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Returning 35 results for 'cunning resolve groups to have rivals'.
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
called stratians, number among the fiercest soldiers on Theros. They train relentlessly and possess unflinching resolve. In the annals of Akros, tales abound of squads of stratians that defended a
glorification of the warrior's spirit, the basis of an ethos that forges an unbreakable bond between members of a military unit. In combat, hoplites typically work in groups and use coordinated tactics to
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
, ice troll;ice trolls, young white dragon;young white dragons, the treacherous mountain terrain, and the cruel indifference of nature.
Bitter Rivals. Skytower Shelter and Wyrmdoom Crag are two
mountain strongholds inhabited by goliaths. The former is home to the Skytower (Akannathi) clan, the latter to the Wyrmdoom (Thuunlakalaga) clan. The two groups refuse to get along, and competition between
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
giant;frost giants, remorhaz;remorhazes, ice troll;ice trolls, young white dragon;young white dragons, the treacherous mountain terrain, and the cruel indifference of nature.
Bitter Rivals. Skytower
Shelter and Wyrmdoom Crag are two mountain strongholds inhabited by goliaths. The former is home to the Skytower (Akannathi) clan, the latter to the Wyrmdoom (Thuunlakalaga) clan. The two groups refuse
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
claim the throne themselves.
Those favored consorts who prove their cunning gain the ear, and perhaps even the heart, of their priestess and are relied on to provide useful advice. No position of
consort is assured for long, though; Lolth’s priestesses are notoriously fickle, and a consort must often contend with rivals.
Some favored consorts work behind the scenes to undermine the evils
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
use a combination of cunning, faith, and magic to defend their coastal home. Most of these skilled soldiers serve in the Reverent Army, the defenders of Meletis, which uses an array of proven strategies
typically work in groups and use coordinated tactics to win victories.
The three Hoplite Unit Names tables present the sorts of titles used by hoplite contingents hailing from Theros's great poleis. Consider
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
, wall of forceSeekers of forgotten lore and lost relics, blue abishais are the most cunning and learned of their kind. Their research into occult subjects gleaned from tomes plundered from across the
delivering a message to cultists. Others have greater responsibilities, such as leading large groups, assassinating targets, and serving in armies. In all cases, abishais are fanatically loyal to Tiamat
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
of the Shadowfell as their dominion. From these blighted lands, they wage war against their rivals, commanding hordes of the undying in a bid to establish dominance. Yet skull lords always prove to be
of events, Vecna’s warlords turned against each other, and his plans were dashed. In a rage, Vecna gathered up his generals and captains and bound them in groups of three, fusing them into
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
spellcasting ability (spell save DC 12):
At will: mage hand (the hand is invisible), minor illusionEmerald dragons are the most curious, cunning, and manipulative of the gem dragons, wielding
adventurers in the hopes of pitting them against fire giant rivals.
Hoarded Histories
Emerald dragons prize knowledge, particularly local histories that focus on magical events and individuals
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
hand is invisible), minor illusion
1/day each: detect thoughts, invisibility, silent imageEmerald dragons are the most curious, cunning, and manipulative of the gem dragons, wielding psionic power to
experienced adventurers in the hopes of pitting them against fire giant rivals.
Hoarded Histories
Emerald dragons prize knowledge, particularly local histories that focus on magical events and
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
":"damage", "rollAction":"Emerald Embers", "rollDamageType":"fire"} fire damage.Emerald dragons are the most curious, cunning, and manipulative of the gem dragons, wielding psionic power to weave illusions to
adventurers in the hopes of pitting them against fire giant rivals.
Hoarded Histories
Emerald dragons prize knowledge, particularly local histories that focus on magical events and individuals. They usually
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
":"Emerald Embers", "rollDamageType":"fire"} fire damage.Emerald dragons are the most curious, cunning, and manipulative of the gem dragons, wielding psionic power to weave illusions to deceive and
of pitting them against fire giant rivals.
Hoarded Histories
Emerald dragons prize knowledge, particularly local histories that focus on magical events and individuals. They usually know of places
Bugbear
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
.
