before being drive combat respected

Nine-Fingers Keene

Monsters Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Cunning Action. On each of her turns in combat, Nine-Fingers can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. Dagger Thrower. Nine-Fingers adds double her proficiency bonus to the

is as feared as she is respected. Keene has become increasingly intolerant of the populous tide turning against her organization. While the occasional rabble-rouser has always impeded criminal

Sacred Statue

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

False Appearance. If the statue is motionless at the start of combat, it has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover, if a creature hasn’t observed the statue move or act, that creature must

soul; it then animates this effigy and uses the statue to drive out the intruders.Cold, Necrotic, PoisonAcid, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Stone Cursed

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Cunning Opportunist. The stone cursed has advantage on the attack rolls of opportunity attack;opportunity attacks. False Appearance. If the stone cursed is motionless at the start of combat, it has

, animating the statue and turning it into a useful guardian. Stone cursed possess a malevolent drive to slay the living, yet they are utterly loyal to whoever performed the ritual to animate them, and

Vinyl Record

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 15 15 15 These black disks are covered in a continuous spiral that moves to the center of the disk—believed to be an ancient and lost way of

objects are found in caches where they are often stacked like plates in a restaurant. But discoveries are few and far between, and merchants are sure to drive a hard bargain.

Marine

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

injured marine for miles to avoid capture and death. Suggested Characteristics Marines are looked up to by other soldiers and respected by their superiors. They are veteran warriors

who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them excellent adventurers. Though they are self-reliant

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

of his drow foe, then turns to drive his armored elbow into the gut of another. These barbarians, different as they might be, are defined by their rage: unbridled, unquenchable, and unthinking fury

by walls and crowds. They thrive in the wilds of their homelands: the tundra, jungle, or grasslands where their tribes live and hunt. Barbarians come alive in the chaos of combat. They can enter a

Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

. “All that haste, their ambition and drive to accomplish something before their brief lives pass away—human endeavors seem so futile sometimes. But then you look at what they have

might continue to use the child name. Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members. Little distinction exists

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

(such as the ability to see in darkness or to read any language) to access to powerful spells. Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some facility at hand-to-hand combat. They

gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

her holy symbol as light pours from it to drive back the zombies crowding in on her companions. Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the

their combat training to let them wade into melee with the power of the gods on their side. Divine Agents Not every acolyte or officiant at a temple or shrine is a cleric. Some priests are called to

Adult Crystal Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

work—those are the words I live by. 7 I am always the first to offer a compliment. 8 Get off my snowfield, you immature bipeds! When I was a wyrmling, people respected their elders

drive the yetis out. 3 An adult crystal dragon and an elf archmage have been friends for centuries and often go stargazing together on the peaks of their favorite mountains, but the dragon is

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

skills of combat, mastering a variety of weapons and armor. Even so, their martial skills are secondary to the magical power they wield: power to heal the sick and injured, to smite the wicked and the

while you were at prayer? Did another paladin sense the potential within you and decide to train you as a squire? Or did some terrible event—the destruction of your home, perhaps—drive you to

Divine Ordeals

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

described in chapter 1. Will the character’s drive prove strong enough to overcome everything else? An ordeal is a single encounter, which might involve combat, interaction, a series of ability checks

dreamscape constructed by the god. Work to craft an ordeal that provides a significant challenge for the character to overcome. Fundamentally, an ordeal is a test of the character’s heroic drive, as

Character Objectives

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

combat encounter, characters might have to fight their way through evil minions before attempting to disrupt the ritual’s magic. This could also drive an exploration encounter, where the challenge is

its own ends. An encounter aimed at making peace might involve only social interaction, perhaps with the threat of combat if negotiations go poorly. It could also begin as a combat encounter, with the

Goristro Raid

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

“treasure” that the erinyes are after: a unicorn named Sterling in an iron cage. Nykaia explains that Kypris will drive the war machine close to the goristro. The three erinyes will then fly to the

the demons in the palanquin. True Treasure Revealed. Once combat finishes, the three erinyes carry down their claimed treasure: A large cage lands with a thud before the vehicle. Through the iron

The Winged God

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

Warriors (Neutral) who demand that the merchant surrender his goods. In combat, the kobolds shout things like “For the Winged God!” and “Fight to reclaim our home!” If four of them fall in battle, the

if the adventurers drive off the dragon. Kobold Camp. If the adventurers follow fleeing kobolds, they can find the kobolds’ camp on a nearby outcropping. The kobolds there don’t fight, though, instead

Maelephant

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Morte’s Planar Parade

Maelephant Katerina Ladon A maelephant expels poisonous gas from its trunk at a group of would-be thieves Respected as guardians by villains across the multiverse, maelephants are Fiends with

pachyderm-like heads. They can exhale toxic fumes that cause foes to temporarily forget their combat training, spellcasting abilities, and other skills. Maelephants strike bargains with wicked spellcasters

Mad Maggie

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

combat, carving out vicious fiefdoms for themselves. Mad Maggie is one such warlord. Mad Maggie is a night hag with the demeanor of a kindly grandmother, but her warm smile masks a cruel cunning. In

crucible of the Avernian wastelands, Mad Maggie has risen to become a respected warlord. Mad Maggie and Mickey Maggie’s Goals Driven by her lust for misery and her delight in the corruption of the

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

beauty of the ocean. (Good) 6 Code of Combat. I despise most other dragons, but I meet them face to face without resorting to the base trickery I use on lesser creatures. (Lawful) Topaz

drive the giant away. 2 An adult topaz dragon and an adult bronze dragon are finding their centuries-old enmity turning into a more romantic passion. 3 A djinni hopes to convince a topaz

