before battle diffusing combatant rule

Eye and Hand of Vecna

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide

a lich. A treacherous lieutenant named Kas the Betrayer;Kas brought Vecna’s rule to an end in a terrible battle. Of Vecna, all that remained were one hand and one eye, grisly Artifacts that

Sammaster (Dracolich Form)

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

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

as leader of these disparate zealots, whom he named the Cult of the Dragon. He perverted their fascination with his necromantic lore, revealing that dracoliches were destined to 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 for his demise

Jarund Elkhardt

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

in battle. The strain of his long years of rule is etched on his weather-worn face. Jarund's late son, Jarund Twice-Born, was killed almost a decade ago while trying to bring down a cave bear, leaving

Planar Ally Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

service in 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

rule of thumb, a task that can be measured in minutes requires a payment worth 100 gp per minute. A task measured in hours requires 1,000 gp per hour. And a task measured in days (up to 10 days) requires

Way of the Drunken Master

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats. A drunken

master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe. Way

Way of the Drunken Master (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

incompetent combatant who proves frustrating to engage. The drunken master’s erratic stumbles conceal a carefully executed dance of blocks, parries, advances, attacks, and retreats. A drunken

master often enjoys playing the fool to bring gladness to the despondent or to demonstrate humility to the arrogant, but when battle is joined, the drunken master can be a maddening, masterful foe. Way

Oath of Conquest

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

The Oath of Conquest calls to paladins who seek glory in battle and the subjugation of their enemies. It isn’t enough for these paladins to establish order. They must crush the forces of chaos

to consort with the powers of the Nine Hells, valuing the rule of law over the balm of mercy. The archdevil Bel, warlord of Avernus, counts many of these paladins — called hell knights &mdash

Oath of Conquest (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

The Oath of Conquest calls to paladins who seek glory in battle and the subjugation of their enemies. It isn’t enough for these paladins to establish order. They must crush the forces of chaos

to consort with the powers of the Nine Hells, valuing the rule of law over the balm of mercy. The archdevil Bel, warlord of Avernus, counts many of these paladins — called hell knights &mdash

Needle Lord

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

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

implacable foe. Driven only by a desire to conquer and rule, it wages endless war with its army of mobile dead against all creatures it views as a threat to its domination. It might even forge treaties with

Choldrith

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

spiderlike creatures originally created to serve Lolth. They rule colonies of chitine;chitines and lead them into battle in Lolth’s war against her enemies. When devotees of Lolth created the first

Eye and Hand of Vecna Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

’s lieutenant Kas coveted the Spider Throne for himself, or that the sword his lord made for him seduced him into rebellion. Whatever the reason, Kas brought the Undying King’s rule to an

end in a terrible battle that left Vecna’s tower a heap of ash. Of Vecna, all that remained were one hand and one eye, grisly artifacts that still seek to work the Whispered One’s will in

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

Marine

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

You were trained for battle on sandy beaches and rocky shores. You have launched midnight raids from swift ships whose names evoke terror in the hearts of your adversaries. The water is your second

home, the rain your shelter, and the crashing waves your battle cry. Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (water, land) Equipment: A dagger that

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

Minotaur

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

carve their horns to sharpen their edges, etch symbols of power into them, or sheathe them in bronze to prevent them from shattering during battle. Thick hair extends down minotaurs’ necks and

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method

Priest of Osybus (Ectoplasmic)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

and psychic damage. It has 15 hit points, but it regains all its hit points at the end of every combatant’s turn.Multiattack. The priest attacks twice. Soul Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5

raised alarms far and wide. In response, the Ulmist Inquisition and the then-mortal Count Strahd von Zarovich faced the lich in battle. Their bravery would have been for naught if Osybus’s

Priest of Osybus (Spectral)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

15, and it is immune to poison and psychic damage. It has 15 hit points, but it regains all its hit points at the end of every combatant’s turn.Multiattack. The priest attacks twice. Soul Blade

wide. In response, the Ulmist Inquisition and the then-mortal Count Strahd von Zarovich faced the lich in battle. Their bravery would have been for naught if Osybus’s disciples hadn’t

Priest of Osybus (Vampiric)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

points, but it regains all its hit points at the end of every combatant’s turn.Multiattack. The priest attacks twice. Soul Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5;{"diceNotation":"1d20+5","rollType":"to

Strahd von Zarovich faced the lich in battle. Their bravery would have been for naught if Osybus’s disciples hadn’t betrayed him. Fearing that their master would eventually consume their

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

goblin tribe has to nobility is the caste of lashers — families of goblins trained in the ways of battle, and also possessed of key skills such as strategy, trap-building, beast taming, mining

Priest of Osybus (Dread)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

it is immune to poison and psychic damage. It has 15 hit points, but it regains all its hit points at the end of every combatant’s turn.Multiattack. The priest attacks twice. Soul Blade. Melee

response, the Ulmist Inquisition and the then-mortal Count Strahd von Zarovich faced the lich in battle. Their bravery would have been for naught if Osybus’s disciples hadn’t betrayed him

