bards brink death craft rather

Manshoon

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

, Wall of Force 1/Day Each: Befuddlement, Clone, Finger of Death, Mind Blank (cast before combat), SimulacrumProtective Magic. Manshoon casts Counterspell or Shield in response to the spell’s

. That Manshoon is dead, and the current Manshoon is one of the original’s many clones. Being a magical copy rather than an original doesn’t make Manshoon any less of a threat, as he’s

College of Glamour Legacy

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

The College of Glamour is the home of bards who mastered their craft in the vibrant realm of the Feywild or under the tutelage of someone who dwelled there. Tutored by satyrs, eladrin, and other fey

, these bards learn to use their magic to delight and captivate others. The bards of this college are regarded with a mixture of awe and fear. Their performances are the stuff of legend. These bards

Devourer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

brink of death, it pulls the victim’s body in and traps the creature within its own ribcage. As the victim tries to stave off death (usually without success), the devourer tortures its soul with

creature is restrained and has disadvantage on death saving throws. If the creature dies while imprisoned, the devourer regains 25 hit points and immediately recharges Soul Rend. Additionally, at the

Art Elemental Mascot

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

Death Burst. When the elemental dies, it explodes in a burst of colored light. Each creature within 5 feet of the elemental must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1

elemental mascot, a mage draws power from a blend of all the natural elements, extracting their vibrant colors to craft a swirling outer shell before imbuing its core with a planar spirit. As creatures of

Tarul Var

Monsters Tales from the Yawning Portal

. Interlopers who discover his quarters are set upon by the lich and his dread warrior guards, but if Var is brought to the brink of death, he might bargain for a chance to escape the dungeon. Undead Nature. A

(1 slot): circle of death * Conjuration spell of 1st level or higher Turn Resistance. Var has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +9

Tempest Spirit

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

. Death Bolt (Recharge 5–6);{"diceNotation":"1d6", "rollType":"recharge", "rollAction":"Death Bolt"}. The spirit hurls a magical lightning bolt in a 120-foot line that is 10 feet wide. Each creature in

that area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8);{"diceNotation":"6d8", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Death Bolt", "rollDamageType":"lightning"} lightning damage plus 16 (3d10

Fire Hellion

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

. The devil teaches the giant how to forge with infernal iron and hellfire, enabling the giant to craft weapons that can funnel the souls of the slain to Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells. In

this way, the devil stands to gain a constant supply of souls from the giant’s enemies, as well as the promise that the giant will serve the devil as a smith in the Nine Hells after death. The

Prisoner 237

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

his criminal ventures by capturing him. Rather than put Gant to death for his crimes in Icewind Dale, the Council of Speakers in Ten-Towns made a deal with representatives of the Lords' Alliance to have

Brotherhood but rather hatched by Gant himself, who intended to impress his superiors by pulling it off. For a long time, Gant held out hope that the Arcane Brotherhood would apply pressure to secure his

College of Lore Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

Bards of the College of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or

elaborate compositions in royal courts, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning everything they held

Screaming Devilkin

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

denizens of the Feywild. Sages believe that their appearance derives from the primal fear inspired by fiendish creatures, while bards assert that panic, being such a repulsive emotion, is embodied by an

injured and shorn of all hope. The devilkin steal treasures, weapons, and supplies, dooming an expedition to a slow death. The devilkin fly near their victims, taunting them with the items they stole

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation

still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers. The greatest strength of bards is their sheer

Phantom

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

necromancers practice their craft, a Phantom can become a wizard’s confidant and right hand. In temples of gods of death, the Phantom might work as an agent to track down those who try to cheat

Many rogues walk a fine line between life and death, risking their own lives and taking the lives of others. While adventuring on that line, some rogues discover a mystical connection to death itself

Phantom (TCoE)

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

necromancers practice their craft, a Phantom can become a wizard’s confidant and right hand. In temples of gods of death, the Phantom might work as an agent to track down those who try to cheat

Many rogues walk a fine line between life and death, risking their own lives and taking the lives of others. While adventuring on that line, some rogues discover a mystical connection to death itself

Bheur Hag

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

magic staff. The hag can use its flying speed only while astride the staff. If the staff is lost or destroyed, the hag must craft another, which takes a year and a day. Only a bheur hag can use a

bluish hue of a person who has frozen to death. The hag’s hair is white, and the hag is emaciated, with pale eyes surrounded by bruise-colored flesh. A bheur hag carries a twisted gray wooden

Priest of Osybus (Deathly)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

priest’s next turn. Circle of Death (Spell; Recharge 5–6;{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"recharge","rollAction":"Circle of Death"}). Each creature in a 60-foot-radius sphere centered on a point

the priest can see within 150 feet of it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 28 (8d6);{"diceNotation":"8d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Circle of Death","rollDamageType":"necrotic

Lady Illmarrow

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Emerald Claw, but her motives for founding the order are buried in her past. Lady Illmarrow has no interest in ruling the living. Rather, she seeks to become Queen of the Dead. The Mark of Death

, polymorph 5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, cone of cold, hold monster, scrying 6th level (2 slot): chain lightning, circle of death, create undead 7th level (2 slot): finger of death, forcecage

Way of Mercy Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

bring a swift end as an act of mercy. Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism

. Some might be gentle-voiced healers, beloved by their communities, while others might be masked bringers of macabre mercies. The walkers of this way usually don robes with deep cowls, and they often conceal their faces with masks, presenting themselves as the faceless bringers of life and death.

