*Why fight if a lively chat is possible? If things get out of hand, just show yourself out with a dimension door.*— Tasha
Meeting a monster doesn't have to spark a fight. An offering, like food, can calm some hostile monsters, and sapient creatures often prefer to talk than to draw weapons. If the adventurers try to parley with a monster, you may improvise the encounter or use the *social interaction rules* in the *Dungeon Master's Guide*. Consider granting the characters advantage on any ability check they make to communicate with a creature if they offer something it wants. The "Monsters' Desires" section below suggest things that a creature might like, depending on its type.
#### Monster Research
Adventurers can research what a creature is likely to desire. The Monster Research table suggests which skills can be used to learn about a creature of a particular type. The DC for a relevant ability check equals 10 + the creature's challenge rating.
##### Monster Research
| Type | Suggested Skills |
|:-----------:|:------------------------------------:|
| Aberration | Arcana |
| Beast | Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival |
| Celestial | Arcana or Religion |
| Construct | Arcana |
| Dragon | Arcana, History, or Nature |
| Elemental | Arcana or Nature |
| Fey | Arcana or Nature |
| Fiend | Arcana or Religion |
| Giant | History |
| Humanoid | History |
| Monstrosity | Nature or Survival |
| Ooze | Arcana or Survival |
| Plant | Nature or Survival |
| Undead | Arcana or Religion |
#### Monsters' Desires
##### Aberrations
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|---------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | The brain or other organs of a rare creature |
| 2 | Flattery and obsequiousness |
| 3 | Secrets or lore it doesn't already know |
| 4 | Accepting a strange, organic graft onto your body |
##### Beasts
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|----------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Fresh meat |
| 2 | A soothing melody |
| 3 | Brightly colored beads, cloth, feathers, or string |
| 4 | An old stuffed animal or other soft trinket |
##### Celestials
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|--------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | The tale of a heroic figure |
| 2 | An oath to do three charitable deeds before dawn |
| 3 | The crown of a defeated tyrant |
| 4 | A holy relic or treasured family heirloom |
##### Constructs
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|-----------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Oil to apply to the construct's joints |
| 2 | A magic item with charges, to be used as fuel |
| 3 | A vessel infused with elemental power |
| 4 | Adamantine or mithral components |
##### Dragons
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|---------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Gold or gems |
| 2 | Anything from a draconic rival's hoard |
| 3 | An antique passed down at least three generations |
| 4 | A flattering artistic depiction of the dragon |
##### Elementals
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|-----------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | A gem worth at least 50 gp, which the creature eats |
| 2 | An exceedingly pure sample of a favored element |
| 3 | A way to return the elemental to its home plane |
| 4 | Performing a dance from the elemental's home plane |
##### Fey
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|--------------------------------------------|
| 1 | The memory of your first kiss |
| 2 | The color of your eyes |
| 3 | An object of deep sentimental value to you |
| 4 | Reciting a sublime poem |
##### Fiends
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|---------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Your soul |
| 2 | A desecrated holy object |
| 3 | Blood from a living or recently slain loved one |
| 4 | Breaking a sacred promise in the fiend's presence |
##### Giants
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | A dwarf admitting giant-craft to be superior to dwarf-craft |
| 2 | A strong working animal |
| 3 | Multiple barrels of ale |
| 4 | Treasure stolen from a rival giant |
##### Humanoids
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Promising to find a lost item of great importance to their culture |
| 2 | Challenging them to a type of friendly contest, such as dancing, singing, or drinking |
| 3 | Recovering something they've lost |
| 4 | Information on a foe's secrets or weaknesses |
##### Monstrosities
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Dislodging the stuck scraps of the creature's last meal |
| 2 | The creature's favorite food |
| 3 | Driving off the creature's rival |
| 4 | Making movements that mimic the monster's mating dance |
##### Oozes
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|-------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | A vial of putrid liquids |
| 2 | A cloth bearing a noxious odor |
| 3 | Bones or metal, which the ooze promptly absorbs |
| 4 | A gallon of any effervescent fluid |
##### Plants
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | A pound of mulch |
| 2 | Water from a spring infused with Feywild energy |
| 3 | Clearing invasive vegetation from the creature's territory |
| 4 | Destroying all axes and fire-making implements the party carries |
##### Undead
| d4 | Desired Offering |
|:---:|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | A vial of blood |
| 2 | A personal memento from the creature's past |
| 3 | Materials, tools, or the skills to sun-proof a crumbling mausoleum |
| 4 | Completing a task the creature was unable to finish in life |