battle bad down clever reason

Sammaster (Dracolich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

rule Faerûn. His Cult of the Dragon devotes itself to helping evil dragons become dracoliches to bring this evil new age to fruition. Sammaster was killed in battle, but had prepared contingencies

past, but the clever wizard returns each time to steer the Cult of the Dragon into more desperate and sinister plots.Acid, Necrotic, Poison

Sammaster (Lich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

. His Cult of the Dragon devotes itself to helping evil dragons become dracoliches to bring this evil new age to fruition. Sammaster was killed in battle, but had prepared contingencies for his demise

clever wizard returns each time to steer the Cult of the Dragon into more desperate and sinister plots.Necrotic, PoisonAcid, Cold, Lightning

Cadaver Collector

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

of a conquering army on the Material Plane. These fearsome Constructs obey their summoners until they are dismissed back to Acheron, but if a summoner comes to a bad end, a cadaver collector might

great battle—either where one is in progress, where one is imminent, or where one once took place. They encase themselves in the armor and weapons of fallen warriors and impale the corpses of those

Cadaver Collector Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

back to Acheron, but if a summoner comes to a bad end, a cadaver collector might wander the Material Plane for centuries, collecting corpses while searching for a way to return home. Sweeping the Dead

. Cadaver collectors respond to a summons from a mortal only when they are called to the scene of a great battle — either where one is in progress, where one is imminent, or where one once took place

Dolphin Delighter

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

through the luminous waters of Faerie and the Material Plane, and they are faithful allies to any who battle the forces of gloom and brutality under the waves. Dolphin delighters often accompany

groups of sea elves, tritons, and tortles as guardians and friends. Dolphins Dolphins are clever, social marine mammals that feed on small fish and squid. An adult specimen is between 5 and 6 feet

Howler

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

around the battlefield in a search for safety. Fiends especially prize howlers for this reason, because for a few crucial moments in a battle, their howls can neutralize an enemy.Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Leonin

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

adversaries—incredibly clever and well-prepared to play a long game but ultimately doomed to lose their games. 4 I’m certain every bad thing that happens can ultimately be blamed on the

, or belligerent. The truth is that many leonin simply enjoy fighting, whether verbal or physical. They take pleasure in argument, wrestling, sparring, and even battle, enjoying the opportunity to

Catoblepas

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

the creature has such a feared reputation that stories about it are ingrained in the popular culture. Any rumor of a catoblepas taking up residence nearby is taken to be a bad omen, even if the rumor is

, drinking the monsters’ milk and using them as guardians or pets. Other legends say that those of impure heart can tame a catoblepas and whisper of malevolent warlocks and wicked knights who ride them into battle.

Leucrotta

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

kills transformed into gnolls, others underwent more bizarre changes; leucrottas were the most numerous of these. As clever as it is cruel, a leucrotta loves to deceive, torture, and kill. Creatures who

agree to carry the leader into battle and offer advice during the fight. Followers of Yeenoghu also see leucrottas as a form of entertainment. They enjoy watching a leucrotta work almost as much as they

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

possibilities.) Now you’re looking for something else, perhaps greater reward for the risks you take, or the freedom to choose your own activities. For whatever reason, you’re leaving

behind the life of a soldier for hire, but your skills are undeniably suited for battle, so now you fight on in a different way. MERCENARIES OF THE NORTH Countless mercenary companies

Pidlwick II

Monsters Curse of Strahd

":"Dart","rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage.After her husband died in battle, Duchess Dorfniya Dilisnya set her sights on becoming Count Strahd von Zarovich's bride, but she failed to win his

Ideal. “I wish I could make people happy.” Bond. “I would like to find someone—anyone—who isn't afraid of me and who enjoys my company.” Flaw. “When I'm upset, I do bad things.”Poison

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

strong social structure that stresses devotion to the tribe, are clever with their hands, and viciously work together in order to overcome their physical limitations. In the kobolds’ version of

undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

ward off diseases if they are worn. Don’t stand inside a ring of stones, mushrooms, or any other kind of circle. Seeing a shooting star before a battle is bad luck. To ward it off, you must

the plane of Acheron. It is there in the afterlife where the chosen ones will join Gruumsh and his armies in their endless extraplanar battle for supremacy. Gods of the Orcs Orcs believe their gods

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

in the other humanoids and makes them less helpful in battle. Utility and Survival The lizardfolk mindset might seem unnecessarily cruel, but it helps them survive in a hostile environment. The

quirk for a lizardfolk character or to inspire a unique mannerism. Lizardfolk Quirks d8 Quirk 1 You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and

Giff Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

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

brighter the flash, and the thicker the smoke it produces, the more giff love a weapon. Their skill with gunpowder is another reason for their popularity as mercenaries. Giff revel in the challenge of

Aarakocra Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

letting the thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they prove dynamic and acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or talons before turning and flying

changes in the prevailing winds that they regarded as a bad omen. Unlike the aarakocra of other worlds on the Material Plane, the aarakocra of the Realms rarely travel to the Elemental Plane of Air

Eye and Hand of Vecna Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

’s lieutenant Kas coveted the Spider Throne for himself, or that the sword his lord made for him seduced him into rebellion. Whatever the reason, Kas brought the Undying King’s rule to an

end in a terrible battle that left Vecna’s tower a heap of ash. Of Vecna, all that remained were one hand and one eye, grisly artifacts that still seek to work the Whispered One’s will in

