D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

[dave2008]

I have added a revised version of @DnD Warlord 's dragon knight. Love to know what you think. I basically added a fighter template and buffed its attack abilities while reducing its HP.

 

[DnD Warlord]

Dragon Knight
Medium humanoid, lawful evil
View attachment 125462
Armor Class 22 (+2 plate armor + shield)
Hit Points 230 (20d8 + 140)
Speed 30ft.
View attachment 125461

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	13 (+1)	24 (+7)	13 (+1)	17 (+3)	21 (+5)

View attachment 125460
Saving Throws Str +9, Dex +6 Wis +8, Cha +10
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +5, Perception +8
Senses passive perception 18
Languages Common, Elven, Draconic
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)
View attachment 125459

Deadly Charge. While mounted on its wyvern, if it flies at least 20 feet straight toward a target and the the knight hits the target with a lance attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 26 (4d12) piercing damage.

Dueling. When the knight is wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapon, it gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon (included in the attack).

Immortality (Elite Trait, recharges after a short or long rest) If the dragon knight is reduced to 0 hit points, it doesn’t die or fall unconscious. Instead, all conditions and effects it is suffering end for it, it regains 200 hit points, and all of its abilities recharge.

Indomitable (3/Day). The dragon knight can reroll a saving throw it has failed. If so, I it must use the second roll.

Magic Weapons. The knight wields the dragon sword, a +3 longsword that deals an additional 2d6 fire damage on a hit, included in the attack. Additionally, when mounted on its wyvern it wields +2 lance.

Maneuvers (6 / Short Rest). The knight’s maneuver ability is Strength (maneuver save DC 13). The knight can use one of the following maneuvers on one attack:

• Command Attack. The knight can use a bonus action and one attack of an attack action to direct a companion to strike. The knight chooses a friendly creature that can see or hear the knight to use its reaction to make one weapon attack, adding 6 (1d12) to the attack’s damage roll on a hit.
• Cleave. If there is a target adjacent to the initial target and the attack roll to hit the original target would hit the second target, the second target takes 6 (1d12) slashing damage.
• Maneuvering Attack. The attack causes an additional 6 (1d12) slashing damage, and the knight chooses one friendly creature that can see or hear it. That creature can use its reaction to move half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from the original target of the attack.
• Trip. The attack causes an additional 6 (1d12) slashing damage, and if the target is Large or smaller it must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Rally. The knight chooses one friendly creature that can see or hear it, and shouts a command to bolster its resolve. The creature gains 11 hit points.

Ridding Mastery. While the dragon knight is mounted, it can use a reaction to make any attack that would target its mount target the itself instead.

Second Wind (1/Short Rest). The dragon knight can use a bonus action to regain 23 (1d10 + 18) hit points.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. Dragon knight makes three dragon sword attacks.

Dragon Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit. 13 (1d8+9) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.

Lance. Melee Weapon Attack. +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit. 12 (1d12 +6) piercing damage.

ELITE ACTIONS

Once the knight's elite trait is activated it can take an elite action, choosing from the options below, on its initiative count +10, or in place of one of its standard action on its turn.

Attack. The dragon knight can make a dragon sword attack.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon knight exhales a 30 ft. cone of fire. All creatures in the cone must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (5d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Wyvern Flight. If the dragon knight is mounted on its wyvern, the knight can command it to fly up to 40 feet.

---

The Dragon Knight as an Elite Encounter
Fighting the dragon knight is equivalent to taking on two CR 13 creatures in one encounter. Award a party 20,000 XP for defeating the dragon knight.

Where I do like a lot of what you did there. This monster in my game was really a beast with gaining advantage when every he had temps, having a single attack that granted him temps, or a double attack that did not... and his elite/mythic trait giving himself temps equal to half his ho when he first hit half ho (and resist to all non psychic damage) means that he would single attack most rounds until he hit half hp.... then double attack with advantage until he ran out of those temps... then go back to single attacking when temps ran out. Your version lacks the “OMG we have to get those temps down before he kills us” feature that made the middle of the fight so deadly...

also his immortality being notageing was a big sell for the character. Although I do like the fighter idea with manuvers and fighting style.

