before bands defending come run

Gnoll Flesh Gnawer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

weapons speed and efficiency. In the thick of a fight, they dash across the battlefield, slashing and snarling as they run down stragglers and finish off wounded foes. Gnolls The first gnolls were

hyenas transformed by magic. Many of them were then corrupted by the demon lord Yeenoghu. Whether in service to Yeenoghu or dedicated to the survival of their kin, gnoll war bands seek to soften up

Gnoll Hunter

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

viciously barbed heads. Even when a hunter doesn’t kill their target with their first shot, the arrow strike brings so much pain that the victim is hobbled in its attempt to run away. Gnolls

bands seek to soften up foes with surprise attacks and to leave no survivors alive.Rampage. After the gnoll reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the gnoll moves up to half its speed and makes a Bite attack.

Duergar Stone Guard

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

concentration is broken (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment the duergar wears or carries is invisible with it.Stone guards are elite troops deployed in small numbers to bolster war bands of

;re exploring neighboring tunnels, defending their homes, engaging with their families, or crafting bold new works. The bonds of friendship and kinship are strong, though navigating the inevitable

Charlatan Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

Charity. I distribute the money I acquire to the people who really need it. (Good) 4 Creativity. I never run the same con twice. (Chaotic) 5 Friendship. Material goods come and go. Bonds of

weakness and secure their fortunes. 4 I put on new identities like clothes. 5 I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners. 6 I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard

Girallon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

ravines or shallow caves, or hide in ruined sites while waiting for prey to come near. A girallon is surprisingly stealthy, considering its size and its lack of camouflage. Girallons form loose bands

Bavlorna Blightstraw

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

moment, is all that matters.” Bond. “I’m safe in my cottage. Why should I leave it when I can make others come to me?" Flaw. “Watching someone run widdershins makes me sneeze

within 10 feet of Bavlorna uses at least 10 feet of movement to run in place counterclockwise, Bavlorna is overcome by a fit of sneezing and can’t cast spells until the end of her next turn. In

Spring Eladrin

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

dinner, come with an empty stomach. Their goodwill extends to heaping portions. Note to self: send some of my spring eladrin friends to visit Mordenkainen. That’ll teach him to lighten up. TASHA

others run through the emotional spectrum each week. Changeable Natures Whenever one of the eladrin presented here finishes a long rest, they can associate themself with a different season, provided

Autumn Eladrin

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

by feelings of goodwill. In this aspect, they defuse conflicts and alleviate suffering by using their magic to relieve any ailments that afflict the people who come to them for aid. They tolerate no

violence in their presence and move quickly to settle disputes, to ensure that peace continues to reign. If an autumn eladrin invites you over for dinner, come with an empty stomach. Their goodwill

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

invasion and oppression. Although individually they are timid and shy away from conflict, kobolds are dangerous if cornered, vicious when defending their eggs, and notorious for the dangerous

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

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

to begin your career as a mere attendant, you can aspire to become a skilled mage or alchemist, a laboratory supervisor, or even a flamethrower-wielding scorchbringer tasked with defending Izzet

suspension. 7 Great ideas are fine, but great results are what counts. 8 If you can guess what I’m about to do, that means I’ve run out of imagination. Ideals d6

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

bear or boar: stoic, stubborn, and thick-skinned. Longtooth shifters typically have lupine traits and prefer to run with a pack. Swiftstride are often predatory and feline, but a swiftstride could

. The Journey Yet to Come Shifters have a strong presence in the Eldeen Reaches but can be found in rural areas across Khorvaire, where they often live among humans. While they form powerful bonds

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Bands of orphans and runaways band together in the Outer City, running after passersby in ragged throngs to plead for scraps. In the Lower City, urchins are often recruited into the lowest echelons

. You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

and ruin. But for the last few generations, some bands among the tribes were tempted to settle, make peace, trade, and even to build towns. Perhaps this is why Uthgar chose to raise up the totems

among the people as living embodiments of his power. Perhaps they needed a reminder of who they were and from whence they came. The Chosen of Uthgar led bands back to the old ways, and most of your people

Pirate Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new. Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your Dungeon Master. Was it a merchant ship, a naval

board—boatswain, captain, navigator, cook, or some other position? Who were the captain and first mate? Did you leave your ship on good terms with your fellows, or on the run? You spent your youth

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate circumstances and embark on a better life? Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of

will run away from a fight. 2 Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it. 3 I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 I&rsquo

Sailor Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new. Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your Dungeon Master. Was it a merchant ship, a naval

board—boatswain, captain, navigator, cook, or some other position? Who were the captain and first mate? Did you leave your ship on good terms with your fellows, or on the run? Skill

Charlatan - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

. 5 I run sleight-of-hand cons on street corners. 6 I convince people that worthless junk is worth their hard-earned money. FEATURE: FALSE IDENTITY You have created a second

insults are my weapons of choice. 7 I keep multiple holy symbols on me and invoke whatever deity might come in useful at any given moment. 8 I pocket anything I see that might have some

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

visibly in the gem-like spines that run in a ridge from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. These spines hover above a living topaz dragon’s back, dancing and shifting with the dragon

, their favorite food is giant squid, so these dragons have ample opportunity to complain bitterly about being wet after diving deep into the ocean in search of prey. Topaz dragons often come into

Young Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

spines that run in a ridge from the crown of the head to the tip of the tail. These spines hover above a living topaz dragon’s back, dancing and shifting with the dragon’s mood. Embodiment of

squid, so these dragons have ample opportunity to complain bitterly about being wet after diving deep into the ocean in search of prey. Topaz dragons often come into conflict with bronze dragons when

