boss battle diffusing current refer

Sahuagin Priestess Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

the sahuagin hunting horn — a call to raid and battle. Coastal settlers refer to sahuagin as “sea devils,” for sahuagin have no compassion in them, slaughtering the crews of ships and decimating coastal

massive mutant males that grow second sets of arms. They are terrible foes in battle, and all sahuagin bow down before these powerful barons. Way of the Shark. Sahuagin worship the shark god Sekolah. Only

Sahuagin Baron Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

it. This is the sound of the sahuagin hunting horn — a call to raid and battle. Coastal settlers refer to sahuagin as “sea devils,” for sahuagin have no compassion in them

self-styled rulers of sahuagin ocean domains are massive mutant males that grow second sets of arms. They are terrible foes in battle, and all sahuagin bow down before these powerful barons. Way of

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

lucky if their only punishment is demotion to the pariah caste. Sometimes another creature assumes control of a goblin tribe, by killing or subjugating the current boss and cowing most of the rest of

appreciation for the finer things! — Volo Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully. Cunning in battle and

Auril (First Form)

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

. Protruding from her feathery owl’s head is a pair of curved goat horns. A cloak and cowl made of pristine white snow conceals much of her tripartite form, which her worshipers refer to as the

own flaws. It’s appropriate for Auril to act as though she’s invincible while underestimating her mortal enemies, even in her current weakened state. Auril’s Three Forms In her

Lizardfolk Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

rage against their enemies. They simply observe and react as a situation warrants. Lizardfolk lack meaningful emotional ties to the past. They assess situations based on their current and future

in the other humanoids and makes them less helpful in battle. Utility and Survival The lizardfolk mindset might seem unnecessarily cruel, but it helps them survive in a hostile environment. The

Goliath Legacy

Species Elemental Evil Player's Companion

seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to battle. Few goliath adventurers reach old age, as most die attempting to surpass their past accomplishments. Fair Play For goliaths, competition exists only

battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk have ever meet an elderly goliath, and even those goliaths who have left their people grapple with the urge to

Goblins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

all manner of wickedness. Leaders and Followers. Goblins are ruled by the strongest or smartest among them. A goblin boss might command a single lair, while a goblin king or queen (who is nothing more

than a glorified goblin boss) rules hundreds of goblins, spread out among multiple lairs to ensure the tribe’s survival. Goblin bosses are easily ousted, and many goblin tribes are taken over by

History

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

-Besil a century after Besilmer’s founding. Unfortunately for the dwarves, the realm collapsed after its king and founder died in battle. Most of the surviving dwarves sought safer lands. The dwarven

. Their strongholds crumbled into ruin and became known in later years as the Haunted Keeps. Eventually, no one remembered who built them or why. The current wave of settlement in and around the Dessarin

Characters in Airship Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

Characters in Airship Combat When an airship engages in combat, characters have two options for how to participate in the battle: They can use their own spells, weapons, and other features to join in

the battle as they would in any other environment, or they can take up a crew station and wield the ship’s armaments and other capabilities. Some players enjoy the challenge of having new things to

Villain Actions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Flee, Mortals! Rule Primer

abilities give the battle a logical flow and a cinematic arc: The first villain action is an opener, which shows the characters they’re not battling a typical creature. Openers generally deal some damage

, summon a lackey or three, buff the boss, debuff the characters, or move the creature into an advantageous position. They’re just a taste of what’s to come. The second villain action provides crowd

Yuan-ti Pureblood Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

the blood, as it once did. Because their population is so small, the yuan-ti are aware they are vulnerable in open warfare. Instead, their current plans assume they will never rule outwardly in

can more easily pronounce the name in this altered form. An adopted name of this sort is recognized as a variant of the birth name, rather than a unique name unto itself. A yuan-ti might refer to

Narrative Combat

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

Narrative Combat Instead of resolving the battle with miniatures, you’ll guide your players through a series of tough dilemmas, each leading to a different battlefield encounter. Their actions on the

field determine the overall success or failure of the battle. Use the Battle Flowchart provided nearby to guide your players through the conflict. Each box on the chart introduces a different mission

