monsters some with only armed fight for led

Dead Magic Dweller

Backgrounds Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn

desert are anathema to spellcasters and monsters that rely on magic—which is exactly why you made your life there. Perhaps you’re on the run from Red Wizards, or you ran afoul of a

powerful djinni in Calimshan. Whatever the case, you decided that living in Anauroch was your best option. After long months or years, you’re stronger, wiser, and armed with hard-earned knowledge of desert medicine and wasteland survival.

Girallon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

looks like an oversized, four-armed ape with grayish-tan skin and white fur. Its vicious fangs and claws reveal it to be a monstrous predator. Girallons are most common in temperate or warm forest

of several individuals and their offspring, usually led by a dominant adult that also tends to be the oldest member of the group. When on the hunt away from their lair, girallons use roars and body

Beast Master Legacy

Classes Player’s Handbook (2014)

The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the wild. United in focus, beast and ranger fight the monsters that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike.

Fire Giant Dreadnought

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

their exterior and have hollow interiors into which the dreadnought pours hot coals at the first sign of danger. Armed with these two shields, the dreadnought can present a fiery wall to any attacker

. When the dreadnought has finished, often all that is left of a foe is a smoking smear on the floor. When not called on to fight, dreadnoughts maintain their strength by using their shields to shove huge

Space Clown

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

first spelljamming helm;spelljamming helms from dohwar merchants (see “Dohwar”). Subsequent visits to other Wildspace systems led to contact with a multitude of other folk. In the wake of

space in garishly decorated ships and sometimes take up residence on populated worlds, where they set up carnival tents to lure curious onlookers into their clutches. They are armed with colorfully

Kolyarut

Monsters Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

: Monsters of the Multiverse) and punished in brutally decisive fashion. In cases where the terms of a contract or a foundational truth of an agreement come into question, the Kolyarut sends a component part

their questions have been satisfied, they report back to their creator, allowing the Kolyarut to impose accurate judgments. Kolyaruts are four-armed beings of magic and machinery. Like maruts, they

Black Viper

Monsters Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

of her station. In her younger days, Esvele openly rebelled, but that behavior led to locked doors at night and house guards watching her every move during the day. So she taught herself how to pick

nobles she targets are made of sterner stuff, so Esvele has learned how to fight as well. She knows she's playing a dangerous game, but is satisfied that at least one member of the Rosznar family is earning the respect of Waterdeep's nobility.

Chitine

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

":"piercing"} piercing damage.Dedicated to Lolth, chitines are multiarmed bipeds with arachnid qualities. Most live in colonies in the Underdark and fight the enemies of the Demon Queen of Spiders

to command and create more chitines on its own. These choldriths soon led the chitines to rebel and abandon their creators, founding free colonies elsewhere in the Underdark. On occasion, though

Folk Hero Legacy

Backgrounds Basic Rules (2014)

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

tyrants and monsters that threaten the common folk everywhere. Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Survival Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools, vehicles (land

Path of the Ancestral Guardian (XGtE)

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

barbarian who follows this path rages, the barbarian contacts the spirit world and calls on these guardian spirits for aid. Barbarians who draw on their ancestral guardians can better fight to protect

. These tattoos tell sagas of victories against terrible monsters and other fearsome rivals. Path of the Ancestral Guardian Features Barbarian Level Feature 3rd Ancestral Protectors

Path of the Ancestral Guardian

Classes Xanathar's Guide to Everything

barbarian who follows this path rages, the barbarian contacts the spirit world and calls on these guardian spirits for aid. Barbarians who draw on their ancestral guardians can better fight to protect

. These tattoos tell sagas of victories against terrible monsters and other fearsome rivals. Path of the Ancestral Guardian Features Barbarian Level Feature 3rd Ancestral Protectors

Selesnya Initiate

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

I cherish a leaf from Vitu-Ghazi that changes color with the seasons, even though it is no longer attached to the tree. 6 Every member of the conclave is my kin, and I would fight for any one

of them. Flaws d6 Flaw 1 I’m terrified of getting into a fight where my side is outnumbered. 2 I assume that people mean well until they prove otherwise

Barbarian Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

fraught with peril: rival tribes, deadly weather, and terrifying monsters. Barbarians charge headlong into that danger so that their people don’t have to. Their courage in the face of danger makes

stranger in the area of the campaign? Or is the campaign set in a rough-and-tumble frontier where barbarians are common? What led you to take up the adventuring life? Were you lured to settled lands

Mercenary Veteran

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

Young Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

their rivals. The sonic pulse of their breath weapon sows weakness, leaving the victims unable to fight back. Luminous Blue Sapphire dragons’ scales and wing membranes show varied shades of

’s knowledge of occult phenomena to track the influence of the Far Realm. Armed with that knowledge, sapphire dragons stamp out alien influence before it spreads. People who dwell or delve deep

