battle being diffusing come realize

Donaar Blit'zen

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

come to realize that reinforcing Donaar's self-congratulating sense of draconic entitlement makes it remarkably easy to win his favor. Despite his easily massaged vanity, the dragonborn sometimes shows

skill in battle, and for his propensity to fall asleep as soon as a fight is done (as well as countless other inopportune times). More immediately notable is the unique physical trait that all members

Triton Shorestalker

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

even realize they've been attacked by shorestalkers, chalking disappearances and deaths up to the innumerable dangers of the sea. Clever, far-ranging people of the sea, tritons live rich lives unknown

to most land-dwelling individuals. While the waves separate most tritons from land-dwellers, occasionally the inhabitants of the surface and the deep come into conflict. In such cases, tritons prove

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

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

. 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

Relentless Slasher

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

fear into innocents across lands and over ages. Creating a Relentless Killer Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a

into a monster. 5 The killer used its body to contain an evil entity. 6 The killer appears to be an ordinary person who doesn’t realize it turns into a killer when enraged

Viari

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

quickly rising in the ranks of Acquisitions Incorporated since joining that august team, Viari has come to head what's known as the organization's Stabbing Department. A potent threat in both dueling

adventurer was nearly cut short during a battle of which the bards still sing. Unleashing a devastating attack with the aptly named Apocalypse Dagger, the rogue destroyed a giant single-handedly — and lost

Jermlaine

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

can come in tiny packages. Their tiny, foot-tall forms can barely contain the cruelty and malevolence that courses through them. Deep in the Underdark, the jermlaine lurk among the tunnels, dungeons

overwhelming waves. In the heat of battle, individual jermlaine gladly throw themselves on their enemies' weapons to clear the way for their allies' attacks. Hidden Threat. The jermlaine's skin is rough

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

utility and importance. Nowhere does this come through as strongly as when lizardfolk deal with the dead. To a lizardfolk, a comrade who dies becomes a potential source of food. That companion might have

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

Relentless Juggernaut

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Relentless killers come into being and undertake their terrifying sprees for a spectrum of reasons. When creating a relentless killer, consider what circumstances led to their transformation and

. 6 The killer appears to be an ordinary person who doesn’t realize it turns into a killer when enraged. Relentless Methods d8 Method 1 Artist. The killer turns 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

, instead assuming that the guests had died in their sleep. But Strahd was not fooled. He came to realize fairly quickly that the clockwork effigy had begun to display a murderous nature. Rather than have

Baernaloth

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

primal evil power before other yugoloths or that they come from an epoch before the current manifestation of the planes. Baernaloths refuse to say, but most obsess over secrets and obscene lore regarding

Hades, to turn friends against each other and then savor the horror that rises when their victims realize how they’ve betrayed one another. Baernaloths use their wicked power to keep mortally

Dwarf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

industrious labor, skill in battle, and devotion to the forge. Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves

field of battle centuries ago. SLOW TO TRUST Dwarves get along passably well with most other races. “The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years,” is

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

fierce animal spirits. Others draw from a roiling reservoir of anger at a world full of pain. For every barbarian, rage is a power that fuels not just a battle frenzy but also uncanny reflexes

by walls and crowds. They thrive in the wilds of their homelands: the tundra, jungle, or grasslands where their tribes live and hunt. Barbarians come alive in the chaos of combat. They can enter a

Leonin

Species Mythic Odysseys of Theros

-shaking roars, gives most leonin an air that readily shifts between regal and fearsome. Leonin often act with confidence, which can come off as imperiousness. While this can reassure their allies, it can

, 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

Vladimir Horngaard

Monsters Curse of Strahd

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

feelings fueled the spirits of many of his fellow knights—including Godfrey—to come back as revenants as well. Vladimir continued to wage the hopeless war, even as Strahd tightened his grip on the valley

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

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

the moss-covered building where I took part in my first reclamation mission. 5 I found something in the sewer that must never come to light. 6 I am forever grateful to the reclaimer who

bother to couch my opinions in flattering words. 5 I can’t help but pocket any trinket or coin I come across, no matter how worthless. 6 I’m convinced that I’m better and

Inheritor

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

You are the heir to something of great value — not mere coin or wealth, but an object that has been entrusted to you and you alone. Your inheritance might have come directly to you from a

, and might have set you on the path to adventure, but it could also come with many dangers, including those who covet your gift and want to take it from you — by force, if need be. Skill

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

magical power than a potion, but they all believe that the tribal sorcerer can figure out how to use any such item they come across. When kobolds sense an opportunity to separate a magic item from its

waking time is spent working, adversarial kobolds rarely have opportunities to exchange insults, let alone come to blows over their differences. Kobolds choose mates primarily for convenience. Their

