Homebrew A Leveled Up Bestiary

[Faolyn]

I like monsters, and I like to convert monsters from one edition or system to another. And so, this begins my attempt to convert selected monsters from Dragon Magazine into Level Up format. Conversion actually works differently for me in LU than it does in o5e. Normally, I build the monster based on whatever the original monster looked like and then try to figure out the CR afterwards. I realize that this isn't the "official" way but it worked for me. Now, I'm trying to make monsters in the order the book actually says. Coming up with the encounters will also be new for me, since I don't normally care about CR. Thus, if people notice anything off in my calculations, please let me know!

Anyway. I'm not converting every monster from Dragon Magazine. Just the ones I like, and my taste in monsters can be weird. Although I suppose that if people have requests I can take them into consideration.

I didn't create any of these monsters and don't own any of them. I'm just converting them.

Notes:
[F] = suitable as a familiar.
[L] = Legendary creature
[E] = Elite creature.

Spoiler: Aberrations

Andeloid (CR 10); Unity (CR 2x10) [E]; Andeloid Spore (CR 1/2); Swarm of Andeloid Spores (CR 5); Andeloid Neophyte (CR 3)
Cessirid (CR 1); Kigrid (CR 3)
Curst (CR 4)
Flolite (CR 1)
Lock Lurker (CR 1/8)
Magebane (CR 1/8)
Mapmaker (CR 4) (aberration/fiend)
Spell Weaver (CR 8)
Wingless Wonder (CR 1/2)

Spoiler: Beasts

Baazrag (CR 1/8); Baazrag Pack (CR 3); Boneclaw (CR 1)
Battering Ram (CR 1/2)
Beasts: Fur Seal (CR 1/2); Giraffe (CR 2); Harbor Seal (CR 1/4); Tapir (CR 1/8); Walrus (CR 2)
Cenozoic Beasts: Glyptodon (CR 2); Giant Ground Sloth (CR 5); Dire Sloth (CR 6)
Cooshee (CR 1/2) (beast/fey)
Crodlu (CR 2)
Death Sheep (CR 1/2); Death Sheep Herd Leader (CR 1)
Drik (CR 17)
Electric Ray (CR 1/4)
Giant Archerfish (CR 1/2)
Giant Bristle Worm (CR 5)
Giant Carnivorous Clam (CR 1)
Giant Echida (CR 2)
Kangaroo (CR 1/8)
Pernicon (CR 1/8) and Swarm of Pernicons (CR 4)
Snake (Variant): King Cobra (CR 1/2); Giant Spitting Snake (CR 1/4); Rattlesnake (CR 1/2); Saw-Edged Constrictor (CR 1/4); Spitting Cobra (CR 1/8)
Wolf (Variant): Kaoulgrim (CR 1/4)

Spoiler: Celestials

Angel, Lomandur (CR 1/4) [F]
Baku (CR 6)
Lillend (CR 7)

Spoiler: Constructs

Guardian, Bronze Metaguardian (CR 8); Steel Metaguardian (CR 9); Platinum Metaguardian (CR 10); Ultimate Metaguardian (CR 13)
Guardian, Tin (CR 5)
Guardian, Wood (CR 5); Treant Guardian (CR
Huntsman (CR 1)
Necroton (CR 6) (construct/undead)
Oculon (CR 4)
Paper Dragon (CR 1/4)
Shadow Asp (CR 1) (construct/undead); Swarm of Shadow Asps (CR 4)
Tabur (CR 1/2) [F]

Spoiler: Dragons

Dragon, Chromium (Ferrous): Ancient (CR 23)[L]; Adult (CR 17)[L]; Young (CR 9); Wyrmling (CR 4)
Dragon, Cobalt (Ferrous): Ancient (CR 24)[L]; Adult (CR 16)[L]; Young (CR 10); Wyrmling (CR 4)
Dragon, Cobra (Essence): Ancient (CR 28) [L]; Adult (CR 22) [L]; Young (CR 13); Wyrmling (CR 5)
Dragon, Fang (Essence): Ancient (CR 22) [L]; Adult (CR 17) [L]; Young (CR 10); Wyrmling (CR 4)
Dragon, Iron (Ferrous): Ancient (CR 26)[L]; Adult (CR 20)[L]; Young (CR 12); Wyrmling (CR 4)
Dragon, Jacinth (Gem): Ancient (CR 22) [L]; Adult (CR 15) [L]; Young (CR 10); Wyrmling (CR 4)
Dragon, Nickel (Ferrous): Ancent (CR 23) [L]; Adult (CR 17) [L]; Young (CR 9); Wyrmling (CR 2)
Dragon, Obsidian (Gem): Ancient (24) [L]; Adult (18) [L]; Young (CR 9); Wyrmling (CR 3)
Dragon, Orange (Chromatic): Ancient (CR 23) [L]; Adult (CR 18) [L]; Young (CR 12); Wyrmling (CR 4)
Dragon, Pearl (Gem): Ancient (CR 20) [L]; Adult (CR 14) [L]; Young (CR 7); Wyrmling (CR 2)
Dragon, Pink (Chromatic): Ancient (CR 19) [L]; Adult (CR 13) [L]; Young (CR 8); Wyrmling (CR 2)
Dragon, Purple (Chromatic): Ancient (CR 22) [L]; Adult (CR 16) [L]; Young (CR 10); Wyrmling (CR 3)
Dragon, Rainbow (Chromatic): Ancient (CR 28) [L]; Adult (CR 23) [L]; Young (CR 12); Wyrmling (CR 4)
Dragon, Tungsten (Ferrous): Ancient (CR 26) [L]; Adult (CR 19) [L]; Young (CR 10); Wyrmling (CR 3)
Dragon, Yellow (Chromatic): Ancient (CR 23) [L]; Adult (CR 16) [L]; Young (CR 9); Wyrmling (CR 3)
Faerie Dragon Variant: Phase Dragon (CR 1)
Faerie Dragon Variants: Gloom Dragon (CR 1) ; Hellion Dragon (CR 1); Jewel Dragon (CR 1); Mimic Dragon (CR 1)
Linnorm, Forest (CR 18)
Linnorm, Land (CR 23)
Linnorm, Sea (CR 24)
Minidragon (CR 1/8) (dragon/beast)
Growf (CR 1/4) (dragon/aberration)

