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Returning 35 results for 'both bitter defeat complex rather'.
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Monsters
Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
of Avernus attempted an expedition to the Feywild long ago, and the forlarren are the bitter reminder of that doomed excursion. The archdevil Fierna—co-ruler of Phlegethos, the fourth layer of the Nine
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
monsters
logic. Although a snow sphinx can speak, it generally greets its prey with claws and teeth rather than riddles or philosophical conversation.
Physically, this fearsome creature is well adapted to harsh
spotted markings as its fur; they are strong enough to withstand the bitter winds that whistle across the tundra.Cold, Necrotic, RadiantFreezing Glare (Recharge 5–6);{"diceNotation":"1d6", "rollType
Species
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back.
Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark
tears to your eyes. Is it a bitter or cheerful memory? Does recalling it make you feel the same way?
3
You recall a childhood memory. What about that event or who you were still influences you
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir's beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and
battled Strahd's armies to the bitter end.
Deadly Vengeance. Unwilling to accept his failure, Vladimir returned as a revenant. So great was his hatred of Strahd and his thirst for vengeance that those
Monsters
Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse
farastu minions—rather than fight directly.
Demodands
Demodands, also called gehreleths, are Fiends from the Tarterian Depths of Carceri. Cast into the prison plane long ago for forgotten
transgressions, these bitter, wicked creatures have appointed themselves the jailers of the plane. Demodands viciously defend the few known portals that lead out of Carceri and ruthlessly torment other
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
archfey named Zybilna, who had forged secret pacts with some of the fiends Isolde and her companions had slain. Rather than be angry at Isolde, Zybilna was impressed by her. She enlisted a powerful fiend
known only as “the Caller” to corrupt and slay all of Isolde’s companions, leaving Isolde alone, bitter, and vulnerable. The insidious archfey then befriended Isolde and offered to
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
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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.
Goliath
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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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
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
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.
Tabaxi
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
of the world beyond their home.
Barterers of Lore
Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. A chest filled with gold coins might be useful to buy food or a coil of rope, but it’s
on a particularly interesting item when an owner refuses to sell or trade it.
Tabaxi Names
Each tabaxi has a single name, determined by clan and based on a complex formula that involves astrology
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
protocols will lead us toward progress more surely than any belief system. (Lawful)
5
Fun. I love my job! Despite the dangerous working conditions, there’s nothing I’d rather do
former assistants turned out to be a Dimir spy. We’re not on friendly terms anymore, but we have a habit of running into each other.
4
A Golgari assassin killed a bitter rival of mine, leaving
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Level 6: Lost Level The Lost Level is designed for four 9th-level characters, and characters who defeat the monsters on this level should gain enough XP to advance halfway to 10th level. This level
was a temple complex dedicated to the dwarven god Dumathoin, the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain. Hidden inside is the tomb of Melair, king of the Melairkyn dwarves. Before running this level
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
elaborate approach — describing traps in terms of their game mechanics and offering guidance on creating traps of your own using these new rules. Rather than characterize traps as mechanical or magical, these rules separate traps into two other categories: simple and complex.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
they can profit from it. The golem appears inactive, but the party can figure out how to activate the golem from the book. By talking with the Bedine, the adventurers learn about a ruined cave complex
known as the Hall of Rainbows that could contain clues to the golem’s origin. But the Bedine also warn that the cave complex is in the territory of a deadly purple worm. The adventurers travel to the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
can survive on bitter lichens and toxic fungi, they viciously attack anything they can make a meal of, from giant spiders to explorers. Quaggoths sometimes serve as muscle for Underdark-dwelling
—earns the enmity of that quaggoth’s band regardless of reason or fault. These grudges sometimes extend to whole communities rather than individuals. Generations of quaggoths might seek revenge against a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
assault on Akros, hoping to draw Iroas into battle and defeat him once and for all.
