both before death cuts relate

Gunvald Halraggson

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Bear King cuts an impressive figure and is renowned for his size and strength. He tries to be honorable, but he is often merciless and doesn't change his mind easily. He has trouble relating to Ten

surreptitiously poisoned his wives. In time, Ulkora hopes Gunvald will turn his loving eye toward her and allow her to bear his true heir. If Gunvald were to learn the truth, he would put Ulkora to death.

Deep Crow

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

, echoing from the darkness like a death knell. For by the time those glowing red eyes fix on you, it's far too late to run … Some adventurers and sages whisper that deep crows were first spawned as

establish lairs of their own. Unknown and Inscrutable. The mindset of these intelligent yet alien creatures is a mystery, but some who have encountered them relate that they are quick to hold a grudge. For

Living Portent

Monsters The Book of Many Things

inhabitants of the world. Living portents seek out beings who will play a part in the prophecies they serve, and as the living portents search, they relate fragments of the prophecies to those they

power to defy death. RadiantChange Shape. The living portent magically transforms into a Humanoid while retaining its game statistics (other than its size and Brilliance trait). The transformation ends if the living portent is reduced to 0 hit points or uses a bonus action to end it.

Reborn

Species Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Death isn’t always the end. The reborn exemplify this, being individuals who have died yet, somehow, still live. Some reborn exhibit the scars of fatal ends, their ashen flesh or bloodless

veins making it clear that they’ve been touched by death. Other reborn are marvels of magic or science, being stitched together from disparate beings or bearing mysterious minds in manufactured

Dullahan

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

":"necrotic"} necrotic damage. If the dullahan scores a critical hit against a creature, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or the dullahan cuts off the target’s head. The

campaign against the living. In death, dullahans are often rejoined by those who followed them in life, either in the form of lesser undead, like skeleton;skeletons or wight;wights, or terrifying mounts

Red Abishai

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

. A red abishai cuts a fearsome figure, and that sight can be inspiring to the abishai’s allies, filling them with a fanatical willingness to fight. Abishais Each abishai was once a mortal who

somehow won Tiamat’s favor before death and, as a reward, found its soul transformed into a draconic devil to serve at her pleasure in the Nine Hells. Each type of abishai is associated with

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

test, and make new acquaintances. Life of a Tortle A tortle hatches from a thick-shelled egg and spends the first few weeks of its life crawling on all fours. Its parents, old and near death, spend

Yondalla relate to tortles most of all. Tortles believe that night and day watch over them and other creatures. The moon is the eye of night that watches over them in darkness, and the sun is the

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

gather and celebrate, dwell the followers of Yurtrus, the god of disease and death, and Shargaas, the god of darkness and the unknown. Orcs too weak for battle (because of bodily weakness, malformation

, injury, or age) often join these cults instead of facing daily humiliation, exile, or death. Serving as the bridge between the two parts of the tribe are the priestesses of Luthic, the orc goddess who

Encounters on the Way

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

gnome, Bindlemint Mincemower, emerges from the underbrush. Her clothes are torn and her face is bloodied by cuts, and she is terrified to the point of exhaustion. She only has enough energy to utter the

except for superficial cuts and exhaustion, so she can be easily revived. She explains that she was making her way to Leilon when the wereboars spotted her and gave chase. She was in the process of

Pyramid of Amun Sa

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

the stairs rests an empty basin one hundred feet in diameter. South of the basin, a deep stone channel cuts a path into the desert ground. The pharaohs of Bakar built pyramids not merely as burial

source of the River Athis. In Bakar’s heyday, cool water sprang from the fountain, teleported to it from magical silos within the pyramid. The Fountain of Athis dried up the night of Amun Sa’s death. Only by breaking the pharaoh’s curse can the basin resume its flow and the land thrive once more.