Spoiler: Elementals

Gem-Vars (CR 7)
Glasspane Horror (CR 8)
Orrek (CR 1/2) [F]
Quark (CR 1/4) [F]
Quasi-Elemental, Negative: Ash Elemental (CR 5); Giant Ash Elemental (CR 9); Vacuum Elemental (CR 5); Giant Vacuum Elemental (CR 9)
Quasi-Elemental, Negative: Dust Elemental (CR 5); Giant Dust Elemental (CR 9); Salt Elemental (CR 5); Giant Salt Elemental (CR 9)
Quasi-Elemental, Positive: Radiance Elemental (CR 5); Giant Radiance Elemental (CR 9); Steam Elemental (CR 5); Giant Steam Elemental (CR 9)
Quasi-Elemental, Positive: Mineral Elemental (CR 5); Giant Mineral Elemental (CR 9); Lightning Elemental (CR 5); Giant Lightning Elemental (CR 9)
Shard (CR 3); Giant Shard (CR 6)
Trilling Crysmal (CR 9)
Whiz-bang beetles (CR 0); Swarm of whiz-bang beetles (CR 2)
Wind Steed (CR 2); Herd Noble (CR 3)

Spoiler: Fey

Averx (CR 1/8)
Azmyth (CR 1/4) [F]
Bogeyman (CR 1/2)
Calygraunt (CR 1); Calygraunt Hedge Mage (CR 3)
Catwere (Tibbet) (CR 1/2) (fey/beast)
Leshy (CR 8) [L]
Púca (CR 7) [L]
Quatch (CR 1/4)
Sluagh (CR 1/4); Swarm of Sluagh (CR 3)
Tickler (CR 0); Swarm of Ticklers (CR 1/2)

Spoiler: Fiends

Demon, Chemosit (CR 3)
Demon, Viltch (CR 2)
Kallikantzaros (CR 1/2)

Spoiler: Giants

Fachan (CR 5)
Troll Variant: Demon Troll (CR 6)

Spoiler: Humanoids

Hurgeon (CR 1/8); Hurgeon Druid (CR 1/4); Hurgeon Guard (CR 1/4) (humanoid/fey)

Spoiler: Monstrosities

Behir: Juvenile Behir (CR 6); Elder Behir (CR 11x2); Desert Behir (CR 9); Jungle Behir (CR 13)
Cantobele (CR 7); Cantobele Cub (CR 3)
Cave Harvester (CR 1)
Gaund (CR 1/4)
Gorynych (CR 14); Juvenile Gorynych (CR 5)
Horast (CR 2)
Hundar (CR 8)
Luposphinx (CR 7)
Lybardde (CR 2)
Kiita (CR 1/2)
Metalmaster (CR 4)
Orgautha (CR 2); Elder Orgautha (CR 4)
Polar Spider (CR 3)
Quakedancer (CR 7)
Sinister (CR 4)
Snake (Variant): Giant Ringed Snake (CR 3)
Spider Cat (CR 5)
Tolwar (CR 1)
Wandega (CR 1/2); Wandega Herdmage (CR 2); Wandega Warlock (CR 1/2)

Spoiler: Oozes

Xador's Fluid (CR 3)

Spoiler: Plants

Ascomid (CR 3)
Basidirond (CR 1)
Carnivorous Plants: Bloodflower (Vampire Rose) (CR 2); Giant Bladderwort (CR 3); Giant Rainbow Plant (CR 2)
Helborn (CR 7)
Intellect Devourer, Ustilagor (CR 1/4) (plant/aberration)
Pilfer Vine (CR 3)
Sashalus (CR 1/4)

Spoiler: Undead

Ankou (CR 4)
Bloody Bones (CR 5)
Dread Wolf (CR 1); Dread Wolf Pack (CR 9)
Ghulah (CR 5); Ghulah Dark Artist (CR 7)
Lhiannan Shee (CR 4) {undead/fey)
Musical Spirit (CR 2)
Skeleton Variants: Gem Eyes (CR varies); Shock Bones (CR varies)
Skotos (CR 1/2)
Tyerkow (CR 9); Elder Tyerkow (CR 9x2) [E] (undead/fiend)
Vrykolaka (CR 9) [L]; Elder Vrykolaka (CR 9x2) [E]; Vrykolaka Spawn (CR 3)
Wendigo (CR 11)

Spoiler: Creatures That Should Be Objects

Peltast

 

[Faolyn]

The first monster is the horast, also known as the whipper or whipperbeast. There's something about the illustration that I really liked, and I got the feeling that the creator really tried to think about dungeon ecology.

Art by Mary Lynn Skirvin

Horast
Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #27
Created by Mary Lynn Skirvin

The horast, also known as the whipper beast, is fierce a subterranean hunter. It has an almost comical appearance, with six splayed limbs, and a tubular snout with flared monsters at the end, stiff, steel-gray fur. A row of short, flexible spines that run down the length of their flat, rotund body, and their most noticeable feature is a horny, rat-like tail that’s nearly twice as long as their body. That tail, however, ends in dagger-like barbs, and the horast is capable of wielding its tail like a bullwhip.

Dungeon-Dwelling Predators. Horasts are generally found only in underground places, where their metallic gray fur lets them blend into their stony surroundings. They only attack when hungry—although they’re hungry quite often—or to defend their territory.

Strange Allies. Despite their bestial nature, horasts are actually willing to associate with humanoids who treat them kindly, and some dungeon-dwelling people have learned to use them as mounts.

Legends and Lore
With a Nature check, characters can learn the following:

DC 10: Also called whipper beasts, these fierce creatures are mostly found in the darkest underground regions, but don’t fear the light. In the dark, their eyes glow.

DC 15: Horasts don’t eat meat, but instead drink blood, preferably from freshly-killed corpses.

DC 20: Despite their predatory temperaments, horasts are willing to befriend and even accompany humanoids—at least those who have a forceful enough personality.

Encounters
Terrain: caverns, mountains
Horasts are almost invariably found underground, either in natural caverns or in constructed dungeons, where their gray fur lets them blend in to their stony surroundings.

CR 1-2: 1 horast.
CR 3-4: 2 horasts.
Treasure: a desiccated corpse with a battered and damaged shield +1.

Signs
1. Blade-like gouges in stone walls or floors.
2. A bloodless corpse. A DC 12 Investigation or Survival check will reveal that the blood is missing, not pooled on or soaked into the ground.
3. A few short, shed spikes. A DC 10 Nature check will reveal that they are the quills from a creature.
4. Pieces of discarded armor with gaping rents.

