blast before defeat combat rites

Druid

Classes Player’s Handbook

, individual Druids gain their magic from nature, a nature deity, or both, and they typically unite with other Druids to perform rites that mark the passage of the seasons and other natural cycles

regions of unspoiled nature, but when a significant danger arises, Druids take a more active role as adventurers who combat the threat. Becoming a Druid... As a Level 1 Character Gain all the

Kraul Death Priest

Monsters Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

, with little grasp of metaphor or nuance. The death priests occupy the highest roles in kraul society. They lead the buzzing chants of the kraul rites. Their inscrutable clicks and buzzing can summon

crippling necromantic magic, and the presence of death seems to fortify them. They draw power from the defeat of their enemies and channel it to their followers, ensuring the continuation of the cycle. The current leader of the kraul is a death priest named Mazirek.

Tasha the Witch

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

trait is bestowed by her Robe of the Archmagi.) Special Equipment. Tasha wears a Robe of the Archmagi.Multiattack. Tasha makes two Caustic Blast attacks and uses Psychic Whip once. Caustic Blast

. Melee or Ranged Spell Attack: +14;{"diceNotation":"1d20+14", "rollType":"to hit", "rollAction":"Caustic Blast"} to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (6d4 + 6);{"diceNotation":"6d4

Zarak

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

agree to kill something, I pursue my quarry until the job is done.” Flaw. “A friend is just an enemy I haven’t made yet.” Combat Notes When faced with multiple foes, Zarak

of his hapless prey. If defeat seems likely, he quaffs his potion of invisibility and flees. League of Malevolence The League of Malevolence is an odious assemblage of villains united in one purpose

Goblin Psi Brawler

Monsters Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

Mental Burst. When the goblin dies, its pent-up mental energy explodes in a psychic blast. Each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw or take 5 (2d4

often struggle to handle the turbulent psychic energy within their minds and bodies. Those psionic goblins who learn how to safely tap into this psychic power are formidable forces in combat. Psionic

Rattle Shoot

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 10 8 7 Rattle shoot plants are wanted for their seed pods which dry out in the summer. As soon as the first rain comes, the seeds begin to rattle

inside the dry pods and then blast out in a peppering of seeds that scatter them a great distance. Rattle shoot plants are found mainly in the Gale Fields in the center of the island.

Eye of Fear and Flame

Monsters Infernal Machine Rebuild

remains unknown. Cruel Puppet Masters. An eye of fear and flame often chooses to appear during times of uncertainty, such as after a group's devastating defeat or when an individual contemplates some

combat, it targets not only its opponents but also innocent bystanders, seeking to cause the greatest amount of confusion and destruction. If the creature is destroyed, these gems can be recovered

Zargash

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

accordingly.” Combat Notes War is Zargash’s domain. He wears a rusty chain shirt under his robe and likes to thwart enemy spellcasters by enveloping them in the area of a silence spell. If

defeat seems inevitable, he casts gaseous form on himself and flees, leaving his allies to fend for themselves. League of Malevolence The League of Malevolence is an odious assemblage of villains

Goblin Psi Commander

Monsters Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

Mental Burst. When the goblin dies, its pent-up mental energy explodes in a psychic blast. Each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw or take 10 (4d4

goblins often struggle to handle the turbulent psychic energy within their minds and bodies. Those psionic goblins who learn how to safely tap into this psychic power are formidable forces in combat

Kelek

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

. “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

get caught in a blast, so be it. League of Malevolence The League of Malevolence is an odious assemblage of villains united in one purpose: the accumulation of power. Its founding member, the

Halaster Blackcloak

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

sight, and allows him to see invisible creatures and objects, as well as into the Ethereal Plane, out to a range of 120 feet. Halaster wields a blast scepter (a very rare magic item that requires

attunement). It can be used as an arcane focus. Whoever is attuned to the blast scepter gains resistance to fire and lightning damage and can, as an action, use it to cast thunderwave as a 4th-level spell

Soldier Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

’ve lost too many 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

forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. 5 Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. 6 I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves

City Watch / Investigator

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

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

defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. 5 Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for. 6 I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. d6 Flaw

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

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

sufficient to defeat whatever threats arise. A Life of Danger A barbarian plays an important role as a protector of their people and a leader in times of war. Life in the wild places of the world is

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

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

I’m full of inspiring and cautionary 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

life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind. 3 My honor is my life. 4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

to those chosen to fulfill a high calling. Harnessing divine magic doesn’t rely on study or training. A cleric might learn formulaic prayers and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric

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

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

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

never leave a friend behind. 3 My honor is my life. 4 I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it. 5 Those who fight beside me are those

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.

