creating combat were

Creating a Combat Encounter

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

Creating a Combat Encounter 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 or put them in serious

Tanarukk

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

tanarukks, using these ferocious warriors to bolster their followers’ strength. The demon lord Baphomet gladly shares the secret of creating tanarukks with those who entreat him for power; the cult

tanarukks are valued as fearsome fighters, they are a threat to their allies off the battlefield. When not in combat, a tanarukk is destructive and volatile and is usually kept imprisoned by its allies. If

Find Steed Legacy

Spells Basic Rules (2014)

You summon a spirit that assumes the form of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed, creating a long-lasting bond with it. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, the steed takes on

one language of your choice that you speak. Your steed serves you as a mount, both in combat and out, and you have an instinctive bond with it that allows you to fight as a seamless unit. While mounted

Combat Robot

Monsters Quests from the Infinite Staircase

see within 120 feet of itself. The grenade explodes in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point, creating one of the following effects (robot’s choice): Concussion Grenade. Each creature

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

Razorvine Blight

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

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

dangerous, in Sigil they sometimes mimic the behaviors of the city’s other inhabitants—for better or worse. At least one blight, known as Patch, spreads copies of itself across the city, creating a spy network of copies with mysterious goals.

Dabus

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

Physical Restraint. The dabus doesn’t make melee attacks or opportunity attack;opportunity attacks, even in self-defense. Symbol Speech. A dabus communicates by creating illusory symbols and

but also to combat individuals who disrupt the city’s operations or violate the Lady’s edicts, hurling bricks at troublemakers and subduing them by causing the streets to sprout grasping

Slithering Tracker

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

the same time, a slithering tracker flows into places where a normal creature can’t go and brings its own brand of watery death down on its quarry. The ritual for creating a slithering tracker

Hollyphant

Monsters Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

, creating a trumpet sound that can be heard out to a range of 600 feet. The trumpet also creates a 30-foot cone of energy that has one of the following effects, chosen by the hollyphant: Trumpet of Blasting

powerful innate magic to help it combat evil and protect its friends.PoisonBludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Alkilith

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

combat, it has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover, if a creature hasn’t observed the alkilith move or act, that creature must succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern

demonic nature of the alkilith, making what should be a dire warning appear strange but otherwise innocuous. Wherever alkiliths take root, they weaken the fabric of reality, creating a portal through

Soldier Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

combined with the rigid discipline of military service leave their mark on all soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and

’ve lost too many friends, and I’m slow to make new ones. 4 I’m full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation. 5

Fighter Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

mastery with weapons and armor, and a thorough knowledge of the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and staring it defiantly in the face. Well-Rounded

Specialists Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles. Every fighter can swing an axe, fence with a rapier, wield a longsword or a greatsword, use a bow, and even trap foes in a net with some degree of

Changeling Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

havens in major cities and communities, but most prefer to wander the unpredictable path of the god known as the Traveler. In creating a changeling adventurer, consider the character’s relationships

focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat. Personas

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

the closeknit family structures of the tribe, but eventually find them replaced by the bonds formed among the members of their adventuring parties. Creating a Barbarian When creating a barbarian

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

variety of skills as they do to perfecting their combat abilities, giving them a broad expertise that few other characters can match. Many rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine the

skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks. When it comes to combat, rogues prioritize cunning over brute strength. A rogue

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

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

, rangers acquire the ability to cast spells that harness nature’s power, much as a druid does. Their spells, like their combat abilities, emphasize speed, stealth, and the hunt. A ranger’s

Soldier - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

soldiers, shaping their ideals, creating strong bonds, and often leaving them scarred and vulnerable to fear, shame, and hatred. d8 Personality Trait 1 I’m always polite and

I’m full of inspiring and cautionary tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation. 5 I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. 6 I enjoy being

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

. Deep dragons look down on any creature that isn’t useful to them, though they are willing to bargain for knowledge they lack. Creating a Deep Dragon Use the Deep Dragon Personality Traits and

Adult Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

of 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

. Deep dragons look down on any creature that isn’t useful to them, though they are willing to bargain for knowledge they lack. Creating a Deep Dragon Use the Deep Dragon Personality Traits and

