cunning run groups to her reflection

Master Thief

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

;retire” from hands-on work to run a thieves’ guild, spearhead some covert enterprise, or enjoy a quiet life of luxury. When a master thief completes a challenging heist, they often leave

each other, resembling a tent 9 Worthless coin with a bite mark in it 10 Chalk or charcoal sketch of a domino mask Cunning Action. The thief takes the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Meletian Hoplite

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

Blue Abishai

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

Prisoner 13

Monsters Keys from the Golden Vault

steal away most of the clan’s gold, leaving only a pittance. Prisoner 13 is a cunning schemer, ruthless and patient. She listens and watches, absorbing every detail she can, and shares as

. Black and gray smoke and shadows coil down her left arm, ending in runes on the fingers of her left hand. Knotwork. Purple and blue knotwork and runes run down her right arm, across the back of her right

Shifter Legacy

Species Eberron: Rising from the Last War

bear or boar: stoic, stubborn, and thick-skinned. Longtooth shifters typically have lupine traits and prefer to run with a pack. Swiftstride are often predatory and feline, but a swiftstride could

also be a cunning rat who darts through the shadows. Wildhunt shifters are born from any creature that tracks its prey. While the beast within certainly has a physical impact on a shifter, it has a

Shipwright

Backgrounds Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Reflection. Muddied water always clears in time. (Any) 6 Hope. The horizon at sea holds the greatest promise. (Any) D6 BOND 1 I must visit all the oceans

don’t belong to me, especially if they are very well made. Saltmarsh Ties Ships make Saltmarsh’s economy run. You have contacts with one of the following leaders in town. Choose

Urban Bounty Hunter

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

areas to help you succeed. You might be a cunning thief-catcher, prowling the rooftops to catch one of the myriad burglars of the city. Perhaps you are someone who has your ear to the street, aware of

If there’s a plan, I’ll forget it. If I don’t forget it, I’ll ignore it. 4 I have a “tell” that reveals when I’m lying. 5 I turn tail and run when

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

elements, and endured sickness without the advantage of medicine or a place to recuperate. You’ve survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each

important person, and I’m wanted for it. 6 No one else should have to endure the hardships I’ve been through. d6 Flaw 1 If I’m outnumbered, I will run away

Strahd von Zarovich

Monsters Curse of Strahd

intelligently and do everything you can to make him a terrifying and cunning adversary for the player characters. When you run an encounter with Strahd, keep the following facts in mind: Strahd

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

recuperate. You’ve survived despite all odds, and did so through cunning, strength, speed, or some combination of each. You begin your adventuring career with enough money to live modestly but

will run away from a fight. 2 Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it. 3 I will never fully trust anyone other than myself. 4 I&rsquo

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

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

treasure. Creating a Rogue As you create your rogue character, consider the character’s relationship to the law. Do you have a criminal past—or present? Are you on the run from the law or from

Bugbear Legacy

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

1L. Chapel

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

do not worship her, so the chapel is seldom used for anything that could be considered a religious observance or mass. Instead, individual cultists or small groups sometimes retire here for quiet

reflection on how the world will suffer when the Queen of Dragons rises. Treasure A hidden compartment beneath Tiamat’s black dragon head contains a dagger of venom. It can be found with a successful DC 15

1L. Chapel

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

do not worship her, so the chapel is seldom used for anything that could be considered a religious observance or mass. Instead, individual cultists or small groups sometimes retire here for quiet

reflection on how the world will suffer when the Queen of Dragons rises. Treasure A hidden compartment beneath Tiamat’s black dragon head contains a dagger of venom. It can be found with a successful DC 15

Tactics

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

like goblins, which tend to squabble among themselves and cooperate only when threatened by a strong leader. Kobolds avoid combat on a large scale, instead sticking to hit-and-run raids using smaller

Running Mount Ironrot

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Running Mount Ironrot As the characters search for a Docent, they encounter the Mournland denizens described in the subsequent “Mount Ironrot Encounters” section. Run an encounter each time the

a working Docent in a ruined village called Ialos. They also learn that this Docent is central to a conflict between rival groups of Mournland scavengers: a band of veterans and a community of warforged pilgrims.

