D&D Monster Spotlight: Set Traps and Burn Your Foes as The Line From Battle for Beyond

Bear traps, daggers, and grenades, oh my! Battle for Beyond Dungeon Master Jasmine Bhullar brings an intimidating series of monsters to the D&D mini-series. Among them is The Line, a vicious combatant who dons a baby-faced mask and uses a flamethrower to turn his enemies to ash. If you've been watching Battle for Beyond, you'll recognize The Line from episode one, when Ekon, Lenore, and Leila faced off against him.

Here's a deep dive into what we know about The Line and how you can bring him to your table!

Who is The Line?

The Line monster artworkWhat happens when you blend a Rambo villain with a monstrosity from the Mists of Ravenloft? You get The Line. This mean combatant from Battle for Beyond sports all manner of weapons. Catch him in his lair — any lush forest will do — and you'll discover his arsenal of traps.

But there's more to The Line behind that baby-faced mask. Or rather, there's nothing behind it. Remove the mask from this fierce hunter and you'll discover a void inside which lies your deepest, darkest secrets. 

It's fitting for a man with no face to have a mysterious past, and The Line doesn't disappoint. He was sent by his people to Polakott — the realm where Battle for Beyond is set — after being accused of an unforgivable crime. His purpose now is to fight and kill in the arena for the entertainment of Polakott's visitors. But unbeknownst to most, The Line has his own plan: to find a way home to exact revenge on his people.

 

The Line statistics

You've got caltrops, you've got daggers, you've got a flamethrower. When it comes to The Line, Dungeon Masters will have plenty of tricks to keep players guessing. And that's the fun in bringing this unique monster to the table. Click below to see The Line's stat block:

Playing with The Line at your table

The Line isn't a mindless killer. He's intelligent, wise, and handy. That's why he's at his most fearsome when encountered in his domain. A dense forest with a canopy that drapes the earth in darkness is the perfect place for hidden pits, bear traps, and the like. Use such traps to whittle down the party's resources and put them on edge when they inevitably encounter The Line.

The mystery behind The Line's facelessness can lead characters on an adventure even after slaying or fleeing from him. Perhaps they encounter more people and monsters whose faces have been replaced by voids that force others to reveal their troubled pasts. A monster like the coldlight walker, whose face emits a spectral light, could pair well with The Line.

Here's an adventure hook to bring The Line into your game. Keep in mind that this doesn't follow established lore from Battle for Beyond:

The haunting of Lockroe Forest

Long have the people of Westerfel Grove spoken of the haunting of Lockroe Forest. Those who venture into the woods either go missing or return pale-faced and unable to speak of the horrors they found. But one thing you know is this: There's a man, or something that looks like a man, that has claimed Lockroe Forest for his own. He sets traps and lies in wait for his victims. What happens when he catches them is a mystery.

Westerfel Grove residents make their coin off lumber and animal skins. They rely on Lockroe Forest to fuel these industries but have struggled as of late. Attacks on their people grow more frequent, and no one knows how to put an end to them. Is it a dryad? A ghost? A bandit? Residents have made offerings at the edge of Lockroe Forest, sent emissaries, and even dispatched a horse and carriage with supplies into the woods. And yet, the attacks continue.

Whether the characters wander into Westerfel Grove or discover a request for aid on a notice board, the people of this remote town will task them with going deep into Lockroe Forest to put an end to these attacks once and for all. 

A forest with teeth

Journeying into Lockroe Forest is fraught with dangers, most of them of The Line's design. Hidden spike pits, bear traps, and swinging logs are the most common obstacles the group will discover. Some have been triggered, and the dead have been strung up in trees as a warning.

The characters will know they are getting near to their target when the dangers become more frequent and deadlier. You might throw trained beasts like cave bears at the party to soften them up before their encounter with The Line or have them become lost on a failed Wisdom (Survival) check, forcing them to spend a night in the treacherous woods.

End of The Line

When at last the group finds The Line, they discover a man tormented by a desire he cannot control: the desire to feed on the anguish of others. In this adventure, The Line was a former resident of Westerfel Grove. He was believed to have died on an expedition into the forest. And in a way, the story is true. He journeyed into the woods and was gravely injured by a rabid animal. When Death came to him — or what he assumed to be Death — The Line begged for more time. And it granted his wish. Except there was one complication: The Line could only keep living so long as he fed on the pain of others. And it is a hunger he cannot control.

The Line feeds on his victims using the void where his face used to be. With it, he draws in their life essence by forcing them to relive their most painful memories and reveal their greatest fears. This leaves The Line's victims broken, unable to even comprehend what happened. But The Line wants it to end. He ventures deeper and deeper into Lockroe Forest, but still more people come seeking him. When the party discovers him, he's at his wit's end and begs for death, though he cannot stop himself from trying to kill them in return. The hunger is too strong.

Discover more dangers in Battle for Beyond

Battle for Beyond is a six-part D&D campaign set in the world of Polakott. You can catch The Line and other fearsome foes of Bhullar's creation on our YouTube channel. Then, represent your favorite heroes of the campaign with Battle for Beyond Digital Dice Sets, found in the marketplace! 

Join the Battle for Beyond, a 6-Part Dungeons & Dragons Campaign
by Michael Galvis
Battle for Beyond Recap: Catch Up on Episodes 1 and 2 Here!
by Cameron Powell
Give a Gift, Get the Gift-Wrapped Digital Dice Set This Holiday Season!
by D&D Beyond Staff

Michael Galvis (@michaelgalvis) is a tabletop content producer for D&D Beyond. He is a longtime Dungeon Master who enjoys horror films and all things fantasy and sci-fi. When he isn’t in the DM’s seat or rolling dice as his anxious halfling sorcerer, he’s playing League of Legends and Magic: The Gathering with his husband. They live together in Los Angeles with their adorable dog, Quentin.

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