D&D 5E Reskinning monsters, how much are DMs using it to bulk up monster options?

Way back in 3.5, I have turned bugbears into mutated tentacle monsters...

They acted normally until they died, and then this parasite would take over and shove out tentacles out of their hands for attacking.

The same parasite would make kobolds insanely suicidal and make them explode as blood and guts against enemies, while giving birth to chokers.

Teflon Billy said:

I do it constantly. I wanted something like a Kraker (only a non epic game-ender) to attack my PC's vessel. Lots of tentacles and more coming all the time.

just bumped a Hydra up to gargantuan and gave it a swim speed. The heads were now tentacles and did Bludgeoning damage and could grapple.

Worked like a charm

Click to expand...

I would have left them as bites and described it as the Deep Rising monster.