before been death calls reason

Heralds of Dust Exorcist

Monsters Adventure Atlas: The Mortuary

(exorcist’s choice). Admit Entity (Recharge 5–6);{"diceNotation":"1d6", "rollType":"recharge", "rollAction":"Admit Entity"}. The exorcist thins the veil of death for a creature it can see within 60

, speak with dead 1/day each: banishment, dispel evil and goodDauntless in the face of death, exorcists in the Heralds of Dust cleanse hapless creatures and resting places haunted by ghost;ghosts, specter

Darkling Elder Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

Death Burn. When the darkling elder dies, magical light flashes out from it in a 10-foot radius as its body and possessions, other than metal or magic objects, burn to ash. Any creature in that area

must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 7 (2d6);{"diceNotation":"2d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Death Burn","rollDamageType":"radiant"} radiant damage and

Sofina

Monsters Thieves’ Gallery

each: Evard's black tentacles, finger of death, time stop Swarm of Meteors (1/Day). Sofina magically calls down a meteor swarm that detonates in four 40-foot-radius spheres, each one centered on a point

practitioner of magic with ties to Thay’s tyrannical magocracy. Sofina specializes in necromancy. Death magic and fear are both tools in her arsenal. As Red Wizards are shunned outside Thay

Darkling Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

Death Flash. When the darkling dies, nonmagical light flashes out from it in a 10-foot radius as its body and possessions, other than metal or magic objects, burn to ash. Any creature in that area

, and doing so wizens the creature, much like the effect of rapid aging. For this reason, darklings cover every part of their body with clothing when exposure to light is a risk. The light a darkling

Mordakhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

commanders of his age, and a dragon-slaying specialist. For this, he earned the nickname Shadowsword, along with a legendary reputation for leaving death in his wake. Mordakhesh serves as the prakhutu or

“speaker” of his imprisoned master, Rak Tulkhesh, and he seeks to free his lord by bathing the world in blood. Like a spider with multiple webs, he has agents and pawns (which he calls his “claws

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

would allow him to live on as a lich. Beyond death, he became the greatest of all liches. Even though his body gradually withered and decayed, Vecna continued to expand his evil dominion. So formidable

Caradoc

Monsters Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

’s swiftly pulled back if caught beyond its walls without a host. Personality Trait. “I might be dead, but there’s no reason I can’t live it up a little.” Ideal. &ldquo

;The safest place to be is behind the toughest warrior in the room.” Bond. “In life and in death, I’m the only one who matters.” Flaw. “Who can resist a little drama

Lich Legacy

Monsters Basic Rules (2014)

6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability 7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift 8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun 9th level (1 slot): power word

the lich’s lair. The lich calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that the lich can see within 60 feet of it. The

Khargra

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

metal with ease, organic matter and gems are repugnant to them. If a khargra eats such morsels for whatever reason, they remain lodged in its gullet for a few days of indigestion before the offending

tasty, refined metal their victim carries, they quickly flee—and will flee before that rather than risk death. Stealthy Couriers. A number of clans among the dwarves, duergar, and azers have trained

Hutijin

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

figure, known only to the most learned infernal scholars. He has no cults of his own, and his servants are few in number. The reason is simple: Hutijin hates mortals. When summoned from the Hells, he

repays the instigator with a long and agonizing death. Mephistopheles forbids Hutijin from making too many forays into the Material Plane, since the duke’s absence leaves him vulnerable to his

Waterdhavian Noble

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Faerûn for being eccentric, spoiled, venal, and, above all else, rich. Whether you are a shining example of the reason for this reputation or one who proves the rule by being an exception, people

and raised in a different world from the one that most folk know—one that grants you privilege but also calls you to fulfill a duty befitting your station. Your bond might be associated with your

Rak Tulkhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

death until the children of Eberron and Siberys rose up against them. Armies of dragons fought against the fiends of Khyber. And though the overlords couldn't be destroyed, the couatl sacrificed

can't die permanently. Upon its death, it reforms elsewhere in the multiverse and becomes active again at a time set by the DM. Rak Tulkhesh Called the Rage of War, Rak Tulkhesh is the incarnation of

