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Returning 35 results for 'defeat instead are better'.
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detect instead are bearer
Monsters
Princes of the Apocalypse
Fey Ancestry. Aerisi has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put her to sleep.
Howling Defeat. When Aerisi drops to 0 hit points, her body disappears in a howling
whirlwind that disperses quickly and harmlessly. Anything she is wearing or carrying is left behind.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Aerisi fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead
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
’t build meaningful relationships or establish new lives. Instead, most experience fleeting emotions and follow hollow routines, their existences reduced to shadow plays without weight or substance
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
Spellcasting.Aleron was once a tiefling adventurer, but unlike so many victims of the Deck of Many Things, he never drew the Skull card. Instead, when one of his allies drew the card and faced the avatar of death
Undead in the Grim Harrow, considering himself better than all of them and unjustly condemned to the Gardens of Decay for an act of altruism.
Though the weakest of the Harrow’s three leaders
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
defeat seems inevitable, he casts gaseous form on himself and flees, leaving his allies to fend for themselves.
League of Malevolence
The League of Malevolence is an odious assemblage of villains
Monsters
Princes of the Apocalypse
Earthen Defeat. When Marlos drops to 0 hit points, his body transforms into mud and collapses into a pool. Anything he is wearing or carrying is left behind.
Earth Passage. Marlos can move in
shunted into the nearest space he last occupied.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Marlos fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Petrifying Gaze. When a creature that can see Marlos&rsquo
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
long-term memories, they generally can’t build meaningful 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 who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
’t build meaningful 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 who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth approximately 100 gp, based on its
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
with its body, making them look like irregularities in the surface. The creature might instead attach itself to a nearby wall or a ceiling, using the remnants as bait; any creature that stops to
hibernation that can last for months, though it is still aware when prey comes near. A trapper on the verge of starvation might defy its instincts and abandon its old territory in search of better hunting.
Magic Items
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
limbs, with the effect of such loss determined by the GM. If the creature has no limb to sever, you lop off a portion of its body instead.
In addition, you can speak the sword’s command word to
, fine art, and poetry. Vain, the weapon strives to improve its appearance. It craves gemstones and seeks out better ones with which to adorn itself. Most of all, it longs to return to the forests around
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
":"piercing"} piercing damage. If the leucrotta scores a critical hit, it rolls the damage dice three times, instead of twice.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6;{"diceNotation":"1d20+6","rollType":"to
like doing their own killing, since leucrottas are meticulous in their cruelty and able to draw out kills for better and longer sport. And when there are no victims to be had, a leucrotta can mimic the
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
who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth approximately 100 gp, based on its composition and craftsmanship
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
","rollDamageType":"acid"} acid damage.
Hold Breath. Polukranos can hold its breath for 1 hour.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Polukranos fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Multiple
the minds and lore of a people that, even after a hydra’s defeat, the beast might reappear as a Nyxborn being and begin its legend anew.Acid
Monsters
Candlekeep Mysteries
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Zikzokrishka fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Zikzokrishka has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
Zikzokrishka hid her phylactery deep within the Scimitar Spires, a mountain range to the east of the necropolis of Azumar. If the characters defeat her, Zikzokrishka uses her phylactery to rematerialize
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
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
to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her.
Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale
Monsters
Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Vecna fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Special Equipment. Vecna carries a magic dagger named Afterthought. In the hands of anyone other than
scribe. He spent the better part of his childhood secretly educating himself in his masters’ arts. Once Vecna learned all he could, he massacred the wizards. He then recorded his every foul thought
Monsters
Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Resistance (3/Day). If Alustriel fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Special Equipment. Alustriel carries a magic staff known as the Staff of Silverymoon. In the hands of anyone other
Alustriel and her deeds better known than in the Silver Marches and its capital, Silverymoon. Alustriel ruled Silverymoon for centuries, once disguised as a wizard named Elué Dualen and then later
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
weather, detect thoughts, ice storm
Legendary Resistance (2/Day in This Form). If Auril fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Auril has advantage on saving throws
weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her.
Auril’s worshipers know better than to
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
disappeared. The greater emissary uses the lesser emissary’s initiative count.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the emissary fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Unusual
and just as readily appear as people, animals, or other creatures—the more unassuming, the better. Should it reveal its true form, an emissary appears as a roughly bipedal mass of agitated organs
Orcus
Legacy
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Monsters
Out of the Abyss
saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Orcus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. Orcus’s weapon attacks are magical
tampering with the dead in my search to better understand death.”
61–80
“I want to achieve the everlasting existence of undeath.”
81–00
“I am awash in
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Iggwilv has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. (This trait is bestowed by her robe of the archmagi.)
