becoming before death continue rarely

Eye and Hand of Vecna

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide

Vecna the Archlich;Vecna was a mighty wizard who, through magic and conquest, forged a terrible empire. For all his power, however, Vecna feared death and took steps to prevent his demise by becoming

Concentration required), demanding that you commit an evil act. The hand might have a specific act in mind or leave it up to you. Hand of Vecna Spells Spell Charge Cost Finger of Death 5

Fighter

Classes Player’s Handbook

mercenaries—as Fighters, they all share an unparalleled prowess with weapons and armor. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and defying it. Fighters master various

broad ability and extensive specialization makes Fighters superior combatants. Becoming a Fighter... As a Level 1 Character Gain all the traits in the Core Fighter Traits table. Gain the

Gambler's Blade

Magic Items Lost Laboratory of Kwalish

;3) to your death saving throws. You can change this magical bonus each day at dawn. Curse. This weapon is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. Until the curse is broken with a remove curse spell or similar magic, you are unwilling to part with the weapon.

Gladiator Legacy

Monsters Basic Rules (2014)

each match as a life-or-death struggle, while others are professional duelists who command huge fees but rarely fight to the death.

Stonemelder

Monsters Princes of the Apocalypse

Death Burst. When the stonemelder dies, it turns to stone and explodes in a burst of rock shards, becoming a smoking pile of rubble. Each creature within 10 feet of the exploding stonemelder must

make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 11 (2d10);{"diceNotation":"2d10","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Death Burst","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as

Thessalar

Monsters Infernal Machine Rebuild

of life, resulting in such creatures as the thessalhydra and the owlbear. In recent years, he has also researched the prolonging of life—namely his own. Thessalar hopes that by becoming a lich

, his research and experiments can continue indefinitely. Over time, Thessalar has subjected himself to so many of his own experiments that his blood has taken on alchemical and magical properties. He regularly uses it as the basis for many of the reagents used throughout his labs.Acid, Poison

Bozak Draconian

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points, its scales and flesh immediately shrivel away, and then its bones explode. Each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a DC 10

Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (2d8);{"diceNotation":"2d8", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Death Throes", "rollDamageType":"force"} force damage. Glide. When the draconian falls and isn’t

White Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

opportunity attacks.White abishais fight with a reckless fury, making them ideally suited for bolstering the ranks of Tiamat’s armies. White abishais fight without fear, becoming whirlwinds of

destruction on the battlefield. Abishais Each abishai was once a mortal who somehow won Tiamat’s favor before death and, as a reward, found its soul transformed into a draconic devil to serve at her

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

You are a member of a teeming horde — one small part of a sprawling organism. Just as you are part of the swarm, the swarm is part of a larger ecosystem, a never-ending cycle of life, death

Golgari, no fear of death or taboo about the dead, just a fierce affirmation of the cycle. Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner’s kit Languages

Vargouille

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

or a dretch, fears vargouilles only if they appear in great numbers. In the Lower Planes, vargouilles rarely get the chance to eat live prey other than vermin. More often, they lap up the ichor left

vargouille along for the ride, attached like a tick. The precautions a mortal takes to control a summoned demon rarely account for a stowaway, enabling the vargouille to escape into the world. Vargouilles

Lesser Death Dragon

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

destroy the would-be memento. Death Dragons Death dragons are the Undead skeletal remains of metallic or chromatic dragons, infused with the lingering fires of the Cataclysm by foul magic. Rarely, death

dragon’s turn. Absent any other command, the zombie tries to kill any non-Undead creature it encounters.Most death dragons are pale imitations of their former selves. They remember flashes and

Gallows Speaker

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

speakers arise from places of mass death or sites where creatures regularly meet their doom. Over time, pain-wracked phantoms and lingering souls combine into an entity that knows death in myriad forms

suffering, foreseeing dooms leveled against them and overwhelming their foes with visions of innumerable violent deaths. Gallows speakers rarely speak coherently or communicate with the living, instead

Devourer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

replacing all life with everlasting death. A lesser demon that proves itself to Orcus might be granted the privilege of becoming a devourer. The Prince of Undeath transforms such a demon into an 8-foot

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

Factol Skall

Monsters Adventure Atlas: The Mortuary

Aura of Death. Creatures within 30 feet of Skall have disadvantage on death saving throws. Cosmic Annihilation. A creature killed by Skall can be restored to life only by means of a true

has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns Undead.Multiattack. Skall makes one Withering Touch attack or uses Spellcasting. He also uses Death Knell twice. Withering Touch. Melee

Dracophage Subject

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points, it dissolves into acid that splashes on those around it. Each creature within 5 feet of the draconian must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity

saving throw or be covered in acid for 1 minute. A creature covered in the acid takes 7 (2d6);{"diceNotation":"2d6", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Death Throes", "rollDamageType":"acid"} acid

Kapak Draconian

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points, it dissolves into acid that splashes on those around it. Each creature within 5 feet of the draconian must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity

saving throw or be covered in acid for 1 minute. A creature covered in the acid takes 7 (2d6);{"diceNotation":"2d6", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Death Throes", "rollDamageType":"acid"} acid

Aurak Draconian

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

advantage on saving throws made to avoid or end the frightened condition on itself. Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points, its magical essence lashes out as a ball of lightning at

creature takes 9 (2d8);{"diceNotation":"2d8", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Death Throes", "rollDamageType":"lightning"} lightning damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful

Catoblepas

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the start of the catoblepas’s next turn. Death Ray (Recharge 5–6);{"diceNotation":"1d6", "rollType":"recharge", "rollAction

":"Death Ray"}. The catoblepas targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8);{"diceNotation":"8d8", "rollType":"damage

Sivak Draconian

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points by a creature that is Large or smaller, the draconian crumbles into dust that then forms a spectral, shrieking image of the creature that

combination of warped alchemy and the Dragon Queen’s foul magic. The Dragon Armies closely guard the secret of the draconians’ creation, allowing Krynn’s metallic dragons to continue to think their eggs are being held hostage so they don’t oppose the Dragon Queen’s conquests.

