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Level Up (A5E) A Leveled-Up Bestiary: Volume Two
- Thread starter Faolyn
- Start date
For the rest, there are all of us here
Faolyn
(she/her)
Godzilla. Gamera. Gorgo. Reptilicus, Yongary… OK, I admit it. The only “giant monster that tramples a city” movies I watch are on MST3k, so I’m fresh out of names. But yep, Dragon Mag had a kaiju template. So here’s the updated version, in case you want something other than Mr. Tarrasque for your insanely high-leveled games.
Note: In many of the movies I've seen, the giant monster feeds on fire or nuclear energy. I altered it for LU by saying it feeds on magical energy and that it can drain planar portals, enchanted faerie groves, even artifacts. I'm not including rules for that; it's more a plot point than anything else.
Kaiju (Template)
Thunder and Fire, Dragon Magazine #289
Creature by James Jacobs
Created by divine forces or through the effects of extreme magical or planar contamination, kaiju are the largest and most powerful of all titans. They were once normal animals but have been mutated into tremendous monsters to the point that they now only vaguely resemble the beasts they once were. Their bodies are thickened and made coarser and are covered in armored hide and studded with spikes, horns, and bony knobs. Claws, beaks, and teeth have become oversized. Most have developed a bipedal stance, albeit one that is often hunched over, with paws and hooves having been transformed into clumsy fists. They have developed a variety of powers, nearly all of which are destructive in nature. Worst yet is their size. Whatever caused the kaiju’s mutation also caused them to grow. They are so large as to dwarf all but the most ancient of dragons—and even great wyrms are not nearly as large as they are. Attacking a kaiju is like attacking a mountain—almost entirely pointless. Kaiju are all but unkillable. Even the gods have trouble fighting one. It takes the strength of entire nations to make a dent against them. At best, the most one can hope for is to temporarily drive one off.
Agents of Destruction. Kaiju are not creatures so much as they are forces of nature. They are destructive simply by dint of walking around. They seem to not even be able to notice even large buildings as anything other than an annoying obstacle getting in the way of their wanderings. People, even many giants, are simply too small for them to register. Kaiju aren’t malicious but can’t help the devastation that trails in their wake.
Fortunately for everyone else, kaiju sleep for decades or centuries at a time and are usually only active for a few months before falling back asleep. They journey underground, to the deepest underwater trenches, to remote islands, the most desolate of badlands, or sometimes to the Astral plane or outer space—anywhere they can be alone to sleep in peace.
Energy Eaters. Kaiju feed on energy drawn from raging wildfires, thunderstorms, blizzards, and on magical emanations from natural or artificial sources. Possible sources of these emanations include planar gates, places where magical artifacts are stored, very large powerful magical libraries and universities, and the largest of consecrated temples and sites where gods live. When they wander, they do so only to find these sources, absorb them (kaiju are one of the few things that can remove the magic from artifacts and gods), and then move on.
Each One Unique. There is no kaiju species. They are created only through magical means and don’t reproduce. Even if they could, they are too aggressive towards one another to even think about such things. The natural inclination when two kaiju meet is to battle. There’s no obvious reason for this, as they do not appear to be fighting for territory, food, dominance, or as a mating ritual—they fight just to fight. Some sages believe that kaiju know, deep down inside, that the world they are on simply isn’t big enough for the two of them.
The only time kaiju put this aggressive inclination aside and work together, is when they come across a very large, very powerful, and very evil or chaotic being, such as archfiends and evil gods, or invasions of khalkoi or similar entities. They seem to have an innate hatred of such beings and are willing to team up with one other in order to kill them.
Friend of all Children? For unknown reasons, some kaiju—certainly not all—develop a fondness for other intelligent beings, especially their young. They become strangely protective of these children and those around them. If a kaiju has befriended children, and another kaiju or similarly powerful being threatens the children’s community, the kaiju may hear those children’s pleas, awaken, and come to their aid. Of course, their protection is incredibly destructive, but sometimes such a dangerous cure is worth it.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 15. Kaiju are incredibly powerful, mutated animals of titanic proportions who feed on energy both from natural storms and from magic. They are almost unstoppable.
DC 20. The only way to kill a kaiju is with a carefully worded wish spell—and even then, all the wish can do is prevent the kaiju from healing, thus making it technically possible to kill it with violence.
Signs
1. Rhythmic earthquakes; the kaiju approaches
2. A place of great magic is suddenly destroyed as all of the magic is drained away
3. A cataclysmic natural disaster, caused by the kaiju’s awakening
4. An eclipse, caused by the kaiju hovering overhead
5. All natural animals in the area are fleeing.
6. Once-powerful magical item or place that has been drained of power.
--
“Kaiju” is a template that can be added on any beast, monstrosity, or plant that can’t speak any languages and has an Intelligence score of 5 or lower. It regains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below.
Type and Size. The kaiju becomes an elite legendary titanic monstrosity (titan).
AC. The kaiju’s natural armor increases by 10.
Hit Dice. The kaiju Hit Dice become d20s and it gains an additional 40 HD.
Speed. The kaiju’s base speed can’t be lower than 20.
Attributes. The kaiju’s Strength and Constitution increase by 15 (minimum of 22), its Dexterity becomes 10, unless its already lower, and its Charisma becomes 20 (+5).
Saving Throws. The kaiju is proficient in all saving throws.
Immunities. The kaiju is immune to poison damage and to damage from nonmagical weapons. It is also immune to one other type of elemental energy damage (acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, radiant, or thunder). It is immune to the charmed, confused, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, and poisoned conditions.
Altered Attacks. The kaiju inflicts 4 extra dice of damage with each melee attack, and the die type is increased by one size (e.g., if the base creature inflict 1d6 damage with a bite, the kaiju inflicts 5d8 damage with a bite). Additionally, the reach for all of its melee attacks increases by 10 feet. If the base creature had a ranged attack, the range is tripled.
Altered Trait. If the base creature as an ability that is dependent on damage it inflicts or takes, such as Relentless, multiply the listed number by 10.
Immortal Nature. The kaiju doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the kaiju fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Senses. The kaiju gains one of the following types of senses: blindsight 120 ft., darkvision 120 feet, or tremorsense 60 feet.
Magic Resistance. The kaiju has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Siege Monster. The kaiju deals double damage to objects and structures.
Action: Multiattack. The kaiju may make two attacks plus however many attacks the base creature can make. Only one of these attacks can be a bite (unless the base creature has more than one head). It can replace its bite with Swallow.
Action: Bite. The kaiju makes a melee attack against a creature. If the attack hits, the creature is grappled (escape DC = the kaiju’s maneuver DC). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the kaiju can’t bite a different creature. If the base creature doesn’t have a bite attack, it gains one that inflicts 5d10 piercing damage.
Action: Claw, Fist, Hoof, or Slam. The kaiju makes a melee attack against a creature. If the base creature doesn’t have a Claw, Fist, Hoof, or Slam attack, it gains one that inflicts 5d8 bludgeoning or slashing damage.
Action: Swallow. The kaiju makes a bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature has total cover from attacks from outside the kaiju, it is blinded and restrained, and it takes 35 (10d6) acid damage and 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of the kaiju’s turns. If a swallowed creature deals 70 or more damage to the kaiju in a single turn, or if the kaiju dies, the kaiju vomits up all swallowed creatures.
Kaiju Abilities. The kaiju also gains 10 abilities chosen from the following:
• Additional Attacks. The kaiju can make two additional attacks each round.
• Additional Immunities. The kaiju has immunity to one additional type of damage. The kaiju make take this ability twice.
• Additional Resistances. The kaiju has resistance to two types of damage. The kaiju make take this ability twice.
• Additional Senses. The kaiju gains another type of sense (blindsight, darkvision, tremorsense).
• Additional Movement Type. The kaiju gains one of the following speeds: burrow 20 ft., walk 30 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. The kaiju make take this ability more than once. If it takes this ability more than once and chooses the same movement type, the speed for that movement is doubled.
• Astounding Leap. The kaiju’s high jump distance is equal to its Speed.
• Augmented Criticals. The kaiju scores a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.
• Legendary Action: Battle Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 500 feet must make a Charisma saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be rattled 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. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
• Bloodied Frenzy. While the kaiju is bloodied it makes all attacks with advantage and all attacks against it are made with advantage.
• Bloodied Regeneration. While the kaiju is bloodied, it regains 50 hit points at the start of each of its turns. A wish spell can suppress this trait for 24 hours. The kaiju dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
• Action: Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju breathes a 120-foot long, 10-foot wide line 120-foot cone of energy of an energy type to which it is immune. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Constitution modifier), taking 45 (10d8) damage of that type on a failed save or half as much on a success. The kaiju may take this action twice, choosing a different damage type each time.
• Legendary Action: Cast Spell (Costs 3 Actions). The kaiju casts a spell. It must have the Innate Spellcasting ability.
• Death Throes. When the kaiju dies, it explodes. Each creature within 30 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Constitution modifier), taking 35 (10d6) damage of the type to which it is immune on a failed save, or half damage on a success.
• Bonus Action: Energized Attack (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju causes its natural attacks to be imbued with energy of a type to which it is immune. If it is immune to more than one type of damage, choose one type for this ability. Until the end of its next turn, its natural attacks inflict an additional 10 (3d6) damage of that type. The kaiju may take this action twice, choosing a different damage type each time.
• Energy Absorption. When the kaiju is subjected to damage from energy to which it is immune, it instead regains hit points equal to the damage dealt.
