monsters some with only arises fear for law

Boss Delour

Monsters The Book of Many Things

more complex challenges the guild can take on as it grows in power. His only real fear is exposure; the bigger and more active the Moonstalkers become, the more likely they are to attract the attention

of law enforcement or adventurous do-gooders. The sting of the guild’s flight from its first home is still fresh in Delour’s mind. Indeed, Delour never forgets a slight. He is obsessed

Inquisitor of the Sword

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

, Ulmed was heartbroken at his friend’s transformation and changed the inquisition’s mission. Instead of focusing on hunting monsters, it would also hunt the seeds of evil that can corrupt a

folk fear that an overzealous inquisitor might be as great a monster as the fiends the inquisitors originally hunted.Blink Step. The inquisitor teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Inquisitor of the Mind Fire

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

osybus;priests of Osybus. When Strahd fell into darkness, Ulmed was heartbroken at his friend’s transformation and changed the inquisition’s mission. Instead of focusing on hunting monsters

them to be a source of terror in many communities, where folk fear that an overzealous inquisitor might be as great a monster as the fiends the inquisitors originally hunted.

Hobgoblin Iron Shadow

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

monsters, both to conceal their identities and to strike fear into their foes. An iron shadow is usually recruited from the ranks of the Feywild’s hobgoblin armies or from among the hobgoblins who

Inquisitor of the Tome

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

hunting monsters, it would also hunt the seeds of evil that can corrupt a person. Ulmed and his friends Cosima, Ansel, and Tristian organized the inquisition into three orders, with each one

work has caused them to be a source of terror in many communities, where folk fear that an overzealous inquisitor might be as great a monster as the fiends the inquisitors originally hunted.

Belashyrra

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

legendary actions at the start of its turn. Claw. Belashyrra makes one claw attack. Implant Fear (Costs 2 Actions). Belashyrra targets a creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The target must

succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or take 22 (4d10);{"diceNotation":"4d10","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Implant Fear","rollDamageType":"psychic"} psychic damage and immediately use its reaction

Screaming Devilkin

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

denizens of the Feywild. Sages believe that their appearance derives from the primal fear inspired by fiendish creatures, while bards assert that panic, being such a repulsive emotion, is embodied by an

equally ugly creature. Screaming Terrors. A screaming devilkin sometimes arises when a creature in the Feywild is overcome with panic to the point that it screams, babbles, and otherwise loses control

Soldier Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and

. d6 Flaw 1 The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear. 2 I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior. 3 I made a terrible

Whelm Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

first make an attack roll with Whelm, you develop a fear of being outdoors that persists as long as you remain attuned to the weapon. This causes you to have disadvantage on attack rolls, saving

cries in Dwarvish when used in combat. Personality Whelm’s purpose is to slaughter giants and goblinoids. It also seeks to protect dwarves against all enemies. Conflict arises if the wielder fails

Rakdos Cultist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

standard circus-style acrobatics with fire, wrought-iron spikes and hooks, and monsters. You can roll a d8 or choose from the options in the Performance Options table to determine your preferred

;flaming sphere 3rd fear, haste 4th confusion, wall of fire 5th dominate person Your magic often produces a flashy spectacle, wreathing you or your targets in a mixture

Sailor Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the

more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town. Variant Feature: Bad

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

operate up and down the Sword Coast and throughout the North. Most are small-scale operations that employ a dozen to a hundred folk who offer security services, hunt monsters and brigands, or go to war in

worth dying for. 6 I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. d6 Flaw 1 The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear. 2 I have

Investigator

Backgrounds Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

You relentlessly seek the truth. Perhaps you’re motivated by belief in the law and a sense of universal justice, or maybe that very law has failed you and you seek to make things right. You

corpse. Ever since, other spectral clients have sought you out to help them find rest. 4 You revealed that the monsters terrorizing your home were illusions created by a cruel mage. The magic-user

Nilbog Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

Maglubiyet, this trickster god survives in splintered form as a possessing spirit that arises when goblinoids form a host, causing disorder in the ranks unless it is appeased. Goblins have no name for

;goblin” spelled backward), and they revel in the fear that a nilbog sows among the ranks of the bugbears and hobgoblins in the host. Goblins’ Revenge. When goblinoids form a host, there

Folk Hero Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere. Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, vehicles (land

, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for

Pirate Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the

deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town. Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception

Azorius Functionary

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

The brutes are at the gate, chaos is looming, and the only thing standing in the way of disaster is the foundation of law and order — as embodied in the Azorius Senate. You’re a proud

choice Equipment: An Azorius insignia, a scroll containing the text of a law important to you, a bottle of blue ink, a pen, a set of fine clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp (Azorius

Demilich (Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

assume a wraithlike form. The skull then emits a terrifying howl that can slay the weak-hearted and leave others trembling with fear. Left alone, it sinks back down and returns to the empty peace of

hit points.A Demilich’s Lair A demilich hides its earthly remains and treasures in a labyrinthine tomb guarded by monsters and traps. At the heart of this labyrinth rests the demilich’s

Hobgoblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

Hobgoblins are relentless soldiers that cleave to rigid tactics and orders. I fear their less-predictable scouts and spies more. — Volo War is the lifeblood of hobgoblins. Its glories are

little to conceal an underlying brutality that hobgoblins practice on each other and perfect upon other races. Punishment for infractions of hobgoblin law are swift and merciless. Beauty is something

