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Returning 35 results for 'both being defeat core rather'.
Classes
Player’s Handbook
Core Rogue Traits
Primary Ability
Dexterity
Hit Point Die
D8 per Rogue level
Saving Throw Proficiencies
Dexterity and Intelligence
Skill Proficiencies
Choose 4: Acrobatics
skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks.
In combat, Rogues prioritize subtle strikes over brute strength. They would rather make
Monsters
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
at his core, the seneschal didn’t return as a skeletal knight but rather as an intangible spirit. Caradoc’s Undead form suits him well, allowing him to possess the living and use unwilling
Lizardfolk
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can’t be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and
pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome.
Cold and Calculating
Most humanoids describe cold-blooded people as lacking in
Monsters
Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
bound to their fey lord and unable to bargain away their souls. So rather than claim them, Fierna warped and twisted them before returning them to the Feywild, content that the corruption of the satyrs
. Unfortunately, when it reaches that breaking point, its diabolical nature asserts itself, and it remains in this scheming, dominating mindset until its plans are foiled and it faces defeat. Then, overwhelmed
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter.
Variant: Investigator
Rarer
Investigation rather than Athletics.
Suggested Characteristics
Use the tables for the soldier background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to
Soldier
Legacy
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Backgrounds
Basic Rules (2014)
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
mistake in battle that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
4
My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5
I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6
I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.
Criminal / Spy
Legacy
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Backgrounds
Basic Rules (2014)
sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder.
Suggested Characteristics
Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an
new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden.
4
I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
5
I am incredibly slow to trust. Those
Bugbear
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
rather than perform the work or confront the foe. Even when subsumed into a goblinoid host and drawn into war, bugbears must often be roused from naps and bribed to get them to do their duties.
This
indolence offers no clue to how vicious the creatures are. Bugbears are capable of bouts of incredible ferocity, using their muscular bodies to exact swift and ruthless violence. At their core
Goliath
Legacy
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Species
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
individual skill. They have a compulsion to keep score, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their
away in the night to seek the cold will of fate.
In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
use by the faction’s operatives), haven keepers, and message drop minders, to name a few. At the core of every faction are those who don’t merely fulfill a small function for that
knowledge, rather than brute force. Harper agents are often proficient in Investigation, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Harpers, sympathetic bards and
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
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
enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5
I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6
I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
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
keep that mistake secret.
4
My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5
I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6
I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
Characteristics
Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an abundance of endearing, if not redeeming, characteristics. There might be honor
could be hidden.
4
I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
5
I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.
6
I don’t pay
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
nature as a Darklord makes permanently defeating them challenging. To defeat a Darklord, the characters should focus on undermining the Darklord’s plots and striking at the core of the Darklord’s torments
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Rogue Core Rogue Traits Primary Ability Dexterity Hit Point Die D8 per Rogue level Saving Throw Proficiencies Dexterity and Intelligence Skill Proficiencies Choose 4: Acrobatics, Athletics
and disarming traps, and opening locks. In combat, Rogues prioritize subtle strikes over brute strength. They would rather make one precise strike than wear an opponent down with a barrage of blows
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
Rogue AURORE FOLNY A Dexterous Expert in Stealth and Subterfuge Core Rogue Traits Primary Ability Dexterity Hit Point Die D8 per Rogue level Saving Throw Proficiencies Dexterity and
them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks. In combat, Rogues prioritize subtle strikes over brute strength. They would rather make one precise
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Reaching the Tower Lolth’s forces surround the tower, but they are focused on the spyder-fiends below rather than on defense. Hundreds of driders, Humanoids, and demons surround the tower, but the
driders, 1d6 giant spiders, and 1d4 assassins. Characters who defeat the squad can try again to infiltrate the tower.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
heads are trophies from the hobgoblins’ recent victory over an elf hunting party. Clever characters might try to reason with Targor by urging him to think of himself as Grol’s successor rather than
) check. Awarding Experience Points Divide 500 XP equally among the characters if they defeat the hobgoblin war band or come to terms with Targor.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Khur Joins Early 349 AC The Green Dragon Army was dispatched to the steppes of Khur to subdue the tribes there. Rather than fight a protracted campaign, Ariakas allowed the cunning Khur leader Salah
-Khan to defeat the Green Dragon Army’s original highlord in battle, then offered to make Salah-Khan highlord in his place. In exchange for control over Khur and the surrounding lands, Salah-Khan
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
The Shape of the District The heart of Callestan is the plaza called the Bridge. This central square serves as an open market and speaker’s corner. It’s not on a bridge; rather, the center of the
here. Callestan is an inner district, which means that it’s largely enclosed in one of the massive core towers of Dura Quarter. However, it’s large enough that it extends out to the walls of the tower. Many people live in or on the walls, in tenements or shops carved into the thick stone.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
understand that a troll is a fearsome, dangerous creature and react accordingly. Lizardfolk never become angry in the way others do, but they act with aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a
for lizardfolk. Pleasurable things should be preserved and protected, sometimes at the cost of the lizardfolk’s own safety. The most pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
them to defeat. Rather than presenting him as a foe to be challenged in combat, portray Soth as a terrifying example of the villains in the Dragon Queen’s service—a lurking threat to be avoided. By the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Core Assumptions The rules of the game are based on the following core assumptions about the game world. Gods Oversee the World. The gods are real and embody a variety of beliefs, with each god
. The follower of a god serves as an agent of that god in the world. The agent seeks to further the ideals of that god and defeat its rivals. While some folk might refuse to honor the gods, none can
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
High Deck The cards that compose the high deck aren’t considered to be one suit, although they are often denoted with a crown icon to mark their importance. Rather, each card is an important power in
or lurking just below the surface Broken One Defeat, failure, and despair; the loss of something or someone important, without which one feels incomplete Darklord A single, powerful individual of an
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
lie outright, though I choose my words carefully. I will fight to the death rather than break my word or abandon a comrade. (Lawful)
4 Discipline. Disorganization breeds defeat. I demand self
strategy. A quick death in combat is its own kind of courtesy.