Behavior
1. Lapping up blood from a recently-slain corpse.
2. Hungry: will attack on sight.
3. Sleeping in its lair.
4. Tracking prey.

Horast
Large monstrosity
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
AC 13 (natural armor)
HP 32 (5d10+5; bloodied 16)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR 14 (+2) DEX 10 (+0) CON 12 (+1)
INT 4 (-3) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 7 (-2)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +2 (+1d6 when underground)
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Per 12
Languages —
Keen Senses. The horast has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Six-Legged. The horast has advantage on any saving throw to avoid being knocked prone.

Actions
Multiattack. The horast makes two claw attacks.
Tailslash. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8+2) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) piercing damage. If the target is wearing heavy armor or armor with the Flaw trait, the target must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or the armor becomes damaged. If the target rolls a 1 on this save, the armor is broken instead.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.

Reactions
Knockdown. When the horast is attacked by a creature within 10 feet of it, uses its tail to knock the target off its feet. The target must make a DC 12 Strength saving throw or take 11 (2d8+2) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t knocked prone.

Combat
Horasts try to keep a distance from their their target, preferring to attack with its tail; they generally only use their claws against a prone target. When bloodied, the creature retreats.

 

[GuyBoy]

This thread isn’t just awesome for the LU conversions but also for the nostalgia of bringing back creatures from old Dragon magazines.
Thank you, @Faolyn

 

[Buzzqw]

following. Awesome initiative!
BHH

 

[xiphumor]

Ecologically, this seems like a strike-and-wait kind of creature (like early humans) that perhaps would strike quick, try to get a serious blow in, and then wait for the target to bleed out before going in for the kill. As such, I’d love to see variants that impose conditions on their prey. I can imagine this creature perched in a jungle tree, waiting for an unsuspecting adventurer to walk below before suddenly poisoning it and then retreating or using the tree for cover.

 

[Faolyn]

Many of the early monsters produced for D&D weren’t built to fill combat role, represent a real-world legendary or mythical creature, or to expand upon an existing creature (as the never-ending selection of dragons, elementals, fiends, elves, trolls, and giants do). They were just creatures of the imagination. The whiz-bang beetle, complete with faux Latin nomenclature, seems to be such a creature (my high school Latin and knowledge of taxonomy translates this to “beetle who loves fire”). I have no idea what, if anything, inspired them. Maybe they were supposed to represent living explosive rounds or heat-seeking missiles? Perhaps they were inspired by moths circling a lamp?

There’s little in the original write-up that describes the ecology of the whiz-bang—despite coming with introductory flavor text. Their physical description and the illustration doesn’t make them look like living creatures, and magic resistance plus their ability to quickly bore through solid rock is definitely unnatural. This is why I made them into elementals, perhaps formed out of igneous rock.

This one is also a twofer, since there's both the beetle and the swarm of beetles.

Whiz-Bang Beetle (Coleoptera conflagration amotensia)
Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #29
Created by John Hageman

Whiz-bang beetles are tiny elementals that resemble beetles at first glance, although careful examination will quickly reveal the differences. Their bullet-shaped bodies are matte iron-gray and sport two pairs of crystalline wings (they lack a beetle’s elytra), and their antennae resemble whiskers. They average about two to three inches in length.

Fast-Fliers. They are shockingly fast fliers, and their wings make a recognizable “wheeeee” sound as they zip around. They are also clumsy fliers, so the wheeeee sounds are usually punctuated by the sound of a beetle crashing into a wall or ground. Their tough carapace prevents these crashes from being too harmful.

Fire-Lovers. For unknown reasons, whiz-bang beetles adore fire. They are immune to flames and seem to love diving in and out of flames. They don’t seem to gain any benefits from doing so, don’t seem to eat fire, and fire doesn’t seem to play any part in their courtship or the way they raise their young. They simply like fire. Even stranger, they don’t seem to care much about magical fire.

Semi-Eusocial. Unlike true beetles, whiz-bangs have a hive society, with up to about 100 beetles in the hive (on occasion, a hive will have several queens and proportionately more beetles). But unlike eusocial insects such as ants and bees, the queen of the hive doesn’t produce young; instead, the other beetles reproduce in the same way normal beetles do. Instead, she produces “honey,” a thin liquid similar in appearance to mercury and that smells sweetly smoky. Adult whiz-bangs exclusively consume this honey. The other beetles spend much of their time collecting food for the queen and their larvae: balls of carrion or humus, flammable oils, coal, and chunks of burnt wood.

Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Nature check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 10. Whiz-bang beetles are hive insects who are attracted to fire, smoke, and even lamp oil. They feel compelled to fling themselves into any source of fire they can sense. They live in hives, which are ruled by a much larger queen.

DC 15. Whiz-bang beetles produce a magical, honey-like substance that is in much demand by many alchemists and wizards, as it’s a useful ingredient in potions of speed and other magical items that increase movement.

DC 20. Although they resemble beetles, whiz-bang beetles are actually rock-like elementals. The queen is an integral part of the hive as they produce the honey needed by the other beetles, and removing her from it will almost invariably kill her and doom the entire hive to starvation.

Monster Encounters
Terrain: caverns, desert, mountains
These beetles can be found in any stony terrain—underground, in rocky deserts, and cliff faces. Perhaps surprisingly, they are rarely found near volcanoes.

CR 1-2: 1-2 swarms of whiz-bang beetles.
Treasure: 1 vial of oil. 1d6 ounces of whiz-bang honey. Each ounce can be worth up to 100 gp to an artificer or wizard, who frequently use it in making magic items that increase the user’s speed.

CR 3-4: 3-5 swarms of whiz-bang beetles.
Treasure: 1d4 vials of alchemist’s fire. 1d6 ounces of whiz-bang honey, plus 1 ounce per swarm.

Whiz-Bang Honey
If an ounce of the honey is consumed, roll a d10:

1. No effect.
2-7. Your speed is increased as if you had been targeted by a haste spell for 1 minute.
8-9. Your speed is increased as above, but when the effect ends, you are poisoned for 10 minutes as you suffer from symptoms similar to food poisoning.
10. You are poisoned for 10 minutes and while poisoned, your speed is reduced by 10 feet.

