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Returning 35 results for 'secrets of rune defeat variant'.
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Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Hill Rune. The giant has a hill rune inscribed on a rock or some other object in its possession. While holding or wearing the object bearing the rune, the giant can use its Stone Avalanche action and
Hill Rebuff reaction.
The object bearing the rune has AC 15; 20 hit points; and immunity to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. The object regains all its hit points at the end of every turn, but
Monsters
Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Death Rune. The giant has a death rune inscribed on a giant’s skull in its possession. While holding or wearing the skull bearing the rune, the giant can use its Reaping Scythe action and
Shroud of Souls bonus action.
The skull bearing the death rune has AC 18; 35 hit points; and immunity to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. The skull regains all its hit points at the end of every turn
Monsters
The Book of Many Things
encounter.
Variant: Servants of Living Stars
Some stars in the sky are Elder Evils, alien beings of godlike power from the reality-defying Far Realm.
A living portent can be a fragment of these beings
minions to avert its own demise.
Khirad, the Star of Secrets. A blue-white star whose gifts grant insight but also reveal terrible truths.
Zhudun, the Corpse Star. A dead star that whispers of the
Monsters
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth approximately 100 gp, based on its composition and craftsmanship
. They think and speak and even feel emotions based on their new experiences, but given their circumstances, those emotions tend to be muted.
VARIANT: RETURNED KAKOMANTIS
Although the dead typically
Monsters
Storm King's Thunder
said that the Forgotten God journeyed to the Elemental Plane of Earth and, through guile and deception, defeated the Grand Khan of the dao. The price of that defeat was harsh: the dao were forced to
that yakfolk are lazy—quite the contrary. They simply consider most menial tasks beneath them.
Yakfolk have a drive for learning, particularly when it comes to the secrets of elemental magic
Monsters
Storm King's Thunder
enslave dao for a time. It is said that the Forgotten God journeyed to the Elemental Plane of Earth and, through guile and deception, defeated the Grand Khan of the dao. The price of that defeat was harsh
secrets of elemental magic and dark knowledge that might serve to corrupt or dominate others. Knowledge that the yakfolk can’t gain or use is to be destroyed. Unsentimental by nature, yakfolk
Backgrounds
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
easily pick out the dens of criminal activity in a community, although you’re more likely to be welcome in the former locations rather than the latter.
Variant: Investigator
Rarer
defeat my company suffered or the enemies who dealt it.
5
Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
6
I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
d6
Flaw
Book of Vile Darkness
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Magic Items
Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
The contents of this foul manuscript of ineffable wickedness are the meat and drink of those in evil’s thrall. No mortal was meant to know the secrets it contains, knowledge so horrid that to
darkness. An evil rune might appear on your face, your eyes might become glossy black, or horns might sprout from your forehead. Or you might become wizened and hideous, lose all facial features, gain a
Magic Items
Keys from the Golden Vault
The contents of this foul manuscript of ineffable wickedness are the meat and drink of those in evil’s thrall. No mortal was meant to know the secrets it contains, knowledge so horrid that to
.
Mark of Darkness. After you spend the requisite amount of time reading and studying the book, you acquire a physical disfigurement as a hideous sign of your devotion to vile darkness. An evil rune might
Criminal / Spy
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Backgrounds
Basic Rules (2014)
; specifically, you know the local messengers, corrupt caravan masters, and seedy sailors who can deliver messages for you.
Variant Criminal: Spy
Although your capabilities are not much different
sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder.
Suggested Characteristics
Criminals might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an
Backgrounds
Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
cast ensnaring strike, for example, the vines created by the spell might appear as rune-inscribed glowing bands that wrap around the target and hold it in place.
Suggested Characteristics
recruited me into the Azorius left and joined the Boros.
3
I have a friendship with a Dimir agent who sometimes funnels me secrets about Azorius activities.