Eldritch Master

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

Boon option produces a special creature or an object that reflects your patron’s nature. Pact of the Chain. Your familiar is more cunning than a typical familiar. Its default form can be a

reflection of your patron, with sprites and pseudodragons tied to the Archfey and imps and quasits tied to the Fiend. Because the Great Old One’s nature is inscrutable, any familiar form is suitable for it

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

appreciation for the finer things! — Volo Goblins occupy an uneasy place in a dangerous world, and they react by lashing out at any creatures they believe they can bully. Cunning in battle and

traps, snares, and nets to catch the unwary, and when their hunting patrols encounter other beings, they always look for ways to capture their foes instead of killing them. Goblins that run up against

Eldritch Master

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

Boon option produces a special creature or an object that reflects your patron’s nature. Pact of the Chain. Your familiar is more cunning than a typical familiar. Its default form can be a

reflection of your patron, with sprites and pseudodragons tied to the Archfey and imps and quasits tied to the Fiend. Because the Great Old One’s nature is inscrutable, any familiar form is suitable for it

No Competition

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

and planned expansion across the multiverse, Acquisitions Incorporated shows no signs of slowing down. (Because that would likely require self-reflection and measured responses that are historically

off-brand.) And that expansion means new franchises. The first step was Ravnica, a city run by guilds and simply overflowing at the practicability of acquisition for hire. But beyond that? Infinite

Running the Adventures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

Running the Adventures To run each of these adventures, you need the fifth edition core rulebooks: the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. Spells and equipment mentioned in

adventures in this anthology. Each adventure is designed for four to six characters of a particular level, but you can adjust for larger or smaller groups by changing the number of foes in an encounter and

Dueling Begins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

appropriate for their colleges (see chapter 7). All their actions are considered permissible magic for the purposes of dueling. Run as many one-on-one duels as the characters want to participate in

most victors is deemed the winning team and earns bragging rights. Before the groups go their separate ways, though, things take an unexpected turn.

Mordentshire

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

while also secretly hosting a cell of the Ulmist Inquisition (see “Other Groups” later in this chapter). There’s also the herbalist shop of the scholar Rudolph van Richten. When van Richten is away

, his shop is run by local mystery enthusiast Beatrice Polk or by twin sisters Gennifer and Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove (see “Travelers in the Mist” for information on van Richten and the Weathermay-Foxgroves).

Ochre Jelly

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

Ochre Jelly

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

Shared World

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

Shared World Some groups take a large, established campaign setting and divide it up geographically so different DMs can run separate campaigns in the same setting. In theory, characters can travel

Traveling to Luskan

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

south and work their way to the Open Shore docks. A key aspect of Luskan life is its rule by groups known as Ships. Five High Captains each rule a Ship made up of pirates and other Northlanders. Ship

maintains its original name as a reflection of its past power — and as a sign that it seeks to restore that power once again. If you want to make Luskan a bigger part of your campaign, more information about the city can be found in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide.

Cathedral Assault

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

path. As the DM, you can decide where the characters encounter each of these groups. These encounters are meant to be run separately, although running two encounters back-to-back with no chance for the

Cathedral Assault Four groups of devils and their allies are moving through the cathedral. These groups are spread out to cause as much havoc as possible, and have orders to kill everyone in their

Absent Players

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

reporting back to the party’s patron. Substitute Player. With the absent player’s consent, have another player run the missing player’s character, or run the character yourself if you feel you can do so

same XP that the other characters earned each session, keeping the group at the same level. Some groups like to work out a policy regarding how many missing players is too many to proceed. For example

Medusa

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

sites of fallen glory. They often dwell beyond the fringes of civilization or travel in disguise, leaving trails of petrified victims. Some medusas dominate groups of monsters or criminals, controlling

30-foot Cone. If the medusa sees its reflection in the Cone, the medusa must make this save. First Failure: The target has the Restrained condition and repeats the save at the end of its next turn if

The Beast Within

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

traits and prefer to run with a pack. Swiftstride are often predatory and feline, but a swiftstride could also be a cunning rat who darts through the shadows. Wildhunt shifters are born from any creature

Adventure Setting

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

Yourself When you’re preparing an adventure to run for your friends, you don’t need to write hundreds of pages describing each location in exhaustive detail. You can run a game with no more written notes

, groups of creatures might compete for resources. When these groups consist of sapient creatures, opportunities abound for the adventurers who enter those areas. Characters might ally with one group or

The Beast Within

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

shifter’s subrace. Four subraces are especially common: Beasthide often signifies the bear or boar: stoic, stubborn and thick-skinned. Longtooth shifters typically have lupine traits and prefer to run

with a pack. Swiftstride are often predatory and feline, but a swiftstride could also be a cunning rat who darts through the shadows. Wildhunt shifters are born from any creature that tracks its prey

Adventure Examples

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

Adventure Examples This section contains example adventures that demonstrate the principles described throughout the chapter. Each provides enough information for you to run a one-session adventure

difficulty of encounters in each adventure is tailored for four characters of that level. You can use adventures for characters of higher or lower level or for larger or smaller groups. However, the

Small Groups

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

Small Groups A group that contains fewer than four players might find combat encounters difficult, especially if the party lacks important capabilities (such as armored characters to stand toe-to-toe

player character”) to accompany the party. This is a rewarding way for you to roleplay with your friends while they’re exploring your world, but keep in mind that you’ll have to run this NPC in combat

D&D Beyond

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