before battle diffusing coming reality

Quandrix Professor of Theory

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

minds, probability, and the fabric of magic itself. Their equations shift perceptions in profound ways, alter probability, and interfere with the formation of other magic. In battle, the professors tweak

interacts with the world can change the world. They impress upon their students to use magic as a tool to shape the overall experience of reality, and in turn make the world a better place. Quandrix

Minotaur Legacy

Species Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

The minotaurs of Ravnica are strong in body, dedication, and courage. They are at home on the battlefield, willing to fight for their various causes. They combine a burning fury in battle with keen

tails, but minotaurs of the Ordruun clan (and some others) have their tails docked as part of a coming-of-age ceremony; they find the heavy armor of the Boros legion much more comfortable without a long

Eye and Hand of Vecna Legacy

Magic Items Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

power, Vecna couldn’t escape his own mortality. He began to fear death and take steps to prevent his end from ever coming about. Orcus, the demon prince of undeath, taught Vecna a ritual that

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

Deck of Many Things Legacy

Magic Items Basic Rules (2014)

property vanishes. Businesses, buildings, and land you own are lost in a way that alters reality the least. Any documentation that proves you should own something lost to this card also disappears

you, warning all others that you must win the battle alone. The avatar fights until you die or it drops to 0 hit points, whereupon it disappears. If anyone tries to help you, the helper summons its

Verdan

Species Acquisitions Incorporated

. Reality is a descent into chaos punctuated by brief flashes of order, whence we arose and so imagine it to be the norm rather than a distant outlier. That-Which-Endures held entropy back for a mere instant

the character of the different cultures these folk have encountered since coming out into the sunlight. When a group of verdan live near dwarves, they might take on more dwarven-sounding names, only

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

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

homeland. 4 I am the last of my tribe, and it is up to me to ensure their names enter legend. 5 I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it. 6 It is my

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

. The reality of the dangers they faced eventually sank in, as did Lurue’s tenets. Over time the small group grew and spread, gaining a following in places as far as Cormyr. The Knights of the

Deck of Several Things

Magic Items Lost Laboratory of Kwalish

adventure. The Fates. Reality’s fabric unravels and spins anew, allowing you to avoid or erase one event as if it never happened. You can use the card’s magic as soon as you draw the card

tattered black robe. It appears in a space of the DM’s choice within 10 feet of you and attacks you, warning all others that you must win the battle alone. The avatar fights until you die or it

The Battle Begins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

south gate begins to toll urgently. A cry goes up from the wall as troops dash to man their positions: “The dead! The dead are coming!” The Battle of Leilon has begun.

The Battle Begins When the battle begins, read the following boxed text aloud: The night is dark, and torrential rain beats down on the rooftops. An hour before dawn, the bell on the newly erected

Portents of War

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

, is preparing her clan for battle against a terrible enemy: the sahuagin. The peaceful town of Saltmarsh knows nothing of the coming war, or the fact that a sahuagin invasion threatens them as much as the lizardfolk do.

Journey Back to Leilon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

the coming battle. There is one invisible stalker per two members of the party, including sidekicks. The encounter begins when the characters hear the captain yell from his cabin as he is attacked

. The stalkers fight to the death. Storm Galas Windrage creates a storm to distract the characters and their allies before the coming battle. When the storm begins, read the following boxed text aloud

Stage 2: Little Inn of Horrors

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

Stage 2: Little Inn of Horrors The Test Market warps reality the moment any character opens a door within the Dran & Courtier. The first time this happens, all the characters find themselves back in

fight is done, the characters hear noise from the kitchen. As the battle ends, you hear a muffled thumping sound, as if something is striking wood. The sound comes from the kitchen. The characters

Going in Style

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

have plenty to do on board, as seen in the next section. Appendix C provides combat statistics for the battle balloon (because you know that’s coming), so assume that a suitable number of crew are

play with one of Acquisitions Incorporated’s most sought-after assets — a battle balloon. The characters can report back the outcome of their Horn Enclave mission to Flabbergast or Omin Dran, or Head

