branches bards diffusing combat role

Druid

Classes Player’s Handbook

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

Tree Blight

Monsters Curse of Strahd

False Appearance. If the blight is motionless at the start of combat, it has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover, if a creature hasn’t observed the blight move or act, that creature must

a tree blight is a particularly enormous variety. It looks like a dead tree or treant, 30 feet tall, with spongy wooden flesh, thorny branches, and rubbery roots that trail behind it. It has blood

Wychwood

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 14 13 15 The twisted, spined branches of a wychwood tree are well known by wizards and those who practice magic involving spirits. Many warlocks and

druids use wychwood wands for their spellcasting. It is said that wychwood trees only grow in a few groves where spirits are plentiful, places where magic flows from the ground, and where the light of the full moon can touch their branches.

Earwax

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 0 0 0 An unpleasant truth is that the role of earwax in potion making is more important than people like to discuss. Though earwax is plentiful, it’s not all the same in potion mixing terms, and some varieties come at a steeper price than others.

Bronze Sable

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

sable's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. Surprise Attack. If the sable surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the

few were created to emulate beauty found among the animals of the mortal world. Each exhibits abilities suited to its role, with some behaving like companionable creatures or stoic guardians. A few

Tashlyn Yafeera

Monsters Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

is Master of Arms and Mercenaries for the Waterdeep Zhentarim. In this role, she provides armor, weapons, and training to sellswords on the Black Network's payroll. Tashlyn has established a useful

, Tashlyn has an unfettered sense of superiority. Quick to anger, she hates to back down from a fight. She respects anyone who can best her in melee combat.

Hand of Eryo

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 18 18 19 These extremely rare mushrooms are the most desired of all the edible mushrooms on Obojima. They tend to grow in the uppermost branches, where

Viari

Monsters Acquisitions Incorporated

and earnest debate, he demonstrates an equal flair for planning and forethought, mad combat moves (involving leaping off high places whenever possible), and dark vengeance. Viari's career as an

adventurer was nearly cut short during a battle of which the bards still sing. Unleashing a devastating attack with the aptly named Apocalypse Dagger, the rogue destroyed a giant single-handedly — and lost

Drow Favored Consort

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, including the powerful drow matron mother, takes an attractive drow as consort. Chosen as much for beauty as for magical might, a drow favored consort can hold their own in both conversation and combat

. Combining the roles of advisor, protector, and beloved, some favored consorts are content with a supporting role, while more ambitious consorts aspire to be the power behind the throne—or even to

Combat Robot

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

and are usually programmed to take intruders prisoner before resorting to lethal force. Combat robots signal their pursuit with built-in sirens and flashing lights, warning nearby creatures of their

imminent arrival with an intimidating display. Combat robots display a wide range of voices. Some units are clearly designed to intimidate, while others offer canned, upbeat platitudes in pleasant tones

Irimbi Chrysalis

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 19 20 18 Every ten years, deep in the forests of Obojima, the rare irimbi caterpillar climbs to the highest branches to make a jade-green chrysalis in

Mellowort

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 4 8 7 Go into any hot spring or spa and the scent of Mellowort is sure to be wafting around with its soothing aroma. There are many songs written by

bards about the benefits and relaxing properties of this flowering plant. Mellowort is a tall, slender plant that is found in the lowlands of Obojima.

Horrid Plant

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

; 3–4, purple blossom; or 5–6, snapper saw. This form determines certain traits in this stat block. False Appearance. If the horrid plant is motionless at the start of combat, it has

these tendrils to drain the moisture and life force from their prey. Purple Blossom The purple blossom is a treelike plant with cup-shaped purple flowers. Tubules within the plant’s branches

House Tharashk Heir

backgrounds Eberron: Forge of the Artificer

-reliance from an early age. What your young house lacks in resources, it makes up for in spirit and determination. Tharashk has a destiny to fulfill, and you have a part in it. Whether in combat or in social

interaction, you have learned to play the role of the hunter: study your enemies, exploit their weaknesses, and do whatever it takes to achieve victory.

