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Icewind Kobold

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

hostile climate. Their sensitive eyes appreciate sunless days and long, dark nights. They use wooden javelins as tools to test the snow ahead of them. Kobolds native to Icewind Dale frequently wander

into Ten-Towns to escape the dreadful cold, hoping to trade what few skills they have for some warm soup and shelter. The people of Ten-Towns, accustomed to the presence of strange outlanders, allow

Mother Lorinda

monsters

hag obsesses over unnatural maternalistic pursuits. Over generations, Tepest’s villagers have come to view Lorinda not as a powerful witch, but as a god of the land and fertility called Mother

. Lorinda doesn’t dissuade her fragile mortal followers from their baseless cult practices. The villagers provide willing sacrifices for the hag’s flawed magical attempts to create life

Oath of Vengeance Legacy

Classes Player’s Handbook (2014)

The Oath of Vengeance is a solemn commitment to punish those who have committed a grievous sin. When evil forces slaughter helpless villagers, when an entire people turns against the will of the gods

that which has gone wrong. To these paladins — sometimes called avengers or dark knights — their own purity is not as important as delivering justice. TENETS OF VENGEANCE The tenets of

Spirit Medium

backgrounds

Ability Scores: Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom Feat: Dark Gift feat of your choice (see “Feats”; Gathered Whispers is recommended) Skill Proficiencies: Insight and Religion Tool

’s Clothes, and 32 GP; or (B) 50 GP Through strange rituals and fateful encounters, you’ve discovered that you bear a unique connection to the spirits of the dead and damned. Your body is

Shadow Magic (XGtE)

classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

transformed by it. The power of shadow magic casts a strange pall over your physical presence. The spark of life that sustains you is muffled, as if it struggles to remain viable against the dark energy

. Last week. Shadow Magic Features Sorcerer Level Feature 3rd Eyes of the Dark, Strength of the Grave 3rd Eyes of the Dark (darkness) 6th Hound of Ill Omen 14th Shadow Walk 18th Umbral Form

Great Old One Patron

classes Player’s Handbook

Chained God; Zargon, the Returner; Hadar, the Dark Hunger; or Great Cthulhu. Or you might invoke several entities without yoking yourself to one. The motives of these beings are incomprehensible, and the

Great Old One might be indifferent to your existence. But the secrets you’ve learned nevertheless allow you to draw strange magic from it.

Shadow Magic

classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

transformed by it. The power of shadow magic casts a strange pall over your physical presence. The spark of life that sustains you is muffled, as if it struggles to remain viable against the dark energy

. Last week. Shadow Magic Features Sorcerer Level Feature 1st Eyes of the Dark, Strength of the Grave 3rd Eyes of the Dark (darkness) 6th Hound of Ill Omen 14th Shadow Walk 18th Umbral Form

Xill

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

, built for a specific purpose. Some are fortresses, designed to keep wanderers from the material world away. Others are far more sinister, dark realms where evil dreams take root and become ghastly

undoubtedly guarded by strange traps and logic-defying puzzles, along with a legion of brainwashed servitors and countless xills. As to the fate of the individuals seized by the xills, they perhaps form the

Thorny Vegepygmy

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

that live in simple bands, hunting for sustenance and spreading the spores by which they reproduce. Also called mold folk or moldies, vegepygmies inhabit dark, moist areas, so they’re most

peculiar metal dungeon full of strange life. Another story says that explorers found russet mold in a crater left by a falling star, with vegepygmies infesting the forest nearby. The mold is found only

Vegepygmy Chief

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

spores by which they reproduce. Also called mold folk or moldies, vegepygmies inhabit dark, moist areas, so they’re most commonly found underground or in forests where little sunlight penetrates

russet mold came from. One historical account tells of adventurers in a mountain range discovering russet mold and vegepygmies in a peculiar metal dungeon full of strange life. Another story says that

Vegepygmy

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Vegepygmies are fungus creatures that live in simple bands, hunting for sustenance and spreading the spores by which they reproduce. Also called mold folk or moldies, vegepygmies inhabit dark, moist areas

mold and vegepygmies in a peculiar metal dungeon full of strange life. Another story says that explorers found russet mold in a crater left by a falling star, with vegepygmies infesting the forest nearby

