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Returning 35 results for 'defense invaders are better'.
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
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
emissaries are the fingers of alien realms, digits that tip the scales of reality toward terror. Heralded by ominous astrological events, these ravenous invaders make worlds ready for unimaginable masters or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Spelljammer: Adventures in Space->Light of Xaryxis
Chapter 10: Space Invaders After the Xaryxian Empire attacked their world, the characters journeyed to Doomspace and formed a coalition. With a fleet of ships accompanying them, they set out for
Xaryxispace, encountering a red dragon and its rider along the way!
Dagaz, a githyanki knight, is hunting mind flayers in the Astral Sea. Dagaz and her dragon mount fight only in self-defense and are
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hold Back The Dead
great cities of the Sword Coast have combined forces to restore this fortress,” she explains. “We expected it would give us better visibility into trouble on the frontier. But it seems that the Red
within the hour, probably in multiple waves. We need brave souls like you on the wall.
“But which wall? Each city has reinforced a part of this fortress, and you’ll be stationed in a defense zone on
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
better. Goblin raids are often as much opportunities to enjoy setting fires and tormenting livestock as they are parts of more disruptive plots. Goblins obey those who accomplish the wildest plans. Such
. Since then, hordes of these more martial-minded goblins have flourished, with some finding their ways to Material Plane worlds. These vicious invaders seek to sow ruin in preparation for their god’s conquest. Bree-yark!
—Approximate translation from Goblin to Common: “Hey, rube!”
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
following: Attacking light sources to extinguish them, so the kobolds can use their darkvision to best advantage. Leaving one defender in a room to lure invaders into a trap or an ambush. Often this bait is
a sick or weak kobold who is otherwise unable to contribute to the tribe’s needs. Using hit-and-run maneuvers, fleeing between attacks to better or more secure vantage points. Often their goal is to
Kobold
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
provoke retaliatory attacks from the creatures they steal from. It’s better to be cautious and overlooked than to be considered dangerous and a threat.
In a couple of situations, kobolds might
protection from invaders and in return providing services such as excavating new living spaces and disposing of trash. If it’s unlucky, the tribe is enslaved by the other humanoids, and the kobolds
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
to transform him into a shadow dragon to better serve Vanrak in the battles to come. Thereafter, Glyster became known as Umbraxakar (“shadowborn” in Draconic). The death knight and the shadow dragon
fought side by side for many years, expanding their domain and then defending it against adventurers and other invaders. By this time, Umbraxakar had stopped caring about anything except his friendship
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
this matter, simpler is better!
-Fizban
Use the Bronze Dragon Personality Traits and Bronze Dragon Ideals tables to inspire your portrayal of distinctive bronze dragon characters, and use the Bronze
respect all beings who risk their lives in defense of something greater than themselves.
2 My payment is a matter of principle. Requiring even a small fee for my service allows those I help to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
to reward players who take the time to search for them. For each door and room, consider their original purpose: were secret doors a defense against invaders, or do denizens of the dungeon scheme to keep secrets from each other? Secrets can help you develop the story of a dungeon.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a1
. SUNLESS CITADEL OVERVIEW
A dragon cult that valued privacy and defense built the Sunless Citadel on the surface long ago. All record of the cult’s name has vanished, though various sources believe
stationed in other rooms. For example, three kobolds from one area 16 could be stationed in area 15 with orders to set an ambush for returning invaders. Or, four goblins from one area 36 could be
Goblin
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
two hunters viciously attack. A captured group of invaders might hang in a net while dozens of goblins pass by and pay them no heed until a group of gatherers shows up.
Lashers. The closest thing a
new leader can act as the real boss. If the creature brushes aside such manipulation, the tribe falls into line behind the new tyrant—better to abide the new rule than conspire against it and be
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands
welcome new heroes or repel would-be invaders.
Two armed guards stand at the front gate. They hail you and motion for you to approach.
