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Returning 35 results for 'defeat special rather'.
Other Suggestions:
defend special rather
detect special rather
defeat spectral rather
defeat social rather
Monsters
Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Special Equipment. Kansaldi has a glowing ruby embedded in her left eye socket. The gem functions as her eye and grants her truesight (included above). The gem can’t be removed while Kansaldi
pursues these orders with a fanatic’s zeal. For her, there is no possibility of defeat—there is only the Dragon Queen’s will.FireDragon Queen’s Favor. Kansaldi or one creature she
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Special Equipment. Zarak carries a potion of invisibility.Multiattack. Zarak makes two Dagger attacks.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5;{"diceNotation":"1d20+5","rollType":"to hit
of his hapless prey. If defeat seems likely, he quaffs his potion of invisibility and flees.
League of Malevolence
The League of Malevolence is an odious assemblage of villains united in one purpose
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
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Special Equipment. Elkhorn wields a Longsword, +1;+1 longsword.Multiattack. Elkhorn makes two Dagger or +1 Longsword attacks.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3;{"diceNotation":"1d20+3
destruction of evil in all its forms. He’s not especially bright, so he fights with his heart rather than his wits.
Age has drained much of the strength from Elkhorn’s body. Strongheart
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
on the same plane of existence and regains all its hit points. While the soul is bodiless, a wish spell can be used to force the soul to go to the afterlife and not return.
Special Equipment
witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir's beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Special Equipment. Mercion wields a quarterstaff, +1;+1 quarterstaff.Multiattack. Mercion makes one Divine Radiance attack and one +1 Quarterstaff attack. She can replace one of these attacks with a
natural leader and a protective caregiver. She has a direct manner that reassures and inspires those around her.
Mercion does not worship a deity, but rather an ideal: that truth gives life to artistry
Monsters
Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1
bound to their fey lord and unable to bargain away their souls. So rather than claim them, Fierna warped and twisted them before returning them to the Feywild, content that the corruption of the satyrs
. Unfortunately, when it reaches that breaking point, its diabolical nature asserts itself, and it remains in this scheming, dominating mindset until its plans are foiled and it faces defeat. Then, overwhelmed
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter.
Variant: Investigator
Rarer
Investigation rather than Athletics.
Suggested Characteristics
Use the tables for the soldier background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to
Soldier
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Backgrounds
Basic Rules (2014)
forget the crushing 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
mistake in battle that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
4
My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5
I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6
I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.
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
in her true form. She helped create Silverymoon’s famous Moonbridge and cofounded the Lady’s College, the first school in Faerûn for mages as students rather than as apprentices in
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Special Equipment. Ringlerun wields a staff of power. It has 20 charges when fully charged and regains 2d8 + 4;{"diceNotation":"2d8+4","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Regain charges"} expended
made him the envy of many rival spellcasters.
Ringlerun has a good heart, but he’s easily distracted by intellectual pursuits. He would rather spend time in quiet contemplation or reading than in
Monsters
Vecna: Eve of Ruin
hit point. If he takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of his next turn.
Special Equipment. Kas wears the Crown of Lies (see the Introduction of Vecna: Eve of Ruin
blood to sow terror rather than for sustenance. If destroyed, Kas revives in 1d100;{"diceNotation":"1d100", "rollType":"roll", "rollAction":"Strength of the Night"} nights in an unoccupied space in
Goliath
Legacy
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Species
Elemental Evil Player's Companion
individual skill. They have a compulsion to keep score, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their
away in the night to seek the cold will of fate.
In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in
Lizardfolk
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can’t be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and
pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome.
Cold and Calculating
Most humanoids describe cold-blooded people as lacking in
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
never leave a friend behind.
3
My honor is my life.
4
I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
5
Those who fight beside me are those
enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5
I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6
I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.
backgrounds
Tomb of Annihilation
: Two of your choiceEquipment: A leather-bound diary, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, a set of traveler’s clothes, one trinket of special significance, and a pouch containing 10 gp
.
2
I’m a stickler when it comes to observing proper etiquette and local customs.
3
I would rather observe than meddle.
4
By living among violent people, I have become
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
life on the battlefield. To this day, I will never leave a friend behind.
3
My honor is my life.
4
I’ll never forget the crushing defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it
keep that mistake secret.
4
My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.
5
I obey the law, even if the law causes misery.
6
I’d rather eat my armor than admit when I’m wrong.
Bugbear
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
rather than perform the work or confront the foe. Even when subsumed into a goblinoid host and drawn into war, bugbears must often be roused from naps and bribed to get them to do their duties.
This
natural state. Thanks to Grankhul, they can use their size and strength to work as stealthy assassins rather than blundering around like ogres.