Star Spawn Seer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

’s goal is to tap into vast energy sources and perform the dire rites that will extend a bridge between the Material Plane and the squirming chaos of an Elder Evil’s realm. An entity that

, transforming it into a star spawn seer. Whoever the mortal once was largely vanishes beneath the mass of tumorous skin than builds up in strange whorls all over the seer’s body. The mortal’s

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

pages were tales of bold heroes, strange and fierce animals, mighty primitive gods, and a magic that was part and fabric of that distant land. — Elaine Cunningham, Daughter of the Drow In the

the Inner Sea, the Mulan are generally tall, slim, and amber-skinned, with eyes of hazel or brown. Their hair ranges from black to dark brown, but in the lands where the Mulan are most prominent, nobles

Reborn Legacy

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

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

The Abbot

Monsters Curse of Strahd

some much-needed light to Barovia. His efforts worked for a while, but then the Dark Powers began to corrupt him. Imperfections. The Abbot's fall from grace started when the Belviews—a family of sickly

present since birth. The Abbot became consumed with a prideful, obsessive desire to rid the poor Belviews of their lingering imperfections. The Belview family, however, had strange ideas of what it

Fomorian Warlock of the Dark

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

into the Underdark. They forge magical pacts with entities of the dark—perhaps powerful Fey of the Gloaming Court or eldritch entities buried deep in the Underdark. Their pacts give these

and their god was consigned to a subterranean prison. Subjected to the strange magic of the Underdark, the fomorians’ bodies and souls twisted until they became the fomorians of today.Creeping

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red

watch might follow a tiefling around for a while, and demagogues blame tieflings for strange happenings. The reality, though, is that a tiefling’s bloodline doesn’t affect his or her

Innsmouth Campaign Arc

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

characters’ dreams and suggests ways to escape the island. After proving their worth, a character receives the cult’s Dark Gift (see “Cult Rites”). Levels 6–16. Led by their dreams and duplicitous cult

members, the characters move from cult to cult, gaining influence by delving into ruins and strange vaults. In doing so, they collect Dark Gifts, as well as hints about Cthulhu’s Vault and ways to

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

, seeing them as accidents. Many feel nothing for their genasi children at all. Some genasi live as outcasts, driven into exile for their unsettling appearance and strange magic, or assuming leadership

which they are born. The more strange their appearance, the harder time they have. Many genasi lose themselves in teeming cities, where their distinctiveness hardly raises an eyebrow in places

Krezk

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

the villagers’ lives. Krezk’s most prominent landmark, the Abbey of Saint Markovia, looms high on a nearby cliff. This abbey is the home of a group of strange, afflicted creatures who work for a young

and striking abbot. Some believe the abbot to be Strahd in disguise, although in truth he is a celestial being who has been corrupted by the Dark Powers.

Rites

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

Rites The Dark Six are a mirror of the Sovereign Host and their worship uses similar rituals, including formal rituals conducted in song. Each of the Six has their own rites. Followers of the Fury

Cult Rites

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

Cult Rites The cults of Innsmouth seek initiates to aid in their unfathomable works. Those who prove themselves reliable devotees gain access to the transformative power of strange gods. Cult Renown

this deed can be gained only once per week. Cult Dark Gifts Characters who have a Renown Score of 10+ with an Innsmouth cult are honored as the chosen of the cult’s patron. They are urged to take part

Cult Adventures

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

the villagers. They swear their innocence to the characters and beg to be exonerated before their scheduled execution. 5 Magic items begin exhibiting strange side effects, causing minor warping of

exquisite portrait painted. Every other person portrayed by the same artist has also died in a similar fashion. 4 In a remote village, the local herbalist is condemned for practicing dark magic against

Hazlan Campaign Arc

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

exposed to strange magic and might gain Dark Gift feats (see chapter 1). Levels 9–12. Eleni asks the characters to come to Sly-Var to plan a raid on Hazlik’s palace. There, she reveals that she’s been

rescue the villagers from Khrinitov’s tower amid the Orbitoclasts. In doing so, the characters reveal Khrinitov to be an Intellect Devourer, a Brain in a Jar (see chapter 5), or another aberrant being

