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Monsters
Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
, dybbuks appear as translucent flying jellyfish, trailing long tentacles as they move through the air. They rarely travel in this fashion, however. Instead, a dybbuk possesses a suitable corpse as a
vehicle, rousing the body from death. Dybbuks delight in terrorizing other creatures by making their host bodies behave in horrifying ways—throwing up gouts of blood, excreting piles of squirming
Magic Items
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
herbs, pulped organs-into separate piles.
Traverse the Night. If you are holding the pestle while you are inside the mortar, you can use your action to verbally command the mortar to travel to a
command the mortar to travel, you can instead throw out the dust or paste of something ground by the mortar and name a location on a different plane of existence or a different world on the Material
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
connected to a rail that runs around the curved wall, allowing access to the upper shelves. A delicate, ornate desk stands at the center of the room, surrounded by piles of blank paper. A large map sits on
character on the first round. Every round after that, two more cyclones form, to a maximum of three per character. Treat these paper whirlwinds as swarms of ravens, but they are constructs instead of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
connected to a rail that runs around the curved wall, allowing access to the upper shelves. A delicate, ornate desk stands at the center of the room, surrounded by piles of blank paper. A large map sits on
character on the first round. Every round after that, two more cyclones form, to a maximum of three per character. Treat these paper whirlwinds as swarms of ravens, but they are constructs instead of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a3
15. The Great Hall This hallway is twenty feet wide and has piles of rubble and debris scattered along its length. The walls are covered with frescoes. The south wall displays scenes of a battle
instead take 10 minutes to remove the plate from the floor, requiring the same sort of check as for an attempt to block the plate from moving. A failed check in this case means another 10 minutes of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
look ungainly, but each can carry tons of trade goods. The characters land at the easternmost inlet if they arrive at Gracklstugh by way of the Darklake, near the Ghohlbrorn’s Lair inn. If they instead
’ access point to a secret cavern system beneath Gracklstugh (see “Whorlstone Tunnels”). It takes a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the pipe beneath piles of refuse. Within, loose
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
through the space of a Medium or larger creature. He has advantage on saving throws against being frightened. He speaks Common and Halfling. He has the animate dead and blight spells prepared, instead of
sized for Losser’s human apprentices and a smaller bed sized for him. Area B10 contains twelve skeletons that attack anyone other than Losser and his apprentices. Area B11 contains piles of human bones
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
’ interpretations of the Night Serpent’s whispers, which she doesn’t understand. Floor-to-ceiling piles of sand have been pushed up in three of the room’s corners. One of the piles conceals a hole in the western
), two are type 2 (human head and body, with snakes for arms), and one is type 3 (human head and upper body with a serpentine lower body instead of legs). The yuan-ti chant a vile prayer, at the end of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a6
passage that leads south. If combat goes against the giant, he flees through this passage to give a warning of intruders to the guards at areas 9 and 10. The room contains piles of hides, a giant sack, and
bales of cloth, piles of hides, and a few odd boxes and barrels of foodstuffs are stashed in an out-of-the-way cave. Treasure. If the characters move any of the boxes and barrels around, the third
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Candlekeep Mysteries
abnormally across the floor to reach for them. Characters who view themselves in a reflection momentarily see the face of a lost loved one or a hated enemy instead of their own. The hair on their arms and
suspense.
Nightmares If the characters sleep in the village, the meenlocks inflict nightmares on them. The characters dream of being trapped in the suffocating darkness beneath piles of rock and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Flee, Mortals! Rule Primer
creature dies within 60 feet of them through other means. On the other hand, you might like to scale up the deadliness with more powerful demons! If so, instead of always using a DC 11 saving throw, you
can set the DC equal to 8 + the demon’s proficiency bonus.
I sometimes sit all day among my treasures. I have piles of coins, one-of-a-kind statuettes, and magic items of great power. Do you know
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
evil mongrelfolk (see appendix D). They sleep under piles of musty animal furs. Both are loyal servants of the Abbot, yet not so good at guarding. If the characters seem friendly, the mongrelfolk escort
feet, 9 inches tall and squats instead of standing upright. He looks like a beardless dwarf with patches of donkey flesh covering his face and body. He has one human ear and one wolf’s ear, and a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
stacks of iron bars and loose piles of scrap iron.
