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Xill

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

, but plenty of speculation surrounds the xills’ true nature and the demiplane that spawned them. An Ancient Remnant. A variety of theories attempt to explain the xills and their origin. The one

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

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

Genasi Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

flowing through their veins manifests differently in each genasi, often as magical power. Seen in silhouette, a genasi can usually pass for human. Those of earth or water descent tend to be heavier

, 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

Giant Foundling

Backgrounds Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

Origin Stories How you came to live among colossal creatures is up to you to determine, but the Foundling Origin table suggests a variety of possibilities. Foundling Origin d6 Origin

. 5 After you had a series of strange dreams as a child, your superstitious parents sent you to study with a powerful but aloof storm giant oracle. 6 While playing hide-and-seek with your friends

Sea Spawn

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

of their former selves. Coral encrusts them. Barnacles cling to their cold skin. Lungs that once filled with air can now breathe in water as well. Tales provide myriad reasons for these strange

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

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

dash of nonhuman blood, revealing hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and rarely live even a single century. Variety in All Things Humans are the most

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

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

possible sense, they still look human. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Tieflings have large horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling

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

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

. Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant

same time, many verdan undergo changes in coloring as they age. Male verdan typically have little to no hair, while females sport shocks of wiry hair that they try to tame in a variety of styles. But

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.

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

If you’re considering taking a scaled one along on an adventure, remember this important fact. The strange, inhuman glint in its eyes as it looks you over is the same look you might give a

swamps they inhabit are filled with a staggering variety of threats. Lizardfolk focus on survival above all, without sentiment. Lizardfolk assess everyone and everything in terms of utility. Art and

Artificer

classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

and inventions. You can find everything you need to play one of these inventors in the next few sections. Artificers use a variety of tools to channel their arcane power. To cast a spell, an artificer

members of this class. The strange technologies in the Barrier Peaks of the world of Greyhawk have inspired some folk to walk the path of the artificer, and in Mystara, various nations employ artificers

Innsmouth Campaign Arc

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

up on Innsmouth island and shelter in the village. They experience strange dreams. Soon after, they encounter cultists who seek to initiate them and others who seek to sacrifice them. The characters

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

Seelie Market

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

dragon disappears behind a cloud, taking its strange caravan with it, and is seen no more. But sometimes the dragon makes a gentle, spiraling descent into a forest or another secluded area. Those who seek

roll on the Seelie Market Introductions table or choose the most fitting option. Seelie Market Introductions d6 Introduction 1 A strange trail of toadstools leads off the beaten path into the

Djaynai and Janya Features

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

transformed cultures. Djaynai’s People. Djaynai’s folk are mostly human and have tightly curled hair, which is worn in a variety of natural and ornate styles. Their lustrous skin tones range from warm ebony and

, and occasionally Aquan. Janya’s People. Janyans are an amphibious people of Djaynaian descent called Nightsea chil-liren (see the “Nightsea Chil-liren” section earlier in this adventure). They typically

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

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

Raw Magic

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

draconic bloodlines produce exactly one sorcerer in every generation, but in other lines of descent every individual is a sorcerer. Most of the time, the talents of sorcery appear as apparent flukes. Some

sorcerers can’t name the origin of their power, while others trace it to strange events in their own lives. The touch of a demon, the blessing of a dryad at a baby’s birth, or a taste of the water from

Raw Magic

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

draconic bloodlines produce exactly one sorcerer in every generation, but in other lines of descent every individual is a sorcerer. Most of the time, the talents of sorcery appear as apparent flukes. Some

sorcerers can’t name the origin of their power, while others trace it to strange events in their own lives. The touch of a demon, the blessing of a dryad at a baby’s birth, or a taste of the water from

Heirs to Elemental Power

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

descent tend to be heavier, while those of air or fire tend to be lighter. A given genasi might have some features reminiscent of the mortal parent (pointed ears from an elf, a stockier frame and thick

their mortal offspring, 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

Elder Evils

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

Elder Evils The Elder Evils are a variety of entities whose existence dates to the beginnings of the multiverse—or possibly predates it. Some Elder Evils are creatures of the Far Realm (see chapter 6