• Legendary Action: Frightening Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 120 feet must make a Charisma saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the kaiju is in line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
• Legendary Action: Inescapable Earth (Costs 3 Actions). Each flying creature or object within 300 feet falls and its flying speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the kaiju’s next turn.
• Innate Spellcasting (3/day). The kaiju can cast one of the following spells without the need for material components, and as if with a 9th-level spell slot, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability: blur, call lightning, cloudkill, conjure elemental, control water, control weather, earthquake, enlarge/reduce (reduce only), firestorm, fly, freezing sphere, gaseous form, haste, ice storm, invisibility, plane shift, raise hell, ravaging roots, wall of fire, wind wall. The kaiju can take this ability more than once, choosing a different spell each time.
• Action: Ranged Attack. The kaiju can fire spines, spit boulders, shoot bony discs from its paws, etc., at up to two targets within 15 feet of each other. It must make a ranged weapon attack (range: 100 ft.). On a hit, it inflicts 21 (6d6) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (whichever is most appropriate).
• Action: Ray Attack (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju fires a beam of energy from its mouth, eyes, horns, etc., of energy of a type to which it is immune. It must make a ranged weapon attack (range: 300 ft.) On a hit, it inflicts 67 (15d8) damage of that type. The kaiju may take this action more than once, choosing a different damage type each time.
• Legendary Action: Recharge. When the kaiju is first bloodied, it recharges any breath weapons, energized attacks, rays, or windstorms it has, if they are not already available.
• Reflective. When the kaiju is targeted by a magic missile spell, a line spell, or a spell that requires a ranged attack, roll a d6. On a 1-3, the kaiju is unaffected. On a 4-6, the kaiju is unaffected and the spell is reflected back, targeting the caster as if it originated from the kaiju.
Action: Stomp. The kaiju stomps, jumps up and lands, or rears up and comes crashing back to earth. Each creature within 60 feet of the kaiju must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Strength modifier) or take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and fall prone.
• Legendary Action: Stunning Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 120 feet must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be stunned until the end of the kaiju’s next turn and rattled for 1 minute. A rattled creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
• Legendary Action: Thunderous Roar. Each creature within 120 feet must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or take 21 (6d6) thunder damage and be deafened for 1 minute. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Action: Trample. The kaiju moves up to its speed in a straight line and can move through the spaces of Large and smaller creatures. Each of these creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Strength modifier), taking 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful on. On a failed save, the creature also falls prone.
• Action: Windstorm (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju flaps its wings, spins around rapidly, breathes out a powerful gust of air, etc., creating a 90-foot cone of blasting air. All flames in this area are extinguished, and creatures in the area must make a Strength saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Constitution modifier) or go flying back 1d4 × 10 feet and take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every ten feet pushed back. On a success, the creature is instead knocked prone. Large or larger creatures are pushed back only half as far, and Huge and larger creatures have advantage on this saving throw. Additionally, until the end of the kaiju’s next turn, ranged attacks and talking are impossible in that area.
Legendary Actions. The kaiju can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. The kaiju makes a melee attack other than bite.
Move. The kaiju moves up to half its Speed.
Elite Recovery (While Bloodied). The kaiju ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can use this action as long as it has at least 1 hit point even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Chomp (Costs 2 Actions). The kaiju makes a bite attack or uses Swallow.
--
The following uses a boar as the base creature:
Inosh, The Hellboar
Elite legendary titanic monstrosity (titan); Challenge 30 (155,000 XP)
AC 22 (natural armor)
HP 740 (40d20+320; bloodied 370)
2d8+2; bloodied 5)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 28 (+9) DEX 10 (+0) CON 27 (+8)
INT 4 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 20 (+5)
Proficiency +9; Maneuver DC 26
Saving Throws Str +19, Dex +10, Con +18, Int +7, Wis +10, Cha +15
Damage Resistances acid, cold
Damage Immunities fire, poison; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, confused, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages —
Bloodied Regeneration. While the kaiju is bloodied, it regains 50 hit points at the start of each of its turns. A wish spell can suppress this trait for 24 hours. The kaiju dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
Immortal Nature. Inosh doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Innate Spellcasting (3/Day). Inosh can cast cloudkill without the need for material components. Its spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 22).
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Inosh fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Inosh has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Relentless (1/Day). If Inosh takes 50 or less damage that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is instead reduced to 1 hit point.
Siege Monster. Inosh deals double damage to objects and structures.
Actions
Multiattack. Inosh makes three attacks, only one of which can be a bite. It can replace its bite attack with Swallow.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (5d10+9) piercing damage. If the attack hits and the target is a creature, the creature is grappled (escape DC 26) and restrained, and Inosh can’t bite a different creature.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (5d8+9) bludgeoning damage.
Tusk. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (5d8+9) slashing damage. If the boar moves at least 20 feet straight towards the target before the attack, the attack deals an extra 22 (5d8) slashing damage and the target must make a DC 26 Strength saving throw falling prone on a failure.
Shoot Tusks. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 100 ft., two targets within 15 feet of each other. Hit: 21 (6d6) piercing damage.
Poison Eyes (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 300 feet. Hit: 67 (15d8) poison damage.
Cloudkill (5th-level; V, S, Concentration). A 20-foot radius sphere of poisonous, sickly green fog appears centered on a point within 120 feet. If lasts for 10 minutes and spread around corners, heavily obscuring the area. It can be dispersed by a strong wind, ending the spell early. Until the spell ends, when a creature starts its turn in the area or enters it for the first time on a turn, it makes a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) poison damage on a failure or half damage on a success. The fog moves away from Inosh 10 feet at the start of each of its turns, sinking to the level of the ground in that space.
Swallow. Inosh makes a bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature has total cover from attacks from outside Inosh, it is blinded and restrained, and it takes 35 (10d6) acid damage and 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of Inosh’s turns. If a swallowed creature deals 70 or more damage to Inosh in a single turn, or if Inosh dies, Inosh vomits up all swallowed creatures.
Trample. The kaiju moves up to its speed in a straight line and can move through the spaces of Large and smaller creatures. Each of these creatures must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful on. On a failed save, the creature also falls prone.
Bonus Actions
Energized Attack. Inosh causes its bite, hooves, and tusks to be imbued with fire. Until the end of its next turn, those attacks inflict an additional 10 (3d6) fire damage.
Legendary Actions
Inosh can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. Inosh makes a melee attack other than bite.
Move. Inosh moves up to half its Speed.
Elite Recovery (While Bloodied). Inosh ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can use this action as long as it has at least 1 hit point even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Frightening Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 120 feet must make a Charisma saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the kaiju is in line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
Chomp (Costs 2 Actions). Inosh makes a bite attack or uses Swallow.
Note: In many of the movies I've seen, the giant monster feeds on fire or nuclear energy. I altered it for LU by saying it feeds on magical energy and that it can drain planar portals, enchanted faerie groves, even artifacts. I'm not including rules for that; it's more a plot point than anything else.
Kaiju (Template)
Thunder and Fire, Dragon Magazine #289
Creature by James Jacobs
Created by divine forces or through the effects of extreme magical or planar contamination, kaiju are the largest and most powerful of all titans. They were once normal animals but have been mutated into tremendous monsters to the point that they now only vaguely resemble the beasts they once were. Their bodies are thickened and made coarser and are covered in armored hide and studded with spikes, horns, and bony knobs. Claws, beaks, and teeth have become oversized. Most have developed a bipedal stance, albeit one that is often hunched over, with paws and hooves having been transformed into clumsy fists. They have developed a variety of powers, nearly all of which are destructive in nature. Worst yet is their size. Whatever caused the kaiju’s mutation also caused them to grow. They are so large as to dwarf all but the most ancient of dragons—and even great wyrms are not nearly as large as they are. Attacking a kaiju is like attacking a mountain—almost entirely pointless. Kaiju are all but unkillable. Even the gods have trouble fighting one. It takes the strength of entire nations to make a dent against them. At best, the most one can hope for is to temporarily drive one off.
Agents of Destruction. Kaiju are not creatures so much as they are forces of nature. They are destructive simply by dint of walking around. They seem to not even be able to notice even large buildings as anything other than an annoying obstacle getting in the way of their wanderings. People, even many giants, are simply too small for them to register. Kaiju aren’t malicious but can’t help the devastation that trails in their wake.
Fortunately for everyone else, kaiju sleep for decades or centuries at a time and are usually only active for a few months before falling back asleep. They journey underground, to the deepest underwater trenches, to remote islands, the most desolate of badlands, or sometimes to the Astral plane or outer space—anywhere they can be alone to sleep in peace.
Energy Eaters. Kaiju feed on energy drawn from raging wildfires, thunderstorms, blizzards, and on magical emanations from natural or artificial sources. Possible sources of these emanations include planar gates, places where magical artifacts are stored, very large powerful magical libraries and universities, and the largest of consecrated temples and sites where gods live. When they wander, they do so only to find these sources, absorb them (kaiju are one of the few things that can remove the magic from artifacts and gods), and then move on.
Each One Unique. There is no kaiju species. They are created only through magical means and don’t reproduce. Even if they could, they are too aggressive towards one another to even think about such things. The natural inclination when two kaiju meet is to battle. There’s no obvious reason for this, as they do not appear to be fighting for territory, food, dominance, or as a mating ritual—they fight just to fight. Some sages believe that kaiju know, deep down inside, that the world they are on simply isn’t big enough for the two of them.
The only time kaiju put this aggressive inclination aside and work together, is when they come across a very large, very powerful, and very evil or chaotic being, such as archfiends and evil gods, or invasions of khalkoi or similar entities. They seem to have an innate hatred of such beings and are willing to team up with one other in order to kill them.
