before both dealing combat rewards

Onyx

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

. Dealing with Onyx. Onyx cannot be overcome or killed by combat. Any weapon attack against her that hits AC 12 makes contact but deals no lasting damage. However, if the attack would deal 10 or more

Tree Blight

Monsters Curse of Strahd

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

);{"diceNotation":"1d6+6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Grasping Root","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns. The root has AC 15 and can be severed by dealing 6

Kelek

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

of the staff's charges, dealing an extra 3 (1d6);{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Staff of Striking","rollDamageType":"force"} force damage for each expended charge. Fiery

. “I must have Ringlerun’s staff! With it, the League of Malevolence will be unstoppable!” Flaw. “I trust no one, nor am I trustworthy.” Combat Notes Kelek uses Arcane

Skylla

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Eldritch Staff","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage when used with two hands, and Skylla can expend up to 3 of the staff’s charges, dealing an

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

Astral Elf Honor Guard

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

important individuals and locations is entrusted to astral elf honor guards, highly trained warriors who are more than capable of holding their own in combat. Astral Elves Long ago, some elves ventured

psurlons, mind flayers, and githyanki. When dealing with others, astral elves customarily cover their faces with ornate visors, becoming faceless extensions of their gods. Their fierce devotion to the

Yagnoloth

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.Anyone who would contract yugoloths for a task usually ends up dealing with a yagnoloth. Cunning negotiators, these strange Fiends handle the

arm of human size and one giant-sized arm. During negotiations, the yagnoloth uses its human-sized arm to draft and sign contracts. When a show of force is necessary or when combat is joined, it

Fighter Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

mastery with weapons and armor, and a thorough knowledge of the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and staring it defiantly in the face. Well-Rounded

Specialists Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles. Every fighter can swing an axe, fence with a rapier, wield a longsword or a greatsword, use a bow, and even trap foes in a net with some degree of

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

variety of skills as they do to perfecting their combat abilities, giving them a broad expertise that few other characters can match. Many rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine the

skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks. When it comes to combat, rogues prioritize cunning over brute strength. A rogue

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

scythe. Only a skilled and determined hero can hope to survive single combat with an orc. Savage and fearless, orc tribes are ever in search of elves, dwarves, and humans to destroy. Motivated by their

to be invincible. They see the principles that define them and their deities at work every day in the world around them — nature rewards the strong and mercilessly eliminates the weak and the

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

greater rewards as an adventurer. Your experience makes you familiar with the ins and outs of mercenary life, and you likely have harrowing stories of events on the battlefield. You might have served with

tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation. 5 I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. 6 I enjoy being strong and like breaking things. 7 I have

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

the gods or as food. Depend on Deceit Yuan-ti have no sense of honorable combat. They are naturally stealthy, and if they can sneak up on enemies, either in an ambush or to murder them in their sleep

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

for your patron, or did your patron find and choose you? Do you chafe under the obligations of your pact or serve joyfully in anticipation of the rewards promised to you? Work with your DM to

City Watch / Investigator

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

experience in enforcing the law, and dealing with lawbreakers, gives you a feel for local laws and criminals. You can easily find the local outpost of the watch or a similar organization, and just as

friends, and I’m slow to make new ones. 4 I’m full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation. 5 I can stare down a

Adult Amethyst Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

in collecting knowledge and magic dealing with the nature of the planes of existence, cosmic forces, and distant worlds. They prize treasures drawn from different worlds of the Material Plane

with a beholder that has moved into the dragon’s domain. 5 Xorn serve as lookouts and spies for an adult amethyst dragon who rewards them with gems. 6 To repay a favor long owed to a

1. Just Desserts

compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->One-Shot Wonders: Holiday Adventure Pack

Quest Rewards Artum has agreed to pay each party member 25gp each for a day’s work, plus a seat at the banquet if they do a good job. Any wealthy guests the party protect in combat will give them a 5gp tip and Elias gives them a tin of spiced biscuits to take away.

Optimizing

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

Optimizing Players who enjoy optimizing their characters’ capabilities like to fine-tune their characters for peak combat performance by gaining levels, new features, and magic items. They welcome

. including encounters that let their characters shine. providing quantifiable rewards, like experience points, for noncombat encounters.

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

Statuesque

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

combat, if the characters are allied with Moghadam and remove a hand and an eye from any statue, Vecna rewards them with some boon (advantage on attack rolls during the first round of their next fight, having a consumable magic item appear in the statue’s remaining hand, and so forth).

Statuesque You might introduce different options for interacting with the statues in area 24, especially if combat breaks out there. For example, if the eidolon inhabits a statue of Zariel or Bel

Crew Members

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

kill them, imprison them, or throw them overboard. The crew can be cowed into obedience through violence, combat, or offers of treasure or other rewards. When the DM ends the mutiny, the crew’s quality

leadership. A typical crew member uses the commoner stat block in the Monster Manual. Optional Rule: Loyalty and Quality When dealing with an individual member of the crew, you might find it useful to use

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

Trained for Danger

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

Trained for Danger Not every member of the city watch, the village militia, or the queen’s army is a fighter. Most of these troops are relatively untrained soldiers with only the most basic combat

also much greater rewards — few fighters in the city watch have the opportunity to discover a magic flame tongue sword, for example.

