bards back demon cult rites

Chapter 13: The Cult Strikes Back

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

Chapter 13: The Cult Strikes Back During the course of this adventure, the heroes undertake various activities to thwart the plots of the Cult of the Dragon. The cult’s awareness of the characters

’ opposition to their goals will have started even earlier if the characters played Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Either way, it doesn’t take long for the cult to target the characters as a threat that

Chapter 13: The Cult Strikes Back

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

Chapter 13: The Cult Strikes Back During the course of this adventure, the heroes undertake various activities to thwart the plots of the Cult of the Dragon. The cult’s awareness of the characters

’ opposition to their goals will have started even earlier if the characters played Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Either way, it doesn’t take long for the cult to target the characters as a threat that

College of Lore

Classes Player’s Handbook

Plumb the Depths of Magical Knowledge Bards of the College of Lore collect spells and secrets from diverse sources, such as scholarly tomes, mystical rites, and peasant tales. The college’s

Planar Ally

Spells Player’s Handbook

You beseech an otherworldly entity for aid. The being must be known to you: a god, a demon prince, or some other being of cosmic power. That entity sends a Celestial, an Elemental, or a Fiend loyal

task, or when the agreed-upon duration of service expires, the creature returns to its home plane after reporting back to you if possible. If you are unable to agree on a price for the creature’s service, the creature immediately returns to its home plane.

Book of Vile Darkness

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide

, foul rites that allow one to transform into a death knight or lich, or long-lost spells crafted by beings so evil their names ought never to be spoken aloud. Vile Speech. While the book is on your

damage unless the creature is a Fiend or an Undead. Destroying the Book. The Book of Vile Darkness allows pages to be torn from it, but any evil lore contained on those pages finds its way back into the

Ivlis

Monsters Heroes of the Borderlands

pretense of charity and goodness, Ivlis is a demon worshiper who leads a wicked cult. She uses deception and skulduggery to advance her power. Though she feigns kindness and compassion in public spaces

Drow Shadowblade

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

other houses. In communities free of Lolth’s sway, they serve as spies tasked with foiling the plots of that demon lord’s cult. In any role they take on, they move undetected until the

moment they attack—and then they are the last thing their victims see. A shadowblade gains their powers over shadow via a ritual in which they kill a shadow demon and mystically prevent it from re

Yochlol (Summoner Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

Shapechanger. The yochlol can use its action to polymorph into a form that resembles a female drow or giant spider, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment

":"Slam"} to hit, reach 5 ft. (10 ft. in demon form), one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2);{"diceNotation":"1d6+2","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Slam"} bludgeoning (piercing in spider form) damage plus 21

Chitine

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

":"piercing"} piercing damage.Dedicated to Lolth, chitines are multiarmed bipeds with arachnid qualities. Most live in colonies in the Underdark and fight the enemies of the Demon Queen of Spiders

. Long ago, the cult of Lolth first subjected elf prisoners to horrible rituals that transformed them into creatures with both elven and spider traits, which their creators dubbed chitines. The intention

Drow Shadowblade (Summoner Variant)

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. In communities free of Lolth’s sway, they serve as spies tasked with foiling the plots of that demon lord’s cult. In any role they take on, they move undetected until the moment they

will: dancing lights, darkness 1/day each: faerie fire, levitate (self only) Summon Shadow Demon (1/Day). The drow attempts to magically summon a shadow demon (see the Monster Manual) with a 50 percent

Babau

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Glasya against the screaming hordes of the demon lord Graz'zt. It is said that when Glasya wounded Graz’zt with her sword, the first babaus arose where his blood struck the ground. Their sudden

appearance helped rout Glasya and secured Graz’zt’s place as one of the preeminent demon lords of the Abyss. A babau demon has the cunning of a devil and the bloodthirstiness of a demon

Draegloth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 11): At will: dancing lights, darkness 1/day each: confusion, faerie fireA draegloth is a demon created by an elf

toward her house—and a sign of the demon lord’s disregard for the family’s rivals, who were not thus gifted. The creation prompts the leaders of the house to begin crafting new plans

Star Spawn Seer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

often encountered as the leader of a cult dedicated to one or more Elder Evils. Usually, the seer is the only cult member that grasps the full extent of the horror the cult is venerating. The seer

’s goal is to tap into vast energy sources and perform the dire rites that will extend a bridge between the Material Plane and the squirming chaos of an Elder Evil’s realm. An entity that

Tanarukk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

tanarukks, using these ferocious warriors to bolster their followers’ strength. The demon lord Baphomet gladly shares the secret of creating tanarukks with those who entreat him for power; the cult

Orcus Figurine

Magic Items Candlekeep Mysteries

Carved from an ogre’s petrified heart, the gray figurine depicts the Demon Prince of Undeath in ghastly detail, clutching his skull-topped wand in one hand and three severed heads by the hair

properties: Undead within 30 feet of the figurine can’t be turned. Dead creatures within 30 feet of the figurine can’t be brought back to life. A creature that holds the figurine while

Drow Matron Mother

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. While in sunlight, the drow has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.Multiattack. The drow makes two Demon Staff attacks or one Demon Staff attack

and three Tentacle Rod attacks. Demon Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +10;{"diceNotation":"1d20+10","rollType":"to hit","rollAction":"Demon Staff"} to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4

Gnoll Witherling

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

the remains back to a semblance of life in the form of a gnoll witherling. Witherlings travel with their comrades and try to kill anything in their path. They don’t eat and aren’t motivated

by hunger, leaving more flesh for the rest of the war band. Gnolls The first gnolls were hyenas transformed by magic. Many of them were then corrupted by the demon lord Yeenoghu. Whether in