Priest of Osybus

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

it regains all its hit points at the end of every combatant’s turn.Multiattack. The priest attacks twice. Soul Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5;{"diceNotation":"1d20+5","rollType":"to hit

von Zarovich faced the lich in battle. Their bravery would have been for naught if Osybus’s disciples hadn’t betrayed him. Fearing that their master would eventually consume their souls

Priest of Osybus (Blazing)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

poison and psychic damage. It has 15 hit points, but it regains all its hit points at the end of every combatant’s turn.Multiattack. The priest uses Fire Ray twice. Fire Ray. Ranged Spell

threat posed by Osybus and his disciples raised alarms far and wide. In response, the Ulmist Inquisition and the then-mortal Count Strahd von Zarovich faced the lich in battle. Their bravery would have

Priest of Osybus (Deathly)

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

point. The tattoo is otherwise an object with AC 15, and it is immune to poison and psychic damage. It has 15 hit points, but it regains all its hit points at the end of every combatant’s

faced the lich in battle. Their bravery would have been for naught if Osybus’s disciples hadn’t betrayed him. Fearing that their master would eventually consume their souls, the disciples

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

, knocking their blows aside and sending them reeling, until at last she stands alone. Taking a deep breath, a human covered in tattoos settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs reach him, he

seriously, approaching their adventures as personal tests of their physical and spiritual growth. As a rule, monks care little for material wealth and are driven by a desire to accomplish a greater

Knight of the Order

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

important than the gear and fighting style of its members, and so most of these orders aren’t limited to fighting types, but are open to all sorts of folk who are willing to battle and die for the

and responsibility to rule, and the demigod is incarnated as a different noble mortal in each generation. By the decree of the Siamorphe at that time, the Knights of the Silver Chalice took it upon

Initiative Variants

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

Initiative Variants This section offers different ways to handle initiative. Initiative Score With this optional rule, creature don’t roll initiative at the start of combat. Instead, each creature

remembering where you are in the list can bog the game down. If you want quicker combats, at the risk of those combats becoming unbalanced, try using the side initiative rule. Under this variant, the

Rule of Matriarchs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

Rule of Matriarchs Females are the top figures in drow society. At the head of each house is someone who is a shrewd business operator, a skilled tactician, a high priestess of Lolth, and probably

never direct and is always paved with death. A male drow can advance in standing as a combatant, a consort, or both. Physical beauty and fitness are highly prized in male drow, and those who are

Keeping Combat Moving

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

. See “Fight or Flight” later in this chapter for more suggestions. Add a Combatant To add excitement to a battle, consider adding a combatant. Maybe a monstrous predator wanders onto the scene where the

characters are locked in battle with another foe. Or maybe the noise of the ongoing combat attracts the attention of nearby dungeon denizens. The new combatant might attack both the characters and

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

. (Good) 3 Honor. If I dishonor myself, I dishonor my whole clan. (Lawful) 4 Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil) 5 Nature. The natural world is more important than all the

constructs of civilization. (Neutral) 6 Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any) d6 Bond 1 My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing

Chapter 11: Crowning Moment

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

the funeral of Emperor Xavan. When Xedalli challenges her brother’s claim to the throne and names the characters as her champions, the heroes must do battle with a zodar (see Boo’s Astral Menagerie) to decide who will rule as the next emperor.

ships and the host of solar dragons guarding the magnificent citadel of the Xaryxian Empire. Though the battle was lost, hope remains! The characters’ arrival at the imperial citadel coincides with

Sahuagin Priest

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

Sahuagin Priest Sahuagin priests serve the will of Sekolah or other fiendish masters. They direct and support other sahuagin, and they consider every combatant that falls in battle—whether enemy or

Attack Rolls

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

. Weapons that have the finesse or thrown property break this rule. Some spells also require an attack roll. The ability modifier used for a spell attack depends on the spellcasting ability of the

Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss. If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC

Dragon Campaigns

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

dragonriders in opposing armies—battle in the temple of the Dragon Queen Krynn. The home of the Dragonlance setting is the battleground for an unending conflict between Bahamut and Tiamat. Tiamat commands

armies of draconians (described in chapter 6) formed from the corrupted eggs of metallic dragons, while heroes and villains alike ride mighty dragons into battle. Council of Wyrms. The Io’s Blood isles

Ysgard

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

not only against the plane itself, but also against giants, dragons, and other terrible creatures that thunder across Ysgard’s vast terrain. Optional Rule: Immortal Wrath Ysgard is the home of slain

heroes who wage eternal battle on fields of glory. Any creature, other than a construct or undead, that is killed by an attack or a spell while on Ysgard is restored to life at dawn the next day. The

D&D Beyond

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