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Returning 35 results for 'despite instead are better'.
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
its master.A curious impulse drives the gray render. Despite its hulking form and terrible appetite, it wants most of all to bond with an intelligent creature and, once bonded, to give its life to
reaching maturity, break off to begin life as young gray renders. They feel no obligation to their young and have no inclination to gather with others of their kind. Instead, each has an overpowering need
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
Spellcasting.Aleron was once a tiefling adventurer, but unlike so many victims of the Deck of Many Things, he never drew the Skull card. Instead, when one of his allies drew the card and faced the avatar of death
Undead in the Grim Harrow, considering himself better than all of them and unjustly condemned to the Gardens of Decay for an act of altruism.
Though the weakest of the Harrow’s three leaders
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
dragons’ preference for volcanic lairs often puts them in conflict with fire giant;fire giants. Despite their reluctance to reveal themselves to strangers, emerald dragons might approach experienced
create illusions, allowing them to better conceal their treasures from prying eyes and divinations.
Creating an Emerald Dragon
Use the Emerald Dragon Personality Traits and Emerald Dragon Ideals
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
with its body, making them look like irregularities in the surface. The creature might instead attach itself to a nearby wall or a ceiling, using the remnants as bait; any creature that stops to
hibernation that can last for months, though it is still aware when prey comes near. A trapper on the verge of starvation might defy its instincts and abandon its old territory in search of better hunting.
Magic Items
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
limbs, with the effect of such loss determined by the GM. If the creature has no limb to sever, you lop off a portion of its body instead.
In addition, you can speak the sword’s command word to
, fine art, and poetry. Vain, the weapon strives to improve its appearance. It craves gemstones and seeks out better ones with which to adorn itself. Most of all, it longs to return to the forests around
Monsters
Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the archaic fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Unusual Nature. The archaic doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.Multiattack. The
target ends.Archaics are towering, multi-armed creatures overflowing with magic. Despite their solitude, archaics carry vast understanding of magic and the world’s history, as well as the ability
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If the beast fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Siege Monster. The beast deals double damage to objects and structures.Multiattack. The beast makes
nightmare beast’s legs end in claws, enabling it to climb well despite its size. Its skin is thick and tough, and its teeth are long and sharp. A pair of long, curved tusks jut from the sides of
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the archon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The archon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
archon overhead is a clear signal that one is entering the wilds.
An archon appears as a hooded, spectral rider mounted on a winged elk with glowing antlers and gleaming eyes. Despite this
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
. Despite this, even the most languorous Returned defend themselves if threatened and might be pressed into the service of their more willful brethren.
Returned have escaped the Underworld and dwell among
long-term memories, they generally can’t build meaningful relationships or establish new lives. Instead, most experience fleeting emotions and follow hollow routines, their existences reduced to
Monsters
Keys from the Golden Vault
became a mediocre one instead, despite the help of several renowned tutors. Years later, Sythian resents their efforts, as the money his parents lavished on his education left him with many unpaid debts
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the amalgam fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The amalgam has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
despite all obstacles.
Trolls’ rapid healing makes them subject to bizarre mutations, particularly when they regenerate in unusual environments or heal from extraordinary magical wounds. Troll
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
Evasion. If the high fae is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw and only
, the Kindly Lord. Talion is as strange, ancient, and fickle as the wilds of Eldraine, and the Kindly Lord demands fealty and respect from their followers. But despite their austere demeanor, the Kindly
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
":"piercing"} piercing damage. If the leucrotta scores a critical hit, it rolls the damage dice three times, instead of twice.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6;{"diceNotation":"1d20+6","rollType":"to
like doing their own killing, since leucrottas are meticulous in their cruelty and able to draw out kills for better and longer sport. And when there are no victims to be had, a leucrotta can mimic the
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
, and hippopotamus parts. Despite its ungainly physiology, a catoblepas resembles a natural animal in its behavior, ambling through its marshy home, munching choice vegetation, eating the occasional bit
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
.
Emerald dragons’ preference for volcanic lairs often puts them in conflict with fire giant;fire giants. Despite their reluctance to reveal themselves to strangers, emerald dragons might approach
spells that create illusions, allowing them to better conceal their treasures from prying eyes and divinations.
Creating an Emerald Dragon
Use the Emerald Dragon Personality Traits and Emerald Dragon
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If the necrichor fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. Unless its lifeless remains are splashed with Holy Water (flask);holy water or
sludge in the crypts of failed liches. Despite the loss of a solid physical form, these foul creatures retain their terrible intellects and aspire to megalomaniacal goals—the first of which
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Auril has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Unusual Nature. Auril doesn’t require air, food, drink, or
to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her.