Friend of all Children? For unknown reasons, some kaiju—certainly not all—develop a fondness for other intelligent beings, especially their young. They become strangely protective of these children and those around them. If a kaiju has befriended children, and another kaiju or similarly powerful being threatens the children’s community, the kaiju may hear those children’s pleas, awaken, and come to their aid. Of course, their protection is incredibly destructive, but sometimes such a dangerous cure is worth it.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 15. Kaiju are incredibly powerful, mutated animals of titanic proportions who feed on energy both from natural storms and from magic. They are almost unstoppable.
DC 20. The only way to kill a kaiju is with a carefully worded wish spell—and even then, all the wish can do is prevent the kaiju from healing, thus making it technically possible to kill it with violence.
Signs
1. Rhythmic earthquakes; the kaiju approaches
2. A place of great magic is suddenly destroyed as all of the magic is drained away
3. A cataclysmic natural disaster, caused by the kaiju’s awakening
4. An eclipse, caused by the kaiju hovering overhead
5. All natural animals in the area are fleeing.
6. Once-powerful magical item or place that has been drained of power.
--
“Kaiju” is a template that can be added on any beast, monstrosity, or plant that can’t speak any languages and has an Intelligence score of 5 or lower. It regains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below.
Type and Size. The kaiju becomes an elite legendary titanic monstrosity (titan).
AC. The kaiju’s natural armor increases by 10.
Hit Dice. The kaiju Hit Dice become d20s and it gains an additional 40 HD.
Speed. The kaiju’s base speed can’t be lower than 20.
Attributes. The kaiju’s Strength and Constitution increase by 15 (minimum of 22), its Dexterity becomes 10, unless its already lower, and its Charisma becomes 20 (+5).
Saving Throws. The kaiju is proficient in all saving throws.
Immunities. The kaiju is immune to poison damage and to damage from nonmagical weapons. It is also immune to one other type of elemental energy damage (acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, radiant, or thunder). It is immune to the charmed, confused, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, and poisoned conditions.
Altered Attacks. The kaiju inflicts 4 extra dice of damage with each melee attack, and the die type is increased by one size (e.g., if the base creature inflict 1d6 damage with a bite, the kaiju inflicts 5d8 damage with a bite). Additionally, the reach for all of its melee attacks increases by 10 feet. If the base creature had a ranged attack, the range is tripled.
Altered Trait. If the base creature as an ability that is dependent on damage it inflicts or takes, such as Relentless, multiply the listed number by 10.
Immortal Nature. The kaiju doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the kaiju fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Senses. The kaiju gains one of the following types of senses: blindsight 120 ft., darkvision 120 feet, or tremorsense 60 feet.
Magic Resistance. The kaiju has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Siege Monster. The kaiju deals double damage to objects and structures.
Action: Multiattack. The kaiju may make two attacks plus however many attacks the base creature can make. Only one of these attacks can be a bite (unless the base creature has more than one head). It can replace its bite with Swallow.
Action: Bite. The kaiju makes a melee attack against a creature. If the attack hits, the creature is grappled (escape DC = the kaiju’s maneuver DC). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the kaiju can’t bite a different creature. If the base creature doesn’t have a bite attack, it gains one that inflicts 5d10 piercing damage.
Action: Claw, Fist, Hoof, or Slam. The kaiju makes a melee attack against a creature. If the base creature doesn’t have a Claw, Fist, Hoof, or Slam attack, it gains one that inflicts 5d8 bludgeoning or slashing damage.
Action: Swallow. The kaiju makes a bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature has total cover from attacks from outside the kaiju, it is blinded and restrained, and it takes 35 (10d6) acid damage and 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of the kaiju’s turns. If a swallowed creature deals 70 or more damage to the kaiju in a single turn, or if the kaiju dies, the kaiju vomits up all swallowed creatures.
Kaiju Abilities. The kaiju also gains 10 abilities chosen from the following:
• Additional Attacks. The kaiju can make two additional attacks each round.
• Additional Immunities. The kaiju has immunity to one additional type of damage. The kaiju make take this ability twice.
• Additional Resistances. The kaiju has resistance to two types of damage. The kaiju make take this ability twice.
• Additional Senses. The kaiju gains another type of sense (blindsight, darkvision, tremorsense).
• Additional Movement Type. The kaiju gains one of the following speeds: burrow 20 ft., walk 30 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 40 ft. The kaiju make take this ability more than once. If it takes this ability more than once and chooses the same movement type, the speed for that movement is doubled.
• Astounding Leap. The kaiju’s high jump distance is equal to its Speed.
• Augmented Criticals. The kaiju scores a critical hit on a roll of 18-20.
• Legendary Action: Battle Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 500 feet must make a Charisma saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be rattled 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. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
• Bloodied Frenzy. While the kaiju is bloodied it makes all attacks with advantage and all attacks against it are made with advantage.
• Bloodied Regeneration. While the kaiju is bloodied, it regains 50 hit points at the start of each of its turns. A wish spell can suppress this trait for 24 hours. The kaiju dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
• Action: Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju breathes a 120-foot long, 10-foot wide line 120-foot cone of energy of an energy type to which it is immune. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Constitution modifier), taking 45 (10d8) damage of that type on a failed save or half as much on a success. The kaiju may take this action twice, choosing a different damage type each time.
• Legendary Action: Cast Spell (Costs 3 Actions). The kaiju casts a spell. It must have the Innate Spellcasting ability.
• Death Throes. When the kaiju dies, it explodes. Each creature within 30 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Constitution modifier), taking 35 (10d6) damage of the type to which it is immune on a failed save, or half damage on a success.
• Bonus Action: Energized Attack (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju causes its natural attacks to be imbued with energy of a type to which it is immune. If it is immune to more than one type of damage, choose one type for this ability. Until the end of its next turn, its natural attacks inflict an additional 10 (3d6) damage of that type. The kaiju may take this action twice, choosing a different damage type each time.
• Energy Absorption. When the kaiju is subjected to damage from energy to which it is immune, it instead regains hit points equal to the damage dealt.
• Legendary Action: Frightening Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 120 feet must make a Charisma saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the kaiju is in line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
• Legendary Action: Inescapable Earth (Costs 3 Actions). Each flying creature or object within 300 feet falls and its flying speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the kaiju’s next turn.
• Innate Spellcasting (3/day). The kaiju can cast one of the following spells without the need for material components, and as if with a 9th-level spell slot, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability: blur, call lightning, cloudkill, conjure elemental, control water, control weather, earthquake, enlarge/reduce (reduce only), firestorm, fly, freezing sphere, gaseous form, haste, ice storm, invisibility, plane shift, raise hell, ravaging roots, wall of fire, wind wall. The kaiju can take this ability more than once, choosing a different spell each time.
• Action: Ranged Attack. The kaiju can fire spines, spit boulders, shoot bony discs from its paws, etc., at up to two targets within 15 feet of each other. It must make a ranged weapon attack (range: 100 ft.). On a hit, it inflicts 21 (6d6) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (whichever is most appropriate).
• Action: Ray Attack (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju fires a beam of energy from its mouth, eyes, horns, etc., of energy of a type to which it is immune. It must make a ranged weapon attack (range: 300 ft.) On a hit, it inflicts 67 (15d8) damage of that type. The kaiju may take this action more than once, choosing a different damage type each time.
• Legendary Action: Recharge. When the kaiju is first bloodied, it recharges any breath weapons, energized attacks, rays, or windstorms it has, if they are not already available.
• Reflective. When the kaiju is targeted by a magic missile spell, a line spell, or a spell that requires a ranged attack, roll a d6. On a 1-3, the kaiju is unaffected. On a 4-6, the kaiju is unaffected and the spell is reflected back, targeting the caster as if it originated from the kaiju.
Action: Stomp. The kaiju stomps, jumps up and lands, or rears up and comes crashing back to earth. Each creature within 60 feet of the kaiju must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Strength modifier) or take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and fall prone.
• Legendary Action: Stunning Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 120 feet must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be stunned until the end of the kaiju’s next turn and rattled for 1 minute. A rattled creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
• Legendary Action: Thunderous Roar. Each creature within 120 feet must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or take 21 (6d6) thunder damage and be deafened for 1 minute. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Action: Trample. The kaiju moves up to its speed in a straight line and can move through the spaces of Large and smaller creatures. Each of these creatures must make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Strength modifier), taking 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful on. On a failed save, the creature also falls prone.
• Action: Windstorm (Recharge 5-6). The kaiju flaps its wings, spins around rapidly, breathes out a powerful gust of air, etc., creating a 90-foot cone of blasting air. All flames in this area are extinguished, and creatures in the area must make a Strength saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Constitution modifier) or go flying back 1d4 × 10 feet and take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every ten feet pushed back. On a success, the creature is instead knocked prone. Large or larger creatures are pushed back only half as far, and Huge and larger creatures have advantage on this saving throw. Additionally, until the end of the kaiju’s next turn, ranged attacks and talking are impossible in that area.
Legendary Actions. The kaiju can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. The kaiju makes a melee attack other than bite.
Move. The kaiju moves up to half its Speed.
Elite Recovery (While Bloodied). The kaiju ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can use this action as long as it has at least 1 hit point even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Chomp (Costs 2 Actions). The kaiju makes a bite attack or uses Swallow.