Kasimir Velikov

Monsters Curse of Strahd

, Kasimir and his fellow dusk elves stoned Patrina to death. As punishment for depriving him of his bride, Strahd butchered all the women in the dusk elf tribe, and Kasimir's ears were cut off to punish him

led her down a path of evil and deceit. For that reason, Kasimir wants to see the vampire destroyed so that his sister can be rescued from her eternal damnation. Secrets of the Amber Temple. Patrina

Giff Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

of giff society is organized along military lines. From birth until death, every giff has a military rank. It must follow orders from those of superior rank, and it can give orders to those of lower

brighter the flash, and the thicker the smoke it produces, the more giff love a weapon. Their skill with gunpowder is another reason for their popularity as mercenaries. Giff revel in the challenge of

Valindra Shadowmantle Legacy

Monsters Tomb of Annihilation

of invulnerability 7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift 8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun 9th level (1 slot): power word kill Turn Resistance. The lich has

initiative count 20 on the next round or until the lich or the target is no longer in the lich’s lair. The lich calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. These apparitions

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

test, and make new acquaintances. Life of a Tortle A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends the first few weeks of its life crawling on all fours. Its parents, old and near death, spend

prefer simple, non-gender-specific names that are usually no more than two syllables. If a tortle doesn’t like its name for whatever reason, it can change it. A tortle might change its name a dozen

Keresta Delvingstone

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

4th level (3 slots): blight, death ward, divination 5th level (1 slot): antilife shell, destructive waveMultiattack. (Vampire Form Only). Keresta makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite

the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect. Children of the Night (1/Day). Keresta magically calls 2d4;{"diceNotation":"2d4","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Children of the Night"} swarm

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

her to explode and die. A mephit that dies in this way does not use its Death Burst. Instead, each creature within 10 feet of the exploding mephit must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking

might prove helpful: So long as she has mortal worshipers, Auril can’t truly die (although the characters can rid the world of her for a time). Thus, she has no reason to capitulate to mortals

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the area patrolled by the guard did she explain that the noises indicated that the wingless folk had claimed that area, and that to trespass would be to court death. — Gimble, Notes from a

. The kenku lack the talent to improvise or alter a plan, but a wise Master sets multiple plans in motion at once, confident that underlings can follow orders to the letter. For this reason, many

Druid Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

Holding high a gnarled staff wreathed with holly, an elf summons the fury of the storm and calls down explosive bolts of lightning to smite the torch-carrying orcs who threaten her forest. Crouching

. Similarly, a druid uses such woods to make other objects, such as weapons and shields. Yew is associated with death and rebirth, so weapon handles for scimitars or sickles might be fashioned from it

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

undetected and don’t give their targets reason to harm them. For example, a group of city kobolds might sneak into a cobbler’s house at night to loot it of knives, leather bits, nails, and

, giving each individual and every generation a reason to feel pride and self-respect. The kobolds prefer to run away than fight, to live off the scraps of others, and they are often dominated by larger

Death Tyrant

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

be perfect beings. No matter how death tyrants come into being, bizarre impulses drive their deathless existences. Their motivations tend to be extreme or beyond the reason of living creatures.

Death Tyrant Beholder beyond Death Habitat: Underdark; Treasure: Any Simon Dominic A death tyrant is a beholder that pursues aberrant goals beyond its death. Ten magical singularities—all that

Adventure Background

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

later, after the saplings grew tall and mighty, an ancient green dragon dug a lair in the redwoods’ roots, poisoning the grove and surrounding forest. The elves called the dragon Death-at-Sunset, for

named Ethvarn and her allies slew Death-at-Sunset. Ethvarn died in the assault. The surviving elves pulled back from Redwood Grove, leaving only a few wardens in an outpost called Redwood Watch. Over

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

angel of death by the gods or driven by your need for revenge? The Gods of the Multiverse section lists many deities worshiped by paladins throughout the multiverse, such as Torm, Tyr, Heironeous

BREAKING YOUR OATH A paladin tries to hold to the highest standards of conduct, but even the most virtuous paladin is fallible. Sometimes the right path proves too demanding, sometimes a situation calls

