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Thri-kreen Gladiator

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

attack that would hit it. To do so, the thri-kreen must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.Thri-kreen gladiators relish opportunities to test their mettle in combat and often paint their

of bone and obsidian blades, while chatkchas are usually made of sharpened bone or crystal. A generic thri-kreen stat block appears in the Monster Manual. This section provides a few more options.Leap. The thri-kreen leaps up to 20 feet in any direction, provided its speed isn’t 0.

Jermlaine

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

creatures. They are acutely aware that their small size and weakness in combat makes them prey for countless Underdark creatures. This anger and resentment is channeled into vengeful scheming against

, they spill upon their enemies from every direction in a bid to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Allied Rodents. The jermlaine can decipher the chitters and squeaks of rats, and in turn can

Warden Archon

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

next 24 hours, the archon knows the distance and direction to the target while they are both on the same plane of existence. Spellcasting. The archon casts one of the following spells, requiring no

safeguard those threatened by wicked forces. Archons are skilled communicators, able to speak all the languages of the multiverse. When pushed into combat, they prefer to subdue foes. However, against Fiends

Duergar Mind Master

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

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

Orthon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

success. Tracking. For the next 24 hours, the orthon knows the direction and distance to the target, as long as it’s on the same plane of existence. If the target is on a different plane, the orthon

value the challenge of the chase and the thrill of one-on-one combat above all else. An orthon’s first loyalty is to its archduke, but one with no immediate assignment might work for anyone who

Spirit of Death

Spells The Book of Many Things

hit points or when the spell ends. The spirit is an ally to you and your companions. In combat, the spirit shares your initiative count and takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your

target is haunted, you and the spirit sense the direction and distance to the target if it is on the same plane of existence as you. Additionally, if the target starts its turn within 10 feet of the

Halaster Blackcloak

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

, however, Halaster is alert and attentive to the activities and preparations of all beings near him. He never willingly enters combat without first casting mage armor and mind blank on himself.As the

ghostly, 1-foot-diameter humanoid eye surrounded by motes of light. The sensor is stationary, though Halaster can reorient the eye to face in any direction. Halaster can see through the eye as though he

The Order of Combat

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

order or their stated positions in the room or other location, the DM figures out where the adversaries are — how far away and in what direction. Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the combat

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes the chaos of combat into a

The Order of Combat

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

order or their stated positions in the room or other location, the DM figures out where the adversaries are--how far away and in what direction. 3. Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the combat

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes the chaos of combat into a

Maneuvering an Airship

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

Maneuvering an Airship Maneuvering the ship during combat is the responsibility of the crew member operating the Helm crew station. If the crew member operating the Helm has the Incapacitated

condition or chooses not to use any of that station’s actions, the ship moves up to its Fly Speed in a straight line at the start of the Helm crew member’s turn, continuing its last direction of travel. If no crew is operating the Helm, the ship doesn’t move.

Using the Maps

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

visualize locations and devise combat strategies. You can alter a map’s features as you see fit. On interior maps, an arrow on a slope or staircase points in the ascending direction. When elevation

areas for the characters to explore or areas where combat is likely to occur. These maps are designed to be easily reproduced on graph paper, a wet-erase mat, or some other surface to help the players

K27. King's Hall

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

characters reach the midpoint of the hall from either direction, read: You hear a scraping sound of stone against stone, followed by the squeaking of a bat. In the direction of the noise, you see the

prestidigitation cantrip. Have the players roll initiative, and run this as a combat encounter with the “vampire” acting on initiative count 5. On its turn, the mannequin flies over the characters, 10 feet

The Infernal Machine of Lum the Mad

Magic Items Infernal Machine Rebuild

. The first time during a combat that a creature attacks you with a metal weapon, that creature has disadvantage on the attack roll. Metal rusts in response to your touch—including metal armor you

object on the same plane as you and have the compass point constantly in the direction of the named target. You gain no knowledge of the distance to the target. A specialized clockwork compass floats

The Order of Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook

adversaries are—how far away and in what direction. Roll Initiative. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls Initiative, determining the order of combatants’ turns. Take Turns. Each participant in the

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides: a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes combat into a cycle of rounds

The Order of Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

adversaries are—how far away and in what direction. Roll Initiative. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls Initiative, determining the order of combatants’ turns. Take Turns. Each participant in the

The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides: a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes combat into a cycle of rounds

The Attack

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

sidekicks, approach from the other direction. Velleen is a female Damaran master thief (see appendix A). As the combat begins, the two evil groups recognize each other, and also attack one another when

appropriate. (See “Running a Three-sided Battle” sidebar for advice.) RUNNING A THREE-SIDED BATTLE Combat is a highlight of the game for a large number of players: they love the challenge, the

Ignoring the Dice

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Ignoring the Dice One approach is to use dice as rarely as possible. Some DMs use them only during combat, and determine success or failure as they like in other situations. With this approach, the

character’s special abilities. A downside is that no DM is completely neutral. A DM might come to favor certain players or approaches, or even work against good ideas if they send the game in a direction

Thri-kreen Gladiator

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Boo’s Astral Menagerie

Thri-kreen Gladiator Thri-kreen gladiators relish opportunities to test their mettle in combat and often paint their carapaces with the blood of their enemies. Thri-kreen Gladiator Medium

the thri-kreen is missing any hit points), range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage. Bonus Actions Leap. The thri-kreen leaps up to 20 feet in any direction, provided its speed

Puzzle Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Puzzle Features The magical maze the characters find themselves in is comprised of an endless series of identical chambers. Each chamber has four passages, one at each cardinal direction. The goblin

new riddle that hints which direction to travel in next. If they make an error, the characters encounter a monster of your choice and then must backtrack from their last correct turn. After three

