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Returning 35 results for 'setting stories'.
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setting scores
serving stories
seething stories
seeing stories
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Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
grappled (escape DC 12) if it is a Medium or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the sea spawn can’t use this tentacle on another target.Many of the stories sung as sea chanteys and
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
Monsters
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
— an ancient lich said to dwell in a castle of bone and ice in the coldest regions of the Lhazaar Principalities. Some stories say that she is served by a legion of undead and that she maintains a
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
Tortle
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
The Tortle Package
what little time they have left telling stories to their offspring. Within a year, the young tortle becomes an orphan, though not before it learns to speak and to survive on its own.
A young tortle
with stories of its exploits and new skills.
When a tortle nears the end of its natural lifespan, it seeks out a mate and procreates. Tortles lay their eggs (numbering as few as one or as many as a
Bugbear
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
. Cunning Grankhul is the younger one, and in the stories bugbears tell, he gifted them with stealth but in return he sapped their vigor, so that bugbears sleep in his stead while he remains eternally alert
instead of killing them, he showed mercy and even honored them in a way by setting them free — under his control — so that bugbears could continue to employ their talents against his enemies
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Yawning Portal, The The Yawning Portal is a tavern in Waterdeep, built around an entrance to the infamous dungeon of Undermountain. Adventurers throughout the Forgotten Realms setting and elsewhere
in the multiverse visit the Yawning Portal to exchange knowledge about Undermountain and other dungeons. Most visitors are content to swap stories by the hearth, but some adventurers pay the toll for entry into Undermountain (collected by the mysterious owner and bartender, Durnan).
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Newspaper Contacts Usually, your primary contact—the person who gives you assignments for the newspaper—is an editor of some kind, who takes the stories you write and makes them suitable for the
printed page. Depending on the editor, you might not even recognize the stories when they’re printed, and your editor’s personality and goals can have a tremendous impact on your work for the paper
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Folk Horror Settings Folk horror stories often take place in isolated or rural areas, but they could be set anywhere insular communities thrive or traditions stagnate. Folk Horror Settings d6
Setting
1 A countryside with stretches of hayfields, colorful barns, and perpetually smiling residents
2 An island floating in the air where ground-worshipers dream of the lands below
3
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Ghost Story Adventure Sites Ghost stories are intensely personal, and adventures within the genre take place in a setting dripping with tragic history. Ghost Story Adventure Sites d6 Adventure
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
appropriate to your campaign’s setting or deities unique to Godsbreath. Shared Stories Stories are the glue that binds Godsbreath together, tying its people to their ancestors who helped shape this land and
influence of the deities who founded Godsbreath is captured in the Covenant tales—verses of the Awakening Song that tell stories of the gods’ past exploits and share signs of their current influence
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Preface Hail and well met, traveler! Welcome to a world of magic and adventure. Originally created by Ed Greenwood, the Forgotten Realms setting has been home to Dungeons & Dragons stories and games
remained open in the depths of our imaginations and do so to this day, as more and more visitors find their way there. It is no surprise, then, that the Forgotten Realms became the setting for the first
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
. Weaving these themes together, or exploring either one in isolation, can give Eberron stories a unique feel. Adventures that take advantage of those themes help to reinforce a sense of place
multiverse by a magical barrier. This section is an introduction to those themes, designed to help you tell stories that fit well in Eberron. It explores techniques for making compelling recurring
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Ghost Story Settings Suffering, tragic death, or a villain’s monstrous evil manifest subtly in the places ghost stories are set. Typically, a setting’s hauntings are revealed slowly, until the full
nature of the horror is on display. Ghost Story Settings d8 Setting
1 A realm where speaking to spirits is just like speaking with the living
2 A graveyard city-state where all living
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
years ago, the vast continent of Sarlona was the cradle of human civilization. Three thousand years ago, the first human colonists left, setting in motion events shaping modern-day Khorvaire. Sarlona was
is known of the nation. Merchants tell stories of massive monoliths that control the dreams of the people, and of secret police who use psionics to root out dissidents. A single nation stands against
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
the end of your campaign for the characters to finish up any personal goals. Their stories need to end in a satisfying way, just as the campaign story does. Ideally, some of the characters
run a new campaign for the same group of players in the same setting, using their previous characters’ actions as the basis for legends is one way to invest your players in the new campaign. Let the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Phandalin The frontier town of Phandalin (FAN-duh-lin or fan-DAY-lin) in the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms setting is built on the ruins of a much older settlement. Hundreds of years ago
atop the ruins of old Phandalin. It’s now home to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders, and prospectors drawn by stories of gold and platinum in the foothills of the Sword Mountains—as well as more than
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
provide the sparks that can ignite and sustain a campaign. The most common pitfall of serial stories without a set beginning, middle, and end is inertia. Like many television shows and comic-book series
setting in a meaningful way. They chronicle the story of your world in big, bold print. Change — especially change that occurs as a result of the characters’ actions — keeps the story moving. If change
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
campaign whenever your story reaches its natural conclusion. Make sure you allow space and time near the end of your campaign for the characters to finish up any personal goals. Their own stories need
characters’ actions as the basis of legends gives them immediate investment in the new setting. Let the new characters experience how the world has changed because of their old characters. In the end