The Codicil and the Orb

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

The Codicil and the Orb Before beginning their search for Ythryn, Vellynne and the characters need two objects: The Codicil of White and Vellynne’s professor orb, which she calls Professor Skant

. Vellynne has every reason to believe that both items are currently on an island in the Sea of Moving Ice. The Codicil Vellynne describes this book as follows: “Written and guarded by Auril’s followers

Rules of the Trial

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

. Later that day, at dusk, Chakuna pursues the contenders with hunting partners of her choice, attempting to slay anyone she encounters outside a shrine. Contenders may kill one another for any reason

—particularly to take a shrine. The trial does not stop for any reason until Chakuna arrives at both shrines and acknowledges the winners there. Winners are escorted to Shuaran, and from there, out of

Escape from Barovia

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd

Escape from Barovia Strahd’s death grants Barovia a reprieve. The fog that surrounds the land thins, and it no longer harms those who pass through it. The dark clouds that have loomed over the valley

, most Barovians realize that they have nowhere to go and no reason to leave. A few depart, fearing the return of the darkness or longing to see their ancestral homelands. Those who have souls can leave

Adversary

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

deal with than the average member of the city watch. If your character’s backstory doesn’t already include a personage of this sort, you could work with your DM to come up with a reason why an

1 The pirate captain on whose ship you once served; what you call moving on, the captain calls mutiny 2 A master spy to whom you unwittingly fed bad information, which led to the assassination of

Preparing for Battle

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

, if for no other reason than to honor Ispin Greenshield’s last wishes. If a character refuses, Mayor Raven offers to pay them 5 gp to be a judge during the battle, making sure no one uses real weapons

and calling for aid if someone gets hurt. To prepare for the battle, Mayor Raven calls out to those assembled, explaining the mercenaries will charge up the west side of the hill while the militia

Bhaal

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

Bhaal The Lord of Murder The folk of Faerûn don’t normally pray to or acknowledge Bhaal. He is seen as a deeply evil and destructive deity who hungers for death — meaning the death of any sentient

beings through unlawful means. Some people pray to Bhaal when they want to commit murder. A person might have good reason to resort to murder, such as when one is unable to redress some injustice

Random Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

noticing the characters, the ogre sets the pet boars loose on them instead. 4 Five bugbears ambush the party, demanding the characters give them 100 gp or face certain death. Each bugbear carries 3

the sack and attacks, deeming them a much tastier meal. 8 The characters encounter an injured hunter in the wilderness who calls out for help. The hunter is actually a hungry jackalwere bandit in human form. Five more jackalweres lie in ambush nearby.

Greyhawk

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

and four maces radiating out from a central point Incabulos, god of plague and famine NE Death Reptilian eye with a horizontal diamond Istus, goddess of fate and destiny N Knowledge Weaver’s spindle

with three strands Iuz, god of pain and oppression CE Death Grinning human skull Nerull, god of death NE Death Skull with either a sickle or a scythe Obad-Hai, god of nature N Nature Oak leaf and acorn

Beginning the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries

foodstuffs to puddles of ooze. Humanoids infected with the plague drone the word “Xanthoria” over and over for no discernible reason before death finally claims them. You have determined that there’s a

Palace of Spires

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

comfortable domicile for those who find their way here now. After Caerwyn’s death, Porphura built a tomb for them both in the palace’s crystal dome. With the Gardener’s help, the grieving wizard performed

let the magic that preserved her own life beyond its natural span end. The Gardener said their final farewell to Caerwyn and Porphura, sealed the tomb, and left the palace forever. Out of respect for their late friends, the Gardener won’t enter the Palace of Spires for any reason.

Breaking the Law

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

, and murder are severe, regardless of the reason for the crime. If the characters express interest in knowing more about crimes and punishments in Waterdeep, give them the Code Legal handout in

could end with one or more of the characters being exiled, sentenced to several years of hard labor, imprisoned, or put to death. If that’s how their adventure ends, so be it. Hopefully, your next group will fare better.

D&D Beyond

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