6 I trust my gut. I’d rather act on incomplete information than be hamstrung by indecision.
7 I’m fascinated by other species
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
regardless of their approach. Bloodbath It’s possible to kill or defeat the Amberdune Pack without ever hearing their side of the story. With no one to stop them, characters in this situation can
Digressions and see the book safely back to Candlekeep, if they so desire. NIDALIA
The true leader of the Amberdune Pack, Nidalia is a lamia who delights in hoarding books rather than in corruption and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
Nematode writhing 500 feet above the town like a malevolent cloud. The creature is far too large to defeat by conventional attacks or spells, so the characters must once again explore the Nematode from
rather than lightning). Beyond the membrane in the Nematode’s head is a massive, fluid-filled chamber that serves as the Nematode’s brain. The characters must damage each of the five electroreceptors in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
. Mordenheim attack the party or their allies (at the doctor’s command or otherwise). These foes are more powerful than the characters, who might defeat the majority of the attackers before being overwhelmed
. Worse Than Death? The characters are legitimately defeated during another adventure. Rather than the campaign ending, they awake in Dr. Mordenheim’s clutches, delivered there by the Mists.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
of framing the core division in the college’s philosophy: is growth or decay the driving force in nature? The philosophy of the root (growth) focuses on life and its irrepressible drive to thrive. This
philosophy of Witherbloom. The decay philosophy sees life energy as a resource to be consumed, rather than a good to be nourished for its own sake. Mages who adopt this view wield negative energy and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
inspired and equipped two human heroes, Kynaios and Tiro, to overthrow the archon Agnomakhos. Divergent tales describe their history following the defeat of the tyrant. Some claim that they warred with each
Akros and Skophos were born from that bloodshed, inspired by the martial doctrines of Iroas and Mogis rather than the legal code of Ephara. Eventually the years of war settled into an uneasy peace with
Orc
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
they are more interested in grabbing plunder and food rather than in wanton slaughter. The elderly, children, and any who seem weak or meek enough might escape death. If they leave the population more
or less intact, the orcs leave themselves the option of returning to raid the community over and over.
When orcs fight elves, all of that changes. The enmity between the two races cuts to the core
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
Ravenloft without first increasing their power will likely die. You can award experience points for the defeat of foes, use milestone awards, or a mixture of both. Given the fact that much of the
adventure involves social interaction and exploration, rather than combat, your work will probably be easier if you use milestone awards. Appropriate milestone awards include the following: Finding
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
characters discover a trap, be open to adjudicating their ideas for defeating it. The trap’s description is a starting point for countermeasures, rather than a complete definition. To make it easier
for you to describe what happens next, the players should be specific about how they want to defeat the trap. Simply stating the desire to make a check isn’t helpful for you. Ask the players where their characters are positioned and what they intend to do to defeat the trap.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
fight alongside them in this last battle. Most of the heroes’ allies are of limited use against the demon lords — creatures immune to many forms of attack, including nonmagical weapons. Rather than
never have to think about sacrificing their characters, but you should be prepared for the possibility of one or more of the heroes giving up their lives in order to defeat the evil that has arisen in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
During the Siege Run the siege as a series of encounters rather than one extended battle. As terrible events unfold around the characters, it’s up to them to determine who and how they’ll help. Begin
horde soon begins overwhelming defenses nearby. Once the characters defeat a few zombies, roll 1d6 and consult the Zombie Siege Encounters table. The event rolled unfolds within sight of one of the