Market Games

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

their wares and attract visitors to the market. The current sponsor of each tent decides how its interior is arranged. The following three events are now being hosted: Aroon Family Pepper Challenge. A

test of endurance hosted by the Spicy Brothers. Battle Prawn Challenge. A cooking competition hosted by Sid Squid of the Trusty Leek. Hide-and-Seek Challenge. A game hosted by Madam Kulp’s Silk. Map 2.1: dyn singh night marketView Player Version

Time in the Realms

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

name. For example, sages would record an event as occurring on “1 Mirtul” or “27 Uktar.” People might also refer to a given day by its relationship to the current date (“two tendays from today”) or the nearest holiday (“three days past Greengrass”).

1. Goblin Bazaar

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

1. Goblin Bazaar In this monstrous market live forty goblins. Half of them are guards, and the other half are traders. The goblin boss and his retinue lurk in area 1e. 1a. Bazaar Side Entrance

goblin boss, Yek. She hasn’t eaten in two days and happily provides information or her service as a guide in exchange for food or freedom. She knows about the magic circlet that turned Yek into a human

D7. Temple

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

feet high by 2 feet wide. Grumink and his team have been hard at work, trying to dig through the stone behind the altar. If Grumink is unaware of the characters, refer to the “Dwarves at Work” section

. If Grumink knows the characters are coming, refer to the “Dwarves Alerted” section instead. Grumink is hostile toward the characters in either scenario, mistaking them for competitors. Dwarves at

Chapter 9: The Betrayer Revealed

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

Chapter 9: The Betrayer Revealed Cynthia Sheppard Once Alustriel and Tasha realize Mordenkainen is a fraud, an epic battle ensues in Sigil Once the characters have all of the Rod of Seven Parts

. However, this chapter reveals that the characters—as well as Alustriel and Tasha—have been deceived. The fake Mordenkainen reveals himself to be Kas the Betrayer, Vecna’s former ally and current

Bring It to an End

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

nefarious activity happening in an adventure, having the dragon’s minions mention the nature of their boss sets up the coming climactic encounter. Although the climax must hinge on the successes and

a villain and a group of minions in a battle to the finish. 2 The adventurers chase a villain while dodging obstacles designed to thwart them, leading to a final confrontation in the villain’s refuge

The Blood War

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

Plane, those who know of the conflict refer to it as the Blood War—a conflict that has raged for millennia, ravaging the Lower Planes. The battlefields of the Blood War are concentrated in the Nine

becomes much less simple when the treasure is located in the midst of a raging battle! Natives of the Upper Planes also have roles to play in the Blood War. While most of them are content to watch evil feed

Guildhall Locations

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

rare magic item of your choice. 8: Shrine to the Fallen This room has a small shrine with a headstone memorializing Boss Pyrite and other guild members who died when the Moonstalkers’ old guildhall was

raided. An inscription on the headstone promises revenge in the names of both Delour and Augustus. 9: Boss Delour’s Quarters A magic hearth flickers with white, heatless flame on the south wall of this

Goblins

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

lucky if their only punishment is demotion to the pariah caste. Sometimes another creature assumes control of a goblin tribe, by killing or subjugating the current boss and cowing most of the rest of

Goblins Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully. Cunning in battle and cruel in victory, goblins are fawning

Handling Mobs

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

needs in order to hit a target by subtracting its attack bonus from the target’s AC. You’ll need to refer to the result throughout the battle, so it’s best to write it down. Look up the minimum d20 roll

Handling Mobs Keeping combat moving along at a brisk pace can be difficult when there are dozens of monsters involved in a battle. When handling a crowded battlefield, you can speed up play by

Life Events

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

Events column that corresponds to how old you are. Otherwise, you can roll dice to determine your current age and number of life events randomly. After you know the number of life events your character

character’s life events, you can arrange them in any chronological order you see fit. Life Events by Age d100 Current Age Life Events 01–20 20 years or younger 1 21–59 21–30 years 1d4 60–69 31–40 years

Cold and Calculating

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

to the past. They assess situations based on their current and future utility and importance. Nowhere does this come through as strongly as when lizardfolk deal with the dead. To a lizardfolk, a

as a meal, but hacking the body into steaks provokes aggression in the other humanoids and makes them less helpful in battle.

