before battle defending close run

Battle Smith

Classes Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

A Battle Smith is a combination of protector and medic, an expert at defending others and repairing both materiel and personnel. To aid in their work, Battle Smiths are accompanied by a Steel Defender, a protective companion of their own creation.

Drow House Captain

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

weapon.A drow house captain leads the troops of an Underdark faction, whether defending a stronghold or leading forces against enemies. These officers make extensive study of strategy and tactics to become

effective leaders in battle. Among Lolth’s devotees in the city of Menzoberranzan in the Forgotten Realms, each noble house entrusts the leadership of its military forces to a house captain, who

Android

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

android has one or more upgrades to help it excel at its intended functions, but all androids are capable of defending themselves with concentrated bolts of force up close or from a distance. Despite

Deep Crow

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

, echoing from the darkness like a death knell. For by the time those glowing red eyes fix on you, it's far too late to run … Some adventurers and sages whisper that deep crows were first spawned as

resembles a massive version of its namesake bird, this creature is a unique form of avian insect. Seen up close, it can easily be discerned from any other giant bird by its insectoid maw, its four-clawed

Living Demiplane

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

, an unfurnished stone chamber 30 feet in every dimension. A creature too big to fit in this space succeeds on the saving throw automatically. Creatures in the chamber never run out of breathable air

extradimensional chamber are expelled, appearing as close to the living spell's previous location as possible. Each expelled creature appears in a randomly determined unoccupied space, along with whatever it is

Battle Smith Legacy

Classes Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Armies require protection, and someone has to put things back together if defenses fail. A combination of protector and medic, a Battle Smith is an expert at defending others and repairing both

material and personnel. To aid in their work, Battle Smiths are usually accompanied by a steel defender, a protective companion of their own creation. Many soldiers tell stories of nearly dying

Duergar Stone Guard

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

neighbors. To this end, duergar warriors fulfill a variety of combat roles, often marrying their fury in battle with their psionic abilities or training dangerous Underdark creatures as mounts. Denigrated by

;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

Duergar Kavalrachni

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

their fury in battle with their psionic abilities or training dangerous Underdark creatures as mounts. Denigrated by some as joyless, duergar are in fact deeply passionate in all that they do—even

if that passion rarely manifests as mirth. They bring an emotional intensity to their lives, whether they’re exploring neighboring tunnels, defending their homes, engaging with their families

Duergar Despot

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

fury in battle with their psionic abilities or training dangerous Underdark creatures as mounts. Denigrated by some as joyless, duergar are in fact deeply passionate in all that they do—even if

that passion rarely manifests as mirth. They bring an emotional intensity to their lives, whether they’re exploring neighboring tunnels, defending their homes, engaging with their families, or

Steel Predator

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

bounds away in search of its prey. It senses the location of its target across planar boundaries, but such detection is accurate only to within a thousand yards; to close the remaining distance, the steel

predator locates its prey by sight and smell. Once battle is joined, the predator ignores every other threat to attack its target, unless other creatures prevent it from reaching the target. In that

Mister Witch

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

company of their eldest son, Urmius Umbrage—a brooding shadar-kai ne’er do-well with a cruel sense of humor. Naeryx and Urmius were close in age and got along well in all respects. Years later

, without informing the rest of his family, Urmius bought a run-down carnival and persuaded Naeryx to help him operate it. Naeryx and Urmius—now calling themselves Mister Witch and Mister Light

Duergar Soulblade

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Underdark, duergar must constantly be on guard against the raids and plots of their neighbors. To this end, duergar warriors fulfill a variety of combat roles, often marrying their fury in battle with

manifests as mirth. They bring an emotional intensity to their lives, whether they’re exploring neighboring tunnels, defending their homes, engaging with their families, or crafting bold new works

Duergar Xarrorn

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

guard against the raids and plots of their neighbors. To this end, duergar warriors fulfill a variety of combat roles, often marrying their fury in battle with their psionic abilities or training

emotional intensity to their lives, whether they’re exploring neighboring tunnels, defending their homes, engaging with their families, or crafting bold new works. The bonds of friendship and kinship

Duergar Warlord

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, inspiring, and merciless in equal parts. A skilled leader in battle, the warlord can use spikes of psionic energy to compel the warriors they command to fight harder. Duergar Duergar are dwarves of

battle with their psionic abilities or training dangerous Underdark creatures as mounts. Denigrated by some as joyless, duergar are in fact deeply passionate in all that they do—even if that

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

gnomes and other humanoids, the kobolds instinctively attack the gnomes. Kobolds in battle with gnomes are much less likely to run away because their hatred overrules their sense of self-preservation

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

Needle Lord

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

dormant until a humanoid dies near it or a humanoid corpse is dragged close by, whereupon the pod burrows into the corpse's decaying flesh and sprouts ropey vines covered in long, sharp needles. The vines

wrap around the corpse to animate it, causing it to rise and lurch about like a zombie. Invasive Species. When a great battle is fought in a fey woodland, the plants of the wood sometimes take on the

Catoblepas

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

of carrion, and wallowing in mire. A catoblepas might be found with the one mate it chooses for life and, on occasion, with a calf. A catoblepas attacks anyone that moves too close, especially if

, drinking the monsters’ milk and using them as guardians or pets. Other legends say that those of impure heart can tame a catoblepas and whisper of malevolent warlocks and wicked knights who ride them into battle.

