monsters survive with only adopt from for led

Giant Strider

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

or carried.These fierce and majestic monsters exhibit attributes of both birds and reptiles, but are truly neither. Giant striders have a supernatural affinity to fire and can spit gouts of flame at

adopt them whenever possible. They provide for stables of these creatures in their lairs, and in return, the giant striders voluntarily serve as mounts for firenewt warrior;firenewt warriors.Fire

Dzaan

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

. Dzaan might have become a force to reckon with in the brotherhood had his quest for power not led him to Icewind Dale, where he was killed by the people of Easthaven after making a few too many enemies

effectively becomes a clone of Dzaan, authentic in every way. Companion. Because they’re so despised throughout Faerûn, Red Wizards often adopt disguises and rarely travel abroad without an escort

Dzaan's Simulacrum

Monsters Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

expended spell slots. It has wasted its 3rd-level spell slots trying to reach Dzaan with sending spells, to no avail, and has expended other spell slots to help it survive the perils of the spire. It uses

. If this change occurs, the simulacrum effectively becomes a clone of Dzaan, authentic in every way. Companion. Because they're so despised throughout Faerûn, Red Wizards often adopt disguises and

Girallon

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

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

out across the world. Numerous creatures have tried to tame, subjugate, or cooperate with the monsters. For instance, some forest-dwelling peoples capture girallons and train them to serve as sentinels

Halfling Legacy

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

might be a wagon jostling along a dirt road or a raft floating downriver. Small and Practical The diminutive halflings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring

Pirate Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the

under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and lawlessness. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one

Sailor Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the

You spent your youth under the sway of a dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent

Demilich (Variant) Legacy

Monsters Monster Manual (2014)

Nature. A demilich doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep. So great is a demilich’s will to survive that it always has the maximum number of hit points for its Hit Dice, instead of average

hit points.A Demilich’s Lair A demilich hides its earthly remains and treasures in a labyrinthine tomb guarded by monsters and traps. At the heart of this labyrinth rests the demilich’s

Kasimir Velikov

Monsters Curse of Strahd

led her down a path of evil and deceit. For that reason, Kasimir wants to see the vampire destroyed so that his sister can be rescued from her eternal damnation. Secrets of the Amber Temple. Patrina

spying on the temple for years, but he needs adventurers to help him survive its perils. He thinks that the secret to breaking Strahd's pact and freeing Barovia from its curse might be hidden there, but

Folk Hero Legacy

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

Assassin Bug

Monsters Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio Volume 1

able to survive an assassin bug's infestation without immediately being treated with magic or fire. Incredibly hardy monsters such as catoblepas and gorgons have sometimes been observed with deep

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

Sailor - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

, characters with this background are common. You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to

dread pirate, a ruthless cutthroat who taught you how to survive in a world of sharks and savages. You’ve indulged in larceny on the high seas and sent more than one deserving soul to a briny grave

Kenku Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

groups called flocks. A flock is led by the oldest and most experienced kenku with the widest store of knowledge to draw on, often called Master. Although kenku can’t create new things, they have

noises and phrases. Kenku names tend to break down into three categories that make no distinction between male and female names. Kenku thugs, warriors, and toughs adopt noises made by weapons, such as the

Tiefling Legacy

Species Basic Rules (2014)

their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust

reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some

Firbolg Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

wood survive until springtime. In a firbolg’s eyes, there is no greater fault than greed. The firbolgs believe that the world remains healthiest when each creature takes only what it needs

adopt elven names when they must deal with outsiders, although the concept of names strikes them as strange. They know the animals and plants of the forest without formal names, and instead identify the

Gruul Anarch

Backgrounds Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

’t survive away from the comforts of the city. 4 Don’t tell me I’m not allowed to do something. 5 Laws are for people who are afraid to face their inner beasts. 6 I

siblings or ancestors.] Flaws d6 Flaw 1 If you question my courage, I will never back down. 2 HrrrGGGAAAARRuuuh! [My anger in battle led to the death of a loved one

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

kalashtar communities focus on acts of devotion known as the Path of Light. But the dark powers of Dal Quor have their own plans for Eberron. Through the force known as the Dreaming Dark, these monsters

Feral Tiefling

Species Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust

reflect their fiendish heritage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find a place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then try to embody that concept. For some

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

scythe. Only a skilled and determined hero can hope to survive single combat with an orc. Savage and fearless, orc tribes are ever in search of elves, dwarves, and humans to destroy. Motivated by their

Luthic. He predicts that the war will end with Luthic the only deity standing, as the cave mother ascends to rule her warrior children. Life in the Tribe Orcs survive through savagery and force of

Noteworthy Sites

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

have suffered neglect that has led to increased banditry on top of the usual attacks by monsters. One of the largest borderlands settlements, Milpazul, caters to travelers looking for shelter. It has

