before beneath defusing combat ritual

Aranea

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

a bulky, humpbacked spider with two short arms beneath its head. An aranea can shape-shift into a humanoid form or into a multiarmed humanoid-spider hybrid. Araneas live in insular communities, such

as the Spider Swamp in Calimshan, where they create beautiful objects that express their artistry and which are sometimes traded to other communities. Most araneas prefer to avoid combat, befuddling

Darkling Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

chambers beneath the towns of other species. From such enclaves, they quietly ply their trade as thieves and assassins. The Killing Light. The Summer Queen's curse causes a darkling's body to absorb light

qualify to undergo a ritual to become an elder. Other elders mark the supplicant with glowing tattoos, channeling some of the darkling's absorbed light away from its body. If the ritual succeeds, the

Darkling Elder Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

, in Common, "darklings." Darklings most often settle in secluded caverns and chambers beneath the towns of other species. From such enclaves, they quietly ply their trade as thieves and assassins

the colors in a painting or a jewel. Elder Transformation. A wise and respected darkling can qualify to undergo a ritual to become an elder. Other elders mark the supplicant with glowing tattoos

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

repeat the saving throw. The effect ends if the second save is successful; otherwise the target is petrified for 24 hours.Stone cursed are spawned through a foul alchemical ritual performed on a Humanoid

Slithering Tracker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

half.The quest for revenge sometimes leads those terribly aggrieved to undergo a ritual whereby they transform into bodies of semiliquid sentience known as slithering trackers. Innocuous and insidious at

Tanarukk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

of Gruumsh has also mastered a ritual for this purpose, and bestows it on those deemed worthy. Whatever process is used corrupts the subject, transforming them into a vicious Fiend. Although

tanarukks are valued as fearsome fighters, they are a threat to their allies off the battlefield. When not in combat, a tanarukk is destructive and volatile and is usually kept imprisoned by its allies. If

Groff

Monsters Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

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

unoccupied space.Many a Strixhaven student wandering the bayou has stepped on a seemingly mundane patch of moss—only to discover that it was the back of a hungry groff lurking beneath the

Warduke

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

reveal his face to others, but the visage beneath is that of a grim, hideously scarred gladiator. Alignment. Chaotic evil. Personality Trait. “I speak with the flames and razor-sharp edges of

better comes along.” Flaw. “I don’t have a single friend I can count on.” Combat Notes Warduke likes to hit things with his sword; it’s as simple as that. League of

Venom Troll

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

tissue, and poison leaks from the pores to coat the troll’s fangs and claws. These creatures are especially dangerous in close combat because poison drips off their flesh and sprays out from every

vast scale, or if their bodies were damaged by elemental forces. These unusual forms can also be produced and shaped by the ritual magic of evil spellcasters or by trolls’ own practices, as is the

Half-Elf Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

the dwarf could see of the man’s face beneath a green hood was tan skin and a brownish-red beard. A longbow was slung over one shoulder and a sword hung at his left side. He was dressed in soft

. EXCELLENT AMBASSADORS Many half-elves learn at an early age to get along with everyone, defusing hostility and finding common ground. As a race, they have elven grace without elven aloofness and

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

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 Dragon

with divine power rests in a temple beneath the waves. Unfortunately, that temple is now the lair of an especially tricky topaz dragon. 5 A topaz dragon is injured and stranded far from the sea

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

cannibalizing their victims, and then performed a sorcerous ritual while writhing in pools filled with living snakes that enabled them to mix their flesh with that of serpents, becoming like the gods in

can transform an individual into a more powerful type. The cost and time required to perform the ritual is prohibitive, and as a result most yuan-ti never get the opportunity to undergo such a

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

coins Feature: Undercity Paths You know hidden, underground pathways that you can use to bypass crowds, obstacles, and observation as you move through the city. When you aren’t in combat, you

of my parents is an elite assassin, a member of the Ochran. 2 I learned combat from a kraul. 3 I know a medusa who is stationed in the guildhall. 4 I had a torrid romance with a

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

exhales and a blast of fire roars from his mouth, engulfing his foes. Moving with the silence of the night, a black-clad halfling steps into a shadow beneath an arch and emerges from another inky

. Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of

The Archmages' Desperation

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

keeps in Sigil. Using their combined magic, the archmages weave a Wish spell in hopes of sabotaging Vecna’s accumulated power and defusing his ritual. Instead of any expected effect, the Wish spell shunts

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

stars overhead, a wild-eyed tiefling chants the mystic ritual that will open a doorway to a distant world. Warlocks are seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through

(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

Aurnozci

Monsters The Book of Many Things

down mortal souls for violent ritual sacrifice to their god. Roleplaying Aurnozci Aurnozci is a being of mindless destruction, and the Caged Worm has few dealings with mortals that don’t end

in consumption. Periodically, the Eye of Aurnozci communes with their horrifying master or leads a ceremony of propitiation in the Firehive. In combat, Aurnozci screeches horribly and attacks any

Young Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

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 Dragon Adventures The Topaz Dragon

temple beneath the waves. Unfortunately, that temple is now the lair of an especially tricky topaz dragon. 5 A topaz dragon is injured and stranded far from the sea, but the dragon is too proud