Signs
1. A stone wall or boulder with numerous 1-inch holes bored into it. The stone—their hive—is disturbingly warm to the touch.
2. A bunch of dead beetles around the remains of a burnt-out bonfire.
3. A high-pitched whirling sound, followed by occasional thuds and bangs—the sound of the beetle’s flight and occasionally bonking into walls.
4. Several burnt out torches or lanterns that have clearly been dropped, with footprints running away from them.

Behavior
1. Attacking a humanoid who is holding a torch.
2. Swarming around a fire that threatens to spread to nearby vegetation.
3. An individual whiz-bang beetle circling a candle.
4. Crawling on the surface of the hive.

Whiz-Bang Beetle
Tiny elemental
Challenge 0 (10 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 1 (1d4-1)
Speed 5 ft., burrow 5 ft., fly 100 ft.

STR 2 (-4) • DEX 12 (+2) • CON 8 (-1)
INT 1 (-5) • WIS 9 (-1) • CHA 2 (-4)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Damage Resistances bludgeoning from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages —
Fire Scent. The whiz-bang beetle can detect the presence of nonmagical flames or smoke from a considerable distance. The beetle can detect fire or smoke that fills a 5-foot cube or is larger up to 300 feet away. The beetle can detect the flame or smoke from a candle, torch, pipe, lantern, or similar hand-held source from up to 30 feet away.
Magic Resistance. The whiz-bang beetle has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Tunneler. The whiz-bang beetle can burrow through solid rock at a speed of 1 foot per round and leaves a 1-inch diameter tunnel in its wake.

Actions
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 bludgeoning damage. If the creature is holding an object, it must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or drop the object. The beetle then ricochets 5 feet away in a random direction. This movement doesn’t trigger opportunity attacks.

Combat
Nearly mindless, a whiz-bang beetle simply rams a fire-wielding creature until it drops or extinguishes the fire it is carrying, at which point it will continue to ram into the creature until it runs away. The beetle will then hover around and dart into the flame, ignoring anything else that isn’t trying to harm it.

Variant: Whiz Bang Queens
Whiz-bang queens are larger than the rest of the beetles and can reach a length of six inches. Upon becoming an adult queen, the beetle cements herself into the stone of their hive and remains immobile for the rest of her life). The queen has a speed of 0 ft., no burrow or fly speed, and can take no actions.

It is incredibly difficult to remove a queen from the hive without killing her, requiring a DC 20 Engineering check.


Swarm of Whiz-Bang Beetle
Medium swarm of Tiny elementals
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 23 (5d8; bloodied 11)
Speed 5 ft., burrow 5 ft., fly 100 ft.

STR 2 (-4) • DEX 12 (+2) • CON 10 (+0)
INT 1 (-5) • WIS 9 (-1) • CHA 2 (-4)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned, unconscious
Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages —
Fire Scent. The swarm can detect the presence of nonmagical flames or smoke from a considerable distance. The beetle can detect fire or smoke that fills a 5-foot cube or is larger up to 300 feet away. The beetle can detect the flame or smoke from a candle, torch, pipe, lantern, or similar hand-held source from up to 30 feet away.
Magic Resistance. The swarm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. It can’t gain HP or temporary hit points.
Tunneler. The swarm can burrow through solid rock at a speed of 1 foot per round and leaves a 1-inch diameter tunnel in its wake.

Actions
Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage, or 5 (1d10) bludgeoning damage if the swarm is bloodied. If the creature is holding an object, it must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or drop the object. This roll is made at disadvantage if the swarm is not bloodied.


Edit: Whoops! Forgot the attribution!

 

[Faolyn]

I think this might be the first monster in Dragon Magazine by Ed Greenwood, and the first I’ve converted that appears in multiple editions. We all know this one: yet another undead creature that's hard to kill, but with the twist of sometimes acting bizarrely, even in combat, and with a dumb name to boot. Surprisingly (to me at least), here in its first appearance, it was very specifically said to not be undead—something that was ignored in every subsequent appearance. I think I’ll keep it as not-undead, as was originally intended. It will make for an interesting twist. Even more surprising is how little else of the creature changed over the years. A lot of the description remains the same, no matter the edition.

The curst is also somewhat unusual as being something like an early template: Hit Dice, Intelligence, and even its combat abilities all depend on its abilities in life, and in 3e it became a full-fledged template. I settled on making it a CR 4 creature. I would have made it higher CR'd, but as I said, I'm a bit new to making creatures in the edition and I'm not entirely sure how to have high-CR creatures that use normal weapons. I can't just up the damage a sword does when wielded by a Small or Medium creature, and there's only so many weapon attacks such a creature can reasonably make in a turn. I may revisit this one when I gain more experience.

Curst
Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #30
Also in Monstrous Compendium Annual #2 for AD&D and in Monsters of Faerun for 3e.
Created by Ed Greenwood

Cursts are unfortunate humanoids cursed to never die. They look much like wights: gaunt and pallid, with thin skin stretched tightly over jutting bones and sunken, glittering eyes are filled with anger. They favor dark clothes and hooded cloaks, although some cling to the clothing they wore when they were initially cursed. They rarely speak, and when they do so they speak with a dry, rasping voice.

Transformed Mortals. A curst is created by using a wish to inflict a terrible curse on a person. Once changed, the curst’s mind shatters, driving it mad and making it prone to erratic behaviors. Although it retains many of the memories of its former life, it loses many of its skills and all of its magical abilities. Cursts do not immediately know the nature of their curse, but those who find out usually begin to long for the release of death. Some throw themselves into battle, hoping that they will one day come across an opponent capable of slaying them. Others seek to destroy the individual who placed the curse, believing—rightly or wrongly—that the caster will remove the curse in order to save their own life.

Not Undead. Curst are not undead, although it would be an easy mistake to make. Although they can heal from any damage, their wounds often don’t close properly and look raw, and are frequently infested with insects and worse. It often comes as a surprise when they completely ignore attempts to ignore them.

Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 10. Cursts were the subject of fell magics and are cursed to never die. The curse drives them mad. They can regenerate from any injury, even when burned to ash.

DC 15. Despite their appearance, cursts are not undead.

DC 20. Cursts can be permanently slain only with powerful magic: a remove curse, cast with a 7th-level or higher spell slot, and only when the curst has been reduced to 0 hit points.