Noteworthy Sites San Citlán is a land of contrasts. Lavish mansions cradle the wealthy while the poor scrape to survive. Purses are filled in lively markets and emptied in cantinas and wrestling

Niranjan

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

ascetic scholars who practiced Ramsana, a way of life whose central tenet advises nonattachment to the material world. Now only a small, reclusive group of these scholars remains, led by the elderly

adopt their teachings and search the Mists for their source. Anyone who comes to the ashram must divest themselves of worldly goods, which are added to Sarthak’s hidden hoard. The false sadhu then helps

Studies and Philosophy

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

view celebrates the diversity and adaptability of life-forms, from the tiniest cells to the most complex networks of living things. The growth philosophy asserts that the urge to survive and

reproduce is the most essential principle in the cosmos. Mages who adopt this view wield positive energy and practice healing magic. The philosophy of the vein (decay) focuses on the inevitability of death

Quaggoths

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual

can survive on bitter lichens and toxic fungi, they viciously attack anything they can make a meal of, from giant spiders to explorers. Quaggoths sometimes serve as muscle for Underdark-dwelling

villains. Quaggoths frequently collect in small bands led by the most fearsome group member. These bands are proud and quick to hold grudges. Anyone who harms a quaggoth—or who is suspected of doing so

Goblin Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

out while still getting decent performance out of the slaves. But humanoids and monsters that are especially capable or that provide unusual services find themselves treated like favored (though

. Gatherers, and the pariahs beneath them, greatly fear for their lives in battle, believing that the lashers and the hunters have special knowledge of how to survive. It is the members of the lower

Knowledge of Kalaman

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

province of Nightlund. Ancient Bastion. Kalaman is a thriving trade city known for its strong walls, castle, and harbor beacons, all of which predate the Cataclysm. Rulers. The city is led by a

governor, a council of prominent guild leaders, and a military marshal. Military. Kalaman maintains a significant military force to deter raiders from Estwilde and monsters from the Dargaard Mountains. Vingaard Port. The city sits at the mouth of the Vingaard River, about thirty miles downriver from Vogler.

Infiltrating Web's Edge

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

without a plan, they’re unlikely to survive the experience, let alone retrieve the first piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. See the advice below for handling strategies the characters might adopt. Being

Notorious Monsters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Notorious Monsters Every monster tells a story. The more you treat monsters as unique individuals and foreshadow their threat, the larger they’ll loom in characters’ minds. Build dread by giving

monsters reputations that suggests their form, deeds, or peculiarities while letting players’ imaginations embellish details. For example, tales describe a horrifying skeletal figure that corrupts the

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

Lamordia

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

chemical accidents and the proper formulas. Golems, homunculi, and other constructed beings groan to life to support a populace desperate to survive in this frigid realm. Frozen bogs and glacial expanses

vain ambitions. And no ambitions have led to greater evils than the work of the domain’s Darklord, Dr. Viktra Mordenheim.

Noteworthy Features

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

or creature in the jungles of Valachan might turn hostile toward explorers. Packs of displacer beasts roam the jungle, led by Yana, a preternaturally cunning displacer beast that serves Chakuna

names take inspiration from Mesoamerican languages. When players create characters from Valachan, consider asking them the following questions: How did you avoid or survive participating in the

A Pox on the Land

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder

obliterating them, she hopes to impress the gods and elevate her people to the top of the ordning. By the time the adventurers set a course for her canyon, Kayalithica has already led major assaults

stone giants won’t easily be turned against their thane, but they might be persuaded to help adventurers survive the perils of Deadstone Cleft by providing information about the canyon and its defenses. They can also shed light on Kayalithica’s evil intentions.

Adventure Background

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

, god of storms, led by their champion Fheralai Stormsworm. The cult’s headquarters are inside a death knight dreadnaught, an undead galleon, which prowls the coast looking for trade ships to plunder

both groups pose to the region. They need the help of adventurers if they want their rebuilt settlement to survive the danger.

Dark Sun

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse

followed the defeat of the gods, mighty sorcerer-kings came to power and nearly destroyed the world with their reckless use of defiling magic. They made Athas into a desert where terrible monsters roam and

only the strongest survive. One of the hallmarks of the Dark Sun setting is that the heroes don’t need to seek out forgotten dungeons to find adventure — mere survival is adventure enough. But there is no reason you can’t successfully adapt Princes of the Apocalypse to your Dark Sun campaign.

Level 5: Wyllowwood

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Level 5: Wyllowwood Wyllowwood is designed for four 8th-level characters. Those who defeat the monsters on this level should gain enough XP to reach 9th level. In some cases, defeating a monster can

begins its lengthy, tumultuous descent into the Underdark — a voyage no ordinary boat or raft can survive.

D&D Beyond

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