battle before devoted cautious return

Jarund Elkhardt

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

his life, and age has made him cautious. He has seen other kings and queens rise and fall, has made war with friends and peace with his enemies, and has led warriors he knew as babes to their deaths

in battle. The strain of his long years of rule is etched on his weather-worn face. Jarund's late son, Jarund Twice-Born, was killed almost a decade ago while trying to bring down a cave bear, leaving

Cadaver Collector

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

wander the Material Plane for centuries, collecting corpses while searching for a way to return home. 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. They encase themselves in the armor and weapons of fallen warriors and impale the corpses of those

Troglodyte Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

secretions, and the debris of their foul feasting. Single-Minded Brutes. Troglodytes are devoted almost entirely to procuring food. They rarely plan more than a few days into the future, instead

in the Abyss. Laogzed offers the troglodytes nothing in return except aspiration, for it is the dream of his troglodyte worshipers to become as well-fed and wearily content as he seems to be.

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

Fensir Skirmisher

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

Ysgard: creatures slain on that plane return to life the next dawn. Thus, the giants’ incursion became a part of the eternal battle that rages across the plane. The trolls, whose fundamental

skirmishers boast great skill in battle, honed over centuries of endless conflict on the battlefields of Ysgard. They also wield elemental magic of earth and stone. True to their giant heritage, they

Fensir Devourer

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

Ysgard: creatures slain on that plane return to life the next dawn. Thus, the giants’ incursion became a part of the eternal battle that rages across the plane. The trolls, whose fundamental

use in the eternal battle. The transformation that created fensirs left them with an odd quirk to their regenerative powers: their regeneration doesn’t function in sunlight, and in fact, sunlight can turn these creatures to stone.

Blindheim

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

travelers. They typically make a cautious approach to stronger creatures, speaking in halting, croaking Undercommon to offer their services in return for fresh food, metal weapons, and trinkets from

Arkhan the Cruel

Monsters Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

means of freeing Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells, but only if the hand doesn't kill him first. The hand is slowly corrupting Arkhan's flesh and decomposing his body on one side. In battle

, Arkhan uses branding smite to channel the radiant power of Tiamat into his weapon attacks. If a fight turns against him, he uses the teleport power of the Hand of Vecna to return to his tower with as

Shadar-kai Shadow Dancer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, particularly anything colorful and lively to gaze at after they return to the gloom of the Shadowfell. Shadar-kai In the gloom of the Shadowfell live shadar-kai, elves whose ancestors served the Raven Queen

along tragic paths for her amusement. The Raven Queen is famously cryptic even to her most devoted followers, however; their efforts are rewarded only with vague omens they interpret as best they can

Rak Tulkhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

impulses that drives many mortals to battle. Fear, greed, hatred — these are seeds that the Rage of War sows in the hopes of producing a bloody harvest. Rak Tulkhesh typically takes the form of a vaguely

cities, the hatred against warforged and Cyran refugees, the calls for a return to war — all these things bear the mark of Rak Tulkhesh's malign influence. Minions of Rak Tulkhesh. Any organization that

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Shiftless, Savage Layabouts When they’re not in battle, bugbears spend much of their time resting or dozing. They don’t engage in crafting or agriculture to any great extent, or

deities who are brothers, Hruggek and Grankhul. Hruggek is the fearsome elder sibling, possessed of legendary might and prowess in battle. Bugbears believe their strength and bravery come from him

Vampiric Mist

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

undetected to bleed their victims dry. Vampiric mists, sometimes called crimson mists, are all that remain of vampires who couldn’t return to their burial places after being defeated or suffering

. In battle, a mist focuses its attacks on injured targets, since open wounds are a more ready source of blood.PoisonAcid, Cold, Lightning, Necrotic, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

regular shift patrolling either the Lower City or the Outer City. In return, you have access to the Flaming Fist’s fortresses and a direct line of communication with Flaming Fist officers and

regular patrol in the Upper City or take a regular shift at its gates, and must report for training in the Watch Citadel once every ten days. In return, you have access to the Citadel and a direct line of

