manner seared with only advice from for life

Splugoth the Returned

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

can then be retracted automatically at the end of the attacking creature’s turn. I’m going to give you a piece of advice. Don’t trust Acquisitions Incorporated. And never, ever, ever

trust Omin Dran. Wait, that’s two pieces of advice. You owe me. Sometimes a goblin can’t catch a break. First, you fall in with a cult that works for the release of a death god. Then

Vampiric Mist Legacy

Monsters Tales from the Yawning Portal

Life Sense. The mist can sense the location of any creature within 60 feet of it, unless that creature’s type is construct or undead. Forbiddance. The mist can’t enter a residence

":"damage","rollAction":"Life Drain","rollDamageType":"necrotic"} necrotic damage, the mist regains 10 hit points, and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic

Staff of the Forgotten One

Magic Items Tomb of Annihilation

destroys both the staff and the life force trapped within it. The staff doesn’t explode if destroyed in this manner, but its destruction causes the sphere to be destroyed as well.

, remove curse, or similar spell ends the curse on the target. The Forgotten One. The bodiless life force of a dead archmage empowers the staff and is imprisoned within it. The rune carved into the

Skulk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

a vague likeness of its master. Cruel and chaotic, skulks carry out their orders in the most violent manner possible. A summoned skulk can’t return to the Shadowfell until it dies, so many

throw themselves into creating bloodshed and mayhem with no regard for their own lives. After killing a person on the Material Plane, some skulks take up a silent imitation of that person’s life

Carrionette

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

. The swap is also undone if the controlled body takes damage from the carrionette’s Silver Needle.Carrionettes arise from innocent intentions. Heartfelt wishes breathe life into a beloved toy and

porcelain dolls are the most common, all manner of deadly stuffed animals, crawling jack-in-the-boxes, bloodthirsty poppets, murderous jewelry box ballerinas, and so forth might be carrionettes. These

Mercion

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her. Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry

Zodar

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

Disembodied Voice. Up to three times in its life, the zodar can cause a message of up to twenty-five words to issue from the air around it. It speaks only when it has something profoundly important

exist or where they came from, but the most popular hypothesis is that they are the creations of some long-forgotten god. Zodars interact with other sapient creatures in a manner that goes beyond mere

Zuggtmoy Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

humanoid shape, including the skeletal-thin figure depicted in grimoires and ancient art, draped and veiled in mycelium and lichen. Indeed, much of her appearance and manner, and that of her servants

’, is a soulless mockery of mortal life and its many facets. Zuggtmoy’s cultists often follow her unwittingly. Most are fungi-infected to some degree, whether through inhaling her mind

Ulitharid

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

in this manner. Magic Resistance. The ulitharid has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Psionic Hub. If an elder brain establishes a psychic link with the ulitharid

staff; when the ulitharid is ready to give up its life, it attaches the staff to the back of its head, and the staff cracks open its skull, enabling its brain to be extracted. The brain and the staff

Rahadin

Monsters Curse of Strahd

, found Tatyana. Tatyana was Strahd's type—a woman of exquisite beauty and gentle manner. When Strahd returned to Ravenloft, the young woman instantly caught his eye, and Rahadin had the pleasure of

haunted by them if he could. The only thing he cares about is Strahd von Zarovich, for whom he would gladly give his life. Rahadin's Traits Ideal. “Loyalty is everything.” Bond. “I am a son of King Barov

Zuggtmoy

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

-thin figure depicted in grimoires and ancient art, draped and veiled in mycelia and lichen. Indeed, much of her appearance and manner, and that of her servants, is a mockery of mortal life and its many

Devourer Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

is teleported inside the devourer's ribcage and imprisoned there. A creature imprisoned in this manner has disadvantage on death saving throws. If it dies while imprisoned, the devourer regains 25

only one creature at a time. Soul Rend (Recharge 6);{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"recharge","rollAction":"Soul Rend"}. The devourer creates a vortex of life-draining energy in a 20-foot radius

