DnD Head Canons

[DrBloodbathMC]

There's no active thread on this so lets get to talking, what are you DnD Head canons?

For me, Nerul has a Jamaican accent, you can thank Grim for that one.

[Particle_Man]

The incarnate had the first magic and the binder will have the last one (3.5).

[Millstone85]

Ghaunadaur can restore the intellect of oozes as easily as it took that intellect away.
That Which Lurks, true to its name, is just lying low on the faith-o-meter until the time is right.

[SleepyShadow]

St. Cuthbert talks like Sam Elliot.

Grey Elves are the inefficient police of Wildspace.

Hobgoblins are awesome tacticians.

A multiclassed wizard's familiar will chastise them for losing caster levels.

Shifters love frybread.

[LibraryOgre]

D&D is not medieval. D&D is a western in medieval drag.

[RedMage125]

D&D is not medieval. D&D is a western in medieval drag.

This made me lol.

My headcanon:
Vecna's phylactery is the Sword Of Kas. Think about it, Vecna was an epic-level lich by all accounts, and he made the sword for Kas because he trusted him. A FIghter, even a Vampire one, being able to permanently maim a lich of Vecna's caliber is absurd. So why then, did a sword that Vecna crafted manage to cut through all of his magical defenses and cut off his hand and gouge out his eye? Simple, because none of Vecna's magical defneses worked against the sword, because the sword contained Vecna's soul, and all those protection spells considered the soul a part of the caster who placed them. The reason the Sword has intelligence and hates Vecna and all his servants? Because Vecna's ego was so great. The soul in the sword resents that it is not in possession of all of Vecna's power and all that he is, believing itself to be as powerful and deserving, if not more so.

[Vizzerdrix]

Rust monsters purr like big kittens/crickets when you give them belly rubs and chin scratches, and are kept as pets by dwarves.

All elven gods are evil. They just pretend to not be.

Wizard have fairs to settle their arguments with games like Summoners chess, cantrip obstacle course, and familiar shows.

[Millstone85]

Modrons speak like minions and slaadi speak like rabbids.

[SirAshley]

I have always been a fan of the "Pelor: the Burning Hate" theory, to the point of currently playing a Blackguard of Pelor in my current 3.5 campaign.

[KillianHawkeye]

I always like the idea that the vampire's weakness to a wooden stake was misinformation spread by the vampires themselves.

Because in 3.5, vampires have damage reduction that is only overcome by silver weapons, so a small piece of wood shouldn't be a threat to them at all. But vampires are smart and have been around for centuries, so they took it upon themselves to shape the peoples' myths about them, thus getting many possible foes to waste their time with a sharp piece of wood.

Probably the same is true of other weaknesses, like the inability to cross running water or not being able to enter someone's home uninvited. Really, that's just what the vampires WANT you to think!



Also, slightly disappointed that this thread wasn't about some creature or magical construct with a literal cannon on its head.

[Bohandas]

*Zargon is Grazzt's father (thus rectifying the backstory where ge's the son of Pale Night with the backstory where he's a defector from Baator)

*Medieval stagnation has something to do with either the Regulators and/or the Pact Primeval.

*The fact that you can't conjure precious metals also has something to do with either the Regulators and/or the Pact Primeval.

*Iuz looks and sounds like Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Lottle China

*The elemental planes actually dictate the forms that matter can take, rather than providing its building blocks

*The Lady of Pain, The High God, and Lord Ao are all the same type of creature and none of them are able to leave the areas where their absolute control holds

*The illithids (who, according to Lords of Madness come from the distant future) are actually descended from the Githyanki

*The beholders are some kind of opabinids

*Yeenoghou is actually female

*Olidammara used to be some kind of tribal trickster animal deity, that's why he has so many implicit associations with armadillos

*The power a deity gains through worshippers has a strongly diminishing return as number of followers increases beyond a certain point, hence why unpopular deities seem to be more active. The popular deities are over extended, as they reach a point where adding followers merely adds more duties

*Zagyg has done most of the things in the bad mayoral ideas thread.

