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Returning 35 results for 'dead instead are been'.
Spells
Player’s Handbook
You mentally contact a demigod, the spirit of a long-dead sage, or some other knowledgeable entity from another plane. Contacting this otherworldly intelligence can break your mind. When you cast
question). If a one-word answer would be misleading, the DM might instead offer a short phrase as an answer.
On a failed save, you take 6d6 Psychic damage and have the Incapacitated condition until you finish a Long Rest. A Greater Restoration spell cast on you ends this effect.
Monsters
Monster Manual
Legendary Resistance (4/Day, or 5/Day in Lair). If the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Spirit Jar. If destroyed, the lich reforms in 1d10;{"diceNotation":"1d10
Hand, Prestidigitation 2/Day Each: Animate Dead, Dimension Door, Plane Shift 1/Day Each: Chain Lightning, Finger of Death, Power Word Kill, ScryingProtective Magic. The lich casts Counterspell or Shield
Monsters
Monster Manual
Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair). If the mummy fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The mummy has Advantage on saving throws against spells and
":"1d20+9", "rollType":"to hit", "rollAction":"Spellcasting"} to hit with spell attacks):
At Will: Dispel Magic, Thaumaturgy 1/Day Each: Animate Dead, Harm, Insect Plague (level 7 version)Whirlwind of
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
Unusual Nature. The zombie doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.Javelin. Melee Weapon Attack: +1;{"diceNotation":"1d20+1","rollType":"to hit
Vellynne Harpell has Icewind kobold guides in her employ, including a pair that died and were turned into zombies using animate dead spells. The cold climate helps to preserve their dead flesh.Poison
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
Unusual Nature. The zombie doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.Multiattack. The zombie makes two Slam attacks
":"Flesh Entomb","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a Large or smaller creature, it becomes entombed in dead flesh.
A creature entombed in the dead flesh is
Monsters
Princes of the Apocalypse
Oreioth dies, he can use an action on his next turn to cast animate dead on that humanoid’s corpse, instead of using the spell’s normal casting time.Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3
(3 slots): crown of madness, misty step
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, vampiric touch
Swift Animation (Recharges after a Long Rest). When a living Medium or Small humanoid within 30 feet of
Monsters
Dragon of Icespire Peak
Brave. Don-Jon has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Not Dead Yet (Recharges after a Long Rest). If damage reduces Don-Jon to 0 hit points, he drops to 1 hit point instead and
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Orcus fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Orcus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
.
Master of Undeath. Orcus can cast animate dead (at will) and create undead (3/day). He chooses the level at which the spells are cast, and the creatures created by them remain under his control
Monsters
Storm King's Thunder
: dancing lights, mage hand, message, thaumaturgy
1/day each: augury (cast as 1 action), bestow curse, cordon of arrows, detect magic, speak with dead, spirit guardiansThe Uthgardt are suspicious and
resentful of most kinds of magic. Seldom do they choose to become shamans. Instead, the role is thrust upon those who are born with a strong connection to the spirit world. To be a shaman is to stand
Magic Items
The Book of Many Things
This enormous telescope allows you to view distant celestial objects, including stars, Wildspace systems, and Astral Sea phenomena like the cities of deities or the petrified husks of dead gods
at the intended destination. On a failed check, a mishap occurs instead. The DM rolls on the Telescope Travel Mishaps table to determine the mishap or chooses a mishap that’s good for the
Orcus
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Monsters
Out of the Abyss
Wand of Orcus. The wand has 7 charges, and any of its properties that require a saving throw have a save DC of 18. While holding it, Orcus can use an action to cast animate dead, blight, or speak
with dead. Alternatively, he can expend 1 or more of the wand’s charges to cast one of the following spells from it: circle of death (1 charge), finger of death (1 charge), or power word kill (2
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
connected to one another.
False Appearance. If the yggdrasti is motionless and rooted in the ground at the start of combat, it looks just like a dead tree and has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover
Conduit. If the yggdrasti is subjected to lightning damage, it is unhurt, and the lightning damage is instead divided evenly among all creatures it is grappling. In addition, the yggdrasti regains one
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
’ will. These living portents are Aberrations instead of Celestials and are typically chaotic evil. They replace any radiant damage in their stat block with necrotic or psychic damage (DM&rsquo
;s choice). Their spells might also be different. Some known Elder Evils include the following:
Acamar. A dead star that consumes other stars or sidereal bodies it encounters.
Caiphon, the Dream
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Aphemia fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Aphemia has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
travelers and settlements.
Cruel, corpse-eating creatures, harpies endlessly seek their next meal, careless of whether it comes from the living or the dead. With equal zeal, these vicious scavengers set
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the specter fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The specter has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
essence to the dead body, giving the corpse the semblance of life as a rider. The two function as a single creature, more powerful for their unnatural union.
Humans of Eldraine view specters as
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.
Unusual Nature. The zombie doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Viral Aura. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the
Manual) 1 minute later. The zombie acts immediately after the plague spreader in the initiative count.Among the undead, a lone zombie ranks far from the most menacing. The horror of the shambling dead lies
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
her divine spark vanishes. She is dead until the next winter solstice, when she reappears at full health in a cold, remote location of her choosing.