4
A Golgari spore druid would love to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
; it isn’t maug, but it isn’t maat, either. Mastering the secrets of magic, though, demands a degree of devotion that would take giants away from pursuits that are valued by the ordning. As a
consequence, it’s a path rarely taken. The exception is rune magic. Giants are drawn to the solidity and permanence of magical runes. Stone giants are great practitioners of rune carving, both because of the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
later in this chapter). Nikki Dawes Orc Rune Carver Building a Rune Carver Character Scholarly pursuits, ancient mysteries, or a fateful encounter might inspire a character to pursue the secrets of a
Rune Carver What we call rune magic is the palest imitation of Annam’s creative work. He shaped worlds from the primal elements; we struggle to bind the merest scraps of elemental power into the
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
keen intellect and magic to discover the secrets of making steel. Its military shattered rival tribes and developed advanced tactics for fighting in forests and open plains.
The civilization grew into a
can more easily pronounce the name in this altered form. An adopted name of this sort is recognized as a variant of the birth name, rather than a unique name unto itself. A yuan-ti might refer to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Hill Giant Avalancher Hill giants who master rune magic discover a close connection to the natural forces of earth and stone. Their magic, combined with their size and strength, helps them quickly
with their ability to defeat and devour their prey as quickly as a torrent of boulders cascades down a mountain, leads other giants to call them avalanchers. Hill Giant Avalancher Huge Giant (Druid
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur’s Gate Gazetteer
variant feature that ties the background to a group in Baldur’s Gate, provided to give characters an additional connection to the city. Characters may choose to replace the standard feature of their
background with one of these variant features. Each background also includes a bonus feature that marks a character as a native of Baldur’s Gate who’s familiar with the city — both its streets and its
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
variant feature that ties the background to a group in Baldur’s Gate, provided to give characters an additional connection to the city. Characters may choose to replace the standard feature of their
background with one of these variant features. Each background also includes a bonus feature that marks a character as a native of Baldur’s Gate who’s familiar with the city — both its streets and its
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Level 6: Lost Level The Lost Level is designed for four 9th-level characters, and characters who defeat the monsters on this level should gain enough XP to advance halfway to 10th level. This level
was a temple complex dedicated to the dwarven god Dumathoin, the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain. Hidden inside is the tomb of Melair, king of the Melairkyn dwarves. Before running this level
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
never known defeat, and all who oppose him live in torment. By the time this adventure begins, the lich has gathered a hoard of secrets and is nearly ready to begin the Ritual of Remaking. Only the characters can stop Vecna’s evil plan.
The Ritual of Remaking Vecna’s Ritual of Remaking involves gathering powerful secrets, extracting energy from them, and interweaving this energy with the lich’s essence and magic. After Vecna and his
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
always occur in shady venues.
Variant Criminal: Spy
Although your capabilities are not much different from those of a burglar or smuggler, you learned and practiced them in a very
different context: as an espionage agent. You might have been an officially sanctioned agent of the crown, or perhaps you sold the secrets you uncovered to the highest bidder.
Suggested
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
and the Material Plane for souls that might please their divine queen. Most giants know better than to make regular use of the death rune.
—Diancastra
“Know better”? Perhaps, but there’s no
frightened condition until the end of that creature’s next turn.
