battle building diffusing continues risk

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

for his demise. He drew on the warped resurrection of dracoliches to become a lich himself. He continues to lead the Cult of the Dragon from the shadows, developing new ways to control and corrupt

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

. He drew on the warped resurrection of dracoliches to become a lich himself. He continues to lead the Cult of the Dragon from the shadows, developing new ways to control and corrupt dragonkind

Cradle of the Fire Scion

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

lava. As the scion dreams of battle—perhaps a battle to rouse Annam from seclusion by uniting the giants or a war to conquer all in Surtur’s name—the volcano rumbles and spews molten

rage. If intruders disturb its resting place, the fire scion’s cradle rises as a bipedal juggernaut of molten rock. Sometimes miners risk their lives to find rich veins of ore in a scion&rsquo

Asteria

Monsters The Book of Many Things

discovery. She’s as likely to be found climbing trees or poring over arcane texts as she is brandishing her sword in battle. Anyone who engages Asteria in conversation about her interests finds

the first Deck of Many Things. She doesn’t know why this is but surmises her life is tied to that deck; so long as it continues to exist, so will she. She has no way to prove this hypothesis

Draegloth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

faithful consider it worth the risk, as the resulting creature is gifted with innate magic and physical might. The draegloth usually serves its creator, lending its thirst for destruction to the creator

to strike at its rivals when the draegloth is fully grown. These plans use the draegloth in a significant role, because its abilities can turn the tide in a battle against a house that doesn’t

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

love gazing upon it, but I abhor being wet. 4 Why should I risk damaging my splendid physique when I can fight with the power of my mind? 5 I am predictable only in my unpredictability

, but the dragon is too proud to ask for help getting home. 6 A topaz dragon is building a tableau of desiccated creatures and has grown obsessed with catching one treasure hunter who escaped the

Swarmkeeper

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

force in battle, as well as helpful company for the ranger. Some Swarmkeepers are outcasts or hermits, keeping to themselves and their attendant swarms rather than dealing with the discomfort of others

. Other Swarmkeepers enjoy building vibrant communities that work for the mutual benefit of all those they consider part of their swarm. A Swarmkeeper’s swarm and spells are reflections of the

Swarmkeeper (TCoE)

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

force in battle, as well as helpful company for the ranger. Some Swarmkeepers are outcasts or hermits, keeping to themselves and their attendant swarms rather than dealing with the discomfort of others

. Other Swarmkeepers enjoy building vibrant communities that work for the mutual benefit of all those they consider part of their swarm. A Swarmkeeper’s swarm and spells are reflections of the

Red Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

abishais when it comes to leadership ability and raw power. Red abishais lead other devils into battle or take charge of troublesome cults to ensure that they continue to carry out Tiamat’s commands

Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus’s. There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by Tiamat, but interfering with Asmodeus’s plans invites certain destruction.Fire, PoisonCold; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered

Scion of Surtur

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

plume of smoke to rise, sometimes lit from below by fiery bursts of lava. As the scion dreams of battle—perhaps a battle to rouse Annam from seclusion by uniting the giants or a war to conquer

molten rock. Sometimes miners risk their lives to find rich veins of ore in a scion’s volcano, or misguided fire cultists offer sacrifices meant to appease or awaken the volcano, and the awakened

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to battle. Few goliath adventurers reach old age, as most die attempting to surpass their past accomplishments. Fair Play For goliaths, competition exists only

battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk have ever meet an elderly goliath, and even those goliaths who have left their people grapple with the urge to

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

building a bomb big enough to level a fortification. They gladly accept payment in kegs of gunpowder in preference to gold, gems, or other currency. No Honor in Magic. Some giff become wizards

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

crawl to make progress. In places where a tunnel opens into a chasm and continues on the other side, the kobolds might connect the two passages with a rope bridge or some other rickety structure

other useful items, but if they are at risk of discovery, they run away rather than attack anyone in the house. By fleeing before they can be seen or identified, they avoid getting into a situation

Choldrith

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

spiderlike creatures originally created to serve Lolth. They rule colonies of chitine;chitines and lead them into battle in Lolth’s war against her enemies. When devotees of Lolth created the first

supervisors. The choldriths continually jockey for position, although they rarely confront one another in a way that puts the colony at risk. The colony is ruled by a sovereign, who determines which colony

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

created the orcs and continues to direct their destiny. He is aided and abetted by the other warrior deities, Bahgtru and Ilneval, who bring strength and cunning to the battlefield. The followers of all

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

joined the Gruul in a battle against the Boros once, and the sergeant of that Boros squad would love to prove that it was me. 3 I had a romance with a Dimir agent whom I still feed secrets to

Young Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

abhor being wet. 4 Why should I risk damaging my splendid physique when I can fight with the power of my mind? 5 I am predictable only in my unpredictability. 6 It takes true

to ask for help getting home. 6 A topaz dragon is building a tableau of desiccated creatures and has grown obsessed with catching one treasure hunter who escaped the dragon’s clutches

