shields of reason distant vaults - Search

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

few miles from where they were born. You aren’t one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk in the North realize that it exists, and chances are

provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location. d6 Reason d6 Reason 1 Emissary 4 Pilgrim

Demilich (Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

their quest for power beyond the mortal world. As their patron did, they secure their remains within well-guarded vaults, using soul gems to maintain their phylacteries and destroy the adventurers who

its existence. Few liches seek to become demiliches, for it means an end to the existence they hoped to preserve by becoming undead. However, time can erode the lich’s reason and memory, causing

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

emotion and empathy. The same label serves as an apt depiction of lizardfolk. Lacking any internal emotional reactions, lizardfolk behave in a distant manner. They don’t mourn fallen comrades or

quirk for a lizardfolk character or to inspire a unique mannerism. Lizardfolk Quirks d8 Quirk 1 You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and

Eye and Hand of Vecna Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

’s lieutenant Kas coveted the Spider Throne for himself, or that the sword his lord made for him seduced him into rebellion. Whatever the reason, Kas brought the Undying King’s rule to an

, both the eye and the hand burst into flame, turn to ash, and are destroyed forever. Any other attempt to destroy the eye or hand seems to work, but the artifact reappears in one of Vecna’s many hidden vaults, where it waits to be rediscovered.

12. Ras Nsi's Lair

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

12. Ras Nsi’s Lair Shadows dance over this opulent bedchamber. Cushions lie in one corner, and decorative shields line the walls. Treasures are heaped around the room: gold and silver coins; a gilded

, shields leap from the walls to protect him (see “Flying Shields” below). During waking hours, Ras Nsi returns here only if he’s in danger. If the characters defeat Ras Nsi and question him, he reveals the

Armor and Shields

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

Armor and Shields D&D worlds are a vast tapestry made up of many different cultures, each with its own technology level. For this reason, adventurers have access to a variety of armor types, ranging

types of armor and shields used in the worlds of D&D. Armor Proficiency. Anyone can put on a suit of armor or strap a shield to an arm. Only those proficient in the armor's use know how to wear it

Setting the Adventure

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

Coast region could host Yeonido. The distant relationship between the people of Krynn and their gods could be another reason why some of the city’s dead have difficulty finding peace. Forgotten Realms

Adventure Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

speculated to maintain covert ties with occult or nefarious organizations. Serious academics often write off the Cognoscenti Esoterica as charlatans or pranksters, and with good reason: the

of the painting’s properties). The day after the debate was announced, a small team of Agile Hand thieves raided the Cognoscenti’s vaults. The thieves slew three guards during the theft, then fled with

Palace of Spires

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Palace of Spires Tooba Rezaei Tucked away in a demiplane of its own, the Palace of Spires shields inhabitants from the worries of the world Porphura constructed this magnificent palace to house

let the magic that preserved her own life beyond its natural span end. The Gardener said their final farewell to Caerwyn and Porphura, sealed the tomb, and left the palace forever. Out of respect for their late friends, the Gardener won’t enter the Palace of Spires for any reason.

Beginning the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

Beginning the Adventure This adventure begins with the characters being tasked with finding a Candlekeep scholar who has not returned from a research expedition to the distant eastern realm of

. “Mayastan Sadaar, one of our finest sages, had been studying a particular tome, held in the vaults.” So saying, A’lai gestures to a book on a cluttered desk whose cover appears to be of made

Astral Plane

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

sky, anchored in ends so distant she couldn’t perceive them, their middle parts revolving angrily like pieces of string rolled between a child’s fingertips. She glanced down, wondering what supported

great silvery sea, the same above and below, with swirling wisps of white and gray streaking among motes of light like distant stars. Most of the Astral Sea is a vast, empty expanse. Visitors occasionally

A Typical Evening

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal

A Typical Evening On quiet nights, guests in the Yawning Portal gather around a large fireplace in the taproom and swap tales of distant places, strange monsters, and valuable treasures. On busier

ambitious souls might launch impromptu expeditions into the dungeon. Few such ill-prepared parties ever return. Groups seeking to enter Undermountain for a specific reason generally come to the tavern

