been before defeat conceal rather

Sammaster (Dracolich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

dragonkind. Personality Sammaster presents a charming and handsome facade, but he can’t conceal his morbid fascination with undead dragonkind for long. His only true allies are the inner

efficiently as he can. Sammaster personally checks in on the cult’s most important plots, often surprising his minions with his presence. Rather than keep a soul jar as liches do, Sammaster keeps

Sammaster (Lich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

. Personality Sammaster presents a charming and handsome facade, but he can’t conceal his morbid fascination with undead dragonkind for long. His only true allies are the inner circle of the Cult of

can. Sammaster personally checks in on the cult’s most important plots, often surprising his minions with his presence. Rather than keep a soul jar as liches do, Sammaster keeps a magical soul

Hobgoblin Iron Shadow

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

will of their masters. They wield a deadly combination of unarmed fighting techniques and shadow magic to deceive and defeat their foes. While on secret missions, they wear masks crafted to resemble

monsters, both to conceal their identities and to strike fear into their foes. An iron shadow is usually recruited from the ranks of the Feywild’s hobgoblin armies or from among the hobgoblins who

Way of Mercy Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

bring a swift end as an act of mercy. Those who follow the Way of Mercy might be members of a religious order, administering to the needy and making grim choices rooted in reality rather than idealism

. Some might be gentle-voiced healers, beloved by their communities, while others might be masked bringers of macabre mercies. The walkers of this way usually don robes with deep cowls, and they often conceal their faces with masks, presenting themselves as the faceless bringers of life and death.

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

. Unfortunately, when it reaches that breaking point, its diabolical nature asserts itself, and it remains in this scheming, dominating mindset until its plans are foiled and it faces defeat. Then, overwhelmed

City Watch / Investigator

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

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

Investigation rather than Athletics. Suggested Characteristics Use the tables for the soldier background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to

Soldier Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. 5 Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. 6 I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves

mistake in battle that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret. 4 My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. 5 I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. 6 I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

them like they were children’s books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather

Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe, and how they see the

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

individual skill. They have a compulsion to keep score, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their

away in the night to seek the cold will of fate. In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can’t be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and

pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome. Cold and Calculating Most humanoids describe cold-blooded people as lacking in

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

never leave a friend behind. 3 My honor is my life. 4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. 5 Those who fight beside me are those

enemies is blind and unreasoning. 5 I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. 6 I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage. You know what people want and you deliver, or rather, you promise to deliver. Common sense should steer people away from things that

. Suggested Characteristics Charlatans are colorful characters who conceal their true selves behind the masks they construct. They reflect what people want to see, what they want to believe

Dimir Operative

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

journals or hidden away in someone’s mind. Even you might not be aware of all the reasons behind the missions you carry out. Sometimes a mission’s sole purpose is to conceal the

d6 Flaw 1 I like secrets so much that I’m reluctant to share details of a plan even with those who need to know. 2 I would let my friends die rather than reveal my true

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind. 3 My honor is my life. 4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it

keep that mistake secret. 4 My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning. 5 I obey the law, even if the law causes misery. 6 I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.

Reaching the Tower

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

Reaching the Tower Lolth’s forces surround the tower, but they are focused on the spyder-fiends below rather than on defense. Hundreds of driders, Humanoids, and demons surround the tower, but the

driders, 1d6 giant spiders, and 1d4 assassins. Characters who defeat the squad can try again to infiltrate the tower.

Returning War Band

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

heads are trophies from the hobgoblins’ recent victory over an elf hunting party. Clever characters might try to reason with Targor by urging him to think of himself as Grol’s successor rather than

) check. Awarding Experience Points Divide 500 XP equally among the characters if they defeat the hobgoblin war band or come to terms with Targor.

Khur Joins

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

Khur Joins Early 349 AC The Green Dragon Army was dispatched to the steppes of Khur to subdue the tribes there. Rather than fight a protracted campaign, Ariakas allowed the cunning Khur leader Salah

-Khan to defeat the Green Dragon Army’s original highlord in battle, then offered to make Salah-Khan highlord in his place. In exchange for control over Khur and the surrounding lands, Salah-Khan

Alien Minds

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

understand that a troll is a fearsome, dangerous creature and react accordingly. Lizardfolk never become angry in the way others do, but they act with aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a

for lizardfolk. Pleasurable things should be preserved and protected, sometimes at the cost of the lizardfolk’s own safety. The most pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome.