Kelubar Demodand

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

;shators. They are squat, and their skin drips with a foul-smelling, acidic slime. Kelubars revel in the subservience of others, and they prefer to do battle with words—or at least to send in their

creatures trapped there. Demodands that manage to leave Carceri know they’re doomed to return; a demodand that dies outside Carceri re-forms there in a torturous process that takes 2d20

Boros Legionnaire

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

As a member of the Boros Legion, your life is devoted to the service of angels and consecrated to the work of establishing justice and peace on the streets of Ravnica. You might be a true believer

, inspired by the example of the angels, moved by the plight of the downtrodden, and devoted to the cause of justice. Or you could be a cynic in the ranks, perhaps because you reluctantly followed in the

Auril (Third Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

using her magic. Casting such great magic night after night while also granting spells to her devoted followers leaves Auril weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined

to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale

Way of the Ascendant Dragon (FToD)

Classes Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

who follow this tradition augment their prowess in battle, bolster their allies, and can even soar through the air on draconic wings. But all this power is in service of a greater goal: achieving a

that is devoted to a dragon god. 4 You spent long stretches meditating in the region around an ancient dragon’s lair, absorbing that lair’s ambient magic. 5 You found a scroll

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

, knocking their blows aside and sending them reeling, until at last she stands alone. Taking a deep breath, a human covered in tattoos settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs reach him, he

training. Many entered the monastery as children, sent to live there when their parents died, when food couldn’t be found to support them, or in return for some kindness that the monks had performed

Yeenoghu Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

5 or more, the target falls prone. Savage (Costs 2 Actions). Yeenoghu makes a bite attack against each creature within 10 feet of him.The Beast of Butchery appears as a great battle-scarred gnoll

atrocities in his name. Yeenoghu takes pleasure in causing fear before death, and he sows sorrow and despair through destroying beloved things. He doesn’t parlay; to meet him is to do battle with him

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

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

gather and celebrate, dwell the followers of Yurtrus, the god of disease and death, and Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Orcs too weak for battle (because of bodily weakness, malformation

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

provoke retaliatory attacks from the creatures they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat. In a couple of situations, kobolds might

populated areas, practice cannibalism, believing it is foolish to waste good meat. In any case, kobolds that eat humanoids don’t simply start consuming corpses or prisoners right after a battle

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

realm in the far north and, after a time, plunged it into frigid darkness using her magic. Casting such great magic night after night while also granting spells to her devoted followers leaves Auril

weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to

Vladimir Horngaard

Monsters Curse of Strahd

on the same plane of existence and regains all its hit points. While the soul is bodiless, a wish spell can be used to force the soul to go to the afterlife and not return. Special Equipment

witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir's beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and

Giff Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

rank. Promotions don’t depend on age but are granted by a superior as a reward for valor. Giff are devoted to their children, even as most of their education is geared toward fighting and war

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

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

return the courtesy, the duchess commissioned the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg to build a clockwork effigy of Pidlwick as a gift for Strahd's family. Although the duchess's heart was in the right

Archon of Falling Stars

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

makes a radiant spear attack, and then its mount can use its reaction to make a melee weapon attack. Return to Nyx (Costs 3 Actions). The archon causes a corpse it can see within 30 feet of it to burst

recounts the battle between a group of the gods’ champions and a mighty archon, which took place at the mysterious eastern edge of the world. Defeated, the falling archon is said to have met the

Yeenoghu

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

them into flind;flinds. Yeenoghu takes pleasure in causing fear before death, and he sows sorrow and despair through destroying beloved things. He doesn’t parlay; to meet him is to do battle with

most devoted followers gain the Gnashing Jaws action and the Rampage bonus action, while cult leaders gain the Aura of Bloodthirst trait. Gnashing Jaws. Melee Weapon Attack: bonus to hit equal to

Way of the Ascendant Dragon

Classes Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

who follow this tradition augment their prowess in battle, bolster their allies, and can even soar through the air on draconic wings. But all this power is in service of a greater goal: achieving a

that is devoted to a dragon god. 4 You spent long stretches meditating in the region around an ancient dragon’s lair, absorbing that lair’s ambient magic. 5 You found a scroll

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

night while also granting spells to her devoted followers leaves Auril weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures

Priest of Osybus (Ectoplasmic)