D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

[dave2008]

Elder Water Elemental
Huge elemental, neutral

Armor Class 14
Hit Points 152 (16d12 + 48; bloodied 76)
Speed 40 ft., swim 100 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)	8 (-1)	12 (+1)	11 (+0)

Savings Throws Str +9, Dex +7, Wis +5
Skills Athletics +9, Acrobatics +10, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical.
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Aquan
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4

Freeze. If the elemental takes cold damage, it partially freezes; its speed is reduced by 20 feet until the end of its next turn.

Water Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Limited Magic Resistance. The elemental has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects of 3rd level or lower.
.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The elemental makes three attacks, any combination of slam andwater jet attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage,

Water Jet. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6+5) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet.

Whelm (Recharge 4–6). Each creature in the elemental's space must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If it is Large or smaller, it is also grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and unable to breathe unless it can breathe water. If the saving throw is successful, the target is pushed out of the elemental's space.

The elemental can grapple one Huge creature or two Large or up to four Medium or smaller creatures at one time. At the start of each of the elemental's turns, each target grappled by it takes 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. A creature within 5 feet of the elemental can pull a creature or object out of it by taking an action to make a DC 15 Strength and succeeding.

Innate Spellcasting. The elemental’s spell casting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with attack spells). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: control water, create or destroy water
2/day each: tidal wave, wall of water
1/day each: watery sphere

Summon Elementals (1/day). The elemental summons 1d6 water elementals to unoccupied spaces within 80 feet of the elemental.

BONUS ACTIONS
Quick Casting (1/short rest). The elemental can an at-will spell.

 

[imeannoharm]

Not really, that is a common misconception. If you dig into the numbers in the DMG (and I mean dig, it is not just in the encounter difficulty table) a single CR 20 monster should be a hard challenge for three (3) lvl 20 PCs. Now a hard challenge only offers "...a slim chance that one or more characters might die." IMO, that is not a "match" for the party as you put it. I don't even think a deadly encounter which "...could be lethal for one or more player characters," qualifies as a match. But that is closer.

So for a group of three lvl 20 PCs you need at least a CR 22 monster and probably higher to get close to a match. Now, of course most groups are more than three PCs, so you need to go even higher for most groups. On top of all of that, the MM appear to be generally balanced around the idea that you don't use magic items, feats, or multiclassing (all optional in 5e). So what is lacking in the DMG, IMO, is advice on how to make monsters tougher or adjust the encounter challenge budget for groups that use and/or optimize.

Yet in practice the average 20th level party can cheese demon lords.

 

[dave2008]

Yet in practice the average 20th level party can cheese demon lords.

If the average party is 5-6 characters, then a deadly encounter would be about a solo CR 26 monster. Now a deadly encounter is only potentially lethal to 2+/- PCs per the guidelines. So, based on the guidelines you would expect a reasonably competent lvl 20 group to take out a demon lord relatively easily. IMO, a challenge, aka "match," should minimally be half the party dead. So, based on the DMG I think your looking at CR 28-30 territory. Even then, there are lot of other factors to consider. The issue is not with guidelines so much, but with the low CR of the demon lords - that is what I am trying to fix

However, I contend that the average group of 3-5 players that only uses the basic rules, really can't cheese a demon lord. I think people who post on these boards tend to think most groups play like they do, when repeated surveys have shown that not to be the case. The people here are significantly more hardcore than the average group. Personally, I have run two groups through 5e. One defeated Tiamat and the other was TPK'd by Demogorgon. Same rules, just different play styles.

 

[dave2008]

Air Elemental by Jon Givetz

Ancient Air Elemental
Gargantuan elemental, neutral

Armor Class 17
Hit Points 290 (20d20 + 80; bloodied 145)
Speed 0 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	24 (+7)	18 (+4)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)

Savings Throws Dex +12, Con +9, Wis +7, Cha +5
Skills Acrobatics +10, Perception +7, Stealth +10
Damage Resistances thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical.
Damage Immunities lightning, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Auran, Primordial
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5

Air Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. The elemental can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing if air can pass through the space.

Elemental Attacks. The primal elemental’s attacks are treated as magical weapons.

Elemental Resistance (2/short rest). If the elemental fails a saving throw, it can use a reaction to re-roll the saving throw.

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

Untethered. The elemental has advantage on effects that would inflict the incapacitated condition.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The elemental makes three attacks, any combination of slam and wind lance attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage,

Wind Lance. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6+7) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet.

Whirlwind (Recharge 4-6). The elemental creates a storm filled with swirling wind and debris within a 15-foot radius of itself. Any creature in the area must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw taking 22 (4d8 +4) bludgeoning and 9 (2d8) piercing damage and is flung up 40 feet away from the elemental in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes an object, such as a wall or floor, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.

