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Returning 33 results for 'defeat stories'.
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defeat scores
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
greater rewards as an adventurer. Your experience makes you familiar with the ins and outs of mercenary life, and you likely have harrowing stories of events on the battlefield. You might have served with
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
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Folk Horror Plots Folk horror stories often involve outsiders or an unwitting new member of the community discovering a unsettling practices. Folk Horror Plots d8 Plot
1 Recover a missing
horseback is imprisoned and sentenced to death.
4 Help a cult summon a fiend to combat an impending greater evil.
5 Defeat a violent hag who’s protected by everyone in town and called
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
reflects the structure of dramatic stories. At the beginning of a story, something happens to shake the protagonists’ world and spur them into action. The characters take action to resolve their
adventure hooks and affect the characters’ lives directly. In the middle, they make great turning points as the characters’ fortunes reverse — rising after a defeat or falling after a victory. Near the end
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
An Uncertain Future Celebrations and enthusiasm fill Kalaman for days after the Dragon Army’s defeat, and its people begin to make hopeful plans for the future. Here are the plans of just a few of
and begin work on new inventions. Use these plans to wrap up the stories of these characters or to foreshadow future adventures.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Using an Overarching Story This section presents a couple of examples of overarching stories which have, over the years, fueled many classic D&D campaigns. The adventurers’ goal in the first example
is to amass the power they need to defeat a powerful enemy that threatens the world. Their goal in the second example is to defend something they care about by destroying whatever threatens it. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
potential defeat of a Darklord? Or would you rather keep a Darklord in the background and focus on other stories? Darklord Downfalls. Can a Darklord be defeated, or are they an enduring and recurring threat
work only a spirit can do? Survival. Do you expect any or all of the characters to survive the campaign? Will the players be satisfied if their characters’ stories end in defeat, transformation, or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
burn victims close in on the characters and attack. What the Soldiers Know If the characters defeat the wraiths, the camp’s commander, Captain Atoy, thanks the characters and welcomes them to rest
. Swapping Stories. The camp’s inhabitants are starved for stories of the outside world. After the attack, several ask the characters to share a meal and tell them of their travels. If the characters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase
within the hall. Nafas delights in hearing the stories of his visitors, especially tales of adventures beyond the Infinite Staircase. Easily moved, the djinni disarms audiences with his booming laugh and
, seated on his throne: a weightless, high-backed chair sculpted from the clouds that pervade the misty chamber. The djinni reflects on each wish he hears, contemplating the stories behind them. Each
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
stubbornness. Countless tales tell of him or his champions besting terrible beasts, enemy armies, or threats to the world. Still other stories rise beyond accounts of his victories.
Bulwark of Brotherhood
. Iroas carries a battle-worn bronze shield called the Bulwark of Brotherhood. It symbolizes the protective bond shared by all soldiers at war and his determination, ironically, to defeat his own brother
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
in this era, including the Knights of Solamnia, the Mages of High Sorcery, and the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin. Ironically, these cultures often dismiss one another’s foundational stories as
used it to defeat the evil god Takhisis the Dragon Queen and end the war, forcing the god and her dragons to leave Krynn. The good dragons of Krynn soon departed as well, leaving the world to mortals
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
Optional Encounter If the characters are struggling or you worry about their ability to defeat the dracolich at the end of the adventure, this encounter adds a “here comes the cavalry” possibility to
in their path. The journey to Azumar takes a few days. A Bedine guide fills each night around the campfire with horrifying stories about the accursed city. Ogruhl the Dragon Tortoise If you use this
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
to defeat a much larger foe. The elders know that the world outside is dangerous and that their kin must understand how to deal with those dangers. Stories about Arvoreen are told in such a way that
between them and their gods. To halflings, their gods are part of the family. And as family members do, the gods set an example that is reaffirmed through the stories of their heroic deeds, with each tale
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
Celebrity Adventurer’s Scion Your family name strikes fear and admiration in the hearts of the common folk — but that’s got nothing to do with you. Songs and stories celebrating the adventuring
in the campaign, at the DM’s discretion. Additionally, the common folk treat you with deference, and your heritage and the stories you tell might be good for a free meal or a place to sleep
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
. The follower of a god serves as an agent of that god in the world. The agent seeks to further the ideals of that god and defeat its rivals. While some folk might refuse to honor the gods, none can
know the area they live in well. They’ve heard stories of other places from merchants and travelers, but few know what lies beyond the mountains or in the depths of the great forest unless they’ve
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron
turned on the others, killing noble Siberys and scattering the pieces of his body. Eberron fought Khyber, but couldn’t defeat the dark wyrm. And so Eberron wound Khyber in her coils and transformed
artifacts and other treasures far beyond the capabilities of any modern artificer. But there is more to the past than treasures waiting to be found. Stories say that demons and dragons are fighting a long
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
characters’ stories and share anecdotes. When you decide it’s time, read the following: The doors to the great hall fly open and a sentry from the pinnacle shouts, “Manticore! It’s on the move!”
At this
the spire (area S11). The aarakocra in area V8 come to the characters’ aid in that event. If the characters defeat their attackers, surviving knights flee on hippogriffs and giant vultures. They lead
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Black Dragon Adventures The Black Dragon Adventure Hooks table offers suggestions for stories and adventures involving black dragons. Black Dragon Adventure Hooks d8 Adventure Hook
1 A
water elementals to the task of bringing food to the dragon’s lair.
7 A bullywug community seeks help to defeat an adult black dragon who has been feasting on the bullywugs’ domesticated giant
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Red Dragon Adventures The Red Dragon Adventure Hooks table offers suggestions for stories and adventures involving red dragons. Red Dragon Adventure Hooks d8 Adventure Hook
1 A red dragon
master can defeat the consort in single combat and claim a place at Tiamat’s side.