Rakdos Cultist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

a member of a cult devoted to an ancient demon who delights in violence and chaos. It just so happens that Rakdos loves a good show, and your highest aspiration is to please the Defiler, the Lord of

. 5 There’s a lesser demon in the cult who thinks he owes me a favor, and who am I to argue? 6 The master of ceremonies in my troupe is well connected with other troupes. 7 I had

Acolyte Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and

offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a cleric—performing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power

Yochlol Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

Shapechanger. The yochlol can use its action to polymorph into a form that resembles a female drow or giant spider, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment

":"Slam"} to hit, reach 5 ft. (10 ft. in demon form), one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2);{"diceNotation":"1d6+2","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Slam"} bludgeoning (piercing in spider form) damage plus 21

Madcap

Monsters Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

gnome with a hunched back and a sinewy frame springs from the earth. The creature has a pointed leather cap, pants of similar material, heavy iron boots, and a heavy bladed weapon. From the moment it

been. A redcap’s desire to slay is rooted in its will to survive. VARIANT: MADCAPS A madcap is a redcap that soaks its hat in demon ichor instead of blood. Contact with demon ichor makes the

Jiangshi

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

that is Medium or Small or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the

their descendants and the communities they knew in life, sowing terror and taking retribution for the slights or neglected burial rites that led to their cursed resurrections. Rigor mortis notoriously

Planar Ally Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

You beseech an otherworldly entity for aid. The being must be known to you: a god, a primordial, a demon prince, or some other being of cosmic power. That entity sends a celestial, an elemental, or a

creature completes the task, or when the agreed-upon duration of service expires, the creature returns to its home plane after reporting back to you, if appropriate to the task and if possible. If you

Fraz-Urb'luu Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

Deception and Demon Lord of Illusions. He uses every trick, every ounce of demonic cunning, to manipulate his enemies—mortal and fiend alike—to do his will. Fraz-Urb’luu can create

shoulders. He can assume other forms, however, from the hideous to the beautiful. Often the demon lord becomes so immersed in playing a role that he loses himself in it for a time. Many of the cultists

Heralds of Dust Exorcist

Monsters Adventure Atlas: The Mortuary

apparitions and their ilk, exorcists channel the forces of death to preserve the living, commune with the dead, and drive evil spirits back to their graves. They can also fire versatile bolts of necrotic or

radiant energy from their staves to repel a host of supernatural entities. An exorcist’s senses pierce the veil of death to perceive wandering ghosts on the Ethereal Plane as well as shadow demon

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

her holy symbol as light pours from it to drive back the zombies crowding in on her companions. Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the

to those chosen to fulfill a high calling. Harnessing divine magic doesn’t rely on study or training. A cleric might learn formulaic prayers and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric

Splugoth the Returned

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

walking back from the next world to this one. Each creature of his choice within 30 feet of him that can hear him must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next

trust Omin Dran. Wait, that’s two pieces of advice. You owe me. Sometimes a goblin can’t catch a break. First, you fall in with a cult that works for the release of a death god. Then

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark

of Dread (detailed in chapter 3): Har’Akir. You died and endured the burial rites of this desert realm, yet somehow a soul—yours or another’s—has taken refuge in your

Graz'zt

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

this demon lord is a warning that not all that is beautiful is good. Every plane and curve of his nine-foot-tall body, every glance of his burning eyes, promises a mixture of pleasure and pain. Graz

;{"diceNotation":"1d10","rollType":"roll"} days. Cultists of Graz’zt Graz’zt grants his cultists special abilities. His cultists can gain the Joy from Pain trait, while his cult leaders

Sage Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

life for the answer to a certain question. 6 I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back. d6 Flaw 1 I am easily distracted by the promise of

information. 2 Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy. 3 Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilization. 4 I overlook

Fraz-Urb'luu

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

one creature with his tail at a time. Terror (Costs 2 Actions). Fraz-Urb’luu uses Phantasmal Terror.Fraz-Urb’luu is the Prince of Deception and Demon Lord of Illusions. He uses every

, some lost god or Celestial, or even another Fiend. Fraz-Urb’luu wears all these masks and more. He particularly delights in aiding demon-hunters against his demonic adversaries, driving the hunters

Demogorgon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

chaos, confusion, and destruction, seeking to corrupt all that is good and undermine order in the multiverse, to see everything dragged howling into the infinite depths of the Abyss. The demon lord is

named Aameul and Hathradiah. Their gaze brings bewilderment and confusion to any who confront them. Similarly, the spiraling Y sign of Demogorgon’s cult drives those who contemplate it for too

Demogorgon Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

infinite depths of the Abyss. The demon lord is a meld of different forms, with a saurian lower body and clawed, webbed feet, as well as suckered tentacles sprouting from the shoulders of a great

Demogorgon’s cult can inspire madness in those who contemplate it for too long. All the followers of the Prince of Demons go mad, sooner or later.Demogorgon’s Lair Demogorgon makes his lair

Aurnozci

Monsters The Book of Many Things

, or half as much damage on a successful one.The demon lord Aurnozci is a wormlike horror of fiery flesh and toxic seepage. In its present form, Aurnozci can’t leave Xulregg, the Abyssal layer

worshipers to enact its will beyond the Abyss. The exact nature of the curse that binds Aurnozci to Xulregg is its cult’s most closely guarded secret, fully known only to the faith’s enigmatic

Conclusion

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

Conclusion Because the cult has underestimated the heroes’ strength, this first assault is doomed to fail. However, try to ensure that at least one cultist escapes to report what happened. If no one

gets away alive, leave signs that other cultists were hanging back as reinforcements, but fled when the original force was overwhelmed. Make sure the characters understand what this attack was about

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