If the saving throw is successful, the target takes half the bludgeoning damage and isn't flung away or knocked prone.

Innate Spellcasting. The elemental’s spell casting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with attack spells). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: gust of wind, shocking grasp (11th level)
2/day each: lightning bolt, storm sphere, thunder wave (5th level)
1/day each: control weather (wind only)

Summon Elementals (1/day). The elemental summons 1d8 air elementals or 1d4 elder air elementals to unoccupied spaces within 120 feet of the elemental.

BONUS ACTIONS
Quick Casting (2/short rest). The elemental can cast an at-will spell.

REACTIONS
Windy Escape. When the elemental is hit by an attack it can use a reaction to move up to half its speed. Creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attacks to hit the elemental during this movement

Wind Buffet. The elemental adds 5 to its AC against one ranged attack that would hit it. To do so, the elemental must see the attacker.

 

[imeannoharm]

I'm all about bigger numbers man! And there will be more powerful versions of Demogorgon and Tiamat to come. I will keep these puny versions up though.

Personally, when it comes to gods and archfiends, I'm not to worried about making things for groups at 20th lvl + a few boons. I want those beast to be over-the-top. However, the great thing with the mythic stages and you can stop at any stage and tailor the difficulty of the encounter. To use your example, you can fight Annam as:

Legendary Annam: 1,230 HP
Mythic Annam: 2,230 HP
Mythic Annam, Stage 2: 3,330 HP
Mythic Annam, Stage 3: 4,330 HP

This way you get 4 different levels of threat. He can discorporate (need to clarify that in the traits) at any stage of the process. It can work for people who want to just use a 20th level + a few boons or someone who is using a epic lvl 30 or even 40 pc. And it accommodates different size groups that way as well. Of course it is not just bigger numbers. Most stages bring new options to the table as well. I hope to emphasize this more as I get better at them.

So if Annam (or any god) is killed at his last stage, you have truly defeated him and his soul goes to wherever dead gods go in your mythology?

 

[dave2008]

So if Annam (or any god) is killed at his last stage, you have truly defeated him and his soul goes to wherever dead gods go in your mythology?

No, they would discorporate normally. That is something I want to clarify in the deity traits. You can only kill a god under special circumstances.

 

[dave2008]

Ancient Earth Elemental
Gargantuan elemental, neutral

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 350 (20d20 + 140; bloodied 175)
Speed 50 ft., burrow 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	10 (+0)	25 (+7)	11 (+0)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)

Savings Throws Str +12, Dex +5, Con +13, Wis +7
Skills Athletics +10, Intimidation +8
Damage Resistances cold, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 100 ft., tremorsense 100 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Terran, Primordial
Challenge 16 (18,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5

Earth Glide. The elemental can burrow through nonmagical, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the elemental doesn’t disturb the material it moves through.

Elemental Attacks. The primal elemental’s attacks are treated as magical weapons.

Elemental Resistance (2/short rest). If the elemental fails a saving throw, it can use a reaction to re-roll the saving throw.

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

Rock Skin. The elemental is immune to all damage, except psychic, unless the attack or effect inflicts more than 5 hit points of damage, in which case it takes damage as normal.

Siege Monster. The elemental deals double damage to objects and structures.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The elemental makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 29 (4d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage and the target must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone or pushed 15 feet, or, if the target is Medium or smaller, grappled, the elemental’s choice.

Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 120/ 240 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (5d10 +7) bludgeoning damage and the target must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If there are no rocks in the area the elemental can use a piece of its body, taking 10 (3d6) damage.

Rampage (Recharge 4-6). The elemental moves up to it speed and can enter the space of Medium or smaller creatures. The first time it enters a creature’s space, or comes within reach of a creature during the move, it can make a slam attack against the target.

Innate Spellcasting. The elemental’s spell casting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with attack spells). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: earthbind, earth tremor, mold earth
3/day each: earthen grasp, erupting earth
1/day each: bones of the earth, move earth

Summon Elementals (1/day). The elemental summons 1d8 earth elementals, 1d4 elder earth elementals to unoccupied spaces within 120 feet of the primal elemental.

BONUS ACTIONS
Quick Casting (2/short rest). The elemental can cast an at-will spell.

REACTIONS
Crush. If a creature ends its turn grappled by the elemental, the creature must make a DC 20 Strength saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

 

[dave2008]

Ancient Fire Elemental
Gargantuan elemental, neutral

Armor Class 15
Hit Points 290 (20d20 + 64; bloodied 145)
Speed 75 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	20 (+5)	19 (+4)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)

Savings Throws Dex +10, Wis +7, Cha +7
Skills Intimidation +7, Perception +7, Persuasion +7
Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical.
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Ignan, Primordial
Challenge 16 (5,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5

Consume. If the elemental is hit by an attack or effect that does fire damage, the elemental takes no damage and instead gains hit points equal to the amount of fire damage. This trait does not apply to attacks and effects created by the elemental.

