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Returning 35 results for 'monsters some with only advances for for let'.
Halfling
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
Learn More
Species
Basic Rules (2014)
marauding monsters and clashing armies; a blazing fire and a generous meal; fine drink and fine conversation. Though some halflings live out their days in remote agricultural communities, others form
;s going on behind their smiling faces—surely more than they ever let on.”
Humans. “Humans are a lot like us, really. At least some of them are. Step out of the castles and keeps
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
protection and durability
2
Fin Clade, focused on movement
3
Gyre Clade, focused on cyclical patterns and metamagic
4
Guardian Project, focused on creating guard monsters and super
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
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
)
4
Might. In life as in war, the stronger force wins. (Evil)
5
Live and Let Live. Ideals aren’t worth killing over or going to war for. (Neutral)
6
Nation. My city, nation, or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Progressing Stages The plague’s progress begins at stage one, advances to stage four, and then either wanes back to stage one or ends when everyone in a community is dead. Each stage can last for
roll a 17 or higher, the stage increases by one. If the characters spend at least 1 hour during the day working to treat the sick, the stage decreases by one if you roll a 4 or lower. Let the plague’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Phenax’s Villains Servants of Phenax dot the world, largely staying hidden until they are needed to help spin the web of lies that advances his plots. His servants prefer to confront foes using guile
missing then turn up with no memory of their disappearance. Phenax cult fanatics are brainwashing these souls for use as sleeper agents.
Phenax’s Monsters Phenax is often associated with monsters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Stranger Things
everyone’s having fun, let it take as long as necessary. It’s all about the fun. Describe each scene. Tell them what their characters see or hear or feel at the start, then just let them go. They say what
the characters do, and I tell them what happens. But don’t take control of their characters. I control everything else — the monsters, the nonplayer characters (NPCs, like Sir Tristan), even the
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->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
talk in haughty drawls. Let a pirate NPC say, “Arrrr, maties!” in your best Long John Silver voice. Let intelligent monsters unfamiliar with Common stumble along with awkward grammar. Let drunkards
Roleplaying For some DMs, roleplaying comes naturally. If it doesn’t come naturally for you, don’t worry. The main thing is for you to have fun portraying your NPCs and monsters and to amuse your
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
’ statistics; otherwise, let them come up with their own details. Players can give their survivors names, personalities, and lineages, but these details don’t affect the survivors’ stat blocks. Levels Survivors
Progression table. A survivor that advances from 1st to 2nd level and from 2nd to 3rd level gains access to the player’s choice of Survivor Talents (see the section below). Survivor Progression Level
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
to do, do poorly, or do wrongly can be just as important as what they accomplish. Don’t let failure and setbacks derail an adventure or a campaign. Rather, look for ways that failure or partial
important quest goal. But if the town burns down despite the heroes’ best intentions — or because they had better things to do — let them be mistaken for local authorities come to lend a hand in the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Chapter 1: Monster Lore Volo has encountered many monsters in his day, few as odious or as ornery as the ones described herein. This chapter takes several iconic D&D monsters and provides additional
that, as you explore each monster section, you’ll come up with new ways to challenge and entertain your players, as well as find new things that you can borrow for your own D&D campaign. Let each entry
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Stranger Things
doesn’t touch our world). Describe how lonely, dark, and desolate it is, with a cold wind blowing all the time. Let the characters explore a little. Describe sections where the Upside Down touches our
, lurking just out of sight in the darkness. They find tracks made by the thessalhydra, but also tracks made by other monsters. But the tracks are impossible to follow. The tracks come and go. Sometimes they
Orc
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
battle skills.
3
I always appear like I am about to kill everyone around me.
4
I love a good brawl.
5
I drink the blood of monsters to consume their power.
6
I chant orcish war
have a calm temperament and let insults roll off my back.
2
I don’t fear the gods and have no patience for superstitions.
3
I am slow to anger, but when I do become enraged I fight
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
rules (discussed in part 3), and the type of game you want to run. Describe to the players how you envision the game experience and let them give you input. The game is theirs, too. Lay that groundwork
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
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->Infernal Machine Rebuild
lizardfolk guards heading out on patrol and monsters potentially breaking free and running amok. When that happens, keep a rough idea of where those guards and monsters might be heading, and let the
Never Alone As the characters explore the Temple of Moloch, keep in mind that this is an active, living dungeon filled with guards, servants, and monsters. Different areas provide information on
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
characters. You’re there to run the monsters, referee the rules, and keep the story moving.