Fighting the Faceless Lord

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

Fighting the Faceless Lord Under normal circumstances, Juiblex (see appendix D) would be an overwhelming foe. Fortunately for the adventurers, the Faceless Lord’s battle with Zuggtmoy has weakened it

. The characters might also have aid from allies, the newly freed myconids, and Araumycos in overcoming the demon lord. Apply the following penalties to Juiblex: Its current hit points are 200. It has

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

An opponent swears to take revenge on you.* 2 A crime boss approaches you and offers to pay you to intentionally lose a few matches.* 3 You defeat a popular local champion, drawing the crowd’s ire. 4

Mounts and Vehicles

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

. Saddles. A military saddle braces the rider, helping you keep your seat on an active mount in battle. It gives you advantage on any check you make to remain mounted. An exotic saddle is required for

kind of vehicle in difficult circumstances. Rowed Vessels. Keelboats and rowboats are used on lakes and rivers. If going downstream, add the speed of the current (typically 3 miles per hour) to the

Sahuagin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)

raid and battle. Coastal settlers refer to sahuagin as “sea devils,” for sahuagin have no compassion in them, slaughtering the crews of ships and decimating coastal villages. “The village was

in battle, and all sahuagin bow down before these powerful barons. Way of the Shark. Sahuagin worship the shark god Sekolah. Only female sahuagin are deemed worthy of channeling the god’s power

Gruul Clans

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica

sorties into civilized areas to secure goods — and to wreak havoc. The first leader of the Gruul was Cisarzim, a cyclops who was purportedly the ancestor of Borborygmos, the current guildmaster. Cisarzim

neighborhoods. They fight fiercely when threatened, punctuating their attacks with hisses and growls. When battle fury takes hold of a Gruul raiding group, it typically starts with the goblins, and after the battle, the surviving goblins are still frothing at the mouth and looking for someone to hit.

Rival Intern

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

relaxation, hobbies, and a social life? 4 I know I’m not the best and brightest, but if I put my best self forward, I can overcome anything. 5 My former boss was an idiot. So was my boss before

current path. If I succeed, I want to repay that mentor in some way. 5 I value an oath of loyalty I took to a group of friends over everything else in my life. 6 Although I don’t get along well

War Room

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

military actions in consultation with an inner circle of loyal lieutenants, each one a battle-hardened Warrior Veteran (see the Monster Manual) whose alignment matches yours. You start with two lieutenants

remains until it is destroyed or you command it to disband. You can’t issue this Recruit order again until your current army disbands or is destroyed.

J: Dread Wolf Cove

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

is lightly obscured by fog that billows from a nearby cave. If the characters enter, they encounter a wolflike anhkolox (see appendix B). Should the characters battle the monster, Dalamar (neutral elf

glass is a remnant of a destroyed Orb of Dragonkind (detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). The shattered, incomplete artifact has no properties in its current state. Dalamar recognizes the shard

Tracking Initiative

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

monsters, placed in Initiative order in a stack you cycle through A hidden list allows you to track combatants who haven’t been revealed yet, and you can use the list as a place to record the current

whiteboard on a wall or propped up nearby A battle mat you use for miniatures Folded index cards for each character and each group of identical monsters, placed like tents in Initiative order across the top of

Initiative Variants

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

completed their turns. If more than two sides take part in a battle, each side rolls for initiative. Sides act from the highest roll to lowest. Combat continues in the initiative order until the battle

initiative that introduces more uncertainty into combat, at the cost of speed of play. Under this variant, the participants in a battle roll initiative each round. Before rolling, each character or

What Coalition?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis

What Coalition? Once he is safely off Aruun, Warwyck explains the current situation in Doomspace: “My efforts to create a coalition have been unsuccessful. The factions of Doomspace have little

. Vocath enjoys blood sports, and his base houses a gladiatorial arena where champions do battle with fearsome creatures that Vocath has transported from Fyreen. Factions send their greatest warriors to fight in the arena to get Vocath’s attention or to win supplies, weapons, or both.

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