Worshiping Mogis

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

Mogis and regularly hold bloody rites in his honor. Warchanters, the minotaur clergy of Mogis, whip their marauders into a near-mindless frenzy before battle; the ensuing slaughter gives glory to

a single being, the act of war personified. But the inherent tension between honor and brutality in combat led to a dichotomy of purpose too great for a single god to reconcile. Ripping himself apart

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

score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the charlatan background. Third, choose the eldritch blast and chill touch cantrips, along with the 1st-level spells charm person and witch bolt. The

Auril (Second Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Short or Long Rest). Auril causes a magical blast of cold air to erupt from her hand. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8);{"diceNotation":"8d8

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

Adjusting Difficulty

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

Adjusting Difficulty Many of the same techniques that help keep combat moving can also be useful in situations where a combat encounter is either harder or easier than you anticipated and you want to

defeat its kin (for noble or selfish reasons). A change of terrain can provide characters a chance to escape or give overmatched monsters an edge.

Experience Points

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

Experience Points Experience points (XP) fuel level advancement for player characters and are most often the reward for completing combat encounters. Each monster has an XP value based on its

challenge rating. When adventurers defeat one or more monsters — typically by killing, routing, or capturing them — they divide the total XP value of the monsters evenly among themselves. If the party

Running the Siege

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

Running the Siege You have a few options on how to run the battle. Consider the following: You can treat each defender and orc as an individual, and run the combat as a long, complex encounter. If

easily defeat twice their number of commoners, but with the defenses available to the ranchers, the odds improve considerably. The ranchers don’t have to defeat the orcs outright. They just have to

Minotaurs of Phoberos

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

Ashlands. The Theriad recounts the brute’s defeat and the loss of his great axe, Goremaster. Viewing Thyrogog’s defeat as a divine sign, the warlord’s descendants retreated into the Ashlands. Burial

rites among the Felhide minotaurs involve devouring those who fell in battle, to remove their shame from memory and fuel the survivors’ revenge. Should another scavenger reach a fallen Felhide before the

Healers and Warriors

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

and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric spells relies on devotion and an intuitive sense of a deity’s wishes. Clerics combine the helpful magic of healing and inspiring their allies with

most from a mace to the head, clerics depend on their combat training to let them wade into melee with the power of the gods on their side.

Signature Style

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

Signature Style Many fighters distinguish themselves from their peers by adopting and perfecting a particular style or method of waging combat. Although this style might be a natural outgrowth of a

fighter’s personality, that’s not always the case — someone’s approach to the world in general does not necessarily dictate how that person operates when lives are on the line. Do you have a combat

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

cruel in victory, goblins are fawning and servile in defeat, just as in their own society lower castes must scrape before those of greater status and as goblin tribes bow before other goblinoids

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

Healers and Warriors

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

and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric spells relies on devotion and an intuitive sense of a deity’s wishes. Clerics combine the helpful magic of healing and inspiring their allies with

most from a mace to the head, clerics depend on their combat training to let them wade into melee with the power of the gods on their side.

Folk Horror Plots

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

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

Level 5: Wyllowwood

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Level 5: Wyllowwood Wyllowwood is designed for four 8th-level characters. Those who defeat the monsters on this level should gain enough XP to reach 9th level. In some cases, defeating a monster can

be accomplished without slaying it. If the characters strike a truce with a creature, award them XP as if they had defeated it in combat. The characters will most likely arrive here by way of the

Primal Instinct

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

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 berserk state

where rage takes over, giving them superhuman strength and resilience. A barbarian can draw on this reservoir of fury only a few times without resting, but those few rages are usually sufficient to defeat whatever threats arise.

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

Pit Fighting

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

Pit Fighting Pit fighting includes boxing, wrestling, and other nonlethal forms of combat in an organized setting with predetermined matches. If you want to introduce competitive fighting in a battle

-to-the-death situation, the standard combat rules apply to that sort of activity. Resources. Engaging in this activity requires one workweek of effort from a character. Resolution. The character must

D&D Beyond

Search Results