Halaster Blackcloak

Monsters Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

exceed those of most mortal wizards. His expertise with magic gates allows him to travel far and wide to engage in magical research. He spends much of his time creating gates, moving them around, and

, 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

Deep Dragon Wyrmling Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

combat. Deep dragons look down on any creature that isn’t useful to them, though they are willing to bargain for knowledge they lack. Creating a Deep Dragon Use the Deep Dragon Personality

Young Deep Dragon Legacy

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

manipulation and crafty dealmaking to exerting themselves in combat. Deep dragons look down on any creature that isn’t useful to them, though they are willing to bargain for knowledge they lack

. Creating a Deep Dragon Use the Deep Dragon Personality Traits and Deep Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your portrayal of distinctive deep dragon characters, and use the Deep Dragon Spellcasting table to

Cleric Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

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

. Creating a Cleric As you create a cleric, the most important question to consider is which deity to serve and what principles you want your character to embody. The Gods of the Multiverse section

Monk Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

. Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of

mission than merely slaying monsters and plundering their treasure. Creating a Monk As you make your monk character, think about your connection to the monastery where you learned your skills and spent

Changeling

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

, investigation, and combat. Personas can be shared by multiple changelings; a community might be home to three healer changelings, with whoever is on duty adopting the persona of Andrea, the gentle

physician. Personas can even be passed down through a family, allowing a younger changeling to take advantage of contacts established by the persona’s previous users. Creating Your Character At 1st

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

. Creating a Bard Bards thrive on stories, whether those stories are true or not. Your character’s background and motivations are not as important as the stories that he or she tells about them

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

(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

warlocks toward adventure. Creating a Warlock As you make your warlock character, spend some time thinking about your patron and the obligations that your pact imposes upon you. What led you to make the

Young Topaz Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

by Undead, sometimes keeping them in their hoards as curios. Creating a Topaz Dragon Use the Topaz Dragon Personality Traits and Topaz Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your portrayal of distinctive

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

Topaz Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

are particularly intrigued by Undead, sometimes keeping them in their hoards as curios. Creating a Topaz Dragon Use the Topaz Dragon Personality Traits and Topaz Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your

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

Paladin Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

skills of combat, mastering a variety of weapons and armor. Even so, their martial skills are secondary to the magical power they wield: power to heal the sick and injured, to smite the wicked and the

, and even the smallest victory against it can tilt the cosmic balance away from oblivion. Creating a Paladin The most important aspect of a paladin character is the nature of his or her holy quest

Chapter 4: Creating Adventures

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

ones, this chapter helps you create fun and memorable experiences for your players. Creating an adventure involves blending scenes of exploration, social interaction, and combat into a unified whole

Chapter 4: Creating Adventures David Auden Nash A mysterious carriage brings the vampire Strahd von Zarovich out from Castle Ravenloft Whether you’re creating your own adventures or using published

Experience Points

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

received substantial assistance from one or more NPCs, count those NPCs as party members when dividing up the XP. (Because the NPCs made the fight easier, individual characters receive fewer XP.) Chapter 3, "Creating Adventures" provides guidelines for designing combat encounters using experience points.

Experience Points Experience points (XP) fuel level advancement for player characters and are most often the reward for completing combat encounters. Each monster has an XP value based on its

Chapter 3: Creating Adventures

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

Chapter 3: Creating Adventures Creating adventures is one of the greatest rewards of being a Dungeon Master. It’s a way to express yourself, designing fantastic locations and encounters with monsters

limited in scope but blend together to create a larger narrative. If an adventure is a single issue or episode, a campaign is the series as a whole. Whether you’re creating your own adventures or using

Creating a Heist Crew

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

tight-knit from the start. Similarly, ask your players to consider creating characters suited to undertaking heists. Combat prowess is less important when sneaking through a guarded complex, for

Creating a Heist Crew This book’s adventures require the characters to practice teamwork. Encourage your players to think of their characters as longtime associates or perhaps relatives so they feel

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

Companion Encounter Balance

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

Companion Encounter Balance Unless a caregiver has the beastheart class (found in Beastheart and Monstrous Companions), the GM should consider a companion as akin to a powerful combat-focused magic

item when building encounters. A companion gives a party a significant power boost, not just by dishing out more damage and providing more hit points for enemies to target, but also by creating

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