--
The following uses a boar as the base creature:
Inosh, The Hellboar
Elite legendary titanic monstrosity (titan); Challenge 30 (155,000 XP)
AC 22 (natural armor)
HP 740 (40d20+320; bloodied 370)
2d8+2; bloodied 5)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR 28 (+9) DEX 10 (+0) CON 27 (+8)
INT 4 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 20 (+5)
Proficiency +9; Maneuver DC 26
Saving Throws Str +19, Dex +10, Con +18, Int +7, Wis +10, Cha +15
Damage Resistances acid, cold
Damage Immunities fire, poison; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, confused, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages —
Bloodied Regeneration. While the kaiju is bloodied, it regains 50 hit points at the start of each of its turns. A wish spell can suppress this trait for 24 hours. The kaiju dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
Immortal Nature. Inosh doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Innate Spellcasting (3/Day). Inosh can cast cloudkill without the need for material components. Its spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 22).
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Inosh fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Inosh has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Relentless (1/Day). If Inosh takes 50 or less damage that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is instead reduced to 1 hit point.
Siege Monster. Inosh deals double damage to objects and structures.
Actions
Multiattack. Inosh makes three attacks, only one of which can be a bite. It can replace its bite attack with Swallow.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (5d10+9) piercing damage. If the attack hits and the target is a creature, the creature is grappled (escape DC 26) and restrained, and Inosh can’t bite a different creature.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (5d8+9) bludgeoning damage.
Tusk. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (5d8+9) slashing damage. If the boar moves at least 20 feet straight towards the target before the attack, the attack deals an extra 22 (5d8) slashing damage and the target must make a DC 26 Strength saving throw falling prone on a failure.
Shoot Tusks. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 100 ft., two targets within 15 feet of each other. Hit: 21 (6d6) piercing damage.
Poison Eyes (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 300 feet. Hit: 67 (15d8) poison damage.
Cloudkill (5th-level; V, S, Concentration). A 20-foot radius sphere of poisonous, sickly green fog appears centered on a point within 120 feet. If lasts for 10 minutes and spread around corners, heavily obscuring the area. It can be dispersed by a strong wind, ending the spell early. Until the spell ends, when a creature starts its turn in the area or enters it for the first time on a turn, it makes a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) poison damage on a failure or half damage on a success. The fog moves away from Inosh 10 feet at the start of each of its turns, sinking to the level of the ground in that space.
Swallow. Inosh makes a bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature has total cover from attacks from outside Inosh, it is blinded and restrained, and it takes 35 (10d6) acid damage and 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of Inosh’s turns. If a swallowed creature deals 70 or more damage to Inosh in a single turn, or if Inosh dies, Inosh vomits up all swallowed creatures.
Trample. The kaiju moves up to its speed in a straight line and can move through the spaces of Large and smaller creatures. Each of these creatures must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (5d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful on. On a failed save, the creature also falls prone.
Bonus Actions
Energized Attack. Inosh causes its bite, hooves, and tusks to be imbued with fire. Until the end of its next turn, those attacks inflict an additional 10 (3d6) fire damage.
Legendary Actions
Inosh can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Attack. Inosh makes a melee attack other than bite.
Move. Inosh moves up to half its Speed.
Elite Recovery (While Bloodied). Inosh ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can use this action as long as it has at least 1 hit point even while unconscious or incapacitated.
Frightening Roar. Each creature of the kaiju’s choice within 120 feet must make a Charisma saving throw (save DC = 8 + the base creature’s PB + the base creature’s Charisma modifier) or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the kaiju is in line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If it succeeds on a saving throw or the effect ends on it, it is immune to any kaiju’s Roar for 24 hours.
Chomp (Costs 2 Actions). Inosh makes a bite attack or uses Swallow.
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DarkRainbowFiend
Explorer
kinda wixh you can apply this to plants to get Biollante. granted i imagine you can bend the rules a bit with any template, i believe you already did yourself with a previous one, but still.
DarkRainbowFiend
Explorer
not sure how additional attacks work with multiattack, do you just add two attacks onto that?
Faolyn
(she/her)
Yeah. Like, say a creature can do a typical claw/claw/bite. They'd get that and then two more attacks, which you'd assign to something like their breath weapon or ray attack, or you decide it actually has four arms and let them make four claw attacks.
You can definitely add the template to plants! I'll go and add that to the list. I should have thought of it before I posted--my friend is visiting one of the Redwood parks in California and we had a discussion about giant treants before he left.
Faolyn
(she/her)
This is the amphibious creature, and it beats making a bunch of aquatic versions of land-dwelling creatures.
This template is simple enough that, with the Narrator’s discretion, it can even be used as a heritage gift.
Amphibious Creature (Template)
Source: Stormwrack; Designers: Richard Baker, Joseph D. Carriker Jr., Jennifer Clarke Wilkes
Sometimes, a child is born to a terrestrial creature who is adapted to life in the water—perhaps they had a parent or more distant ancestor who was from an aquatic heritage, or perhaps they were blessed by a powerful water entity, or had a strange mutation. Often, this change is hereditary and this child becomes the parent of a new species of water-dwelling kin.
--
“Amphibious” is a template that can be added to any giant, humanoid, or monstrosity. It retains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below:
Speed. The amphibious creature gains a swim speed equal to the base creature’s walking speed, but its walking speed is reduced by 10 feet.
Amphibious. The amphibious creature breathes air and water.
Aquatic Nature. The amphibious creature gains a d6 expertise die on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while underwater, but has disadvantage on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while out of the water.
Water Pressure Resistant. The amphibious creature has advantage on saving throws to avoid the effects of water pressure (see Planestrider’s Journal pg. 86).
--
The following uses an ogre as the base creature.
River Ogre
Large giant; Challenge 2 (450 XP)
AC 12 (natural armor)
HP 59 (7d10+21; bloodied 29)
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 19 (+4) DEX 8 (-1) CON 18 (+3)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 8 (-1)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 14
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Giant
Amphibious. The river ogre breathes air and water.
Aquatic Nature. The river ogre gains a d6 expertise die on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while underwater, but has disadvantage on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while out of the water.
Water Pressure Resistance. The river ogre has advantage on saving throws to avoid the effects of water pressure.
Actions
Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it makes a DC 14 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.
Sweeping Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., all creatures within 5 feet. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it makes a DC 14 Strength saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away from the river ogre.
Trident. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage.
This template is simple enough that, with the Narrator’s discretion, it can even be used as a heritage gift.
Amphibious Creature (Template)
Source: Stormwrack; Designers: Richard Baker, Joseph D. Carriker Jr., Jennifer Clarke Wilkes
Sometimes, a child is born to a terrestrial creature who is adapted to life in the water—perhaps they had a parent or more distant ancestor who was from an aquatic heritage, or perhaps they were blessed by a powerful water entity, or had a strange mutation. Often, this change is hereditary and this child becomes the parent of a new species of water-dwelling kin.
--
“Amphibious” is a template that can be added to any giant, humanoid, or monstrosity. It retains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below:
Speed. The amphibious creature gains a swim speed equal to the base creature’s walking speed, but its walking speed is reduced by 10 feet.
Amphibious. The amphibious creature breathes air and water.
Aquatic Nature. The amphibious creature gains a d6 expertise die on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while underwater, but has disadvantage on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while out of the water.
Water Pressure Resistant. The amphibious creature has advantage on saving throws to avoid the effects of water pressure (see Planestrider’s Journal pg. 86).
--
The following uses an ogre as the base creature.
River Ogre
Large giant; Challenge 2 (450 XP)
AC 12 (natural armor)
HP 59 (7d10+21; bloodied 29)
Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR 19 (+4) DEX 8 (-1) CON 18 (+3)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 8 (-1)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 14
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Giant
Amphibious. The river ogre breathes air and water.
Aquatic Nature. The river ogre gains a d6 expertise die on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while underwater, but has disadvantage on Acrobatics and Athletics checks made while out of the water.
Water Pressure Resistance. The river ogre has advantage on saving throws to avoid the effects of water pressure.
Actions
Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it makes a DC 14 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.
Sweeping Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., all creatures within 5 feet. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it makes a DC 14 Strength saving throw. On a failure, it is pushed 10 feet away from the river ogre.
Trident. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage.
Faolyn
(she/her)
Back to issue #300 and an article that gave us four undead templates. These templates are credited to “Wizards of the Coast R&D.” Was it a group effort, or did they find these templates somewhere without a name attached? Weird. The first is the mummy.
Mummy (Template)
The Risen Dead, Dragon Magazine #300
Creature by Wizards of the Coast R&D
“Mummy” is a template that can be added on any aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, or monstrosity. It regains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below.
Type. The mummy becomes undead.
Attributes. The mummy’s Strength increases by 4 and its Dexterity is reduced by 4.
Armor Class. The mummy’s AC is recalculated to account for its lowered Dexterity.
Saving Throws. The mummy is proficient in Wisdom saving throws.
Resistances. The mummy is resistant to damage from nonmagical weapons.
Immunities. The mummy is immune to necrotic and poison damage and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.
Senses. If the base creature didn’t have darkvision, then it gains darkvision to 60 feet.
Flammable. After taking fire damage, the mummy catches fire and takes 5 (1d10) fire damage if it isn’t already suffering ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to extinguish this fire.
Undead Nature. The mummy doesn’t require air, sleep, or sustenance.
Action: Rotting Fists. The mummy’s unarmed weapon attacks inflict additional necrotic damage depending on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage
CR 5 – 16: 17 (5d6) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 24 (7d6) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 31 (9d6) necrotic damage
Additionally, the target must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Constitution modifier) or be cursed with mummy rot (detailed on Monstrous Menagerie, page 336).
