IADnDMN Stream Monsters! (2018/10/17)
As always, tune into ItsADnDMonsterNow's weekly monster-making stream on Twitch every Wednesday at 11am Pacific! We hang out, talk DnD, and make monsters together as I explain my process and share my tips for making fun and effective monsters that you can use in your own games!
image source: wikia
Fire Dragon Warrior
Suggested by @SherlockHole1, once again based on the Eldar Aspect Warrior units from the Warhammer 40k franchise.
Of all the orders of elven aspect warriors, the Fire Dragons are often regarded as the least organized, and least tactically-minded of the lot. Despite this—or perhaps even because of this—they are still one of the most feared.
Whereas other orders of aspect warriors use guile, finesse, or finely-honed martial prowess to defeat their foes, the Fire Dragons rely on pure unbridled ferocity that borders on bloodlust, and an unquenchable desire to see their enemies burn.
These elven warriors rely on alchemical and arcane weapons of truly alien design which project flames or even just raw heat over great distances. These weapons ignite combustible flammable materials in their path, and can even melt nonmagical metal armor.
Fire Dragon Warrior
Medium humanoid (any elf), neutral
Armor Class 18 (plate armor of fire resistance)
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
Saving Throws Con +5
Damage Resistances fire
Skills Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Elvish
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Brave. The elf has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Fey Ancestry. The elf has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put the elf to sleep.
Siege Soldier. The elf's fire damage deals double damage to objects and structures.
Actions
Multiattack. The elf makes two attacks with its scimitar.
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Heat Beam. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/80 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) fire damage. If the target is a creature, it gains no benefit from nonmagical armor against this attack.
Incendiary Bomb (1/Day). The elf tosses a small incendiary device to a point within 60 feet of it. Each creature within 15 feet of that point must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Alternate Weaponry
An individual fire dragon might substitute its heat beam for one of the following:
Fire Ray. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (6d6) fire damage. If the target is a creature, it gains no benefit from nonmagical armor against this attack.
Flamehurler (Recharge 4–6). Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
art credit: Harry Osborn
Grave Warden
Suggested by redditor /u/Dieu_Le_Fera in this reddit thread.
Oddities even among the undead, a Grave Warden is an intelligent undead humanoid who moves into a town or settlement that has been wiped out—usually by famine, disease, or war—and assumes a role of stewardship over the place and its deceased residents.
Sometimes the warden might be a former resident who was raised by necromantic magic, or simply a restless spirit, but most often, it is simply a wandering undead who happens
across the dead place.
A grave warden might fancy the location as a domain over which to rule, or they might feel a genuine kinship with those who perished there, and take it upon themselves to become a caretaker of those souls' final resting place.
Regardless of the reason, a grave warden is always very protective of their home, and will defend it to the last. They will typically raise undead hounds to be used as sentries and guards and, as a last resort, even raise the dead citizens themselves to help repel intruders.
Grave Warden
Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (leather armor)
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 12 (+1)
Saving Throws Str +5, Dex +5, Con +6
Skills Insight +5, Perception +5
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Undead Houndmaster. The warden typically keeps 1 to 4 undead hounds. The hounds are completely loyal to the warden, obeying its verbal commands to the best of their ability. On each of the warden's turns, it can use a bonus action to issue a command to one of its hounds within 60 feet of it that can hear it, allowing the hound to immediately move up to half its speed and make an attack against a creature within its reach.
Spellcasting. The warden is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The warden has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): chill touch, create bonfire, infestation, prestidigitation, toll the dead
1st level (4 slots): cause fear, fog cloud, ray of sickness, shield
2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, misty step, ray of enfeeblement
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, bestow curse
4th level (3 slots): banishment, blight
5th level (2 slots): danse macabre, negative energy floodActions
Pitchfork. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (3d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is within 5 feet of the warden, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet.
Warden's Lantern. The warden swings its lantern in an arc, attempting to blind and burn them. Up to three creatures within its reach that are within 5 feet of each other must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 7 (2d6) fire damage, and is blinded and ignited on a failed save, or takes half as much fire damage, and is not blinded or ignited on a successful one. An ignited creature takes 3 (1d6) fire damage at the start of each of its turns until it uses its action to extinguish the flames.
Reactions
Parry. The warden adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the warden must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
Undead Hound
Medium undead, unaligned
- Armor Class 11
- Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4)
- Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 6 (-2)
Skills Perception +2
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages —
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell. The hound has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Pack Tactics. The hound has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the hound's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the hound to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the hound drops to 1 hit point instead.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
art credit: @wishem on tumblr
Flexbird
Suggested by redditors /u/Qwerty_Asdfgh_Zxcvb, /u/FluFluFley, /u/SwagLizardKing, /u/PittsburghDM, and /u/Lord_Pulsar in so many reddit threads.
Legends speak of a magical bird of such unparalleled martial skill, that it has transcended the need for wings, and instead flies simply by focusing its tremendous ki.
No concrete evidence has been found that would prove this creature's existence, but its prevalence in folk tales among so many peoples across such a large area suggests that these sightings can't be entirely imagined.
Locals will say the reason that no one has seen one alive is that it is a timid creature who is only seen when it wishes to be, or even that the bird's pure majesty burns away the souls of those who gaze upon it.
Flexbird
Small monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 14 (+2) 8 (-1)
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +1, Perception +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Flyby. the flexbird doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Flurry of Blows (2/Day). Immediately after using its multiattack on its turn, the flexbird can make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.
Reactive. The flexbird can take one reaction on every turn in a combat.
Actions
Multiattack. The creature makes two unarmed strike attacks.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Falcon Punch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet and knocked prone.
Grab. The flexbird makes a single unarmed strike attack against a creature no more than one size larger than itself. If the attack hits, the target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the flexbird's movement speeds are halved, and it can't grab another target.
Reactions
Deflect Missiles. When the flexbird is hit by a ranged weapon attack, the damage dealt is reduced by 1d10 + 4.
If the damage is reduced to 0, the flexbird catches the missile if it is small enough for it to hold in one hand. If the missile is caught in this way, the flexbird can make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition it just caught, as part of the same reaction.
The flexbird's bonus to hit with this attack is +5, and on a hit, it deals 5 (1d4 + 3) damage of the initial attack's type.