build battle diffusing contested replaces

Returned Kakomantis

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

’t build meaningful relationships or establish new lives. Instead, most experience fleeting emotions and follow hollow routines, their existences reduced to shadow plays without weight or substance

. Returned Masks. Adventurers who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth approximately 100 gp, based on its

Returned Drifter

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

long-term memories, they generally can’t build meaningful relationships or establish new lives. Instead, most experience fleeting emotions and follow hollow routines, their existences reduced to

shadow plays without weight or substance. Returned Masks. Adventurers who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth

Returned Sentry

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

’t build meaningful relationships or establish new lives. Instead, most experience fleeting emotions and follow hollow routines, their existences reduced to shadow plays without weight or substance

. Returned Masks. Adventurers who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth approximately 100 gp, based on its

Returned Palamnite

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

they cover with distinctive golden masks. Returned reenter the world blank and undead. No longer possessing the ability to form long-term memories, they generally can’t build meaningful

who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth approximately 100 gp, based on its composition and craftsmanship

Pidlwick II

Monsters Curse of Strahd

":"Dart","rollDamageType":"piercing"} piercing damage.After her husband died in battle, Duchess Dorfniya Dilisnya set her sights on becoming Count Strahd von Zarovich's bride, but she failed to win his

return the courtesy, the duchess commissioned the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg to build a clockwork effigy of Pidlwick as a gift for Strahd's family. Although the duchess's heart was in the right

Rak Tulkhesh

Monsters Eberron: Rising from the Last War

their lives to build a prison of celestial light: a silver flame that bound the overlords in Khyber once more. These bonds have held for countless generations, but the overlords still yearn to break free

impulses that drives many mortals to battle. Fear, greed, hatred — these are seeds that the Rage of War sows in the hopes of producing a bloody harvest. Rak Tulkhesh typically takes the form of a vaguely

Hobgoblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

to keep the knowledge fresh for new generations. When hobgoblins aren’t waging war, they farm, they build, and they practice both martial and arcane arts. These trappings of civil society do

Maglubiyet, the greater god allows them to retain a measure of their influence over the hobgoblins because their philosophies are in line with his own. Hobgoblins don’t build temples to their gods, lest

Minotaur

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

carve their horns to sharpen their edges, etch symbols of power into them, or sheathe them in bronze to prevent them from shattering during battle. Thick hair extends down minotaurs’ necks and

you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow

Kobold Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

sewer tunnels, paying them with food and tools the kobolds wouldn’t have access to on their own. If they are treated well and left alone to do the job, the kobolds work industriously and build a

, they might build a warren and make a permanent home there, while continuing to expand the town’s sewers as the community grows. These so-called “city kobolds” live underground but

Blessed Strikes

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Blessed Strikes 8th-level cleric feature, which replaces the Divine Strike or Potent Spellcasting feature You are blessed with divine might in battle. When a creature takes damage from one of your

Melee Attacks

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

. Contests in Combat Battle often involves pitting your prowess against that of your foe. Such a challenge is represented by a contest. This section includes the most common contests that require an action

action to make a special melee attack, a grapple. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them. The target of your grapple must be no more than one

Melee Attacks

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

attack replaces one of them. The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by

making a grapple check instead of an attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). You

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

Arms and eyes upraised toward the sun and a prayer on his lips, an elf begins to glow with an inner light that spills out to heal his battle-worn companions. Chanting a song of glory, a dwarf swings

a troublemaker? What are your ultimate goals? Does your deity have a special task in mind for you? Or are you striving to prove yourself worthy of a great quest? QUICK BUILD You can make a cleric

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

fierce animal spirits. Others draw from a roiling reservoir of anger at a world full of pain. For every barbarian, rage is a power that fuels not just a battle frenzy but also uncanny reflexes

violated, or a coup that removed you from a position of authority. QUICK BUILD You can make a barbarian quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Strength

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

, knocking their blows aside and sending them reeling, until at last she stands alone. Taking a deep breath, a human covered in tattoos settles into a battle stance. As the first charging orcs reach him, he

lawful in alignment. QUICK BUILD You can make a monk quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the hermit background

Uthgardt Tribe Member

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

and ruin. But for the last few generations, some bands among the tribes were tempted to settle, make peace, trade, and even to build towns. Perhaps this is why Uthgar chose to raise up the totems

constructs of civilization. (Neutral) 6 Glory. I must earn glory in battle, for myself and my clan. (Any) d6 Bond 1 My family, clan, or tribe is the most important thing

Battle Master Builds

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

combined with a fighting style and feats, allows you to create a broad range of fighters, each with its own flavor and play style. Below are recommendations for how you might build a Battle Master to

Battle Master Builds Shock Trooper A Martial Archetype option in the Player’s Handbook, the Battle Master showcases just how versatile a fighter can be. The suite of maneuvers you choose, when

Dragon Campaigns

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

battle between Humanoid clans and the ancient dragonlords and their broods, the dragons triumphed and claimed dominion over the clans, which now bear the dragons’ names. If you want to build a campaign that puts dragons in a similarly prominent role, consider any of the following options.

dragonriders in opposing armies—battle in the temple of the Dragon Queen Krynn. The home of the Dragonlance setting is the battleground for an unending conflict between Bahamut and Tiamat. Tiamat commands