Tony Foti Death Giant Shrouded One A death giant shrouded one has learned the secrets of death magic—some say from the Raven Queen
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
facing the might of one of the multiverse’s most powerful good-aligned spellcasters, so the warlord devised a plot to trick Alustriel into helping him defeat Vecna. With the help of spies, Kas learned
to dispel the collective power of the secrets Vecna gathered, rendering the lich’s Ritual of Remaking useless. Despite looking identical to Mordenkainen, Kas has no significant magical power. This
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild
natures are then confirmed by the agents themselves. Any injury dealt to Lynx Creatlach shows the unnatural construction of her undead flesh and the rune-scribed skeleton beneath it. Any injury dealt to Sir
Ursas causes him to shout out in rage, swearing vengeance “in the name of my unholy patron, Bel!” If either agent gains control of the Infernal Machine, they immediately use it to attempt to defeat
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
, and storm giant tempest caller all wield the traditional rune magic of their kind. They are joined by the death giant shrouded one and the fomorian warlock of the dark, giants outside the ordning
that nevertheless wield rune magic. Giant Cultists. Other variations include giants that follow the cults of "interloper gods." Some of these are Fiends transformed by their devotion to demon lords or
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
came here to learn secrets and receive divine guidance. While attuned to the room and inside it, a dwarf can cast the divination spell at will. Answers provided by the spell come from an unknown source
(perhaps the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain, perhaps the mountain itself). Too many castings of the spell in a short amount of time can lead to false readings, as noted in the spell’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Jhesiyra Kestellharp Among the greatest of Undermountain’s secrets is the story of Jhesiyra Kestellharp, who was one of Halaster’s most gifted apprentices until it became clear to her that Halaster
, inhabiting the very dungeon itself. Halaster is unaware of Jhesiyra’s presence but also wonders over her disappearance following the Spellplague. Jhesiyra’s plan is to use adventurers to defeat Halaster so
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
. Slaughtertusk is happy to let a fight drag on, feasting on its enemies’ pain before finally slaying them. If reduced to fewer than 100 hit points, it uses its Summon Demon feature (see the “Variant
if the adventurers have it at their mercy, promising to tell them the secrets of the Maze Engine or anything else they want. At the first opportunity, it teleports away, summoning demonic aid to cover its retreat if possible.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
damage is real. A character free of the vision can free another character from it by using an action to shake or slap them. If the characters defeat Hexacali, their last collective memory is of pinning
Kestellharp”). The first creature to pass through the gate triggers an elder rune (see “Elder Runes”). A creature that passes through the gate appears in area 25b on level 10, in the closest unoccupied space next to the identical gate located there.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
had risen again, becoming an evil god of secrets and magic on Oerth. Vecna’s defeat of Kas grates on the warlord’s ego. Kas aches to annihilate Vecna. Meanwhile, Vecna has been building his power, though the lich yearns to finally destroy his former lieutenant.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
rules from chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook, your Dungeon Master might allow you to take a feat as a variant supernatural gift. You gain one feat of your choice. This list suggests twelve feats from
my strength when I rest on it. (Durable)
The stars of Nyx are never hidden from my sight, revealing their secrets to my eyes. (Keen Mind)
I hear the echoes of the gods’ speech in every mortal
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
. As characters adventure in a Darklord’s domain, they learn about the Darklord, hear reports of the Darklord’s infamy, and eventually discover secrets to frustrate or undermine the villain. Consider
memories, might also reveal secrets. Such truths might be hidden, but the Dark Powers ensure they survive to torment the Darklord. Jane Katsubo The Tome of Strahd recounts the
tale of Strahd von
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata
enslave dao for a time. It is said that the Forgotten God journeyed to the Elemental Plane of Earth and, through guile and deception, defeated the Grand Khan of the dao. The price of that defeat was
yakfolk are lazy—quite the contrary. They simply consider most menial tasks beneath them.
Yakfolk have a drive for learning, particularly when it comes to the secrets of elemental magic and dark
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
inspiration if the characters manage to defeat a powerful foe, execute a cunning plan to achieve a goal, or otherwise overcome a daunting obstacle in the campaign. Genre Emulation. Inspiration is a handy tool
can’t help but spend a night in a haunted house to learn its secrets. They probably also go off alone when they shouldn’t. If the party splits up, consider giving each character inspiration. A sensible
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Giants of the Star Forge
. To fill the gaps in her knowledge and learn the secrets of the Star Forge, Brimskarda has kidnapped the renowned human smith Theldin and forced him to toil at the forge alongside her. Complicating
territorial dragon distracted. Work on the runic colossus is almost complete. Unless capable heroes arrive to rescue Theldin or defeat Brimskarda, it’s only a matter of time until the region is turned
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ravenloft: The Horrors Within
broadly accepted reality? Stories and Secrets. Are tales of other domains or settings treated as facts, lore known only to a few, legends, or nonsense? Is that true for all places beyond a domain’s borders
potential defeat of a Darklord? Or would you rather keep a Darklord in the background and focus on other stories? Darklord Downfalls. Can a Darklord be defeated, or are they an enduring and recurring threat