D&D 5E Get The Vecna Dossier Free At D&D Beyond

WotC is offering a free product which you can claim by signing into D&D Beyond, including Vecna’s 5E statistics.

The dossier includes the stat block plus a half page or so of lore. Vecna's stat block is a CR 26 undead wizard, prior to the fallen paladin (and former bodyguard to the lich) Kas's betrayal. That means he still has his hand and eye, although he is a time traveller and can appear in different worlds and eras.

The archlich Vecna is one of the most iconic villains of Dungeons & Dragons lore. And now you can bear witness to his necromantic magic with the Vecna Dossier! Available at no cost with your D&D Beyond account, this thrilling supplement details the legacy and statistics of the Undying King himself!

This claim unlocks the contents of this promotional supplement for use with D&D Beyond, including the supplement in digital format in the game compendium and in the searchable listings, character builder, encounters, and digital sheet.

Claim The Vecna Dossier now! - D&D Beyond

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[Thomas Rainsborough]

This brings up an interesting (if old) question: how does the GM play a super genius when they, presumably, are not one themselves.


My answer is: allow yourself to meta game and use out of character knowledge to some (arbitrary) degree when playing the genius. They are Batman smart, always a step ahead, so the best way to emulate that is to let them be ready for the PCs with just the right spell,ability, trap or minion.

Not unreasonable. Especially if Vecna is encountered in his lair. He should know the party composition via Scrying long before the party walks into an actual encounter with the big guy.

 

[Mistwell]

This is a disingenuous argument.

You need to make the argument you're making, not just state it as if it were fact with nothing to support it at all. WHY do you find what I said disingenuous?

 

[Reynard]

You need to make the argument you're making, not just state it as if it were fact with nothing to support it at all. WHY do you find what I said disingenuous?

Because it completely sidesteps the issue at hand: the content is not being distributed broadly, it is being gated behind a DNDB account -- which, even if free, does cost the user in the form of yet another data siphon and ad targeting system. Soem people care about such things. And this is not even to mention that when you print to PDF (as I did) it is janky and poorly laid out (because it is meant for a screen).

Simply stated: "Ignore your concerns and settle for less" is not advice given in good faith. It's dismissive.

 

[JEB]

You needed a drive thru account to get the free Magic D&D stuff too.

Wizards later added the Plane Shift PDFs to DM Guild/DriveThruRPG, but they were originally released as downloads on the MTG web site. (They're still there, in fact: Plane Shift: Zendikar etc.)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That was me, and you're accurate....if not for the Book of Vile Darkness saying I can modify the magic however I need! A Globe of Invulnerability made from the souls of scholars who researched Vecna cursed to chase him about as he teleports would be gnarly!

I’d actually love to use Vecna more as a Great Old One than as a normal lich. Saying his name hurts you, people go mad trying to track down things relating to him, he sure as hell ain’t a normal lich…

I don't remember what they call it, but here is my version their legendary action that replaces LR:

Unstoppable. Tiamat removes one condition or effect she is suffering. She can do so if she has at least 1 hit point, even while unconscious or incapacitated.

What I like is it doesn't add to the defensive CR this way and allows the spell to have some effect.

I like that, but I love LR as well.

Now I'm going make vecna have a weakness to in game pop culture references giving him disadvantage on attack rolls.

An immortal time traveling lich weakly begging the rogue to stop singing the contemporary elvish folk metal cover of the bard's latest hit "I got 99 problems but a lich ain't one".

Reminds of every climactic fight in Dimension20 or NADDPOD, where the PCs just bully the hell outta the villain. Murph (NADDPOD) is especially good at making his villains both detestable and contemptible, like incel evil Paladin who has bought and murdered his way into the reputation of a dashing holy knight, who talks like an absolute creep.

Vecna's is different - that's the point.

It doesn't have the range requirement AND it doesn't require he know a spell is being cast.

Hell yeah, and that’s cool as hell. As a player, I get excited when the big bad breaks the rules and I have to adapt to survive.

 

[darjr]

Edit: never mind. Not going to pick nits.

 

[Mistwell]

Because it completely sidesteps the issue at hand: the content is not being distributed broadly, it is being gated behind a DNDB account -- which, even if free, does cost the user in the form of yet another data siphon and ad targeting system. Soem people care about such things. And this is not even to mention that when you print to PDF (as I did) it is janky and poorly laid out (because it is meant for a screen).

Simply stated: "Ignore your concerns and settle for less" is not advice given in good faith. It's dismissive.

It's fair to care about data of course (easily gotten around, but then you don't need to get it in the first place). But that wasn't really the issue I was speaking to.

The claim was made you cannot use it as a PDF and just take it and use it where you need it. You can do that though. And yeah you might need to tweak the formatting (I was able to do it right there in the print menu by playing with scaling and margins). But even if you don't do that, you can still get everything there in usable format just by printing it to PDF. Usable format isn't "best" format but I know from experience you can get by on stuff bleeding into a second page in the middle of it.