Jammer Leech

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

defensive measure. If the crew of a ship becomes aware of leeches that have become attached, it’s customary for them to try to scrape the leeches off the hull rather than attack them with weapons

. Killing a leech while it is attached to the ship is dangerous, because the trauma of its death can be felt by the ship’s spelljammer, who is weakened and incapacitated by the shock.Attach to Hull

Caradoc

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

at his core, the seneschal didn’t return as a skeletal knight but rather as an intangible spirit. Caradoc’s Undead form suits him well, allowing him to possess the living and use unwilling

;The safest place to be is behind the toughest warrior in the room.” Bond. “In life and in death, I’m the only one who matters.” Flaw. “Who can resist a little drama

Khargra

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

tasty, refined metal their victim carries, they quickly flee—and will flee before that rather than risk death. Stealthy Couriers. A number of clans among the dwarves, duergar, and azers have trained

Mercion

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

(spell save DC 13): At will: light, spare the dying 2/day each: command, create food and water, cure wounds, faerie fire, hold person, revivify 1/day: death wardMercion strikes the balance of a

natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her. Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry

Deadbark Dryad

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

, it becomes stronger and more violent, and it typically gains a renewed dedication to protecting its now-fetid domain. Most deadbark dryads would rather fight to the death than allow any intrusion into

Priest of Osybus (Ectoplasmic)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

points.Necromancers of deep evil, the priests of Osybus steal the souls of others to fuel the priests’ malevolent magic. Using this soul power, each priest can defy death and become an undead creature

Dark Powers and tapped into their immortal malice to fuel his apotheosis. As his power grew, he attracted disciples who also wished to defy life and death. He shared his dread secrets with them and

Priest of Osybus (Spectral)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

, the priests of Osybus steal the souls of others to fuel the priests’ malevolent magic. Using this soul power, each priest can defy death and become an undead creature, potentially cheating the

into their immortal malice to fuel his apotheosis. As his power grew, he attracted disciples who also wished to defy life and death. He shared his dread secrets with them and demanded their worship

Priest of Osybus (Vampiric)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

’ malevolent magic. Using this soul power, each priest can defy death and become an undead creature, potentially cheating the grave over and over. This unholy order of priests was founded

grew, he attracted disciples who also wished to defy life and death. He shared his dread secrets with them and demanded their worship. In time, his goal was achieved: he became a lich of almost godly

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Death isn’t always the end. The reborn exemplify this, being individuals who have died yet, somehow, still live. Some reborn exhibit the scars of fatal ends, their ashen flesh or bloodless

veins making it clear that they’ve been touched by death. Other reborn are marvels of magic or science, being stitched together from disparate beings or bearing mysterious minds in manufactured

Priest of Osybus (Dread)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

priests of Osybus steal the souls of others to fuel the priests’ malevolent magic. Using this soul power, each priest can defy death and become an undead creature, potentially cheating the grave over

their immortal malice to fuel his apotheosis. As his power grew, he attracted disciples who also wished to defy life and death. He shared his dread secrets with them and demanded their worship. In time

Priest of Osybus

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

; malevolent magic. Using this soul power, each priest can defy death and become an undead creature, potentially cheating the grave over and over. This unholy order of priests was founded centuries ago

attracted disciples who also wished to defy life and death. He shared his dread secrets with them and demanded their worship. In time, his goal was achieved: he became a lich of almost godly power

Baba Lysaga

Monsters Curse of Strahd

black tentacles, polymorph 5th level (2 slots): cloudkill, geas, scrying 6th level (1 slot): programmed illusion, true seeing 7th level (1 slot): finger of death, mirage arcane 8th level (1 slot

death upon her. Lysaga eventually got her wish, and after Strahd settled in the valley of Barovia, Lysaga moved as close to him as she dared to. In the filth-ridden depths of her heart, Lysaga knows

Priest of Osybus (Blazing)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

death and become an undead creature, potentially cheating the grave over and over. This unholy order of priests was founded centuries ago by Osybus, a mysterious figure of unfathomable ambition and evil

his life. He became a devotee of the Dark Powers and tapped into their immortal malice to fuel his apotheosis. As his power grew, he attracted disciples who also wished to defy life and death. He

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

. (Lawful) 3 Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic) 4 Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death

;d rather kill someone in their sleep than fight fair. 5 It’s not stealing if I need it more than someone else. 6 People who can’t take care of themselves get what they deserve.

Forlarren

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

bound to their fey lord and unable to bargain away their souls. So rather than claim them, Fierna warped and twisted them before returning them to the Feywild, content that the corruption of the satyrs

its nature. That aspect might drive it to drink itself nearly to death, or to throw itself into caring for others with such relentless energy that it eventually collapses from exhaustion

Brass Dragons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Brass Dragons Bards sometimes seek out brass dragon lairs in hopes that the dragons’ whimsy will enhance their creativity, like a muse. The more experienced bards know not to overstay their welcome

, lest they awaken cradling a skunk cabbage. -Fizban Use the tables, map, and other information in this section to craft unique encounters with brass dragons.

Giff Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

of giff society is organized along military lines. From birth until death, every giff has a military rank. It must follow orders from those of superior rank, and it can give orders to those of lower

refuse to fight other giff, and will never agree to a contract unless it stipulates that they can sit out a battle rather than wage war against their kin. A giff prizes the reputation of its unit above its

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the area patrolled by the guard did she explain that the noises indicated that the wingless folk had claimed that area, and that to trespass would be to court death. — Gimble, Notes from a

kenku, constant attempts to mimic noises can come across as confusing or irritating rather than entertaining. You can just as easily describe the sounds your character makes and what they mean. Be clear

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