own practices, as is the case for dire trolls. Vaprak the Destroyer Although trolls are rarely devout and seldom ponder spiritual

Marine

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them excellent adventurers. Though they are self-reliant

, marines tend to operate best in groups, valuing camaraderie and the companionship of like-minded individuals. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I speak rarely but mean every word I say

Changeling Legacy

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

changelings develop identities that have more depth, crafting whole personas complete with histories and beliefs. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation

, investigation, and combat. Personas can be shared by multiple changelings; a community might be home to three healer changelings, with whoever is on duty adopting the persona of Andrea, the gentle

Shadar-kai

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Shadar-kai are the elves of the Shadowfell, originally drawn to that dread realm by the Raven Queen. Over the centuries, some of them have continued to serve her, while others have ventured into the

of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead. Life Span The typical life span of a player character in the D&D

Leonin

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

The leonin guard the shining lands of Oreskos, a golden plain where even the gods rarely trespass. Prides of these nomadic, lion-like humanoids rarely interact with other peoples, having all they

personal names, leonin identify themselves by their pride. A member of the Flintclaw pride with the personal name of Ziore, for example, would likely style herself as Ziore of the Flintclaw. Female Names

Giff

Species Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

blossom into hard feelings, loud arguments, and head-butting contests, but they rarely escalate beyond that. Creating Your Character When you create your D&D character, you decide whether your

rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the text of the cure wounds spell specifies that the spell doesn’t work on a

Satyr Legacy

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

. While their spontaneity and whimsy sometimes put them at odds with more stoic peoples, satyrs rarely let the moodiness of others hinder their own happiness. Life is a blessing from the gods, after

Xenagos as a satyr who lived life to the fullest and who played tricks that stirred up even the gods. Yet, he’s also an example of how bitterness can turn a great trick nasty and how schemes that

Dragonmarked Conflicts

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

dragonmarked characters and the continued existence of their houses. The Chamber. As dragonmarks are thought to be an expression of the Draconic Prophecy, the Chamber—a secretive group of dragons interested

ones of your own devising. For example, if your campaign involves the issues between House Deneith and House Tharashk over the latter’s expansion into the mercenary trade, the powers of Droaam could

Equipment

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

Equipment A stat block rarely refers to equipment, other than armor or weapons used by a monster. A creature that customarily wears clothes, such as a humanoid, is assumed to be dressed appropriately

recoverable after the creature is slain and whether any of that equipment is still usable. A battered suit of armor made for a monster is rarely usable by someone else, for instance. If a spellcasting

Nonplayer Characters

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

example, your players will have no trouble remembering the no-nonsense blacksmith with the tattoo of the black rose on her right shoulder or the badly dressed musician with the broken nose. NPCs in your

game rarely need much more complexity than that. Filip Burburan Nonplayer Characters come in all shapes and sizes

Lizardfolk Names

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

Lizardfolk Names Lizardfolk take their names from the Draconic language. They use simple descriptives granted by the tribe based on an individual’s notable deeds or actions. For example, Garurt

Achuak, which means “green” to describe how she blends into the foliage. Lizardfolk make no distinction between male and female in their naming conventions. Each example name includes its translation in

Easthaven

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

Easthaven Walking into Easthaven is like stepping into Icewind Dale’s past—the place is a living example of the boomtown way of life that gripped all of Ten-Towns centuries ago. In the generations

since, as other towns have settled into a predictable pattern of existence, Easthaven has continued to grow and reinvent itself. After the Eastway was paved, Easthaven evolved into a frontier traders

Magic Items

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

Magic Items Magic items are gleaned from the hoards of felled monsters or discovered in long-lost vaults. Such items grant capabilities a character could rarely have otherwise, or they complement

magically adjust themselves to the wearer. However, you can decide that a magic item doesn’t adjust its size to fit any wearer. For example, a particular armorer might make items usable only by folk who are

Actions in Exploration

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

assist each other in these actions. Other actions come up only rarely. It’s seldom necessary to rely on the action rules during exploration, except to remember that a character can do only one thing at a

information in a book. Taking Turns Often, characters spread out across a room to investigate the elements of the room. (The exploration example in chapter 1 of the Player’s Handbook shows this dynamic

Magic Items

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

Magic Items Magic items are gleaned from the hoards of felled monsters or discovered in long-lost vaults. Such items grant capabilities a character could rarely have otherwise, or they complement

themselves to the wearer. However, you can decide that a magic item doesn’t adjust its size to fit any wearer. For example, a particular armorer might make items usable only by folk who are sized and

Recurring NPCs

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

the course of a campaign. For example, characters on their very first adventure might face a villain who uses the stat block of a Mage Apprentice, only to have that villain escape and return many

at least coming up with a plausible way for the villain to return from death. After all, death is rarely the final word for adventurers, so it needn’t be for their opponents. Don’t Go Overboard

Ignoring the Dice

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

Ignoring the Dice One approach is to use dice as rarely as possible. Some DMs use them only during combat, and determine success or failure as they like in other situations. With this approach, the

