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Returning 35 results for 'before battle down corpses run'.
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Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
great battle—either where one is in progress, where one is imminent, or where one once took place. They encase themselves in the armor and weapons of fallen warriors and impale the corpses of those
warriors on the lances and other weapons embedded in their salvaged armor.
Corpses that accumulate on a cadaver collector’s shell aren’t just grisly battle trophies. A cadaver collector
Cadaver Collector
Legacy
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Monsters
Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
back to Acheron, but if a summoner comes to a bad end, a cadaver collector might wander the Material Plane for centuries, collecting corpses while searching for a way to return home.
Sweeping the Dead
. 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
Monsters
Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
damage.A wise ranger knows that the sight of a needle spawn is an ill omen, for it heralds the rise of a dreaded needle lord and a war for the soul of a forest.
Roving Corpses. Needle spawn are created
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
Kobold
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
populated areas, practice cannibalism, believing it is foolish to waste good meat.
In any case, kobolds that eat humanoids don’t simply start consuming corpses or prisoners right after a battle
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
Monsters
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
life. In battle, they are deadly foes, channeling the Cataclysmic fire that limns their bones and fuels their breath. They take cruel delight in snatching foes in their jaws, rushing into the air, then
Cataclysmic fire, which it can unleash in a horrific mockery of the breath weapon it possessed in life. The breath snuffs out life force and infuses undeath into corpses it touches. These zombie;zombies burn
Goblin
Legacy
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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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
4. Abandoned Camp The Xanathar Guild had a base camp here, but it was forced to abandon the place after a run-in with the Fine Fellows of Daggerford. This room is strewn with rotten supplies and the
remains of a fire pit. Three bugbear corpses and an intellect devourer’s body are heaped in the northeast corner. Searching the corpses reveals a scrap of parchment with the following phrase written
Aarakocra
Legacy
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Species
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
letting the thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they prove dynamic and acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or talons before turning and flying
lies on the slopes of the Star Mounts’ southernmost mountains. At the headwaters of the Unicorn Run, the Last Aerie is home to several dozen aarakocra. Recently, aarakocra elders detected
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Material Plane for centuries, collecting corpses while searching for a way to return home. A cadaver collector responds to a summons from a mortal only if it is called to the scene of a great battle
—either where one is in progress, where one is imminent, or where one once took place. The collector encases itself in the armor and weapons of fallen warriors, and it impales the corpses of those
compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->One-Shot Wonders: Holiday Adventure Pack
One-Shot Wonders The one-shots and battle maps in this collection are based on the adventure design of One-Shot Wonders and The Map Library, the multi-award-winning book and map compendium by Roll
& Play Press. One-Shot Wonders is full of ready-to-run adventures designed for easy prep and maximum impact. Each session plan breaks down the key characters, locations and plot points you need to run a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse
Material Plane for centuries, collecting corpses while searching for a way to return home. Cadaver collectors respond to a summons from a mortal only when they are called to the scene of a great battle
the lances and other weapons embedded in their salvaged armor. Corpses that accumulate on a cadaver collector’s shell aren’t just grisly battle trophies. A cadaver collector can summon the spirits of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
Developments This battle will likely be a challenge to run. It is designed to create an emotional low spot in the adventure, during which overall defeat for the forces of good looks like a real
possibility. Character death—even if temporary—can crush some players’ spirits. For those players, don’t make this battle just a relentless slog toward death. Give the adventurers opportunities to save
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
Developments This battle will likely be a challenge to run. It is designed to create an emotional low spot in the adventure, during which overall defeat for the forces of good looks like a real
possibility. Character death — even if temporary — can crush some players’ spirits. For those players, don’t make this battle just a relentless slog toward death. Give the adventurers opportunities to save
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
might also encounter small packs of skeletons, zombies, and ghouls that Muiral has created by casting animate dead and create undead spells on drow corpses. These undead shouldn’t pose much of a threat
+ 2 drow elite warriors wearing the insignia of House Auvryndar. The leader of such a patrol is always a female drow who reports directly to Zress Orlezziir. Most drow patrols are spoiling for a fight; if a battle turns against them, however, they withdraw to a more defensible location.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
impale the corpses of those warriors on the lances and other weapons embedded in their salvaged armor. Conjured Berserkers. Corpses that accumulate on the construct’s shell aren’t just grisly battle
might wander the Material Plane for centuries, collecting corpses while searching for a way to return home. Sweeping the Dead. Cadaver collectors respond to a summons from a mortal only when they are
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Morale Some combatants might run away when a fight turns against them. You can use this optional rule to help determine when monsters and NPCs flee. A creature might flee under any of the following
circumstances: The creature is surprised. The creature is reduced to half its hit points or fewer for the first time in the battle. The creature has no way to harm the opposing side on its turn. A
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
enjoy or the DMs trading focus from session to session. One DM might run combat description and keep a battle moving while the other focuses on miniatures and music. The two DMs can play two different
characters step out of the action when their players take their turns as DM.
Joint DMs can also team up to run each session of a campaign, with each DM focusing on the aspects of the game they most
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
. They have no concern for the implications of their actions, which could be a precursor to war. The smugglers currently run weapons for a clan of lizardfolk living near Saltmarsh whose queen, Othokent
, 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.
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
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.