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

Chapter 9: Discord and Diplomacy

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

Chapter 9: Discord and Diplomacy To build a coalition against the Xaryxian Empire, the characters came to terms with a mercane named Vocath and fought monsters for his amusement. At the end of the

final battle, Prince Xeleth of the Xaryxian Empire appeared on a dragon, determined to take Princess Xedalli into his clutches! The session opens with Princess Xedalli trying to keep her hopes alive

The Attack

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

. Three-sided battles can sometimes take longer because of the number of combatants participating. Use your discretion as the DM to have the excitement of the battle build up rather than fizzle out

appropriate. (See “Running a Three-sided Battle” sidebar for advice.) RUNNING A THREE-SIDED BATTLE Combat is a highlight of the game for a large number of players: they love the challenge, the

18. First Blood

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

circle around Drinrith and the fourteenth male drow, who are engaged in a duel. When Drinrith draws blood or knocks the male to the ground, she either replaces him with a new challenger or orders two

the challenge, prompting the males to shout cheers and jibes during the protracted battle and granting the characters advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to surprise the drow and the giant

Campaign Events

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

Campaign Events If you don’t want to build a world that focuses on the presence or absence of giants, you can instead build a campaign around world-shaking events that are instigated by giants. Storm

battle. 6 One of the giants’ organizations described in chapter 2 is founded or comes to this world for the first time. 7 A group of giants sailing in enormous boats makes landfall in an area inhabited

Battle Balloon

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

Battle Balloon Through the winter clouds that surround the castle on this desolate hill, you see a shape emerge. Something so gigantic, you can’t believe it can actually fly. Airships are relatively

battle balloon a much-coveted upgrade for any franchise. Origins and Operations. Professional secrecy and aggressive marketing make it unclear where the airship originated. Some say battle balloons were

Champions of Rock Throwing

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

Champions of Rock Throwing Giants have a well-deserved reputation as living siege engines — all of them can hurl boulders with accuracy across great distances. Rock throwing — for battle, hunting

boulders. Frost giants build targets out of snow and ice and compete to see who can knock down the most with a single toss. A popular one-on-one game begins with the challenger throwing a stone as

Hobgoblin

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

warlord is a ruthless tyrant more interested in strategy, victory, glory, reputation, and dominion than leading troops into battle. As loyal and disciplined as hobgoblins are in their own legion

cooperate on the battlefield. Strategic Thinkers. Hobgoblins have a strong grasp of tactics and discipline, and can carry out sophisticated battle plans under the direction of a strategically minded leader

Encounter Pace and Tension

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

that structure in an adventure where the players control their characters’ actions, but you can use the encounters you plan to build tension toward a climax. Each encounter in an adventure is an

limited resources. Variety also contributes to a sense of escalating tension. Build variety into your encounters in three ways: Vary Encounter Type. Use a mix of social interaction, exploration, and

12. Drow Battle

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

12. Drow Battle Characters who approach this 50-foot-high cavern for the first time hear the sounds of battle ahead. Demons. In the narrower section between the north and south halves of the cavern

cavern is the site of a heated battle between House Freth (to the north) and House Auvryndar (to the south). House Freth’s forces are nine male drow led by a male drow mage named Spirreth Dalambra. The

Running Wilderness Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

encountered in a blizzard, whereas perytons almost never are. Some the random encounters are designed to test the characters in battle, while others encourage roleplaying. All of them paint a picture of

Encounters table—assumes the characters are 4th, 5th, or 6th level. It’s okay for some encounters to be easy and others to be hard or deadly. Easy encounters build players’ confidence; hard and deadly

Swashbuckler

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

into battle. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Charisma modifier. You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don’t need advantage on the attack roll

Sneak Attack still apply to you. Panache At 9th level, your charm becomes extraordinarily beguiling. As an action, you can make a Charisma (Persuasion) check contested by a creature’s Wisdom (Insight

9. Contested Caves

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

9. Contested Caves The drow of House Freth maintain a tenuous hold over these caves. Their defenses are tested daily by troglodytes, trolls, and infiltrators loyal to House Auvryndar. 9a. Hidden

12 in exchange for his freedom. If he is treated with respect, Zaztorrl might befriend the characters and help them in battle. A successful dispel magic spell (DC 18) cast on the troll renders it

17. Sauna

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation

combat, and he values his bodyguards too much to risk their lives in a pointless battle. Unless the characters provoke a fight, he tries to find out more about them and learn any secrets they might

an obelisk. (Yahru can provide directions.) Acererak slew the nine gods of Omu before enslaving the city’s human and minotaur inhabitants, which he used to build his tomb.

Using an Overarching Story

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

two examples are, in effect, the same story (variations of the battle between good and evil) told in different ways. Example 1: The Quest of Many Parts You can tie adventures together using an

and using it to defeat a cosmic threat. Example 2: Agents of X You can also build a campaign around the idea that the adventurers are agents of something larger than themselves — a kingdom or secret

Ephara as Campaign Villain

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

new island with a verdant and lush landscape. Ephara and Nylea are locked in a battle for control over the island, with Nylea wanting it to remain wilderness and Ephara seeking to build a city on the

Ferocity

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

, and of how those things build in battle. As a companion’s ferocity increases, they gain access to powerful new actions, but they also become more difficult for a caregiver to control. If a companion

companion to build up their ferocity during a fight. However, a too-easy target doesn’t rile up a companion the way being threatened by an enemy combatant in a battle for survival does. As such, the GM

D&D Beyond

Search Results