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Returning 35 results for 'before being death cunning reserves'.
Backgrounds
Lorwyn: First Light
, chaotic place perpetually lit by pale moonlight. You might survive Shadowmoor’s merciless conditions thanks to your wit and cunning, or you might keep threats at bay with your brawn and bravery
. Regardless of where you tread, you keenly understand that friendship is a rare commodity. You believe that knowing who to trust and who to keep at arm’s length isn’t just practical— it’s often a matter of life or death.
Monsters
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points, it dissolves into acid that splashes on those around it. Each creature within 5 feet of the draconian must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity
saving throw or be covered in acid for 1 minute. A creature covered in the acid takes 7 (2d6);{"diceNotation":"2d6", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Death Throes", "rollDamageType":"acid"} acid
Monsters
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points, it dissolves into acid that splashes on those around it. Each creature within 5 feet of the draconian must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity
saving throw or be covered in acid for 1 minute. A creature covered in the acid takes 7 (2d6);{"diceNotation":"2d6", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Death Throes", "rollDamageType":"acid"} acid
Monsters
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
cause terrible pain and bleeding.
Killers from the Shadows. Bhaal’s followers are cunning murderers who kill to strike fear and thrive on sowing terror in the cities they inhabit. They can call
rank are the death’s heads, who can take on the skull-faced guise of their deity to terrify their prey. In combat, they intimidate foes by shrugging off the deadliest attacks with ease, showing that resisting Bhaal’s schemes is futile.
Monsters
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Death Throes. When the draconian is reduced to 0 hit points by a creature that is Large or smaller, the draconian crumbles into dust that then forms a spectral, shrieking image of the creature that
. Sivaks can magically change their features to mimic the appearance of those they’ve slain. This allows these cunning soldiers to sow confusion and despair among their enemies. When sivaks are
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
deep in the Underworld. Terrifying and cunning, they guard portals between the wards of the Underworld, Erebos’s greatest treasures, and noteworthy souls who might attempt to escape the realm of
life and death. Most cerberi have a boundless hunger for fresh meat, especially the flesh of humanoids. Villains have been known to exploit that hunger by luring cerberi away from the river and setting them loose on mortal settlements.Fire, Necrotic
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
, wall of forceSeekers of forgotten lore and lost relics, blue abishais are the most cunning and learned of their kind. Their research into occult subjects gleaned from tomes plundered from across the
before death and, as a reward, found its soul transformed into a draconic devil to serve at her pleasure in the Nine Hells. Each type of abishai is associated with one of Tiamat’s five dragon
Monsters
Vecna: Eve of Ruin
, Strahd takes 20 radiant damage at the start of his turn, has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, and can’t use his Change Shape bonus action.Multiattack. Strahd makes two Death Strike
attacks. He can replace one of these attacks with Blighted Fire if available.
Death Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +9;{"diceNotation":"1d20+9", "rollType":"to hit", "rollAction":"Death Strike"} to hit
Urchin
Legacy
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Backgrounds
Player’s Handbook (2014)
recuperate. You’ve survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each.
You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but
. (Lawful)
3
Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic)
4
Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death
Lich
Legacy
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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
.
Everything about a lich’s lair reflects its keen mind and wicked cunning, including the magic and mundane traps that secure it. Undead, constructs, and bound demons lurk in shadowy recesses
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
elements, and endured sickness without the advantage of medicine or a place to recuperate. You’ve survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each
)
3
Change. The low are lifted up, and the high and mighty are brought down. Change is the nature of things. (Chaotic)
4
Retribution. The rich need to be shown what life and death are like in
Hobgoblin
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
death becomes a hero eternal.
Young hobgoblins start soldiering when they can walk and heed the mustering call as soon as they can wield their weapons capably. Every legion in the hobgoblins&rsquo
appreciation or patience for art. They leave little space for joy or leisure in their lives, and thus have no reserves of faith to call upon when in dire straits.
Implacable Gods
Hobgoblins revere two
Monsters
Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
, chaotic, and temperamental nature they all share. When its diabolical aspect shines through, a forlarren is a cunning, calculating, and brutal enemy. It might use its natural charm to worm its way
its nature. That aspect might drive it to drink itself nearly to death, or to throw itself into caring for others with such relentless energy that it eventually collapses from exhaustion
Valindra Shadowmantle
Legacy
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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
reflects its keen mind and wicked cunning, including the magic and mundane traps that secure it. Undead, constructs, and bound demons lurk in shadowy recesses, emerging to destroy those who dare to disturb
Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
created the orcs and continues to direct their destiny. He is aided and abetted by the other warrior deities, Bahgtru and Ilneval, who bring strength and cunning to the battlefield. The followers of all
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
Druid
Legacy
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Classes
Basic Rules (2014)
.
Whether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature’s resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over
.