Cairnwight

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

exclusion of all other tasks, retreating into a spacious cavern and blocking out all distractions. Creating a masterwork can become such a driving obsession that death can’t stop it: a giant who dies

while creating art might rise as a cairnwight and continue the work. Once the artwork is completed, the cairnwight remains as its undying guardian. A cairnwight looks much like an emaciated stone

Abhorrent Overlord

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

continue to flock around the demon, offering fealty and squabbling for scraps. Some foul souls can't let go of the miserable lives they had. Having been despicable in life, these spirits fester in death

creatures whose gray, leathery skin is in stark contrast to the gleaming jewelry made of Underworld gold that they adorn themselves with. Their appetite for pain and death is eclipsed only by their greed

Greater Death Dragon

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

magic. Rarely, death dragons arise when a dragon meets its end in a way that torments its soul and consumes it with a need for vengeance. Regardless of how it arose, a death dragon retains a shadow

", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Cataclysmic Rush", "rollDamageType":"necrotic"} necrotic damage. A creature can take this damage only once per turn.Some death dragons manage to retain almost all

Phoenix

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Fiery Death and Rebirth. If the phoenix dies, it explodes. Each creature in 60-foot-radius sphere centered on the phoenix must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10);{"diceNotation

":"4d10", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Fiery Death and Rebirth", "rollDamageType":"fire"} fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire ignites flammable objects

Tarul Var

Monsters Tales from the Yawning Portal

"} days, regaining all his hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery. Spellcasting. Var is a 12th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is

(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

Leather Golem Armor

Magic Items Lost Laboratory of Kwalish

resistance to lightning damage. Whenever you take lightning damage, you gain 5 temporary hit points. Curse. This armor is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. Until

object, with preference for an object smaller than yourself. Once the armor causes you to go berserk, it cannot be removed. You continue to attack until you are incapacitated or until another creature is

Grim Champion of Pestilence

Monsters The Book of Many Things

Spellcasting.Aleron was once a tiefling adventurer, but unlike so many victims of the Deck of Many Things, he never drew the Skull card. Instead, when one of his allies drew the card and faced the avatar of death

, Aleron came to his ally’s aid. A second avatar of death appeared, and Aleron was slain; soon after, his Undead corpse crawled from Withered Vineyard, tainted with plague. Aleron resents his fellow

Fire Hellion

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

, hoping to learn tactics the devils have fine-tuned over millennia and to acquire magical gifts to help the giant rise in the ordning. Over time, the giant is corrupted, becoming a Fiend in its own right

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

Baaz Draconian

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Controlled Fall. When the draconian falls and isn’t incapacitated, it subtracts up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating the fall’s damage. Death Throes. When the draconian is

to continue to think their eggs are being held hostage so they don’t oppose the Dragon Queen’s conquests.

Frostmourn

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

keep them roaming the wilds for years after their murderers are slain. A frostmourn looks like a desiccated corpse mummified by exposure to bitter cold. It carries the marks of its death on its body: a

wound that seeps frosty vapor or vibrant, purple veins showing the ravages of poison. It can momentarily dissolve its body into a swirling blizzard to avoid harm, reforming at a distance to continue its assault.Cold, PoisonFire

Prismari Professor of Expression

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

teachers channel the elements of wind, flame, and lightning to accompany them. Their magic is fast and beautiful, which becomes swift death in battle, mesmerizing in its energetic flow. Devastating

lightning strikes and searing lashes of flame meet the professors’ foes head on. Professors who embrace the Prismari philosophy of expression focus on magic becoming art in the moment. Whether to

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

somehow won Tiamat’s favor before death and, as a reward, found its soul transformed into a draconic devil to serve at her pleasure in the Nine Hells. Each type of abishai is associated with

Demilich (Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

souls of the insolent intruders to his tomb, magically transferring them to his phylactery. Liches who follow Acererak’s path believe that by becoming free of their bodies, they can continue

its existence. Few liches seek to become demiliches, for it means an end to the existence they hoped to preserve by becoming undead. However, time can erode the lich’s reason and memory, causing

Spawn of Kyuss

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Orcus who plundered corpses from necropolises to create the first spawn of Kyuss. Even centuries after Kyuss’s death, his malign disciples continue performing the horrific rites he perfected

Green Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

ensure they can manipulate even the shrewdest opponents. Abishais Each abishai was once a mortal who somehow won Tiamat’s favor before death and, as a reward, found its soul transformed into a

work for them, but most archdevils do so rarely, since it is never clear whether an abishai follows Tiamat’s orders or Asmodeus’s. There is inherent risk in countermanding an order given by

Rot Troll

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

trolls, and venom troll;venom trolls that follow are especially likely to arise when trolls regenerate in the presence of magical emanations, planar energy, disease, or death on a vast scale, or if

troll;dire trolls. Vaprak the Destroyer Although trolls are rarely devout and seldom ponder spiritual questions, some fear and venerate the entity known as Vaprak the Destroyer. Vaprak’s true

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