before body defending corpse rules

Speak with Dead

Spells Player’s Handbook

or it recognizes you as an enemy. This spell doesn’t return the creature’s soul to its body, only its animating spirit. Thus, the corpse can’t learn new information, doesn’t comprehend anything that has happened since it died, and can’t speculate about future events.

You grant the semblance of life to a corpse of your choice within range, allowing it to answer questions you pose. The corpse must have a mouth, and this spell fails if the deceased creature was

Revenant

Monsters Monster Manual

body is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 Hit Points and doesn’t regenerate. Undead Restoration. If the revenant dies, it revives 24 hours later in a different body unless Dispel Evil

and Good is cast on its corpse. If it revives, it animates a Humanoid corpse elsewhere on the same plane of existence; it now looks different but uses the same stat block and returns with all its Hit

Biha Babir

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

Amphibious. Biha Babir can breathe air and water. Elemental Restoration. If Biha Babir dies outside the Elemental Plane of Water, her body dissolves into brine, and she gains a new body in 1d4

again until the start of her next turn.Scheming Marid Ruler The calculating Biha Babir rules the pelagic city of Maran Saya in Calimshan. Though her physical form is as fluid as the ocean itself, she

Speak with Dead Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

. This spell doesn't return the creature's soul to its body, only its animating spirit. Thus, the corpse can't learn new information, doesn't comprehend anything that has happened since it died, and can't speculate about future events.

You grant the semblance of life and intelligence to a corpse of your choice within range, allowing it to answer the questions you pose. The corpse must still have a mouth and can't be undead. The

Corpse Flower Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

at least one humanoid corpse in its body, the corpse flower can use a bonus action to do one of the following: The corpse flower digests one humanoid corpse in its body and instantly regains 11 (2d10

);{"diceNotation":"2d10","rollType":"healing","rollAction":"Digest Humanoid"} hit points. Nothing of the digested body remains. Any equipment on the corpse is expelled from the corpse flower in its

Corpse Flower

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

malevolent bent and despises the living. With or without corpses nested in its body, a corpse flower exudes a stench of decay that can overwhelm the senses of nearby creatures, causing them to become

one corpse in its body and instantly regains 11 (2d10);{"diceNotation":"2d10", "rollType":"heal", "rollAction":"Digest"} hit points. Nothing of the digested corpse remains. Any equipment on the corpse

Dybbuk Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

lost (at which point the body becomes a corpse once more) or the dybbuk ends its possession using a bonus action. When the possession ends, the dybbuk reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of

other magical effects. Violate Corpse. The dybbuk can use a bonus action while it is possessing a corpse to make it do something unnatural, such as vomit blood, twist its head all the way around, or

Cultist (Knights of the Black Sword)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Dark Devotion. The cultist has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. Icy Doom. When the cultist dies, its corpse freezes for 9 days, during which time it can’t be

Levistus, the archdevil who rules Stygia, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells, from the confines of an ice prison from which he cannot escape. Most of the cultists are Icewind Dale natives who would

Remorhaz Legacy

Monsters Basic Rules (2014)

Heated Body. A creature that touches the remorhaz or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6);{"diceNotation":"3d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Heated Body

throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the remorhaz. If the remorhaz dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.Cold, Fire

Dybbuk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

":"Tentacle"}. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0. Possess Corpse (Recharge 6);{"diceNotation":"1d6

", "rollType":"recharge", "rollAction":"Possess Corpse"}. The dybbuk disappears into an intact corpse within 5 feet of it that belonged to a Large or smaller Beast or Humanoid. The dybbuk gains 20 temporary hit

Cult Fanatic (Knights of the Black Sword)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

flame, thaumaturgy 1st level (4 slots): command, inflict wounds, shield of faith 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, spiritual weapon Icy Doom. When the cultist dies, its corpse freezes for 9 days

","rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage.The Knights of the Black Sword are a secret society of cultists devoted to Levistus, the archdevil who rules Stygia, the sixth layer of the Nine Hells, from the

Prosthetics

Equipment

Grievous Wound while wearing a Prosthetic that replaces the lost or wounded body part. Some Prosthetics can be enchanted with magic, giving them even further powers. Rules for Magical Prosthetics can be found in the Grim Hollow Campaign Guide.

