before battle drives creatures roles

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

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

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

Ember

Monsters Monstrous Compendium Vol. 2: Dragonlance Creatures

Calescent Aura. At the start of Ember’s turn, Ember can force any number of creatures of his choice within 10 feet of himself to make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a

. Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Ember fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Special Equipment. In battle, Ember dons magical plate armor custom-forged for his use. While wearing the armor

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.

Spirit Statue Mascot

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

call upon the spirits of dead creatures. Mages seeking longer-term assistance from ancient spirits have learned to house these spirits in statues, giving them a more permanent residence from which to

assist the living. Some of these spirit statues bond with and mentor a specific mage, but most serve in a variety of roles for numerous individuals, ranging from research colleagues to martial

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

many who dwell in the 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

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

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

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.

Plasmoid Boss

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

boss around smaller, weaker creatures can easily end up in positions of power, surrounded by loyal underlings, sycophants, and would-be usurpers. A plasmoid boss might be the master of a guild, the

leader of a criminal enterprise, the lord of a plasmoid community, or the captain of a spelljamming ship. Regardless of the roles they secure for themselves, plasmoid bosses need no small amount of charm

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

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

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

Worker Robot

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

condition (escape DC 15). The robot has two cargo tentacles, each of which can grapple one target. Tractor Beam. The robot casts Telekinesis, targeting only creatures with the incapacitated condition

worker robots fill public-facing service roles. Antigravity technology and built-in tractor beams allow worker robots to effortlessly lift cargo and other heavy objects with their mechanical tentacles

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

Baaz Draconian

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

a cloak or robe, and baaz draconians disguise themselves to spy for the Dragon Armies. The sight of dragons drives baaz draconians into a deadly furor. When baaz draconians die, their bodies turn to

stone and unleash clouds of petrifying gas that turn their corpses and any nearby creatures into stone. Draconians Draconians are bipedal monsters born from metallic dragon eggs that have been

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

Berbalang Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

these creatures, thus preserving the information they gain. Spectral Spy. The pursuit of knowledge drives everything berbalangs do. Although they mostly learn their secrets from the dead, they aren&rsquo

gathering secrets, both from the gods they inhabit and from the bones of dead creatures, they call forth the spirits of the dead and force them to divulge what they learned in life. Speakers of the Dead

Berbalang

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

to these creatures, thus preserving the information they gain. Pursuit of knowledge drives everything berbalangs do. Although they mostly learn their secrets from the dead, they aren’t above

Astral Plane. Obsessed with gathering secrets, both from the gods they inhabit and from the bones of dead creatures, they call forth the spirits of the dead and force them to divulge what they learned in

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.

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

tail in the way. Strength and Zeal Minotaurs are zealous and love battle. They are found among the Gruul Clans, but the minotaurs of the Ordruun family line, long associated with the Boros Legion

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

Gray Render

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

its master.A curious impulse drives the gray render. Despite its hulking form and terrible appetite, it wants most of all to bond with an intelligent creature and, once bonded, to give its life to

willingly harms its master, but outside battle, it might cause considerable difficulties. It might follow its master despite being told to stay put, destroy its master’s house, burrow holes through a

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

Yeenoghu Legacy

Monsters Out of the Abyss

5 or more, the target falls prone. Savage (Costs 2 Actions). Yeenoghu makes a bite attack against each creature within 10 feet of him.The Beast of Butchery appears as a great battle-scarred gnoll

, hunched over, and filing their teeth down to points. Yeenoghu wants nothing more than slaughter and senseless destruction. The gnoll;gnolls are his instruments, and he drives them to ever-greater

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

was conquered by Maglubiyet, after all, and now when the Mighty One calls for it, even their souls are forfeit. It is this realization that drives them to dominate other creatures whenever they can

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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