Tracking Time

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

Tracking Time If tracking the passage of time is important during exploration, use a time scale appropriate for the situation at hand: Rounds. In combat and other fast-paced situations, the game

spell or similar effect runs out. For example, they might use the Locate Object spell to point them in the direction of an item they seek, so you need to know how far they get in the 10 minutes the

Learning by Observing

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

unexpected direction? How did the DM handle it? Rules Adjudication. To what extent did the DM lean on the rules to adjudicate outcomes? Did the DM adjudicate situations wisely or in ways that made the

game fun to watch? Three Pillars. How much of the session was taken up by combat, exploration, or social interaction? Tone and Mood. How would you describe the tone and mood of the game? Did it

Learning by Observing

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

unexpected direction? How did the DM handle it? Rules Adjudication. To what extent did the DM lean on the rules to adjudicate outcomes? Did the DM adjudicate situations wisely or in ways that made the

game fun to watch? Three Pillars. How much of the session was taken up by combat, exploration, or social interaction? Tone and Mood. How would you describe the tone and mood of the game? Did it

Actions in Exploration

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

in action.) In such situations, have the characters take turns, though it’s usually not necessary to roll Initiative as you would in a combat encounter. Resolve one character’s actions before moving

attributes to provide direction. A character who succeeds on an Intelligence (Investigation) check might notice a clue that gives the players a hint to the puzzle’s solution.

Swarmkeeper

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Swarmkeepers enjoy building vibrant communities that work for the mutual benefit of all those they consider part of their swarm. IT’S YOUR SWARM A Swarmkeeper’s swarm and spells are reflections of the

15 feet horizontally in a direction of your choice. You are moved by the swarm 5 feet horizontally in a direction of your choice. Swarmkeeper Magic 3rd-level Swarmkeeper feature You learn the mage

Old Owl Well

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

the rugged hills. A colorful tent sits in the middle of the courtyard, but no one is in sight. Old Owl Well is shown on map 3.1. The characters can enter the site from any direction, either following

and can’t be seen from outside. However, any character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check smells a deathly odor wafting from the tower’s direction. When characters approach the tower or

11. The Glittering Caverns of Jarûk the Prismatic

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

Jarûk’s quest should receive XP as if they had defeated the dao and the medusas in combat. If the characters destroy Ezzat but give the lich’s phylactery to Ichthyglug the marid in area 1c, Jarûk

. Jarûk’s reward consists of a gem of brightness and two common wondrous items: boots of false tracks and an orb of direction (both described below). These items appear only after the characters complete

By Land

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

when the mist inhibits visibility. As long as the characters move at this rate, the route is easily followed — there is no risk of straying in a wrong direction. From the ford, the characters can see in

bullywugs arrive shortly after the first wave is defeated. They make a grand show of battling the characters, and Arrp grins at the king whenever he is effective in combat. Wave 3. Gulpa’Gor (bullywug

Fighter

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

often fights for money above all else, whether focusing on a primary role as a combat specialist or providing martial backup for the franchise as needs be. Mission Accomplished Whether your intention is

its direction or collective nerve, you stand tall with the power of your convictions and an even more powerful assortment of weapons to keep things on track. If that sometimes inspires a need to crack

Something Fishy in Town

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

High Road, the party can easily get to town. They may also decide to approach from a less conspicuous direction. Either way, they can get to the edge of town without being spotted. When they reach Leilon

she is alive, she summons another water weird, up to the maximum described below. Once she has summoned the maximum number of creatures, she stops chanting and joins the combat, assuming the party has

7. Gray Ghost Garden

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

characters make a lot of noise in area 6 or force their way through the doors to the west, the duergar turn invisible and attack as soon as the characters arrive. At the start of combat, two duergar

use their Enlarge action while the third opens the valve on the copper tank and aims its nozzle at the characters. During the second round of combat on the same initiative count as the duergar, the

Fight for the Foundling

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer Academy

sterncastle. Two brawny, hippo-headed Humanoids dressed for combat zip down the lines on steel loops. They land on the deck with a resounding thud. One of them points at you, snorts, and says, “Get off our ship

giff concludes, the characters hear an explosion coming from the other side of the academy, in the direction of the cadet quarters. They now have a choice: head toward what is clearly another attack (continue with “Freeing Miken” below) or remain aboard the Flighty Foundling (skip ahead to “Staying Put”).

Ferocity

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Flee, Mortals! Rule Primer

increasing ferocity, a group of creatures who share a single stat block (such as a swarm of rats) counts as one creature. Ferocity increases round after round during combat, and there is no maximum to

any potential targets, they move as far as they can in a random direction determined by the GM, avoiding danger. When a companion who has entered a rampage resolves their action or ends their turn

Temple of Light

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis

desperation, demands a chance to prove her innocence in a trial by combat—a request that Xeleth mocks: “Only someone who bears one of the starlight rings can challenge for the right to rule,” says the prince

. “Where is your ring, dear sister?” If she has entrusted her ring of shooting stars to the characters, Xedalli points in their direction, causing all eyes in the temple to fall upon them. If the

Elements of a Great Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

game: exploration, social interaction, and combat. If your adventure includes a balance of all three, it’s likely to appeal to all types of players. An adventure you create for your home campaign

provide a maximum amount of combat to keep the adventure moving. Surprises Look for opportunities to surprise and delight your players. For example, the exploration of a ruined castle on a hill might lead

Dragon Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

encounter with a dragon needs to involve combat, let alone an all-out fight to the death. Maybe the characters are trying to help a kobold Keeper of Dragons retrieve a wyrmling kidnapped by a gang of

can divert the characters’ attention away from the dragon and make a combat encounter more interesting—as well as more dangerous. See “Followers” earlier in this chapter for ideas about how the

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