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Returning 35 results for 'fight monsters'.
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
behind the life of a soldier for hire, but your skills are undeniably suited for battle, so now you fight on in a different way.
MERCENARIES OF THE NORTH
Countless mercenary companies
operate up and down the Sword Coast and throughout the North. Most are small-scale operations that employ a dozen to a hundred folk who offer security services, hunt monsters and brigands, or go to war in
Species
Eberron: Rising from the Last War
me in dreams, and at times her voice whispers in the silence of my mind. As long as at least one of my sisters is alive, Kashtai will survive — and as long as she lives, she will fight il
are strongly influenced by the emotions of those around you.
8
You prefer to find nonviolent solutions to problems whenever possible.
9
You are driven by a warrior spirit and will fight
Folk Hero
Legacy
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Backgrounds
Basic Rules (2014)
tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere.
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, vehicles (land
disaster.
3
I stood alone against a terrible monster.
4
I stole from a corrupt merchant to help the poor.
5
I led a militia to fight off an invading army.
6
I broke into a tyrant
Orc
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
the world. For no matter how thick its walls, skilled its archers, or brave its knights, few settlements have ever withstood a full-scale onslaught of orcs.
Every soldier who lives through a fight
hatred of the civilized races of the world and their need to satisfy the demands of their deities, the orcs know that if they fight well and bring glory to their tribe, Gruumsh will call them home to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Parleying with Monsters Why fight if a lively chat is possible? If things get out of hand, just show yourself out with a dimension door.
Tasha
Meeting a monster doesn’t have to spark a fight. An
offering, like food, can calm some hostile monsters, and sapient creatures often prefer to talk than to draw weapons. If the adventurers try to parley with a monster, you may improvise the encounter
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
the hope of stunning an adventurer before attacking with its bite and claws. The su-monsters flee to their treetop lairs if the fight goes against them. The su-monsters might have treasure stashed in
Su-monsters The party comes across 1d4 + 1 su-monsters (see appendix D). The su-monsters approach cautiously, feigning curiosity. If allowed to get close, each su-monster uses its Psychic Crush in
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
precedes it. Describing Monsters. Give yourself permission to dwell on a monster’s description. Monstrous Tactics. Monsters that fight dirty—or in a particularly fearsome way—have more impact
Horror Monsters For adventurers who regularly face terrifying monsters, it’s easy for familiarity to sap the frightfulness from terrible foes. Restoring mystery and menace to even the most ordinary
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Step 2: Choose Encounter Size Determine whether you want to create a battle that pits one creature against the characters, or if you want to use multiple monsters. If the fight is against a single
opponent, your best candidate for that foe is one of the game’s legendary creatures, which are designed to fill this need. If the battle involves multiple monsters, decide roughly how many creatures you want to use before continuing with step 3.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Fighting Players who enjoy fantasy combat like kicking the tar out of villains and monsters. They look for any excuse to start a fight, favoring bold action over careful deliberation. Engage players
who like fighting by… springing unexpected combat encounters on them. vividly describing the havoc their characters wreak with their attacks and spells. including combat encounters with large numbers of weak monsters. interrupting social interaction and exploration with combat.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
monster to a handful of Hit Points, assume the monster is killed or otherwise taken out of the fight. Monster Mobs. Divide a large number of identical monsters into smaller mobs and spread their turns
Tips Follow these tips to smooth a combat encounter with a large number of monsters: Damage. Use the average damage specified in a monster’s stat block. Hit Points. If a spell or attack reduces a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
challenge rating. When adventurers defeat one or more monsters — typically by killing, routing, or capturing them — they divide the total XP value of the monsters evenly among themselves. If the party
received substantial assistance from one or more NPCs, count those NPCs as party members when dividing up the XP. (Because the NPCs made the fight easier, individual characters receive fewer XP.) Chapter 3, "Creating Adventures" provides guidelines for designing combat encounters using experience points.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Level 20: Runestone Caverns Runestone Caverns is designed for four 16th-level characters, and characters who defeat the monsters on this level should gain enough XP to advance halfway to 17th level
. This level introduces the characters to a potentially powerful ally in their fight against Halaster — or an enemy whose destruction can put them in the Mad Mage’s good graces.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Mogis’s Villains Unquestionably, Mogis makes an excellent villain. His lust for bloodshed and willingness to fight all comers makes him easy to build a campaign around if you want a straightforward
. Mogis’s Villains d8 Villain
1 A petty tyrant (gladiator) rules his populace through threats and intimidation. His favorite pastime is forcing unwilling subjects to fight in gladiatorial blood
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
, although some monsters might remain. A few cultists retreat to the Fane of the Eye or the Plunging Torrents, while others flee the temple altogether. If Thuluna or Morbeoth remain after the characters leave Crushing Wave territory, the cultists reorganize their defenses to fight off any other incursion.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
aware of the order of play. Players know when their characters’ turns are coming up so they can plan their actions in advance. An open list also lets the players know when the monsters act in the fight, although you can hold off on adding monsters to the list until they take their first turns.