4 A balor demon hopes an ancient red dragon’s dragonsight can help the demon coordinate a multidimensional play for power in the Abyss.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Shadow Dragon Adventures The Shadow Dragon Adventure Hooks table offers suggestions for stories and adventures involving shadow dragons. Shadow Dragon Adventure Hooks d8 Adventure Hook
1 A
common foes.
4 An adult shadow dragon and a beholder share a precarious bond, allied against an ancient sapphire dragon neither can defeat alone.
5 An adult shadow dragon is gathering a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Campaign Setting Just like an adventure’s setting (as described in chapter 4), a campaign setting is an essential part of a campaign’s premise, shaping the kinds of stories that unfold there. As the
-forgotten empires. Greyhawk As tensions rise among warring nations, heroes plunder dungeons to gain the magic and might they need to defeat the growing forces of evil. Planescape Sigil, the City of Doors
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Sigil and the Outlands
for encounters and stories involving the gate-town. Excelsior Adventures d4 Adventure Hook 1 An androsphinx arrives in Excelsior and declares itself the new high chancellor. Forough petitions the
characters to help cement her authority. 2 The empyrean Tygrant receives a prophecy that he can return to Mount Celestia only if he is humbled through defeat. He challenges all of Excelsior
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
, boneless mass. Other stories portray Ghaunadaur as an incredibly ancient and ineffable deity, one of the so-called Great Old Ones. Both claims might have merit, because the truth about the time of the
a bitter enemy of Zinzerena, who deceives and uses him as a tool in many of the stories about the Dark Seldarine. Kiaransalee The drow god of vengeance and undeath, called the Revenancer, is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Domains of Delight: A Feywild Accessory
things that occur in threes. The archfey’s obsession is reflected throughout their domain, where things seem to naturally come in threes. 8 Stories. The archfey wants nothing more than to listen to
stories told by creatures from faraway places. They love to gather lore so they can build their own internal world of imagination or transform their domain with ideas from other worlds. Their lair is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
resource-rich targets—be they humanoid traders or roving, greedy monsters. Bands also join together to defeat common threats or to hunt for game. The Pheres value physical strength, speed, and prowess in
restlessness in their soul that nothing else can soothe. Though renegades build their own life away from the band, most retain some connection with their past. Some stories tell of renegades returning to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
an archmage. A minor leader might be a local sage, seer, hedge wizard, wise elder, or teacher. Rise of a Leader, Beginning of an Era. In dramatic stories, a new leader’s rise often comes at the end of
becomes the prevailing trait that defines the era, the characteristic for which it is remembered. Name the person (or people) whose death, defeat, or loss opened the door for this leader to take power
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Bandits Dreadwood 4 Defeat a threat Cultists Dreadwood 5 Find a lost patrol Bullywugs Drowned Forest 6 Scout a dangerous area Undead Azure Sea 13. The Snapping Line This popular inn and tavern is built
stories and drink into the night. The Snapping Line is run by a young woman named Hanna Rist (NG female human commoner), who comes from a family of well-known lobster catchers. The Rist family also
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands
, is looking for tales of derring-do from brave adventurers. She stops to ask the characters to tell stories of their exploits.
A character can take a minute to tell Mallyn a story and make one of the
by Pral’s band. If the characters defeat Pral and his band, they find a sack that contains 20 GP and one magic item; roll once on the Magic Items table in appendix A (rerolling duplicates) to determine
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves
sufficient bedding for four frost giants here. Two Neutral Frost Giants, Ardrandal and Forstrorri, recount stories of long-dead heroes while they maintain the camp here. Both are loyal to Ralvald but grow
Giant. They relate the same information as Heldalf, but add that they wish Ralvald would give up his impossible quest to defeat Challidax. D5: Ralvald’s Retreat A wide river crosses this cavern
compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Legends of Greyhawk
planner of the Tea Flingers.
Hero Worshipper. Tybbon is a huge fan of Thrommel, or at least of all the stories he’s heard about him. He attempts to model his actions after the Paladin Prince and
served at the inn. The Thronks mostly follow the Old Faith, but one has joined Cuthbert's congregation. Church of Cuthbert. This newly built edifice was raised by the Viscountess after the Temple’s defeat
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
the first person to talk to them in private. Laughing off his claims as “political rhetoric,” he offers to buy drinks and asks to hear the group’s stories. Harbin Wester is intended to be a political
than a typical ogre, and tries to bargain with the characters if it looks like they might defeat her. If questioned, she tells the story of being hired to attack the manor. A goblin in hooded robes paid
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
characters that Sansuri is looking for a lost trove of dragon magic, but they don’t know where her cloud castle is located. Treasure If the characters defeat the giants, they can plunder the giants
is prosperous and becoming increasingly crowded. Some of its old buildings have been torn down and taller ones built — four stories high, in some cases. Because the city is a major river port
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
the characters defeat or circumvent these guards, they arrive at Nesmé to find Zhentarim representatives awaiting the arrival of a female fire giant representing Duke Zalto (see chapter 8, “Forge of
building has three stories, corner turrets, and rooftop battlements. One of the turret rooftops has collapsed, leaving a gaping hole through which birds and other creatures can enter. All the windows
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
wriggle out of the window and drop to the garden below (area M14). Hellenrae flees by this route if she is cornered and doesn’t believe she can defeat her enemies. Treasure Hellenrae has little interest
stop prepared instead of power word kill. His list of prepared spells is otherwise the same as the lich presented in the Monster Manual.) If the characters recognize Renwick (perhaps from the stories