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Returning 35 results for 'rolling story'.
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Species
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
’t have a unified story of how they were created, but they all have a sense of being mystically connected to the natural world. Carrying their shelter on their backs gives tortles a special
increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
guildless masses of the city.
Consider why you’re embedded in the secondary guild. Create a story with your DM, inspired by rolling on the following table or choosing a reason that suits you
Species
Spelljammer: Adventures in Space
you like to identify what event set you on the path to adventure. If nothing on the table appeals to you, work with your DM to create an origin story for your character.
Like gnomes, autognomes can
live for centuries, typically up to 500 years.
Autognome History
d6
Story
1
Your creator gave you autonomy and urged you to follow your dreams.
2
Your creator died, leaving you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Story Tracker might remind you of the effect. Unicorn Horn A lost unicorn horn plays an important part in the adventure. Its location is determined randomly by rolling on the Unicorn Horn’s Location
Using the Story Tracker This adventure uses a Story Tracker, a copy of which is included at the back of this book. The Story Tracker is a note-keeping tool to help you remember important information
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
the story moving. “You walk for several miles and encounter nothing of interest” is far less evocative and memorable than, “A light rain dampens the rolling plains as you travel north. Around midday
Triboar Trail Phandalin lies in a part of the North known as “the Triboar Trail,” “the Triboar Cutoff,” or “the Cony Gap.” This stretch of foothills and rolling, sparsely wooded plains extends
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
The Iron Shadow The portals of the Infinite Staircase often lead to places that exhibit a penchant for creativity—sites where art, invention, philosophy, and magic flourish. Wherever there’s a story
more active role in their destruction: the Iron Shadow. The Iron Shadow is a creeping malady that feeds on creativity in all its forms. A rootless, rolling cloud of gloom exhaled by the Shadowfell, the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
to happen next, the DM decides how to apply the rules and keep the story going. The DM is a roleplayer. The DM plays the monsters in the adventure, choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also plays all the other people the characters meet, including helpful ones.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Five-Tavern Center Five unaffiliated taverns Five taverns stand in a semicircle around a central yard in the heart of Bremen. As the story goes, five brothers originally intended to build a tavern
hear a rumor or two, which you can determine by rolling on the Ten-Towns Rumors table (See "Ten-Towns Rumors").
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
cylinders and a linen bag of dry clay artfully decorated with a drop of water. Wooden Cylinders The outside of each cylinder is covered with writing and simple images, apparently telling a story in three
and mix it with water to form a thick paste, then spread the wet clay in a thin layer on a flat surface. Rolling one of the cylinders across this surface presses the writing into the clay and makes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
and keep the story going. The DM is a narrator. The DM sets the pace of the story and presents the various challenges and encounters the players must overcome. The DM is the players’ interface to the
and villains the adventurers battle against, choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also plays the part of all the other characters the players meet in the course of their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
chance of something happening. For example, a rule might say there is a 5 percent chance of something happening. You can determine whether that thing happens by rolling percentile dice; if the roll
is equal to or less than the percentage chance (a 01 to 05, in this example), it happens. Interpreting Die Rolls in the Story
Part of the fun of D&D is interpreting what die rolls mean in the story
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
letting them choose the setbacks, you can give players more agency in crafting the story of their characters’ deeds. Degrees of Failure Sometimes a failed D20 Test has different consequences depending
hits the fourth, and a 19 or higher strikes the bull’s-eye. Critical Success or Failure Rolling a 20 or a 1 on an ability check or a saving throw doesn’t normally have any special effect. However, you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
something happening. For example, a rule might say there is a 5 percent chance of something happening. You can determine whether that thing happens by rolling percentile dice; if the roll is equal to or
less than the percentage chance (a 01 to 05, in this example), it happens. Interpreting Die Rolls in the Story
Part of the fun of D&D is interpreting what die rolls mean in the story. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
one determined by rolling on the Feywild Trinkets table in the introduction). Large Cupboard. If the characters didn’t dispose of her in chapter 1, Sowpig stands in the middle of the largest cupboard
. Appendix D has additional roleplaying notes for Sowpig. Unicorn Horn. If the Story Tracker indicates that the unicorn horn is here, characters can find it in Sowpig’s cupboard, buried in a box full of junk.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
drawn visage of an astral elf. Each target has AC 15 and 7 hit points. If a character destroys a target in one hit, the act sparks a rousing old war story from Krux, and that character gains inspiration
). Random Encounter The characters have at least one random encounter in the Astral Sea. Determine what they encounter by rolling on the Astral Sea Encounters table, which appears in Boo’s Astral Menagerie or choose an encounter you like.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
them to any visitors. You can determine these items by rolling on or choosing from the Secondhand Steals table. Secondhand Steals d8 Secondhand Steal 1 A pair of small, rose-tinted glasses with
to Clawson. He’s a very particular dog with very particular tastes, and he cares about an item’s oddity or unusual story more than its usefulness.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
minutes studying the flowers can make a DC 20 Intelligence (Nature) check; on a successful check, the creature can choose which flower it plucks from the table instead of rolling randomly. A serene
A single-story guesthouse sits on the cliff above the hot spring and gardens. This building is empty unless Asteria and Euryale are hosting friends or wayward travelers there. The guesthouse has a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
decorations?
DM: Make an Intelligence check.
Phillip: Does my Investigation skill apply?
DM: Sure!
Phillip (rolling a d20): Ugh. Seven.
DM: They look like decorations to you. And Amy, Riva is
the players attempt, D&D is infinitely flexible, and each adventure can be exciting and unexpected. The game has no real end; when one story or quest wraps up, another one can begin, creating an
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
not decorations?
