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Returning 35 results for 'some of rather deadly variant'.
Monsters
Curse of Strahd
witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir's beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and
battled Strahd's armies to the bitter end.
Deadly Vengeance. Unwilling to accept his failure, Vladimir returned as a revenant. So great was his hatred of Strahd and his thirst for vengeance that those
monsters
start of each of its turns, and its Speed decreases by 10 feet.
Deadly Serum. The target takes 11 (2d10);{"diceNotation":"2d10", "rollType":"damage", "rollAction":"Deadly Serum", "rollDamageType
create horrors and wonders. All manner of undead and constructs march from her laboratory, but such flawed creations don’t satisfy Mordenheim. Rather, she seeks to re-create or reclaim her greatest
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
Investigation rather than Athletics.
Suggested Characteristics
Use the tables for the soldier background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to
Backgrounds
Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
wish to use the background’s standard feature might have gained their standing in Baldur’s Gate from business rather than inheritance.
Skill Proficiencies: History, Persuasion
Tool
; without question, and any corruption among guards or government officials tends to work in your favor, not against you—at least until you make some effort to expose it.
Variant Noble: Knight
A
Yuan-ti Pureblood
Legacy
This doesn't reflect the latest rules and lore.
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Species
Volo's Guide to Monsters
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
of evil that calls for them to butcher or eradicate all who oppose them. In keeping with their goal of domination, the yuan-ti would rather capture potentially useful opponents than kill them. They use
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
new place is note the locations of everything valuable—or where such things could be hidden.
4
I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
5
I am incredibly slow to trust. Those
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Rest Variants The rules for short and long rests presented in chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbook work well for a heroic-style campaign. Characters can go toe-to-toe with deadly foes, take damage to
within an inch of their lives, yet still be ready to fight again the next day. If this approach doesn’t fit your campaign, consider the following variants. Epic Heroism This variant uses a short rest
Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
often difficult because I’m so easily distr… oh my goodness, is that circlet made of silver?
7
I find the waking world tedious and mundane and would much rather spend my time asleep
a night hag (coven variant);night hag coven are determined to prevent an adult moonstone dragon from contacting creatures in the dream realm, and the dragon has no idea why.
7
An adult
Ancient Deep Dragon
Legacy
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Monsters
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
rather enjoy the company of people—as long as they remain unaware of my true nature.
Deep Dragon Ideals
d6;{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"roll","rollAction":"Ideal"}
Ideal
of my power. (Evil)
6
Patience. All creatures might teach me something, and I’m willing to wait and find out what that might be rather than acting in haste. (Good)
Deep Dragon
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Sleight of Hand with Intelligence, rather than Dexterity. This is an example of how to apply the rule in the “Variant: Skills with Different Abilities” section in chapter 7 of the Player’s Handbook.
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
could be hidden.
4
I would rather make a new friend than a new enemy.
5
I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide.
6
I don’t pay
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things
Inspiration for the DM Another way to use the inspiration deck is to make its effects available to monsters and villains. In this variant, each time a player expends inspiration, the DM also draws a
card from the deck. Rather than adding it to the communal hand, you keep that card secret until you play it on behalf of one of the characters’ opponents. You can play your inspiration cards soon
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
sort is recognized as a variant of the birth name, rather than a unique name unto itself. A yuan-ti might refer to itself by its birth name, by its adopted name, or (especially among purebloods) by a
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
Variant Abilities When a beholder’s dream-imagination runs wild, the result can be an offspring that has an unusual or unique set of abilities. Rather than the standard powers of a beholder’s central
eye and eyestalks, the creature has one or more variant abilities — guaranteed to surprise any enemies who thought they knew what they were getting themselves into. This section provides several
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
nalfeshnee named Slaughtertusk to watch over the crevasse and prevent any creature from approaching the device. Slaughtertusk would rather be helping the Horned King track down and kill Yeenoghu. The
nalfeshnee is bored with its assigned task, although it knows better than to disobey the Horned King. Still, rather than immediately destroying any intruders, it toys with them for as long as possible
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
adventure, the first time a character dies, invite all the players to create two variant versions of their character using the guidance in this section, then continue the adventure. Prepared Incarnations
“Running Glitch Characters” section. Let players discover that dead characters return in new incarnations during play rather than revealing this outright. When an incarnation appears, they are attuned to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
sides, a mechanism inside fires a hail of poison needles toward anyone in front of it. After inspecting the chest and making a few checks, the characters are still unsure if it’s trapped. Rather than
from inconvenient to deadly, making use of elements such as arrows, spikes, blades, poison, toxic gas, blasts of fire, and deep pits. The deadliest traps combine multiple elements to kill, injure
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
sides, a mechanism inside fires a hail of poison needles toward anyone in front of it. After inspecting the chest and making a few checks, the characters are still unsure if it's trapped. Rather than
inconvenient to deadly, making use of elements such as arrows, spikes, blades, poison, toxic gas, blasts of fire, and deep pits. The deadliest traps combine multiple elements to kill, injure, contain
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
impact on certain magical powers, and the risk of addiction and deadly overdose with every use. That’s the thrill of the drug called dragon’s blood, which currently enjoys skyrocketing popularity in
secrets, blackmail powerful people, and forge everything from identification papers to coins and works of art. Running Your Own. Rather than join an existing syndicate, you can start your own. You need
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
rise to deadly rivalries. Resistance to lawful authority can become tyranny of another sort. And when passions become inflamed, giving in to them can lead to tragedy rather than triumph. Purphoros’s
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
. Maruk Ghaash’kala. Among the orc tribes of the Demon Wastes, the Maruk tribe inhabits the deadly Labyrinth that lies between the wastes and the Eldeen Reaches. In its sacred dedication to containing
contain members of races other than elves and perhaps half-elves, but such a band could make an interesting military party. Running Your Own. Rather than join an existing force, you might choose to form
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
flumph offers to accompany them indefinitely. It will not willingly leave the Underdark, however. Gray Ooze There’s a 50 percent chance that this ooze has psionic abilities (use the psychic variant of
rolling a d4 and consulting the Beneath the Yellow Mold table. Tampering with the mold-encrusted object causing the yellow mold to release its deadly spores. Beneath the Yellow Mold d4 Encounter 1 A
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss
intelligence. Many creatures mistake ixitxachitl for common manta rays, but this can prove a deadly mistake. The ixitxachitl are as evil as they are cunning, leading to their common nickname “demon rays
+ 3) piercing damage.
