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Monsters
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if she fails. She can't use this trait if she's incapacitated
locks, pluck keys from belts and pouches, clamber up walls, and sneak past guards — playing the perfect daughter by day while cutting loose at night. To hide her identity from those she met, she wore a
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Evasion. If the thief is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the thief instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw and only
Small note with the words “It’s been fun!” written on it in an ornate script
6
Glass bead that looks like an eye
7
Pistachio shells
8
Two playing cards balanced against
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The scion has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Siege Monster. The scion deals double damage to objects and
creatures who live beneath this cloud often display superstitious and duplicitous behavior, almost unconsciously leaving gifts for “rain spirits” while playing mischievous pranks on each
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Resistance (5/Day). If the cradle fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The cradle has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Siege
playing mischievous pranks on each other.
When roused, a cradle of the cloud scion manifests as a titanic air elemental made of fierce winds and wisps of cloud. It wields air and thunder to knock
Fraz-Urb'luu
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Monsters
Out of the Abyss
: mirage arcane, modify memory, project image
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Fraz-Urb’luu fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Fraz-Urb’luu has
shoulders. He can assume other forms, however, from the hideous to the beautiful. Often the demon lord becomes so immersed in playing a role that he loses himself in it for a time.
Many of the cultists
Magic Items
The Book of Many Things
reappears in the deck, making it possible to draw the same card multiple times.
You can use an altered deck of playing cards to simulate the deck, as shown in the Deck of Wonder table.
Deck of Wonder
you against an untimely demise. The first time after drawing this card that you would drop to 0 hit points from taking damage, you instead drop to 1 hit point.
Dusk. This card supernaturally saps your
monsters
Hit Points until the start of the scion’s next turn.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the scion fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The scion has Advantage
—and often to all three. Sometimes the scion commands a single cult with an uneasy mix of adherents of each god, but a scion might lead separate cults from the shadows, playing them against each other and coordinating their efforts to bring the greatest amount of misery to a region.Necrotic
Backgrounds
The Book of Many Things
possess rare and unusual skills unknown to ordinary folk.
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
Languages: One of your choice
Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set of your choice (such as playing
family debts with a fortuitous round of three-dragon ante, you might be Lucky instead. Alternatively, you could use the Skilled feat to reflect whatever trial you endured to secure your new destiny and to model the knowledge and abilities imparted to you by whatever force transformed your life.
Deck of Many Things
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Magic Items
Basic Rules (2014)
draw a card, you must declare how many cards you intend to draw and then draw them randomly (you can use an altered deck of playing cards to simulate the deck). Any cards drawn in excess of this number
in the deck, making it possible to draw the same card twice.
Playing Card
Card
Ace of diamonds
Vizier*
King of diamonds
Sun
Queen of diamonds
Moon
Jack of diamonds
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
scores instead of rolling Initiative. Your Initiative score equals 10 plus your Dexterity modifier. If you have Advantage on Initiative rolls, increase your Initiative score by 5. If you have Disadvantage on those rolls, decrease that score by 5. See also “Playing the Game” (“Combat”).
Initiative Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. The combat rules in “Playing the Game” explain how to roll Initiative. Sometimes a DM might have combatants use their Initiative
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
Go to Hell The fiery rift of area 16 allows Tarnhem to return to the Abyss. But depending on the setup of your campaign (and particularly if you are playing through Baldur’s Gate: Descent into
Avernus), you might instead have this rift lead to the Nine Hells. There, Tarnhem joins the demonic horde taking part in the Blood War. If the characters later travel through Avernus, they might encounter Tarnhem there—with his reaction to them depending on their interactions at the tomb.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lorwyn: First Light
Oura’s authority, however. In Shadowmoor, faeries might instead worship Queen Maralen, the elf who overthrew the previous faerie queen and, some say, ushered in the clashing of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor
. (See “Lorwyn-Shadowmoor’s History” in the introduction for more information.) Playing a Faerie Use the Fairy species (see Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse) when creating a faerie
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
Playing the Same Character A character who falls victim to the Void card doesn’t have to collapse into a coma; instead, they could have one chance to save themselves, with time running out. This
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus If you’re playing through or using events from Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus in your campaign, you might tie that campaign to this adventure in a number of
investigate the corruption of the fey woods as a side quest. The hags of chapter 1 might also be in contact with Mad Maggie. Instead of working for either agent, the characters could be tasked with
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
a result, arcane focuses are regarded as weapons throughout Khorvaire. If you’ve got a wand tucked into your belt, people may assume you know how to use it. Playing A Wandslinger
“Wandslinger
wandslinger training as opposed to the usual source. If you’re playing a sorcerer or warlock, you could say that your choice of Sorcerous Origin or Otherworldly Patron reflects specialized military
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
. MULTICLASSING EXAMPLE
Gary is playing a 4th-level fighter. When his character earns enough experience points to reach 5th level, Gary decides that his character will multiclass instead of continuing to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Circle of the Moon or the Circle of the Shepherd (from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything), often assuming the form of dinosaurs. You could also reflect a strong bond to spirits by playing a warlock with
Guide to Everything). Hermit and outlander are natural backgrounds, but you could be an acolyte or a sage who consults spirits instead of books. Warriors and shamans both wear masks to present a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply. Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you
to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action. Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song’s end or when it is closed.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
in dreams. As such, the guidance is not a direct command or a simple spoken word. Instead, the aasimar receives visions, prophecies, and feelings. The angelic being is far from omniscient. Its
, consider the nature of that character’s angelic guide. The Angelic Guide tables offer names and natures that you can use to flesh out your character’s guide. NOTE TO THE DM: PLAYING AN ANGELIC GUIDE
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
the form of dinosaurs. However, you could reflect a strong bond to spirits by playing an Archfey warlock, Nature cleric, Oath of the Ancients paladin, or a Beast Totem or Ancestral Guardian barbarian
. Hermit and Outlander are sound backgrounds, but you could be an acolyte or a sage who consults with spirits instead of reading books. Warriors and shamans alike often wear masks in order to present a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
of Solamnia character, consider playing a bard of the College of Valor (or the College of Swords from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything) or a barbarian devoted to the ideals of the nature god Habbakuk
(perhaps adopting the Path of the Zealot from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything).