Marine

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

over the ship on your own. 6 Leave None Behind. You carried an injured marine for miles to avoid capture and death. Suggested Characteristics Marines are looked up to by other soldiers and respected

by their superiors. They are veteran warriors who rarely lose composure on the battlefield. Marines who leave the service tend to work as mercenaries, but their combat experience also makes them

Flavors of Fantasy

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

to drive the action of a campaign: Evil Cult. Wicked cultists infiltrate a peaceful realm to free an ancient evil entity trapped in a dungeon. Releasing the entity would surely spell the realm’s doom

symbolize the decadence and corruption of civilization, and mages are the classic villains of these settings. Magic items are therefore rare and often dangerous. Consider conflicts like these to drive the

Stone Cursed

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse

the burned feathers of a cockatrice, awakens a dim echo of the petrified victim’s spirit, animating the statue and turning it into a useful guardian. Stone cursed possess a malevolent drive to slay

the living, yet they are utterly loyal to whoever performed the ritual to animate them, and they obey that being’s orders to the best of their ability. In combat, stony claws that drip with thick, gray

Sparkrender's Ritual

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

characters leave and take a long rest before confronting Sparkrender, or if they flee from combat with Sparkrender and return after they’ve rested. Another possibility is that the characters drive

dragon wyrmling), if they can free Aidron from his chains (see “Freeing Aidron” below). Any surviving kobolds and winged kobolds lurk here, but they stay out of combat if possible. See “Waking the

Eileanar Overview

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Netheril’s Fall: Tales of Terror, Treasure, and Time Travel

during Karsus’s preoccupation. Derathar is a human who commands the city’s watch and favors violence and hasty tribunals. Troublemakers who avoid on-the-spot execution are sentenced to combat in the

eventually split into the gods known in the present day as Beshaba, god of misfortune, and Tymora, god of good fortune. Priests and holy folk aren’t respected in this enclave, and they’re typically called upon only on certain ritual days for propriety’s sake.

Unwelcome Party

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

was planning to take her boys to find safety. High Overseer Thavius Kreeg is the leader of the city, and Harkina hopes that he is working on a plan to rescue survivors and drive away the devils. If

those NPCs in combat. The easiest option is to have the NPCs stay back and out of the way, limiting their options to following the characters or hiding from enemies. During fights, you can effectively

Cult of the Eternal Flame

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

encompasses fiendish inventiveness and a drive to devise new tools for their mad cause. They are masters of fire and forge, taking captives to work in their infernal foundries. Fire cultists see conquest

themselves superior to her, and she stops at nothing to make them see her as a figure to be feared and respected. Vanifer was born and raised in the crushing poverty of Calimport’s poorest quarters, armed

Lizardfolk

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

territorial, they use camouflaged scouts to guard the perimeter of their domain. When unwelcome visitors are detected, a tribe sends a hunting band to harass or drive the trespassers off, or tricks them into

taste for humanoid flesh. Prisoners are often taken back to their camps to become the centerpieces of great feasts and rites involving dancing, storytelling, and ritual combat. Victims are either

Styes Encounters

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

Styes Encounters The adventure presents only those encounters and events that drive the plot, but any character who spends time in the Styes is bound to have additional unpleasant interactions. As

attack, the militia retreat if any of them are killed or at the end of the second round of combat. If any militia members are killed, the characters are immediately attacked by any other militia

Stone Cursed

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

malevolent drive to slay the living, yet they are utterly loyal to whoever performed the ritual to animate them, and they obey that being’s orders to the best of their ability. In combat, stony claws

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

Plot Points

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

you like, especially if you want the players to drive more of the story. Once every player at the table has spent a plot point, they each gain 1 plot point. Option 1: What a Twist! A player who spends a

can spend a plot point to become the DM. That player’s character becomes an NPC, and play continues. It’s probably not a good idea to swap roles in the middle of combat, but it can happen if your group

Battle Master

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

Battle Master Those who emulate the archetypal Battle Master employ martial techniques passed down through generations. To a Battle Master, combat is an academic field, sometimes including subjects

well-rounded fighters of great skill and knowledge. Combat Superiority When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called superiority dice. Maneuvers

The Rank and File

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

The Rank and File While the Lords of the Nine set the overall direction of the Hells, it is the rank and file — uncounted numbers of lesser devils — that drive their schemes forward. Denizens of the

(rank 8), erinyes (rank 9), ice devils and narzugons (rank 10), and amnizus and pit fiends (rank 11). Lesser devils deal with these leaders on a daily basis. Ice devils are combat commanders

The Guild

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

— provided doing so is profitable. Her methods are vicious when necessary, and she is as feared as she is respected. Keene has become increasingly intolerant of the populous tide turning against her

, thieves’ cant Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Cunning Action. On each of her turns in combat, Nine-Fingers can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. Dagger Thrower. Nine-Fingers adds

Eidolon

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse

; it then animates this effigy and uses the statue to drive out the intruders. Eidolon Medium Undead, Any Alignment Armor Class 9 Hit Points 63 (18d8 − 18) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover

motionless at the start of combat, it has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover, if a creature hasn’t observed the statue move or act, that creature must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation

Elf Queen's Palace

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Scions of Elemental Evil

evil directly, but this task requires discretion. The temple is outside my realm, and my spies haven’t the combat prowess needed to eliminate our enemies. I need true heroes to stop these cults; I need

should begin your mission.” Who Is Taking Us to the Temple? “My agent Filonia will drive you in an ox cart to the temple’s outskirts. She will brief you further along the journey.” The Queen’s Boon Once

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