The duergar, Falthra and Helgra, craft weapons here. Years ago, a flying piece of molten iron put out Helgra’s right eye; an iron eye patch bolted
males named Forn and Wulluk, and they’re fashioning shields and bits of scale mail instead of weapons. Forn is fat and lazy, Wulluk old and cantankerous. They grate on each other’s nerves and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
teleportation circle spell prepared instead of cone of cold. Everlund Circle The teleportation circle in Everlund is located inside a circular chamber in Moongleam Tower. An arcane lock spell has been cast on the
training to infiltrate the Arcane Brotherhood. Stairs lead from the attic down to a study, where Sandyse surrounds herself with lit candles and piles of open books. Waterdeep Circle The Waterdeep
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Laboratory of Kwalish
energy cells, and the like. The controls that operate the antimagic field are set into a wall and completely hidden behind a pile of junk. More piles of junk hide the monastery’s treasure, including
laboratory’s equipment to return to its original body. Instead of being thankful, however, the devil turns against the characters at the first opportunity. Kwalish’s Journal. The cover of Kwalish’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
. Instead, a ghost custodian named Newmy lives inside. She’s affixed a piece of paper with “Newmy’s Room” written on it in Common. If anyone approaches the slab, Newmy pops out, sputtering apologies
?” Treasure. The following Dolindar family treasures sit atop the pedestals: 2,200 gp in neatly stacked piles A golden helmet worth 280 gp A Driftglobe with a map of the gate towns of the Outlands carved on
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Divine Contention
characters who aren’t devoted followers of Myrkul enter these chambers, the heaped bones begin to quietly stir. Characters who succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check notice the bone piles shifting. If
/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Ebondeath uses its possession ability to jump between party members and turn them against each other. It fights to the end
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
mortar separate its contents—like powdered bone, crushed herbs, pulped organs—into separate piles. Traverse the Night. If you are holding the pestle while you are inside the mortar, you can use your
night, 1 minute later. Bones Know Their Home. When you command the mortar to travel, you can instead throw out the dust or paste of something ground by the mortar and name a location on a different
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5
the creature deals for 1 minute instead causes the target to gain 5 (1d10) temporary hit points per successful attack. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the
-Threat Monsters” above). Each creature sits atop a different bone mound, and they all attack when it becomes clear that the characters have not brought food. Bone Piles. These 1-foot-high piles of bones
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
Masters. In their natural form, dybbuks appear as translucent flying jellyfish, trailing long tendrils as they move through the air. They rarely travel in this fashion, however. Instead, a dybbuk
-mindedness that betrays its true nature. Dybbuks delight in terrorizing other creatures by making their host bodies behave in horrifying ways — throwing up gouts of blood, excreting piles of squirming
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
. Characters with no special interest in serving a deity might participate in the “Scales of War” prelude instead. The prelude unfolds in a surreal, dreamlike situation where characters can follow a
characters have been having: You stand at the center of a forest clearing. Clashing steel echoes from the thicket beyond. As you look around, you realize piles of bodies cover the ground. One of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
, and often don’t involve physical harm. Instead, offenders are forced to submit to the mind-numbing sameness of performing one task interminably — a fate that, for some, might feel worse than death
. For instance, a warrior might be sequestered here after slacking off during weapons practice, sentenced to a prison term and charged with moving piles of mud from one end of the field to the other
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
hallway. Loose piles of stone form barricades at the front of each alcove, angled to defend against intrusion from the west. A path between the barricades leads to a wide, descending staircase to the east
temple. Those seeking entrance must make signs like those described in E1. If the characters instead ask to speak with the temple’s leaders, one ogre leaves and returns with a razerblast from area E2
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5
are armed with light hammers instead of daggers. The wizard can activate the golem by succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check made as an action. Stone Piles. The 3-foot-high piles of rough
freed, the walls shed bright light instead of dim. The deva shrieks, unable to act until her turn, at which point she attacks the nearest creatures. (The gargoyles avoid her.) A character who succeeds
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
the ladder. A rope-and-hook thrown up to catch the edge always falls short. Casting teleport or misty step moves the caster sideways instead of up to the next level. Bypassing the tests by any means is
into gravel beneath them so they can’t make any more progress. However much the characters try to climb and demolish the steps, they never seem to get any worse and the gravel never piles up any
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
north balcony are lined with alcoves containing piles of skulls and bones — the remains of Old Omuans and their minotaur protectors. Advice from the Spirits Any characters inhabited by trickster
Strength score of 22 and makes one melee weapon attack against the creature: +7 to hit, 24 (4d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, a tentacle can grapple its target (escape DC 16). If the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver
piles of debris. Several young trees have grown up in the midst of the ruins.