Knight of Solamnia Trinkets. When you make your character, roll once on the Knight of Solamnia Trinkets table instead of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
technological devices, you can add twice your proficiency bonus, instead of any proficiency bonus you normally apply. Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you
to light a candle, torch, or campfire. Using the device requires your action. Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a single song at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it reaches the song’s end or when it is closed.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
and house guards watching her every move during the day. So she taught herself how to pick locks, pluck keys from belts and pouches, clamber up walls, and sneak past guards — playing the perfect
playing a dangerous game, but is satisfied that at least one member of the Rosznar family is earning the respect of Waterdeep’s nobility. Black Viper
Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
Armor
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
playing cards, you can do things with cards that would be difficult or even impossible to do using dice:
Francesca Resta
Archetypes and Imagery. When interpreting The Deck of Many Things
you it means. Cards from Magic: The Gathering also work well for inspiration since they feature amazing fantasy art in addition to symbols. Ordinary playing cards’ suits, one-eyed jacks, and other
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse
twigs and twine 5 Small note with the words “It’s been fun!” written on it in an ornate script 6 Glass bead that looks like an eye 7 Pistachio shells 8 Two playing cards balanced against each other
Bonus +3
Evasion. If the thief is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the thief instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
your choice Tool Proficiencies: One gaming set of your choice (such as playing cards or three-dragon ante cards) Equipment: A bottle of black ink, an ink pen, five sheets of paper, a gaming set
magical powers represented by Magic Initiate. If you paid off all your family debts with a fortuitous round of three-dragon ante, you might be Lucky instead. Alternatively, you could use the Skilled feat to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
each other’s company while singing, dancing, and playing games. Argantle is playing a chess-like game called Crowns with her cousin, Jagu, when a howling wind warns her of the party’s approach, giving
center of this henge, a small, checkered game board with stone playing pieces rests on the ground near the dying embers of a campfire.
Each of the eight standing stones is about 20 feet tall and hewn
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
players to keep playing instead of letting one player stop the game. Character Knowledge Encourage players to play their characters within the limits of what the characters know and understand. It can be
prefer to let the DM make a call and continue playing. If you gloss over a rules issue in play, make a note of it and return to the issue later. Some players like to use the rules to argue against
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
example, if you have Disadvantage and roll an 18 and a 3, use the 3. If you instead have Advantage and roll those numbers, use the 18. They Don’t Stack If multiple situations affect a roll and they
. Typically, DMs award it when you do something particularly heroic, in character, or entertaining. It’s a reward for making the game more fun for everyone playing.
Other rules might allow your character
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
of the two rolls if you have Advantage, and use the lower roll if you have Disadvantage. For example, if you have Disadvantage and roll an 18 and a 3, use the 3. If you instead have Advantage and roll
for making the game more fun for everyone playing.
Other rules might allow your character to gain Heroic Inspiration independent of the DM’s decision. For example, Human characters start each day with Heroic Inspiration.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
character, and the character takes the Dodge action in combat until the player rejoins the group. This solution allows the other players to keep playing instead of letting one player stop the game
discussions at the table. Some groups don’t mind putting the game on hold while they discuss different interpretations of a rule. Others prefer to let the DM make a call and continue playing. If you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
Enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, M (a playing card depicting a rogue) Duration: Instantaneous You whisper magical words that antagonize one creature of your choice within
choice that you can see. If the target can’t make this attack (for example, because there is no one within its reach or because its reaction is unavailable), the target instead has disadvantage on the next
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Horror Gameplay Just as you consider how you’ll tell your tales of terror, keep in mind what you can do to make the experience of playing the game more suspenseful. Horror Threats While horror
between characters, one player’s character influencing or controlling another player’s character, and yelling. All players (including the DM) must ask and gain permission from everyone playing—not just
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
eyes playing tricks on them as details and distance are distorted. The shadow dragon rarely leaves this place except to hunt and is attended by dozens of shadows. Additional Lair Action Shadow dragons
also deal necrotic damage instead of other damage types. At your discretion, a legendary (adult or ancient) shadow dragon can use the following additional lair action while in its lair: Banish Light
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
choice (such as playing cards or three-dragon ante cards) Equipment: A cracked hourglass, a set of rusty manacles, a half-empty bottle, a hunting trap, a gaming set (matching your chosen proficiency
you make your character, you can roll once on the Ruined Trinkets table instead of on the Trinkets table in the Player’s Handbook. Ruined Trinkets d6 Trinket 1 A rusted scrap of a once-beloved