 

[dave2008]

Where I do like a lot of what you did there. This monster in my game was really a beast with gaining advantage when every he had temps, having a single attack that granted him temps, or a double attack that did not... and his elite/mythic trait giving himself temps equal to half his ho when he first hit half ho (and resist to all non psychic damage) means that he would single attack most rounds until he hit half hp.... then double attack with advantage until he ran out of those temps... then go back to single attacking when temps ran out. Your version lacks the “OMG we have to get those temps down before he kills us” feature that made the middle of the fight so deadly...

I see what your saying and their might be a more streamlined way to put that back in. I had a hard time understanding what you were going for in the initial post. Also, this could be a "typical" dragon knight and maybe Astro is a bit different.

The issue I had with Astro's design was the huge HP (which was calculated incorrectly FYI - for an NPC / monster anyway) and the weak attacks. I significantly buffed its attacks and reduced its HP. From my perspective the initial design would have been quite the slog, but it appears that was not the case.

also his immortality being notageing was a big sell for the character. Although I do like the fighter idea with manuvers and fighting style.

He would still be immortal (doesn't age), but I would put it in the descriptive text like angels:

There are lots of creatures in D&D that do not age and you don't have that listed in their stat blocks. That was the reason I removed it.

PS A lot of your designs seem to have 4e-isms (which is not a bad place to start), just wandering if you were porting some of your ideas from 4e.

 

[dave2008]

Mammoths by MATArt

Dire Mammoth	Challenge 10
Gargantuan beast, unaligned	5,900 XP

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 198 (12d20 + 72; bloodied 99)
Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
26 (+8)	8 (-1)	22 (+6)	4 (-3)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

Saving Throws Str +12, Wis +5
Skills Athletics +12
Senses Passive Perception 11
Languages --
Proficiency Bonus +4 Maneuver DC 20

Siege Monster. The dire mammoth deals double damage to objects and structures.

ACTIONS
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (4d8 + 8) piercing damage. If the dire mammoth moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature immediately before the hit, the target takes an additional 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage and must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or prone creature. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage.

Trunk. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one Large or smaller object. Hit: The target is grappled. On a critical hit the creature is also restrained.

Throw. A object held or creature grappled by the dire mammoth is thrown up to 20 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage for every 5 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.

BONUS ACTIONS
Crush. The dire mammoth can use a bonus action to make a stomp attack on a prone target.

REACTIONS
Squeeze. If a creature is grappled by the dire mammoth at the end of its turn, it takes 16 (4d4 + 8) bludgeoning damage.

Throw. If a creature is grappled by the dire mammoth at the end of its turn, the elephant can use its throw action on that creature..

 

[dave2008]

Gelugon - Ice Devil by Ogre-Mask

Gelugon (Ice Devil)
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 199 (21d10 + 84; bloodied 99)
Speed 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
21 (+5)	14 (+2)	19 (+4)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)

Savings Throws Dex +7, Con +9, Wis +8, Cha +9
Skills Athletics +10, Perception +8
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 14 (11,500 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's darkvision.

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

Magic Weapons. The gelugon wields a magical spear. The spear melts into a puddle of water if the gelugon dies or is banished to different plane.

Maneuvers (1/Turn): When the gelugon makes a melee weapon attack, it can choose to use one of maneuvers below:

• Push. When the gelugon hits a creature with a melee weapon attack it can attempt to push it back. The gelugon adds 5 (1d10) to the attacks damage and the target must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away.
• Trip. When the gelugon hits a creature with a melee weapon attack, it causes an additional 5 (1d10) weapon type damage, and if the target is Large or smaller it must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The gelugon makes two melee attacks.

Ice Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) cold damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, or for 1 minute, its speed is reduced by 10 feet; it can take either an action or a bonus action on each of its turns, not both; and it can’t take reactions. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) cold damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) cold damage. If the gelugon hits the same target with two claw attacks on the same turn, the target is also grappled.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) cold damage.