Monster Encounters
Terrain: cavern, ruin, tomb
Cursts can be found anywhere, in any climate or terrain, but prefer dark areas and typically avoid settlements. When one curst meets another, they often band up for a while, at least until their madness drives them apart.

CR 4-5: 1 curst, curst with temporary cutthroat ally.
Treasure. A ring bearing the curst’s coat of arms (worth 150 gp), a map to location of the wizard who cursed them, a cloak of protection (adjust the curst’s AC to reflect this), masterwork cold iron sword (worth 250 gp)

CR 5-15: 2 or 3 cursts, curst with 1d4 hired knight allies.
Treasure. 500 gp, a warhorse for each knight, two potions of superior healing, a sword +1 called Spellstrike; if it inflicts damage to a creature who is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on its concentration saving throw.

Signs
1. Graffiti that is a random mixture of hate-filled slurs and happy, childish imagery, all clearly created by the same hand. Careful examination reveals the name of the spellcaster who created the curst.
3. The sound of singing in the distance.
4. A wanted poster for the high-level spellcaster who created the curst. The poster may be so old that the spellcaster is long-dead—or has become a lich.
5. The husks of dead rot grubs.

Behavior
1. Singing terribly off-key while dancing.
2. Hostile; it immediately attacks the characters.
3. Staring off into space and seemingly unaware of its surroundings.
4. Approaches the characters and begs for their help in either ending the curse against them or getting revenge against the spellcaster who cursed them.
5. Engaging in battle with creatures who remind it of an ancient foe.
6. Acting like a normal human traveler, seemingly unaware of its appearance.

Names
Aeron, Amrit, Briar, Huet, Jolon, Keres, Nerezza, Sidero, Tuma, Ubel

Curst
Medium aberration
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
AC 15 (leather brigandine)
HP (10d8+20)
Speed 30 ft.

STR 16 (+3) DEX 12 (+1) CON 14 (+2)
INT 8 (-1) WIS 12 (+11) CHA 6 (-2)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 14
Skills Perception +3 and 1d4 others
Damage Immunities cold, fire, necrotic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, petrified, stunned
Senses darkvision 90 feet., passive Perception 13
Languages Common and 1d4 others
Addled. At the start of each of its turns, the curst rolls a d20. On a 1, the curst is confused until the start of its next turn.
Asnomia. The curst has no sense of smell.
Chaotic. The curst radiates a Chaotic aura.
Magic Resistance. The curst has advantage on saving throws against spells and other amgical effects.
Regeneration. The curst regains 1 hit point at the start of its turn. It dies only if it is reduced to 0 hit points and remove curse, cast with a 5th-level or higher spell slot, is cast against it. The curst can regrow lost body parts, including its head, in this manner. If the curst is reduced to 0 hit points, it will remain paralyzed four 24 hours.
Unusual Nature. The curst doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep, and doesn’t age. If slain, the curst crumbles into dust, leaving only its equipment and anything it was wearing, and can’t be brought back to life by any means short of a true resurrection.
Parry (1/turn). While wielding its bastard sword, once each round it can add an expertise die to its armor class. The curst can’t use this property while incapacitated, paralyzed, rattled, restrained, or stunned.

Actions
Multiattack. The curst makes three attacks with its sword.
Bastard Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10+3) slashing damage if wielded in two hands.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage.

Bonus Actions
Maddened Whirlwind (1/day, while bloodied). The curst makes an attack with its sword against up to two creatures within 5 feet of it.

Combat
Cursts attack randomly and, once they begin to fight, they fight for as long as they can. If a curst becomes addled, there is a 25% chance that, on its next turn, it will decide to stop fighting unless it is attacked.

Variant: Curst Rogue
While many curst were once warriors of one kind or another, others lead a sneakier life. Curst rogues can only make one attack per turn and a shortsword (1d6+3 piercing damage) instead of a bastard sword. They also lose the Parry and Relief From Madness traits. However, they gain the following traits instead:

Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The curst deals an additional 14 (4d6) piercing damage when it hits with a weapon attack while it has advantage on the attack, or when its target is within 5 feet of an ally of the curst while the curst doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack.

Variant: Infested Curst
Some curst are infested with Rot Grubs (described in Trials & Treasures page 145). The infested curst is a CR 5 (1,800 XP) monster. It has the following additional trait.

Infested. Once during a combat, the rot grubs will leap out onto all targets within 10 feet of the curst (no action required by the curst). Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be hit by 1d4 rot grubs, which deal 3 (1d6) ongoing damage each until removed. Destroying the rot grubs requires either digging them out, which causes the target to suffer an additional 1d6 piercing or slashing damage per rot grub, or burning them by inflicting at least 10 fire damage to the target.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Cool idea!

Aberrations
Curst

Beasts

Celestials

Constructs

Elementals
Whiz-bang beetles

Fey

Fiends

Giants

Humanoids

Monstrosities
Horast

Oozes

Plants

Undead

No dragons? A Cobra Dragon written up as a LevelUp Essence Dragon would be cool.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

I really hope you do yellow and pink dragons at some point

 

[Lime2K]

In your curst description, you have “they complete ignore attempts to ignore them.”. Pretty sure you meant “they completely ignore attempts to turn them.”, there

 

[Faolyn]

Cool idea!


No dragons? A Cobra Dragon written up as a LevelUp Essence Dragon would be cool.

Would you believe I forgot to stick dragons in there?

 

[Faolyn]

I really hope you do yellow and pink dragons at some point

The pink dragons are the ones who blow bubbles, right?

There are, IIRC, two completely different versions of the "other" chromatic dragons (yellow, orange, and purple). I've come across one, but I'm planning on waiting until I get to the other version to decide which one is best--or find a way to combine the two. The dragons will be interesting. The last time I converted dragons, I just reskinned the standard guys and gave them new breath weapons and damage immunities, since that was really the only thing that differentiated 5e dragons. LU dragons are quite a bit more complex!

 

[Faolyn]

And now for the next monster. To me, this one feels like someone tried to turn a sci-fi monster or alien into a D&D monster. I don’t know if it’s actually based on anything, though. Googling the name brings up a type of lamp, bicycle seats, a company that helps you improve your own company via e-surveys, and a medication that helps certain problems caused by enlarged prostates. No aliens.

The flolite is also one of those creatures that had a randomly high intelligence without any actual reason for it to be intelligent and with no given culture or even motivation. However, it had a bunch of weirdly intriguing bits to it. Why is it “very restless”? Why does it go into a frenzy and get bonuses when attacking flying creatures? Can I make a decent culture for it? We shall see.