The player characters start just outside the keep. The first time
this guildhall. 11: Temple Priests offer guidance and healing in this house of worship. 12: Inner Gatehouse This fortification is the keep’s last line of defense. 13: Inner Bailey The keep’s guards
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
a clan’s riches from beneath its noses. For their part, the dwarves keep safety and defense uppermost in their priorities, realizing that there is little to be gained from trying to mount a large
and needs that take much of their time and attention, At the same time, the never-ending state of war is never out of mind — every dwarf knows that a chance encounter with a duergar could be fatal, and every duergar would like nothing better than to have such an opportunity.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
their own locations or leave those locations to assist colleagues and expel the invaders. Take a copy of the adventure map, and pencil in the locations of all its inhabitants to give yourself a sense
have reason to believe their lair is likely to be invaded might set up a defense. Reasons to set up a defense include the following: Adventurers invaded the lair recently and retreated. Scouts
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
when he must, and he hasn’t let his adventuring skills wither. His wife, Asper, passed away several years ago, and his rambling mansion has seen better days. Mirt spends his days embroiled in
humanoid (human), chaotic good
Armor Class 16 (bracers of defense)
Hit Points 153 (18d8 + 72)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
18(+4)
DEX
18(+4)
CON
18(+4)
INT
15(+2)
WIS
12(+1
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
Orlumbor If you’re looking to purchase or repair a ship, there is no better place to do it along the Sword Coast than in Orlumbor. The finest shipwrights in the world live here, and their joining
Orlumbor to supply ships for its defense, making the island a wealthy and well-protected place in return. When Lord Neverember sank Waterdeep’s navy in his fight against pirates, he arranged to hire
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
orphans while doing nothing to remedy the circumstances that made them orphans. It can turn defense of one’s community into xenophobia. It can come to treat the wealthy as moral exemplars and the poor as
(commoner) believes she can care for the city’s children better than their parents and works to have the other adults arrested.
2 A priest begins imposing restrictive lifestyle rules on a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
of them stay for months at a time to help with the work and the vigilant defense of the farm against insects and blights, as well as would-be vandals and plunderers. Hired guards and adventurers
patrol the walls and the land immediately around them. Inside the farm, young treants allied with the Emerald Enclave hide within stands of trees, ready to animate trees to repel invaders. More than five
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
, Mayor Raven, Jeyev, and a few other locals. Read or paraphrase the following as the characters leave Vogler behind: Vogler is in flames. Amid the columns of smoke rising from the village, invaders
the battle and is now using her helmet to get close to Darrett. Capture. Becklin sent Jeyev to warn the villagers that the defense failed and not to wait for their defenders. She sent her helmet as
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands
admire Andrella and enjoy her goodhearted mentorship.
Rumors
“A dastardly bandit, Pral, accosts travelers along the trail. Apparently he’s quite handsome; I’m sure he’ll look even better behind
the other side.
Murder Holes. Guards atop the gatehouse can thrust spears down at invaders through holes in the ceiling of the archway.
Gatehouse Services The gatehouse offers the following
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
concern of any stronghold is defense, but older and prosperous strongholds can grow to become wondrous underground cities filled with generations of exquisite dwarven artisanship. Regardless of a
murals that tell of the clan’s greatest deeds. A clan’s feasting hall might be stocked with utensils and place settings made of silver and gold. Defense Comes First Every dwarf knows instinctively that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
kind of slave or minion creature living with or near them as a defense against attackers, even if it’s just a common animal. Hags particularly delight in using mortals bound to their service as
creatures are either naturally wicked or warped by the hag to better serve her. In either case, a hag is confident that her servants will obey her orders without question. The Brutes table gives examples of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
each: feather fall, jump, see invisibility, shield
Psychic Defense. While the githzerai is wearing no armor and wielding no shield, its AC includes its Wisdom modifier.
Actions
Multiattack. The
that her warmongering would soon make her a tyrant no better than the mind flayers.
Githzerai Zerth Skilled githzerai monks that best exemplify the teachings and principles of Zerthimon are
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel
traveler trudges toward you. Suddenly, there’s a shriek overhead, and a vulture-headed griffon dives toward the traveler.