Special Equipment. Iggwilv wears
path to greatness began when she was adopted by the mother of all witches, Baba Yaga, who named her Natasha. On the worlds of the Material Plane, she was better known as Tasha, the inventor of Tasha's
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day in This Form). If Auril fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Auril has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
her to explode and die. A mephit that dies in this way does not use its Death Burst. Instead, each creature within 10 feet of the exploding mephit must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking
Monsters
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
can choose to succeed instead.
Misty Escape. When she drops to 0 hit points outside her resting place, Keresta transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling
);{"diceNotation":"1d8+4","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Unarmed Strike","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Keresta can grapple the target (escape DC 18).
Bite
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the ki-rin fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The ki-rin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
working behind the scenes, or they might be champions of their master’s cause, out to defeat villainy wherever it is found.
When viewed from the outside, a ki-rin’s lair is indistinguishable
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
can see within 120 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the morkoth. If the spell forced a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save. If the spell was an attack, the
fragments that make up the island’s core are also located. Sections of the lair and its center might be kept dry to better protect and preserve collected objects and creatures, but most of the lair
Monsters
Divine Contention
Amphibious. Claugiyliamatar can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Claugiyliamatar fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Innate Spellcasting. Claugiyliamatar
underground city known as Southkrypt. For centuries, Kryptgarden Forest has been the home and hunting ground of the ancient female green dragon Claugiyliamatar, better known to many as Old Gnawbone. She
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Shift Perception (1/Day). The dragon can cast hallucinatory terrain, requiring no spell components
illusions, allowing them to better conceal their treasures from prying eyes and divinations.
Creating an Emerald Dragon
Use the Emerald Dragon Personality Traits and Emerald Dragon Ideals tables to
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Tunneler. The dragon can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and can leave a 20
, allowing them to better conceal their treasures from prying eyes and divinations.
Creating an Emerald Dragon
Use the Emerald Dragon Personality Traits and Emerald Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your
Lizardfolk
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
; Instead, aggressive, stronger creatures register to the lizardfolk as fearsome beings to be avoided if possible. If such creatures attack, lizardfolk flee, fighting only if cornered. Lizardfolk aren
’t scared of a troll; instead, they understand that a troll is a fearsome, dangerous creature and react accordingly.
Lizardfolk never become angry in the way others do, but they act with
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
You have served the community where you grew up, standing as its first line of defense against crime. You aren’t a soldier, directing your gaze outward at possible enemies. Instead, your
defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
5
Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
6
I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
d6
Flaw
Half-Elf
Legacy
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Species
Basic Rules (2014)
Flint squinted into the setting sun. He thought he saw the figure of a man striding up the path. Standing, Flint drew back into the shadow of a tall pine to see better. The man’s walk was
-Elf Variants
Some half-elves in Faerûn have a racial trait in place of the Skill Versatility trait. If your DM allows it, your half-elf character can forgo Skill Versatility and instead take the elf trait Keen Senses or a trait based on your elf parentage:
monsters
instead.
Magic Resistance. Zlan has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Next of the Seven (6/Year). If Zlan dies within 100 miles of a piece of chardalyn at least 4
Crenshinibon, better known as the Crystal Shard. Zlan Clervish was one of those seven liches, and that lich’s will predominates in the fused entity. All seven bodies are frozen together with ice and
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
the blood, as it once did.
Because their population is so small, the yuan-ti are aware they are vulnerable in open warfare. Instead, their current plans assume they will never rule outwardly in
odds aren’t in their favor. A short retreat might be just the thing to reach a better tactical position, find allies, or to allow the yuan-ti the opportunity to study their opponents and
Deck of Many Things
Legacy
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Magic Items
Basic Rules (2014)
-handedly defeat the next hostile monster or group of monsters you encounter, you gain experience points enough to gain one level. Otherwise, this card has no effect.
Donjon. You disappear and become
, discard this card, and draw from the deck again, counting both draws as one of your declared draws. If losing that much XP would cause you to lose a level, you instead lose an amount that leaves you
Firbolg
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
’ presence is marked by an absence of animals and a strange quiet, as if the forest wishes to avoid attracting attention to itself. The faster travelers decide to move on, the better.
If these
adopt elven names when they must deal with outsiders, although the concept of names strikes them as strange. They know the animals and plants of the forest without formal names, and instead identify the
Morkoth
Legacy
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Monsters
Volo's Guide to Monsters
within 120 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the morkoth. If the spell forced a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save. If the spell was an attack, the attack roll
core of the warren, where the pearly matter of the island is also located. Sections of the lair and its center might be kept dry to better protect and preserve collected objects and creatures, but most