Revenant Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

turn. The revenant’s body is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. Rejuvenation. When the revenant’s body is destroyed, its soul lingers

. After 24 hours, the soul inhabits and animates another humanoid corpse on the same plane of existence and regains all its hit points. While the soul is bodiless, a wish spell can be used to force the soul

Yestabrod

Monsters Out of the Abyss

creature can’t be reinfected, and it must repeat the saving throw at the end of every 24 hours, ending the infection on a success. On a failure, the infected creature’s body is slowly taken

legendary actions at the start of its turn. Corpse Burst. Gore, offal, and acid erupt from a corpse within 20 feet of Yestabrod. Creatures within 10 feet of the corpse must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity

Carrion Stalker

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

infest its body. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Any effect that cures disease or removes the poisoned condition

instantly kills the larvae in the creature, ending the effect on it. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points by the infestation, it dies. The larvae remain in the corpse, and one survives to become a fully

False Lich

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

nefarious magical copies of themselves to fool enemies, to guard treasure, or for other inscrutable reasons. To create a false lich, a lich binds a shred of its life force to a corpse in a profane

ritual. This transforms the corpse into a near-identical copy of the lich with immense necrotic power and some of its creator’s arcane prowess. The creator then embeds enchanted gemstones into the

Agony the Ghost

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

object. Crew of the Last Breath. The following rules apply to Agony the ghost: As long as the Last Breath has at least 1 hit point, the ghost can’t be permanently slain. If the ghost is reduced

ghost can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the ghost; the ghost then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body

Swarm of Scarabs

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

temporary hit points. Skeletonize. If the swarm starts its turn in the same space as a dead creature that is Large or smaller, the corpse is destroyed, leaving behind only equipment and bones (or

of its hit points or fewer. If the target is a creature, scarabs burrow into its body, and the creature takes 3 (1d6);{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Ravenous Bites

Maurezhi

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

which time the form gradually decays until, when the effect ends, the form sloughs from the demon’s body. Magic Resistance. The maurezhi has advantage on saving throws against spells and other

24 hours later as a ghoul (see the Monster Manual), unless it has been revived or its corpse has been destroyed. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6;{"diceNotation":"1d20+6","rollType":"to hit

Thorny Vegepygmy

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

’t regenerate. Thorny Body. At the start of its turn, the thorny deals 2 (1d4);{"diceNotation":"1d4", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Thorny Body", "rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage

the infestation. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by the mold dies. If the dead creature is a Beast, a Giant, or a Humanoid, one or more vegepygmies emerge from its body 24 hours later: one from a

Nafik

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

. Rejuvenation. When he is destroyed, Nafik gains a new body in 24 hours if his heart is intact, regaining all his hit points. The new body appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of Nafik’s

"} for every 24 hours that elapse. If the curse reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies and its body turns to dust. The curse lasts until removed by the Remove Curse spell or

Vegepygmy Chief

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. If the dead creature is a Beast, a Giant, or a Humanoid, one or more vegepygmies emerge from its body 24 hours later: one from a Small corpse, two from a Medium corpse, four from a Large corpse, eight

ages, it grows tougher and develops spore clusters on its body. Other vegepygmies defer to these so-called chiefs. A chief can expel its spores in a burst, infecting nearby creatures. If a creature

Relentless Impaler

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Bloodheart Stake. The impaler is magically bound to the ceremonial stake and the sacrificed corpse the ritual caster used to create it. If the impaler is reduced to 0 hit points, it disappears, then

if it is reduced to 0 hit points while either the ceremonial stake is removed from the sacrifice’s corpse or the impaler is on a different plane of existence from that corpse. Legendary