Innsmouth

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

the Domains of Dread lies a hideous realm defiant of reason and smothered by the Mists. From a violent, murky sea rises a crescent of shattered peaks, mangled spires broken like the jaws of some slain

thalassic titan. From noxious fumaroles, miasmic pillars lurch from this accursed isle into a sky inconsistently lit by a distant, drowned light. Strange ruins dot this island’s rocky coasts, some

Pandemonium

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

shelter in places where the howls of the winds sound like distant cries of torment. Layers of Pandemonium Layer Description Pandesmos Howling winds, dark streams bound for the River Styx, and

Tunnel walls absorb light while water creates intricate rock formations. Agathion Sealed-off tunnels are largely inaccessible from elsewhere, making them ideal as vaults for ancient secrets. Pandemonium

Chapter 2: The Dessarin Valley

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

off from these parts. If the Dessarin Valley isn’t quite as wild and lawless as it once was, it’s still lightly settled territory that serves as a route to distant lands. Residents in places such as

, apples, and hops, then ship them downriver (or drive them down the Long Road) to the coast. Few people become rich from farming, but farmers in the region do well for themselves provided the weather cooperates. (That’s one reason why the unusual weather lately has been a concern.)

The Dark Powers

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

villains to add to their terrifying menagerie. To what end, no one knows. The Dark Powers don’t move in the shadows of Ravenloft; they are the shadows. They’re the Mists and the darkness. They’re the reason

Ravenloft, but they are unknown to mortals and desire no worship. Despite the control the Dark Powers exert, these beings remain distant from the domains they manipulate. Although some of their names

Welcome to Eberron

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

unleash an army of undead. In the city of Sharn, a team of spies pulls off an impossible scheme—breaking into the impenetrable vaults of House Kundarak. But instead of gold, they find a secret that

will destroy the airship and everyone on it. But if she wins the debate, the dragon will take them to distant Argonnessen, and no human has ever seen the land of dragons and returned! The world of

What Next?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

should not have had it in his possession. If asked, the acolytes explain that the book came from the restricted vaults and is not to be viewed by outsiders. Barn Door Inquiries If the characters ask about

, it’s off limits to most visitors. The tower has been condemned for years, though the reason has become obscure. No effort has been made to tear it down or repair it. There have been a few recent reports

New Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

of your players want to create characters from more distant lands, use the suggestions provided in the previous section for why the characters are now in Neverwinter. If they don’t already have one

, the characters need a reason for Lord Neverember to request their help in chapter 1, even if it’s simply because their heroics are widely known. Regardless, 10th-level characters have already had long

Where Are You From?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Where Are You From? The most important decision in creating a far traveler background is determining your homeland. The places discussed here are all sufficiently distant from the North and the Sword

distant parts of Faerûn. Those who leave behind Mulhorand’s sweltering deserts and ancient pyramids for a glimpse at a different life do so for many reasons. You might be in the North simply to see

Morgrave University

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

, treasure hunting, and profiteering. Many priceless relics recovered from Xen’drik or Dhakaani ruins have disappeared from the university vaults and found their way to the black market or into the hands

other resources of the Twelve. Wayfinder Foundation. Morgrave maintains extensive connections with the Wayfinder Foundation—an exclusive guild for adventurers, which funds expeditions to distant locales

Armor and Shields

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

Armor and Shields D&D worlds are a vast tapestry made up of many different cultures, each with its own technology level. For this reason, adventurers have access to a variety of armor types, ranging

determine the increase in cost based on the extent of the alterations required. The Armor table shows the cost, weight, and other properties of the common types of armor and shields used in the worlds

Chapter 1: What Is Eberron?

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

of the dead against the people of Khorvaire… In the city of Sharn, a brilliant team of spies pull off an impossible scheme — breaking into the impenetrable vaults of House Kundarak. But instead of

. If the sage loses the debate, the dragon will destroy the airship and everyone on it. But if she wins the argument the dragon will take them to distant Argonnessen… and no human has ever seen the land

Boareskyr Bridge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

keeping watch with other travelers. Then in the midst of a crisis of leadership in distant Elturel, one of the heirs apparent for the post of High Observer, a paladin named Tamal Thent, went missing with

camp at Fort Tamal never seemed to need such a robust guard before. Even the relative nearness of Najara seems to provide little reason for so many of Elturgard’s mightiest defenders to be squandered