Wall of Ice (Recharge 6). The gelugon magically forms an opaque wall of ice on a solid surface it can see within 60 feet of it. The wall is 1 foot thick and up to 30 feet long and 10 feet high, or it's a hemispherical dome up to 20 feet in diameter.

When the wall appears, each creature in its space is pushed out of it by the shortest route. The creature chooses which side of the wall to end up on, unless the creature is incapacitated. The creature then makes a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The wall lasts for 1 minute or until the devil is incapacitated or dies. The wall can be damaged and breached; each 10-foot section has AC 5, 30 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to acid, cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. If a section is destroyed, it leaves behind a sheet of frigid air in the space the wall occupied. Whenever a creature finishes moving through the frigid air on a turn, willingly or otherwise, the creature must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The frigid air dissipates when the rest of the wall vanishes.

Innate Spellcasting. The gelugon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

3/day: detect magic, see invisibility
2/day: fly, polymorph (self only)

Summon Devils (1/day). The gelugon can summon one of the following types of devilss: 1d6 bearded devils, 1d3 white abishai, or (60% chance of success) one ice devil.

BONUS ACTIONS
Quick Tail. The gelugon can make a tail attack on a prone or incapacitated target.

REACTIONS
Bite. If a creature ends its turn grappled by the gelugon, the gelugon makes a bite attack with advantage targeting the grappled creature.

 

[dave2008]

TBD

 

[DnD Warlord]

I see what your saying and their might be a more streamlined way to put that back in. I had a hard time understanding what you were going for in the initial post. A;lso, this could also be a "typical" dragon knight and maybe Astro is a bit different.

The issue I had with Astro's design was the huge HP (which was calculated incorrectly FYI - for an NPC / monster anyway) and the weak attacks. I significantly buffed its attacks and reduced its HP. From my perspective the initial design would have been quite the slog, but it appears that was not the case.

He would still be immortal (doesn't age), but I would put it in the descriptive text like angels:

View attachment 125477

There are lots of creatures in D&D that do not age and you don't have that listed in their stat blocks. That was the reason I removed it.

PS A lot of your designs seem to have 4e-isms (which is not a bad place to start), just wandering if you were porting some of your ideas from 4e.

Not all of them are ports from 4e but yes 4e was a major inspiration for them. In the case of the dragon knight he has been only a reaccuring frenemy in 5e.
And yeah I play with HP a lot. I normally give monsters max 1st HD like PCs have and sometimes give them slightly over average for the other levels...

Edit: part of that comes from (and why in general I put defense over offense) the fact that I have 2 players who always optimize damage out put and it is rare for ANY player to optimize hp or AC... so to challenge MY players I front load hp even on kobolds

 

[dave2008]

I have added and updated the divine traits for when I bring over the deities from my 5e Epic Updates:

• Greater God Traits
• Intermediate God Traits
• Lesser God Traits

 

[dave2008]

Not all of them are ports from 4e but yes 4e was a major inspiration for them. In the case of the dragon knight he has been only a reaccuring frenemy in 5e.
And yeah I play with HP a lot. I normally give monsters max 1st HD like PCs have and sometimes give them slightly over average for the other levels...

Edit: part of that comes from (and why in general I put defense over offense) the fact that I have 2 players who always optimize damage out put and it is rare for ANY player to optimize hp or AC... so to challenge MY players I front load hp even on kobolds

FYI, I noticed several times you used PC HD (d10 or d12); however, NPCs / monsters use HD by size, so anything Medium sized uses a d8 for HD. Obviously not an issue for your own personal use, but if you putting it out there for general use, most people prefer if you stay as close as possible to the established guidelines.

 

[DnD Warlord]

I have added and updated the divine traits for when I bring over the deities from my 5e Epic Updates:

• Greater God Traits
• Intermediate God Traits
• Lesser God Traits

I am totally reworking my gods useing this (pc too low level to notice yet) I love it