Crook of Rao

Magic Items Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

wizard Tasha). Although she was defeated, Iggwilv managed to damage the crook during the battle, infecting it with an insidious curse—and the potential for future victory. In the aftermath, the

crook was again lost. Occasionally it reappears, but the famed artifact is not what it was. Whether or not the artifact’s bearers realize its full threat, few risk using the Crook of Rao&mdash

Far Traveler

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

few miles from where they were born. You aren’t one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the common folk in the North realize that it exists, and chances are

good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories. You have come to this part of Faerûn for your own reasons, which

Ancient Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

seeks adventurers to lead into battle against the mind flayer;mind flayers that usurped the dragon’s lair. 4 Powerful infernal creatures have opened a portal in the middle of a city square

their army in battle centuries ago. 3 An ancient sapphire dragon guards the phylactery of a lich who helped the dragon establish a lair centuries before becoming Undead. 4 Lolth the Spider

Fight or Flight

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

behalf of the group. When creatures that are already engaged in battle realize they’re likely to lose, they usually try to exit that battle. A monster is likely to flee if either of the following is true

confronted by obviously more numerous or powerful opponents usually try to avoid battle. But brave, desperate, or devoted creatures might never retreat from a battle. If you can’t decide whether a

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

abandoned that path, you find yourself adrift. Or you might come from a segment of the Uthgardt that adheres to tradition, but you seek to bring glory to your tribe by achieving great things as a

constructs of civilization. (Neutral) 6 Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any) d6 Bond 1 My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing

Chapter 9: The Betrayer Revealed

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Chapter 9: The Betrayer Revealed Cynthia Sheppard Once Alustriel and Tasha realize Mordenkainen is a fraud, an epic battle ensues in Sigil Once the characters have all of the Rod of Seven Parts

Running This Chapter

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

on the Isle of Serpents on Oerth, a world known for its legendary dungeons and magical treasures. The characters arrive on the island in time to witness a battle between a kraken and a crew of

archaeologists. The archaeologists are in dire straits, and it’s up to the characters to decide whether to help. Eventually, the characters realize that the sixth piece of the Rod of Seven Parts is located

Key Plot Points

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

dragon slay the cult’s leader. Meeting the Dragon. If the characters don’t prove themselves in battle against the cult, the silver dragon tests them with commands. The characters must either fulfill three commands or realize the dragon’s deception. The dragon tells his story if the characters win his trust.

Trial by Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis

. Bring forth the zodar!” The crowd gives out a collective gasp as the guards part ranks to make way for a creature clad head to toe in a suit of obsidian armor. As it floats toward you, you realize the

the zodar to 0 hit points. The zodar wins the battle if all the characters are at 0 hit points at the start of the zodar’s turn or if the characters who are still standing concede defeat. The

Removing the Rod

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

area Y7), if she’s still alive. Within a few minutes, the spyder-fiends in Pandesmos instinctively realize their general has been sealed away again. They desert their posts to engage in vicious

infighting to determine who among them will lead. The spyder-fiend battle lines falter. The characters don’t encounter any more raklupises in Pandesmos—the raklupises are too busy jockeying for power to risk

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

the siege can avoid the main body of the devils’ army, but come under attack by forces to the rear. Adjust the boxed text below accordingly as you read it to the players to set the scene: Armored

Darklords

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

Darklords are deadly or possess foul gifts from the Dark Powers, many pose little threat in battle. Their menace is the result of capabilities beyond physical prowess. Darklords Are Active. Darklords might

adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their

Lords of Dust Campaign Themes

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

take a while for adventurers to realize that an apparently unconnected series of encounters early in a campaign are actually all part of the complex schemes of the Lords of Dust. These fiends are so

devious that it is often impossible to discern a pattern to their actions until their plans have come to fruition and the connections have finally been made clear. (You could retroactively decide that what you intended as unconnected encounters were all part of the plan from the beginning!)

Inhabitants

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

, consideration, and attempts to engage in actions that don’t involve combat. The lizardfolk’s greatest fear is the sahuagin, and the sooner the characters realize this fact, the better. The lizardfolk population

characters come upon a guard patrol. One member of each guard patrol carries a key that unlocks either of the gates at area 41.

Adult Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

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

a constant battle against deep gnome miners, who scour the tunnels of the dragon’s lair in search of emeralds. 2 An adult silver dragon tries to befriend and draw out a reclusive adult

Campaign Conflicts

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

Campaign Conflicts One way to ensure your campaign’s longevity is to come up with three compelling conflicts you can create adventures around. Introduce these conflicts early in the campaign. As the

has a broader reach and represents a greater threat. The threshold of a new tier can also be an opportunity for characters to realize the scale of a conflict they’ve been dealing with—to realize, for

Temple

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

Temple Most clerics start their lives of service as priests in an order, then later realize that they have been blessed by their god with the qualities needed to become a cleric. To prepare for this

surviving structure built to honor your god. 2 Acolytes of several like-minded deities all received instruction together in your temple. 3 You come from a temple famed for the brewery it operates

D&D Beyond

Search Results