Bugbear Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

. Shiftless, Savage Layabouts When they’re not in battle, bugbears spend much of their time resting or dozing. They don’t engage in crafting or agriculture to any great extent, or

deities who are brothers, Hruggek and Grankhul. Hruggek is the fearsome elder sibling, possessed of legendary might and prowess in battle. Bugbears believe their strength and bravery come from him

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the plane of Acheron. It is there in the afterlife where the chosen ones will join Gruumsh and his armies in their endless extraplanar battle for supremacy. Gods of the Orcs Orcs believe their gods

gather and celebrate, dwell the followers of Yurtrus, the god of disease and death, and Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Orcs too weak for battle (because of bodily weakness, malformation

Duergar Mind Master

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

this end, duergar warriors fulfill a variety of combat roles, often marrying their fury in battle with their psionic abilities or training dangerous Underdark creatures as mounts. Denigrated by some

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 outbursts

Boros Legionnaire

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

;s wing, a tattered piece of a Boros banner (a souvenir from a famous battle), a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 2 gp (Boros-minted 1-zino coins) Feature: Legion Station You have

. 6 I do what I can to help out the spouse of a comrade who died in battle. Flaws d6 Flaw 1 I act bravely when I’m in a group, but I’m a coward when I&rsquo

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

, you are connected to every other member in some way or another. Convinced that the rest of the world is out to get you, you find it easy to form close bonds with your guild mates, and harder to make

joined the Gruul in a battle against the Boros once, and the sergeant of that Boros squad would love to prove that it was me. 3 I had a romance with a Dimir agent whom I still feed secrets to

Emerald Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

least get close without arousing suspicion. Once in a position to observe, the dragon studies the day-to-day life of local folk, with a keen interest in any magical phenomena. Emerald dragons&rsquo

witness to a murder but doesn’t want to be found or identified. 2 An emerald dragon seeks heroes to participate in a dramatic reenactment of a legendary battle involving dragon riders

Centaur Legacy

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

freedom to travel. As much as they can, centaurs run — in wide plazas, spacious parks, and expanses of rubble and ruin. They race the wind, hooves thundering and tails streaming behind them

the Gruul and the Selesnya they are voices of memory and history, preserving old ways and keeping alive the legends of ancestral heroes. They feel a close kinship with wild animals, perhaps because of

Young Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

, or at least get close without arousing suspicion. Once in a position to observe, the dragon studies the day-to-day life of local folk, with a keen interest in any magical phenomena. Emerald dragons

the only witness to a murder but doesn’t want to be found or identified. 2 An emerald dragon seeks heroes to participate in a dramatic reenactment of a legendary battle involving dragon

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

Ancient Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

seeks adventurers to lead into battle against the mind flayer;mind flayers that usurped the dragon’s lair. 4 Powerful infernal creatures have opened a portal in the middle of a city square

their army in battle centuries ago. 3 An ancient sapphire dragon guards the phylactery of a lich who helped the dragon establish a lair centuries before becoming Undead. 4 Lolth the Spider

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

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

appreciation for the finer things! — Volo Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully. Cunning in battle and

traps, snares, and nets to catch the unwary, and when their hunting patrols encounter other beings, they always look for ways to capture their foes instead of killing them. Goblins that run up against

Special NPCs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

the player characters, rather than have the players run the NPCs in addition to their own characters. If the NPCs survive the battle, award one special quest per character in the party.

Special NPCs In this chapter, each player runs not only a player character but also an NPC who has ties to the settlement that the characters are defending. Once you’ve determined where the adventure

Running the Siege

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

Running the Siege You have a few options on how to run the battle. Consider the following: You can treat each defender and orc as an individual, and run the combat as a long, complex encounter. If

you do so, the players should control some of the NPCs. You can streamline parts of the fight. The map of the ranch has been divided into specific zones, and you can run regular battles only in the zone

Criminal - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Guild. If either of them ever finds out, your life as you know it will be over. 6 A close friend or relative joined the Guild and vanished mysteriously. You’ve worked your way into the lower

tail and run when things look bad. 6 An innocent person is in prison for a crime that I committed. I’m okay with that.

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.

Gruul Anarch

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

siblings or ancestors.] Flaws d6 Flaw 1 If you question my courage, I will never back down. 2 HrrrGGGAAAARRuuuh! [My anger in battle led to the death of a loved one

work in a raid, but seems to think that I’m not like other Gruul. 7 I foolishly borrowed money from an Orzhov syndic to indulge a shameful vice. 8 A close friend left our clan and

Adult Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

close without arousing suspicion. Once in a position to observe, the dragon studies the day-to-day life of local folk, with a keen interest in any magical phenomena. Emerald dragons&rsquo

a murder but doesn’t want to be found or identified. 2 An emerald dragon seeks heroes to participate in a dramatic reenactment of a legendary battle involving dragon riders. 3 An

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