*Most demons view the Blood War as a sport rather than a serious conflict

*Olidammara's rites are all based on rock and rap cliches

*Vecna's cults are usually more about blackmail than world domination

*Humans' racial traits of variability come from D&D's humans being only about 40% human, with the remaining 60% being "miscellaneous" (elf, orc, dragon, outsider

*In most languages other than common the word for "Good" as in the alignment is a different word than the word for "good" as in "desirable" or "preferable". The orcish word for somethig desirable is more closely translated by the idiom "smashing". The Yugoloth word is more closely translated as "wicked". and the abyssal word translates as "brutal".

*Elves and dwarves, with their long childhoods, have significantly greater precentages of their populations who are in more skilled NPC classes like Adept, Magewright, warrior, and Expert that require more training

*Gelatinous cubes shout the word "cube!" like in Bob the Angry Flower

[Particle_Man]

*Iuz looks and sounds like Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Lottle China

I am stealing this.

[Âmesang]

Some WORLD OF GREYHAWK^® related ones:

Regarding the Spelljammers from The Shackled City Adventure Path, I like to imagine their experiments with extraplanar magic (which lead to the creation of the Demonskar) were eventually discovered and refined by the Suel Imperium, which the Mages of Power used to create the Bringer of Doom and the Invoked Devastation.

Regarding the Castle Greyhawk (joke) module, I like to think that Zol Darklock, the Shade Prince and "Power of Shadow" who was trapped by Zodast of Suel (forger of the Bringer of Doom) was originally from the FORGOTTEN REALMS^®; a long lost son of High Prince Telemont Tanthul of Shade, who was sent out after Netheril's fall to search for "powerful magic" they could use to reestablish their empire… finding his way to Oerth and the Suel Imperium, only to become trapped in the "Darkness That Holds All Shadows."

[Cygnia]

Loviatar (and other gods based in Earth myths) fled from "our" world to the Forgotten Realms when belief started to die out.

[Matuka]

The "god" the Couatl description speaks of is actually the DM.

[Maelynn]

Rust monsters purr like big kittens/crickets when you give them belly rubs and chin scratches, and are kept as pets by dwarves.

In my previous campaign we actually had a rust monster pet. We kept a stash of cheap daggers in our Bag of Holding to keep him happy - and away from our gear and weapons. We named him Rusty. The DM wouldn't allow him to join fights, but he accompanied us for quite a while.

I always like the idea that the vampire's weakness to a wooden stake was misinformation spread by the vampires themselves.

Because in 3.5, vampires have damage reduction that is only overcome by silver weapons, so a small piece of wood shouldn't be a threat to them at all. But vampires are smart and have been around for centuries, so they took it upon themselves to shape the peoples' myths about them, thus getting many possible foes to waste their time with a sharp piece of wood.

I really like this idea. I had been toying with the idea of 'sophisicated' vampires, who are utterly disgusted with the idea of having to place their lips on the unwashed neck of a peasant smelling of sweat and manure. Some of the younger and slightly hipster ones have taken on gastronomic experimentation, where they create various dishes such as blood soup and blood sausage and fries with blood curds. They do not spend their days in catacombs, because they are so draughty and cold and damp and do you have any idea how bad that is for your skin complexion? No, they rather lead the comfortable and luxurious life of a noble, satisfying their needs through the backdoor of a 'blood bank'. I'm thinking your idea will fit right in with this type of vampire.

[Millstone85]

*The elemental planes actually dictate the forms that matter can take, rather than providing its building blocks

As in solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Yeah, I like that.

*The beholders are some kind of opabinids

I googled opabinids, and I don't see the resemblance with beholders. Did you mean aboleths?

But speaking of beholders...

If one could follow the silver-cord-like tail of an astral dreadnought, they would find an eye of the deep.

[Yora]

Only planar creatures can have alignments.

Ghaunadaur is Jubilex.

And his name is Jubilex. A misspelling that has become so common because it just feels much better.

There is no revised edition of Dark Sun. None of this Rajat and butterfly god nonsense.

Abominations are the original yuan-ti. The human-like ones are the crossbreeds.

There is no Far Plane.

The current year in Faerun is 1357. Forever.

[LibraryOgre]

The current year in Faerun is 1357. Forever.

My personal version of Faerun usually starts in 1358, but with a few changes.

1) No Avatar Crisis. The Year of Shadows is the year the Shades return, because "Magical Netherese Shadow Wizards" is a cool aspect.
2) Kelemvor is the God of the Dead. Myrkul is the god of the Undead. Velsharoon is the god of Necromancy.

[Bohandas]

I googled opabinids, and I don't see the resemblance with beholders. Did you mean aboleths?

