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Returning 35 results for 'defenses instead are building'.
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defense instead are binding
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Monsters
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
choose to succeed instead.
Shapechanger Savant. Lazav can use a bonus action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid he has seen. His statistics, other than his size, are the same in each form. Any
equipment he is wearing or carrying isn't transformed.
Psychic Defenses. Unless Lazav is incapacitated, he is immune to magic that allows other creatures to read his thoughts, determine whether he is
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
attacks with its flailing and stomping roots. It can also use its roots to fling large rocks.
Hut Interior. The hut is a 15-foot-square, ramshackle wooden building with a gently sloping thatch roof. Its
perverted its magic, using it instead to animate her wooden hut.
Removing the gem from the hut renders the hut incapacitated. That task is easier said than done, however. The glowing green gem is
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Spider Climb. The dragon can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without
.
3
I secretly look forward to adventurers trying to infiltrate my lair. How else could I try out new defenses?
4
Give me a storied helmet or scimitar over a pile of gold any day.
5
No
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
Resistance (3/Day). If the corrupter fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Spider Climb. The corrupter can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without
Lair
This villain resides in a place of power and safety, whether that’s a hidden thieves’ guildhall or a lavish manse. The lair is filled with clever defenses to disorient, weaken, and
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the infiltrator fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Veiled Presence. The infiltrator’s AC includes its Wisdom modifier, and the infiltrator
’s a hidden thieves’ guildhall or a lavish manse. The lair is filled with clever defenses to disorient, weaken, and kill intruders.
The villain’s challenge rating increases while the
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
are to spread kindness, reward virtue, and promote a culture of compassion throughout the multiverse. She is good at building alliances and quick to intervene when she senses a threat to the forces of
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede Zariel’s darkvision.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Zariel fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic
crawl over the structure, ensuring that no intruders breach their defenses.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Zariel can take one of the following lair actions; she can
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Spider Climb. The dragon can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without
adventurers trying to infiltrate my lair. How else could I try out new defenses?
4
Give me a storied helmet or scimitar over a pile of gold any day.
5
No creature can outsmart my defenses—if
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
instead resets to 350 hit points, and it recharges its Steam Breath. Additionally, the dragon turtle can now use the options in the "Mythic Actions" section for 1 hour. Award a party an additional
instead.
Unusual Nature. The dragon turtle doesn't require food or drink.Multiattack. The dragon turtle makes one Bite or Tail attack and two Claw attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +16
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
defenses.
Emerald Dragon Lair Features
The emerald dragon lair shown in map 5.8 is a series of ancient vaults situated beneath a city built in the caldera of a dormant volcano. The vaults fell into disuse
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
(and more paranoid) dragons employing several layers of such defenses.
Emerald Dragon Lair Features
The emerald dragon lair shown in map 5.8 is a series of ancient vaults situated beneath a city
Zariel
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Monsters
Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Zariel has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Regeneration. Zariel regains 20 hit points at the start of her
of all kinds crawl over the structure, ensuring that no intruders breach their defenses.
Lair Actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Zariel can take a lair action to cause one of
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
advancing civilization, nature needs some help from biomancers and terraformers. If, along the way, you happen to create super-soldiers and mutant monsters that can bolster the combine’s defenses
1
I helped create a krasis that I love like a pet and would carry with me everywhere … except it’s the size of a building, and it might eat me.
2
In my laboratory, I
Goblin
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
traps, snares, and nets to catch the unwary, and when their hunting patrols encounter other beings, they always look for ways to capture their foes instead of killing them. Goblins that run up against
the fringes of a society first test its defenses by stealing objects, and if these crimes go unpunished, they begin stealing people.
Enslaved creatures receive the worst treatment the goblins can dish
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
Chapter 15: Throne A character who draws the Throne card from a Deck of Many Things gains ownership of a keep. But how big is the keep, and what are its defenses and layout? What lives in the keep
castle appears abandoned by its owners. Instead of courtiers and guards, spectral figures appear behind narrow windows, and a huge serpentine creature slithers through its courtyard. Nevertheless, the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
expected the pirates to rebel, confident in their undead defenses even if they did. Unfortunately for the clerics, the pirates had enough numbers to barely make it through the skeleton horde. After
suffering considerable losses against the undead, they proved to be in such a vengeful mood that they set fire to the abbey. With the structure aflame, they didn’t bother looting the building or searching
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
settlement — a home base for your adventurers — is a great place to start a campaign and begin your world building. Consider the following questions as you create any settlement in your world: What purpose
does it serve in your game? How big is it? Who lives there? What does it look, smell, and sound like? Who governs it? Who else holds power? Is it part of a larger state? What are its defenses? Where
Ancient Deep Dragon
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
, they use local settlements—and any competent visitors—as pawns in their struggle.
