been before dealing compared rather - Search

Alter Self

Spells Player’s Handbook

), horns (Piercing), or hooves (Bludgeoning). When you use your Unarmed Strike to deal damage with that new growth, it deals 1d6 damage of the type in parentheses instead of dealing the normal damage for

your Unarmed Strike, and you use your spellcasting ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls rather than using Strength.

Snow Sphinx

monsters

whips around a feline face, revealing piercing blue eyes that can freeze foes with a single glance. Compared to its desert-dwelling cousins, this sphinx is far less likely to be defeated with reason or

logic. Although a snow sphinx can speak, it generally greets its prey with claws and teeth rather than riddles or philosophical conversation. Physically, this fearsome creature is well adapted to harsh

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

Vladimir Horngaard

Monsters Curse of Strahd

","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Vladimir can grapple the target (escape DC 14) provided the target is Large or smaller. +2 Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack

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

Jammer Leech

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

defensive measure. If the crew of a ship becomes aware of leeches that have become attached, it’s customary for them to try to scrape the leeches off the hull rather than attack them with weapons

. The leech attaches itself to a ship’s hull in its space, dealing 2 (1d4);{"diceNotation":"1d4","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Attach to Hull","rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage to

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

Forlarren

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

bound to their fey lord and unable to bargain away their souls. So rather than claim them, Fierna warped and twisted them before returning them to the Feywild, content that the corruption of the satyrs

peppered with a parental attitude toward strangers. Another is a mirthful sybarite with an unfettered love of food, drink, and romance. When dealing with the forlarren, the only constant is the malleable

City Watch / Investigator

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch or a similar organization, and just as

easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter. Variant: Investigator Rarer

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the group’s needs, but the effect each action will have on the forest and the rest of the natural world. Firbolg tribes would rather go hungry than strain the land during a famine. Hidden

Shepherds As caretakers of the land, firbolgs prefer to remain out of sight and out of mind. They don’t try to dominate nature, but rather seek to ensure that it prospers and survives according to its

Human Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

xenophobic, in general their societies are inclusive. Human lands welcome large numbers of nonhumans compared to the proportion of humans who live in nonhuman lands. Exemplars of Ambition Humans who

, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups. Human Names and Ethnicities Having so much more variety than other cultures, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents

Azorius Functionary

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

(though it might cause more problems than it solves when you’re dealing with incorrigible lawbreakers). If you abuse this privilege, though, you can get in serious trouble with your superiors and

successfully prevented a murder, and the would-be perpetrator wants me dead. 5 One of my parents was prominent in the guild, and I resent constantly being compared to that standard. 6 I’ve

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

of evil that calls for them to butcher or eradicate all who oppose them. In keeping with their goal of domination, the yuan-ti would rather capture potentially useful opponents than kill them. They use

get into places their normal forms couldn’t enter. Their immunity to poison gives all yuan-ti a tactical advantage in dealing with other creatures. A pureblood serving as a food taster for a

Faction Agent

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often proficient in Investigation, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Harpers, sympathetic bards and

dealing with people in the outside world. d6 Ideal 1 Tradition. The ancient traditions of worship and sacrifice must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful) 2 Charity. I always

Feature: Watcher's Eye

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Feature: Watcher’s Eye Your experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch or a

similar organization, and just as easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter.

Espionage Agency Contacts

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

Espionage Agency Contacts Your assignments come from a superior in the agency who typically works at a desk rather than in the field—compiling intelligence into reports for their superiors and

kindly bureau chief who views you as a truly special team with invaluable skills 4 A crotchety middle-manager on the cusp of retirement who constantly bemoans the state of today’s agents compared to

Dealing with the Soldiers

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Dealing with the Soldiers If the characters confront the Dragon Army soldiers on the cliffs, the messenger attempts to retreat to the Dragon Army camp on her warhorse rather than aiding her allies

Who Dwells Here?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

such figures have been included as NPCs, but you should not treat this adventure’s approach to those characters as canon. Rather, use them to flesh out this particular adventure in “what-if” fashion

their characters should treat with such legendary figures carefully — a warning that is repeated by whichever agent the characters are dealing with.

Ability Checks

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

creature’s efforts. In a contest, the ability checks are compared to each other, rather than to a target number. When you call for a contest, you pick the ability that each side must use, deciding

interpreting what things mean. The character might spot that one section of a wall is clean and dusty compared to the others, but he or she wouldn’t necessarily make the deduction that a secret door is there

Alter Self

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

to deal damage with that new growth, it deals 1d6 damage of the type in parentheses instead of dealing the normal damage for your Unarmed Strike, and you use your spellcasting ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls rather than using Strength.

Alter Self

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

to deal damage with that new growth, it deals 1d6 damage of the type in parentheses instead of dealing the normal damage for your Unarmed Strike, and you use your spellcasting ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls rather than using Strength.

