before better diffusing combat recover

Molted Lizard Skin

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 15 12 12 For maximum results, try to find a whole skin that has been thoroughly dried by the sun. The crispier the better.

Warduke

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

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

Razorvine Blight

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

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

dangerous, in Sigil they sometimes mimic the behaviors of the city’s other inhabitants—for better or worse. At least one blight, known as Patch, spreads copies of itself across the city, creating a spy network of copies with mysterious goals.

Entertainer Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

liking to you. Variant Entertainer: Gladiator A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer, trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can

enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer routine, though you might also have some skills as a tumbler or actor. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform in

Trapper

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

hibernation that can last for months, though it is still aware when prey comes near. A trapper on the verge of starvation might defy its instincts and abandon its old territory in search of better hunting.

Hundred-Handed One

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Reactive. The giant can take one reaction on every turn in a combat. Vigilant. The giant can't be surprised.Multiattack. The giant makes four longsword attacks or two rock attacks. Longsword. Melee

performed dark rituals, robbing the power of ancient, slumbering giants and using it to transform their servants. This primal energy granted the archons' agents numerous limbs—the better to raise the

Skylla

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

into allowing her to serve as the primary liaison between the League of Malevolence and the Hourglass Coven, claiming her pact with Baba Yaga made her better suited for the role than anyone else

feel beholden to stay on good terms with her vile spawn, the hags of the Hourglass Coven.” Flaw. “I don't have a single friend I can count on.” Combat Notes Skylla is not an

Gladiator Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

A gladiator is as much an entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer, trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer

; FEATURE: BY POPULAR DEMAND You can always find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment — perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret pit fighting club. At such

Alustriel Silverhand

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Weave favors those who act with mercy and compassion, seeks to deliver lives of security for all, and bolsters people’s efforts when they seek to right wrongs and combat evil. Nowhere are

Alustriel and her deeds better known than in the Silver Marches and its capital, Silverymoon. Alustriel ruled Silverymoon for centuries, once disguised as a wizard named Elué Dualen and then later

Ringlerun

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

","rollDamageType":"lightning"} lightning damage; 5 charges), magic missile (1 charge), ray of enfeeblement (1 charge), or wall of force (5 charges).Ringlerun became an adventurer to better satisfy his craving for

when people who are clearly less intelligent want to tell me what to do.” Combat Notes Ringlerun can fend off melee attackers with wild swings of his staff, but he prefers to fly out of reach and

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

securely for at least ten days. How did you come by that money? What allowed you to break free of your desperate circumstances and embark on a better life? Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of

are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow. Suggested Characteristics Urchins are

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

others can be exploited through bribes, favors, or threats. As creatures devoid of emotion, yuan-ti exhibit behavior and use tactics that exemplify that outlook (or lack of one). Whether in combat

odds aren’t in their favor. A short retreat might be just the thing to reach a better tactical position, find allies, or to allow the yuan-ti the opportunity to study their opponents and

Deep Dragon Wyrmling Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

combat. Deep dragons look down on any creature that isn’t useful to them, though they are willing to bargain for knowledge they lack. Creating a Deep Dragon Use the Deep Dragon Personality

"} Ideal 1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours. (Any) 2 Kindred. All dragons are kin to one

Young Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

manipulation and crafty dealmaking to exerting themselves in combat. Deep dragons look down on any creature that isn’t useful to them, though they are willing to bargain for knowledge they lack

":"1d6","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Ideal"} Ideal 1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours

Entertainer - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

entertainer as any minstrel or circus performer, trained to make the arts of combat into a spectacle the crowd can enjoy. This kind of flashy combat is your entertainer routine, though you might also have some

skills as a tumbler or actor. Using your By Popular Demand feature, you can find a place to perform in any place that features combat for entertainment — perhaps a gladiatorial arena or secret

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

circumstances and embark on a better life? Skill Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, StealthTool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, thieves’ toolsEquipment: A small knife, a map of the city you grew up

can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

ice with which to combat foes. These weapons are supernaturally resilient until Auril discards them, whereupon they break and melt like normal ice. Auril the Frostmaiden Auril the Frostmaiden is a

that can harm her. Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale from the rest of the world, and a shroud of mist

Conflict without End

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

conflict is a great war of attrition — the combatants don’t often gain or lose territory as the result of battle. But on a personal scale, combat is brutal, with no quarter given or expected. The duergar

activity or to recover stolen treasures if they can do so without attracting too much attention. This eternal enmity between duergar and dwarves doesn’t consume either side; both have other concerns

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

bother to couch my opinions in flattering words. 5 I can’t help but pocket any trinket or coin I come across, no matter how worthless. 6 I’m convinced that I’m better and

