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Returning 35 results for 'defending instead are bad'.
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
", "rollAction":"Death Ray", "rollDamageType":"necrotic"} necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target instead takes 64
the creature has such a feared reputation that stories about it are ingrained in the popular culture. Any rumor of a catoblepas taking up residence nearby is taken to be a bad omen, even if the rumor is
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Hutijin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Regeneration. Hutijin regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn. If he
command, Hutijin can easily crush any rival who gets in his way while also defending Mephistopheles against armies seeking to contest his dominion. Hutijin has amassed enough power to challenge the
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
, instead assuming that the guests had died in their sleep.
But Strahd was not fooled. He came to realize fairly quickly that the clockwork effigy had begun to display a murderous nature. Rather than have
Ideal. “I wish I could make people happy.”
Bond. “I would like to find someone—anyone—who isn't afraid of me and who enjoys my company.”
Flaw. “When I'm upset, I do bad things.”Poison
Monsters
Princes of the Apocalypse
instead.
Magic Resistance. Olhydra has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Water Form. Olhydra can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. She can move
— bad weather, strong tides, and increasing aggression from dangerous sea life.
Violent downpours become frequent within 10 miles of the lair. A downpour occurs once every 2d12;{"diceNotation
Monsters
Sleeping Dragon’s Wake
Amphibious. Lhammaruntosz can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Lhammaruntosz fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Innate Spellcasting. Lhammaruntosz&rsquo
"} bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. Lhammaruntosz can then fly up to half her flying speed.Lhammaruntosz, a bronze dragon with the ability to heal quickly, spent decades defending Leilon and the
Sailor
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Backgrounds
Player’s Handbook (2014)
more than one deserving soul to a briny grave. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town.
Variant Feature: Bad
Reputation
If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature instead of Ship’s Passage.
No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
. Fear and bloodshed are no strangers to you, and you’ve garnered a somewhat unsavory reputation in many a port town.
Variant Feature: Bad Reputation
If your character has a sailor
background, you may select this background feature instead of Ship’s Passage.
No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a settlement, you can get away with
Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
, injury, or age) often join these cults instead of facing daily humiliation, exile, or death.
Serving as the bridge between the two parts of the tribe are the priestesses of Luthic, the orc goddess who
laden wagon or after heroically defending it from thieves gain great respect and advance higher in the tribe’s pecking order.
All Are Fighters
Most of the orcs that stay behind when the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
his father’s belligerence, ill temper, and bad judgment. Renaer lives off a sizable inheritance left to him by his mother. Approaching middle age, he has given up adventuring and settled down somewhat
. As a Harper, he spends a lot of time defending Waterdavians against those who, like his father, would deprive them of their coin and rights. He owns Neverember House, a four-story residence in the Sea
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Laboratory of Kwalish
deal an extra 6d8 slashing damage instead. You might also have the shards be from a polymorph blade, a blade of the medusa, or some other type of weapon. Another option is to allow decapitated
bad for it in combat, it might choose to do so in order to escape (if you wish to preserve the Grand Master as a future villain), or to summon an ally (if the fight against it proves too easy).
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
Otaaryliakkarnos Female Silver Dragon The representative of the silver dragons believes that among the lesser races, neither good nor bad is ever absolute. The humanoids are in need of protection and
instead unfriendly. Desire. Otaaryliakkarnos would like the metallic dragons to strike now as Protanther suggests, but she does not know if they can succeed alone. An alliance would reduce casualties for
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
Otaaryliakkarnos Female Silver Dragon The representative of the silver dragons believes that among the lesser races, neither good nor bad is ever absolute. The humanoids are in need of protection and
in a Dragonmoot, and with the long ancestral memory of the metallic dragons, she holds all dwarves responsible. Attitude. Neutral. If the party includes one or more dwarves, Otaaryliakkarnos is instead
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
to your campaign, shaping it to fit your needs and the tastes of your players. You can stack the deck with low-level effects that prompt roleplaying instead of mechanical changes or create a deck that
has only good cards (or bad ones!) in it. You can do all this without losing the wonder of the deck: its unique nature as a physical object that players—not just their characters—can hold in their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
was fun for a while, but the zombie started to smell real bad, so we doused it in oil and set it on fire. Beek would’ve found that hilarious.”
— Fonkin Hoddypeak, on friendship
Hideous Forms
hit point instead.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Beholders: Bad Dreams Come True To those who would seek to conquer beholders or merely understand them, nearly everything about their quarry is unfathomable. These bizarre creatures are possessed of
is the natural companion to eternal vigilance. Beholders are among the few creatures that can shape reality in their vicinity. In addition, beholders don’t truly sleep when they rest. Instead, a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
. Though he sees both good and bad in the lesser races, he believes that their capacity for attaining great power despite their physical limitations makes them dangerous. For all their capability, humanoids
strength. If this puts the humanoids at risk, so be it. Attitude. Neutral. If there are humans or tieflings in the party, Protanther is instead cautious. If there are elves in the party, he is unfriendly
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
. Though he sees both good and bad in the lesser races, he believes that their capacity for attaining great power despite their physical limitations makes them dangerous. For all their capability
full strength. If this puts the humanoids at risk, so be it. Attitude. Neutral. If there are humans or tieflings in the party, Protanther is instead cautious. If there are elves in the party, he is
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
the Bad Reputation feature (see sidebar) instead of the Ship’s Passage feature. Variant Feature: Bad Reputation
If your character has a sailor background, you may select this background feature
instead of Ship’s Passage.
