Epic Monsters has a bit of an odd entry today but click onward to learn about the relatively recently conjured myth of Gremlins!
Most of us know about gremlins from the immensely popular 1980s Gremlins movie of the same name but they didn’t start with an old antiquities shop, originating instead with the RAF in the 1920s: the Royal Air Force of England! They are like the cinematic version in that gremlins love causing trouble, although specifically they like to make aircraft malfunction--if you’re thinking of William Shatner screaming about the wing of the plane, you’re talking about a gremlin!
Design Notes: What’s below is a pastiche of the gremlin statblocks I’ve converted for the Zeitgeist adventure path mixed together and tweaked to match what we need for aircraft-sabotaging troublemakers. Although tough and in possession of some potent innately cast spells, ultimately gremlins are fairly weak and best used as bait for a chase sequence, as a surprise obstacle or danger amidst an otherwise standard scene, or to lead a party to something interesting.
Gremlins
Tiny fey, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d4+50)
Speed 35 ft.
Skills Athletics +4, Deception +5, Perception +6, Stealth +6
Tools thieves’ tools +4, tinker’s tools +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Cunning Action (1/Turn). The gremlin can take a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, Hide or Use Object action, make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, or to use thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock.
Innate Spellcasting. The gremlin’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12; +4 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.
Magic Resistance. The gremlin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Quick. The gremlin has advantage on initiative checks.
Siege Monster. The gremlin deals double damage to objects and structures.
Unluck Aura. The gremlin radiates an aura of unluck in a 20-foot radius. Creatures in this area have disadvantage on all d20 rolls. This is a mind-affecting effect that does not work on gremlins. Any creature with an item that grants bonuses via luck (such as a stone of good luck) is immune to the gremlin’s Unluck Aura.
ACTIONS
Magic Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage.
Most of us know about gremlins from the immensely popular 1980s Gremlins movie of the same name but they didn’t start with an old antiquities shop, originating instead with the RAF in the 1920s: the Royal Air Force of England! They are like the cinematic version in that gremlins love causing trouble, although specifically they like to make aircraft malfunction--if you’re thinking of William Shatner screaming about the wing of the plane, you’re talking about a gremlin!
Design Notes: What’s below is a pastiche of the gremlin statblocks I’ve converted for the Zeitgeist adventure path mixed together and tweaked to match what we need for aircraft-sabotaging troublemakers. Although tough and in possession of some potent innately cast spells, ultimately gremlins are fairly weak and best used as bait for a chase sequence, as a surprise obstacle or danger amidst an otherwise standard scene, or to lead a party to something interesting.
Gremlins
Tiny fey, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d4+50)
Speed 35 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
15 (+2) | 19 (+4) | 20 (+5) | 15 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) |
Skills Athletics +4, Deception +5, Perception +6, Stealth +6
Tools thieves’ tools +4, tinker’s tools +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Cunning Action (1/Turn). The gremlin can take a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, Hide or Use Object action, make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, or to use thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock.
Innate Spellcasting. The gremlin’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12; +4 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.
At will: prestidigitation, shocking grasp
3/day: heat metal, shatter
3/day: heat metal, shatter
Magic Resistance. The gremlin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Quick. The gremlin has advantage on initiative checks.
Siege Monster. The gremlin deals double damage to objects and structures.
Unluck Aura. The gremlin radiates an aura of unluck in a 20-foot radius. Creatures in this area have disadvantage on all d20 rolls. This is a mind-affecting effect that does not work on gremlins. Any creature with an item that grants bonuses via luck (such as a stone of good luck) is immune to the gremlin’s Unluck Aura.
ACTIONS
Magic Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage.
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