Dropping to 0 Hit Points

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

Dropping to 0 Hit Points When you drop to 0 hit points, you either die outright or fall unconscious, as explained in the following sections. Instant Death Massive damage can kill you instantly. When

maximum, you show signs of wear, such as cuts and bruises. An attack that reduces you to 0 hit points strikes you directly, leaving a bleeding injury or other trauma, or it simply knocks you

Campaign Theme

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

mortality, whether embodied in undead monsters or expressed through the death of loved ones. A campaign revolving around an insidious evil, whether dark gods, monstrous races such as the yuan-ti, or

ghost accept death and move on, or one of the adventurers might even become a ghost! Variations on a Theme Mixing things up once in a while allows your players to enjoy a variety of adventures. Even a

Loose Pantheons

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

religious rites and festivals. Priests at such sites relate stories of the gods, teach the ethics of their patron deities, offer advice and blessings, perform religious rites, and provide training in

gods the locals revere. To quickly build a pantheon for your world, create a single god for each of the eight domains available to clerics: Death, Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Tempest, Trickery

Giantkind Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

Giantkind Encounters This section includes encounter tables themed around each of the six kinds of giants in the Monster Manual, plus death giants (found in chapter 6) and fomorians. Each table

Death Giant Encounters 3 Fire Giant Encounters 4 Fomorian Encounters 5 Frost Giant Encounters 6 Hill Giant Encounters 7 Stone Giant Encounters 8 Storm Giant

Living Portent

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

world. Living portents seek out beings who will play a part in the prophecies they serve, and as the living portents search, they relate fragments of the prophecies to those they encounter. Variant

demise. Khirad, the Star of Secrets. A blue-white star whose gifts grant insight but also reveal terrible truths. Zhudun, the Corpse Star. A dead star that whispers of the power to defy death

Mind Flayer Magic

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

. The feeling of freedom that comes from this change is liberating, but the specter of death forever after colors the mind flayer’s actions. An undead mind flayer is hated and hunted by other

made of stone. Every jar is made for an individual, inscribed with Qualith and artwork that relate the mind flayer’s accomplishments. Often a mind flayer’s funerary brain jar is created long before

Canyon Shrine

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

, such as chimeras, griffons, harpies, and manticores, make nests on the sides of the canyon. At the bottom of the gorge, a river cuts through the stone. A massive statue of Mogis is carved into an

neighboring settlement. 4 A manticore captures warriors and forces them to fight to the death for its amusement. 5 A group of cyclopes capture travelers and keep them as livestock in their

T7. Dwarf Statue

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

or cuts something. The name “Reszur” is graven on the dagger’s pommel. If the wielder speaks the name, the blade gives off a faint, cold glow, shedding dim light in a 10-foot radius until the wielder

curiosity.” The cultists then attack, fighting to the death. Three hang back and shoot at spellcasters, concentrating fire on one foe at a time. The other three advance to tie up the rest of the party in melee.

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

serve similar roles but under threat of death. URDS: WINGED KOBOLDS Winged kobolds, known as urds, hatch seemingly at random from kobold eggs, even in a tribe that has no adult urds. Although

this traitor onto their winged kin. Kobold Names Kobold names are derived from the Draconic tongue and usually relate to a characteristic of the owner, such as scale color, distinctive body parts

Into the Doomvault

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5

present only as an image through which she can sense and communicate. She goes on as follows. “Many Red Wizards chafe under the rule of Szass Tam. Once, Thay was a land of learning and power. Now, death

righteousness colored by fatalism. Her belief is that death is better than being raised as another of Szass Tam’s undead servants. With the characters, she is honest and forthright, as well as cynical

Redeeming Zariel

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

serves as Zariel’s friend and mount. Olanthius. If the characters made an ally of Olanthius, the death knight kneels before Zariel. Seeing him fills Zariel with shame for leaving her loyal friend to a

horrific fate. If Zariel is redeemed, she turns the death knight to dust, letting his soul rest at last. If the Charisma (Persuasion) check succeeds, continue with “Zariel’s Redemption” below. If the

Acheron Attacks

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel

goblin berserkers near the gate notice the characters and attack. Those foes fight to the death. The characters’ allies—like Major Kalar, Sergeant Gauller, and the fake Sergeant Luggik—hold their own

doesn’t intend her harm. Unbeknownst to the character, the fake Luggik is using telepathy to relate information to this spy mid-battle. If called out for this, the fake Luggik appears at the map’s

Jarlaxle Baenre of Bregan D'aerthe

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

culture where failure to conform usually means death or exile, he has learned to walk the line between being too defiant to be part of drow society and being too useful to get rid of. In addition to

saber hangs from his hip, and he cuts a dashing figure. “Well met!” he says with a smile. When Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre resurrected House Do’Urden, she ordered her brother Jarlaxle to look after