City Watch / Investigator

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

City of Skilled Hands. Even if you’re not city-born or city-bred, this background can describe your early years as a member of law enforcement. Most settlements of any size have their own

experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch or a similar organization, and just as

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred. d8 Personality Trait 1 I’m always polite and

leaves me quivering with fear. 2 I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior. 3 I made a terrible mistake in battle that cost many lives—and I would do anything to

Folk Hero - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

their champion, and your destiny calls you to stand against the tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere. Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival Tool

, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you. BALDUR’S GATE FEATURE

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

Lord Dagult Neverember once told me, during a drunken tirade, that orcs are fearful of their gods, and, if one plays one’s cards right, they can be controlled through that fear and made to

infirm. Orcs don’t revere their gods as much as they fear them; every tribe has superstitions about how to avert their wrath or bring their favor. This deep-seated uncertainty and fear comes forth

Sailor - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

, characters with this background are common. You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to

. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town. Variant Feature: Bad Reputation If your character has a sailor

Elf Adventurers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

existence the most satisfying experience possible for an elf’s later years. Nevertheless, this fear is immune to logic when it arises in adult elves. To avoid the fate they dread, consciously or

adventure. Humans tend to equate adventurers with people who battle monsters, explore dangerous ruins, delve into deep caverns, and generally stir up trouble, usually in pursuit of gold and glory. Elves

The Dark Six

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

of nature, treachery in battle, dark magic and monsters, passion and madness. Those who worship the Sovereigns fear these things; those who revere the Six embrace them and don’t consider them to be

fear or revere the Dark Six. The principles of the faith are the same: just like the Sovereigns, the Six are with us at all times. They shape the world and speak to those who will listen. In general, the

Fear and Horror

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

Fear and Horror The rules for fear and horror can help you sustain an atmosphere of dread in a dark fantasy campaign. Fear When adventurers confront threats they have no hope of overcoming, you can

end of each of his or her turns, ending the effect on the character on a successful save. Horror Horror involves more than simple fright. It entails revulsion and anguish. Often it arises when

Adult Deep Dragon Legacy

monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

nightmarish cousins of chromatic dragons. The warped magical energy of their subterranean realm gives them the ability to exhale magical spores that instill fear and scar the mind. Deep dragons’ black

that allow them to escape or ambush visitors if the need arises. A well-cultivated lair abounds with Underdark fungi and plants, with the floor, walls, and ceiling covered in carpets of mold and moss

Law and Order

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

. Townsfolk tend to see them as brutish thugs, though they are quick to call them when trouble arises. Local Law Enforcement The town guard arrests lawbreakers and imprisons them in the town jail. In

Law and Order Saltmarsh is a bastion of civilization in the midst of an untamed region. Without its stout defenders, it might have long ago fallen to the depredations of outsiders. Militia and

Ancient Deep Dragon Legacy

monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

cousins of chromatic dragons. The warped magical energy of their subterranean realm gives them the ability to exhale magical spores that instill fear and scar the mind. Deep dragons’ black-and

or ambush visitors if the need arises. A well-cultivated lair abounds with Underdark fungi and plants, with the floor, walls, and ceiling covered in carpets of mold and moss, or featuring larger

Starting Point: Callestan

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

buildings should be condemned. The closest thing this district has to law is the Boromar Clan… and now they’re being challenged by the monsters of Daask. Every day there’s the chance that a war will

break out on the streets. A Callestan campaign combines gritty dark fantasy with the classic Western. Callestan is effectively a frontier town in the middle of Sharn. The law is what you make it and brigands walk the streets. But it offers freedoms and opportunities you won’t find in the towers above!

Invitation to Nightmare

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

participating in a fear-focused D&D adventure. Horror, as a genre, covers broad swaths of material. What you shrug off other players might find personally unsettling—everyone’s experiences and tolerances are

content warning for the story you’ll all be creating. If you’re uncertain about aspects of the game, ask about them—before the game, during play, or whenever a concern arises. Everyone’s comfort and enjoyment of spooky adventures are what matter most!

Infernal War Machine Combat

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

Infernal War Machine Combat All the warlords described in this adventure use infernal war machines to strike fear into their rivals, fend off demons and other threats, and flee from Zariel’s devil

of the mind”-style play, where it’s more important to capture the emotion of a chase than know the exact location and orientation of every vehicle on the battlefield. If a situation arises that the

Preserve the Balance

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

zombies and vampires). Druids sometimes lead raids against such creatures, especially when the monsters encroach on the druids’ territory. Druids are often found guarding sacred sites or watching over

regions of unspoiled nature. But when a significant danger arises, threatening nature’s balance or the lands they protect, druids take on a more active role in combating the threat, as adventurers.

Psychological Horror

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

monster is a stand-in for something people fear, what do your favorite monsters embody? Can your adventures accentuate that? Why might a character think everyone around them is lying to them? Might this be

between what characters think and how they behave. When creating adventures rooted in psychological horror, consider common fears and anxieties. These readily become metaphors for villains and monsters

D&D Beyond

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