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Returning 35 results for 'die instead are better'.
Spells
Player’s Handbook
A Club or Quarterstaff you are holding is imbued with nature’s power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee
attacks using that weapon, and the weapon’s damage die becomes a d8. If the attack deals damage, it can be Force damage or the weapon’s normal damage type (your choice).
The spell ends early if
Spells
Player’s Handbook
Necrotic damage. If the target is missing any of its Hit Points, it instead takes 1d12 Necrotic damage.
Cantrip Upgrade. The damage increases by one die when you reach levels 5 (2d8 or 2d12), 11 (3d8 or 3d12), and 17 (4d8 or 4d12).
Magic Items
Dungeon Master’s Guide
Temporary Hit Points daily at dawn until you die.
Talons. Every magic item you wear or carry disintegrates. Artifacts in your possession vanish instead.
Throne. You gain proficiency and Expertise in
you draw the card or at any other time before you die.
Flames. A powerful devil becomes your enemy. The devil seeks your ruin and torments you, savoring your suffering before attempting to slay you
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
; armies, serving as foot soldiers in the Abyss’s endless warring.
Bulezaus crave violence. Their eagerness to kill and willingness to die make them common members of many demon lords&rsquo
; entourages. When not being corralled by larger and tougher demons, bulezaus gather into scrabbling mobs, wrestling and fighting among themselves until a better target comes along or until a stronger
Monsters
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Immutable Form. Elise is immune to any spell or effect that would alter her form.
Lightning Absorption. Whenever Elise is subjected to lightning damage, she takes no damage and instead
stitching itself into place if positioned in a cavity where the creature’s heart used to be. A creature with the device inside them is immune to disease, ceases to age, and does not die of old age
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
corrupted egg yields several draconians of the same kind. A draconian might be taken for a dragonborn at first glance, though most kinds of draconians have wings.
When draconians die, they do not go quietly. Instead, their lifeless bodies unleash a last act of magical violence.Poison
paralytic venom of their saliva to coat their weapons, making them formidable assassins as well. Their wings allow them to turn a fall into a rough glide. When draconian infiltrators die, their bodies
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Boon of Immortality. Skabatha is immune to any effect that would age her, and she can’t die from old age.
Forgetfulness. The first creature that Skabatha sees after she finishes a long rest is
Hourglass Coven. Better known as Granny Nightshade, she offers her assistance to those who are haunted by regret. Her deals often result in cruel twists; for example, a petitioner who asks to be reunited
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
draconian might be taken for a dragonborn at first glance, though most kinds of draconians have wings.
When draconians die, they do not go quietly. Instead, their lifeless bodies unleash a last act of magical violence.
ambush. When draconian foot soldiers die, they unleash clouds of petrifying gas, turning their corpses—and any creatures within the clouds—to stone.
On the world of Krynn, draconian foot
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Boon of Immortality. Iggwilv is immune to any effect that would age her, and she can’t die from old age.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Iggwilv fails a saving throw, she can choose to
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
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
.
When draconians die, they do not go quietly. Instead, their lifeless bodies unleash a last act of magical violence.
across the battlefield or aid their allies’ incursions and attacks. They have wings that allow them to glide during a fall.
When draconian mages die, their flesh shrivels away before their bones
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
drained beyond the first, the die size increases by one: the d4 becomes a d6, the d6 becomes a d8, and so on until the die becomes a d20, at which point the target becomes unconscious for 1 hour. The effect
sharper the mind, the better the meal, so oblexes hunt targets more likely to be intelligent, such as wizards and other spellcasters. When suitable fare comes within reach, an oblex draws its body up to
Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
memory drained beyond the first, the die size increases by one: the d4 becomes a d6, the d6 becomes a d8, and so on until the die becomes a d20, at which point the target becomes unconscious for 1 hour
jelly are cunning hunters that feed on thoughts and memories. The sharper the mind, the better the meal, so oblexes hunt targets more likely to be intelligent, such as wizards and other spellcasters. When
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
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
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
.
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
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
", "rollAction":"Prophetic Blessing"}, and it gains a prophecy die, a d8. Once during each of the creature’s turns, when it fails an ability check or saving throw or misses an attack roll, it can
roll the prophecy die and add the number rolled to the total, potentially changing the outcome. The blessing ends after 1 hour or when the living portent ends the blessing (no action required) or uses
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
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
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
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
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
draconian army. A single corrupted egg yields several draconians of the same kind. A draconian might be taken for a dragonborn at first glance, though most kinds of draconians have wings.
When draconians die, they do not go quietly. Instead, their lifeless bodies unleash a last act of magical violence.
Magic Items
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
creature type is Fey instead of Undead. A creature whose Strength is reduced to 0 by this shadow’s Strength Drain attack does not die but falls unconscious instead. The creature regains
Monsters
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Special Equipment. Mirt wears bracers of defense and a ring of regeneration. He wields a longsword, +1 and a dagger, +1.
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when Mirt hits with
it (included in the attacks below).
Evasion. If he is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, Mirt instead takes no damage if he succeeds on
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
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Headless Summoning (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If the dullahan is reduced to 0 hit points, it doesn’t die or fall unconscious. Instead, it regains 97 hit points. In addition, it
the dullahan after it uses Headless Summoning.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If the dullahan fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Unusual Nature. The dullahan doesn’t require
Monsters
The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Cling to Life (Recharges after a Long Rest). The first time Zargash would drop to 0 hit points as a result of taking damage, he instead drops to 1 hit point.
Special Equipment. Zargash wears a bat
, for when I die, Orcus will transform me into a vampire.”
Ideal. “Entropy is not simply the bane of existence. It’s the doom of the multiverse. My job is to speed it along.&rdquo
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
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Goose Mother fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Multiple Heads. The Goose Mother has five heads. Whenever the Goose Mother takes 25 or more
damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads die, the Goose Mother dies.
At the end of its turn, the Goose Mother grows two heads for each of its heads that died since its last
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
of draconians have wings.
When draconians die, they do not go quietly. Instead, their lifeless bodies unleash a last act of magical violence.
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when Izek hits with it (included in the attack).Multiattack. Izek makes two attacks with his battleaxe.
Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7
trouble killing them and disposing of their bodies. He was eventually caught in the act and brought to the burgomaster. Instead of punishing the boy for his crimes, Baron Vallakovich pardoned Izek and
Monsters
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
, mirror image, mislead, raise dead, teleport, wall of fire
1/day each: imprisonment, meteor swarm
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Bel fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic
the die is subtracted from the next attack roll made against Bel or an ally of his choice within the next minute.
Summon Ice Devil (Costs 3 Actions). Bel magically summons an Ice Devil (Spear Variant
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
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
doesn't reduce its exhaustion. If the cursed target reaches exhaustion level 6, it doesn't die; it instead becomes a thrall under the quori's control, and all its exhaustion is removed. Only the wish spell
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Amphibious. Tromokratis can breathe air and water.
Hearts of the Kraken (Mythic Trait; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). When Tromokratis is reduced to 0 hit points, it doesn’t die or
fall unconscious. Instead, the damage creates cracks in its carapace, revealing its hearts. Tromokratis has four hearts: two on its chest, one on its back, and one at the base of its tail. A heart has an