Vegepygmy

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

from the remains left behind when a Humanoid or a Giant is killed by russet mold (see “Russet Mold” below). One or more vegepygmies emerge from the corpse a day later. Vegepygmies

poison or cures disease kills the infestation. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by the mold dies. If the dead creature is a Beast, a Giant, or a Humanoid, one or more vegepygmies emerge from its body 24

Necrotic Centipede

Monsters Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

Necrotic Body. A creature that touches the necrotic centipede, or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6);{"diceNotation":"3d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Necrotic

Body","rollDamageType":"necrotic"} necrotic damage.Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11;{"diceNotation":"1d20+11","rollType":"to hit","rollAction":"Bite"} to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 40 (6d10

Boneless

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

":"damage","rollAction":"Slam","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage. Crushing Embrace. The boneless wraps its body around a Large or smaller creature grappled by it. While the boneless is

them to death in their full-body grip. Boneless arise in a variety of forms. While the animate skins of specific creatures are the most common, foul spellcasters might create these horrors from the

Kyrzin's Ooze

Magic Items Eberron: Rising from the Last War

. As an action, you can speak a command word and cause your body to assume the amorphous qualities of an ooze. For the next minute, you (along with any equipment you’re wearing or carrying) can

you, turning your corpse into a black pudding allied with the daelkyr (see the Monster Manual for the black pudding;black pudding's stat block).

Reduced-threat Remorhaz

Monsters Tales from the Yawning Portal

Heated Body. A creature that touches the remorhaz or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6);{"diceNotation":"3d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Heated Body

the remorhaz. If the remorhaz dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.Cold, Fire

Piercer (Ice variant)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

ground below. A piercer is the larval form of a roper, and the two creatures often attack in tandem. A rock-like shell encases a piercer's body, giving it the look and texture of a stalactite. That

shell protects a soft, slug-like upper body that lets the piercer move across cavern walls and ceilings to position itself for prey. With its eye and mouth closed, the piercer is difficult to distinguish

Specter of Night

Monsters Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures

essence to the dead body, giving the corpse the semblance of life as a rider. The two function as a single creature, more powerful for their unnatural union. Humans of Eldraine view specters as

specter and imagine the rider in command of the mount, but the truth is the opposite; the flying horror is an Undead monster that scours the wilds for a knightly corpse. On finding one, the horror binds its

Devastation Orb

Magic Items Princes of the Apocalypse

the area of effect, the rules for heavy precipitation apply, as detailed in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. If there is a substantial body of water in the area, it floods after 2d10 hours

batter it. The wind is strong enough to uproot weak trees and destroy light structures after at least 10 minutes of exposure. Otherwise, the rules for strong wind apply, as detailed in chapter 5 of the

Maurezhi Legacy

Monsters Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

, during which time the form gradually decays until, when the effect ends, the form sloughs from the demon's body. Magic Resistance. The maurezhi has advantage on saving throws against spells and other

to 0. It rises 24 hours later as a ghoul, unless it has been revived or its corpse has been destroyed. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6;{"diceNotation":"1d20+6","rollType":"to hit","rollAction":"Claws

Psurlon Leader

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

end of its body, and a superior intellect. Other psurlons look to the two-headed ones for leadership. Psurlons Psurlons are malevolent, wormlike creatures that were ejected from the Far Realm long

wherever they are found. When a psurlon dies, other psurlons store the corpse in a safe place. As the corpse decays, the psurlons lay one or more eggs inside it. These eggs hatch 24 hours later, each one

Barghest

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. Soul Feeding. The barghest can feed on the corpse of a Fey or Humanoid it killed within the past 10 minutes. This feeding takes at least 1 minute, and it destroys the corpse. The victim’s soul is

opportunity arises, until they reach adulthood and are capable of seeking out stronger prey. A barghest avoids contact with large, open fires. Any conflagration larger than its body acts as a gateway to

Choker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

method for luring prey involves positioning the body of its latest catch just outside its hiding spot. Whenever it gets hungry, it tears off a few chunks of flesh to feed itself. In the meantime, the

corpse serves to entice other curious folk—explorers from the surface world, drow, duergar, or the choker’s favorite prey, goblins—to come within reach. When a target presents itself

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