D&D Legends and Lore

Created as soldiers for a war that spelled the end of an age, warforged are artificial beings that display a humanoid level of intelligence and self-awareness. To look upon one is to see an instrument of destruction, a heartless killing machine, a siege engine in the shape of a man. Check out our sponsor Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt! Or check it out on D&D Beyond! Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Krakens. They rule the mightiest kingdoms, lightless trenches of crushing pressures where the sun never touches, unreachable seas that writhe in anger, jagged depths under sheer black cliffs. Their home is alien, elemental, and unforgiving. And here they are masters. Cruel geniuses possessing vast strength, they wait in the dark, weaving their plots, slowly considering their next abomination, thei...

In Barovia, the night is a curse. With the dying of the light, the howls of wolves and shrieks of raven swarms echo through the dismal valleys and wicked souls slip from the darkened spires of Castle Ravenloft to work the will of an immortal overlord. For this is the realm of the first vampire, Count Strahd von Zarovich. And his depravities have doomed him and countless generations to endlessly re...

The Trolls of D&D are a perfect ideation of a monster. Cruel, vicious,merciless. Their warped bi-pedal shape is both grotesque and alien to behold and yet, human enough to make them that much more terrifying. Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PATREON⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We are also on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Get your copy of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

The aboleth are perhaps the least well known and the most misunderstood of all the species which inhabit the Underdark. The reason for this is very simple — the aboleth want it that way. Check out our sponsor World Anvil! Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PATREON⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We are also on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get your cop...

The Feywild is home to many fantastic peoples. It is understood by some that the word Fairy is applicable to any creature of fey origin. Though they are correct, the word fairy has come to be widely understood as a reference to the wee folk of the fey. Atomies, Brownies, Nixies, Pixies, Sprites and more. In today’s episode we will be focusing primarily on Pixies and Sprites. The most commonly depi...

The Mother of All Magic, Our Lady of Spells, the Lady of Mysteries. Mystra is the goddess of magic, and with that the goddess of possibilities. She is venerated by mages and by those who use magic or magical objects in their daily lives. She also receives the prayers of those who find magic wondrous or encounter magic they fear. Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PATREON⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We are also on ⁠⁠...

Iggwilv the Witch Queen of Perrenland, Natasha the Dark, Tasha of the Circle of Eight, Hura of Ket. She goes by many names, but her legend is singular. She strikes fear into the hearts of even the most powerful of magic users in the multiverse and many a greater power would strike her from existence should she ever appear again. Her rise was meteoric, her reign was ruthless and calamitous, her pow...

Although scores, perhaps hundreds, of dragons are remembered in the myths and the legendary histories of the mortal world, only a handful of sages know the truth and breadth of the most noble and powerful of all Metallic Dragons. He is Bahamut. And he stands at the forefront among those gods who champion good. Communities founded on principles of justice, equality, and virtue include the Platinum...

Know thy enemy is a basic tenant of strategists and adventurers alike. And any who wish to survive the world of dungeons and dragons ought to follow such proven advice. For in a world wrought with monsters both ancient and powerful, knowledge can be the key to survival. Knowing how a creature thinks, understanding its motivations, fears, and weaknesses can be the difference between life and death...

The young, the romantic, and the adventurous might follow the whistling wind between tall trunks, across deer paths, and down steep valleys until all at once the wood shifts, and high on a forested hill now stands a bright metropolis, its crystal towers glittering as brightly as starlight. Radiant eladrin with shining eyes and silver-spun hair stride gracefully through the city's idyllic streets,...

Ogres, considered as selfish raiders and hulking gluttons, spawned of hateful supernatural forces by many of the humanoid peoples of the worlds of D&D. From dismal ruins and bleak hinterlands, they raid vulnerable communities and ambush travelers. Ogres covet food and treasure, and they spitefully destroy art, books, clockwork devices, and other delicate or lovingly made things. Occasionally they...

Dwarves are creatures of stone, and like stone they change only in response to extremes. They are the Stout Folk, the Deep Folk, the Delvers. Their mighty mountain fortress-cities testify to the power of their ancient empires. Their skill in metalcraft and stonecraft is that of legend. The stoutness of both their hearts and their strength-of-arms are enough to move mountains. Dragon Distillery Han...