. The names given to these terrible entities include such strange descriptions as Atropus, the World Born Dead; Dendar, the Night Serpent; Hadar, the Dark Hunger; Haemnathuun, the Blood Lord; Ityak

Athreos's Villains

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

neither does he particularly care, so long as the dead meet him with coin. The Athreos’s Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god’s followers. Athreos’s Villains d6

. 4 A group of cult fanatics charges exorbitant prices for funeral rites, threatening to lead the dead astray unless they’re shown proper respect. 5 A priest of Athreos speaks out against healers

Shadow Marches

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

orcs and other foul creatures, practicing strange rites by the light of the moons. While flawed, this vision isn’t entirely inaccurate. The Shadow Marches are a desolate land of swamps and moors. The

Firan Zal'honan

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

intellects to stalk through the Mists. A wandering scholar, Firan Zal’honan is quick to claim his descent from a noble pedigree. In another life, he claims, he could have ruled as a wizard-king. But his

brilliance led him along a stranger path: seeking to escape the Mists into the “true realities” beyond. Firan keeps the basis for his strange theories secret, but his ambitions drive him to travel

The Shadow Marches

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

with orcs and other foul creatures, practicing strange rites by the light of the moons. While flawed, this vision isn’t entirely inaccurate. The Shadow Marches are a desolate land of swamps and moors

Centaur of Attention

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

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

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

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

Learning from Experience

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

beyond the horizon — makes an adventuring career a natural calling. Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost works of magic

, decipher old tomes, travel to strange places, or encounter exotic creatures. Bards love to accompany heroes to witness their deeds firsthand. A bard who can tell an awe-inspiring story from personal

Learning from Experience

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

beyond the horizon — makes an adventuring career a natural calling. Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost works of magic

, decipher old tomes, travel to strange places, or encounter exotic creatures. Bards love to accompany heroes to witness their deeds firsthand. A bard who can tell an awe-inspiring story from personal

Noteworthy Features

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

value music, and many locals are accomplished singers or proficient in playing the reed pipe, goblet drum, or arched harp. AKIRRAN CHARACTERS Characters from Har’Akir claim descent from an ancient

culture and have survived in an extreme environment. Most of the land’s people have dark hair and a variety of warm skin tones favoring golden to deep brown and black shades, and names with Egyptian

Exile

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

patrons for artists or adventurers, or take it upon themselves to teach smaller folk. The Exiles table offers ideas for adventures featuring exiled giants in a variety of such roles. Many giants who wander

secret cult conducting sinister rites in a vast mansion where a giant lives in luxury. 3 A giant takes up residence in a city and demands a huge share of tax revenue in exchange for protecting the city

Annam and the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

, depicted in a variety of ways in myths told across countless worlds of the Material Plane. These stories have been altered in the telling over the course of thousands of years. In some myths, he is

and Rites. Thanks to his prolonged absence from mortal giants’ affairs, Annam has few priests. On some worlds, he has no priests and his name is all but forgotten. On other worlds, a priest of Annam

Interloper Gods

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

thus properly belongs to the Ordning, but others say he formed from Annam’s spilled blood. For a variety of reasons, he is never accorded equal status to the All-Father’s other children. Known as the

chapter 6 is an example of a frost giant whose devotion to the demon lord has brought great and terrible rewards. (Kostchtchie is described in Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus.) Yeenoghu. Gnolls, ghouls

Sorcerer

classes Basic Rules (2014)

unpredictable. Some draconic bloodlines produce exactly one sorcerer in every generation, but in other lines of descent every individual is a sorcerer. Most of the time, the talents of sorcery appear as

apparent flukes. Some sorcerers can’t name the origin of their power, while others trace it to strange events in their own lives. The touch of a demon, the blessing of a dryad at a baby’s

Dakra Isles

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

suffused with immortal magic and memory. Ages later, the Dakra Isles—also called the Isles of Enchantment—harbor strange sights and fierce monsters. Thassa’s power makes it impossible to keep an

island shifted to the mortal realm. Skathos The island of Skathos was once a sacred meeting place for a secret cult of Pharika whose rites revolved around consuming a magical flower native to the island. The island is now home to the medusa queen, Hythonia (described in chapter 6). (CHRIS RAHN)

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