Lord Soth

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

them to defeat. Rather than presenting him as a foe to be challenged in combat, portray Soth as a terrifying example of the villains in the Dragon Queen’s service—a lurking threat to be avoided. By the

Hobgoblin Iron Shadow

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse

techniques and shadow magic to deceive and defeat their foes. While on secret missions, they wear masks crafted to resemble monsters, both to conceal their identities and to strike fear into their foes. An

High Deck

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

High Deck The cards that compose the high deck aren’t considered to be one suit, although they are often denoted with a crown icon to mark their importance. Rather, each card is an important power in

or lurking just below the surface Broken One Defeat, failure, and despair; the loss of something or someone important, without which one feels incomplete Darklord A single, powerful individual of an

Creating a Bronze Dragon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

lie outright, though I choose my words carefully. I will fight to the death rather than break my word or abandon a comrade. (Lawful) 4 Discipline. Disorganization breeds defeat. I demand self

strategy. A quick death in combat is its own kind of courtesy. 6 I trust my gut. I’d rather act on incomplete information than be hamstrung by indecision. 7 I’m fascinated by other species

General Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

. It takes a successful DC 15 Strength check to break down a door that is barricaded shut. Floors. Cracked and uneven flagstones conceal a dirt floor underneath. Light. A small amount of natural light

“Cover” in the Basic Rules). DISGUISED CHARACTERS Rather than storm Cragmaw Castle with weapons in hand, clever characters might try to talk their way inside. For example, they might don the scarlet

Resolving the Mystery

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

regardless of their approach. Bloodbath It’s possible to kill or defeat the Amberdune Pack without ever hearing their side of the story. With no one to stop them, characters in this situation can

Digressions and see the book safely back to Candlekeep, if they so desire. NIDALIA The true leader of the Amberdune Pack, Nidalia is a lamia who delights in hoarding books rather than in corruption and

Attack of the Nematode

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

Nematode writhing 500 feet above the town like a malevolent cloud. The creature is far too large to defeat by conventional attacks or spells, so the characters must once again explore the Nematode from

rather than lightning). Beyond the membrane in the Nematode’s head is a massive, fluid-filled chamber that serves as the Nematode’s brain. The characters must damage each of the five electroreceptors in

Re-created by the Doctor

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

. Mordenheim attack the party or their allies (at the doctor’s command or otherwise). These foes are more powerful than the characters, who might defeat the majority of the attackers before being overwhelmed

. Worse Than Death? The characters are legitimately defeated during another adventure. Rather than the campaign ending, they awake in Dr. Mordenheim’s clutches, delivered there by the Mists.

Birth of the Poleis

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

inspired and equipped two human heroes, Kynaios and Tiro, to overthrow the archon Agnomakhos. Divergent tales describe their history following the defeat of the tyrant. Some claim that they warred with each

Akros and Skophos were born from that bloodshed, inspired by the martial doctrines of Iroas and Mogis rather than the legal code of Ephara. Eventually the years of war settled into an uneasy peace with

Way of the Drunken Master

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

present what seems like an incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and

, you can move in sudden, swaying ways. You gain the following benefits. Leap to Your Feet. When you’re prone, you can stand up by spending 5 feet of movement, rather than half your speed. Redirect

Siberys Dragonmarks

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

doesn’t conceal the dragonmark’s ability or remain firmly aligned with the dragonmarked house is likely to become the target of assassins. The Boon of Siberys, described in the “Feats” section later

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

Commodore Krux

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

accosted by four lawful evil astral elf warriors (see Boo’s Astral Menagerie) wearing cloaks and visors to conceal their identities. These elves (named Faarfryn, Helix, Kekarion, and Lannis) seek to

avenge the defeat of Captain Azmadian and the Dark Star by killing the characters in the streets. Gadaric Main, the proconsul to Prince Andru of Bral, has given these emissaries diplomatic immunity. As a

Character Levels

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

Ravenloft without first increasing their power will likely die. You can award experience points for the defeat of foes, use milestone awards, or a mixture of both. Given the fact that much of the

adventure involves social interaction and exploration, rather than combat, your work will probably be easier if you use milestone awards. Appropriate milestone awards include the following: Finding

Townmaster's Hall

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

will help civilize the town. Sildar also encourages the characters to keep up the pressure on the Cragmaw goblins. He offers the party a 500 gp reward if they can locate Cragmaw Castle and defeat or

the alias Glasstaff to conceal his identity. (The Redbrands call him that because he carries a glass staff.) Once he learns the truth about Iarno, Sildar expresses a desire to have the wizard captured

Simple Traps

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

characters discover a trap, be open to adjudicating their ideas for defeating it. The trap’s description is a starting point for countermeasures, rather than a complete definition. To make it easier

for you to describe what happens next, the players should be specific about how they want to defeat the trap. Simply stating the desire to make a check isn’t helpful for you. Ask the players where their characters are positioned and what they intend to do to defeat the trap.

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

never have to think about sacrificing their characters, but you should be prepared for the possibility of one or more of the heroes giving up their lives in order to defeat the evil that has arisen in

During the Siege

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

During the Siege Run the siege as a series of encounters rather than one extended battle. As terrible events unfold around the characters, it’s up to them to determine who and how they’ll help. Begin

horde soon begins overwhelming defenses nearby. Once the characters defeat a few zombies, roll 1d6 and consult the Zombie Siege Encounters table. The event rolled unfolds within sight of one of the

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