4
An ancient deep dragon has put the folk of a city to work building the dragon a metropolis to rule
share the same basic structure as the sapphire dragon lair shown on map 5.12, but instead of being formed from stone, it might consist of chambers hollowed out within a fungus network growing near an
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
stopped in their tracks by the daunting defenses of the gate quarter. More than one reckless attack by orcs, trolls, or giants was driven back from the gate. In time, those savage foes found other ways
to attack the dwarves of the Sumber Hills, and the stronghold was finally abandoned. The gates of Tyar-Besil lie in ruin now, broken not by the siege engines of enemies but instead by the tremors
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
Giant Skeleton The animated skeleton of a giant is deadly not only because of its size and strength, but because it has defenses normally possessed only by undead of much greater power. GIANT
Giant but can’t speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Evasion. If the skeleton is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal
skeleton of a giant — deadly not only because of its size and strength, but because it has defenses normally possessed only by undead of much greater power. Undead Nature. A skeleton doesn’t require air
Languages understands Giant but can’t speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Evasion. If the skeleton is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Mapping a Settlement When you draw a map for a settlement in your game, don’t worry about the placement of every building, and concentrate instead on the major features. For a village, sketch out
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
addition to dealing with the castle’s defenses, they must also contend with reinforcements from Parnast. Such reinforcements include Captain Othelstan (see appendix D for statistics), one veteran, six
his retinue arrive, suggesting that the characters rush to the stables, mount the wyverns, and take flight at once. The characters have a few rounds to reach the stables before Othelstan has the building surrounded and demands their surrender.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen
dealing with the castle’s defenses, they must also contend with reinforcements from Parnast. Such reinforcements include Captain Othelstan, one veteran, six guards, and three dragonclaws. In addition
the stables, mount the wyverns, and take flight at once. The characters have a few rounds to reach the stables before Othelstan has the building surrounded and demands their surrender.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
Ancient Blue Dragon Ancient blue dragons think beyond dominating groups of short-lived servants. Instead, they seek to claim their places above other dragons and their world’s most powerful
. Antonio José manzanedo Shattering the enemy’s defenses, an ancient
blue dragon leads its armies in conquest Ancient Blue Dragon Gargantuan Dragon (Chromatic), Lawful Evil
AC 22 Initiative +14 (24)
HP
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention
can mop up any crew left alive on deck (see “Dreadnaught Locations” for information on both these defenses). Characters whose ship was destroyed earlier are instead “rescued” by the galleon. When the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
horde soon begins overwhelming defenses nearby. Once the characters defeat a few zombies, roll 1d6 and consult the Zombie Siege Encounters table. The event rolled unfolds within sight of one of the
siege weapon to fire into the city or start a conflagration.
9 Fighting breaks out at a building Talon priests use to treat the wounded.
10 Zombies break through a gate and begin scaling
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
melee weapon that has the thrown property, such as a handaxe, can use your Strength modifier instead. BUILDING BRUENOR, STEP 5
Bob writes down the starting equipment from the fighter class and the
damage rolls. A weapon that has the finesse property, such as a rapier, can use your Dexterity modifier instead. For attacks with ranged weapons, use your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls. A
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault
guards are posted on the balcony and one guard patrols around the outside of the building at ground level. A character can avoid the notice of the exterior guards with a successful DC 12 Dexterity
” section, roll a d6 instead of a d4, reflecting their increased ability to avoid the guards. If the characters spend more than 10 minutes in any room that’s part of the guard rotation, a guard
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
. If an enemy force does approach, though, these barriers do a good job of delaying any incursion until the goblinoids can rally their defenses. Inside the surrounding bulwark, the goblinoids all have
wooden building in the middle of camp. Here the warlord meets with advisors and makes plans for future conquest. Most of the time, a command center also holds elite bugbear bodyguards that protect
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath
of Leilon were content to leave his tower and the monsters within alone. The Spellplague, a divine phenomenon that twisted Faerûn’s magic, corrupted the tower’s defenses. The creatures sealed within
House of Thalivar, a wizard tower, rises like a beacon, four times the height of every other building. The town lies in ruin, but the settlers from Neverwinter work quickly, clearing and reconstructing.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
against itself (real or imaginary), planning attacks against known rivals, and preparing its defenses against all possible threats. It considers itself the center of the world, in a narcissistic way
might be merciful and pacify the creature with a charm ray or a sleep ray instead of killing it outright. Of course, this mercy has a purpose; the defeated opponent is interrogated, subjugated, and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
anywhere in the necropolis. Mages who survived Ythryn’s fall but succumbed to the arcane blight (see “Magical Effects” below) became nothics that speak Loross instead of Undercommon (see the “Loross: The
of locations in the city. Random Encounters After each hour the characters spend exploring the city, or each time the characters conduct a thorough search of an unnumbered building on the map, roll
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Scaling Lethality You can adjust the lethality of your campaign using the encounter-building guidelines in chapter 4. If your players enjoy games that test their characters to the utmost and are
your players agree to avoid character death in your game, you might consider an alternative: a character who would otherwise die is instead “defeated.” The following rules apply to a defeated character
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Khorvaire, the Flotket Alps of Wildemount, or some other mountain range while preserving the plot elements. You can also strip out the story about an evil duergar building a dragon construct and have
the duergar doing something else instead. Alternatively, you could jettison everything but the map of the fortress, populating it with new creatures that better suit your campaign. Sometimes a good map is all a DM needs!