Noncombat Challenges

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

Noncombat Challenges You decide whether to award experience to characters for overcoming challenges outside combat. If the adventurers complete a tense negotiation with a baron, forge a trade

agreement with a clan of surly dwarves, or successfully navigate the Chasm of Doom, you might decide that they deserve an XP reward. As a starting point, use the rules for building combat encounters in

Folk Horror Plots

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

Folk Horror Plots Folk horror stories often involve outsiders or an unwitting new member of the community discovering a unsettling practices. Folk Horror Plots d8 Plot 1 Recover a missing

horseback is imprisoned and sentenced to death. 4 Help a cult summon a fiend to combat an impending greater evil. 5 Defeat a violent hag who’s protected by everyone in town and called

Rest Variants

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

of 5 minutes and a long rest of 1 hour. This change makes combat more routine, since characters can easily recover from every battle. You might want to make combat encounters more difficult to

carefully judge the benefits and drawbacks of combat. Characters can’t afford to engage in too many battles in a row, and all adventuring requires careful planning. This approach encourages the characters to

Adult Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

of far-off lands. Many seek out new insights and tricks that they can use against other denizens of the Underdark, preferring social manipulation and crafty dealmaking to exerting themselves in combat

1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours. (Any) 2 Kindred. All dragons are kin to one another

Healing

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

Healing These optional rules make it easier or harder for adventurers to recover from injury, either increasing or reducing the amount of time your players can spend adventuring before rest is

Surges This optional rule allows characters to heal up in the thick of combat and works well for parties that feature few or no characters with healing magic, or for campaigns in which magical healing is

Awarding XP

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

NPCs made the challenge easier. (See also “Nonplayer Characters” in chapter 3.) Noncombat Challenges You decide whether to award XP to characters for overcoming challenges outside combat. If the

point, use the rules for building combat encounters in chapter 4 to gauge the difficulty of the challenge. Then award the characters XP as if it had been a combat encounter of the same difficulty

Ancient Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

far-off lands. Many seek out new insights and tricks that they can use against other denizens of the Underdark, preferring social manipulation and crafty dealmaking to exerting themselves in combat

1 Understanding. True power comes from the ability to discern other creatures’ motivations better than they can discern yours. (Any) 2 Kindred. All dragons are kin to one another, and

Roleplaying a Beholder

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

perfect as I am, I can strive to be even better. (Neutral) 6 Power. I will be secure when I rule over all. (Evil) Beholder Bonds d6 Bond 1 My followers are all spying on me, and I seek motivated

, powerful allies to destroy them. 2 I miss the kinship of my identical twin, who disappeared years ago. 3 I must recover an artifact that was stolen from me. 4 I have foreseen the moment of my death and

Gold Dragons

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

Gold Dragons Dragons of Hope and Majesty Habitat: Forest, Grassland; Treasure: Arcana Gold dragons work to make the world a better place. The most powerful of the metallic dragons, these awe

-inspiring dragons strive to protect that which is good and bend fate toward a brighter future. Their kind dispositions don’t prevent gold dragons from engaging in combat when necessary, though, and they

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

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

new leader can act as the real boss. If the creature brushes aside such manipulation, the tribe falls into line behind the new tyrant—better to abide the new rule than conspire against it and be

Doppelganger

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

spread fear, suspicion, and deceit better than doppelgangers. Found in every land and culture, they can take on the guise of any individual of any race. Doppelganger Medium monstrosity

. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the doppelganger has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it surprised. Surprise Attack. If the

Salvagers Wanted

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

acquainted with the sorts of taverns and inns the characters might be found in. When the characters are brought to Aubreck (a male human noble), they quickly note that he has seen better days. His

explains that the ship holds a magic box containing promissory notes and property deeds worth a total of 100,000 gp. He offers the characters a fee of 10 percent (10,000 gp) to recover it. As a gesture of

Arguing Princes

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

about his past adventuring missions, downplaying Simbon’s own combat experience. Kirina’s Secret During the expedition, Prince Kirina seeks opportunities to look heroic and undermine his rival, Prince

before Kirina does. Alternatively, a character who sees Kirina drop the paper and recover it can steal the page from Kirina with a successful DC 14 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. If asked about the

Adventure Duration

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

, adventures in a shared campaign are designed to take either 2 hours or 4 hours. In each hour of play, assume the characters can complete the following: Three or four simple combat encounters, or one or

dungeon presents a natural limit on character options, while still giving the players choices. The adventure could be a quest to defeat a creature or recover an item, but the path to achieving that goal

Immersive Storytelling

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

against the player’s better judgment, because “that’s what the character would do.” Since combat isn’t the focus, game rules take a back seat to character development. Ability check modifiers and skill

both the characters and the lords have come to terms with their differing outlooks and agendas. This style of gaming is deep, complex, and challenging. The focus isn’t on combat but on negotiations

D&D Beyond

Search Results