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
far from the front lines suffered damage from long-distance magic weapons or terror attacks. Any time you are setting a scene, you could add some element that speaks to the ongoing impact of the Last
shortages or neglect, or drawing attention to the needs of veterans, refugees, or others. 3 A disabled veteran shares war stories while begging for copper. 4 A crowd has gathered around two people engaged
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
nature of all yuan-ti in the setting. Monsters can be one-off flukes of nature or the products of insidious magic. For significant adversaries, use the tables in the “Genres of Horror” section of chapter
experiment to infuse piscine traits into a soldier or the result of someone drinking from a spring tainted by demon’s blood; the merrow’s stat block remains the same. But those different origin stories suggest
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation Supplement
Beliefs Tortles don’t have their own pantheon of gods, but they often worship the gods of other races. It’s not unusual for a tortle to hear stories or legends related to a god and choose to worship
that deity. In the Forgotten Realms, tortles are especially fond of Eldath, Gond, Lathander, Savras, Selûne, and Tymora. In the Greyhawk setting, they gravitate toward Celestian, Fharlanghn, Pelor
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Part 1: Master of Worlds Every DM is the creator of his or her own campaign world. Whether you invent a world, adapt a world from a favorite movie or novel, or use a published setting for the D&D
adventures happen. Even if you’re using an established world such as the Forgotten Realms, your campaign takes place in a sort of mirror universe of the official setting where Forgotten Realms novels
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
explanation is that some folk are born with an overabundance of curiosity. Some say that Arvoreen or Brandobaris is responsible for urging them on, and others point to the stories told by the elders that
a life of adventure are emboldened by the stories told by their elders — tales of halfling heroes slinking through human cities, plundering dungeons laden with treasure, and being received in the hall
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
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
. This flexibility provides a powerful tool to upend assumptions of safety and tailor your characters’ struggles. It also encourages layers of mysteries about the nature of the setting. Is each domain
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
without malice. We seek only to know your stories and to help you find peace. We entreat you: make your presence known.”
The spirits wait long enough for the characters to wonder if the ceremony
WITCH”. The planchette then moves to the skull image at the top of the spirit board. Mara wants to use the characters to free her consciousness from the house. She tests them first, setting the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
tell tales of the bold explorer Captain Siona and her ship, the Pyleas, recounting her epic voyages to mystical islands. Both captains and their crews still sail the waves of Theros, their stories far
-faring, sci-fi adventure (where mundane operations often fade into the background). How much a story engages with course setting, provisioning, periods of inactivity, and other aspects of long ocean
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Intrigue Stories in the noir tradition tend to start slowly and build gradually as the mystery gets deeper and more convoluted, until the situation erupts in a climactic confrontation. In contrast to
the pulse-pounding action of a pulp adventure, noir typically relies on intrigue — in every sense of the word — to keep the protagonists engaged as they move deeper into the story. Setting the Stage
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
explore more of the coast of the Azure Sea. Ghosts of Saltmarsh continues that tradition, presenting a portion of the coastal lands of Keoland, a kingdom in the Greyhawk setting. Each adventure notes where
that story might unfold in the region around Saltmarsh, providing a shared setting for them all. Although these seven adventures weren’t designed to create a single overarching narrative, the tools
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
portfolio and is responsible for advancing that portfolio. In the Greyhawk setting, Heironeous is a god of valor who calls clerics and paladins to his service and encourages them to spread the ideals
, regardless of alignment. In the Forgotten Realms, a person might propitiate Umberlee before setting out to sea, join a communal feast to celebrate Chauntea at harvest time, and pray to Malar before going
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
what excites them most, you can craft stories they want to see their characters star in. You can also more effectively draw players into adventure plots (see “Draw In the Players” in chapter 4) if you
into your adventures and setting higher stakes through play, you’ll help characters grow in exciting ways. You can use the DM’s Character Tracker sheet to keep track of key information about each
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Getting Players Invested To get your players excited about and invested in your campaign, create a setting that features people and places they recognize and where their characters’ choices matter
lasting antagonism—with the people and places of your setting, those people and places stick in the players’ minds. Introduce opportunities to forge these lasting relationships early and often
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
injustices and discrimination Game-specific content, such as dangers, monster types, and setting details you might use Specific genres of horror, like those in chapter 2 If you’re not comfortable
? Do you want to allow phones or other distractions at the game table, or should they be set aside? Are there any specific stories or rules you’d like to see highlighted during the game? Are there
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
religious belief and practice. Myths Stories about the gods explore their relationships with each other, with the natural world, and with the realm of mortals. Myths might describe familial relationships
own pantheons of gods. If you’re creating your own setting, you can use the list of Greyhawk gods in chapter 5 or build your own pantheon.
A simple way to build a basic pantheon is to create one god
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
Neo-Noir Intrigue While Eberron embraces the swashbuckling action of pulp adventure, it also draws inspiration from neo-noir and hardboiled fiction. It’s a world where stories don’t always end well
, where there isn’t a perfect solution for every problem. In developing characters or stories in Eberron, consider the following concepts. Shades of Gray. In Eberron, it’s not always easy to separate
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Blue Dragon Adventures The Blue Dragon Adventure Hooks table offers suggestions for stories and adventures involving blue dragons. Blue Dragon Adventure Hooks d8 Adventure Hook
1 A blue
another in protecting it.
3 Feeling unappreciated and disrespected in one family, an adult blue dragon offers allegiance to a rival dragon family, setting off a blood feud.
4 A pair of