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Returning 35 results for 'backstory zemni foes settlements'.
Monsters
Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
.
Alone or in small groups, aurumvoraxes dig deep in search of precious metals. Such exploration often leads them into conflict with subterranean settlements. As defenders of such communities often
wear metal armor, aurumvoraxes prioritize attacking armored foes—whether that armor is metal or not.
Triton
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
and worse, so you know you can count on them in a fight.
— Brego Stoneheart, sea captain
Tritons guard the ocean depths, building small settlements beside deep trenches, portals to the
, driving them into the Darkened Depths where they escaped into the crushing pressure and utter darkness. In time, the tritons noticed that their ancient elemental foes had grown quiet. Expeditions to
Monsters
Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
subterranean settlements. As defenders of such communities often wear metal armor, aurumvoraxes prioritize attacking armored foes—whether that armor is metal or not.
Monsters
Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
presence of bright light—or to destroy their foes.
Searing Eyes. A blindheim projects searing light in a cone from its leering, bulging eyes. The intensity of this light is equivalent to natural sunlight
of the surface rouses their anger.
Pitiable Slaves. Some Underdark creatures, particularly the drow and kuo-toa, raid blindheim settlements in search of slaves. Although the light from these creatures' eyes is a formidable threat to these raiders, a captured blindheim is a useful living weapon.
Monsters
Candlekeep Mysteries
grasping and climbing. A grippli can move as quickly on all fours as it can on two legs.
Communal Effort. Grippli rely on ambushes and guerrilla warfare to defend themselves and their settlements. They
can snare foes with their tongues to make them easier targets. Grippli villages are generally built from mud bricks and other natural materials harvested from the immediate vicinity.
Young grippli
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
standing stones, a village, or a city on a scion’s back, unaware of the mighty power beneath them. Such settlements can thrive for centuries, as the scion’s magic causes crops to flourish
massive arms. The cradle uses tree roots and waves of dirt to entangle and entomb foes.
If the cradle is destroyed, the scion of Grolantor inside it awakens. Standing 50 feet tall, the scion devours
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
, unaware of the mighty power beneath them. Such settlements can thrive for centuries, as the scion’s magic causes crops to flourish and livestock to thrive in the surrounding region. An ancient
entangle and entomb foes.
If the cradle is destroyed, the scion of Grolantor inside it awakens. Standing 50 feet tall, the scion devours everything within reach to satiate its hunger. Its powerful lungs can
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
dragon turtle’s defenses, magical storms manifest to shield the dragon turtle and strike at foes.
Creating a Dragon Turtle
Use the Dragon Turtle Personality Traits and Dragon Turtle Ideals tables
plunder.
2
A young blue dragon is teaching a young dragon turtle to terrorize nearby settlements so the inhabitants will propitiate the dragon turtle with gold.
3
A young dragon turtle
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
into the Darkened Depths where they escaped into the crushing pressure and utter darkness. In time, the tritons noticed that their ancient elemental foes had grown quiet. Expeditions to the depths
revealed that krakens, sahuagin, and far worse foes had fled the Plane of Water for the Material Plane. The tritons, driven by a sense of duty and responsibility, would not allow their foes to escape so
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
. In addition to their physical might, yetis can chill creatures with a look, freezing their foes in place, and they can conjure ice and hurl it at foes.
Due to yetis’ elusiveness, folktales about
yetis are more common than sightings. Whether a distant scream is the howl of an enraged yeti or just the wind, few can be certain. Nevertheless, many mountainous settlements burn bonfires to ward off yetis, taking advantage of these brutes’ aversion to fire.