No matter where you go, people are afraid of you due to your reputation. When you are in a settlement, you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as refusing to pay
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
perished defending this land from evil over four centuries ago, and because of my failure, I am forever doomed. If you destroy this body, my spirit will find a new corpse to inhabit, and I will hunt you
allowed to die again. Instead, he must suffer eternally in a hell of his own creation, from which he can never escape. Whatever can be done to bring him misery and unrest, I will do, but I will destroy
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
about its own future has forced Extremiton to hold off on transforming into an elder brain. Instead, it is focused on defending the colony and destroying its githyanki neighbors. With only a dozen mind
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
instead of fireball. Replace its Fire Ray attack option with a Lightning Ray attack option that deals lightning damage instead of fire damage. On each of its turns, the skull uses its action to electrify
starts its turn in contact with them takes 10 (3d6) lightning damage. Instead of taking damage, the flesh golem regains 10 hit points whenever it starts its turn on the electrified floor. If the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
Special NPCs In this chapter, each player runs not only a player character but also an NPC who has ties to the settlement that the characters are defending. Once you’ve determined where the adventure
points. These NPCs are predisposed to aid in their settlement’s defense, but players might try to keep them out of harm’s way instead. Each NPC has an ideal, a bond, and a flaw, and though you should
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
Emperor Xeleth!” section. Defending Xedalli If the characters show that they have Xedalli’s ring, they are entitled to defend the princess’s claim to the throne. Prince Xeleth is irritated and tries to
of Xedalli’s claim to the throne—make a DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If another skill seems more appropriate, use that skill instead. If the character’s argument is genuinely persuasive or if
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
to get out of debt. Several bad investments ruined her money-lending business, and most of her reliable customers have turned to other providers such as the Cassalanters. Jelenn could have borrowed
exposure led her to borrow money from the Zhentarim instead — a decision she has come to regret. The Zhents working for Manshoon promise to keep their relationship secret on the condition that she do
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Peace Domain Have these peaceful clerics even considered that they’re subverting a most holy system, one where bad decisions coincide with the teaching power of pain?
Tasha
The balm of peace
damage instead. Potent Spellcasting 8th-level Peace Domain feature You add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any cleric cantrip. Expansive Bond 17th-level Peace Domain feature The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
, read the following text instead: Green-glowing wisps of steam bubble up from a fat, black cauldron in the center of this dark, oppressive room. Surrounding the cauldron are seven tall wooden stools
percent chance that a potion has “gone bad,” in which case it’s actually a potion of poison. Not visible from the entrance is a small table behind the cauldron on which sits an opened spellbook
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
umber hulk under the effect of a polymorph spell made permanent with a wish spell. The umber hulk reverts to its true form and attacks when its scorpion form is reduced to 0 hit points. 23b. Bad
surmounting it and attacks. This assemblage of rusty steel has the statistics of animated armor, except that its attacks deal piercing damage instead of bludgeoning damage. 23c. Rodent of Unusual Size
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
expression. “Bad things have been happening at the carnival for a while. People and things have been going missing. My bosses know more than they’re telling, but their hands are tied somehow. You’re the first
Witchlight vane instead of the Witchlight watch, Burly asserts that the watch is easier to steal because it’s smaller and often tucked in Mister Witch’s pocket, whereas Mister Light is rarely seen without
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse
. Any rumor of a catoblepas taking up residence nearby is taken to be a bad omen, even if the rumor is proven false. In some lands, the silhouette of a catoblepas, with its tail extended over its body
36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target instead takes 64 necrotic damage. The target dies if reduced to 0 hit points by this ray.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
magical powers represented by Magic Initiate. If you paid off all your family debts with a fortuitous round of three-dragon ante, you might be Lucky instead. Alternatively, you could use the Skilled feat to
attain, and I won’t waste my fortune. (Star, Sun) 3 I try to be a source of inspiration and joy to others. Life is never as bad as you think! (Euryale, Jester) 4 Courage and boldness can carry the day
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
place, and gives it an iron token that it can use to confide in her. Over time, “Granny” convinces the child that it’s okay to have bad thoughts and do bad deeds — starting with breaking things or
wandering outside without permission, then graduating to pushing someone down the stairs or setting a house on fire. Sooner or later, the child’s family and community become terrified of the “bad seed” and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
off bad luck or to bring good fortune. Villages or even families might have superstitions observed by no one else, such as the following:
For a safe journey through a forest, leave a few seeds or a
looks like a plucked chicken, know that Charmalaine is near — and heed her warning. Put a frog under your cap to bring good luck, but not for too long, or it’s bad luck for a fortnight. If you step on a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
encounters instead of using the tables in chapter 2. Once every hour, roll a d20 and consult the table to determine what, if anything, the party encounters. Drow Defenses d20 Encounter 1–10 No
located a mile away. Defending the drow outpost are a female drow elite warrior (the commander), a male drow mage, and sixteen drow. The outpost is a four-story tower carved out of a 60-foot-tall, 15
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monsters of the Multiverse
in his way while also defending Mephistopheles against armies seeking to contest his dominion. Hutijin has amassed enough power to challenge the lord of Cania, but he has never wavered in his support
succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Hutijin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Regeneration. Hutijin regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn. If he takes
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
, since no one in Mirabar wishes to see the surface city wiped out. It would simply be bad for business. Mirabar spares no expense in defending its wealth, and hires as many mages and adventurers as