Kalashtar Legacy

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

Ancient Sapphire Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

breath weapon sows weakness, leaving the victims unable to fight back. Luminous Blue Sapphire dragons’ scales and wing membranes show varied shades of blue, ranging from the light tones of a

track the influence of the Far Realm. Armed with that knowledge, sapphire dragons stamp out alien influence before it spreads. People who dwell or delve deep beneath the earth can easily find

Hobgoblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

banners, each one made up of a group of interrelated families. Members of a banner live, work, and fight together, and each banner has a separate status within the legion that is reflected in the power of

necessarily commensurate from one legion to another or even between banners in the same legion. A phalanx of foot soldiers led by a captain in one legion might be two hundred strong, while in another such

Noble - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

city. If they do, it is generally as thrill-seeking tourists or enclosed by a retinue of armed guards, not as friends or neighbors. As a result, many patriars are at once acutely attuned to the

can be attendants or messengers, and one might be a majordomo. Your retainers are commoners who can perform mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will not follow you into obviously dangerous areas (such as dungeons), and will leave if they are frequently endangered or abused.

Golgari Agent

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

fight it off. 2 I assume that anyone outside the Golgari looks down on me. 3 I feel a need for revenge against those who enjoy the privilege of living above ground. 4 I don’t

me for turning the tide. 6 An Izzet scientist resents that I sold a scrapped invention I found in the sewer. 7 My undercity explorations led me into an Orzhov vault, and a spirit thinks I

Sapphire Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

their lairs fiercely, ambushing intruders and plotting assaults against their rivals. The sonic pulse of their breath weapon sows weakness, leaving the victims unable to fight back. Luminous Blue

. They frequently ally with emerald dragons, drawing on their kin’s knowledge of occult phenomena to track the influence of the Far Realm. Armed with that knowledge, sapphire dragons stamp out

Orc Legacy

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

Ranger Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

trackless forests and across wide and empty plains, rangers keep their unending watch. Deadly Hunters Warriors of the wilderness, rangers specialize in hunting the monsters that threaten the edges of

ranger’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of monsters that press in from the wild. In some places, rangers gather in secretive orders or join forces with

Lower Menthis

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron

, brothels, and spontaneous performances in the streets. Lower Menthis is also home to the Burning Ring, a fight club where spectators bet on amateur gladiators. Technically illegal, the Burning Ring

moves around the ward. Competitors are armed but unarmored; matches continue until a contestant yields, but fatalities do happen.

Lower Menthis

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

well as gambling halls, brothels, and spontaneous performances in the streets. Lower Menthis is also home to the Burning Ring, a fight club where spectators bet on amateur gladiators. Technically

illegal, the Burning Ring moves around the ward. Competitors are armed but unarmored; matches continue until a contestant yields, but fatalities do happen.

Law and Order

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Defense One hundred trained warriors serve in the town guard. Each of them wears studded leather armor marked with a town guard’s badge — the green reed of Saltmarsh — and is armed with a club while

the town guard is Eliander Fireborn. The guard also patrols the area around Saltmarsh on horseback. Groups assigned to this duty are more heavily armed and armored; they wear chain mail and wield

Cult Assets

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat

Cult Assets Severin. The head of the cult remains in the temple sanctuary (area 13), wearing the Mask of the Dragon Queen while the Red Wizards weave their magic. He can fight defensively or

offensively as needed, and rank-and-file cultists fight to the death as long as they know Severin is alive. See appendix D for Severin’s statistics. Rath Modar. Rath Modar leads the ritual of guidance, but

Su-monsters

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

Parleying with Monsters

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

Horror Monsters

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

Heroes of Destiny

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

inheritance if you can make a name for yourself as a hero. Donjon You’re stranded far from home and intend to fight your way back. Euryale A year of solitude gave you clarity and led you down the

choose the entries that speak to you or randomly pull cards from The Deck of Many Things card set. One of the most important steps of a warrior’s journey is discovering the reason why you fight. Glory

Fighting

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.

Step 2: Choose Encounter Size

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.

Rudolph van Richten

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

, van Richten has hunted monsters and armed others with the knowledge they need to confront evil. Though he’s made many devoted allies, he keeps them at arm’s length, fearing the threat of his curse

a wicked vampire. In the process of hunting the vampire, Rudolph came under a terrible curse: “Live you always among monsters, and see everyone you love die beneath their claws.” In the decades since

Location Overview

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention

Location Overview The wizard Thalivar built a tower at the heart of Leilon as a laboratory to study the monsters of the cosmos. Using a device called a planar beacon, Thalivar lured his prey into the

the town, and the monsters lurking within the tower were released. A local adventuring party, the Swords of Leilon, died trying to stop them from spilling out into the town below. Since then, the

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