Running This Chapter

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

Running This Chapter In this chapter, the characters discover a cult of Vecna preparing four kidnap victims for a ritual in the catacombs beneath Hallix Mausoleum. Disrupting this ritual hurls the

Character Objectives

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

detected, a combat encounter or social interaction might result. Stop a Ritual The plots of evil cult leaders, malevolent spellcasters, and Fiends often involve rituals that must be foiled. In a

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

Running This Chapter

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

Running This Chapter The characters start this chapter knowing that a trio of mind flayers are preparing a ritual to transform surface-dwelling Humanoids into mind flayers. The ritual will certainly

affect Phandalin, and it might wash over other small population pockets in the region. The exact parameters of the ritual are up to you. If you decide that the characters are too easily vanquishing

The End of the World

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

subconscious, the ritual manifests the most terrifying figures the characters can think of — their bosses. At the start of combat, wraithlike Far Realm versions of Omin Dran, Jim Darkmagic, Môrgæn, and Viari

, Splugoth’s goblin minions start out as a force of ten goblins, with their numbers and combat features augmented by the ritual and by Splugoth’s control of the orrery components during the fight. See “Ritual

Rites

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Rites Cult rituals are intense and often violent, including blood sacrifice and ritual combat. Many cultists consume unnatural substances, seeking a closer communion to aberrations. They perform rituals in Undercommon, though most cultists don’t have a full understanding of the language.

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

and know the most about the territory farthest from the tribe’s lair. These individuals hunt game in peaceful times, and in combat they serve as scouts, foot soldiers, and cavalry. Gatherers

. Gatherers, and the pariahs beneath them, greatly fear for their lives in battle, believing that the lashers and the hunters have special knowledge of how to survive. It is the members of the lower

The Ritual

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

The Ritual Kuo-toa parade around the altar in a wide circle as they chant. Part of their path sends them splashing and wading through the shallows of the Darklake. The characters quickly can’t tell

, while the guards that brought the characters forward stand in shock. They are surprised and can’t move or take an action on their first turn of the combat, and they can’t take reactions until that

Chapter 1: Return from Neverdeath Graveyard

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

Chapter 1: Return from Neverdeath Graveyard Katerina Ladon A bizarre ritual reveals the cult of Vecna’s terrifying activities As the adventure begins, the characters are established heroes currently

Neverwinter’s past heroes, Lord Neverember has nevertheless provided stable leadership. Unknown to the authorities, a cult of Vecna operates in the catacombs beneath Neverwinter’s sprawling Neverdeath

Sparkrender's Ritual

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

Sparkrender from completing his ritual and obtaining the power he craves is to kill him. But characters can also use their actions in combat to interfere with the process and hinder Sparkrender in magical

Sparkrender’s Ritual If the characters leave the observatory without defeating Sparkrender, they might return to find the blue wyrmling’s ritual underway. This is most likely to happen if the

Ancient Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

the sight of the vast 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

Legends claim that a gauntlet imbued with divine power rests in a temple beneath the waves. Unfortunately, that temple is now the lair of an especially tricky topaz dragon. 5 A topaz dragon is

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

gauntlet imbued with divine power rests in a temple beneath the waves. Unfortunately, that temple is now the lair of an especially tricky topaz dragon. 5 A topaz dragon is injured and stranded far

The Map

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

shards now, but the fanatics need as many obelisk fragments as possible to ensure their ritual will succeed. The Sawplees’ map reveals the locations of three other fragments: an abandoned dwarven

temple called Talhundereth, the crypt beneath it, and a subterranean trading nexus called Gibbet Crossing. These locations are in the Starmetal Hills, several days northeast of Phandalin. In the previous

The Well of Dragons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

battle to come. The Cult of the Dragon discovered the Well of Dragons long ago. Lava tubes snaking beneath the now-dormant volcano formed natural corridors connecting caverns that the cult enlarged for

their own use. Within the central caldera, they raised a ritual space for creating dracoliches from dragons drawn to the site knowing they would soon die. Under Severin’s leadership, the caldera and

The Well of Dragons

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

battle to come. The Cult of the Dragon discovered the Well of Dragons long ago. Lava tubes snaking beneath the now-dormant volcano formed natural corridors connecting caverns that the cult enlarged for

their own use. Within the central caldera, they raised a ritual space for creating dracoliches from dragons drawn to the site knowing they would soon die. Under Severin’s leadership, the caldera and

Facing Tiamat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

caverns beneath the caldera provides a number of options for reaching the temple. Whether the characters fight Tiamat directly or prevent the summoning ritual from being completed depends on their

text aloud after 10 rounds of the summoning ritual have been successfully focused by five or more Red Wizards. The maelstrom filling the central apse of the temple suddenly splits open with a crack of

Scions of Elemental Evil

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

Scions of Elemental Evil Beneath the Temple of Elemental Evil lies a labyrinth of tombs and ritual chambers. For years these dungeons have lain in ruin. Now forsaken souls return, raising an army of

Yaguara's Heart

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

nestled among treacherous cliffs and grasping forest. In the blood-painted caverns hidden beneath the temple lies a stone altar bearing the still-beating heart of Darklord Chakuna. Here, an aspiring

Darklord can perform a ritual to consume Chakuna’s heart and take her place as ruler of Valachan, or destroy it and loose the sapient rage of the rain forest on anyone trapped within the domain’s

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