If the base creature doesn’t have an unarmed weapon attack, it gains one that inflicts bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, whichever is most appropriate, as follows:
Tiny: 1d6 damage
Small or Medium: 2d6 damage
Large: 2d8 damage
Huge: 4d8 damage
Gargantuan: 4d10 damage
Action: Multiattack. The mummy gains an additional action, which it can only use for its Dreadful Gaze.
Action: Dreadful Glare (Gaze). The mummy targets a creature within 60 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, it is magically frightened until the end of the mummy’s next turn. If the target fails by 5 or more, it is paralyzed for the same duration. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Dreadful Glare of mummies (but not mummy lords) for 24 hours.
Variant: Mummy Lord
This template can be placed on any creature that has the Mummy template on it and has the Spellcasting (not Innate Spellcasting) trait. It regains all of the statistics of the base mummy except as noted below.
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the mummy lord fails a saving throw while wearing its scarab amulet, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, the scarab amulet shatters. The mummy lord can create a new amulet when it finishes a long rest.
Magic Resistance. The mummy lord has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
Rejuvenation. If its heart is intact, a destroyed mummy lord gains a new body in 1d4 days, regaining all its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the heart.
Action: Guardian of Faith (2/day). A Large, indistinct spectral guardian appears within an unoccupied space within 30 feet and remains for 8 hours. Creatures of the mummy lord’s choice that move to a space within 10 feet of the guardian for the first time on a turn make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = the mummy lord’s maneuver save DC), taking 20 radiant or necrotic damage (mummy lord’s choice) on a failed save or half damage on a success. The spell ends when the guardian has dealt 60 total damage.
Reaction Blasphemous Counterspell. When the mummy lord is targeted by a spell using a 4th-level or lower spell slot, the attacker makes a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the mummy lord’s PB + the mummy lord’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the spell is wasted, and the caster takes 3 (1d6) necrotic damage per level of the spell slot.
Legendary Actions. The mummy lord can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Channel Negative Energy. A 60-foot-radius aura of magical negative energy surrounds the mummy lord until the end of its next turn, spreading around corners. Creatures in the aura can’t regain hit points.
Whirlwind of Sand. The mummy lord, along with its equipment, magically transforms into a whirlwind of sand and moves up to 60 feet without provoking opportunity attacks, and then reverts to its normal form.
Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The mummy lord uses Dreadful Glare or attacks with its rotting fist.
Blasphemous Word (Costs 2 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 10 feet of the mummy lord that can hear its magical imprecation makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature is stunned until the end of the mummy lord’s next turn.
Variant: Salient Powers
As y’all know, I’m a big fan of Ravenloft, and I loved the Van Richten guides, in part because they added different abilities—salient powers—that the various monsters could have, so they wouldn’t all be identical. In the book on mummies, Van Richten’s Guide to the Ancient Dead, they made sure to include mummies from non-Egyptian cultures (including accidentally-created mummies, like those found in peat bogs), so here’s some options to switch your mummified dead up a bit.
Anyway, a good idea is to give a mummy maybe one salient power, but only if they’re a major antagonist rather than a run-of-the-mill monster; and a mummy lord no more than two or three. Optionally, you can remove one of its existing abilities and give it a salient ability in exchange, just to confuse your players a bit.
• Animal-Headed. The mummy's head was replaced with that of an animal. It gains an additional action it can use to make a bite attack; this attack inflicts piercing damage depending on the base creature's size, as per Rotting Fists, and can spread Mummy Rot.
• Bonus Action: Appearance of Life. The mummy covers itself in an illusion, making it appear as it did while it was alive. It requires an Insight or Perception check (DC = the mummy’s passive Deception) to recognize it as an illusion or to determine that the mummy isn't alive. The mummy can choose to end the illusion as a bonus action.
• Bonus Action: Command Undead. The mummy can use a bonus action to command an undead creature which can hear it whose CR is lower than its. Undead with an Intelligence score of 7 or higher may (and all undead PCs, regardless of Intelligence) may make a Wisdom saving throw to resist throw to resist (save DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Charisma modifier). On a success, the undead is immune to that mummy’s Command Undead for 24 hours.
• Elemental Command. The mummy gains control over one of the natural elements: air, earth, fire, water. It has resistance to damage from spells from that school of magic, and can innately cast the following spells, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability:
Air:
3/day each: air wave, gust of wind, levitate
1/day each: conjure elemental (air only), wind walk
Earth
3/day each: earth barrier, grease, stonesense
1/day each: conjure elemental (earth only), passwall
Fire
3/day each: fire shield, flame blade, scorching ray
1/day each: conjure elemental (fire only), flame strike
Water
3/day each: create or destroy water, control water, water walk
1/day each: conjure elemental (water only), freedom of movement
• Action: Illusion of Splendor. Calling upon the memories of its life, the mummy can cause its surroundings to appear as it remembers them to be. As an action, the mummy can cast mirage arcane 1/day, using Charisma as its spellcasting attribute.
• Action: Malleable Form. The mummy can cast alter self 3/day, requiring no components, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability. If the base creature’s CR was 5 or higher, it can cast alter self as if with a 5th-level slot. Instead of the Mask of the Grave option, the mummy can appear alive.
• Mummify. If a creature dies while infected by mummy rot, and the creature’s CR (or level, for PCs) is lower than the mummy’s, the mummy can perform a ritual to turn the corpse into a new mummy that is completely under its creator’s control. The ritual takes 24 hours.
• Nonflammable. The mummy loses the Flammable trait and gains resistance to fire damage. However, it becomes vulnerable to another damage type in the process.
• Action: Place Curse. A number of times each day equal to the mummy’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1), the mummy can place a terrible curse on a target it can see. That target must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Charisma modifier) or suffer one of the following effects for 24 hours:
- One ability score is reduced to 5 (-3).
-The target makes all attack rolls and saving throws at disadvantage.
-Each turn, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw or lose its action.
-The target critically fails when it rolls a 1-5, instead of just a 1.
-The target is blinded or deafened.
While the target is still cursed, the mummy can use its action to expend one use of this ability to extend the curse for an additional 24 hours. The curse can be removed with a bestow curse cast with a 5th-level or higher spell slot. The curse also ends when the mummy is killed.
Swarm Call. The mummy's body or wrappings are infested with 1d4+1 swarms of insects. When the mummy is first bloodied, these insects emerge from the mummy's body and begin attacking all creatures other than the mummy.
• Symbiosis. The mummy's body or wrappings are infested with rot grubs, brown mold, green slime, or yellow mold, or soporific spores. When the mummy is first bloodied, a creature that touches it, hits it with a melee weapon while within 5 feet or it, or ends its turn within 5 feet of it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Constitution modifier) or become infested as well.
--
The following uses a lizardfolk chosen one as the base creature:
Mummified Lizardfolk Chosen One
Medium undead (fiend); Challenge 4 1,100 (XP)
AC 12 (natural armor)
HP 75 (10d8+30; bloodied 37)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR 20 (+5) DEX 8 (-1) CON 16 (+3)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 15
Saving Throws Con +5,Wis +3
Skills Perception +3 (+1d4), Stealth +3 (+1d4), Survival +3
Damage Resistances damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Draconic
Evil. The mummified lizardfolk radiates an Evil aura.
Flammable. After taking fire damage, the mummified lizardfolk catches fire and takes 5 (1d10) fire damage if it isn’t already suffering ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to extinguish this fire.
Undead Nature. The mummified lizardfolk doesn’t require air, sleep, or sustenance.
Actions
Multiattack. The mummified lizardfolk makes four attacks: once with its shield, twice with its trident, and once with either its Rotting Bite or Dreadful Glare.
Shield. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage, and the target makes a DC 13 Strength check. On a failure, it is knocked prone.
Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage, and the lizardfolk gains temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt.
Rotting Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 13 or be cursed with mummy rot.
Dreadful Glare (Gaze). The mummified lizardfolk targets a creature within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be magically frightened until the end of the mummified lizardfolk’s next turn. If the target fails by 5 or more, it is paralyzed for the same duration. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Dreadful Glare of mummies (but not mummy lords) for 24 hours.
Reactions
Supernatural Rebuke (1/Day). When the lizardfolk is dealt damage by a creature it can see within 60 feet, its attacker must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the attacker takes 11 (2d10) fire or radiant damage (the mummified lizardfolk’s choice).
Mummy (Template)
The Risen Dead, Dragon Magazine #300
Creature by Wizards of the Coast R&D
“Mummy” is a template that can be added on any aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, or monstrosity. It regains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below.
Type. The mummy becomes undead.
Attributes. The mummy’s Strength increases by 4 and its Dexterity is reduced by 4.
Armor Class. The mummy’s AC is recalculated to account for its lowered Dexterity.
Saving Throws. The mummy is proficient in Wisdom saving throws.
Resistances. The mummy is resistant to damage from nonmagical weapons.
Immunities. The mummy is immune to necrotic and poison damage and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.
Senses. If the base creature didn’t have darkvision, then it gains darkvision to 60 feet.
Flammable. After taking fire damage, the mummy catches fire and takes 5 (1d10) fire damage if it isn’t already suffering ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to extinguish this fire.
Undead Nature. The mummy doesn’t require air, sleep, or sustenance.
Action: Rotting Fists. The mummy’s unarmed weapon attacks inflict additional necrotic damage depending on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage
CR 5 – 16: 17 (5d6) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 24 (7d6) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 31 (9d6) necrotic damage
Additionally, the target must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the creature’s PB + the creature’s Constitution modifier) or be cursed with mummy rot (detailed on Monstrous Menagerie, page 336).
