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Acolyte Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

, from the Forgotten Realms setting. Were you a lesser functionary in a temple, raised from childhood to assist the priests in the sacred rites? Or were you a high priest who suddenly experienced a call

You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and

Sea Spawn

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

death. Sea spawn come in a wide variety of forms. An individual might have a tentacle for an arm, the jaws of a shark, a sea urchin’s spines, a whale’s fin, octopus eyes, seaweed hair, or

the Forgotten Realms setting) might notice one curious fact about the islands’ human inhabitants: no infants or elderly are among them. This is because babies born to the Rocklanders are claimed

Yuan-ti

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Yuan-ti were originally humans who transformed themselves into serpent folk through ancient rituals. Most yuan-ti were corrupted into monsters by those rites, but some yuan-ti instead became a new

in a variety of ways: a forked tongue, snake eyes, a snakelike nose, or some other ophidian characteristic. However a yuan-ti looks, they have the power to pursue great good or evil in the multiverse

Reborn Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Domains of Dread (detailed in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft): Har’Akir. You died and endured the burial rites of this desert realm, yet somehow a soul—yours or another’s&mdash

itchy straw stuffing inside you. Reborn in the Domains of Dread When creating a reborn, consult with your DM to see if it’s appropriate to tie your origins to one of the following

Hexblood Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

shades, long hair that regrows if cut, and an irremovable living crown. Along with these marks, hexbloods manifest hag-like traits, such as darkvision and a variety of magical methods to beguile the senses

changed you and forced you from your home. 6 A slighted druid transformed you and bound you to live only so long as a sacred tree bears fruit. Hexbloods in the Domains of Dread When

Lady Illmarrow

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Lady Illmarrow is no folk tale. She is the greatest necromancer in Eberron, and after centuries of silence, she is setting ancient plots into motion at last. She is the power behind the Order of the

island domain. Long ago, it was revealed that the elven line of Vol — a house that practiced the art of necromancy and bore the Dragonmark of Death — was engaged in secret blood rites

Acolyte - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a cleric&mdash

;performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power. Choose a god, a pantheon of gods, or some other quasi-divine being, and work with your DM to detail the nature of your

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

Flint squinted into the setting sun. He thought he saw the figure of a man striding up the path. Standing, Flint drew back into the shadow of a tall pine to see better. The man’s walk was

coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and elf parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their elven

Ravenloft Setting Models

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

Ravenloft Setting Models What domains compose the Ravenloft setting is up to you. The Domains of Dread have no definitive map or proscribed orientation for how they relate to one another. This allows

you to shape the setting however best serves your adventures. Consider the following setting models for how you might use the Domains of Dread or use your favorite elements from multiple domains

Reborn in the Domains of Dread

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

Reborn in the Domains of Dread When creating a reborn, consult with your DM to see if it’s appropriate to tie your origins to one of the following Domains of Dread (detailed in chapter 3): Har’Akir

. You died and endured the burial rites of this desert realm, yet somehow a soul—yours or another’s—has taken refuge in your perfectly preserved remains. Lamordia. You awoke amid the bizarre experiments

The Land of the Mists

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

constructed on illusions and impossibilities. Should characters realize the surreality of the setting, those revelations only create a stronger sense of existential dread and suggest greater questions

setting. Most adventures won’t engage with these forces, but that doesn’t prevent characters and Darklords from seeking to learn about them, particularly as a means to escape the Domains of Dread

Introduction Domains of Dread

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

Introduction Domains of Dread The Mists reach from the darkest shadows of the multiverse, condemning the wicked and the brave to endless nightmares as prisoners of the Domains of Dread. These grim

netherworlds compose the Ravenloft setting and are horrific backdrops for Dungeons & Dragons adventures steeped in fear. In these haunted realms, adventurers might oppose villainous Darklords, seek escape from the Mists, or experience any terrifying adventure you can imagine. Dustin Panzino

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

accustomed to a variety of different people. GENASI ON ATHAS Although any world that includes one or more elemental planes can feature genasi, on Athas, the world of the Dark Sun campaign setting

Yuan-ti

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

Yuan-ti Yuan-ti were originally humans who transformed themselves into serpent folk through ancient rituals. Most yuan-ti were corrupted into monsters by those rites, but some yuan-ti instead became

heritage in a variety of ways: a forked tongue, snake eyes, a snakelike nose, or some other ophidian characteristic. However a yuan-ti looks, they have the power to pursue great good or evil in the multiverse.