Art by Jeff Dee

Flolite
Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #38
Created by Kevin Readman

A flolite resembles a tiny, brilliantly golden sun that produces pleasantly warm light. Only when they die and their light is extinguished is their true form revealed: they resemble floating, eight-armed sea stars, with a six-foot armspan and a bulging eye in the middle of their bodies. Flolites glide silently through the desert sky at night, descending to the ground only to feed… and to watch. Their language consists primary of musical whistles and subtle changes in color.

Flolites consume the life force of creatures they attack. They rarely kill their prey and are generally willing to simply devour life energy until they are sated and then fly away.

Star-Watchers. Flolites claim to be emissaries from the stars, or possibly priests of the stars—it is difficult to accurately translate flolite language into humanoid tongue. They believe that their primary purpose is to watch, learn, and explore, although they do not reveal their reasons for doing so. Each one has a font of information that they’ve gathered over the years, but their information is often colored by their own interpretations. A pack of flolites will discuss any event they witness in an attempt to thoroughly understand it, but their understanding of other beings is hampered by their alien mindsets.

Restless Wanderers. Flolites travel constantly in small packs of two or three. They never have lairs or any personal belongings. The idea of being forced to remain in one place for too long seems to frighten them greatly. They prefer hot, arid climates, but occasionally can be found in caverns as well.

Lords of the Sky. Flolites consider themselves the masters of the sky and seem to be almost offended by the idea of other flying creatures. They’re willing to ignore birds and other flying animals but consider them vermin. Intelligent fliers, however, bother them greatly, and they will often go out of their way to harass or even kill them.

Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 10. Although it can’t be easily seen due to the brilliant light it emits, a flolite’s body is said to resemble a sea star. They are also said to be quite observant and knowledgable, and may be willing to share their knowledge—if they can be communicated with.
DC 15. Flolites consume the life energy from their prey, leaving them alive—usually—but severely weakened. They are known to hate flying creatures.
DC 20. The eye of a flolite can be treated alchemically and turned into a substance that functions as a potion of necrotic resistance.

Flolite Encounters
Terrain: desert
CR 1-3: 1-3 flolites.
Treasure: Flolites carry nothing with them and have no lairs.

Signs
1. Bright lights in the sky, flying in formation.
2. A badly-injured and weakened humanoid who is covered with strange wounds, like they had been bound with flaming ropes. The humanoid talks about being attacked by the stars.
3. Locals tell stories about living stars who congregate above groups of people for a while and then leave.
4. The corpse of a blue dragon wyrmling that looks as though the life had been drained right out of it. With a DC 15 Medicine check, it can be determined that the actual cause of death was falling to the ground.

Behavior
1. Diving down to attack the characters.
2. Engaged in aerial battle with a griffon.
3. Approaches the characters and watches their actions from a respectful distance, occasionally providing commentary on their activities and what they believe the characters’ motivations are.
4. Feeding on a weakened livestock.

Names
Flolite names are unpronounceable to humanoids, and they rarely decide to adopt a name for humanoids to call them by.

Flolite
Small aberration
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 24 (8d6+8; bloodied 12)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR 4 (-3) DEX 16 (+3) CON 12 (+1)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 11 (+0)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Skills Perception +3 (+1d6)
Damage Vulnerability cold
Damage Immunities fire, poison, necrotic, radiant
Condition Immunities poisoned, prone
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Flolite
Aerial Combatant. The flolite has advantage on attack rolls made against creatures that are flying.
Dive Attack. If the flolite is flying and dives at least 30 feet straight towards a target and then hits it with a tentacle attack, the attack deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage to the target.
Keen Hearing and Vision. The flolite has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing or vision.
Unusual Nature. The flolite doesn’t require air.
Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the flolite moves in water, or for every gallon of water splashed on it, it takes 2 (1d4) cold damage. It also takes 2 (1d4) cold damage each time it ends its turn in falling rain, or 4 (1d8) cold damage if its torrential rain.

Actions
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) fire damage plus 2 (1d4) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on all Strength ability checks and attack rolls, and do half damage with weapon attacks that use Strength, until the end of its next turn. Additionally, the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt, and the flolite regains this number of hit points. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
Flash (1/day, when bloodied). The flolite pulses with brilliant light to a distance equal to the radius of the dim light it sheds. Each creature in that area must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. It may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Bonus Actions
Illumination. The flolite alters the radius of its glow, shedding bright light in a 5- to 15-foot radius and dim light for the same number of feet beyond that radius. This light is sunlight. It can’t fully extinguish its glow.

Reactions
Dart (Recharge 6). The flolite flies up to 30 feet towards a creature and then makes a tentacle attack.

Combat
The flolite is an erratic combatant and prefers to keep opponents at arm’s length. They retreat upon being bloodied, and only rarely try to kill non-flying creatures.

(In retrospect, I don't know if I succeeded in giving them an interesting culture, but they ended up as sort of a weird and potentially useful alien, and that's almost as good, right?)

 

[WarDriveWorley]

The pink dragons are the ones who blow bubbles, right?

There are, IIRC, two completely different versions of the "other" chromatic dragons (yellow, orange, and purple). I've come across one, but I'm planning on waiting until I get to the other version to decide which one is best--or find a way to combine the two. The dragons will be interesting. The last time I converted dragons, I just reskinned the standard guys and gave them new breath weapons and damage immunities, since that was really the only thing that differentiated 5e dragons. LU dragons are quite a bit more complex!

Yup. Pink dragons blow the bubbles of DOOM!

 

[Faolyn]

Another Greenwood monster! The wingless wonder is adorably goofy, and although it appeared later on in the Menzoberranzan boxed set (according to the Forgotten Realms wiki), it never achieved anywhere close to the level of fame that the equally adorably goofy flumph got. I actually used a wingless wonder in a 5e game of mine. The players didn’t get a good look at it, as it was kept behind a high fence, but I enlarged the size of its anti-magic field to a 5-foot radius. The druid got close to the wall while the wonder was bumbling against it, and when it was close enough that the druid was within the radius, I described it as if the druid’s connection to the world was momentarily severed. Freaked the player out. Fun times. So yeah, I have to create this one for Level Up. Although I am going with the larger antimagic radius instead of the thin layer the description says, just for my own nostalgia. Sorry if you expecting it to be 100% accurate to the original.