DM: Make an Intelligence check.
Phillip: Does my Investigation skill apply?
DM: Sure!
Phillip (rolling a d20): Ugh. Seven.
DM: They look like decorations to you. And Amy, Riva
anything the players attempt, D&D is infinitely flexible, and each adventure can be exciting and unexpected. The game has no real end; when one story or quest wraps up, another one can begin, creating an
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Encounter Pace and Tension A good story hooks you in with an interesting introduction, builds tension steadily throughout the story, then reaches a climactic conclusion. It’s not always easy to mimic
danger and urgency by rolling dice behind your DM screen, even without an actual encounter!) Drain Character Resources. By draining the party’s Hit Points and spell slots, leaving the adventurers feeling
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak
apply the rules and keep the story going. The DM is a storyteller. The DM sets the pace of the story and presents the various challenges and encounters that the players must overcome. The DM is the
plays the monsters and villains in the adventure, choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks. The DM also plays the parts of all the other characters who the adventurers meet, including
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Respect for the Players Your players need to know from the start that you’ll run a game that is fun, fair, and tailored for them; that you’ll allow each of them to contribute to the story; and that
out of the campaign story. When you have antagonists threaten the people and places the characters love, be sure the characters have a chance to stave off the worst outcome. During the game, characters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Respect for the Players Your players need to know from the start that you’ll run a game that is fun, fair, and tailored for them; that you’ll allow each of them to contribute to the story; and that
out of the campaign story. When you have antagonists threaten the people and places the characters love, be sure the characters have a chance to stave off the worst outcome. During the game, characters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
strives to collect everyday objects that played a significant role in an exciting story (such as “the rolling pin that Aunt Hattie used to chase away a bugbear” or “the shoes that Timtom wore when he
in a city or town dominated by another race. Everything Has a Story As do many other races, halflings enjoy accumulating personal possessions. But unlike with most other races, a halfling’s idea of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
2. Giants’ Lodge This two-story lodge is partially buried in the ice. It has three possible entrances: the main entrance on the ground floor (leading to area 2A), an ice tunnel that leads to a door
containing 3d6 × 100 cp plus 1d6 mundane items, determined by rolling on the Items in a Giant’s Bag table in the introduction. A careful search of the room accompanied by a successful DC 15 Wisdom
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
adorn the ceiling. The west wall bears a carving of a beautiful scene of a river and rolling hills inside a stone frame etched with symbols.
The carving of the river scene is a portal to Elysium that
shard from the prince’s right palm (250 gp) The prince’s memoirs, which explain the story and the dangers of the Nether Scroll of Azumar Nether Scroll of Azumar Scroll, legendary
Unlike most scrolls
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
players in the process. You don’t need to be a practiced thespian or comedian to create drama or humor. The key is to pay attention to the story elements and characterizations that make your players
air with one hand while speaking in a deadpan monotone, while an archmage might express her displeasure by silently rolling her eyes and massaging her temples with her fingers. Engaging the Players
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
accompanied by a minor reaction in the environment, which you can determine by choosing an entry that you like from the Domain Transformation table or by rolling on the table to determine a random result
Material Plane. Because these effects have no impact on the story, you can forgo using the table if you want. If Zybilna is released from her temporal stasis, the ability of other creatures to alter
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
Nettlebee Ranch Nettlebee Ranch sprawls over a series of low, rolling hills where the forest has been cleared away for crops of oats and barley. The Nettlebees’ prize livestock — sheep, ponies, and
cattle — grazes in multitudes upon the hillside pastures. The ranch consists of a large two-story house and several low stalls and granaries. In the distance, an unnatural mound of earth rises over the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Roleplaying You don’t need to be a practiced thespian or comedian to create drama or humor through roleplaying. The key is to pay attention to the story elements and characterizations that make your
reflect an archmage’s displeasure by rolling your eyes and massaging your temples with your fingers. Hanging your head and looking up at the players conveys a sense of submissiveness or fear. Holding
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Lost Things Use this adventure hook if you want the characters to have a strong personal investment in the story. Choose a settlement in the characters’ world near which the Witchlight Carnival will
. You can swap out some of the entries on the Lost Things table with others that you or your players create, using the ones described below as models. Use the adventure’s Story Tracker to record what
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
before it touches the ground, doing so with a successful DC 10 Dexterity check. Any creature that catches a seed before it touches the ground receives a gift, determined by rolling a d8 and consulting
air. The player should secretly write down their character’s wish on a piece of paper; collect these notes and keep them somewhere safe. On the Story Tracker, jot down the names of the characters who
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves
decides to test them. He issues a random command, determined by rolling on the Nezzarum’s Commands table, and judges them based on their consequent actions. If they fulfill his wishes, he seems pleased
, Nezzarum tells the story of his coming to the temple and the cult’s subsequent arrival (see “Adventure Background”). If the characters haven’t defeated Xia yet, that’s the dragon’s highest priority
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
Reinforcements Check to see if reinforcements arrive once during the day and once at night by rolling d100 and consulting the Ironslag Reinforcements table. If reinforcements are indicated, the fire
barred shut from within and are too strong to be broken down without the aid of a ram or a siege engine. The village’s buildings are single-story huts with thatch roofs and walls made of piled stones
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
). Destroying the Soulmonger is the only way to halt the attrition and restore her hit point maximum to normal. Roleplaying Syndra Silvane Syndra tells the characters her story and makes her request
interest of time, Syndra is prepared to use a teleport spell to transport herself and the heroes to Port Nyanzaru. If the characters agree, don’t bother rolling to determine the spell’s accuracy