Bring It to an End

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

Bring It to an End The climactic ending of an adventure fulfills the promise of all that came before. The best climax is one the players see coming, so if a dragon is the mastermind behind all the

nefarious activity happening in an adventure, having the dragon’s minions mention the nature of their boss sets up the coming climactic encounter. Although the climax must hinge on the successes and

Minor Factions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

Minor Factions In addition to the ascendant factions, Sigil contains a host of minor factions—up-and-coming philosophies, those that have seen a resurgence of members, and once-ascendant factions

absorbing magic and mastering its rules, one can rewrite reality. Ring Givers Who Give as Much as They Get Factol: Jeremo the Natterer Headquarters: None Aligned Plane: Ysgard Members: Altruists

17. Abandoned Residences

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

walls beyond your circle of light. The air is cold and damp, and you can hear a waterfall somewhere in the blackness, along with faint echoes of battle. The echoes of battle are always in the

coming! Everyone must hide!” It then flees. The characters can follow the fleeing ghost to an old burrow, where it disappears. Within the burrow, Udhask’s skeletal remains lie next to a stone bed

Tracking Kas

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

battle coming from the northwest. Interrogating Demons If the characters defeat and interrogate the demons in this area, they learn that a powerful vampire made haste recently toward the northwest. The

News from the Front

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

nears, she yells, “They’re coming! Evacuate now! The Dragon Ar—” The message is cut short as a squat, hooded figure launches from the nearby clifftops and slams into the rider’s back, sending horse

and rider tumbling. The rider is a scout sent by Becklin to alert Vogler to evacuate immediately. When the characters arrive, the rider’s horse is dead and she is locked in battle with her attacker, a

9. Death's Head Watch Post

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

of the hobgoblin phalanx in area 9c. 9a. Training Room Characters who listen at the door hear guttural cheers coming from within. The room contains six hobgoblins. Two are engaged in mock swordplay

rows of ten, facing west. As she reaches dramatic peaks in the liturgy, the hobgoblins grunt and nod approvingly, banging their fists on their armor. The hobgoblins attack intruders on sight. A battle

D7. Temple

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

. If Grumink knows the characters are coming, refer to the “Dwarves Alerted” section instead. Grumink is hostile toward the characters in either scenario, mistaking them for competitors. Dwarves at

damage on a hit). Without shields, these guards have AC 14. Dwarves Alerted If the characters are coming from a big fight in the courtyard (area D3), Grumink the Renegade (see chapter 7) is here with

Playing During the Last War

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

political intrigue, tenuous alliances, and brutal conflicts. Consider these ways to make the Last War a present reality in your campaign: The players create new characters who live during a specific phase of

in a memorable battle? Do they take actions they’ll later regret? Do they make a bitter enemy who comes back to haunt them years later, when the campaign continues in the present day? A magical

Gods of Theros

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

as she watched their battle unfold. —Jenna Helland, Godsend Responding to a single sailor’s slight, vengeful Keranos, god of storms, sends lightning to strike a Meletian galley on the Siren Sea

higher reality, perhaps Nyx itself. And other people, particularly leonin, believe that the gods are undeserving of mortal reverence.

Tracking Initiative

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

whiteboard on a wall or propped up nearby A battle mat you use for miniatures Folded index cards for each character and each group of identical monsters, placed like tents in Initiative order across the top of

aware of the order of play. Players know when their characters’ turns are coming up so they can plan their actions in advance. An open list also lets the players know when the monsters act in the fight, although you can hold off on adding monsters to the list until they take their first turns.