Ironmaster

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

Gauntlgrym. His descriptions of life in Ironmaster confirm much of what I’ve heard of the place, and so what I relate to you now is truth as solid as Moradin’s anvil. The dwarves of Ironmaster don’t want

anvil on a diamond. Such a mark is your only warning, and those ignorant of its meaning court death at the hands of dwarf patrols that will attack any interlopers. Some innocents have been spared and

The Giant Tongue

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

etched in wood, ice, stone, or even earth, in the case of hill giants. These “tale carvings” relate legends or the stories of important events or meetings in the manner of highly sophisticated cave

black — sort bravery — prakt cloud giant — skyejotun cow — kue chieftain — forer danger — fare death — dod dwarf — dverg enemy — uven elf — alv evil/unholy/dishonorable — maug

Dullahan

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

campaign against the living. In death, dullahans are often rejoined by those who followed them in life, either in the form of lesser undead, like skeletons or wights, or terrifying mounts, like warhorse

hands, plus 11 (2d10) necrotic damage. If the dullahan scores a critical hit against a creature, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or the dullahan cuts off the target’s

Flight of the Dragonnels

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

three stat blocks). Red Ruin fights to the death, but Bakaris flees if reduced to 20 hit points or fewer. If Bakaris is knocked from his mount or slain, he falls and vanishes amid the chaos. Clystran

shelf with space enough to land. Beyond, a narrow cave cuts its way into the depths of the flying citadel. Clystran urges the characters to land swiftly, dismount, and head into the cave before they’re

Idyllglen Events

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

. Ella doesn’t participate in the combat. Gnolls. The gnolls fight to the death, cackling maniacally all the while. Cart and Dretches. The cart is a Large object with AC 15, 27 hit points, and immunity to

characters attack the giant hyena, it ignores the mastiff and turns to face the bigger threat, fighting to the death. The mastiff stays with the characters if they rescue it, using the Help action to

Types of Hauntings

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

its own death or someone else’s visceral end. 20 The spirit is soundlessly ambushed by shadowy limbs that drag it into the floor or walls. Nightmares Whenever the party takes a long rest in

during a long rest, one of them experiences a waking vision that plays out like an ambient haunt. These nightmares gradually reveal details from the “Story Overview.” Relate these specifics to the

7. Zhentarim Enclave

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

orders them to leave at once. If they refuse, she and her warriors attack as Kinyel cuts a gash in the back wall of the pavilion with her sword and finds a place to hide until the beholder appears. If

longer has its sleep, petrification, disintegration, or death rays. The beholder’s adjusted challenge rating is 9 (5,000 XP). Ghazrim and Lorthuun both serve the Zhentarim, but they rarely see eye to

Ascendant Factions

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands

one individual leads the Hands of Havoc. To confuse enforcers, the mantle of factol is passed between members. Whenever it seems the faction’s leader is on the verge of arrest or death, another

simply the first stage of death. Dusters seek to understand and experience the stages of death, the last of which they hold is True Death: a transcendence to a state of being beyond the multiverse. In

D: Sunward Fortress

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

red and black colors of the Red Dragon Army. Dozens of empty or shattered crates are scattered amid the camp. Nearby, an earthen ramp cuts through the clay and leads to an opening into the ruined

percent chance they are attacked by two red slaadi that fight to the death. Sunward Fortress Features The ruin has the following features: Ceilings. The ceilings in the ruins are 10 feet high. Light

Clockwork Dragon

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

) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Deep Crow The only warning you’ll get is that fearsome, far-off caw, echoing from the darkness like a death knell. For by

Inscrutable. The mindset of these intelligent yet alien creatures is a mystery, but some who have encountered them relate that they are quick to hold a grudge. For years. Of even greater importance, they can

Expanded Ziggurat

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

even in combat—only death can separate the Zargonites from their goal. The cultist on the pedestal refrains from joining combat until the ritual is complete; if they are killed, another cultist takes

stone pathway cuts through the bile. Six dwarves with white hair and gray skin use severely corroded pickaxes to excavate an inflamed section of the wall. The chamber gurgles in agitation. Six

Tresendar Manor

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

might defeat her. She orders her jackals to cover her retreat, but they follow her lead the next round. She surrenders if she faces death with no way to escape. Development. Hamebi works for the Six

, although she doesn’t know it. If captured, she can relate that a short, cloaked humanoid came to her in Neverwinter Wood two days ago, hiring her to bring her pack of jackals to Phandalin and search

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