The writeup in Dragon #40 is just for the monster, but the Menzoberranzan set included an interesting detail: some wonders were either actually once wizards from Netheril who deliberately transformed themselves into wonders in order to escape the destruction of their lands, or are the victims of drow magic used to imprison and humiliate certain individuals. Even more strangely, some of these wonders are able to transform back to humanoid form at will, while others are stuck. They could use magic, but only like a wand of wonder--completely random and usually just weird. How very bizarre! I’m not quite up to making a “were-wonder,” because that’s too silly, but the cursed wonder makes for an interesting monster variant.

This monster was a bit difficult to find the CR for. It’s basically harmless, has a very low AC, is immune to magic, regenerates, and has a very nasty death scream. The o5e DMG puts this monster at a CR of 1/2, so I’m going with that.

(By the way, I'd like the thank the Level Up team for putting the monster making rules in the monster book where they belong.)

Artist: Brad Parker

Wingless Wonder
Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #40
Created by Ed Greenwood

Wingless wonders are ungainly, four-feet-tall, egg-shaped creatures that stand on two clumsy legs. They have stubby, flipper-like arms that constantly flap like chicken wings. Nine long, sticky tentacles adorn the top of their heads. Their eyes are large, watery, and almost cartoonish in appearance. Wonders have blue-green peach-fuzz skin with lavender bellies, and they “blush” when angry or excited. Their mouths are small and difficult to see when closed. The only sounds a wonder can make is a high-pitched chittering.

Curious Critters. Wingless wonders spend much of their time examining everything around them. Mostly they do so to see if it’s something that can be eaten, but because they also find many things to be extremely interesting. They are particularly attracted to red, purple, or shiny objects and to gemstones of all sorts. Whenever they find something interesting, they poke at it with their tentacles for a bit, then try to eat it.

Poor Parents. Wingless wonders are hermaphroditic and whenever two meet, they mate. The process involves intertwining their tentacles for a few minutes. Usually both end up carrying an infant after such an event. The infant, encased in a rubbery egg, is expelled a few months later, and then hatches within an hour. The parent takes no care of the egg and wanders away, completely oblivious to its fate.

Kind of Useless. Wingless wonders have toxic flesh which causes nausea or worse when consumed, its skin and even bones rot away very quickly, and their antimagic field ends immediately upon its death. And despite their curiosity and mild-mannered behavior, they have no ability to care for anything for any length of time, making them poor pets.

Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 10. The wingless wonder is surrounded by an antimagic aura, and as such, is impervious to magical harm and regenerates quickly from normal injuries. It releases a horrific psychic scream upon dying which is capable of killing those who are near to it.
DC 15. The wingless wonder is a nearly harmless creature that consumes primarily fruit, nuts, tiny animals, and gemstones. However, its tentacles are very sticky and it will grab on to anyone who tries to harm it. It is rumored that the creature’s proper name is “alkada,” but nobody ever calls it that.
DC 20. A few very rare wingless wonders are actually humanoids, mostly spellcasters, who had been transformed by fell magic.

Wingless Wonder Encounters
Terrain: caverns forest, grassland, hills, tundra
CR 1/2: 1d4 wingless wonders.
Treasure: 3 agate gemstones (10 gp each), 2 quartz gemstone (10 gp each), 1 citrine gemstone (50 gp), 1 garnet (100 gp), 1d6 fake glass gems (5 sp each). All gemstones are found in the creatures’ stomachs.

Signs
1. Scat that has a gemstone in it.
2. An egg. It’s just about to hatch! (The egg also radiates antimagic to a 1-foot radius.)
3. A severed tentacle; it was cut off by a creature that had been grappled by a wonder.
4. High-pitched chittering in the distance.

Behavior
1. Wandering around aimlessly, occasionally bumping into walls.
2. Playing with some colorful gemstones (or bits of colorful glass) it had found.
3. Eating the fruit off a tree.
4. Grappling a humanoid who got too close.

Wingless Wonder
Small aberration
Challenge 1/2 (50 XP)
AC 9 (natural armor)
HP 13 (3d6+3)
Speed 20 ft.

STR 8 (-1) DEX 7 (-2) CON 12 (+1)
INT 4 (-3) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 6 (-2)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC +0
Damage Resistances fire
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, restrained, stunned
Senses tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages —
Antimagic Field. The wingless wonder is surrounded by an area of antimagic in a 5-foot radius sphere. While in this sphere, spells and magical effects are suppressed, conjured creatures temporarily vanish, and magic items function as if they were mundane objects, although artifacts continue to function. The wingless wonder cannot suppress this ability. The field sheds dim light to a 5-foot radius.
Poor Vision. The wingless wonder has disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on vision.
Regeneration. The wingless wonder regenerates 5 hit points at the start of its turn as long as it has at least 1 hit point. If the wonder takes fire damage, this trait doesn’t function on its next turn.

Sticky Tentacles. Attempts to escape from the wonder’s grapple are made at disadvantage.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one grappled target. Hit: 1 (1d4-1) piercing damage.
Tentacle Grab. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 (1d4-1) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 10). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the wonder can’t attack another creature.

Reactions
Dying Scream. When the wonder is reduced to 0 hit point, it emits a powerful blast of psionic energy. Each creature within 15 feet of the wonder must make a DC 11 Intelligence saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one, and is confused for 1 minute. The wonder then dies.

Combat
Wingless wonders only fight if attacked, and will trundle away from opponents as soon as it takes fire damage.

Variant: Transformed Wonder
Certain evil-minded people have developed spells designed to polymorph a creature into the form of a wingless wonder. These spells are used primarily when the victim is a spellcaster someone who would be useful later on but too much trouble to keep around otherwise. As wingless wonders are very difficult to kill and all but helpless, it is fairly easy to keep them corralled. Of course, many of these wonders still manage to escape into the wild.

A transformed wonder has an Intelligence score of 8 (-1), can understand (but not speak) one language, and it loses the Antimagic Field trait and gains the following trait and action:

Variable Antimagic Field. The wingless wonder is surrounded by an area of antimagic in a 5-foot radius sphere. While in this sphere, spells and magical effects are suppressed, conjured creatures temporarily vanish, and magic items function as if they were mundane objects, although artifacts continue to function. The field sheds dim light to a 5-foot radius. When the wingless wonder uses its Chaos Magic trait, the Antimagic Field is suppressed until the start of its next turn.