No I did mean opabinia. IIRC opabinia regalis has four eyes on stalks and one eye that isn't, much like an eyeball beholderkin

[Millstone85]

Ghaunadaur is Jubilex.

And his name is Jubilex. A misspelling that has become so common because it just feels much better.

For me, That Which Lurks, the Faceless Lord, and the Elder Elemental Eye, are physically distinct beings, and kept apart by their planar natures. However, each regards all oozes, including the other two, as extensions of itself, and any communication between them is akin to a hive mind.

I am talking about the real EEE, not Tharizdun disguised as the EEE.

No I did mean opabinia.

I wasn't questioning the opabinia part. I thought perhaps you said beholder when you meant aboleth. Because I find opabinia to look more like an aboleth.

IIRC opabinia regalis has four eyes on stalks and one eye that isn't, much like an eyeball beholderkin

Now I get it. Thank you.

[Bohandas]

The Rilmani talk like the people from the Neural Planet from Futurama

Additionally, the Rilmani are also associated with stereotypical Swiss things (multitools, alphorns, cheese with holes, etc.)

Modrons speak like minions and slaadi speak like rabbids.

I like that

[Black Jester]

Coffee is a highly addictive drug for halflings, which creates severe pyschological dependency and trauma. As a result, inviting a halfling to a cup of coffee is a major breech of etiquette (and offering one would be even worse).

Like mules, half-elves and half-orcs are sterile and cannot reproduce (without the aid of fertility magic).

All major gnome cultures are the mutated remnants of a dwarf clan that experimented with arcane magic; in isolated and xenophobic dwarven communities (who never practice arcane magic) they are seen as abominations. In dwarf communities were arcane magic is practiced widely, it is quite possible that dwarf couples will reproduce gnome children. Vice versa, Gnomes who have very little contact to arcane magic might have dwarf children.

[gkathellar]

There is no Far Plane.

Well, that's regular canon, since the Far Realm isn't a plane and doesn't exist.

[PostMortemCP]

Guns where always in D&D but the dwarfs never let anyone have them after the great war of the gazebo. Where many innocent lawn structures where destroyed by dwarves arquebus’ and that’s why from a d&d 2e to 3.X the disappear from the equipment list

[Beleriphon]

Loviatar (and other gods based in Earth myths) fled from "our" world to the Forgotten Realms when belief started to die out.

That's actually a thing. Tyr is one. Some of them were dragged there by faith when their followers were transported there in the distant past. I'm looking a Mulhorand and Unther.

[Yora]

Except that Loviatar is actually goddess of disease. And Ilmatar is a woman. At least Mielikki seems somewhat right.

[AllHailthed4]

St. Cuthbert talks like Sam Elliot.

St. Cuthbert *is* Sam Elliot. Also, St. Cuthbert and Common Sense has a pop-up book edition.

Cloakers are an endangered species.

[martixy]

D&D is not medieval. D&D is a western in medieval drag.

Right.
Mine is: Not medieval. Classical.

As in ancient greek classical. You know, when people in the stories actually went on quests, heroes battled mighty monsters, all that shazz.

[Millstone85]

Well, that's regular canon, since the Far Realm isn't a plane and doesn't exist.

5e Mordenkainen seems to share that view.

The cultists who blaspheme reality by calling out to Elder Evils often speak of a Far Realm from which these entities hail. In truth, there is no one place or space from which they come. There is the multiverse of things that are, and there is the multiverse of things that shouldn't be.

Of course, what this really does is offer an interpretation of the Far Realm as the multiverse of things that shouldn't be.

Which gives me creature ideas.

Exotic Elemental
As previously suggested, the Elemental Planes dictate the forms that matter can take. The creatures called exotic elementals represent forms of matter that were rejected at the dawn of time. Some are said to appear as the witness' own blurry reflection in a dark iridescent substance. Their proximity warps the flesh in agonizing ways.

Exemplar of the Indicible
The Outer Planes are home to creatures of law, chaos, good, and evil. When they do not conceal it, they have a perceptible aura that brings to mind the ideals they embody. The beings called exemplars of the indicible have a similar aura, except that the ideal thus perceived is wholly unfamiliar. It leaves the witness confused, frightened, and often mad. Some exemplars of the indicible have been described as excessively slender angels with fins for wings.