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

warriors are commanded to scour the surrounding landscape for any opportunity to spill blood and bring glory to their gods. Often, bands of warriors work on a rotation, with one group heading out on a

area is at risk. If orcs come upon a target that is too large to assault directly, they will lurk along supply routes, taking out their frustration on caravans and travelers. Left unchecked, a tribe can

Siege of Lekar

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

involved. The following examples are just a few of the possibilities: Forced Conscripts. The characters run into an overwhelming force of Talons and are absorbed into its ranks. When zombies appear at the

city wall, the characters are offered their freedom in return for defending the city. Last Bastion. Far from Lekar, the characters fall in with local survivors who say the city is the country’s last

Haunted One

Backgrounds Curse of Strahd: Character Options

You are haunted by something so terrible that you dare not speak of it. You’ve tried to bury it and run away from it, to no avail. Whatever this thing is that haunts you can’t be slain

with a sword or banished with a spell. It might come to you as a shadow on the wall, a bloodcurdling nightmare, a memory that refuses to die, or a demonic whisper in the dark. The burden has taken its

Sailor - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

the bottomless depths. Your first love is the distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new. Discuss the nature of the ship you previously sailed with your

fellows, or on the run? Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s tools, vehicles (water) Equipment: A belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a lucky

14. Cave Bear Den

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

here. These mates attack anyone they don’t recognize, defending their young in area 14b. Gnawed bones cover the den’s floor. 14b. Young Cave Bears Two cave bear cubs (use the black bear statistics

) sleep and play here. Qurrok has hollowed out several large rocks for the young bears to run through and climb on.

Halfling Rangers

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

Halfling Rangers Most halflings who revere nature and its raw beauty come from lightfoot stock. Their bands spend at least as much time on the road and river as in village and town, and the role of a

Redbrand Ruffians Appear

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

the townsfolk, they might decide to confront the Redbrands. When they do, run the “Redbrand Ruffians” encounter. Alternatively, if the characters are reluctant to seek out the ruffians, the Redbrands can come looking for them at a time of your choosing.

Redbrand Ruffians Appear You can decide when the characters run into the Redbrands, the criminal gang that runs Phandalin. After the characters have visited several locations in town and talked to

Battle Begins

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

Battle Begins This section has no set timeline or specific goals beyond involving characters in Kalaman’s desperate defense. Roll on or choose the encounters you want to run from the Defending the

Wall table. These encounters are described below. Once you’re ready for the characters to begin their infiltration of the flying citadel, proceed with the “Dragonnel Reinforcements” section. Defending

Dragonmarked House Adventure Hooks

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

in bandit or monster activity in a nearby forest. 3 A hostel run by House Ghallanda has gained a reputation for being haunted, and the disturbances are growing more dangerous. 4 People healed at a

killed defending their charge from assassins, but manages to force the attackers to drop a clue to the identity of their employer. 8 The characters are hired to protect a crucial shipment aboard an

Uthgardt Tribe Member

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

collapsed into chaos and ruin. But for the last few generations, some bands among the tribes were tempted to settle, make peace, trade, and even to build towns. Perhaps this is why Uthgar chose to

raise up the totems among the people as living embodiments of his power. Perhaps they needed a reminder of who they were and from whence they came. The Chosen of Uthgar led bands back to the old ways

Running Social Interaction

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

, negotiate a treaty, or achieve some other objective. Successfully completing the encounter means achieving that goal. Some DMs run social interaction as a free-form roleplaying opportunity, where dice

rarely come into play. Other DMs resolve interactions by having characters make Charisma checks. Most games fall somewhere in between, balancing roleplaying with the occasional ability check.

People of Akros

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

martial bands, holding strong in the face of unbeatable odds. It sings of a great yearly competition that crowns the preeminent warrior-athlete in Akros, and—by extension—the world. The majority of

Akroan military. Stratians The Akroan military is formed of wandering bands of warriors (drawn from the lektoi families) known as stratians. Outside the walls of the Kolophon, the stratians camp in the

Three Flags Sailing

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Three Flags Sailing Tavern Fishers come here after a long day for a bowl of stew and a quick pint before heading to bed. The atmosphere is subdued; the fishers are cold and tired and unsure about

Icewind Dale’s future. The tavern is run by a plump, gray-haired widow named Ethen Yarbroul (neutral good human commoner), better known as “Ma.” She fusses over the fishers as if they were her children

Absent Players

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

background. This requires everyone to step out of the game world a bit and suspend disbelief, but it might be the easiest solution. Act as if the character were absent, but don’t try to come up with any

is elsewhere while the rest of the party continues the adventure. Come up with in-game reasons for the character to temporarily leave the party and rejoin later, such as following up on a rumor or

Vale of Dancing Waters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

became a sacred place where dwarves come to worship their gods. Some legends among the Stout Folk say the cellars of the ancient palace hide riches of the royal treasury of Besilmer. (Actually, the

palace collapsed long ago, but the shrine survives.) Recent sightings of monsters and roving bands of marauders in the Sumber Hills have alarmed the shield dwarf priests who tend the shrine. They worry

Social Interaction

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

treaty, or achieve whatever other objective led to the interaction in the first place. The creatures they interact with also have agendas. Some DMs prefer to run a social interaction as a free-form

roleplaying exercise, where dice rarely come into play. Other DMs prefer to resolve the outcome of an interaction by having characters make Charisma checks. Either approach works, and most games fall

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