Mastermind

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

within 30 feet of you, rather than within 5 feet of you, if the target can see or hear you. Insightful Manipulator Starting at 9th level, if you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with

another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two

Mastermind

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

bonus action. Additionally, when you use the Help action to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than 5 feet of you, if the target can see

capabilities compared to your own. The DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice: Intelligence score Wisdom score

Appendix: Festive Monsters

compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->One-Shot Wonders: Holiday Adventure Pack

single glance. Compared to its desert-dwelling cousins, this sphinx is far less likely to be defeated with reason or logic. Although a snow sphinx can speak, it generally greets its prey with claws and

teeth rather than riddles or philosophical conversation. Physically, this fearsome creature is well adapted to harsh habitats, such as ice-covered mountains or arctic plains. It has wide paws to stop

Siberys Dragonmarks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

with Dragonmarks? Compared to the rules in Eberron: Rising from the Last War, here’s what’s different about dragonmarks in this chapter: The benefits of each dragonmark now derive from feats

rather than species options. These feats belong to a special category, Dragonmark feats. Dragonmark magic works a little differently than before: now you can use any spell slots you have to cast the

Finding the Way

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

surface world of any community in this region of the Underdark, and the adventurers can find the resources there to guide them out. However, the deep gnomes are dealing with a number of looming

side adventures focused on the characters helping their NPC companions return to their homes in the Underdark. Gracklstugh The duergar of Gracklstugh have fewer dealings with the surface world compared

The Lords of Dust

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

operate as an alliance of like-minded cabals rather than a single monolithic organization. Each cabal serves its particular overlord above all others, and the conditions that release one overlord could

races is in directing them and their affairs down the paths necessary to release their overlords; aside from that, dealing with mortals is a tedious chore.

Nylea's Influence

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Compared to the other gods, Nylea’s goals are modest. She wants only to keep the natural world free and healthy, shepherd the seasons through their yearly cycle, and enjoy the beauty of the land. But

, blaming her fellow gods for the spread of civilization rather than the mortals themselves. Divine Relationships Nylea seldom comes into open conflict with the other gods, and she would say that all her

Giant Foundling

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

What I lack in stature compared to giants, I make up for with sheer spite. 2 I insist on being taken seriously as a full-grown adult. Nobody talks down to me! 3 Crowded spaces make me uncomfortable. I’d

much rather be in an open field than a bustling tavern. 4 I embrace my shorter stature. It helps me stay unnoticed—and underestimated. 5 Every avalanche begins as a single pebble. 6 The world always feels too big, and I’m afraid I’ll never find my place in it.

Confronting the Demon Lords

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

fight alongside them in this last battle. Most of the heroes’ allies are of limited use against the demon lords — creatures immune to many forms of attack, including nonmagical weapons. Rather than

dealing with the ineffectual attacks of allies or a dozen or more additional actions each round, give characters backed up by a group of allies the following benefits. Healing Support. A character regains

Demon Showdown

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

break cover to aid their allies against the demons. If they do, another demon sortie attacks them 1d4 rounds later. OPTION: PLAYING OUT THE BATTLE OPTION Rather than focusing on the adventurers

biding their time and dealing with the fallout of the titanic battle between the demon lords, you can shift focus for this part of the adventure. Consider having the players take control of the various

Magewrights

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

make a business out of predicting events that occur in the next 30 minutes. In dealing with a magewright, think about the form their magic takes. A locksmith can perform knock as a ritual. But they

don’t just snap their fingers. They may use lengths of wire or iron rods, tracing patterns around the lock they’re dealing with while murmuring incantations. An oracle might work with cards or dice, or

Wood Elves: The Tairnadal

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

Tairnadal most often encountered in Khorvaire. Despite sharing a homeland with the Aereni, the Tairnadal have distinct religious traditions, revering their patron ancestors rather than the Undying Court. In

scimitar is a martial weapon, weighing 6 pounds and dealing 2d4 slashing damage on a hit. It has the two-handed property and the following special property: If you attack with a double-bladed

Jammer Leech

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Boo’s Astral Menagerie

the leeches off the hull rather than attack them with weapons. Killing a leech while it is attached to the ship is dangerous, because the trauma of its death can be felt by the ship’s spelljammer

(1d4) piercing damage. Bonus Actions Attach to Hull. The leech attaches itself to a ship’s hull in its space, dealing 2 (1d4) piercing damage to the ship (ignoring the ship’s damage threshold). This

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata

The Role of Rules Why even have Sage Advice when a DM can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. The game’s rules are meant to

, though, when the design intent of a rule isn’t clear or when one rule seems to contradict another. Dealing with those situations is where Sage Advice comes in. It doesn’t replace a DM’s adjudication

Unwelcome Party

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

family or attracting other fiends, but does so as a last resort. Members of the Hunt family reduced to 0 hit points by the devils are knocked unconscious rather than killed, as the devils are hoping to

forget about those NPCs, assuming that the most capable among them are dealing with minor threats in the background while the adventurers handle the potent foes. You can also have combat-worthy NPCs

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