Bullying, murder, and engaging in battle are all holy
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Special Purpose You can give a sentient item an objective it pursues, perhaps to the exclusion of all else. As long as the wielder’s use of the item aligns with that special purpose, the item remains
cooperative. Deviating from this course might cause conflict between the wielder and the item, and could even cause the item to prevent the use of its activated properties. You can pick a special
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
special joy in hitting its targets first, tipping off its con victims and otherwise frustrating its schemes.
3
It’s always been about money. You’re not paid what you’re worth
could be hidden.
4
I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
5
I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.
6
I don’t pay
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
special facilities in their Bastion on a given Bastion turn. The Maintain order is unusual; it is issued to the whole Bastion rather than to one or more special facilities. If a character isn’t in
hirelings focus on maintaining the Bastion rather than executing orders in special facilities. Issuing this order prohibits other orders from being issued to the Bastion on the current Bastion turn
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Reaching the Tower Lolth’s forces surround the tower, but they are focused on the spyder-fiends below rather than on defense. Hundreds of driders, Humanoids, and demons surround the tower, but the
driders, 1d6 giant spiders, and 1d4 assassins. Characters who defeat the squad can try again to infiltrate the tower.
Reborn
Legacy
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Species
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
sensations or visions of the past to come rushing back.
Rather than sleeping, reborn regularly sit and dwell on the past, hoping for some revelation of what came before. Most of the time, these are dark
with a lineage, you retain any languages you had and gain no new languages.
Creature Type
Every creature in D&D, including every player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies
Goblin
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
cruel in victory, goblins are fawning and servile in defeat, just as in their own society lower castes must scrape before those of greater status and as goblin tribes bow before other goblinoids
.
Hunters. The families of goblins that are skilled in the use of weapons but not privy to any other special knowledge have the second highest status in the tribe. Hunters are often the best wolf riders
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Actions This part of the stat block specifies what the ship can do on its turn, using its special actions rather than the actions used by creatures. It even relies on its actions to move; it doesn’t
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
encourage players to roleplay these traits accurately, players can portray the NPCs as they choose. Rather than have each player roll initiative for a special NPC, assume that the NPC acts on the same
the player characters, rather than have the players run the NPCs in addition to their own characters. If the NPCs survive the battle, award one special quest per character in the party.
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
that the yuan-ti have prepared a special ambush at the end of the pursuit.
Capture, Not Kill
The objective of the yuan-ti as a race is to conquer and enslave others; they don’t espouse the sort
of evil that calls for them to butcher or eradicate all who oppose them. In keeping with their goal of domination, the yuan-ti would rather capture potentially useful opponents than kill them. They use
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Flee, Mortals! Rule Primer
Action-Oriented Creatures The solo and leader creatures presented in this book are designed to be bosses: enemies who can take on an entire party by themselves or with a handful of underlings. Rather
opportunities to act and move when it’s not their turn. Thus, each action-oriented creature has at least one special bonus action and reaction, as well as a special section with villain actions that let them
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their
concept of how long they’ve lived, how many times they’ve died, or why they returned to life. Should a Darklord fall, the temporary defeat lasts until they’re restored by the Dark Powers. In their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Khur Joins Early 349 AC The Green Dragon Army was dispatched to the steppes of Khur to subdue the tribes there. Rather than fight a protracted campaign, Ariakas allowed the cunning Khur leader Salah
-Khan to defeat the Green Dragon Army’s original highlord in battle, then offered to make Salah-Khan highlord in his place. In exchange for control over Khur and the surrounding lands, Salah-Khan
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
heads are trophies from the hobgoblins’ recent victory over an elf hunting party. Clever characters might try to reason with Targor by urging him to think of himself as Grol’s successor rather than
) check. Awarding Experience Points Divide 500 XP equally among the characters if they defeat the hobgoblin war band or come to terms with Targor.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
Journey to the Nether Mountains The journey from Waterdeep to the Nether Mountains is more than six hundred miles. Otaaryliakkarnos is willing to grant the characters the special boon of flying them
there on her back in only two days. However, this offer is extended only if the adventurers leave directly from the council, rather than first pursuing any other business. The journey takes the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
, those who honored him in life transformed him into a special mummy lord whose magic pervades his tomb. Since Diderius is neutral rather than evil, the area lacks the evil magic common to other mummy
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
Journey to the Nether Mountains The journey from Waterdeep to the Nether Mountains is more than six hundred miles. Otaaryliakkarnos is willing to grant the characters the special boon of flying them
there on her back in only two days. However, this offer is extended only if the adventurers leave directly from the council, rather than first pursuing any other business. The journey takes the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
them to defeat. Rather than presenting him as a foe to be challenged in combat, portray Soth as a terrifying example of the villains in the Dragon Queen’s service—a lurking threat to be avoided. By the