For me, when something is free I "settle for less." If I sacrifice nothing in exchange for professional work, I automatically am appreciative or at worst silent. I can't imagine phrasing my reaction as a complaint over something free which has value to me. I generally do tend to be kind of dismissive of criticism which appears to be phrased as demands and anger over something which is free, and maybe that was just my perception of your posts but yours looked like that. So sorry if you felt I was dismissing your interests, rather than your approach. My focus is on your approach.

If you don't want it, cool. You lost nothing. I just have a hard time judging what you're "settling for less" on when there is no baseline from which you are settling and no no less to measure by.

I think if you had instead phrased it along the lines of "I think this stuff would be more useful if it were formatted like X and if it were delivered like Y in the future, but I am happy we have it for free as it is anyway," Then I would view your concerns as more important to address. But you didn't phrase it that way. Instead you phrased it like you were actually angry at something free being not just how you wanted it. Which I have a hard time wrapping my mind around.

I don't feel I was being disingenuous. I am being candid and sincere. I genuinely am not fully appreciating your expression of entitlement about something professional issued for free.

 

[Flamestrike]

I have no problem with any of your comments (any and all of my casters automatically get Shield). But the point is, the stat block, as is, is stupid.

Nah, it gives you something to work with. Flavor for your party to taste.

 

[Flamestrike]

This brings up an interesting (if old) question: how does the GM play a super genius when they, presumably, are not one themselves.


My answer is: allow yourself to meta game and use out of character knowledge to some (arbitrary) degree when playing the genius. They are Batman smart, always a step ahead, so the best way to emulate that is to let them be ready for the PCs with just the right spell,ability, trap or minion.

Ive played high level PCs (20th+) across multiple editions in a heavy PvP environment. The paranoia (and needing to be prepared to defend yourself 24 hours a day, against potentially an entire party of equally high level PCs, who know your core abilities mostly) has bred into me a good understanding of what it takes to bring down PCs and fight intelligently.

Clones of yourself hidden in Demiplanes. Lichdom with your phylactery hidden in a scry proof area, that only you can enter. Secret defenses against your entire parties core abilities. At least one spell targeting the weakest save of each PC in the party, always prepared. Contingent teleport spells (3E) to a friendly church, where you've donated a ton of money for a pre-prepared Raise Dead. A Nova Strike capability that is never used against monsters, but always held in reserve, or only brought out as a demonstration to quell any thoughts of 'allies' attacking you. Amassing armies of NPC allies, and forging alliances with other PCs. Divination magic to ascertain if any of your 'ally' threats have any of the above, and counter measures in place to deal with them or remove them before any attack takes place.

You're always two steps ahead, and have every angle covered, with a contingency in place for loss, so that you can in fact, win.

Over time this phenomena has translated into my high level NPC's (when I DM) as being some of the most devious, cunning and ruthless bastards you'll ever meet.

As an additional benefit, knowing you can take down (or at least hold your own, or even just deter aggression from) the entire rest of your Party, usually translates into being able to deal with any encounter the actual DM throws at you as well.

It's very Darwinian.

 

[Reynard]

Ive played high level PCs (20th+) across multiple editions in a heavy PvP environment. The paranoia (and needing to be prepared to defend yourself 24 hours a day, against potentially an entire party of equally high level PCs, who know your core abilities mostly) has bred into me a good understanding of what it takes to bring down PCs and fight intelligently.

Clones of yourself hidden in Demiplanes. Lichdom with your phylactery hidden in a scry proof area, that only you can enter. Secret defenses against your entire parties core abilities. At least one spell targeting the weakest save of each PC in the party, always prepared. Contingent teleport spells (3E) to a friendly church, where you've donated a ton of money for a pre-prepared Raise Dead. A Nova Strike capability that is never used against monsters, but always held in reserve, or only brought out as a demonstration to quell any thoughts of 'allies' attacking you. Amassing armies of NPC allies, and forging alliances with other PCs. Divination magic to ascertain if any of your 'ally' threats have any of the above, and counter measures in place to deal with them or remove them before any attack takes place.

You're always two steps ahead, and have every angle covered, with a contingency in place for loss, so that you can in fact, win.

Over time this phenomena has translated into my high level NPC's (when I DM) as being some of the most devious, cunning and ruthless bastards you'll ever meet.

As an additional benefit, knowing you can take down (or at least hold your own, or even just deter aggression from) the entire rest of your Party, usually translates into being able to deal with any encounter the actual DM throws at you as well.

It's very Darwinian.

Agree with all.

I once had a player pack up and leave because the party got scry-buff-teleported by the BBEG after annoying her repeatedly by killing her minions and disrupting her plans. "That's not fair!"

The Lich Queen isn't going to play fair, sweetums.