Elemental Attacks. The primal elemental’s attacks are treated as magical weapons.

Elemental Resistance (2/short rest). If the elemental fails a saving throw, it can use a reaction to re-roll the saving throw.

Fire Form. The elemental can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. A creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the elemental or hits it with a melee attack while within 15 feet of it takes 16 (3d10) fire damage. In addition, the elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. The first time it enters a creature's space on a turn, that creature takes 16 (3d10) fire damage and catches fire; until someone takes an action to douse the fire, the creature takes 16 (3d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns. Additionally, the elemental sheds bright light in a 90-foot radius and dim light in an additional 90 feet.

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

Untethered. The elemental has advantage on effects that would inflict the incapacitated condition.

Water Susceptibility. For every 10 feet the elemental moves in water, or for every two gallons of water splashed on it, it takes 1 cold damage.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The elemental makes two burning touch or flame spear attacks.

Burning Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (4d6 + 5) fire damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 16 (3d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns. If the target is hit with two burning touch attacks on the same turn, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or lose any resistance to fire damage for the next 12 hours,

Flame Spear. Ranged Spell Attack: +10 to hit, range 180 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d8 +5) fire damage.

Flame Spear Volley (Recharge 5-6). The elemental makes a flame spear attack on all targets within 180 feet of it.

Innate Spellcasting. The elemental’s spell casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with attack spells). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: burning hands (3rd level), control flames, fire bolt (11th level), produce flame
3/day each: fireball, wall of fire
1/day each: fire storm

Summon Elementals (1/day). The elemental summons 1d8 fire elementals or 1d4 elder fire elementals to unoccupied spaces within 120 feet of the elemental.

BONUS ACTIONS
Quick Casting (2/short rest). The elemental can cast an at-will spell.

REACTIONS
Flame Shield. The elemental adds 5 to its AC against one attack that would hit it. To do so, the elemental must see the attacker.

 

[dave2008]

Ancient Water Elemental
Gargantuan elemental, neutral

Armor Class 14
Hit Points 310 (20d20 + 100; bloodied 155)
Speed 50 ft., swim 120 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)	10 (+0)	11 (+1)	13 (+1)

Savings Throws Str +11, Dex +9, Wis +6
Skills Athletics +11, Acrobatics +14, Stealth +9
Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical.
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, incapacitated, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Aquan, Primordial
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5

Elemental Attacks. The primal elemental’s attacks are treated as magical weapons.

Elemental Resistance (2/short rest). If the elemental fails a saving throw, it can use a reaction to re-roll the saving throw.

Freeze. If the elemental takes cold damage, it partially freezes; its speed is reduced by 20 feet until the end of its next turn.

Water Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Magic Resistance. The elemental has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects and any creature that makes a spell attack against the elemental has disadvantage on the attack roll.
.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The elemental makes three attacks, any combination of slam and water jet attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage and if the target is Large or smaller it must make a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be grappled. At the end of the grappled creature's turn, it suffers the effects of the elemental's whelm attack until the grapple ends (escape DC 19).

Water Jet. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6+6) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet.

Whelm (Recharge 4–6). Each creature in the elemental's space must make a DC 19 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 24 (4d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If it is Large or smaller, it is also grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and unable to breathe unless it can breathe water. If the saving throw is successful, the target is pushed out of the elemental's space.

The elemental can grapple one Huge creature or two Large or up to four Medium or smaller creatures at one time. At the start of each of the elemental's turns, each target grappled by it takes 24 (4d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. A creature within 5 feet of the elemental can pull a creature or object out of it by taking an action to make a DC 16 Strength and succeeding.

Innate Spellcasting. The elemental’s spell casting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with attack spells). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: control water, create or destroy water
3/day each: tidal wave, wall of water
1/day each: watery sphere

Summon Elementals (1/day). The elemental summons 1d8 water elementals or 1d4 elder water elementals to unoccupied spaces within 120 feet of the elemental.

BONUS ACTIONS
Quick Casting (2/short rest). The elemental can cast an at-will spell.

REACTIONS
Fling. If a Medium or smaller creature ends its turn grappled by the elemental, the elemental throws the creature up to 40 feet in a direction of its choosing. The target must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown and knocked prone on a failure, or half as much damage one a success. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.

 

[imeannoharm]

What CR would you give the Shard of Evil? More powerful than Tharizdun?