D&D 5E Stat Blocks for Monsters I've Used in 5E (now w/ notes on my own version of the stat block)

As I have gotten more used to 5E in the last 2+ years that I've been running it, more and more I find myself creating my own versions or iterations of monsters to make use of in my game. I am the kind of DM who sees the version in the Monster Manual (or whichever book) as a template with which to construct an idiosyncratic version for use in the game. I also tend to like a variety of monsters from older editions that a) have not been officially adapted yet, b) have been adapted but in a version I don't like, or c) in a book I don't own (or didn't own at the time I needed it). As such, some of the stat blocks I am sharing might be for monsters you can find elsewhere. Some might also be just a named iteration of a monster that is otherwise as-listed in a book.

Another caveat is that I don't pay much attention to CR and only use it to determine how much XP to award (which I then tweak depending on how the monster played). I don't have much interest in so-called "balanced" encounters and tend to build them based on what makes sense for the setting, scenario, and/or a very rough idea of what the PCs are capable of without crunching numbers. For those interested in those crunched numbers, I have been doing it after the fact and posting the results in this thread.

As time went on, I adopted a few idiosyncratic ways of writing up a stat block as well, as you may notice. For example, I never waste space with the average damage number since I always roll for monster damage, I avoid repetition of words like "range" or "damage." I stopped listing the number of targets and the monster's reach unless it is something other than the standard on creature/5' reach. Oh, and I tend to give most monsters one or two good saves.

Oh and I don't have physical descriptions of the monsters here (I usually either just have them in my head and/or use art from a book to show the players) and sometimes I also don't like the descriptions as they exist (or prefer a description from a different edition). So, if you are totally stumped by a monster just comment and I will do my best to find you an image or description.

Lastly, if anyone ends up using or adapting any of these monsters, I would love to know which and how it went.

I will be listing the monsters in the posts to come in the order the PCs encountered them (or could have encountered them), not in CR order (since as I said, CR doesn't mean much to me).

In-game folks called these "Turkey-Lizards" or "Razor Feathers."



The otyugh below is meant to be "stunted" otyugh who had to grow up in an enclosed environment with waves of lots or garbage or almost no garbage to eat.

"Roarwater Caves" involved the PCs helping a community of xvarts from bugbears who were bullying and murdering them into serving them. The leader, Kraglut, had a grown "turkey-lizard" for a pet. There was also a stunjelly passing for a wall in a less trafficked area of the lair.

I think there is a version of the Leucrotta in Volo's Guide to Monsters, but I made this version for a potential "random" swamp encounter before I knew that. I used the version I found in the 1E Monster Manual and 2E Monstrous Manual as a foundation.

At one point in my Ghosts of Saltmarsh+ campaign, the PCs ended up targeted by assassins hired through a middleman by the Scarlet Brotherhood. They were attacked in the middle of the night while encamped in flooded ruins waiting for a ferry to bring them (and a ton of pilgrims and commoners) after the floodlands.

el-remmen said:

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I always liked the stunjelly. Thanks for the 5e conversion.
But I do have to ask: No False Appearance trait? No stealth proficiency? Are you intentionally stepping away from the ambush nature of the stunjelly?

Rabulias said:

I always liked the stunjelly. Thanks for the 5e conversion.
But I do have to ask: No False Appearance trait? No stealth proficiency? Are you intentionally stepping away from the ambush nature of the stunjelly?

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You know, it should have a false appearance trait - I just forgot to add it - and yeah it should probably have stealth, too. I was relatively new to making 5E stuff when I made this and a lot of things were modified on the fly when I realized I'd forgotten something, but never bothered to update the stat block.

OOPS! I forgot to include this other Tiefling NPC the party battled (I used her to replace the druid antagonist of Salvage Mission). The version of her magic scimitar in the stat block itself is incomplete, so I included that as well below.



Shadoris carried and used two magical items. The scarab helped with the side-effect of the scimitar. I usually hand out index cards printed with the info of magical items like this:

The next big chunk of stat blocks come from both my conversion/adaptation of N1 - Against the Cult of the Reptile God and an adventure from Dungeon mag called "Song of the Fens."

The first two sets were the corrupted town constable and his deputies.



Snigrot Dogroot worked at the Golden Grain Inn and leads the attempts to kidnap and dominate locals and also the party when they show up to investigate people missing and then showing back up a few days later, changed.



He was backed up by a handful of drug-addled young cultists and a traveling assassin - Derek Desleigh - who helped with "clean-up" (but the party never even got to know he existed because by the time he returned from one of his missions the PCs had already dealt the cult a blow and Derek cut and run -feeling not particular loyalty to his bosses).

The stat blocks for those in the corrupted temple in town: