Monster Archetypes
You can apply this archetypes to any monster - like an Orc, Goblin, Gnoll etc. The main philosophy is allowing enchancing the tactical aspect of combat by having features that reward killing certain enemies and by slimming down DM's book-keeping. Use common sense, since it's not meant to be 'balanced' or 'fair'. Feel free to mix and match any Archetype Features. For example a Priest could have the 'Riding Beast' feature if you want an Orc Shaman riding a Dire Wolf. This document is heavily inspired by X-Com 2.
- HP. Change the HP of the monster following this multiplier.
- AC. Change the AC to this specific number.
- Range. Normally a monster has a melee weapon attack, a ranged weapon attack or both. Here is stated that it attacks only in a specific way. If that monster doesn't have a weapon attack of that type, use the damage of any weapon attack it has.
- Features. For more in depth features here is stated only their names. For their description look down at the end of the document.
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| Name | HP | AC | Range | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grunt | x1 | - | Melee | - |
| Archer | x1 | 14 (Leather Armor) | Ranged (Longbow) | Overwatch |
| Champion | x1 | 19 (Splint Armor + Shield) | Melee | Aura of Protection |
| Captain | x2 | +2 (Shield) | Melee | Mark |
| Priest | x1 | - | Ranged (Cantrip) | Holy Warrior, Hold Person |
| Assassin | x1 | 16 (Studded Leather Armor) | Melee (Rapier) | Cunning Action, Poison |
| Berserker | x2 | 12 (Unarmored) | Melee (Greataxe) | Raging Attack |
| Alchemist | x1 | 14 (Hides) | Ranged (Crossbow) | Staff of Fire Breath, Wildfire Bomb |
| Necromancer | x1 | 12 (Unarmored) | Ranged (Cantrip) | Raise Dead, Mindspin, Toll the Dead |
| Rider | x1 | 16 (Chain Mail) | Melee (Lance) | Riding Beast, Mounted Charge |
| Juggernaut | x2 | 17 (Splint Armor) | Melee and Ranged (Heavy Crossbow) | Dragonfire Bomb, Frightful Sight, Weak Mind |
| Name | HP | AC | Range | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancer | x1 | - | Melee (Long Spear) | Sentinel |
| Spellcaster | x1 | 12 (Unarmored) | - | Minor Illusion, Bag of Tricks, Phantasmal Clone |
| Beast | x1 | 13 (Natural Armor) | Melee (Claws and Bite) | Wild Shape |
Overwatch
As an action an Archer can Overwatch. Until its next turn, if the Archer sees an enemy moving in a space without cover, it can use its reaction to make all ranged weapon attacks it could make as an attack.
Aura of Protection
As an action, the Champion activates its Aura. Himself and all its allies in a 10 ft range gain 20 temporary hit points. If an ally moves more than 10 ft away from the Champion it loses its temporary hit points and can't gain them back. If the Champion is unconscious or dead, all the temporary hits points provided by his Aura are removed.
Mark
As an action, the Captain can mark an enemy it sees. All its allies deal +3 damage to that enemy. This effects lasts until the Captain marks another enemy or the Captain is unconscious or dead.
Holy Warrior
As an action, the Priest blesses an ally it can see linking their souls together. While the priest isn't unconscious or dead, that ally as advantage on weapon attack rolls and it gains Temporary HP equal to its maximum HP. If the priest is killed while linked to another creature, that creature also dies.
Hold Person
As an action, the Priest casts the spell Hold Person.
Cunning Action
The Assassin can take the Disengage, Dash and Hide action as a bonus action.
Poison
When the Assassins hits an enemy with a Melee Weapon Attack, make a Constitution DC 10 check. If its failed, the enemy is stunned until its next turn. Enemies immune to the Poisoned condition can't be stunned.
Raging Attack
When the Berserker takes the Attack action, before determining its targets it can move up to 30 ft. If it moves at least 10 ft straight, until the end of the turn any attack that hits is considered a critical hit.
Staff of Fire Breath
As an action the Alchemist can produce a thin sheet of flames shoots forth from his staff. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.
Wildfire Bomb
As an action the Alchemist throws a bomb in a point it can sees in 30 ft. For the next 10 minutes, the bomb fills with fire a 5-foot cube. Any creature in the fire's space when you throw the bomb must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 fire damage. A creature must also make the saving throw when it moves into the bonfire's space for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there. An Alchemist has 5 Wildfire Bombs.
Raise Dead
As an action, the Necromancer can target a dead humanoid creature with its corpse intact. It instantly raises as a Zombie without Undead Fortitude feature. The Zombie acts at the end of the Necromancer's turns. A Necromancer can have only one Zombie raised at a time.
Mindspin
As an action, the Necromancer casts randomly one of these spells (Roll 1d6): Cause Fear (1-2), Crown of Madness (3-4), Dissonant Whispers (5-6).
Toll the Dead
As an action, the Necromancer casts the cantrip Toll the Dead.
Riding Beast
The Rider rides a beast that is one size larger than it. The beast has AC 13 (Natural armor or leather barding), double the amount of HP of the Rider and allows to move at double the speed. If the beast isn't being mounted, it can make a single attack that deals damage equal to the weapon melee attack of the Rider. The beast can also be a flying one but, as the flying mount is more fragile, any time the Rider takes damage it must make a Strenght saving check with a DC equal to 10 or half the damage taken, whichever number is higher or else fall from the mount.
Mounted Charge
When the Rider takes the Attack action, before determining its targets it can move up to 30 ft. If it moves at least 10 ft straight, that target must succeed on a Strength saving throw DC 13 or be knocked prone.
Dragonfire Bomb
As an action the Juggernaut thros a bomb in a point it can sees in 30 ft. For the next 10 minutes, the bomb fills with fire a 15-foot cube. Any creature in the fire's space when you throw the bomb must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 fire damage. A creature must also make the saving throw when it moves into the bonfire's space for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there. A Juggernaut has 3 Dragonfire Bombs.
Frightful Sight
Any creature that moves in any adjacent square to the Juggernaut, starts its turn there or makes a Ranged Attack against it must make a DC 10 Wisdom Saving Throw or become frightened until its next turn.
Weak Mind
A Juggernaut has a Wisdom Saving Throw bonus equal to -10.
Sentinel
When a creature within 5 feet of the Lancer makes an attack against a target other than it, the Lancer can make a melee weapon attack against that creature.
Minor Illusion
As an action, the Spellcaster casts the cantrip Minor Illusion.
Bag of Tricks
As an action, the Spellcaster casts randomly one of these spells (Roll 1d6): Fog Cloud (1-2), Invisibility (3-4), Web (5-6).
Phantasmal Clone
As an action, the Spellcaster can target one of its allies that he can see and create next to him an illusion identical to it. The illusion has its stats except it has 1 HP. The Illusion acts at the end of the Spellcaster's turn. A Spellcaster can have only one Illusion created at a time.
Wild Shape
The beast is either a creature trained by humanoids to fight for them or a shapeshifter that takes the form of an animal through magic, like a Druid or a Shaman. Because of this the Beast has a movement speed of 40 ft and when it hits a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone