D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

Dryad by Okha

Hamadryad
Medium fey, neutral

Armor Class 14 (16 with Barkskin)
Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20; bloodied 32)
Speed 40 ft.


Savings Throws Dex +7, Wis +17, Cha +8
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +7
Senses darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 17
Languages Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Forest Matron. The hamadryad ignores difficult terrain in a forest and takes no damage from spells that create or modify plants like spike growth, wall of thorns, or similar magic.

Magic Resistance. The hamadryad has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects and any creature that makes a spell attack against the hamadryad has disadvantage on the attack roll.

Speak with Beasts and Plants. The hamadryad can communicate with beasts and plants as if they shared a language.

Tree Stride. Once on her turn, the hamadryad can use 10 feet of her movement to step magically into one living tree within her reach and emerge from a second living tree within 90 feet of the first tree, appearing in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the second tree. Both trees must be Large or bigger.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The hamadryad makes two club attacks.

Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit (+8 to hit with shillelagh), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage, or 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage with shillelagh.

Thorn Whip. Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) piercing damage, and if the target is a Large or smaller creature it is pulled 10 feet closer to the hamadryad.

Fey Charm. The hamadryad targets one humanoid or beast that she can see within 60 feet of her. If the target can see the hamadryad, it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed. The charmed creature regards the hamadryad as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the hamadryad's control, it takes the hamadryad's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can.

Each time the hamadryad or its allies do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the hamadryad dies, is on a different plane of existence from the target, or ends the effect as a bonus action. If a target's saving throw is successful, the target is immune to the hamadryad's Fey Charm for the next 24 hours.

The hamadryad can have no more than two humanoids and up to six beasts charmed at a time.

Innate Spellcasting. The hamadryad's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with attack spells). The dryad can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: barkskin, druidcraft, entangle, goodberry, thorn whip (see "Actions)
3/day each: pass without trace, shillelagh
1/day each: plant growth, spike growth

BONUS ACTIONS
Forest Magic (1/Short Rest). If the hamadryad is in a forest, it can cast a spell.

dave2008 said:

Updated, let me know what you think.

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Nailed it!

dave2008 said:

LeShay

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How do you get CR21?

HP 375 = CR20. AC 18/19 (this is not explained btw) = CR20

Dam/round = 100 (23*13) = CR16. Attack bonus +15 =+3 CR = CR19.

Final CR 19/20.

Matrix Sorcica said:

How do you get CR21?

HP 375 = CR20. AC 18/19 (this is not explained btw) = CR20

Dam/round = 100 (23*13) = CR16. Attack bonus +15 =+3 CR = CR19.

Final CR 19/20.

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The 19 was from wielding two weapons, but your correct I forgot to mention that! I will get that corrected. EDIT - corrected.

The basic CR I also calculated at 19.5 (but my calculation was a bit different); however, it has a very powerful, always on gaze, attack, so I bumped to 21. FYI, if I remember correctly the basilisk CR was increased by 1 for its gaze and this much more powerful so I increased it by 2.

Not to mention it can cast blur at will.

Right. I'm just trying to figure out how to get to CR. RAW is pretty indifferent to non-damaging spells/attacks.

BTW, I don't think blur is a game changer at CR21, and neither are charm effects.

Matrix Sorcica said:

Right. I'm just trying to figure out how to get to CR. RAW is pretty indifferent to non-damaging spells/attacks.

BTW, I don't think blur is a game changer at CR21, and neither are charm effects.

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If you deconstruct the CR of the monsters in the MM you can see they accounted for it. Some things just aren't in the guidelines.

The LeShay's charm is very powerful (DC 24 is 5 over its base CR DC), it requires no action, and it affects all creatures within 30 feet. A move, misty step, or teleport and the LeShay could take out half the party without taking an action! Really the only thing I might change is increasing the range to 60 ft.

Not to mention Fey Touched is a nice boost too.

EDIT: FYI, you forgot the boost from Magic resistance in your CR calculation. The LeShay's defensive CR is 21, not 20.

Matrix Sorcica said:

How do you get CR21?

HP 375 = CR20. AC 18/19 (this is not explained btw) = CR20

Dam/round = 100 (23*13) = CR16. Attack bonus +15 =+3 CR = CR19.

Final CR 19/20.

Click to expand...

I added a bonus action attack (LeShay Weapons), that takes the base CR to 20.5, then the charm bumps it to 21. Does that feel better?

I had originally planned to do this, but thought it was overkill. It didn't change the numbers to much so I am happy to add it back if you feel it is needed.