VARIANT: IXITXACHITL CLERIC
Some ixitxachitl and vampiric ixitxachitl are able to cast divine spells. Such a creature gains the following feature.
Spellcasting. The
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tomb of Annihilation Supplement
“Tortles”) became a guide and, like all legitimate guides in Port Nyanzaru, gives a slice of his earnings to Jobal. Kwilgok travels with a cantankerous ankylosaurus named Deadly Treasure. The tortle
the Aldani Basin and the surrounding region quite well. He’s also led expeditions to Orolunga, though he’s never encountered the elusive oracle rumored to dwell there. One place he’d rather not
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
tide and was killed, only after the heartbreak of witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir’s beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather
than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and battled Strahd’s armies to the bitter end. Deadly Vengeance. Unwilling to accept his failure, Vladimir returned as a revenant. So great was his hatred of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
yuan-ti content themselves with maintaining these ancient places rather than building new ones for their needs. Although these sites are hundreds or even thousands of years old, they don’t look or feel
humanoids and taken over by yuan-ti), stairs and humanoid architecture are the norm. Each of these sites resembles the headquarters of a spy ring, a thieves’ guild, or a hedonistic cult rather than the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
. After a wary introduction, Ez met van Richten and studied with him for a time, learning all she could of hunting deadly creatures. Although her and Rudolph’s personalities clashed, Ez was surprised to
reconnect with Erasmus, now a ghost. She and the spirit renewed their friendship and ultimately discovered paths beyond Rudolph van Richten’s obsession. Rather than let her relationship with the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
Darklords are deadly or possess foul gifts from the Dark Powers, many pose little threat in battle. Their menace is the result of capabilities beyond physical prowess. Darklords Are Active. Darklords might
adventures rather than saving them for distant climactic plots. Darklords Don’t Realize They’re Darklords. With a few exceptions, Darklords don’t realize they occupy a special place in the world. Their
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
gnome—as long as the charlatan accomplishes the deed through cunning, negotiation, or deception rather than violence or outright theft, and as long as the mine stays in Zil hands. The same applies to
adventurers planning schemes in Zilargo. Violence draws attention and deadly consequences from the Trust, but intrigue is perfectly acceptable. The Trust is a network of spies and assassins. Most
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)
rolls and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it's in the smaller space. VARIANT: PLAYING ON A GRID If you play out a combat using a square grid and
miniatures or other tokens, follow these rules.
Squares. Each square on the grid represents 5 feet.
Speed. Rather than moving foot by foot, move square by square on the grid. This means you use your speed
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
tier 2 adventure. 1 treasure point is awarded for every 1 hour played in a tier 3 or tier 4 adventure. As with the variant rules for gaining levels, this award is based on the adventure’s projected
playing time, rather than the actual time a group spent at the table. If a character completes an adventure of a tier higher than that character’s tier, the character receives 1 additional treasure point
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Monster Manual (2014)
creatures to her deadly embrace.
Harpy Song. To hear a harpy’s song is to hear music more beautiful than anything else in the world. A traveler that succumbs to the entrancing effect of that singing is
compelled to blunder toward its source. A harpy sometimes charms victims before it attacks, but a more effective use of its song is to lure prey over cliffs, into bogs and quicksand, or into deadly pits
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Curse of Strahd
Character Levels The adventure is meant for characters of levels 1–10 and includes threats for those levels and beyond. Strahd can be an especially deadly challenge at these levels. It is assumed
adventure involves social interaction and exploration, rather than combat, your work will probably be easier if you use milestone awards. Appropriate milestone awards include the following: Finding
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
moderate, dangerous, or deadly threat, based on its particular details. Trigger. A simple trap activates when an event occurs that triggers it. This entry in a trap’s description gives the location of
characters discover a trap, be open to adjudicating their ideas for defeating it. The trap’s description is a starting point for countermeasures, rather than a complete definition. To make it easier
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
beast’s predatory instincts. Deadly Hunters. Rather than spinning webs, steeders excrete a viscous substance from their legs. This goo allows them to creep along walls and ceilings and to grapple prey