Yggdrasti

Monsters Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures

connected to one another. False Appearance. If the yggdrasti is motionless and rooted in the ground at the start of combat, it looks just like a dead tree and has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover

Tree, yggdrasti look like gigantic, dead trees covered with barnacles. They fly through Wildspace and the Astral Sea with their topmost branches leading the way and their withered roots trailing behind

Skylla

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

into allowing her to serve as the primary liaison between the League of Malevolence and the Hourglass Coven, claiming her pact with Baba Yaga made her better suited for the role than anyone else

feel beholden to stay on good terms with her vile spawn, the hags of the Hourglass Coven.” Flaw. “I don't have a single friend I can count on.” Combat Notes Skylla is not an

Bard Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

versatility. Many bards prefer to stick to the sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. But bards are capable of defending themselves in melee if

of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation

Soldier Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

or deck of cards, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp Specialty During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Roll a d8 or choose

from the options in the table below to determine your role: d8 Specialty 1 Officer 2 Scout 3 Infantry 4 Cavalry 5 Healer 6 Quartermaster 7 Standard

Petrified Alligator

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 15 16 13 Bards speak of the mad druid Fennistrix, who had a penchant for petrification along with a bizarre alligator obsession that resulted in almost

Clockwork Stone Defender

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

attacker.The thick plates of stone riveted onto a stone defender give it substantial protection. Its chief role is as a bodyguard. Clockworks Gnomes’ tinkering with magic and mechanical devices has

points or fewer at the start of its turn in combat, roll a d6. If you roll a 1, it retreats from combat if possible. It otherwise keeps fighting. 7 Overheats. Roll a d6 at the start of the

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

Bard

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

? Ah, then what manner of music they would bring to this world! — Fletcher Danairia, master bard Bards bring levity during grave times; they impart wisdom to offset ignorance; and they make the

ridiculous seem sublime. Bards are preservers of ancient history, their songs and tales perpetuating the memory of great events down through time — knowledge so important that it is memorized and passed

Bard

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

? Ah, then what manner of music they would bring to this world! — Fletcher Danairia, master bard Bards bring levity during grave times; they impart wisdom to offset ignorance; and they make the

ridiculous seem sublime. Bards are preservers of ancient history, their songs and tales perpetuating the memory of great events down through time — knowledge so important that it is memorized and passed

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp Specialty During your time as a soldier, you had a specific role to play in your unit or army. Roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below to

determine your role: d8 Specialty 1 Officer 2 Scout 3 Infantry 4 Cavalry 5 Healer 6 Quartermaster 7 Standard bearer 8 Support staff (cook

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

in both Persuasion and Intimidation prove helpful in this role. Bards, paladins, and sorcerers have both the requisite talents and the ability to supplement their interrogations with magic

dangerous, so it’s often important for their group to include someone who can physically intervene when situations devolve into combat. The Tough’s role might include fighting criminal thugs, kicking

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

in both Persuasion and Intimidation prove helpful in this role. Bards, paladins, and sorcerers have both the requisite talents and the ability to supplement their interrogations with magic

dangerous, so it’s often important for their group to include someone who can physically intervene when situations devolve into combat. The Tough’s role might include fighting criminal thugs, kicking

Bard

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

? Ah, then what manner of music they would bring to this world! — Fletcher Danairia, master bard Bards bring levity during grave times; they impart wisdom to offset ignorance; and they make the

ridiculous seem sublime. Bards are preservers of ancient history, their songs and tales perpetuating the memory of great events down through time — knowledge so important that it is memorized and passed

Build Your Group

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

in both Persuasion and Intimidation prove helpful in this role. Bards, paladins, and sorcerers have both the requisite talents and the ability to supplement their interrogations with magic

dangerous, so it’s often important for their group to include someone who can physically intervene when situations devolve into combat. The Tough’s role might include fighting criminal thugs, kicking

Music and Magic

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

sidelines in combat, using their magic to inspire their allies and hinder their foes from a distance. But bards are capable of defending themselves in melee if necessary, using their magic to bolster their