, give one NPC to each player and put the extra NPCs aside. These leftover NPCs don’t participate in the battle. After giving out the NPCs, read the following explanatory text to the players: In addition
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
Gargenhale’s Fleet Whether the characters head for Gargenhale’s fleet or immediately set sail for Doomspace, their course takes them toward the wreckage of a recent battle: Dead ahead, you see a
events occur in sequence: Crimson Flag. A blood-red pirate flag drifting in space becomes snagged on the Second Wind’s ballista. Drifting Corpses. Two human corpses drift close to the Second Wind. As
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves
retired from adventuring after their heroic effort to defeat a cult of Orcus that had established a temple in the nearby mountains. The tavern is now run by their heir and decorated with trophies of their
countenance.
“Evil has returned to the temple,” they tell you.
“Shambling corpses rove the area at night and dig up old graves, accompanied by ominous figures wearing crimson robes and goat masks
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
. Both fortifications are within sight, but screaming winds carry fog that makes judging distances difficult.
Corpses of many-legged horrors lie around you. The largest corpse is a massive spider with
spyder-fiend combatants of the battle linger near the characters: a quavilithku spyder-fiend and three kakkuu spyder-fiends (stat blocks for both appear in appendix A). They’re busily hollowing out the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Nemesis During the Last War, you had a run-in with a particularly dangerous foe, one who still haunts your nightmares. One day you’ll have your revenge. Consult the Nemesis table to determine the
identity of your foe. Nemesis d6 Nemesis 1 Necromancer. You lost a lot of friends in battle, but what made it worse was watching that cackling wizard raise them as zombies and turn them against you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer
Chapter 4: Sharn Inquisitives Chapter 04
Sharn Inquisitives
Chapter 04
Adventure Genre: Film Noir
Pop Culture: Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, Dick Tracy
Kuno A Battle Smith
murders, or dispel the magic keeping a noble scion in comatose slumber. Run a Sharn inquisitives campaign if you want to emulate the film noir adventures of detectives like Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, Mike
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
Battle Aftermath The party stumbles upon the remains of one or more creatures slaughtered by rampaging demons. Roll a d10 and consult the Corpses table to determine what they find. A thorough search of
Guide. d20 Event 1–2 Battle aftermath 3–6 Creature encounter 7–9 Demon encounter 10–11 Discipline problem 12–13 Disease 14–15 Madness 16–17 Poisoned NPCs 18–19 Spoiled supplies 20 Vanishing NPCs
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
15. Way to Wyllowwood The drow cornered and killed several troglodytes in these caves after the reptilian creatures refused to be enslaved. 15a. Battle Scene The floor here is stained with blood and
has lost its potency. 15b. Rotting Trogs Stench. A putrid stench fills this 10-foot-high cave, courtesy of three rotting troglodyte corpses riddled with crossbow bolts. Closer examination reveals nasty
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
snarling displacer beast surrounded by the words, “First in battle, last to fall”—the Redcloak insignia and motto—on the right. Allies. As part of Breland’s military forces, the Redcloaks can count on
run both ways. Among the Redcloaks, tensions still run hot regarding their former rivals, particularly those from the following nations: Darguun. The hobgoblins of Darguun fought alongside Brelish
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
the River Styx while Zariel and her forces battle an army of demons beneath the city. A demon lord — either Baphomet or Yeenoghu — has launched an all-out attack on Elturel before it’s dragged into the
River Styx. This section includes encounters that you can run to challenge the characters as they maneuver to confront Zariel. These encounters are suitable for a party of four 13th-level characters. If the party is weaker or stronger, adjust the encounters accordingly.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
flimsy new huts and longhouses of bamboo and thatch. The Old City is run by “beggar princes” in a mocking parallel to the merchant princes of the city proper. They have no official authority, but each
is run down but it isn’t a slum or a haven for thieves. Most of the residents are lower-class laborers or struggling artisans who can’t afford the higher rents of homes inside the city walls. 1
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Threats Sentries. Two male drow elite warriors are hidden behind a natural column of rock to the north.
Eater of Corpses. The cave is full of rotting corpses (twenty troglodytes, nine drow, and five
giant spiders). At the midpoint of the cavern, a fat troll rendered permanently invisible by Halaster’s magic is feasting on one of the spider corpses.
The drow, Eilthymmar and Zaztorrl, serve House
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
During the Siege Run the siege as a series of encounters rather than one extended battle. As terrible events unfold around the characters, it’s up to them to determine who and how they’ll help. Begin
deliver orders from General Drakov (likely related to the siege’s climax). As the battle reaches what you determine to be the halfway point, start rolling 2d6 on the Zombie Siege Encounters table and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
confronted by obviously more numerous or powerful opponents usually try to avoid battle. But brave, desperate, or devoted creatures might never retreat from a battle. If you can’t decide whether a
behalf of the group. When creatures that are already engaged in battle realize they’re likely to lose, they usually try to exit that battle. A monster is likely to flee if either of the following is true
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
eaten corpses of five psurlons hidden under a staircase that climbs to the battle deck. Within these foul remains are dozens of gelatinous, marble-sized egg casings left behind by the psurlon worms that hatched from the eggs.
nautiloid’s battle prow. He waves his arms to get their attention and seems to be in distress. If one or more characters enter the nautiloid’s air envelope, he introduces himself as Benoto Kralazar and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Intro to Stormwreck Isle
toward you.
The three shambling sailors are zombies, the animated corpses of sailors who died in a recent shipwreck. The characters face a choice: they can turn and fight the zombies, or they can
continue up the path and leave the slow, shambling zombies behind. If the characters turn and fight, this is the first combat encounter in the adventure. Here are the steps you should follow to run it