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

smooth-skins is far greater. Despite their alien outlook, some lizardfolk make an effort to understand and, in their own manner, befriend people of other races. Such lizardfolk make faithful and

skilled allies. Alien Minds The lizardfolk’s reptilian nature comes through not only in their appearance, but also in how they think and act. Lizardfolk experience a more limited emotional life than

Mark of Shadow Elf

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

The illusions that I weave dazzle and deceive. Sometimes that deception eases your burdens, letting you forget your troubles for a moment. But I can also ease your burdens by ending your life

and established House Phiarlan in Khorvaire. These elves are expert entertainers, giving them access to all manner of places and secrets. Known to few, there has always been an elite force of spies and

Dhampir

races

Dhampirs are living people who possess vampiric prowess but are cursed with macabre hunger. Most dhampirs thirst for blood, but some gain sustenance from dreams, life energy, or other vital sources

others are partially transformed by a vampire’s bite. All manner of macabre bargains and necromantic influences might also give rise to a dhampir. Regardless of their origins, dhampirs exhibit

Grung

Species One Grung Above

caste for life. On rare occasions, an individual that distinguishes itself with great deeds can earn an invitation to join a higher caste. Through a combination of herbal tonics and ritual magic, an

lookout for creatures they can capture and enslave. Grungs use slaves for all manner of menial tasks, but mostly they just like bossing them around. Slaves are fed mildly poisoned food to keep them

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

bodies. Whatever their origins, reborn know a new life and seek experiences and answers all their own. Faded Memories Reborn suffer from some manner of discontinuity, an interruption of their lives or

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

homeland, content to dwell in small, tight clans. These tabaxi hunt for food, craft goods, and largely keep to themselves. However, not all tabaxi are satisfied with such a life. The Cat Lord, the divine

stories, artifacts, and lore. Those who survive this period of wanderlust return home in their elder years to share news of the outside world. In this manner, the tabaxi remain isolated but never ignorant

Dhampir

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

or raw meat 3 Cerebral spinal fluid 4 Psychic energy 5 Dreams 6 Life energy Dhampir Origins Dhampirs often arise from encounters with vampires, but all manner of

Poised between the worlds of the living and the dead, dhampirs retain their grip on life yet are endlessly tested by vicious hungers. Their ties to the undead grant dhampirs a taste of a vampire

Rakdos Cultist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

guild is all that really matters. (Any) 2 Hedonism. Death comes for everyone, so take as much pleasure as you can from every moment of life. (Neutral) 3 Creativity. I strive to

I’m secretly hoping that I can change the cult from the inside, using my influence to help rein in the wanton violence. 4 I own something that Rakdos once touched (it’s seared

Amethyst Dragons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Amethyst Dragons I once sought life advice from an amethyst dragon who specialized in that sort of thing. I told her all my flaws and unwanted behaviors, and she prescribed the best elixir: “Stop

DM Tips

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

Competition. The DM isn’t competing against the other players. It’s your job to provide fun challenges and keep the story moving. Be Fair and Flexible. Treat your players in a fair, impartial manner. The

reorganized, expanded, and rewritten from the 2014 version, and the versions of things in this book replace versions from older books. Here are a few highlights: Sound Advice. Every chapter (but

Chapter 1: This Is Your Life

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

Chapter 1: This Is Your Life The character creation rules in the Player’s Handbook provide all the information you need to define your character in preparation for a life of adventuring. What they

were the greatest influences on you during your formative years, for better or worse? To answer these questions and more, you can use the tables and the advice in this section to compose a well-developed

Chapter 2: Giants in Play

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

escape. In return, she taught me the rudiments of rune carving. —Bigby Intended for the Dungeon Master, this chapter explores key aspects of giants’ life and society. The ideas and tables included

here should inspire you as you prepare to use giants in your D&D game. This material is divided into five main sections: “Roleplaying Giants” discusses how to bring giants to life during your game