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

;t a native, your reason for leaving “home” probably has something to do with getting away from a bad situation. Feature: All Eyes on You Your accent, mannerisms, figures of

provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location. d6 Reason d6 Reason 1 Emissary 4 Pilgrim

Hermit - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

a frivolous lark. You’ve maintained a solitary vigil outside the cavern entrance ever since. 2 You crossed the Guild in a bad way. Fortunately, its members think you’re dead. Less

past that could rewrite history. It might be information that would be damaging to the people who consigned you to exile, and hence the reason for your return to society. Work with your DM to

Emerald Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

and tail to mirror the dragon’s mood. Clever Concealment The shyest of the gem dragons, emerald dragons are also the most curious. They love to observe local settlements and peoples, using

witness to a murder but doesn’t want to be found or identified. 2 An emerald dragon seeks heroes to participate in a dramatic reenactment of a legendary battle involving dragon riders

Young Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

the back and tail to mirror the dragon’s mood. Clever Concealment The shyest of the gem dragons, emerald dragons are also the most curious. They love to observe local settlements and peoples

the only witness to a murder but doesn’t want to be found or identified. 2 An emerald dragon seeks heroes to participate in a dramatic reenactment of a legendary battle involving dragon

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

a talent for learning and memorizing details. Thus, ambitious kenku can excel as superb spies and scouts. A kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other creatures can put them to use

. The kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter. For this reason, many

Returning War Band

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

heads are trophies from the hobgoblins’ recent victory over an elf hunting party. Clever characters might try to reason with Targor by urging him to think of himself as Grol’s successor rather than

Narrative Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

Victory”). If your players use clever tactics during the battle, grant them one or more of the following benefits, as appropriate: Their enemies are frightened for one or more rounds. The players

Narrative Combat Instead of resolving the battle with miniatures, you’ll guide your players through a series of tough dilemmas, each leading to a different battlefield encounter. Their actions on the

Foreword

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

. We’ve visited Waterdeep before, but not like this. Clever heroes will respect the city’s rules. Those who get on the city’s bad side are in for a rough time, as the City of Splendors is home to some of

The Stone Bridge

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

. “Not a bad place to die,” the mage says with mild amusement. The doppelganger posing as Gargosh doesn’t take part in the fight, remaining on the fringes of the battle and rooting for the characters to

to make haste and catch up with him!” Characters who have reason to suspect Gargosh might be lying or holding back information can make a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check. A character who succeeds on

Ideal Minions

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

create new things, they have a talent for learning and memorizing details. Thus, ambitious kenku can excel as superb spies and scouts. A kenku who learns of clever schemes and plans devised by other

. For this reason, many kenku make an easy living serving as messengers, spies, and lookouts for thieves’ guilds, bandits, and other criminal cartels. A network of kenku can relay a bird call or similar

Proposal

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

determine the outcome. A Charisma check can’t deceive or persuade most devils into a bad deal because the fiends are too clever and experienced in deal-making to be fooled. If devils do get involved in a

Adult Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

to mirror the dragon’s mood. Clever Concealment The shyest of the gem dragons, emerald dragons are also the most curious. They love to observe local settlements and peoples, using their psionic

a murder but doesn’t want to be found or identified. 2 An emerald dragon seeks heroes to participate in a dramatic reenactment of a legendary battle involving dragon riders. 3 An

Battle of Elturel

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

Battle of Elturel Legions of devils camped on the shores of the River Styx below Elturel are the biggest threats for characters attempting to flee the city. Characters who fly, glide, or balloon over

eyeless helm and clutching a battle standard. The demons and the devils are too focused on one another to concern themselves with adventurers who keep their distance. The devils are commanded by

Ability Checks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Constitution Stamina and health Endure a marathon, grasp hot metal without flinching, win a drinking contest Intelligence Memory and reason Recall a bit of lore, recognize a clue’s significance

something, think of it in terms of what a very high or low score in those two abilities might mean. A character with a high Wisdom but low Intelligence is aware of the surroundings but is bad at

Vladeska's Powers and Dominion

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

, though, they’re fighting a losing battle against foes whose numbers only grow. And every time a Talon falls, Lekar’s final defeat grows closer. Talon soldiers use the guard stat block, while commanders

executions serve the greater good and impose necessary order, but make it clear that zombies aren’t the realm’s only monsters. Only Bad Decisions. There is one simple truth in Falkovnia: the dead are

Adversary

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

deal with than the average member of the city watch. If your character’s backstory doesn’t already include a personage of this sort, you could work with your DM to come up with a reason why an

1 The pirate captain on whose ship you once served; what you call moving on, the captain calls mutiny 2 A master spy to whom you unwittingly fed bad information, which led to the assassination of

Ileuthra

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

knowledge, but the dragon is cagey on that point. Seeing good and bad in equal measure among the lesser races, Ileuthra recognizes that helping the humanoids is less a case of deciding whether they are worthy

to remain in the world if the humanoid races are aware of where they are. If the characters agree that all dragon masks will be handed over to the metallic dragons as soon as they are found—including any masks captured after the final battle—his attitude can be improved.

Morale

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

circumstances: The creature is surprised. The creature is reduced to half its hit points or fewer for the first time in the battle. The creature has no way to harm the opposing side on its turn. A

removed from battle. The group is reduced to half its original size with no losses on the opposing side. To determine whether a creature or group of creatures flees, make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw for

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