Creating Domains of Dread

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

Creating Domains of Dread Ravenloft is a place where your nightmares can run wild, where anything you can imagine in moments of dread or despair can come to frightful life among the Mists. The

setting as a whole is made up of countless isolated domains, each one a perfect expression of a particular flavor of the macabre. Creating your own domain allows you to blend legendary evils, unexpected

Domains of Ravenloft

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

most wicked beings from across ages and worlds within inescapable, mist-shrouded domains. These are the Domains of Dread, the nightmare demiplanes that form the D&D setting of Ravenloft. Untold terrors

lurk within these lands, yet the collection of the Dark Powers is far from complete. This chapter provides information for the DM and explores the misty truths of the Domains of Dread, along with a

The Doomed Domain

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

The Doomed Domain Unlike domains that feature claustrophobic, tightly themed horror, Darkon provides a setting for a horror-tinged quest with the highest possible stakes. The specifics of such a

campaign involve the characters engaging with a handful of elements: fate, hope, allies, rivals, dread, and a campaign climax. Use this section to generate an outline for a campaign focused on the doom of an entire domain.

Secrets of Ravenloft

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

Secrets of Ravenloft Untold mysteries pervade the Domains of Dread, but these truths underpin the setting: 1: Ravenloft Is Malleable. The domains of Ravenloft are disconnected demiplanes. They don’t

the Dark Powers manipulate the Domains of Dread. Unknowable and omnipotent, the Dark Powers torment their captives for unfathomable reasons. 3: Domains Imprison Darklords. Each of Ravenloft’s

Krenko's Way

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

Ravnica and serves as an introductory adventure to the setting. A balance of character classes is helpful, since the adventurers will face a variety of challenges. Adventurers can be affiliated with any of the guilds. KARL KOPINSKI

Domain Details

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

Domain Details To reinforce the types of horror your adventures explore and give domains their own malicious personalities, consider these setting elements. Sylvain Sarrailh Those who enter the

and the personification of the domain’s terrors. Familiar Ground Every Domain of Dread takes inspiration from stories within its related genres. Embrace this. Including tropes from your favorite

Cleric

classes Basic Rules (2014)

to those chosen to fulfill a high calling. Harnessing divine magic doesn’t rely on study or training. A cleric might learn formulaic prayers and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric

provoke awe and dread, lay curses of plague or poison, and even call down flames from heaven to consume their enemies. For those evildoers who will benefit most from a mace to the head, clerics depend on

Setting the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

Setting the Adventure Use the following suggestions to help contextualize Shankhabhumi in a wider world: Through the Radiant Citadel. Characters traveling from the Radiant Citadel arrive just outside

between the continents of Khorvaire and Xen’drik. Alternatively, it could be a hidden nation in Xen’drik, east of Dread Lake. Forgotten Realms. Shankhabhumi might be found in the jungles south of the Shining Sea, near Chult, or as its own island west of Lantan.

Nightmare Logic

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

Nightmare Logic By the standards of what other worlds’ inhabitants consider true and sane, the Domains of Dread don’t make sense. The setting’s domains don’t neatly flow into one another, histories

don’t record a collectively remembered past, fictions spawn terrible facts, and sheltered villagers remain stubbornly ignorant about the world beyond. Ravenloft is a setting designed to cultivate

Setting the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

Setting the Adventure Enchanted farmers attack Aunt Dellie on the streets of Promise Use the following suggestions to help contextualize Godsbreath in a wider world: Through the Radiant Citadel

distinctive agricultural bent to this rural dale. Ravenloft. All of Godsbreath could be a Domain of Dread. The Darklord of this domain might be a member of the family lost at Cradlelace Lake or the vengeful spirit of Culley.