Roleplaying Phandalin NPCs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

and what they want. You don’t need to be an actor or stand-up comedian to get good drama or humor out of your NPCs, but if you want to ham it up, here’s some advice: Relax. Don’t worry about

, flutter your eyelashes, pout, cross your eyes, rub your hands together—whatever it takes to make your NPCs come to life. Try different voices. Borrow distinctive speech patterns from real life, movies

Skeletons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

Skeletons Ossified Evil Habitat: Planar (Shadowfell), Underdark, Urban; Treasure: None Andrey Kuzinskiy Adventurers face an onslaught from all manner of skeletons Skeletons rise at the summons of

with other skeletons, despite being hacked to animate splinters. 3 Mimics ways it entertained itself in life, such as acting, dancing, or reading. 4 Performs a familiar task, such as cleaning, cooking, mining, or praying. 5 Repeats its final moments of life. 6 Stands guard at the post it protected in life.

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

help you use the monsters in this book in interesting ways, as well as advice for modifying monsters and creating your own. If you’ve never run a D&D adventure before, we recommend that you pick up

Upper Dura

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

Upper Dura This ward is full of life, home to talented artisans and successful merchants. There’s a seedy edge to Upper Dura, and in general it has the qualities of a middle ward. But it’s a place

that welcomes all manner of suspicious customers… which makes it a haven for adventurers. Clifftop is a home away from home for explorers and mercenaries. The Sharn Watch maintains a fortress garrison

The God-Brain's Powers and Dominion

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

that itself functions as a Mist talisman. Life Support. The illithids of Bluetspur toil to save their elder brain through all manner of outlandish scientific and medical means. Among the most bizarre of

knows anything that they know. The God-Brain delegates broad goals to its most effective servants, encouraging them to indulge all manner of radical experiments. Mist Vibrations. Through the awesome

Alien Minds

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

fight and that can’t be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and so on. Pleasurable people and things make life easier

Alien Minds The lizardfolk’s reptilian nature comes through not only in their appearance, but also in how they think and act. Lizardfolk experience a more limited emotional life than other humanoids

Wandering Outcasts

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

tabaxi are satisfied with such a life. The Cat Lord, the divine figure responsible for the creation of the tabaxi, gifts each of his children with one specific feline trait. Those tabaxi gifted with

curiosity are compelled to wander far and wide. They seek out stories, artifacts, and lore. Those who survive this period of wanderlust return home in their elder years to share news of the outside world. In this manner, the tabaxi remain isolated but never ignorant of the world beyond their home.

Menzoberranzan

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

Menzoberranzan I eventually got away from the place, but not before I had learned more about Menzoberranzan than any sane person would care to know. Although the life of a slave can be brutally short

priestesses come out. If you aren’t a drow in the City of Spiders, you aren’t worth a name. All manner of surface-dwellers — orcs and elves, humans and halflings — are brought here to serve as slaves to the

Beginning the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

book and have its advice copied by the scribes in the House of the Binder. Depending on how you bring the book into the possession of the characters, they might spend enough time with it to discover

: Falthrax is a dear friend who has been troubled of late by depression; he talked of feeling as though his life is passing him by. The dwarf’s mood had improved in the last tenday after he discovered a book

Chapter 1: Subclasses

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

presentations leads off with advice on how to add depth and detail to your character’s personality. You can use the tables in these sections as a source of inspiration, or roll a die to randomly determine a

result if desired. Following the subclasses, the section called “This Is Your Life” presents a series of tables for adding detail to your character’s backstory. The chapter concludes with a selection

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

The Role of Rules Why even have a column like Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules

need a group of players to bring them to life and a DM to guide their use. The DM is key. Many unexpected things can happen in a D&D campaign, and no set of rules could reasonably account for every

D&D Beyond

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