Viktal and the Tithe

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

that the daily life and traditions of the villagers conceal horrible secrets. What starts as glimpses of strange behaviors or rustic decorations culminates in learning the village’s secrets firsthand

visit Viktal soon meet Mother’s faithful, who appear at first to practice a local, naturalistic faith. But as the characters explore, they notice especially pious villagers with missing eyes called

Skola Vale Revels

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

consequences is short and the tradition persists. As for former stubs, most never share details about their experiences, their secrecy contributing to tales of dark rites and sinister enchantments in the vale.

drinks. Beyond these celebrations, tales are also told of bakkeia, revels that occur in deep caves and that involve ancient sacrificial rites. Most satyrs say these traditions were abandoned ages ago

Q35. Upstairs Gallery

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

Q35. Upstairs Gallery This room has dark wood paneling on the walls that rises to a height of three feet. Above the paneling, the walls are painted with murals of religious figures performing holy

rites. In the center of the west wall is a tattered curtain hanging in an open doorway. Three tall, slender stained-glass windows set into the opposite wall depict figures in white robes with orange

Centaur of Attention

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

overrun with orcs in league with half-orc spellcasters. Deep in the forest, atop a cave-riddled hill, is a circle of standing stones where the evil half-orcs perform their dark rites.” Xanth avoids

approaches peacefully and shares the following warnings: “Strange witchlights hover over Dragon Barrow at night. The hill is haunted by the restless spirits of the dead.” “Neverwinter Wood has become

Folk Horror

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

traditions, sacrifices to strange gods or placations to lurking monsters are everyday events. For outsiders, though, these practices reveal the subjectivity of normalcy and societal truth. Examples

include Midsommar and The Wicker Man. Folk Horror Principles Consider the following principles when creating Darklords and domains with folk horror themes: Isolation Begets Weirdness. Strange and

Mixing up the Thieves

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

Mixing up the Thieves If the characters pass through the village mentioned in the “Temple Approach” section, they might discover that one of the villagers is one of Mack Francache’s thieves, left

seen before: a weremouse, a weremoose, or even a wereooze. Thessalar is extremely interested in studying this new lycanthropy. Alternatively, Mack might have been a normal human when he came to the temple, only to have Thessalar impose this strange lycanthropy upon him.

Piwafwi (Cloak of Elvenkind)

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

Piwafwi (Cloak of Elvenkind) Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement) This dark spider-silk cloak is made by drow. It is a cloak of elvenkind (see chapter 7, “Treasure,” of the Dungeon Master’s

rites never meant to see the light of day. Many such items, including drow armor, weapons, and piwafwi cloaks, permanently lose their magic if they are exposed to sunlight for 1 hour without interruption. Charged items such as a wand of viscid globs are destroyed after 1 hour’s exposure to sunlight.

Restored Weather Vane

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

vane. Read or paraphrase the following once the device is restored: The villagers gather around the Storm’s Eye Weather Vane with their gazes cast toward the shore. Peals of thunder shake the ground

, and flashes of lightning illuminate dark clouds rolling in from the sea. The weather vane’s crossbar begins to twirl, and ribbons of blue-green energy pulse from the whole structure. As the storm

The Believers

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

rites passed down for generations. It isn’t quite a civic organization, despite the fact that some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Red Larch are members. The members of the Believers use

the town. The Believers formed years ago when local miners discovered a secret underground chamber beneath the town. Strange things happened in the chamber, such as heavy stones levitating and moving

Adventures in Tepest

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

fey have strange powers, and villagers pushed to desperation seek them out in the hopes of bargaining for what fate has denied them. When planning adventures in this domain, consider the plots on the

the characters view the villagers as victims or monsters? The following section, “Viktal and the Tithe,” explores how to draw characters into the village’s eerie traditions. Beyond Viktal, the

Dreaming Dark Adventure Hooks

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

Dreaming Dark Adventure Hooks The Dreaming Dark Adventure Hooks table offers some ideas for strange occurrences and nightmarish events that can touch off stories involving the Dreaming Dark

. Dreaming Dark Adventure Hooks d4 Adventure Hook 1 The high priest of a temple falls into a deep sleep from which nothing can awaken them. 2 The characters notice a pattern after defeating several foes

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