Healers and Warriors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric spells relies on devotion and an intuitive sense of a deity’s wishes. Clerics combine the helpful magic of healing and inspiring their allies with

spells that harm and hinder foes. They can provoke awe and dread, lay curses of plague or poison, and even call down flames from heaven to consume their enemies. For those evildoers who will benefit

Dark Fantasy

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

full of creatures that perfectly suit a storyline of supernatural horror. The most important element of such a campaign, though, isn’t covered by the rules. A dark-fantasy setting requires an

atmosphere of building dread, created through careful pacing and evocative description. Your players contribute too; they have to be willing to embrace the mood you’re trying to evoke. Whether you want to run

Healers and Warriors

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

and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric spells relies on devotion and an intuitive sense of a deity’s wishes. Clerics combine the helpful magic of healing and inspiring their allies with

spells that harm and hinder foes. They can provoke awe and dread, lay curses of plague or poison, and even call down flames from heaven to consume their enemies. For those evildoers who will benefit

Valor's Call

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

. The group enjoys the patronage of Yolande, the queen of Celene, and carries out missions on her behalf both in the Greyhawk setting (see chapter 5) and in the Feywild (see chapter 6). Prominent

setting, where an order of Wizards used him as a bootblack and scribe. He studied magic in secret until he amassed enough power to slaughter the order, and then he turned his efforts toward scribing

Seven Secrets of Ravenloft

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

Seven Secrets of Ravenloft Countless mysteries pervade the Domains of Dread, but these strange truths underpin the setting: Ez d’Avenir braves the Mists, her path haunted by past and future terrors

1. Ravenloft Is Not a World. The lands and characters of Ravenloft don’t share a planet. Rather, the Domains of Dread consist of innumerable demiplanes hidden amid the Plane of Shadow. Mysterious

Yuan-ti

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

, which often manifests as fangs or striking serpents. Yuan-ti have humanlike forms with a variety of horrifying serpentine transformations. Some have a scattering of reptilian scales, while others

supernatural rites. Roll on or choose a result from the Yuan-ti Transformations table to inspire how yuan-ti obtain their serpentine aspects. Yuan-ti Transformations 1d6 A Yuan-ti Gained Its Snake

Running the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

went on to inspire the creation of a campaign setting of the same name in 1990: Ravenloft, home of the Domains of Dread. Module I6: Ravenloft, written by Tracy and Laura Hickman, broke new ground by

character classes is helpful, since the adventurers will face a variety of challenges. Each character class will certainly have its moment to shine. A CLASSIC RETOLD This adventure is a retelling of

Welcome to Ravenloft

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

Ravenloft in Barovia—home of the notorious Strahd von Zarovich. In this mysterious setting, the land, the passage of time, the tides, and every other reliable truth can shift unpredictably. Rather than

being bound by proximity or politics, the lands of Ravenloft—also known as the Domains of Dread—are mist-bound islands drifting through the boundless gloom of the Shadowfell. Innumerable domains lie

Creating a Horror Campaign

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within

create a new Domain of Dread and Darklord following the methods in chapter 4? Setting Mysteries The Domains of Dread function in unique ways, but if and how that matters is up to you. “Ravenloft

Setting Models” later in this chapter details ways to shape the setting to suit your adventures. Review that section and the following questions as you consider how the nature of the Domains of Dread might

Campaign Setting

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

Campaign Setting Just like an adventure’s setting (as described in chapter 4), a campaign setting is an essential part of a campaign’s premise, shaping the kinds of stories that unfold there. As the

DM, you have two options when choosing a campaign setting: Use a published campaign setting. Create your own campaign setting. Whether you create your own campaign setting or use a published one, the

Worlds of Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

mysterious ways to one another and to other planes of existence, such as the Elemental Plane of Fire and the Infinite Depths of the Abyss. Within this multiverse are an endless variety of worlds. Many of them

villains. Some races have unusual traits in different worlds. The halflings of the Dark Sun setting, for example, are jungle-dwelling cannibals, and the elves are desert nomads. Some worlds feature races

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