2 Mogis bargains with Pharika, convincing her to create elixirs that will turn his followers into invincible
monsters. He sends his champions to fetch the necessary ingredients for her.
3 A bitter noble makes a pact with Mogis for power in exchange for carrying out a plot to ignite a war between Meletis
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
oppressor became the means of her bitter domination. The Darklord Urik von Kharkov ruled from the now-ruined Castle Pantara, a fortress of tyranny and torment from which he hunted the people of Valachan
the Mists. Chakuna swore to save her people. She entered the tournament freely, determined to turn the tables on von Kharkov or die. She vowed to sacrifice whatever it took to defeat the Darklord—but
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->Candlekeep Mysteries
Xanthoria’s Defeat Once Xanthoria is defeated, the characters find the last few pages of her notes among her possessions. They detail her growing obsession with undead and her success at turning
. Convincing Thunderwing to give up her life should be handled through roleplaying rather than ability checks, although you can require the characters to succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) group
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
Character Advancement If you want to use story-based level advancement, the characters receive experience points for achieving the following milestones rather than defeating monsters: Encountering a
advancement occurs only once, even if the characters later encounter another faction leader. Entering the Tomb Complex. When the characters enter the fourth tier of the ziggurat for the first time
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->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
table suggests a few adventures the god’s champions might involve themselves in. Iroas’s Quests d6 Adventure Goal
1 Defeat Returned bandits who are terrorizing the polis.
2 Defend a
contest of strength or dexterity to prove Iroas’s superiority over the other gods.
6 Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Mogis, Phenax, or Pharika).
(JASON CHAN) An Iroas Campaign A
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->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Cellar Complex: Spring The characters have learned that a halfling necromancer named Losser Mirklav took the Stone of Golorr. He lives in a cellar complex under a powdered wig shop in the Trades Ward
the wig shop and the characters’ point of entry into the cellar complex. Misty Sewers The dense fog from outside settles in the sewers, and areas B2, B3, and B4 are lightly obscured. Necromancer
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Espionage Agency Contacts Your assignments come from a superior in the agency who typically works at a desk rather than in the field—compiling intelligence into reports for their superiors and
receive. Agency Contacts d8 Contact 1 A condescending career desk agent who views you as expendable tools 2 A bitter former field agent, now confined to a field office, who envies your work 3 A
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
. Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark, silent stretches. Occasionally, though, in a moment of
Memory
1 You recall a physically painful moment. What mark or scar on your body does it relate to?
2 A memory brings tears to your eyes. Is it a bitter or cheerful memory? Does recalling
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
take it by force (encounter 2, “Mistshore”). After the characters defeat these attackers, they learn that Grinda told her rat familiar to hide the stone in her family’s crypt in the City of the Dead
Windmill”). Fearing arrest, the grave robbers point them to a cellar complex under the Trades Ward (encounter 9, “Cellar Complex”). When the characters arrive, they find Losser surrounded by foes and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
was irrevocably insane. She fled, but Halaster dragged her back to Undermountain and trapped her in the Citadel of the Bloody Hand, a dungeon complex under Mount Waterdeep connected to Undermountain
, inhabiting the very dungeon itself. Halaster is unaware of Jhesiyra’s presence but also wonders over her disappearance following the Spellplague. Jhesiyra’s plan is to use adventurers to defeat Halaster so
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->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
local government or temple.
6 Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Heliod, Erebos, or Iroas).
A Phenax Campaign Phenax fits easily into the role of primary campaign villain. He also
one of the necropoleis in expanding or dealing with various threats. Plots and schemes are Phenax’s lifeblood, suggesting a complex, shifting campaign full of surprises and twists. For example, a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
two complex ones Three or four scenes involving significant exploration or social interaction Within these constraints, it can be difficult to create open-ended adventures. A time limit assumes a
dungeon presents a natural limit on character options, while still giving the players choices. The adventure could be a quest to defeat a creature or recover an item, but the path to achieving that goal