building before distant combat returns

Building Combat Encounters

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

Chapter 13: Building Combat Encounters When creating a combat encounter, let your imagination run wild and build something your players will enjoy. Once you have the details figured out, use

this section to adjust the difficulty of the encounter. Combat Encounter Difficulty There are four categories of encounter difficulty. Easy. An easy encounter doesn’t tax the characters’ resources

Doppelganger

Monsters Monster Manual

Advantage during the first round of each combat), reach 5 ft. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4);{"diceNotation":"2d6+4", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Slam", "rollDamageType":"Bludgeoning"} Bludgeoning damage

doppelganger shape-shifting;shape-shifts into a Medium or Small Humanoid, or it returns to its true form. Its game statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed.

True Polymorph

Spells Player’s Handbook

. In combat, it takes its turns immediately after yours, and it obeys your commands. If the spell lasts more than an hour, you no longer control the creature. It might remain Friendly to you, depending

size is no larger than the creature’s size. The creature’s statistics become those of the object, and the creature has no memory of time spent in this form after the spell ends and it returns to normal.

Mechanical Wonder

Magic Items Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

your allies. In combat, the wonder shares your Initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don't issue any, it

stat block. The wonder is an ally to you and your allies. In combat, the wonder shares your Initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action

Mechanical Wonder

Magic Items Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn

and your allies. In combat, the wonder shares your Initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue

is wound again. Flying Wonder (Common). An activated flying wonderuses the Flying Wonder stat block. The wonder is an ally to you and your allies. In combat, the wonder shares your Initiative count

Biha Babir

Monsters Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn

a cunning mind. Biha Babir is politically savvy and prefers to outsmart her opponents rather than battle them, though she doesn’t shy from combat if necessary. Biha Babir covets opulence, but

punished.Acid, Cold, LightningFluid Form. Biha Babir Shape-Shifting;shape-shifts into a form resembling a Beast or Humanoid that is Medium or smaller, while retaining her game statistics (other than her size), or returns to her true marid form.

Bamboo

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 3 3 3 Used in everything from building material to drinking vessels and musical instruments, bamboo is perhaps the most versatile material on the

Dorrin Plate

Equipment

Combat Utility Whimsy 7 8 4 Dorrin plate is a naturally occurring stone that can be broken off in large sheets and used as roof tiles, crockery, or building material. Potion

Athar Null

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

);{"diceNotation":"3d8", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Force Dagger", "rollDamageType":"force"} force damage. Hit or Miss: The dagger magically returns to the null’s hand immediately after a

of gods, believing the so-called deities are merely powerful spellcasters. To combat false gods, Athar nulls train to negate the powers of those with magic. Nulls work in the shadows, serving as

Faerie Pest

Monsters Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures

toddler, except for the black-feathered wings sprouting from the faerie’s shoulders. When engaged in combat, faerie pests wield thought-manipulating magic alongside sharp blades coated in

moss than most mortals. While ouphes are related to Eldraine’s faeries, the faeries treat them like distant (and somewhat embarrassing) cousins. Ouphes can be represented with the stat blocks for Pixie;pixies or Sprite;sprites. Mischievous Stealth. The faerie takes the Hide action.

Dragon Chosen

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

handaxe magically returns to the chosen’s hand immediately after a ranged attack. Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6;{"diceNotation":"1d20+6", "rollType":"to hit", "rollAction":"Shortsword"} to hit

skilled in close combat, using two weapons to tear at their foes. Dragon Followers Dragons boast many minions, students, employees, acolytes, and thralls. Dragon followers are those servitors whose

Cosmic Horror

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

horrors are colossal, malevolent entities that occasionally slip the bonds of the Far Realm and find themselves adrift on the Astral Plane. Drawn to the light of distant stars, these creatures invade

Wildspace systems and lay waste to worlds. After feeding on the minds and bodies of a world’s inhabitants until it is sated, a cosmic horror usually returns to the void, where it falls into a deep

Lantern Archon

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

home from fiendish incursions and safeguard those threatened by wicked forces. Archons are skilled communicators, able to speak all the languages of the multiverse. When pushed into combat, they prefer

, and Slashing from Nonmagical AttacksShift Radiance. The archon reduces its Illumination to shed only dim light in a 5-foot radius, or it returns the light to full intensity.

Alustriel Silverhand

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

are to spread kindness, reward virtue, and promote a culture of compassion throughout the multiverse. She is good at building alliances and quick to intervene when she senses a threat to the forces of

Weave favors those who act with mercy and compassion, seeks to deliver lives of security for all, and bolsters people’s efforts when they seek to right wrongs and combat evil. Nowhere are

Greater Star Spawn Emissary

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

ominous astrological events, these ravenous invaders make worlds ready for unimaginable masters or distant, greater manifestations of themselves. Employing their malleable forms, emissaries work to

in its lesser form. When this form is destroyed, the emissary’s body collapses into a gory slurry. It then instantly returns in its greater form. Only if the emissary is defeated in its greater

Carrionette

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

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

carrionette and the target die. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the controlled body drives the carrionette out and returns the consciousness of both creatures to their original bodies

Lesser Star Spawn Emissary

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

distant, greater manifestations of themselves. Employing their malleable forms, emissaries work to undermine perceptions of order, trust, and reality on global scales, readying worlds for sanity

slurry. It then instantly returns in its greater form. Only if the emissary is defeated in its greater form does the star spawn die. After finishing a long rest, a greater star spawn emissary regains

