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Returning 35 results for 'been before defeat continued rather'.
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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
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
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
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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.
Goliath
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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
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.
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.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
. ABOUT THE ORIGINAL
Dave J. Brown and Don Turnbull continued the Saltmarsh series in this classic. Doubling down on TSR UK’s penchant for exploration and interaction in their work, this scenario
challenges the characters to act as ambassadors to a colony of lizardfolk.
While such roleplay-focused adventures are the norm today, at the time of its publication (in 1982) this adventure was the first to make interaction an absolute requirement for success, rather than one option among many.
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.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
creature can benefit from only a limited number of potions of longevity before continued consumption is likely to age the drinker rather than reduce their age. When a pinch of Dragon’s Blessing is added to a
of Dragon’s Blessing has been depleted—and this potion might age him rather than adding years to his life. Currently, only the imperial alchemists and their overseer, Grand Secretary Wei, are aware of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
table suggests a few adventures the god’s champions might involve themselves in. Iroas’s Quests d6 Adventure Goal
1 Defeat Returned bandits who are terrorizing the polis.
2 Defend a
contest of strength or dexterity to prove Iroas’s superiority over the other gods.
6 Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Mogis, Phenax, or Pharika).
(JASON CHAN) An Iroas Campaign A
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
tide and was killed, only after the heartbreak of witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir’s beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather
Strahd and his thirst for vengeance that those 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
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
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
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.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
more than create life—she could defeat death! She wished to breathe sentience into dead flesh and produce sturdier shells than the bodies of fragile, temporary mortals. She added corpse theft to her
rumors of a glowing woman wandering in the icy wastes. Since then, Mordenheim has continued her experiments on the dead and living, striving to recreate her successes and failing every time. Between
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Find and punish an unknown perpetrator who killed a unicorn, cut off its horn, and left its body to rot, and retrieve the horn.
5 Hunt a dangerous creature for a sacred feast.
6 Defeat a
hunt, only to find the feline waiting for her at the edge of a stream the next evening. The hunt resumed, but with the same outcome. It continued like that for some time, until Nylea began to grow
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
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.
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
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
one competitor Hazlik was unable to defeat: the Red Wizard Indreficus. Hazlik gradually came to fixate on Indreficus as his true rival. Indreficus shared Hazlik’s genius and arrogance, and they spent
impress his people’s rulers and gain their patronage. Instead, the zulkirs revealed that Indreficus had not betrayed him. Rather, the zulkirs had watched the pair’s ascent and, wary of their potential
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
Xanthoria’s Defeat Once Xanthoria is defeated, the characters find the last few pages of her notes among her possessions. They detail her growing obsession with undead and her success at turning
. Convincing Thunderwing to give up her life should be handled through roleplaying rather than ability checks, although you can require the characters to succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) group
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
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
concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
The Twelve Rather than working for one single house, your group could work for an organization that serves them all: the Twelve. This is a good option if you want to be involved in the intrigue among
functionally similar to a dragonmarked house. Rather than advancing one house’s interests, though, the Twelve seeks to advance magical developments that have practical value to society as well as potential for
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
rather than having incarnations rejoin the party on their own. Incarnations have no memory of how they came to be wherever they’re found. If a character dies during combat, their next incarnation shouldn’t
settlement they visited. This might occur minutes, days, or even years after the characters’ defeat. They’re then free to reattempt challenges, though the threats have likely recovered. Returned but
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
or more of these lairs in the course of the adventure. Thwarting the villains doesn’t require the characters to invade their lairs or defeat them in combat, so it’s possible to complete the adventure
unconscious rather than killed. Such characters might awaken in an alley, a sewer tunnel, or a prison cell, with or without their gear. Conversely, they might awaken safe and sound with all their gear in a private residence, being cared for by friendly NPCs who took them in.