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak
Wererat Wererats are cunning lycanthropes that operate much like a thieves’ guild. Through its bite, a wererat can pass along the curse of lycanthropy — something it normally reserves for new gang
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
ways. Alcio “Baron” Metus It took Alcio years to learn of her brother’s death at the hands of Rudolph van Richten, a doctor from Rivalis (see “Mist Wanderers” at the end of the chapter). Furious, she
information and intimidation. She’s quick to punish incompetence and quicker to reward daring, but she reserves her greatest rewards for those who further her plots for revenge against Rudolph van Richten.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lorwyn: First Light
a gloomy, chaotic place perpetually lit by pale moonlight. You might survive Shadowmoor’s merciless conditions thanks to your wit and cunning, or you might keep threats at bay with your brawn and
bravery. Regardless of where you tread, you keenly understand that friendship is a rare commodity. You believe that knowing who to trust and who to keep at arm’s length isn’t just practical—it’s often a matter of life or death. AURORE FOLNY
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
own corpses as they pursue ambitions free from mortal bonds. Liches possess exceptional cunning and magical prowess, and they use their unnatural immortality to pursue arcane secrets few could grasp in
resemble living creatures and are clad in contemporary garb. Many cloak themselves in illusions of their idealized mortal forms. Although liches don’t fear death, they’re not free from the ravages of time
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Lhesh Haruuc remains as the ruler of Darguun, and many fear that his death could throw the region into chaos. As a Ghaal’dar goblinoid, you hold your place through cunning and strength. You may have
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
, with barely a hint of emotion left. He is above the concerns of the living. The only event that occasionally haunts him is the death of Tatyana, but his view of the past is bereft of romance or regret
. In his mind, her death couldn’t have been prevented, and what is done cannot be undone. In life, Strahd lived to conquer. In undeath, he conquers still—not realms, but people, driving good souls to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
“Old White Death” The white dragon Arauthator haunts the Sea of Moving Ice like an avenging wind. Personifying the brutality and savagery of his kind, Arauthator is a solid ally of the Cult of the
tribes known as the Ice Hunters, because of the many enemies Arauthator has frozen into the icy walls of the berg’s hollowed interior. In addition to his size, cunning, and ferocity, Arauthator wields
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
that an immaculately clean passageway is a likely sign that an ooze lairs nearby. Slow Death. An ooze kills its prey slowly. Some varieties, such as black puddings and gelatinous cubes, engulf creatures
to prevent escape. The only upside of this torturous death is that a victim’s comrades can come to the rescue before it is too late. Since not every ooze digests every type of substance, some have
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
“Old White Death” The white dragon Arauthator haunts the Sea of Moving Ice like an avenging wind. Personifying the brutality and savagery of his kind, Arauthator is a solid ally of the Cult of the
tribes known as the Ice Hunters, because of the many enemies Arauthator has frozen into the icy walls of the berg’s hollowed interior. In addition to his size, cunning, and ferocity, Arauthator wields
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
ancient rituals into powerful undead dracoliches. Only the most narcissistic dragons choose this path, knowing that by doing so, they sever all ties to their kin and the dragon gods. Beyond Death. A
and actively plotting to keep its existence a secret, a dracolich is a cunning and challenging foe. Dracolich Phylacteries. Creating a dracolich requires the cooperation of the dragon and a group of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
a death tyrant behind. This monster possesses the cunning and much of the magic it had in life, but it is fueled by the power of undeath. A death tyrant appears as a massive, naked skull, with a
Death Tyrant On rare occasions, a beholder’s sleeping mind imagines a reality in which it exists beyond death. When such dreams take hold, a beholder can transform, its flesh sloughing away to leave
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
for the citizens of the Tenth District, but not without attracting the attention of the guilds. A cunning opportunist, Krenko has spent years consolidating goblin street rabble into his fiercely loyal
and Gardagig, attempted to kill Krenko in retaliation for the death of their kin. Before they could do the deed, Krenko was apprehended by the Boros Legion and thrown into Sawtooth Prison — near the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
the main force engages the enemy. A cunning party should have the chance to take out numerous defenders, open the gate in area 1, and slay sahuagin leaders, possibly without ever raising an alert
reserves, or otherwise planning the fortress’s defense. Areas 1, area 5, and area 19 have particular encounters associated with them (see “Assault Encounters”). For every other area, consult the following
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
another actual beholder. To call this process reproduction would be inaccurate, because in most cases the old and new beholders fight to the death — a fact for which the rest of the world is thankful
. Think ye weave cunning schemes and elaborate intrigues with fallback plans and positions? Beholders change, refine, discard, and spin anew scores of such plans, all the time. To the average beholder, human intrigues are the fumblings of babies.
— Elminster
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
character becomes afflicted with the yugoloth’s curse. Malaxxix can spy upon any creature so afflicted and can teleport to a cursed creature at will. Malaxxix typically reserves this attention for creatures
teleport to the characters’ location, attempt to slay the buffoonish mortals, and reclaim the treasures.
Roleplaying Malaxxix Malaxxix is a being of great cunning, terrible rage, and insatiable bloodlust
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Cunning Escape. Strahd moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Strike (Costs 2 Actions). Strahd makes one Death Strike attack.
attention to what he considers the uninteresting dealings of lesser beings. However, once the characters arrive in Barovia, explore a place called Death House, and find a piece of the Rod of Seven Parts
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
Faunel where sapient animals overcome their instincts and live communally. If the characters converse with her, she shares the following information: She’s saddened to hear about Oka’s death but
his predators attacked a herd under her protection. She suspects Oka’s death is Ebonclaw’s retaliation. She asks the characters to go to Razortooth Rock and find out if Ebonclaw is working with the Vile
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
details on such adventures). Whether the characters survive or meet spectacular ends doesn’t matter, as death might mean a return to the character’s original body, a second chance to try again, or a
adventureDwindling resources contribute to terrifying situations. When a group runs out of hit points, spells, food, or other vital reserves, tension and dread increase. High-level characters, though, have such
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
merchants and shifters of her ward. She is a cunning diplomat and devoted to her constituents. 7 Bestan ir’Tonn (halfling) has represented Upper Tavick’s Landing for thirty years, and largely views his ward
radical positions, including abolishing the monarchy after the death of King Boranel and recognizing Sharn as an independent province. 12 Nolan Toranak (dwarf), the councilor for the Cogs, is largely