Frigid Aura. So long as Auril has at least 1 hit
to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Auril has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Unusual Nature. Auril doesn’t require air, food, drink, or
Monsters
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. The lich regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the lich takes fire or
, ray of sickness
2nd level (3 slots): Melf's acid arrow, ray of enfeeblement, spider climb, web
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, bestow curse, fear, vampiric touch
4th level (3 slots): blight
Monsters
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
Voice from the Past (1/Day). The professor can cast the contact other plane spell to contact a long-dead spirit, using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability.Multiattack. The professor makes two
saving throw or be restrained for 1 minute, but the restrained target’s speed is halved instead of being reduced to 0. At the start of each of its turns, the restrained target takes 4 (1d8
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and the rider can force an attack targeted at its mount to target the rider instead.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the rider to 0 hit points, it must make
the wilds? Beware the dead riders who serve the Shadow Queen.”
—Scalan, Edgewall innkeeper
PoisonNecrotic
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
until the start of the Returned’s next turn. If the target is missing any of its hit points, it instead takes 17 (2d12 + 2);{"diceNotation":"2d12+2","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Underworld
Bolt","rollDamageType":"necrotic"} necrotic damage.Although the dead typically recall little of their lives, some have an obsession with magic that survives both death and rebirth as a Returned. These
Monsters
Tales from the Yawning Portal
can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. If Var is destroyed but his phylactery remains intact, Var gains a new body in 1d10;{"diceNotation":"1d10","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Rejuvenation
next 24 hours.After failing in an earlier task for the Red Wizards, the lich Tarul Var is sequestered within the Doomvault (Dead in Thay), where he tries to avoid the attention of Szass Tam
Monsters
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Jarad fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Jarad has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
level (4 slots): entangle, ray of sickness, sleep
2nd level (3 slots): Melf's acid arrow, ray of enfeeblement, spider climb, web
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, plant growth, vampiric touch
4th level
Monsters
Keys from the Golden Vault
became a mediocre one instead, despite the help of several renowned tutors. Years later, Sythian resents their efforts, as the money his parents lavished on his education left him with many unpaid debts
. Now that his parents are dead, he is determined to hold on to his estate and will do whatever it takes to keep what he has left.
Sythian has attuned to Golden Axe so that he can learn and exercise
Monsters
Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Legendary Resistances (3/Day). If the hertilod fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The hertilod has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
;t lizards. Oh no, they’re much worse.”
—Melthena Vellaine, Wizard and Spelljammer
When a dead god is left adrift in the Astral Sea, its corpse sometimes spawns a parasitic
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Cling to Life (Recharges after a Long Rest). The first time Zargash would drop to 0 hit points as a result of taking damage, he instead drops to 1 hit point.
Special Equipment. Zargash wears a bat
folly, but Zargash is twisted beyond any hope of redemption. His hobbies include slaying the living and animating the dead.
Alignment. Chaotic evil.
Personality Trait. “I do not fear death
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
instead regains a number of hit points equal to the radiant damage dealt.Multiattack. The breath drinker makes two Enervating Claw attacks. It can also use Drink Breath.
Enervating Claw. Melee Weapon
reduces the target’s Charisma to 0, the target dies. Until the breath drinker dies, the dead target can’t be returned to life by any means short of divine intervention. On a successful save
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
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
. They think and speak and even feel emotions based on their new experiences, but given their circumstances, those emotions tend to be muted.
VARIANT: RETURNED KAKOMANTIS
Although the dead typically
Monsters
Adventure Atlas: The Mortuary
resurrection or wish spell.
Legendary Resistance (4/Day). If Skall fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. If Skall dies, he turns to dust. If his orrery of souls hasn’t
dead (as an action), dispel magic, speak with dead
1/day each: finger of death, plane shift (self only), project imageSkall can take up to three reactions per round but only one per turn.
Baleful
Monsters
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
, mirror image, mislead, raise dead, teleport, wall of fire
1/day each: imprisonment, meteor swarm
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Bel fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
parents succumbed to their grief, leaving him an orphan. He became a sociopath. Other children ruthlessly mocked him because of his dead family and his missing arm, but he was a large boy and had no
trouble killing them and disposing of their bodies. He was eventually caught in the act and brought to the burgomaster. Instead of punishing the boy for his crimes, Baron Vallakovich pardoned Izek and
Monsters
Tomb of Annihilation
fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. Acererak’s body turns to dust when he drops to 0 hit points, and his equipment is left behind. Acererak gains a new body
sickness, shield
2nd level (at will): arcane lock, knock
3rd level (at will): animate dead, counterspell
4th level (3 slots): blight, ice storm, phantasmal killer
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill
Monsters
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
hit. On a success, Fautomni drops to 1 hit point instead.
Karlov: Unnatural Vigor. When Karlov regains hit points, he has advantage on attack rolls he makes on his next turn.
Vuliev: Teleportation
traditionally called patriarchs, though they can be male or female. They are the oldest, wealthiest, and most influential oligarchs of the Orzhov Syndicate. They have been dead for centuries, but they refuse to
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
laughter
2nd level (3 slots): darkvision, hold person, ray of enfeeblement
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, Leomund's tiny hut, vampiric touch (see “Actions” below)
4th level (2 slots
at the kobolds’ expense.
Familiar. Vellynne’s familiar is a snowy owl, which the wizard uses as a scout. It uses the owl stat block in the Monster Manual but is a celestial instead
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the slasher fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Shrouded Presence. The slasher is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its
, unique monstrous slayers.
Relentless Origins
d6
Origin
1
It was left for dead and granted new life to seek revenge.
2
It was turned into a weapon of vengeance by a family member