If the base creature doesn’t have an unarmed weapon attack, it gains one that inflicts bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, whichever is most appropriate, as follows:
Tiny: 1d6 damage
Small or Medium: 2d6 damage
Large: 2d8 damage
Huge: 4d8 damage
Gargantuan: 4d10 damage
Action: Multiattack. The mummy gains an additional action, which it can only use for its Dreadful Gaze.
Action: Dreadful Glare (Gaze). The mummy targets a creature within 60 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, it is magically frightened until the end of the mummy’s next turn. If the target fails by 5 or more, it is paralyzed for the same duration. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Dreadful Glare of mummies (but not mummy lords) for 24 hours.
Variant: Mummy Lord
This template can be placed on any creature that has the Mummy template on it and has the Spellcasting (not Innate Spellcasting) trait. It regains all of the statistics of the base mummy except as noted below.
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the mummy lord fails a saving throw while wearing its scarab amulet, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, the scarab amulet shatters. The mummy lord can create a new amulet when it finishes a long rest.
Magic Resistance. The mummy lord has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
Rejuvenation. If its heart is intact, a destroyed mummy lord gains a new body in 1d4 days, regaining all its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the heart.
Action: Guardian of Faith (2/day). A Large, indistinct spectral guardian appears within an unoccupied space within 30 feet and remains for 8 hours. Creatures of the mummy lord’s choice that move to a space within 10 feet of the guardian for the first time on a turn make a Dexterity saving throw (save DC = the mummy lord’s maneuver save DC), taking 20 radiant or necrotic damage (mummy lord’s choice) on a failed save or half damage on a success. The spell ends when the guardian has dealt 60 total damage.
Reaction Blasphemous Counterspell. When the mummy lord is targeted by a spell using a 4th-level or lower spell slot, the attacker makes a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the mummy lord’s PB + the mummy lord’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the spell is wasted, and the caster takes 3 (1d6) necrotic damage per level of the spell slot.
Legendary Actions. The mummy lord can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Channel Negative Energy. A 60-foot-radius aura of magical negative energy surrounds the mummy lord until the end of its next turn, spreading around corners. Creatures in the aura can’t regain hit points.
Whirlwind of Sand. The mummy lord, along with its equipment, magically transforms into a whirlwind of sand and moves up to 60 feet without provoking opportunity attacks, and then reverts to its normal form.
Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The mummy lord uses Dreadful Glare or attacks with its rotting fist.
Blasphemous Word (Costs 2 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 10 feet of the mummy lord that can hear its magical imprecation makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature is stunned until the end of the mummy lord’s next turn.
Variant: Salient Powers
As y’all know, I’m a big fan of Ravenloft, and I loved the Van Richten guides, in part because they added different abilities—salient powers—that the various monsters could have, so they wouldn’t all be identical. In the book on mummies, Van Richten’s Guide to the Ancient Dead, they made sure to include mummies from non-Egyptian cultures (including accidentally-created mummies, like those found in peat bogs), so here’s some options to switch your mummified dead up a bit.
Anyway, a good idea is to give a mummy maybe one salient power, but only if they’re a major antagonist rather than a run-of-the-mill monster; and a mummy lord no more than two or three. Optionally, you can remove one of its existing abilities and give it a salient ability in exchange, just to confuse your players a bit.
• Animal-Headed. The mummy's head was replaced with that of an animal. It gains an additional action it can use to make a bite attack; this attack inflicts piercing damage depending on the base creature's size, as per Rotting Fists, and can spread Mummy Rot.
• Bonus Action: Appearance of Life. The mummy covers itself in an illusion, making it appear as it did while it was alive. It requires an Insight or Perception check (DC = the mummy’s passive Deception) to recognize it as an illusion or to determine that the mummy isn't alive. The mummy can choose to end the illusion as a bonus action.
• Bonus Action: Command Undead. The mummy can use a bonus action to command an undead creature which can hear it whose CR is lower than its. Undead with an Intelligence score of 7 or higher may (and all undead PCs, regardless of Intelligence) may make a Wisdom saving throw to resist throw to resist (save DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Charisma modifier). On a success, the undead is immune to that mummy’s Command Undead for 24 hours.
• Elemental Command. The mummy gains control over one of the natural elements: air, earth, fire, water. It has resistance to damage from spells from that school of magic, and can innately cast the following spells, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability:
Air:
3/day each: air wave, gust of wind, levitate
1/day each: conjure elemental (air only), wind walk
Earth
3/day each: earth barrier, grease, stonesense
1/day each: conjure elemental (earth only), passwall
Fire
3/day each: fire shield, flame blade, scorching ray
1/day each: conjure elemental (fire only), flame strike
Water
3/day each: create or destroy water, control water, water walk
1/day each: conjure elemental (water only), freedom of movement
• Action: Illusion of Splendor. Calling upon the memories of its life, the mummy can cause its surroundings to appear as it remembers them to be. As an action, the mummy can cast mirage arcane 1/day, using Charisma as its spellcasting attribute.
• Action: Malleable Form. The mummy can cast alter self 3/day, requiring no components, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability. If the base creature’s CR was 5 or higher, it can cast alter self as if with a 5th-level slot. Instead of the Mask of the Grave option, the mummy can appear alive.
• Mummify. If a creature dies while infected by mummy rot, and the creature’s CR (or level, for PCs) is lower than the mummy’s, the mummy can perform a ritual to turn the corpse into a new mummy that is completely under its creator’s control. The ritual takes 24 hours.
• Nonflammable. The mummy loses the Flammable trait and gains resistance to fire damage. However, it becomes vulnerable to another damage type in the process.
• Action: Place Curse. A number of times each day equal to the mummy’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1), the mummy can place a terrible curse on a target it can see. That target must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Charisma modifier) or suffer one of the following effects for 24 hours:
- One ability score is reduced to 5 (-3).
-The target makes all attack rolls and saving throws at disadvantage.
-Each turn, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw or lose its action.
-The target critically fails when it rolls a 1-5, instead of just a 1.
-The target is blinded or deafened.
While the target is still cursed, the mummy can use its action to expend one use of this ability to extend the curse for an additional 24 hours. The curse can be removed with a bestow curse cast with a 5th-level or higher spell slot. The curse also ends when the mummy is killed.
Swarm Call. The mummy's body or wrappings are infested with 1d4+1 swarms of insects. When the mummy is first bloodied, these insects emerge from the mummy's body and begin attacking all creatures other than the mummy.
• Symbiosis. The mummy's body or wrappings are infested with rot grubs, brown mold, green slime, or yellow mold, or soporific spores. When the mummy is first bloodied, a creature that touches it, hits it with a melee weapon while within 5 feet or it, or ends its turn within 5 feet of it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the mummy’s PB + the mummy’s Constitution modifier) or become infested as well.
--
The following uses a lizardfolk chosen one as the base creature:
Mummified Lizardfolk Chosen One
Medium undead (fiend); Challenge 4 1,100 (XP)
AC 12 (natural armor)
HP 75 (10d8+30; bloodied 37)
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR 20 (+5) DEX 8 (-1) CON 16 (+3)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 15
Saving Throws Con +5,Wis +3
Skills Perception +3 (+1d4), Stealth +3 (+1d4), Survival +3
Damage Resistances damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Draconic
Evil. The mummified lizardfolk radiates an Evil aura.
Flammable. After taking fire damage, the mummified lizardfolk catches fire and takes 5 (1d10) fire damage if it isn’t already suffering ongoing fire damage. A creature can use an action to extinguish this fire.
Undead Nature. The mummified lizardfolk doesn’t require air, sleep, or sustenance.
Actions
Multiattack. The mummified lizardfolk makes four attacks: once with its shield, twice with its trident, and once with either its Rotting Bite or Dreadful Glare.
Shield. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage, and the target makes a DC 13 Strength check. On a failure, it is knocked prone.
Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage, and the lizardfolk gains temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt.
Rotting Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 13 or be cursed with mummy rot.
Dreadful Glare (Gaze). The mummified lizardfolk targets a creature within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be magically frightened until the end of the mummified lizardfolk’s next turn. If the target fails by 5 or more, it is paralyzed for the same duration. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Dreadful Glare of mummies (but not mummy lords) for 24 hours.
Reactions
Supernatural Rebuke (1/Day). When the lizardfolk is dealt damage by a creature it can see within 60 feet, its attacker must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the attacker takes 11 (2d10) fire or radiant damage (the mummified lizardfolk’s choice).
Faolyn
(she/her)
The closest that the Planestrider’s Journal has to a plane of pure chaos seems to be Inphasmada, where thoughts take physical form and the landscape changes depending on the viewer, and only exists while viewed. This reminds me a great deal of the Nightmare Lands of Ravenloft, but minus the poorly-done First Australians. Inphasmada has no native creatures (because nothing exists there unless viewed by something else), but I don’t think that should be the case. If anything, the native creatures would view themselves, and therefore exist. I think, therefore I am.
It suddenly occurs to me that many of the planes in PSJ would work really well in a Troika! game as new Spheres.
Anyway, here’s the anarchic creature. Whether you use Inphasmada or Limbo, or you want weird critters for the Dreaming, or you simply have a need for a cHa0$ critter, here you go. The template originally came from either the Manual of the Planes or the Planar Handbook (likely it was from one originally and then got reprinted in the other). It is not a particularly interesting or evocative template, sadly. (The axiomatic creature template is almost as dull, but at least it has hive mind telepathy.) I’m going to try to spice it up as much as I can without making it horribly complicated.
Also, for some unknown reason, the original template had a +5 level adjustment. This was a bone of contention according to some of the posts I saw on various forums.