Trained for Danger

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

Trained for Danger Not every member of the city watch, the village militia, or the queen’s army is a fighter. Most of these troops are relatively untrained soldiers with only the most basic combat

also much greater rewards — few fighters in the city watch have the opportunity to discover a magic flame tongue sword, for example.

Why Use Riddles?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

an opportunity for the characters to engage with a creature that’s too strong to defeat in combat Reward clever characters who overcome a challenge with brains instead of brawn Make a villain, an

area, or an object seem more interesting or mysterious However, using too many riddles can slow gameplay. Use them thoughtfully and sparingly. Especially tricky riddles should entail worthwhile rewards

Mythic Monsters

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

into truly legendary confrontations, well suited to the climactic battles at the ends of adventures or whole campaigns. Mythic traits are optional; they don’t need to be used during combat with these

twist that changes the way the monster behaves, restores its resources, or provides it with new actions to use. As a result, the battle becomes deadlier and rages on for longer than most combat

Fellow Travelers

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

(see chapter 8). This changes some of the conditions described in “Underdark Travel” in chapter 2. ATTACKING IN FORCE When dealing with combat between large groups of creatures — either the

the other and assume they neutralize each other — for example, a band of shield dwarves fighting for the adventurers against a band of orcs. During such combat, the force on the losing side is wiped

Silvanus

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

death in the wilderness. In legends he often commands other nature deities, dealing out rewards and punishments to them as is fitting. Nature and its impartial fairness is central to the dogma of

The Enemy Sighted

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

road, headed toward Vogler. The adventure unfolds in one of two ways from here: With Mass Combat. If you are using the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn game along with this adventure, consult the

“Warriors of Krynn: Scenario 1” sidebar. Without Mass Combat. If you aren’t using the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn game, continue with the “Invasion of Vogler” section. WARRIORS OF KRYNN: SCENARIO 1

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

make an ability check to do so. This approach rewards creativity by encouraging players to look to the situation you’ve described for an answer, rather than looking to their character sheet or their

Aphelion's Errands, Level 2

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Hedges. Invasive plants have spread to this level. Aphelion asks the characters to destroy the growths near three of the drop tubes (see area S38). For each task the characters complete, Aphelion rewards

gifts them four energy cells instead. The items are delivered by a combat robot that arrives via the nearest drop tube before returning to the first level of the ship.

Chapter 3: Creating Adventures

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

Chapter 3: Creating Adventures Creating adventures is one of the greatest rewards of being a Dungeon Master. It’s a way to express yourself, designing fantastic locations and encounters with monsters

interaction, and combat into a unified whole that meets the needs of your players and your campaign. But it’s more than that. The basic elements of good storytelling should guide you throughout this process, so your players experience the adventure as a story and not a disjointed series of encounters.

Bottom Card: Reward or Ruin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

a ruin based on how well the players resolved the day’s top card. If you’re using cards that have a different meaning when they’re upright versus upside down, ignore the cards’ orientation. Rewards

When determining rewards, here are some effects to consider: Friendly Aid. The characters encounter another traveler or a friendly local resident who offers them food, shelter, information, or other

Thrane Characters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

on archery-related combat styles and spells or take the Sharpshooter feat. Any Thrane could take the acolyte background to reflect a strong connection to the church, or the soldier background based on

church in politics distracts it from its true mission and invites corruption. Dealing with Darkness. The Shadow in the Flame can tempt even the most virtuous soul. How do you react when you encounter

Thrane Characters

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

by taking the Magic Initiate feat. Archery is a devotional practice of the Silver Flame, so as a martial Thrane you might focus on archery-related combat styles or take the Sharpshooter feat. Any

you like to see power restored to the throne? Many people of faith believe that miring the church in politics distracts it and invites corruption. Dealing with Darkness. The Shadow in the Flame can

Top Card: The Challenge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

small dungeon or an encounter (which might involve multiple ability checks or even combat). Let the character of the player who flipped the card be the focus of the day’s events and make any required

ability checks (though another character can help, at your discretion). Whatever choice or challenge you decide the top card represents, the characters’ success or failure while dealing with that situation determines how you read the bottom card.

Keeping Combat Moving

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

Keeping Combat Moving Sometimes even the best-planned combat encounter can turn into a slog, where no one’s moving and neither side is hitting or dealing much damage to the other. When that happens

chase the character. Move the monsters somewhere else. Hasten a Monster’s Demise If a combat has gone on long enough and the characters’ victory is almost certain, you can simply have the monster drop

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