Knight of the Order

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

important than the gear and fighting style of its members, and so most of these orders aren’t limited to fighting types, but are open to all sorts of folk who are willing to battle and die for the

again in ruins, Dove Falconhand decided to reform the group with the primary goal of building alliances and friendship between the civilized races of the world and goodly people in order to combat evil

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

goblin tribe has to nobility is the caste of lashers — families of goblins trained in the ways of battle, and also possessed of key skills such as strategy, trap-building, beast taming, mining

appreciation for the finer things! — Volo Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully. Cunning in battle and

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

Ancient Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Personality Traits d8;{"diceNotation":"1d8","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Trait"} Trait 1 I will not risk injury at the hands of weaker creatures—especially while I can turn

, they use local settlements—and any competent visitors—as pawns in their struggle. 4 An ancient deep dragon has put the folk of a city to work building the dragon a metropolis to rule

Simic Scientist

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

1 I helped create a krasis that I love like a pet and would carry with me everywhere … except it’s the size of a building, and it might eat me. 2 In my laboratory, I

confident in my ability to adapt to any situation and handle any danger. 5 I’ll take any risk to earn recognition for my scientific brilliance. 6 I have a tendency to take shortcuts in

Personality

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

. He is lonely and dreams of building a community of spellcasters who support each other. Unfortunately, his ego makes that dream all but impossible. Although Mordenkainen can be brash and off-putting

, he eschews cruelty and sees no reason to cause pointless suffering. The wizard doesn’t like to admit it, but he would put his own safety at risk to quell the pain of innocents.

Companion Creatures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Flee, Mortals! Rule Primer

to control in the heat of battle and just might bite the hand that feeds. Don’t fret too much, though! A companion gelatinous cube or owlbear is worth the risk of an occasional wild rampage.

Narrative Combat

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

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

field determine the overall success or failure of the battle. Use the Battle Flowchart provided nearby to guide your players through the conflict. Each box on the chart introduces a different mission

23. Main Entrance

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

enemies to minimize the risk of giving them the “gift” of wererat lycanthropy. If the characters kill two of the wererats, the survivors retreat to area 25. Development Sounds of battle here alert every other wererat in the warrens. Thereafter, the wererats can’t be surprised.

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

beautiful and I love gazing upon it, but I abhor being wet. 4 Why should I risk damaging my splendid physique when I can fight with the power of my mind? 5 I am predictable only in my

from the sea, but the dragon is too proud to ask for help getting home. 6 A topaz dragon is building a tableau of desiccated creatures and has grown obsessed with catching one treasure hunter

H2. Worm Rubble

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

continues on the other side, but one must make the climb with care or risk causing the rubble to shift and alert the worm (see below). Removing enough debris to allow a Small or Medium humanoid to

Let Them Speak Now …

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

into the Abyss. Characters reduced to 0 hit points in the battle on the Astral Plane are catapulted back to their bodies on the Material Plane. Their rapport with Araumycos is broken, and they are

adventurers entered into rapport with Araumycos, so that characters shunted out of that rapport can defend their compatriots’ helpless bodies while the fight continues. If all the characters are defeated on

The Order of Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat

encounter, when everyone rolls initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the next round if neither side has defeated the other. COMBAT STEP-BY-STEP Determine surprise. The

The Order of Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat

encounter, when everyone rolls initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the next round if neither side has defeated the other. COMBAT STEP-BY-STEP 1. Determine surprise. The

Blingdenstone Factions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

lurking, any elemental brought to the battle runs the risk of being driven insane. Nomi and Gurnik agree that if the Steadfast Stone is cleansed and Ogrémoch’s Bane is banished, the Stoneheart Enclave

Blingdenstone Factions The following sections describe what each deep gnome faction has to offer in the Battle of Blingdenstone. The Diggermattocks If the characters don’t suggest it, the deep gnome

23. Desecrated Sanctuary

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

23. Desecrated Sanctuary This windowless stone building was set aside for cult initiates. The building has lighting and plumbing (see the “Lighting and Plumbing” sidebar). 23a. Hall of Prayer Boars

tapestry depicts a wilderness battle between primitive human hunters and one or more monsters, including a unicorn, a displacer beast, an owlbear, a pack of worgs, and a griffon. Casting a mending cantrip

Special Terms of the Pact

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

willpower; you are required to abstain from alcohol and other intoxicants. 3 At least once a day, you must inscribe or carve your patron’s name or symbol on the wall of a building. 4 You must

occasionally conduct bizarre rituals to maintain your pact. 5 You can never wear the same outfit twice, since your patron finds such predictability to be boring. 6 When you use an eldritch invocation, you must speak your patron’s name aloud or risk incurring its displeasure.

Demon Ruin

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

construction evident even in the broken remains of the building, the place carries the unmistakable air of anguish and torment. Map 4.7: Demon Ruin View Player Version Demon Ruin Adventures The Demon

Ruin Adventures table offers some reasons why characters might risk death in the Demon Wastes. Demon Ruin Adventures d4 Adventure Goal 1 Make a desperate request for aid from a Lord of Dust who

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