band blessing diffusing contests replaces

Anatomy of a War Band

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

bone. While they lack any particular blessing of Yeenoghu, their ferocity makes them formidable enemies. Gnoll Hunters When a war band is on the move, the hunters travel in a wide arc around the

gnoll. No war band contains more than one flind, and such a creature is always the leader of its band. A flind wields a weapon that carries Yeenoghu’s blessing: a magical flail that saps the body and the

Melee Attacks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

. Contests in Combat Battle often involves pitting your prowess against that of your foe. Such a challenge is represented by a contest. This section includes the most common contests that require an action

in combat: grappling and shoving a creature. The DM can use these contests as models for improvising others. Grappling When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack

Gnoll Allies

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

the souls of his followers and kindred creatures in such a way that they and his gnolls recognize one another on sight and don’t immediately leap into battle. Thus, a war band might include or be

accompanied by other beings of evil. Demons A fang of Yeenoghu is sometimes gifted with the cosmic insight needed to summon forth mindless demons. When Yeenoghu deigns to allow it, a war band might find

Melee Attacks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

attack replaces one of them. The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by

smaller than you. CONTESTS IN COMBAT Battle often involves pitting your prowess against that of your foe. Such a challenge is represented by a contest. This section includes the most common

Nylea's Influence

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

weather, both natural and supernatural in origin. Nylea is the best archer in the world, and contests of archery are often held in her name. Those who hunt their own food pray to Nylea for success, and

solitude and serenity of the forest. Birth falls under Nylea’s influence as well, and her priests often double as midwives in their communities, blessing babies as they come into the world. Nylea’s Goals

Yartar

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Fortuitous Happenstance. The Shieldmeet festival features a number of games of chance, skill, and bravery, from dice and darts, to drunken running, to wrestling and other physical contests

. Occasionally, the Tymoran priests use this festival to identify adventurers whom the goddess has called to a particular task, selected for a blessing, or otherwise marked for some undetermined destiny. Whether

Celebrate

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

to throw the grandest parties. Brightblade (12 Nymm). The festival of Dol Dorn, celebrated across the city with prizefights, wrestling matches, archery contests, and other tests of strength and skill

party) who brings down the beast wins a purse of 500 gp and the blessing of Balinor. The Hunt can vary; some years multiple beasts are released and the hunter who catches the most of them is marked as

Holidays

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

by a brief upturn in violence. Sun’s Blessing (15 Therendor) The festival of Dol Arrah is a day of peace and a time when enemies are urged to find a peaceful resolution to their conflicts. It’s one

prizefights, wrestling matches, archery contests, and other tests of strength and skill. This activity culminates with a grand contest of champions in the Cornerstone district in Middle Tavick’s

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

races have little good to say about kobolds, but they do admit that the little reptilians do respectable tunnel work using simple tools. If a band of kobolds is enslaved by more powerful creatures

being able to fly is an incredible gift, and it would be expected for kobolds to interpret the wings as a blessing from Tiamat, ordinary kobolds resent urds and don’t get along with them. Fragments

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

battle or illness, but an orc can live to about 40, remaining healthy almost up until the end. Luthic’s divine blessing can further extend an orc’s life, though Gruumsh is never happy when

rival orcs first and foremost as competitors for food and victims. On some occasions, though, tribes that have a common concern band together. The result is an orc horde — a sea of slavering

Annam and the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

cleverness. Giants who value or seek to emulate these qualities pray and sacrifice to her, asking her blessing. Those who hold out hope for the restoration of giants’ ancient glory worship her as well

between these two oldest children are the focus of many myths. In these stories, Hiatea is both a protective figure who keeps watch over the hearths and fields of giants, blessing their agriculture and

Rejecting the Ordning

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

new religion replaces the giants’ ordning with a different structure that offers the same sense of order, purpose, and meaning. Such cults place giants at a higher position than the giants would

a scheme to subvert the ordning and increase the giant’s status. 4 A charismatic leader gathers giants of different kinds into a mighty war band, intending to conquer and settle lands inhabited by

Reghed Nomads

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

hunters of the four tribes Tribe of the Bear Internal strife has splintered what remains of the Bear Tribe today. The turmoil began shortly after a band of Bear Tribe hunters recovered pieces of

enemies believe she has actual ice flowing through her veins. She has no living children that she knows of, but with Auril’s blessing, she won’t need any heirs to preserve her legacy. Bjornhild intends

Military Force

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Military Force The whole machine of war is barbaric. In a sane world, conflicts would be resolved by contests of apocalyptic magics or by continent-reshaping brawls between titanic, soul-fueled

reptiles. You know, reasonable options. Tasha Your group serves as a team of soldiers in a larger military force, one dedicated to combat missions or other dangerous tasks. You could be a band of

City Celebrations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

. Many festhalls sponsor Founders’ Day costume contests, with prizes going to those who wear the best recreations of the garb of historical personages. Once banned as frivolous and distracting, the

martial skill, and stage mock battles. Those desiring to join their ranks are given a chance to demonstrate their prowess, usually with wooden practice weapons in contests against veteran soldiers

Life in the Tribe

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

past the age of 25 due to battle or illness, but an orc can live to about 40, remaining healthy almost up until the end. Luthic’s divine blessing can further extend an orc’s life, though Gruumsh is

occasions, though, tribes that have a common concern band together. The result is an orc horde — a sea of slavering killers that washes over the countryside and leaves vast tracts of devastation in its wake

Specific Spells

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

, let’s say you’re a warlock with the Dark One’s Blessing feature, which gives you temporary hit points when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points. You currently have 2 temporary hit points remaining from

armor of Agathys, you just slew a monster, and your Dark One’s Blessing can now give you 4 temporary hit points. If you take those temporary hit points, they replace the ones from armor of Agathys and

Orcs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

healed. The hands cultivate the sickness of these nurtured ones, turning them into instruments of defense and weapons of war. When orcs go to battle, a band of nurtured ones might charge in first — to

give themselves up while softening up the enemy by spreading Yurtrus’s vile blessing in its ranks. Orc Nurtured One of Yurtrus Medium humanoid (orc), chaotic evil Armor Class 9 Hit Points 30 (4d8

Crushing Wave Cultists

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

powers of ice and cold. To gain the frigid power of elemental water, the shiver removes one eye and replaces it with a frosty white orb that can blast foes with an icy ray. When the orb isn’t in use, the

ship, and then another band of pirates left him to die at sea, where he lost his arm to a shark. Gar sees the elemental power of water as the only thing of value in his life and has gathered others

Areas of the Water Temple

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

a well-engineered system that taps the hidden spring in area C26. An ancient blessing provides the fountain with modest healing powers; anyone who drinks from it gains the benefits of having finished

-gnawed carcasses heaped beside the brazier attest to an indifferent effort to cook them over the coals. There are two doors: one north and one south. This is the den of a band of lizardfolk who

Roleplaying a Giant

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Often in legends these contests are bloody battles, but some tales have the brothers acting side by side on grand adventures. Surtur is seen as the more clever of the two, and fire giants emulate his

plundered, in the same way that a farmer might look at a rainstorm as a blessing from the harvest god. Frost giants recognize two kinds of loot: rod and kvit. Rod (“red”) plunder consists of living

Monastery Locations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

to please Jurth by brutalizing the hapless slaves this band of guards oversees. When strangers appear, Jurth and his gang don’t immediately attack. Instead, the orog growls, “The pass sign!” He waits

the characters kill this group of monsters and leave the dungeon without defeating Hellenrae, within 1d3 days she replaces these guards with six duergar. The duergar also arrive if the characters kill

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