The thri-kreen is 100 feet ahead of the characters and has little defense
.
Characters who can communicate with the anteaters find them to be lazy, well-fed beasts. If asked about the tall termite mound, the anteaters explain that they live in that mound but the eating’s better
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
. If the encounter takes place at the Helm and the characters don’t make a strong case against him, five commoners (tavern regulars) come to his defense. They aren’t cult servants, just bystanders
to dilute the poison among several flagons. (The dilution also makes the poison unlikely to be lethal; Justran is better at making ale than he is at making poison.) A brief investigation reveals that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
small communities aren’t exclusively populated by halflings or gnomes, since such groups seem to prosper better when members of both races are in residence. Halfling families often focus on
favoring sheep, and gnomes goats, as well as artisans of all sorts. Each community has a sheriff who maintains peace and leads defense — a role most often fulfilled by a halfling, I’ve found, though
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
and later animated by Ogrémoch’s Bane (see “Settlers, Squatters, and Invaders” later in this chapter). They have the statistics of animated armor, except they are elementals instead of constructs
immediately. Otherwise, they mock the party but don’t fight except in self-defense. Roaming Ooze The presence of the Pudding King (see “The Pudding Court” later in this chapter) is drawing oozes to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
their way to avoid interacting with other intelligent creatures. However, their interest in history and culture occasionally gets the better of them, prompting them to seek some engagement with the
potentially threaten him make the dragon a dangerous adversary. However, he knows the surest way of safeguarding Faerûn against planar invaders is to keep a careful watch on all planar portals—and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
also the home of the Deepking and the center of government. Dunglorrin Torune bristles with forge chimneys from which smoke billows and ledges from which catapults can hurl stones at waterborne invaders
a heartbeat as the cheapest manual labor. However, I’ve learned to make much better use of adventurers like you.”
Search for Droki. Errde explains that her guards have been tracking the movements of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
hundreds of warriors, mages, priestesses, and giant spiders, a large enough force to overwhelm a community. The invaders would sweep through the town in the dark of night, shackle the best potential
at the bottom of the dark elves’ social hierarchy, the lowest-ranking drow are considered little better than slaves themselves. A weak house that doesn’t ally itself with a protector will be preyed on
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
our surprise and delight, another orc horde assaulted the orcs inside the Citadel of Many Arrows. Biding his time until the invaders broke down the gates, Emerus vanquished both tribes of orcs and
races other than dwarves moved even the slightest to aid Citadel Felbarr, when more assistance and better coordination might have prevented not only that citadel’s fall, but Sundabar’s as well
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
, peaceful realm, where many races live together for common knowledge, celebration, and defense. The city is peopled primarily by the “goodly” races (humans, dwarves, gnomes, elves, halflings, and half-elves
lost language, to learn the proper intonation of a complex song, or to better understand the cryptic writings of a long-dead sage, there is no better place to seek aid than Silverymoon. It is an easy
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
giant 12–13 Mounted Uthgardt 14–17 Strong winds 18–19 1 young green dragon 20 1 young silver dragon Aarakocra These intelligent avians fly close to the airship to get a better look. They have had
. Otherwise, the aarakocra fight only in self-defense. If at least five aarakocra are present, they try to perform an aerial dance to summon an air elemental for assistance. Characters can negotiate a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
modify existing classes to better serve your game’s needs. Changing Proficiencies Changing a class’s proficiencies is a safe and simple way to modify a class to better reflect your world. Swapping
faith, making them proficient with the quarterstaff and nothing else. You could give them a benefit to make up for the loss of proficiencies—something like the monk’s Unarmored Defense class feature, but
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
haven for enclave members and their friends. In her disembodied state, Jeryth can’t be harmed. If the need arises, Jeryth can cast any spell on the druid spell list. She uses her spells in defense of
sackcloth hood, another has a rotting pumpkin head, and the third is covered with a threadbare blanket. Characters who camp in a field for the better part of a day or night have a 10 percent chance