Richard Luong
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
of precious metals. Such exploration often leads them into conflict with subterranean settlements. As defenders of such communities often wear metal armor, aurumvoraxes prioritize attacking armored foes—whether that armor is metal or not.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
Gnolls Gnolls are feral humanoids that attack settlements along the frontiers and borderlands of civilization without warning, slaughtering their victims and devouring their flesh. Demonic Origin
, pillaging settlements and leaving little behind but razed buildings, gnawed corpses, and befouled land. Gnolls choose easy targets for their raids. Armored warriors holed up in a fortified castle
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
amount of backstory, suggesting the character’s family and what the character did before becoming an adventurer. Take note of specific background characters—friends, foes, family members, and others—who
from a character’s backstory. As characters continue to adventure, they’ll find different goals to pursue, such as finding a lost relic, honoring an ancestor, avenging a fallen mentor, or defeating a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Phenax’s Villains Servants of Phenax dot the world, largely staying hidden until they are needed to help spin the web of lies that advances his plots. His servants prefer to confront foes using guile
, cunning, and planning instead of brute force. Phenax and his champions move with purpose, don’t draw attention to themselves, and use misdirection to keep foes guessing about when and where their
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
the surrounding water—and any creatures in it. And even if an enemy wears down the dragon turtle’s defenses, magical storms manifest to shield the dragon turtle and strike at foes
, though some dragon turtles prefer coastal lairs with easier access to settlements they can trade with—or prey upon. Particularly reclusive dragon turtles seek lairs in even more remote locales
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
stopped in their tracks by the daunting defenses of the gate quarter. More than one reckless attack by orcs, trolls, or giants was driven back from the gate. In time, those savage foes found other ways
underneath the Sacred Stone Monastery, linked by the Ancient Stair. Earth cult raiders can strike at the surrounding settlements and retreat to the safety of the Black Earth temple with ease. Marlos
Orc
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
the world. For no matter how thick its walls, skilled its archers, or brave its knights, few settlements have ever withstood a full-scale onslaught of orcs.
Every soldier who lives through a fight
diplomacy. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods.
Booming Birth Rate
In order to replenish the casualties of their endless warring
classes
Basic Rules (2014)
-force mind control. Their magic conjures monsters from other planes of existence, glimpses the future, or turns slain foes into zombies. Their mightiest spells change one substance into another, call
.
Creating a Wizard
Creating a wizard character demands a backstory dominated by at least one extraordinary event. How did your character first come into contact with magic? How did you discover you had
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
view its domain. A lamia uses this power to watch over trade routes and nearby settlements, or to seek out objects and creatures it fancies.
Lamias are particularly fond of seeking out adventurers
hapless foes. Lamias prize beauty and strength above all else, however. Any prisoner that falls short of their esteem becomes the main course in a horrible feast, or is set free to die while wandering
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
in permanent settlements often do not understand or appreciate the boundaries Nylea sets, and can run afoul of her even with the best intentions. Nylea’s followers might obsess over the idea of wiping
table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god’s followers. Nylea’s Villains d6 Villain
1 A Setessan hunt-leader (Setessan hoplite; see chapter 6) swears vengeance on a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
adventurers, the giant promises peace between the giant clan and nearby settlements.
Connected Creatures Savage and territorial by nature, white dragons seldom set out to make alliances, though some
captured foes as offerings.
4 Yetis keep a white dragon wyrmling chained near the entrance of their lair to discourage scavengers.
5 A well-meaning druid is trying to rear a white dragon
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
Underdark enclaves, but they rarely build settlements or form social structures. Most operate as solitary predators, lurking in dismal subterranean reaches or abandoned dungeons—sometimes for months at a
victims in their powerful wings. Cloakers delight in frightening foes. In addition to their methods of ambush, cloakers can create illusory duplicates of themselves and emit surreal moans that non
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
damage.