Gang Mentality
Since bugbears aren’t a particularly fecund race, their overall population is small and spread over a wide area. Bugbears live in family groups that operate much like gangs. The
. Cunning Grankhul is the younger one, and in the stories bugbears tell, he gifted them with stealth but in return he sapped their vigor, so that bugbears sleep in his stead while he remains eternally alert
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Splitting Up Creatures being chased can split up into smaller groups. This tactic forces pursuers to either divide their forces or allow some of the quarry to escape. If a pursuit splits into several
smaller chases, resolve each chase separately. You can keep all the creatures in Initiative order, but track the distances separately for each group.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Desperate Allies and Rivals The Darkon Allies table describes characters and groups who strive to save the domain, while the Darkon Rivals table notes those who scheme to ruin it. Darkon Allies d6
familiar
Darkon Rivals d6 Rival
1 Alcio Metus and the Kargat
2 Darcalus Rex and the Eternal Order
3 Madame Talisveri Eris and the Family
4 Ebbasheyth, Azalin’s black
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Rival Outfit Some criminals believe you can’t do a job without betraying your partners. Perhaps you have your own share of adversaries you’ve angered. The Group Rivals table presents a host of groups
and individuals who might—legitimately or otherwise—hold a grudge against you. Group Rivals d6 Rival 1 The Law. Someone in the Sharn Watch has vowed to put you in prison or die trying. 2 Gang
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
supporting characters and embellish that NPC as described below. It’s possible for the characters to have two or three rivals at a time, each with a separate agenda. At least one should be a villain, but
the others might be neutral or good; conflicts with those rivals might be social or political, rather than manifesting as direct attacks. The best rivals have a connection with their adversaries on a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
the center of the structure. Once both parties meet and banter, one-on-one duels commence following the rules outlined in the “Duels in the Repository” section. The Rivals use the pledgemage stat blocks
most victors is deemed the winning team and earns bragging rights. Before the groups go their separate ways, though, things take an unexpected turn.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
Factions and Rivals Other books detail the many power groups and factions that operate in Faerûn and the Sword Coast (including the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide). But a number of new factions and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
have allies, except for a handful of other legends like the following groups: Daughters of Sora Kell. Sora Kell’s three daughters—the gifted oracle Sora Teraza, the cunning trickster Sora Katra, and the
knowledge by force and cunning. A mighty wizard with magic worthy of epic tales, she is a monster whose adamantine claws can flense whole armies before any soldier can land a blow on her plated hide
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
. Whether student adventurers get caught up in a duel with their rivals or face a dreaded mage hunter, the stat blocks in this chapter give you the information you need to resolve the situation.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
of its mother’s house, lending its thirst for destruction to that house’s plans to triumph over its rivals. A draegloth is an ogre-sized, four-armed humanoid with purple-black skin and yellow-white
family’s rivals, which were not thus gifted. The birth prompts the leaders of the house to begin crafting new plans to strike at its rivals when the draegloth is fully grown. These plans always use
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
manipulate groups, settlements, and whole nations in the Underdark and sometimes the surface world. Few creatures loathe beholders more than other beholders. Every beholder views itself as the physical
and intellectual pinnacle of its species. To them, all other beholders are aberrant rivals to be dominated or destroyed. Conflicts between beholders can last for decades and lay waste to vast
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
Young White Dragon Young white dragons defend their hunting grounds from rivals. In some cases, kobolds and groups of humanoids might offer food and treasure to young white dragons, attempting to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Large Groups The biggest considerations with large groups are maintaining order at the table and keeping combat from becoming too slow. Structured Turns If you find yourself in a situation where
Information. If you tell the players what the Armor Class of their opponents is, you reduce the steps of interaction needed to resolve an attack. Instead of telling you a number and asking if it hits
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
Ochre Jelly Ochre jellies are yellowish blobs that can slide under doors and through narrow cracks in pursuit of creatures to devour. They have enough bestial cunning to avoid large groups of enemies
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
Ochre Jelly Ochre jellies stalk and consume organic creatures, and they have enough bestial cunning to avoid large groups. Ochre Jelly
Large ooze, unaligned
Armor Class 8
Hit Points 45 (6d10
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
of food often brings them to the surface to hunt. Orcs respect an orog’s strength and cunning, and a lone orog might command an orc war band. Stronger and Smarter. An orog uses its strength to bully
makes them ideal leaders, and thus deadly rivals to orc war chiefs, who must be wary of orog treachery. Detached Killers. Wanting nothing more than to hack their enemies to pieces, orogs are a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
.
These three aspects drive a chimera to stake out a territory that is as large as 10 miles wide. It preys on wild game, viewing more powerful creatures as rivals to be humiliated and defeated. Its
greatest rivals are dragons, griffons, manticores, perytons, and wyverns.
When it hunts, the chimera looks for easy ways to amuse itself. It enjoys the fear and suffering of weaker creatures. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
agent of the Sunweaver—deemed service in the Brightguard a holy calling, the group’s ranks swelled. Most members have unshakable resolve, but recent revolutionary acts have the order on edge. The
they defend the order and its members like lions protect their prides. They resent other revolutionary groups whose violent ways cause the people to distrust the Silent Roar by extension. Many Silent
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
hit the fighter. According to the table, for every three orcs that attack the fighter, one of them hits. There are enough orcs for two groups of three. The remaining two orcs fail to hit the fighter
attack bonus, assume that it hits once with each of those attacks. If a creature’s attacks have different attack bonuses, resolve each attack separately. This attack resolution system ignores critical
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
, saying, “No closer, friends! This is a private matter, and we don’t wish to be disturbed.” Unferth presents himself with a false joviality, making light of the fact that two groups of upstanding
citizens should find themselves engaged in an ugly bit of skulduggery involving opening a tomb. Underneath the self-deprecating manner is a stern resolve. The Kraken Society paid good money for the orb
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Tactics Because they are physically weak individually, kobolds know they have to use superior numbers and cunning to take down powerful foes. In addition to their Pack Tactics trait described in the
groups of warriors. If they have time, they prepare the battlefield with small bolt-holes for them to hide in and simple pit traps to hamper their opponents. Standard kobold tactics include the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
, cunning, and planning instead of brute force. Phenax and his champions move with purpose, don’t draw attention to themselves, and use misdirection to keep foes guessing about when and where their
faiths or groups, to stir up as much conflict and confusion as possible. The Phenax’s Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god’s followers. Phenax’s Villains d8
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Finders Guild Across Khorvaire, the inquisitives of House Tharashk have a reputation for discretion and cunning. Members of that house operate the Finders Guild, a loose collection of independent
Investigative Services in Warden Towers, and Globe Information Agency in Dragon Towers. Your party might be associated with any of these groups, or you might operate your own affiliated agency. In any
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
members of a military unit. In combat, hoplites typically work in groups and use coordinated tactics to win victories. The three Hoplite Unit Names tables present the sorts of titles used by hoplite
relentlessly and possess unflinching resolve. In the annals of Akros, tales abound of squads of stratians that defended a key location against a much larger force or crept behind enemy lines and wreaked havoc