The Long View

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

ago that are distant or even ancient history to humans might have been experienced firsthand by many elves who are still alive. And an elf’s memory of such events is likely more accurate than a well

humans to comprehend. An elf seldom becomes sentimentally attached to physical objects such as manufactured structures and furnishings, except those of personal significance, for the simple reason that

Vaeve's Offer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

the battlefield for some reason. Vaeve asks the characters to escort Naxa from the citadel back to Carapace Ridge. There’s significant treasure in the citadel, Vaeve says, and Vaeve would be grateful

Camlash’s forces, and the lower entrance is guarded by spyder-fiends. Vaeve points out both entrances to the cliffside redoubt, two miles distant and barely visible through the blowing fog. If the

Nobility

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

influence in nations as distant as Calimshan and Cormyr. Be assured that any slighting of a noble will not be forgotten or easily forgiven. If you’re not certain whether someone is a noble, address the

charitable actions such as burial of the unknown dead. Their motives are manifold, but their actions — no matter the reason — earn them loyalty and high regard from those who benefit from their largesse

Guildhall Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

Moonstalkers don’t come through this area without good reason. Treasure. Each oil painting is worth 250 gp. 5: Study A moonstone chandelier casts a soft, bluish-white glow over this room’s oaken table and

bosses spread their wealth across similar vaults in the five cities they can access. A young white dragon named Rahaskardon prowls this room. The dragon obeys the bosses and Wanewort, guarding the

The Dark Fate of Lord Vanrak Moonstar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

, engulfed the temple in black fire, and burned it to the ground. The invaders also acquired enough treasure from the temple vaults to fund Lord Vanrak’s personal quest for immortality. Within a few years

own, Wylynd is surrounded by distant relatives, including a savvy half-drow grandnephew named Helion Moonstar, whom she has chosen to be her heir. The family’s business interests lie in cartography and

Giants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

giants who wield two huge shields like plow blades. These shields bear spikes on their exterior and have hollow interiors into which the dreadnought pours hot coals at the first sign of danger. Armed with

its two shields, the dreadnought can present a fiery wall to any attacker. When the dreadnought has finished, often all that is left of a foe is a smoking smear on the floor. When not called on to

Sites and Ruins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

warforged. Because of these wonders, Eston is an irresistible attraction for treasure hunters hoping to access the vaults of House Cannith. Reports suggest, however, that it has become a strange and deadly

that crawl along the streets, cling to lampposts, and flee from strangers, and living scrying spells that shift and shimmer, displaying distant scenes on their amorphous skin. Eston was renowned for its

Counsel of Despair

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

. Some beg the characters not to interfere, while others take the adventurers’ arrival as reason to stand up to the cult. If fighting breaks out here, most of the commoners scatter, but six aid the

little better than poorly treated servants desperately trying to keep up with the hill giant’s appetite. Herivin and his staff want the villains dead. When confronted, Dreyon orders the commoners to drive out the characters. If that fails, he then tries to use the Westbridgers as living shields.

Aboleth Lairs

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

were in the illusion’s space. If the aboleth dies or moves its lair elsewhere, these effects end immediately. “The lies we call reason are fragile things, vulnerable and raw on the shores of eons. But

in the dream-vaults of dread ancients roil seas of terrifying truth. Our age is an island, and the ebb of primordial tides avows the Stygian wave.” —Evard, Sighs of the All-Seeing Worm Aboleth

Eye and Hand of Vecna

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

reason, Kas brought the Undying King’s rule to an end in a terrible battle that left Vecna’s tower a heap of ash. Of Vecna, all that remained were one hand and one eye, grisly artifacts that still seek

and the hand burst into flame, turn to ash, and are destroyed forever. Any other attempt to destroy the eye or hand seems to work, but the artifact reappears in one of Vecna’s many hidden vaults, where it waits to be rediscovered.

Life as a Halfling

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

, such appellations come about because in the distant past, a halfling matriarch or patriarch performed a memorable feat or displayed some amazing skill that led to a name that stuck. Clans with

. For those who subscribe to the idea that Yondalla actively shields her worshipers from harm, this phenomenon is easily explained — she looks out for their homes just as she protects their lives

Search Results