Conquer and Control. Hobgoblins claim lands with abundant resources, and they can be found in forests and mountains, near mines and humanoid settlements, and anywhere else that wood, metal, and
tire of combat, but they don’t take up arms lightly. Before they attack, hobgoblins conduct thorough reconnaissance to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of their foes. When assaulting a stronghold, they
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
fortress (described in chapter 3), they come to this outpost to resupply and rest before searching nearby settlements for chardalyn. When the characters find the duergar outpost, read: A blocky
, these duergar use their Enlarge trait to increase their size. If a duergar is caught alone by a group of foes, it calls out for help before turning invisible. When backup arrives, it uses its Enlarge
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
kingdom of Synnoria, the home of the Llewyr elves, plus a few small shield dwarf settlements, and the ruins of Caer Corwell, the former Ffolk settlement on Gwynneth. High King Derid wants to reclaim the
the struggle against the darker fey of the forest of Winterglen. The prince is a pragmatist willing to accept aid in fending off his people’s foes, and so has been known to allow adventuring companies
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
creatures that suffer in the presence of bright light—or to destroy their foes. Searing Eyes. A blindheim projects searing light in a cone from its leering, bulging eyes. The intensity of this light is
infamous and feared by all folk of the surface rouses their anger. Pitiable Slaves. Some Underdark creatures, particularly the drow and kuo-toa, raid blindheim settlements in search of slaves. Although
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
and powerful dragon moves into the region, upsetting the ecology and demanding tribute from nearby settlements. The Foe Time Forgot. An evil foe believed long dead emerges from the Feywild, alive and
.) Supernatural Horror Conflicts. A supernatural horror campaign often features Undead or demonic foes whose evil transcends the merely mortal. Consider conflicts like these to drive the campaign: The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
of this industry. Annis hags leave tokens of their cruelty at the edges of forests and other areas they claim. In this way, they provoke fear and paranoia in nearby villages and settlements. To an
-covered mountains. They become more active during winter, using their ice and weather magic to make life miserable for nearby settlements. A bheur hag’s skin is blue-white, like that of a person who
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Gnolls A gnoll war band might include one or more of the special kinds of gnolls described in this section. When gnolls are weakened, they seek out isolated settlements, maim and disable its
stragglers and finish off wounded foes. Gnoll Flesh Gnawer
Medium humanoid (gnoll), chaotic evil
Armor Class 14 (studded leather)
Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
12(+1)
DEX
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Special Features You can add distinctiveness to a magic item by thinking about its backstory, in much the same way you would for a location. Who made the item? Is anything unusual about its
by the foes of a particular culture or kind of creature. If the culture or creatures are still around, they might recognize the item and single out the bearer as an enemy. 3 Heroic. A great hero once
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
settlements clustered around the twin bays on the southern shore. Caves in the mountain’s peak serve as a lair for Arveiaturace, the white wyrm known to sailors as Iceclaws because of her habit of
diving on hapless vessels and tearing them apart with her talons. Longships crowd the docks of Aurilssbarg, the island’s largest community. Typical of the settlements on Ice Peak, the streets of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
teeth typical of that town’s inbred stock. Pekoe says that the duergar abducted him and asked him a lot of questions about his town’s defenses. The doppelganger knows the settlements of Ten-Towns well
appendix C) is here, he is kneeling before the statue and calling on Deep Duerra (speaking in Dwarvish) to grant him the power to conquer his foes. Describe him as a soot-stained, gray-bearded duergar
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
from the Material Plane during a long-forgotten era when dinosaurs ruled the world (with or without the presence of giants), or bustling settlements where giants use domesticated dinosaurs as
them at your peril—not just the danger they pose as foes, but the value they can bring as allies.
—Diancastra
Giant Necropolis Encounters Use the Giant Necropolis Encounters table to populate places
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Grolantor is often mistaken for a hill, and sometimes people erect standing stones, a village, or a city on a scion’s back, unaware of the mighty power beneath them. Such settlements can thrive for
rises as a mass of dirt, stone, and roots with two massive arms. The cradle uses tree roots and waves of dirt to entangle and entomb foes. If the cradle is destroyed, the scion of Grolantor inside it
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
finishing off its enemies. A black dragon strikes at its weakest enemies first, ensuring a quick and brutal victory, which bolsters its ego as it terrifies its remaining foes. On the verge of defeat
, a black dragon does anything it can to save itself, but it accepts death before allowing any other creature to claim mastery over it. Foes and Servants. Black dragons hate and fear other dragons