Worm that Walks
Medium undead, any evil alignment

Armor Class 17 (see equipment; 20 with mage armor)
Hit Points 231 (22d8+132; bloodied 115)
Speed 30 ft.


Savings Throws Str +4, Dex +12, Con +14, Int +14, Wis +10, Cha +12
Skills Arcana +20, History +13, Perception +9, Stealth +11
Damage Resistances cold, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical
Damage Immunities necrotic
Condition Immunities charmed, grappled, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common plus up to five other languages
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +7

Decompose (1/Day). When the worm that walks is reduced to 0 hit points, it falls into a pile of vermin (worms, maggots, etc., use two swarms of insects) that immediately attempt to escape by slithering through holes or burrowing into the earth. Any items or equipment worn or carried by the worm that walks fall to ground in the area previously occupied by the worm that walks. Unless the swarms are destroyed, the worm that walks reforms from them 24 hours later.

Horrifying Attack. When the worm that walks engulfs a creature, each of the creature’s allies within 60 feet of it, and that can see the attack, must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The saving throw is made with disadvantage if the engulfed creature is reduced to 0 hit points by the attack.

Magic Absorption. If a worm that walks is hit by an attack spell or succeeds on a saving throw from a 3rd level spell or lower it is unaffected by the spell and instead regains (4) 1d8 hit points per level of the spell.

Magic Weapons. The worm that walks’ weapon attacks are considered uncommon magical items for overcoming resistances.

Swarm Form. The worm that walks can move through a space as narrow as 4 inches wide without squeezing.

Turn Resistance. The worm that walks has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Withering Aura. A creature that touches the worm that walks, or hits it with a melee attack within 5 feet of it takes 13 (3d8) necrotic damage and the worm that walks regains an equal amount of hit points.

Unstoppable (3/Short Rest). The worm that walks can use a reaction at the end of its turn or 2 legendary actions to remove one or two conditions or effects it is suffering.

Equipment. A worm that walks typically has several magic items in its possession. The sample here has the following magic items (included in its AC and attacks): bracers of defense and a ring of protection.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The worm that walks makes two slam or chill touch attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 13 (3d8) necrotic damage.

Chill Touch. Ranged Spell Attack: +13 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage and the target cannot regain hit points until the start of the worm that walks next turn.

Engulf (Recharge 5-6). The worm that walks can move up to 20 feet and enter the space of a Medium or smaller creature, swallowing it in a mass of vermin. The target must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or take 20 (8d4) piercing damage plus 28 (6d8) necrotic damage and be blinded and restrained on a failed save. The affected creature takes 20 (8d4) piercing damage plus 28 (6d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of the worm that walks' turns. The creature can make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw at the end of each of its turns to shake of the vermin, ending the effect on itself on a success and moving to an unoccupied space adjacent to the worm that walks.

Spellcasting. The worm that walks is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). The worm that walks typical has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): acid splash, chill touch (see "Actions"), mage hand, prestidigitation, vicious mockery
1st level (4 slots): burning hands, detect magic, inflict wounds, mage armor, magic missile, shield
2nd level (3 slots): blur, darkness, detect thoughts, melf’s acid arrow
3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, haste
4th level (3 slots): blight, banishment, fire shield, evard’s black tentacles
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, dispel good and evil, geas, scrying
6th level (2 slots): disintegrate, mass suggestion
7th level (2 slots): finger of death, delayed blast fireball
8th level (1 slot): abdi-dalzim’s horrid wilting, power word stun
9th level (1 slot): meteor swarm*

*Note: If the worm that walks doesn't use meteor swarm, it is only a CR 19 threat worth 22,000 XP.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Worm that walks can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. If Worm that walks has unspent legendary actions at the end of the round, it may spend and immediately use its remaining legendary actions. A worm that walks regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Cantrip. The worm that walks cast a cantrip at 17th level.
Slam. The worm that walks makes a slam attack.
Swarm Movement (Cost 2 Actions). The worm that walks transforms into a swarm of vermin and can move up to twice its speed. During this movement it can move through other creature's spaces and attack rolls targeting it have disadvantage. The first time the worm that walks enters a creature's space, the creature takes 5 piercing damage.
Feed (Costs 2 Actions). A creature engulfed by the worm that walks takes 28 (6d8) necrotic damage and the worm that walks regains half as much hit points.

dave2008 said:

I added a bonus action attack (LeShay Weapons), that takes the base CR to 20.5, then the charm bumps it to 21. Does that feel better?

I had originally planned to do this, but thought it was overkill. It didn't change the numbers to much so I am happy to add it back if you feel it is needed.

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you decide.

Matrix Sorcica said:

you decide.

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Already added.