Anarchic Creature (Template)
Source: Manual of the Planes; Designers: Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan
Anarchic creatures are those that come from planes of pure chaos. Although they may superficially resemble the creatures of the Waking world, their forms and minds shift with the winds, sometimes radically. Some anarchic creatures were born on these chaos planes to entire species of anarchic creatures—although it should be noted that “species” is a very loose term to use to a creature of chaos. But sometimes, creatures who spend too much time on such a plane, or are strongly affected with chaotic magics, are transformed into an anarchic creature. Thus, they can be found nearly anywhere.
--
“Anarchic” is a template that can be added to any corporeal aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant that does not have the Lawful alignment. It retains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below:
Type. If the base creature is a beast, it becomes a monstrosity.
Attributes. If the anarchic creature’s Intelligence is 1 or 2, it becomes 3 (-4)
Resistances. The anarchic creature has resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage.
Immunities. The anarchic creature is immune to the paralyzed and petrified conditions.
Senses. The anarchic creature has darkvision to 60 feet.
Always Changing. The anarchic creature’s form is ever-shifting, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. If it is hit by an attack, tis trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. If a spell or effect would cause the anarchic creature’s shape to change, it can use a bonus action to revert back to its true form. Finally, it has advantage on saving throws made to escape the grappled and restrained conditions.
Chaotic. The anarchic creature radiates an aura of Chaos.
Regeneration. The anarchic creature regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Multiattack. If the base creature has Multiattack, the anarchic creature may substitute Shifting Surroundings for any of its attacks.
Action: Incomprehensible (Gaze, When Bloodied). The anarchic creature targets a creature it can see within 60 feet. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the anarchic creature’s PB + the anarchic creature’s Charisma modifier) or take 1 level of strife.
Bonus Action: Shifting Surroundings. The anarchic creature causes the area around it to wildly change in appearance, with distances, sizes, and textures both changing and becoming terribly distorted. Until the end of the anarchic creature’s next turn, the area is difficult terrain. A creature that starts its turn or enters it for the first time on its turn must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the anarchic creature’s PB + the anarchic creature’s Charisma modifier) or be rattled until the end of its next turn. The size of this area depends on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 10-foot radius
CR 5 – 16: 30-foot radius
CR 17 – 22: 60-foot radius
CR 23 or higher: 120-foot radius
Smite Law: If the anarchic creature scores a critical success against a creature with the Lawful alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
--
The following uses a wallflower (grick variant) as the base creature
Chaos Flower
Medium plant; Challenge 2 (200 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 33 (6d8+12; bloodied 16)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
STR 14 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2)
INT 3 (-4) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 5 (-3)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12
Skills Stealth +4
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages —
Always Changing. The chaos flower’s form is ever-shifting, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. If it is hit by an attack, tis trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. If a spell or effect would cause the chaos flower’s shape to change, it can use a bonus action to revert back to its true form. Finally, it has advantage on saving throws made to escape the grappled and restrained conditions.
Chaotic. The chaos flower radiates an aura of Chaos.
Regeneration. The chaos flower regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Luring Scent. When a beast, humanoid or fey creature begins its turn within 30 feet, the creature makes a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it moves as close as it can to the chaos flower and ends its turn. Creatures immune to being charmed are immune to this effect. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Luring Scent of all chaos flowers for 24 hours.
Smite Law: If the chaos flower scores a critical success against a creature with the Lawful alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
Spider Climb. The chaos flower can use its climb speed even on difficult surfaces and upside down on ceilings.
Actions
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the chaos flower can’t attack a different target with its tentacles.
Incomprehensible (Gaze, When Bloodied). The chaos flower targets a creature it can see within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 7 saving throw or take 1 level of strife.
Bonus Actions
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature grappled by the chaos flower. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Shifting Surroundings. The chaos flower causes the area around it in a 10-foot radius to wildly change in appearance, with distances, sizes, and textures both changing and becoming terribly distorted. Until the end of the chaos flower’s next turn, the area is difficult terrain. A creature that starts its turn or enters it for the first time on its turn must make a DC 7 Wisdom saving throw or be rattled until the end of its next turn.
It suddenly occurs to me that many of the planes in PSJ would work really well in a Troika! game as new Spheres.
Anyway, here’s the anarchic creature. Whether you use Inphasmada or Limbo, or you want weird critters for the Dreaming, or you simply have a need for a cHa0$ critter, here you go. The template originally came from either the Manual of the Planes or the Planar Handbook (likely it was from one originally and then got reprinted in the other). It is not a particularly interesting or evocative template, sadly. (The axiomatic creature template is almost as dull, but at least it has hive mind telepathy.) I’m going to try to spice it up as much as I can without making it horribly complicated.
Also, for some unknown reason, the original template had a +5 level adjustment. This was a bone of contention according to some of the posts I saw on various forums.
Anarchic Creature (Template)
Source: Manual of the Planes; Designers: Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan
Anarchic creatures are those that come from planes of pure chaos. Although they may superficially resemble the creatures of the Waking world, their forms and minds shift with the winds, sometimes radically. Some anarchic creatures were born on these chaos planes to entire species of anarchic creatures—although it should be noted that “species” is a very loose term to use to a creature of chaos. But sometimes, creatures who spend too much time on such a plane, or are strongly affected with chaotic magics, are transformed into an anarchic creature. Thus, they can be found nearly anywhere.
--
“Anarchic” is a template that can be added to any corporeal aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant that does not have the Lawful alignment. It retains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below:
Type. If the base creature is a beast, it becomes a monstrosity.
Attributes. If the anarchic creature’s Intelligence is 1 or 2, it becomes 3 (-4)
Resistances. The anarchic creature has resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage.
Immunities. The anarchic creature is immune to the paralyzed and petrified conditions.
Senses. The anarchic creature has darkvision to 60 feet.
Always Changing. The anarchic creature’s form is ever-shifting, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. If it is hit by an attack, tis trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. If a spell or effect would cause the anarchic creature’s shape to change, it can use a bonus action to revert back to its true form. Finally, it has advantage on saving throws made to escape the grappled and restrained conditions.
Chaotic. The anarchic creature radiates an aura of Chaos.
Regeneration. The anarchic creature regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Multiattack. If the base creature has Multiattack, the anarchic creature may substitute Shifting Surroundings for any of its attacks.
Action: Incomprehensible (Gaze, When Bloodied). The anarchic creature targets a creature it can see within 60 feet. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the anarchic creature’s PB + the anarchic creature’s Charisma modifier) or take 1 level of strife.
Bonus Action: Shifting Surroundings. The anarchic creature causes the area around it to wildly change in appearance, with distances, sizes, and textures both changing and becoming terribly distorted. Until the end of the anarchic creature’s next turn, the area is difficult terrain. A creature that starts its turn or enters it for the first time on its turn must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the anarchic creature’s PB + the anarchic creature’s Charisma modifier) or be rattled until the end of its next turn. The size of this area depends on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 10-foot radius
CR 5 – 16: 30-foot radius
CR 17 – 22: 60-foot radius
CR 23 or higher: 120-foot radius
Smite Law: If the anarchic creature scores a critical success against a creature with the Lawful alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
--
The following uses a wallflower (grick variant) as the base creature
Chaos Flower
Medium plant; Challenge 2 (200 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 33 (6d8+12; bloodied 16)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
STR 14 (+2) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2)
INT 3 (-4) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 5 (-3)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 12
Skills Stealth +4
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages —
Always Changing. The chaos flower’s form is ever-shifting, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. If it is hit by an attack, tis trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. If a spell or effect would cause the chaos flower’s shape to change, it can use a bonus action to revert back to its true form. Finally, it has advantage on saving throws made to escape the grappled and restrained conditions.
Chaotic. The chaos flower radiates an aura of Chaos.
Regeneration. The chaos flower regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Luring Scent. When a beast, humanoid or fey creature begins its turn within 30 feet, the creature makes a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it moves as close as it can to the chaos flower and ends its turn. Creatures immune to being charmed are immune to this effect. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Luring Scent of all chaos flowers for 24 hours.
Smite Law: If the chaos flower scores a critical success against a creature with the Lawful alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
Spider Climb. The chaos flower can use its climb speed even on difficult surfaces and upside down on ceilings.
Actions
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the chaos flower can’t attack a different target with its tentacles.
Incomprehensible (Gaze, When Bloodied). The chaos flower targets a creature it can see within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 7 saving throw or take 1 level of strife.
Bonus Actions
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature grappled by the chaos flower. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Shifting Surroundings. The chaos flower causes the area around it in a 10-foot radius to wildly change in appearance, with distances, sizes, and textures both changing and becoming terribly distorted. Until the end of the chaos flower’s next turn, the area is difficult terrain. A creature that starts its turn or enters it for the first time on its turn must make a DC 7 Wisdom saving throw or be rattled until the end of its next turn.
W'rkncacnter
Hero
well, i mean, then you kind of get into a "chicken and the egg" situation of "if the natives can exist because they view themselves, which was created to view the others first"? i guess you can pull an indomitable human spirit and just say the plane itself made the first native in order to look upon itself, if you're going for the chaos plane angle, though that might accidentally make the plane more horrific then intended ("WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE PLANE CAN JUST CREATE THINGS BY ITSELF?! IS IT SAPIENT?!").
Faolyn
(she/her)
One thing I wish Inphasmada had was a dedicated settlement, a haven amongst the weirdness ("or is it...?"). In Planescape, Limbo has a village of halflings that got sucked in and now have to spend their time imagining their homes as a steady place so it doesn't get transformed into weirdness by Limbo's primordial soup. If I use Inphasmada, I'll probably use that concept.