monsters, placed in Initiative order in a stack you cycle through A hidden list allows you to track combatants who haven’t been revealed yet, and you can use the list as a place to record the current
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
North of Waterdeep table are those the characters must fight. At the same time, NPC members of the escort are dealing with additional monsters not listed here. Assume that monsters and the travelers are
. Roll a d20 each day and use the indicated encounter. Add 2 to the roll on days 8, 9, and 10. Remember that the characters are just part of the convoy escort. The monsters listed on the Encounters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
encounters. It’s fine to throw tough encounters at them and sometimes to let them face monsters they can’t beat. But it’s not fair if the players have no way to know they can’t win the fight or have
the Monsters’ Favor. Rolling dice in front of the players when a situation is especially deadly is one way to communicate that you’re not cheating in the monsters’ favor or singling out a single
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Social Interaction During their adventures, player characters meet many different people and face some monsters that would rather talk than fight. In those situations, it’s time for social
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Free City of Greyhawk and other settlements trek across the vast wilderness of Eastern Oerik, slaying monsters and exploring dungeons to find magic items the adventurers can use to defend their homeland and take the fight to their enemies.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
respond by putting things back to the way they were before. For example, if a character takes the Disengage action to move away from a group of monsters, don’t respond by having those same monsters
chase the character. Move the monsters somewhere else. Hasten a Monster’s Demise If a combat has gone on long enough and the characters’ victory is almost certain, you can simply have the monster drop
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen
North of Waterdeep table are those the characters must fight. At the same time, NPC members of the escort are dealing with additional monsters not listed here. Assume that monsters and the travelers are
. Roll a d20 each day and use the indicated encounter. Add 2 to the roll on days 8, 9, and 10. Remember that the characters are just part of the convoy escort. The monsters listed on the Encounters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
, or an ordinary squad of infantry. Perhaps you protect a nation’s people from monsters, or even continue to fight the Last War in the shadows. There is plenty of work for military forces at the edges
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
treat each character as being of that level for the purpose of selecting appropriate monsters. The above guidelines are designed to create a fight that will challenge a party while still being winnable
make an easy encounter for a party of five characters, put them up against monsters that would be a tough fight for three characters. Likewise, you can treat the party as up to half again larger to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
up, and they can start planning their actions in advance. A visible list also removes any uncertainty about when the monsters will act in the fight. A variation on the visible list is to give one
record the current hit points of monsters, as well as other useful notes. A downside of this approach is that you have to remind the players round after round when their turns come up. Visible List You
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
opportunity to introduce a smaller objective that moves the quest forward. Encounters during the trip might see the adventurers accosted by enemies determined to steal the relic, or by monsters that are
character might try to bribe enemies rather than fight them, or chase after a fleeing enemy to see where it goes. Players who ignore objectives will have to deal with the consequences, which is another
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
kick in the dungeon door, fight the monsters, and grab the treasure. This style of play is straightforward, fun, exciting, and action-oriented. The players spend relatively little time developing
personas for their characters, roleplaying noncombat situations, or discussing anything other than the immediate dangers of the dungeon.
In such a game, the adventurers face clearly evil monsters and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
other features might draw the characters’ attention, either before or during the fight? Why are monsters lurking in this area to begin with — does it offer good hiding places, for instance? To add
personality or behavior of the monsters, perhaps determining whether they can be communicated with or whether they’re all acting in concert. Other possible factors include the nature of the physical
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
complication, an NPC under the party’s protection might be cursed, panicked, unable to fight, or apt to risk the lives of the adventurers through dubious decisions. The object the adventurers have sworn to
protect might be sentient, cursed, or difficult to transport. Such an encounter might be a combat encounter or an exploration encounter, with either Hostile monsters or a dangerous environment threatening
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
raise the alarm. However, the cultists do respond aggressively to the sounds of fighting. When a fight begins in an area, check adjacent areas to see if any other monsters or villains are nearby. Then
monsters and kidnap travelers and isolated miners to work as slaves in their mines, but they’re careful to eliminate witnesses. So far no one suspects that “those reclusive monks” are behind the troubles. In
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Flight, or Fight, or … ? Each of the results on these tables represents a certain kind of challenge or potential challenge. If you let the dice have their way and the result is a large number of
monsters, the generated encounter might be too difficult or dangerous for the characters in their present circumstances. They might want to flee to avoid contact, or not to approach any closer after
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Wandering Monsters Halaster continues to use the Terminus Level as a dumping ground for stray monsters. Duergar also patrol the mines. Beholder Zombies Four beholder zombies, set loose by Halaster
dripping with blood (see “Regional Effects”). These duergar have orders to deliver adventurers to Valtagar Steelshadow unharmed. If a fight breaks out, they use Enlarge and defend themselves. If the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
monster has remaining. Whether you choose to be secretive or not is up to you. What’s important is that every monster’s hit points be tracked individually. Tracking damage for one or two monsters isn’t
onerous, but it helps to have a system for larger groups of monsters. If you aren’t using miniatures or other visual aids, the easiest way to keep track of your monsters is to assign them unique
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
fate of Faerûn. The factions of the Sword Coast fight alongside new and unexpected allies, facing off against the assembled might of the dragon cultists, flights of chromatic dragons, other monsters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Wandering Monsters If Muiral survives his first encounter with the adventurers, he begins patrolling areas 1 through 5 and areas 7 through 12, looking for signs of other intrusion. The characters
+ 2 drow elite warriors wearing the insignia of House Auvryndar. The leader of such a patrol is always a female drow who reports directly to Zress Orlezziir. Most drow patrols are spoiling for a fight; if a battle turns against them, however, they withdraw to a more defensible location.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen
fate of Faerûn. The factions of the Sword Coast fight alongside new and unexpected allies, facing off against the assembled might of the dragon cultists, flights of chromatic dragons, other monsters