Cloud Giant Destiny Gambler

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

damage plus 16 (3d10);{"diceNotation":"3d10", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Flying Staff", "rollDamageType":"thunder"} thunder damage. Hit or Miss: The staff magically returns to the giant’s

issue a combat challenge quickly find these giants’ magical prowess is nearly unmatched. Destiny Gambler Spell Winnings Destiny gamblers aren’t content with winning mere treasures

Halaster Blackcloak

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

, however, Halaster is alert and attentive to the activities and preparations of all beings near him. He never willingly enters combat without first casting mage armor and mind blank on himself.As the

effect is triggered, as though Halaster had cast minor illusion in an area. Common illusions include the echo of rattling chains, the distant sound of explosive spells being cast, a dusty cloak or a rusty

Knight of the Order

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

again in ruins, Dove Falconhand decided to reform the group with the primary goal of building alliances and friendship between the civilized races of the world and goodly people in order to combat evil

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

scythe. Only a skilled and determined hero can hope to survive single combat with an orc. Savage and fearless, orc tribes are ever in search of elves, dwarves, and humans to destroy. Motivated by their

while learning to fight, to survive in the wild, and to fear the gods. The children that can’t endure the rigors of a life of combat are culled from the main body of the tribe, taken into the

Young Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

Combat. I despise most other dragons, but I meet them face to face without resorting to the base trickery I use on lesser creatures. (Lawful) Topaz Dragon Adventures The Topaz Dragon

to ask for help getting home. 6 A topaz dragon is building a tableau of desiccated creatures and has grown obsessed with catching one treasure hunter who escaped the dragon’s clutches

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

the creature while he readies his bow. Far from the bustle of cities and towns, past the hedges that shelter the most distant farms from the terrors of the wild, amid the dense-packed trees of

hiding themselves in brush and rubble. Rangers focus their combat training on techniques that are particularly useful against their specific favored foes. Thanks to their familiarity with the wilds

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

ocean. (Good) 6 Code of Combat. I despise most other dragons, but I meet them face to face without resorting to the base trickery I use on lesser creatures. (Lawful) Topaz Dragon

, but the dragon is too proud to ask for help getting home. 6 A topaz dragon is building a tableau of desiccated creatures and has grown obsessed with catching one treasure hunter who escaped the

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

her holy symbol as light pours from it to drive back the zombies crowding in on her companions. Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the

their combat training to let them wade into melee with the power of the gods on their side. Divine Agents Not every acolyte or officiant at a temple or shrine is a cleric. Some priests are called to

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

character, think about where your character comes from and his or her place in the world. Talk with your DM about an appropriate origin for your barbarian. Did you come from a distant land, making you a

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

coins Feature: Undercity Paths You know hidden, underground pathways that you can use to bypass crowds, obstacles, and observation as you move through the city. When you aren’t in combat, you

the moss-covered building where I took part in my first reclamation mission. 5 I found something in the sewer that must never come to light. 6 I am forever grateful to the reclaimer who

Izzet Engineer

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

basic knowledge of the structure of buildings, including the stuff behind the walls. You can also find blueprints of a specific building in order to learn the details of its construction. Such

An Orzhov banker financed my laboratory’s current work and expects great returns. 8 I have a cousin in the Cult of Rakdos, and we get along quite well. 9 A former attendant from the

Encounter Building

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

Encounter Building This section introduces new guidelines on building combat encounters for an adventure. They are an alternative to the rules in “Creating Encounters” in chapter 3 of the Dungeon

encounter-building system assumes that, as DM, you want to have a clear understanding of the threat posed by a group of monsters. It will be useful to you if you want to emphasize combat in your

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

stars overhead, a wild-eyed tiefling chants the mystic ritual that will open a doorway to a distant world. Warlocks are seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through

(such as the ability to see in darkness or to read any language) to access to powerful spells. Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some facility at hand-to-hand combat. They

Start Small

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

Start Small When you first start building your campaign, start small. The characters need to know only about the city, town, or village where they start the game, and perhaps the nearby dungeon. You

might decide that the barony is at war with a nearby duchy, or that a distant forest is crawling with ettercaps and giant spiders, and you should note these things. But at the start of the game, the local area is enough to get the campaign off the ground. Follow these steps to create that local area:

Adult Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

beauty of the ocean. (Good) 6 Code of Combat. I despise most other dragons, but I meet them face to face without resorting to the base trickery I use on lesser creatures. (Lawful) Topaz

from the sea, but the dragon is too proud to ask for help getting home. 6 A topaz dragon is building a tableau of desiccated creatures and has grown obsessed with catching one treasure hunter

Ancient Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

far-off lands. Many seek out new insights and tricks that they can use against other denizens of the Underdark, preferring social manipulation and crafty dealmaking to exerting themselves in combat

, they use local settlements—and any competent visitors—as pawns in their struggle. 4 An ancient deep dragon has put the folk of a city to work building the dragon a metropolis to rule

Ancient Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

the sight of the vast beauty of the ocean. (Good) 6 Code of Combat. I despise most other dragons, but I meet them face to face without resorting to the base trickery I use on lesser creatures

injured and stranded far from the sea, but the dragon is too proud to ask for help getting home. 6 A topaz dragon is building a tableau of desiccated creatures and has grown obsessed with catching

Random Buildings

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

Random Buildings Pulse-pounding chases and harrowing escapes within the confines of a town or city can sometimes force characters to dash into buildings. When you need to flesh out a building quickly

, roll on the Building Type table. Then roll on the table corresponding to that building to add further detail. If a roll makes no sense considering where the characters are (such as a lavish mansion

D&D Beyond

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