Our next template is the axiomatic creature—if Chaos gets a template, then so does Law. Planestrider's Journal has a plane of Law, Luria, although to me, that plane is more Lawful Evil than Lawful Neutral. I think I prefer Mechanus when it comes to pure Law, although Luria is certainly useful in its own way. Anyway, the template that is about as boring as the anarchic creature’s was, so hopefully I made it a bit better.
I found a forum post on minmaxforum.com, which I’d never heard of before, that claims to have a list of every 3.x template. According to it, the axiomatic creature is not only from the Manual of the Planes and Planar Handbook, but also from the Lord of the Iron Fortress adventure.
Axiomatic Creature (Template)
Source: Manual of the Planes; Designers: Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan
Much like their chaotic not-kin, the anarchic creatures, axiomatic creatures are from planes of pure Law. They are more perfectly “formed” than creatures from elsewhere—they’re completely symmetrical and tend to have sharper and more precise lines and clearer features. They also often have a shiny or even metallic appearance, and groups of axiomatic creatures tend to look alike—not necessarily identical, but definitely close.
It’s rumored that, hidden in the planes of Law there are great machines which can purify creatures and objects that are put in them, turning them into axiomatic creatures and stamping out the bits of randomness that makes each individual person or object unique.
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“Axiomatic” is a template that can be added to any corporeal aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant that does not have the Lawful alignment. It retains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below:
Type. If the base creature is a beast, it becomes a monstrosity.
Attributes. If the axiomatic creature’s Intelligence is 1 or 2, it becomes 3 (-4)
Resistances. The axiomatic creature has resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage.
Immunities. The axiomatic creature is immune to the paralyzed and petrified conditions.
Senses. The axiomatic creature has darkvision to 60 feet.
Action: Analyze. The axiomatic creature makes a Wisdom (Insight) check against a creature it can see within 60 feet. On a success, it learns two of the following aspects about the creature: its resistances, immunities, vulnerabilities, and current and maximum hit points.
If the base creature is CR 10 or higher, this is a bonus action instead.
Even Field. The axiomatic creature ignores difficult terrain.
Group Mind. The axiomatic creature is in constant telepathic contact with all other axiomatic creatures within 100 feet. As long as there is at least one other axiomatic creature within that range, it has advantage on Perception checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, confused, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious, and it can’t be flanked.
Lawful. The axiomatic creature radiates a Lawful aura.
Pack Tactics. The axiomatic creature has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the axiomatic creature’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and not incapacitated.
New Reaction: Perfectly Average (X/Day). When a creature the axiomatic creature rolls a die, the axiomatic creature can alter the die so it instead rolls the exact average number for that die (d4 = 3; d6 = 4; d8 = 5; d10 = 6; d12 = 7; d20 = 11). The number of times it can do this depends on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 1/day
CR 5 – 16: 3/day
CR 17 – 22: Recharge 5-6
CR 23 or higher: 1/turn
Regeneration. The axiomatic creature regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Smite Chaos: If the axiomatic creature scores a critical success against a creature with the Chaotic alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
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The following uses a veteran as the base creature.
Lurian Captain of the Guard
Medium humanoid; Challenge 3 (700 XP)
AC 16 (hauberk)
HP 58 (9d818; bloodied 29)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 12 (+1) CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Str +5, Dex +3, Con +4
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +2 (+1d4), Perception +2, Survival +2
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder
Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common, one other
Even Field. The Lurian captain ignores difficult terrain.
Group Mind. The Lurian captain is in constant telepathic contact with all other Lurian captains within 100 feet. As long as there is at least one other Lurian captain within that range, it has advantage on Perception checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, confused, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious, and it can’t be flanked.
Lawful. The Lurian captain radiates a Lawful aura.
Pack Tactics. The Lurian captain has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the Lurian captain’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and not incapacitated.
Regeneration. The Lurian captain regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Smite Chaos: If the Lurian captain scores a critical success against a creature with the Chaotic alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The Lurian captain makes two melee attacks.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) piercing damage.
Analyze. The Lurian captain makes a Wisdom (Insight) check against a creature it can see within 60 feet. On a success, it learns two of the following aspects about the creature: its resistances, immunities, vulnerabilities, and current and maximum hit points.
Bonus Actions
Tactical Movement. Until the end of the captain of the guard’s turn, their Speed is halved and their movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
Reactions
Off-Hand Counter. When the captain of the guard is missed by a melee attack by an attacker they can see within 5 feet, the captain of the guard makes a shortsword attack against the attacker.
Reaction: Perfectly Average (1/Day). When a creature the Lurian captain rolls a die, the Lurian captain can alter the die so it instead rolls the exact average number for that die (d4 = 3; d6 = 4; d8 = 5; d10 = 6; d12 = 7; d20 = 11).
Our next template is the axiomatic creature—if Chaos gets a template, then so does Law. Planestrider's Journal has a plane of Law, Luria, although to me, that plane is more Lawful Evil than Lawful Neutral. I think I prefer Mechanus when it comes to pure Law, although Luria is certainly useful in its own way. Anyway, the template that is about as boring as the anarchic creature’s was, so hopefully I made it a bit better.
I found a forum post on minmaxforum.com, which I’d never heard of before, that claims to have a list of every 3.x template. According to it, the axiomatic creature is not only from the Manual of the Planes and Planar Handbook, but also from the Lord of the Iron Fortress adventure.
Axiomatic Creature (Template)
Source: Manual of the Planes; Designers: Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan
Much like their chaotic not-kin, the anarchic creatures, axiomatic creatures are from planes of pure Law. They are more perfectly “formed” than creatures from elsewhere—they’re completely symmetrical and tend to have sharper and more precise lines and clearer features. They also often have a shiny or even metallic appearance, and groups of axiomatic creatures tend to look alike—not necessarily identical, but definitely close.
It’s rumored that, hidden in the planes of Law there are great machines which can purify creatures and objects that are put in them, turning them into axiomatic creatures and stamping out the bits of randomness that makes each individual person or object unique.
--
“Axiomatic” is a template that can be added to any corporeal aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant that does not have the Lawful alignment. It retains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below:
Type. If the base creature is a beast, it becomes a monstrosity.
Attributes. If the axiomatic creature’s Intelligence is 1 or 2, it becomes 3 (-4)
Resistances. The axiomatic creature has resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, and thunder damage.
Immunities. The axiomatic creature is immune to the paralyzed and petrified conditions.
Senses. The axiomatic creature has darkvision to 60 feet.
Action: Analyze. The axiomatic creature makes a Wisdom (Insight) check against a creature it can see within 60 feet. On a success, it learns two of the following aspects about the creature: its resistances, immunities, vulnerabilities, and current and maximum hit points.
If the base creature is CR 10 or higher, this is a bonus action instead.
Even Field. The axiomatic creature ignores difficult terrain.
Group Mind. The axiomatic creature is in constant telepathic contact with all other axiomatic creatures within 100 feet. As long as there is at least one other axiomatic creature within that range, it has advantage on Perception checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, confused, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious, and it can’t be flanked.
Lawful. The axiomatic creature radiates a Lawful aura.
Pack Tactics. The axiomatic creature has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the axiomatic creature’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and not incapacitated.
New Reaction: Perfectly Average (X/Day). When a creature the axiomatic creature rolls a die, the axiomatic creature can alter the die so it instead rolls the exact average number for that die (d4 = 3; d6 = 4; d8 = 5; d10 = 6; d12 = 7; d20 = 11). The number of times it can do this depends on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 1/day
CR 5 – 16: 3/day
CR 17 – 22: Recharge 5-6
CR 23 or higher: 1/turn
Regeneration. The axiomatic creature regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Smite Chaos: If the axiomatic creature scores a critical success against a creature with the Chaotic alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
--
The following uses a veteran as the base creature.
Lurian Captain of the Guard
Medium humanoid; Challenge 3 (700 XP)
AC 16 (hauberk)
HP 58 (9d818; bloodied 29)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 16 (+3) DEX 12 (+1) CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 10 (+0)
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Str +5, Dex +3, Con +4
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +2 (+1d4), Perception +2, Survival +2
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder
Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common, one other
Even Field. The Lurian captain ignores difficult terrain.
Group Mind. The Lurian captain is in constant telepathic contact with all other Lurian captains within 100 feet. As long as there is at least one other Lurian captain within that range, it has advantage on Perception checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, confused, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious, and it can’t be flanked.
Lawful. The Lurian captain radiates a Lawful aura.
Pack Tactics. The Lurian captain has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the Lurian captain’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and not incapacitated.
Regeneration. The Lurian captain regains 5 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point.
Smite Chaos: If the Lurian captain scores a critical success against a creature with the Chaotic alignment with a melee weapon attack, it inflicts an additional two dice of damage.
Actions
Multiattack. The Lurian captain makes two melee attacks.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) piercing damage.
Analyze. The Lurian captain makes a Wisdom (Insight) check against a creature it can see within 60 feet. On a success, it learns two of the following aspects about the creature: its resistances, immunities, vulnerabilities, and current and maximum hit points.
Bonus Actions
Tactical Movement. Until the end of the captain of the guard’s turn, their Speed is halved and their movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
Reactions
Off-Hand Counter. When the captain of the guard is missed by a melee attack by an attacker they can see within 5 feet, the captain of the guard makes a shortsword attack against the attacker.
Reaction: Perfectly Average (1/Day). When a creature the Lurian captain rolls a die, the Lurian captain can alter the die so it instead rolls the exact average number for that die (d4 = 3; d6 = 4; d8 = 5; d10 = 6; d12 = 7; d20 = 11).
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