before battle defending creatures react

Planar Ally

Spells Player’s Handbook

exchange for payment, but it isn’t obliged to do so. The requested task could range from simple (fly us across the chasm, or help us fight a battle) to complex (spy on our enemies, or protect us during

or magic items to an allied temple, while a Fiend might demand a living sacrifice or a gift of treasure. Some creatures might exchange their service for a quest undertaken by you. A task that can be

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.

Noggle Wild Mage

Monsters Lorwyn: First Light

. Such wild mages exist on the peripheries of noggle society as pariahs and vagabonds. Their innate magic becomes strongest when they are most desperate, such as in the heat of battle. Noggles Noggles

are bipedal, donkey-like Fey that delight in thievery and mischief. They enjoy stealing from other creatures not out of necessity, but out of principle. This principle can be summarized by a common

Sammaster (Dracolich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Sammaster fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Life Suppression. Creatures within 60 feet of Sammaster can’t regain Hit Points. Magic

rule Faerûn. His Cult of the Dragon devotes itself to helping evil dragons become dracoliches to bring this evil new age to fruition. Sammaster was killed in battle, but had prepared contingencies

Sammaster (Lich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Sammaster fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Life Suppression. Creatures within 60 feet of Sammaster can’t regain Hit Points. Magic

. His Cult of the Dragon devotes itself to helping evil dragons become dracoliches to bring this evil new age to fruition. Sammaster was killed in battle, but had prepared contingencies for his demise

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

early on the mount immediately after it attacks.Kavalrachni are duergar cavalry trained to fight while riding female steeder;female steeders or other Underdark creatures as mounts. Duergar Duergar

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

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

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

basic principles than those of warm-blooded creatures. Their dismal swamp homes might lie hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement, but the gap between their way of thinking and that of the

other humanoids. Like most reptiles, their feelings largely revolve around fear, aggression, and pleasure. Lizardfolk experience most feelings as detached descriptions of creatures and situations

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

Battle Standard of Infernal Power

Magic Items Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

This hell-forged battle standard is made of infernal iron and fitted with a small, unopenable cage containing a quasit. The trapped quasit is incapacitated, and its cage has AC 19, 10 hit points, and

you hold the banner, your weapon attacks and those of all allied creatures within 300 feet of you count as magical for the purposes of overcoming damage immunities and resistances.

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

Ogre Howdah

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Howdah. The ogre carries a compact fort on its back. Up to four Small creatures can ride in the fort without squeezing. To make a melee attack against a target within 5 feet of the ogre, they must

use spears or weapons with reach. Creatures in the fort have three-quarters cover against attacks and effects from outside it. If the ogre dies, creatures in the fort are placed in unoccupied spaces

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

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

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

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

Sahuagin Priestess Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

the sahuagin hunting horn — a call to raid and battle. Coastal settlers refer to sahuagin as “sea devils,” for sahuagin have no compassion in them, slaughtering the crews of ships and decimating coastal

villages. Devils of the Deep. Sahuagin are a predatory, piscine race that ventures from the ocean's black depths to hunt the creatures of the shallows and shore. Though they dwell in the deepest

Fensir Skirmisher

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

Ysgard: creatures slain on that plane return to life the next dawn. Thus, the giants’ incursion became a part of the eternal battle that rages across the plane. The trolls, whose fundamental

in the eternal battle. The transformation that created fensirs left them with an odd quirk to their regenerative powers: their regeneration doesn’t function in sunlight, and in fact, sunlight can turn these creatures to stone.

Minotaur Legacy

Monsters Basic Rules (2014)

"} piercing damage.Their fur stained with the blood of fallen foes, minotaurs are massive, bull-headed humanoids whose roar is a savage battle cry that all civilized creatures fear.

Gremishka

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

). Immediately after a creature within 30 feet of the gremishka casts a spell, the gremishka can spontaneously react to the magic. Roll a d6;{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Magic Allergy

the gremishka’s initiative.Gremishkas are the vicious products of mistakes made by novice spellcasters seeking to create life. The results are cat-sized, magically unstable creatures with

Circle of the Shepherd

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

play a role in the natural world, yet they focus on protecting animals and fey creatures that have difficulty defending themselves. Shepherds, as they are known, see such creatures as their charges

these druids are happiest far from cities and towns, content to spend their days in the company of animals and the fey creatures of the wilds. Members of this circle become adventurers to oppose