It’s a shared story. It’s the group’s story, so let the players contribute to the outcome through the actions of
D&D world, as well as the one who reads (and sometimes also writes) the adventure and describes what happens in response to the characters’ actions. The DM plays monsters. The DM plays the monsters
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual
tails bristling with detachable spikes. These monsters launch their tail spikes at their prey, skewering those on the ground or knocking flying creatures from the air. Despite their ravenous tendencies
Let a group navigate its territory unharmed. 5 Let someone pretend to slay it in battle. 6 Scare or threaten someone. 7 Serve a creature as a steed until the sun sets. 8 Try to locate something from its
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
. You can let your imagination run wild. This chapter contains optional rules that you can use to customize your campaign, as well as guidelines on creating your own material, such as monsters and
Chapter 9: Dungeon Master’s Workshop As the Dungeon Master, you aren’t limited by the rules in the Player’s Handbook, the guidelines in these rules, or the selection of monsters in the Monster Manual
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Respect for the DM As the DM, you have the right to expect your players to respect you and the effort you put into making a fun game for everyone. The players need to let you direct the campaign
prefer to let the DM make a call and continue playing. If you gloss over a rules issue in play, make a note of it and return to the issue later. Some players like to use the rules to argue against
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Respect for the DM As the DM, you have the right to expect your players to respect you and the effort you put into making a fun game for everyone. The players need to let you direct the campaign
discussions at the table. Some groups don’t mind putting the game on hold while they discuss different interpretations of a rule. Others prefer to let the DM make a call and continue playing. If you
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
for player characters and monsters to use. Those spells are followed by suggestions on customizing the look of your spells. The chapter then offers a selection of new magic items, including artifacts
them, so make sure to let your DM know which options you’d most like to use in play. In her lab, Tasha confers with the demon lord Graz’zt through a magic mirror
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium
Caster feat is an example of a feature that does let you bypass a 1-action casting time to cast a spell in place of making an opportunity attack. A few monsters can make opportunity attacks with melee
used. By extension, the Extra Attack feature (given by several classes, including the fighter and paladin) doesn’t let you cast extra attack spells. That feature specifically relies on the Attack
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
Desert Encounters If the players are restless or spoiling for a fight, use the following encounters. Pesh and Shamir avoid combat and try their best to stay out of harm’s way. Wandering Monsters The
from the sands. Two rakshasas masquerading as Bedine nomads named Imura and Sikkat offer to guide the party to a magic oasis. The rakshasas attack the characters as soon as they let down their guard
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
everyone around me. 4 I love a good brawl. 5 I drink the blood of monsters to consume their power. 6 I chant orcish war dirges during combat. Orc Ideals d6 Ideal 1 Strength. Showing superior
calm temperament and let insults roll off my back. 2 I don’t fear the gods and have no patience for superstitions. 3 I am slow to anger, but when I do become enraged I fight until my enemies are dead
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
over, you will need more than a descriptive overview to bring a long and harrowing journey to life; you’ll need to know the party’s marching order and have encounters at the ready. Let your players
one might come at them from above or behind. If an encounter features stealthy monsters, a character tending to the party’s pack animals might get the first indication that monsters are near when a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
badly!” As the characters fight monsters, you can reveal information to help the players make good choices, as described in the sections that follow. Awarding Heroic Inspiration
As discussed in the
attack. On the other hand, if the characters aren’t damaging the creature much, let the players know the creature doesn’t look hurt. That might encourage the players to change their plan. Abilities
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Creating a Combat Encounter When creating a combat encounter, let your imagination run wild and build something your players will enjoy. Once you have the details figured out, use this section to
2,400 4,900 7,300 10,900 20th 2,800 5,700 8,500 12,700 CHALLENGE RATING
When putting together an encounter or adventure, especially at lower levels, exercise caution when using monsters whose
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
: the withered shrubs are actually monsters. It’s important to establish which characters are closest to the hidden monsters.
2 Jared: The cave entrance is ten feet wide, with the stream running
, and the DM is waiting for the right time to reveal the hidden monsters.
Jared: OK, who’s second?
Phillip: Gareth will go second.
Maeve (as Mirabella): I’ll be third in line.
Amy (as Auro
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
your players’ imaginations by describing a horror indirectly in stages. Chapter 5 features advice or making familiar monsters more frightful. Also consider the following elements when describing
? When it becomes desperate, how does it react? Let Players Fill Gaps Invite players to turn their imaginations against themselves. Leave details intentionally blank, describing just enough to reveal
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
possibilities: Ambush. Monsters set up an ambush along a route they expect travelers to follow. Attack from Above. Flying monsters swoop down to attack the characters. Distant Sighting. The
characters and monsters spot each other from a distance in open terrain. Found by Chance. The characters happen upon monsters that are camping, eating, hunting, basking in the sun, walking along the same trail
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Targets in Areas of Effect table. To use the table, imagine which combatants are near one another, and let the table guide you in determining the number of those combatants that are caught in an area of
(100-foot line) at some ogres and hobgoblins, and you could use the table to say four of the monsters are targeted (100 ÷ 30 = 3.33, rounded up to 4). This approach aims at simplicity instead of spatial precision. If you prefer more tactical nuance, consider using miniatures.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
spends one of her four 1st-level slots and has three remaining. Finishing a long rest restores any expended spell slots. Some characters and monsters have special abilities that let them cast spells
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
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
characters might sense that the monks are exchanging furtive glances with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) skill check. Recruits or Members? The Sacred Stone monks might be persuaded to let the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
trying to deal with panicked students. You can’t just let some monster ruin the first day of classes. Time to step up!
In the western part of area B8, the characters see a half dozen old trunks strewn
this incoming class! And what a bizarre occurrence. I can’t remember any of those old costume trunks ever bearing a hint of magic—let alone that manner of transmutation. I will be having a word with the