Recent Events in Phandalin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

franchise soon got to work on restoring the manor, frequently coming to town for supplies. When not slipping off to adventure for a few days here and there, most of their time was spent at the manor

commotion of a battle. No one was really keen to investigate, wanting to avoid any trouble that the Fellowship of the Golden Mongoose had brought on themselves. (Adventurers, right?) But after a few days

Keranos's Champions

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

Find a long-lost artifact that bestows oracular visions upon the user. 5 Defeat the champion of another god in a battle of wits (perhaps Phenax, Mogis, or Klothys). 6 Find and restore a

prophecies, potentially drawing in secrets of the other gods or of reality itself. It is relatively easy for a mortal to lose Keranos’s favor because the god is quick to anger and doesn’t suffer failure

Rage of Demons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

of light. The demons are coming. The demon lords described in appendix D of this adventure all appear in the final battle, with the following exceptions: If Fraz-Urb’luu was not sent back to the

comprehend, and the terrible battle begins. OPTION: JIMJAR'S LAST GAMBLE If the adventurers need some extra help in their epic final battle at the end of the campaign, consider the following option

Classes Summary

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

who can enter a battle rage d12 Strength Strength & Constitution Light and medium armor, shields, simple and martial weapons Bard An inspiring magician whose power echoes the music of

derived from a bargain with an extraplanar entity d8 Charisma Wisdom & Charisma Light armor, simple weapons Wizard A scholarly magic-user capable of manipulating the structures of reality d6 Intelligence Intelligence & Wisdom Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows

15. The Great Hall

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a3

15. The Great Hall This hallway is twenty feet wide and has piles of rubble and debris scattered along its length. The walls are covered with frescoes. The south wall displays scenes of a battle

. The hallway extends only 5 feet beyond the arch. The western wall is a cleverly painted mural designed to give the illusion of depth and reality, and the obscuring effect of the poison gas contributes

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

Princes and Scorpions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

battle, both princes thank the characters for their assistance. Kirina, Prince of Niba As the eldest son of the king of Niba, Kirina (chaotic evil, human veteran) was raised knowing he might be named

empire, it would be a point of pride for the whole land—so Simbon feels obligated to act as though he wants to be Empress Inaya’s heir. In reality, Simbon believes his poor tactical mind and hedonistic

Boros Angels

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

evil and oppression. They are commanders, advisors, strategists, and soldiers. Their presence in battle inspires the mortal soldiers of the legion with righteous zeal. Most Boros soldiers assume that

angels are paragons of goodness, wisdom, and mercy. The reality is that angels aren’t immune to the temptations of corruption, and the necessities of political machination can compromise the best of them

Giants and Other Ancients

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

decide to create a campaign where the conflicts among the ancients, like the Thousand-Year War between giants and dragons in the Forgotten Realms, are not a matter of ancient history but a present reality

between the warring parties are isolated events along the lines of the world-shaking events described in “Campaign Events.” You might begin the campaign with one such battle, have the adventurers

Facing the Dean

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

. In the course of the battle, Tullus speaks mechanically, making threatening declarations such as “You can’t stop what’s coming.” A character who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check can tell the

. Throughout the battle, Tullus clutches the green orb. The wicked mage Murgaxor controls her through this device, but separating her from the orb doesn’t break Murgaxor’s control. When Tullus is defeated or

Goblinoids (Heirs of Dhakaan)

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

Goblinoids (Heirs of Dhakaan) War drums are sounding in the depths beneath Darguun. Bugbear champions hone their adamantine greatswords, and hobgoblin dirge singers call the legions to battle. The

warriors of Dhakaan are preparing to reclaim their stolen lands, and the nations of Khorvaire have no idea what’s coming. During the struggle with the daelkyr, some Dhakaani leaders saw the madness

Large Groups

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

quick recap of the state of the battle. How many foes are still standing, and how hurt do they look? What’s the most immediate threat to that character? Make Initiative Obvious. Display the Initiative

order to your players so they each know when their character’s turn is coming up and can think ahead about what their character will do on their next turn. Using Initiative scores (see “Running

D&D Beyond

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