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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

Catoblepas

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. Degenerate creatures are likely to take up residence near a catoblepas’s territory, as are those seeking to avoid notice. Catoblepases in Folklore Ordinary folk rarely see a catoblepas, but

proven false. In some lands, the silhouette of a catoblepas, with its tail extended over its body and its head held low, is a baleful heraldic figure signifying death or doom. Sages say that gods of

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

’s superiority proven), the insult is forgotten—along with the vanquished foe. Pride and Self-Reliance Few leonin devote themselves to the service of the gods. Centuries ago, the leonin

Choldrith

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

connection to Lolth, which gives them divine magic. They also make up the ruling caste of most chitine colonies. A colony can support numerous choldriths, who serve as commanders, priests, and

supervisors. The choldriths continually jockey for position, although they rarely confront one another in a way that puts the colony at risk. The colony is ruled by a sovereign, who determines which colony

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the symbols used are rarely the same between different tribes and often make little sense to other creatures. Some possible status symbols are given in the Status Symbols table. A caste or a boss

-tiered caste system made up of lashers, hunters, gatherers, and pariahs. The status of every family in the tribe is based on its importance to the tribe’s survival. Families that belong to the

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

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

with that of snakes, producing a caste-based society of hybrids in which the most snakelike are the leaders and the most humanlike are spies and agents in foreign lands. Humans Transformed The

caste system based on how complete a person’s transformation was. The vast majority of yuan-ti fall into three categories — abominations, malisons, and purebloods — while the mutated

Orzhov Representative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

you can work your way into a more prominent position. Regardless of your past and the wealth of your family, your initial status with the guild is near the bottom, until you have proven your value

needs warrant. For example, you can have a message carried across a neighborhood, procure a short carriage ride without paying, or have others clean up a bloody mess you left in an alley. The DM

Roleplaying a Yuan-ti

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

above those of our race. (Any) 4 Kinship. My allegiance is to my caste and my city. Other settlements can burn for all I care. (Any) 5 Inspiration. My actions set an example for the lesser castes to

than among other creatures, including my own kind. 4 I sometimes become consumed by philosophy. 5 I believe I am superior to others of my caste. 6 I am driven by wanderlust and want to explore lands

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

Gibbet Crossing

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

mind flayers attacked the area long ago, the groups didn’t fight alongside one another and were individually annihilated. Only monsters live in the crossroads region today. Humanoids rarely travel

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

Goblins

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

used are rarely the same between different tribes and often make little sense to other creatures. Some possible status symbols are given in the Status Symbols table. A caste or a boss might display

is a yellow-and-red striped whip made of leather. This mark of his authority is used by its wielder against goblins of a lower caste as well as on slaves and enemies. The knowledge of how to make

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

Example Epic Destinies

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

Example Epic Destinies The following sections detail two example destinies: one for an heir to a throne, and another for an aspiring wizard. Heir to the Throne As an example of an epic destiny

siblings have been exiled, or perhaps the character’s adventures have proven them a more suitable candidate for the throne. The character is subjected to an intense training regimen to make them

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

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

Leonin

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

Leonin 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

superiority proven), the insult is forgotten—along with the vanquished foe. Pride and Self-Reliance Few leonin devote themselves to the service of the gods. Centuries ago, the leonin worshiped the same gods

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

The Ordning

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

The Ordning Giant society (such as it is) is defined in large part by the ordning, a caste system imposed upon the giants by their gods, chief among them Annam the All-Father. The ordning determines

, one step below the storm giants, rarely condescend to deal with lesser giants or small folk. Extravagance defines their culture and their place in the ordning. Below them are the tyrannical

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

Catoblepas

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

those seeking to avoid notice. Catoblepases in Folklore Ordinary folk rarely see a catoblepas, but the creature has such a feared reputation that stories about it are ingrained in the popular culture

. Any rumor of a catoblepas taking up residence nearby is taken to be a bad omen, even if the rumor is proven false. In some lands, the silhouette of a catoblepas, with its tail extended over its body

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.

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

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