They are believed by some to be the first and eldest of all races. They are the wisdom of ages and the grace of elegance. They are the Tel Quessir, the Fair Folk, and the People of the Morning. They are Moondancers and Mist Chasers, Sleepless, Wild, Enchanted, Refined. And yet they are as fatally flawed as any other people. Prone to haughty arrogance and prideful isolationism. The elves of D&D are...

Owlbears are terrifying, nocturnal predators that inhabit the forests of the world and the Feywild, where they hunt to satisfy their voracious appetites. Their haunting cries echo through valleys and across plains, warning to travelers that they are on the prowl. Infamous for their unfettered and violent ferocity, and their distinctive half-bear, half-owl appearance, the Owlbear is a one-of-a-kind...

Amongst the most powerful and highest esteemed of his children is Tiamat the Dragon Queen, the chief deity of evil dragonkind. She is the evil goddess of wealth, greed, and envy. She is the patron of chromatic dragons and those whose lust for wealth overrides any other goal or concern.  She dwells on Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, but her envious eyes are ever drawn to worlds of the m...

The Prince of Demons, the Sibilant Beast, and Master of the Spiraling Depths, Demogorgon is the embodiment of chaos, madness, and destruction, seeking to corrupt all that is good and undermine order in the multiverse, to see everything dragged howling into the infinite depths of the Abyss. And he is, without a doubt, the mightiest and most feared of all Demon Lords… Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PAT...

The Shadowfell is an overlapping or echo of the Material Plane in much the same way as the Feywild. But it is not a lush and verdant hunting ground like the Feywild, nor Is it the tumultuous battleground of the Elemental Chaos. In this dark and imperfect reflection of the natural realm, shadows and gloom replace light and hope, suffusing everything with melancholy. Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PATRE...

Vecna. He is the secret whispered in the dark, the deathbed confession that topples an empire, the lost spell fragment that can shackle the mortal races forever. He waits in hidden places, unearthing dark knowledge and horrible, long-buried things to further his dark goals.  Support the Scorched Basin Kickstarter Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PATREON⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We are also on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtub...

Where the illithids came from, why they choose to live in eternal darkness beneath the earth, what they seek, why they take such delight in cruelty and horror—these questions have stymied sages for centuries. The answers are startling and horrible, yet provide little illumination. One can know the mind flayers without understanding them. Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PATREON⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We are als...

This week Will and Omar cover the Lore of the Githyanki. The githyanki plunder countless worlds from the decks of their astral vessels and the backs of red dragons. Feathers, beads, gems, and precious metals decorate their armor and weapons — the legendary silver swords with which they cut through their foes. Since winning their freedom from the mind flayers, the githyanki have become ruthless con...

This week Will and Omar cover the Lore of Aasimar.  Their births are hailed as blessed events. Everywhere they go, they’re otherworldly visages, luminous features reveal their celestial heritage for which they are revered. Perhaps no other species of people are so readily trusted and praised for their deeds. So why… why is it so lonely to be Aasimar… Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PATREON⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, William and Omar talk about the Yuan-Ti. Throughout recorded history, the humanoids of D&D have feared the Yuan-ti—those sentient snake folk whose cultures, magic, weapons, cities, and visible accomplishments rival those of humanoids. Fireside terror tales tell of slithering death, unblinking eyes, and fangs in the night, and a few even hint at the serpentfolks’ fell plans to ensl...

This episode, William and Omar talk about Kobolds. Kobolds are often characterized as squalid, diminutive reptiles on par with the likes of goblins or worse. Malicious, but of little actual menace. Their small stature, reptilian appearance, and often subterranean dwellings contribute to the image of them as vermin or lesser creatures. While some might grudgingly acknowledge their cunning in trap-m...

On this D&D Legends and Lore, William Stark and Omar Timsah cover the lore of Orcus the Demon Prince of Undeath. Though all demon lords would plunge the cosmos into eternal darkness and death should they ever be given the opportunity, few if any among the Lords of the Abyss strike horror and fear into the hearts of mortals more starkly than Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath. He who would annihila...