The overgrowth conceals a deadly threat—six twig blights lurking among the ordinary foliage. Spotting them requires a
smithy was abandoned long ago. A wide chimney and rotted piles of firewood jumbled outside the walls of this sagging building suggest that it was a smithy in its day.
Two ash zombies (see the “Ash
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight
attack, it knocks the character unconscious instead of dealing a mortal wound. Unconscious characters are either tied up and questioned by Will or dragged to another part of the forest away from Little
, cushions, and piles of straw. Hanging from the six-foot-high ceiling by a rope is a basket that holds apples, berries, sugarcane, and a few crumpled-up sheets of parchment. In one corner, lying on a cushion
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm King's Thunder
instead of a longsword, and a handaxe instead of a shortsword. Misty Forest This evergreen forest gets its name from the fog that creeps down from the High Moor and enshrouds it, making navigation
the following changes: A thunderbeast skeleton can attack with its bite instead of its tail. Its bite attack has a +7 bonus to hit, has a reach of 5 feet, and deals 18 (4d6 + 4) piercing damage on a hit
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos
piles of dusty scrolls, Lorehold students—first as apprentices and then as pledgemages—study the magic of the past, searching for arcane artifacts and speaking with long-dead adventurers to uncover
minute, but the restrained target’s speed is halved instead of being reduced to 0. At the start of each of its turns, the restrained target takes 4 (1d8) force damage. A restrained target can repeat the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation
gatehouse faces the river, on the shore of which are four rowboats tied to a wooden post.
Scattered around the fort are piles of charred human corpses and flayed animal carcasses swarming with flies
structures are sinking into the soft ground around the pits, threatening at any moment to collapse utterly. Most soldiers in the camp avoid the latrines and instead relieve themselves in the jungle (if they
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a5
quarterstaff that deals 1d4 force damage instead of the normal damage of that weapon. The prod suffers no damage from contact with oozes. In addition, an ooze hit by a prod has its speed reduced to 0 until
confronts anyone who enters but stands down if the characters look like Thayans and give a credible reason for being here. Otherwise, the creatures attack. Bone Piles. Here lie fragments of bone left
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye
in plate armor, and where a head should be, there is instead a featureless, luminescent orb.
The neutral ghost haunting this area has no memory of its name or existence in life—a fact which pains it
. Three four-foot-tall burbling masses slink through the muck.
The sewage is 1 foot deep and difficult terrain. The three burbling masses are awakened piles of undead sludge, sloughed from the cult’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
Sacred Stone monk (see chapter 7). M3. South Dormitory This room is arranged as a very uncomfortable-looking barracks. Ten thin pallets are rolled up along the walls, beside neatly folded piles of
clothing — plain, dun-colored robes and sandals. Two of the clothing piles also include golden masks in the shape of scowling gargoyle faces. There are no other furnishings. A single window looks toward
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk
bridge. The goblin doesn’t attack, but instead attempts to sneak away to the east to inform their companions in area H7 to release a flood (see “Flood!” below). Any characters who can see the goblin and
. Natural Chimney. A niche in the western wall forms the top of a shaft that descends 30 feet to area H3. See that area for information on climbing the natural chimney. Supplies. The piles of sacks and






