IADnDMN Stream Monsters! (2019/05/24)
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!
Bewitcher
Suggested by @whistlehunter
Bewitchers are distant cousins of traditional beholders, as is apparent by their overall anatomy: they are large floating heads with one cyclopean eye and a number of eyestalks, each of which emit some kind of terrible magic.
Where the bewitcher differs, is that rather than using terror and destructive magic to accomplish its goals, the bewitcher uses its beauty and charms to get others to do its bidding.
Art credit: /u/Gonji89, as posted in this reddit thread.
Bewitcher
Large aberration, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 161 (19d10 + 57)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 17 (+3) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Wis +8, Cha +9
Skills Deception +14, Insight +8, Intimidation +9, Perception +8, Performance +9, Persuasion +14
Condition Immunities prone
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages (any four languages)
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
Bewitching Cone. The bewitcher's central eye creates an area of charming magic in a 150-foot-cone. At the start of each of its turns, the bewitcher decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. A creature that enters the cone for the first time on a turn, or that starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the bewitcher until the start of their next turn.
Charm Resistance. The bewitch has advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Actions
Multiattack. The bewitcher makes two blow kiss attacks.
Kiss. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the bewitcher.
Blow Kiss. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d6) psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the bewitcher.
Eye Rays. The bewitcher shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet of it:
1. Charm Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the bewitcher for 1 hour, or until the bewitcher harms the creature.
2. Hypnotizing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. A charmed creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0. The effect ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake the creature out of its stupor.
3. Enthralling Ray. The targeted creature has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to perceive any creature or object other than the bewitcher for 10 minutes or until the target no longer has line of sight to the bewitcher. For the duration of this effect, the creature also has disadvantage on all saving throws made against becoming charmed by the bewitcher. This effect ends immediately if the target becomes charmed by the bewitcher, and that charm condition ends for it.
4. Splendorous Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) radiant damage and becoming blinded until the end of its next turn on a failed save, or taking half as much damage and not becoming blinded on a successful one.
Bewitcher, Continued
5. Pacification Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by the bewitcher for 10 minutes. A creature charmed by this effect lies prone, and doesn't use movement or take actions, bonus actions, or reactions. The creature repeats its save each time it takes damage, and at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
6. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or the bewitcher moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray’s telekinetic grip until the start of the bewitcher’s next turn or until the bewitcher is incapacitated.
If the target is an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn’t being worn or carried, it is moved up to 30 feet in any direction. The bewitcher can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a door or a container.7. Sleep Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs and undead.
8. Stupefaction Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. A paralyzed creature repeats its save each time it takes damage and at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
9. Entrancing Ray. The target must make a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 28 (8d6) psychic damage and its Intelligence and Charisma scores become 1. The creature can't cast spells, activate magic items, understand language, or communicate in any intelligible way. The creature can, however, identify its friends, follow them, and even protect them. The creature repeats its save at the end of each of its turns against a reduced save DC of 10, ending the effect on a success. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much psychic damage, and its ability scores aren't affected.
10. Domination Ray. The target creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed for 1 day. The charmed target obeys the bewitcher's verbal or telepathic commands. If the target takes damage or receives a suicidal command, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the target successfully saves against the effect, or if the effect on it ends, the target is immune to this bewitcher's Domination Ray for the next 24 hours.
Legendary Actions
The bewitcher can take 3 legendary actions, using the Eye Ray option below. It can take only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The bewitcher regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Eye Ray. The bewitcher uses one random eye ray.
image source: the Terra Battle wiki.
Brightstone Centaur
Suggested by @kleinroux
Elementals brought into being by divine magic, Brightstone Centaurs are stalwart warriors for good. These creatures formed from elemental earth use their astounding toughness and an arcane shield crafted from gleaming while metal to defend those whom they are charged to protect.
But not to be relegated strictly to defensive tasks, the centaurs can also use their angelic shields to emit massive bolts of radiance capable of slaying even the most mighty fiends.
Brightstone Centaur
Large elemental, lawful good
Armor Class 19 (natural armor, floating shieldbow)
Hit Points 115 (11d10 + 55)
Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
Skills Athletics +8, Perception +5, Religion +3
Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages understands Celestial, Common, and Terran but can't speak; telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Floating Shieldbow. This celestial equipment acts as both a magical shield and a magical weapon. The shieldbow floats in place, following the centaur and providing its AC bonus while leaving the Centaur's hands free, and floating in place when not being used as a weapon. Only good-aligned creatures can use this item.
Charge. If the centaur moves at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a shield bash attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The creature makes two melee attacks, one shield bash attack and one kick attack, or it instead makes three attacks with its shieldbow.
Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 4 (1d8) radiant, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Kick. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Shieldbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d12 + 3) radiant damage.
Earthen Familiar (1/Day). The centaur magically animates a mass of earth it can see within 30 feet of it, which takes the form of a Tiny beast of the centaur's choice. The familiar has statistics like those of the beast it resembles, except its type is elemental, it has an AC of 17, 10 hit points, and it has the same resistances and immunities as the centaur. The familiar remains animated as long as the centaur maintains concentration, up to 8 hours (as if concentrating on a spell), or until the familiar is reduced to 0 hit points, at which point it reverts to an inanimate mass of earth.
Floating Sheildbow
Weapon (special), requires attunement by a good-aligned creature
Text goes here.