DM decides whether an action or a plan succeeds or fails based on how well the players make their case, how thorough or creative they are, or other factors. For example, the players might describe how

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

responsible for blocking tunnels to deter pursuit. Kobolds feel a cool affinity or something like kinship for other members of their tribe, but they are rarely affectionate with each other. Two kobolds

Sharn Watch

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

all of them don’t care about their city and won’t try to keep their communities safe; they do so because they see their benefactors as being an important part of the continued health of their

law, they’re just troublemakers who deserve to be run in. As another example, the guards of the Dura Bazaar have an understanding with the gang of pickpockets known as the Little Fingers. As long as the

Creating a New Item

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

the character’s ability to do something they can do already. For example, a Ring of Jumping lets its wearer jump greater distances, thus augmenting what a character can already do. A Ring of the Ram

character kill whatever they hit with it, that item will likely unbalance your game. On the other hand, an item whose benefit rarely comes into play isn’t much of a reward. Use the Magic Item Power by

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century. Variety in All Things Humans are the most

naming traditions of their ancestors. The material culture and physical characteristics of humans can change wildly from region to region. In the Forgotten Realms, for example, the clothing, architecture

Magic Items Awarded by Level

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

-level adventures, and characters rarely have them for long (either because the Artifacts are meant to be destroyed or because the campaign is nearing its end). Player Wish List. Encourage your players

it. An adventure usually can include a number of items that’s 25 percent higher than the number in the Magic Items Awarded by Level table (round up). For example, an adventure designed to take

Creating a New Item

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

the character’s ability to do something he or she can do already. For example, the ring of jumping lets its wearer jump greater distances, thus augmenting what a character can already do. A ring of

character kill whatever he or she hits with it, that item will likely unbalance your game. On the other hand, an item whose benefit rarely comes into play isn’t much of a reward and probably not worth

Giants and Magic

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

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

surface holds. For example, a storm rune carved into a stone might allow the stone’s possessor to control the weather. The same rune carved into door or chest might deal thunder damage to anyone who opens it.

Renown in Kalakeri

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

with the factions changes, granting them access to favors or provoking reprisals. Characters adjust their renown score once per adventure, and rarely by more than 5 points. The Renown in Kalakeri table

, and grudges rarely last long. As a result, the characters might walk the razor’s edge of loyalty and betrayal in hopes of furthering their own goals. Continual Conflict. Kalakeri’s factions are locked

Blessings

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

rarely warrants such a blessing, but slaying the high priest of Tiamat as he attempts to summon the Dragon Queen might. A blessing is an appropriate reward for one of the following accomplishments

a perilous quest. For example, a paladin could receive one before setting out on a quest to slay a terrifying lich that is responsible for a magical plague sweeping the land. A character should

Domain Details

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

think about adventures in a domain as explorations of a Darklord’s identity. For example, Barovia’s gothic horror themes include deception, oppression, and predation, all of which are aspects of the

featuring familiar horror settings with a twist to make them more appropriate to D&D or to enhance their terror. For example, characters escaping an alien laboratory in Bluetspur might be stalked by an

Tressym

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

been known to form strong friendships with humanoids, particularly rangers and wizards. Tressym get along well with others of their kind, but they rarely lair or hunt together. They peacefully ignore

comes to danger. For example, a tressym that sees a human use a wand of lightning bolts remembers the danger of “sticks of wood held by humans” for the rest of its life. A lucky, healthy tressym can

Wereraven

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

of the wicked forces that oppose them, and to protect those they hold dear, wereravens hide their identities and rarely reveal their hybrid forms. Nevertheless, folktales persist of eerie, raven

trees. Wereraven groups tend to be loosely organized, since members understand the importance of anonymity. The Keepers of the Feather (described in chapter 3) is one example of a secret society of evil

Revel's End

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

connections that make incarceration in another facility less dependable. Captured spies, for example, are often brought here to cool their heels. Each member of the Lords’ Alliance assigns one

representative to Revel’s End, and together they form a parole committee called the Absolution Council. Rarely are all ten council members present, since Revel’s End offers little in the way of comfort and

Wilderness Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a1

Goblin), once patrolled the area around the ravine to rob passersby. But now, with the Old Road having fallen out of use, the goblins rarely pay much attention to this entrance anymore. Also, a tribe

stationed in other rooms. For example, three kobolds from one area 16 could be stationed in area 15 with orders to set an ambush for returning invaders. Or, four goblins from one area 36 could be

Marine

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

by their superiors. They are veteran warriors who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them

Personality Trait 1 I speak rarely but mean every word I say. 2 I laugh loudly and see the humor in stressful situations. 3 I prefer to solve problems without violence, but I finish fights decisively. 4 I

Cloud Giant

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

storm giants, the reclusive storm giants rarely engage with the rest of giantkind. As a result, many cloud giants see themselves as having the highest status and power among the giant races. They order

for its continued beneficence. On their mountain summits and solid clouds, cloud giants keep extraordinary gardens. Grapes as big as apples grow there, along with apples the size of pumpkins, and

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