Sahuagin Baron Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

it. This is the sound of the sahuagin hunting horn — a call to raid and battle. Coastal settlers refer to sahuagin as “sea devils,” for sahuagin have no compassion in them

, slaughtering the crews of ships and decimating coastal villages. Devils of the Deep. Sahuagin are a predatory, piscine race that ventures from the ocean’s black depths to hunt the creatures of the

Duergar Warlord

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

, 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

Velomachus Lorehold

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

"} slashing damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, it is knocked prone. Battle Tide Breath (Recharge 5–6);{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"recharge","rollAction":"Battle Tide Breath

":"damage","rollAction":"Battle Tide Breath","rollDamageType":"force"} force damage and 45 (7d12);{"diceNotation":"7d12","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Battle Tide Breath","rollDamageType":"thunder

Cadaver Collector Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

. Cadaver collectors respond to a summons from a mortal only when they are called to the scene of a great battle — either where one is in progress, where one is imminent, or where one once took place

that accumulate on the construct's shell aren't just grisly battle trophies. A cadaver collector can summon the spirits of these cadavers to join battle with its enemies and to paralyze more

Space Swine

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

","rollAction":"Bite","rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage.Space swine are a species of winged boar bred by dohwar;dohwars for a variety of uses. They can serve as mounts for Small creatures, and they

also make fine trackers and capable beasts of burden. Space swine that are trained for battle are typically outfitted with half-plate barding and are referred to as death squealers. A fully grown

Headless Iron Golem

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

iron golem's shape can be worked into any form, though most are fashioned to look like giant suits of armor. Its fist can destroy creatures with a single blow, and its clanging steps shake the earth

. If the golem is left without instructions or is incapacitated, it continues to follow its last orders to the best of its ability. When it can't fulfill its orders, a golem might react violently — or

Emerald Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

psionic power to weave illusions to deceive and disorient. They cloak their own presence so they can observe other creatures without being discovered as they collect information on everything from local

. They usually know of places of power near their lairs and keep detailed records of how phenomena connected to those sites react to outside influences. They also avidly collect magic items and spells that

Fensir Devourer

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

Ysgard: creatures slain on that plane return to life the next dawn. Thus, the giants’ incursion became a part of the eternal battle that rages across the plane. The trolls, whose fundamental

use in the eternal battle. The transformation that created fensirs left them with an odd quirk to their regenerative powers: their regeneration doesn’t function in sunlight, and in fact, sunlight can turn these creatures to stone.

Orcsplitter

Magic Items Princes of the Apocalypse

defend dwarves and to serve as a symbol of dwarven resolve. It hates the traditional foes of dwarves — giants, goblins, and, most of all, orcs — and silently urges its possessor to meet such creatures in battle.

knows little more than the desire to face orcs in battle and serve a courageous, just wielder. It disdains cowards and any form of duplicity, deception, or disloyalty. The weapon’s purpose is to

Circle of the Shepherd (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

play a role in the natural world, yet they focus on protecting animals and fey creatures that have difficulty defending themselves. Shepherds, as they are known, see such creatures as their charges

these druids are happiest far from cities and towns, content to spend their days in the company of animals and the fey creatures of the wilds. Members of this circle become adventurers to oppose

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

make one weapon attack against another creature the duergar can see or to move up to 10 feet in a direction of the duergar’s choice. Creatures that can’t be charmed are immune to this

Phantom Warrior

Monsters Curse of Strahd

creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10);{"diceNotation":"1d10","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Incorporeal Movement","rollDamageType":"force"} force damage if it ends its

master or because it believes it must perform a task to satisfy its honor or sense of duty. For example, a guard who dies defending a wall might return as a phantom warrior and continue guarding the

Harmonium Captain

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

", "rollAction":"Dictate"}. The captain verbally commands up to three creatures it can see within 60 feet of itself. This magical command must be to undertake an action or to refrain from taking actions (for

patrols throughout Sigil. They bolster their subordinates in battle and bring the authority of the Harmonium crashing down on suspects with their commands.

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

. Beast Masters and Slave Drivers Goblins know they are a weak, unsophisticated race that can be easily dominated by bigger, smarter, more organized, more ferocious, or more magical creatures. Their god

Frost Giant (variant)

Monsters Storm King's Thunder

the net (AC 12) destroys the net and frees the target.Frost giants are creatures of ice and snow, with hair and beards of pale white or light blue, and flesh as blue as glacial ice. They respect only

brute strength and skill in battle. Some adult frost giants are skilled hunters who construct and hurl nets weighted down with fragments of metal or bone.Cold

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