Auril’s worshipers know better than to disturb her self-imposed isolation. Terrible blizzards have cut off Icewind Dale
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
—a nervous disorder that manifests as trembling. It can affect her balance and her stride, but she has learned to cast her spells unimpeded by it.
Despite her firm grasp of the dark arts, she
at the kobolds’ expense.
Familiar. Vellynne’s familiar is a snowy owl, which the wizard uses as a scout. It uses the owl stat block in the Monster Manual but is a celestial instead
Monsters
Vecna: Eve of Ruin
Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Vecna fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Special Equipment. Vecna carries a magic dagger named Afterthought. In the hands of anyone other than
scribe. He spent the better part of his childhood secretly educating himself in his masters’ arts. Once Vecna learned all he could, he massacred the wizards. He then recorded his every foul thought
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
Alustriel and her deeds better known than in the Silver Marches and its capital, Silverymoon. Alustriel ruled Silverymoon for centuries, once disguised as a wizard named Elué Dualen and then later
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Euryale fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Special Equipment. Euryale carries one half of a pair of Sending Stones; the other half of the pair
her petrifying gaze, rendering her immune to its effects and allowing her to use it while not in her medusa guise. Despite her alarming appearance in serpent form, Euryale remains a healer and
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
weather, detect thoughts, ice storm
Legendary Resistance (2/Day in This Form). If Auril fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Auril has advantage on saving throws
weak and vulnerable. In her self-inflicted weakened state, Auril is inclined to be cautious and avoid contact with other creatures that can harm her.
Auril’s worshipers know better than to
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
disappeared. The greater emissary uses the lesser emissary’s initiative count.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the emissary fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Unusual
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
Monsters
Candlekeep Mysteries
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If Bak Mei fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Special Equipment. Bak Mei carries a staff of striking with 10 charges.
Unarmored Defense. While Bak
convinced that I deserve eternal life, despite all the suffering I've inflicted on others."Poison, ThunderNimble Escape. Bak Mei takes the Disengage or Hide action.
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
succeeds on this saving throw automatically if Bael wishes it or if he is incapacitated.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Bael fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance
interests at Mammon’s court, which leaves him free to pursue his battle lust.
Despite his lack of interest in affairs outside battle, or perhaps because of it, Bael has gained a small
Monsters
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
fae fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The high fae has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.Multiattack. The high fae makes two
Lord demands fealty and respect from their followers. But despite their austere demeanor, the Kindly Lord is also known for following their own mysterious whims, journeying to the farthest reaches of Eldraine to satiate their curiosity.Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Orcus
Legacy
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Monsters
Out of the Abyss
saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Orcus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. Orcus’s weapon attacks are magical
tampering with the dead in my search to better understand death.”
61–80
“I want to achieve the everlasting existence of undeath.”
81–00
“I am awash in
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Iggwilv has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. (This trait is bestowed by her robe of the archmagi.)
Special Equipment. Iggwilv wears
path to greatness began when she was adopted by the mother of all witches, Baba Yaga, who named her Natasha. On the worlds of the Material Plane, she was better known as Tasha, the inventor of Tasha's
Monsters
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day in This Form). If Auril fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Auril has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical
her to explode and die. A mephit that dies in this way does not use its Death Burst. Instead, each creature within 10 feet of the exploding mephit must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking
Monsters
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
can choose to succeed instead.
Misty Escape. When she drops to 0 hit points outside her resting place, Keresta transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling
);{"diceNotation":"1d8+4","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Unarmed Strike","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, Keresta can grapple the target (escape DC 18).
Bite
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
, a Vistana, is the protégé of Rudolph van Richten—despite the fact that her first encounter with the vampire hunter was anything but pleasant.
Witness to Tragedy. When Ezmerelda
them harm, he instead interrogated Ezmerelda’s mother and father on the whereabouts of his missing son. Satisfied with their answers, he spared their lives before departing with the information
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
level or lower, the spell has no effect on the chimera and instead targets the caster.Multiattack. The chimera makes three attacks: one with its claws, one with its head, and one with its tail. When its
creation effortlessly, Keranos created another combination of deadlier beasts to challenge her. She slayed that beast, too. Despite countless attempts, Keranos was unable to create a beast that Renata
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
; preference for volcanic lairs often puts them in conflict with fire giant;fire giants. Despite their reluctance to reveal themselves to strangers, emerald dragons might approach experienced
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
volcanic lairs often puts them in conflict with fire giant;fire giants. Despite their reluctance to reveal themselves to strangers, emerald dragons might approach experienced adventurers in the hopes
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
can see within 120 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the morkoth. If the spell forced a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save. If the spell was an attack, the
fragments that make up the island’s core are also located. Sections of the lair and its center might be kept dry to better protect and preserve collected objects and creatures, but most of the lair