Chaos Magic (Recharge 5-6). The transformed wonder creates a random magical effect. Roll in the table under wand of wonder in Trials and Treasures to determine the effect.

 

[Faolyn]

Since Level Up doesn’t use alignments except for supernatural entities, it lacks many of the typical “Always Evil Kill On Sight” low-level monsters that traditional D&D has. Goblinoids are much more like regular people rather than monsters, and were probably only in the MM because the AG limited itself to the “traditional” PC races. The huntsman—or huntsmen, since they’re nearly always found in groups—is an interesting way to get around that issue. They both lack total free will but have their own sensibilities, making them more than golems/guardians but not quite at the level of “construct PC” either. They’re a good low-level monster to use if you don’t want hired mercenaries or anyone else who can be bribed or otherwise persuaded to leave the PCs alone, don’t want to get into any moral dilemmas, and don’t want to use undead or fiends.

I'm also going back to add the Terrain to each monster's write-ups, since I had forgotten before.

Artist: Brad Parker

Huntsman
Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #40
Created by Lewis Pulsipher

Huntsmen are constructs created to be guards, trackers, or hunters. They resemble elves, but with three fingers on each hand. Their clay-like skin is a uniform camo green in color (even the sclera of their eyes is green), and their stringy hair is slightly darker. Most are made with an androgynous or slightly masculine appearance, but can be given any sort of features.

Relentless. Huntsmen, being constructs, are tireless guards, patrollers, and unsurpassed trackers and hunters. Once they are given orders, they follow them to the end.

Packmates. Huntsmen are created through alchemical means in groups of four, and the only creature a huntsman is capable of caring about is another member of their pack. Should one die, the remaining members of the pack will stop at nothing to claim its remains, as the wizard or alchemist who made them in the first place can use those remains to create a replacement for their pack.

Huntsmen are made to be loyal to their creators, and will follow their orders in both letter and spirit. However, they have a sense of self-preservation, and they will not obey (but will not betray), a creator who is cruel to one of their pack.

Amongst themselves, they communicate through silent telepathy; to others, they attempt to communicate in signs or pantomimed gestures. They rarely make any deliberate noise.

Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 10. Huntsmen are created by spellcasters, but are not mindless creations.

DC 15. Huntsmen are always found in packs of four and can communicate with each telepathically other over long distances. They can’t speak

DC 20. Should a member of the pack be slain, the remaining huntsmen will always try to retrieve the body.

Monster Encounters
Terrain: forest, grassland, hills, jungle, laboratory, settlement, sewer, swamp,

CR 1-2 1-2 huntsmen
Treasure. Masterwork longbow (135 gp)

CR 3-4 3-4 huntsmen
Treasure. Silver broach with the emblem of the creator on it (25 gp each), 1d6 arrows +1, 1 arrow of slaying

CR 5-6 4 huntsmen on riding horses with 2 trained mastiffs
Treasure. Rope of entanglement, 1d6 arrows +2

Signs
1. Spatters of an olive-green substance (huntsman blood).
2. A headless corpse pierced through with arrows, the remains of a huntsman’s target.
3. With a DC 18 Perception or Survival check: footprints.
4. A person on the run from hunters; the person is unaware of their pursuer’s true natures.

Behavior
1-2. Scouting and patrolling.
4-5. Hunting for a target.
6. Running from an abusive creator; they may ask the characters for help, but will not reveal any information about the creator.

Names
Hunter #1 (etc.), Bendis, Cocidius, Jaekar, Pahket, Sirkka, Theron, Verde. As they are in near-constant telepathic communication with each other, huntsman generally don’t choose personal names for themselves. They may be given names by their creator, though.

Huntsman
Medium construct
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
AC 16 (leather brigandine)
HP 26 (4d8+8; bloodied 13)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 16 (+3) DEX 18 (+4) CON 15 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 8 (-1)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 14
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6 (+1d4 in forests), Survival +4 (+1d4 tracking)
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common (sign language only), understands one of its creator’s languages but can’t speak
Constructed Nature. Huntsmen don’t require air sustenance, or sleep.
Life From Death. If a huntsman is killed, then its original hit point maximum is divided evenly by the number of huntsmen in its pack that remain alive. Each of those huntsmen regain hit points equal to that number. Hit points in excess of their normal hit point maximum become temporary hit points. Temporary hit points vanish after 24 hours.
Psychic Link. Huntsmen are created in packs of four and all members of a pack are linked to each other. As long as there are at least two members of the pack on the same plane of existence, a huntsman can’t be surprised unless all members of the pack are surprised, and can’t be knocked unconscious. As long as the members of the pack are on the same plane as each other, they can communicate with one another telepathically.

Actions
Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage.
Mindshare. The huntsman can see through another packmember’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of its next turn, and is blind and deaf in regards to its own senses while doing so. Both huntsmen must be on the same plane for this action to work.

Bonus Actions
Hunter’s Target (1/day). The huntsman chooses a target it can see within 90 feet of it to become its quarry. For 1 hour, the huntsman gets a +1 to weapon attack rolls against the creature and weapon attacks made against it deal an extra 1d6 damage. In addition, the huntsman has advantage on Perception and Survival checks it makes to find the creature. If the creature drops to 0 hit points before the hour ends, the huntsman can’t mark a new quarry.
Helping Hand. The huntsman can use the Help action with another member of its pack, and the packmember can be up to 15 feet away.

Combat
Huntsmen are silent, relentless warriors. They prefer guerilla tactics and harrying their prey rather than engaging in toe-to-toe battle, and will always strike from ambush if at all possible. They spread out, attacking their foes from all sides. If forced to engage in melee combat with a heavily-armored foe or a spellcaster, they retreat as quickly as possible. If bloodied, a pack will fall back and regroup before trying again.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The way I read the MM, all the humanoid stat blocks for PC races from 5e's MM were reimagined in the NPC section of the book, which is where a lot of low level parties are likely to spend their time.

 

[Faolyn]

The way I read the MM, all the humanoid stat blocks for PC races from 5e's MM were reimagined in the NPC section of the book, which is where a lot of low level parties are likely to spend their time.

Yep, but most importantly, orcs aren't written as evil savage raiders like they are in the o5e MM. They're just another people.

It's pretty close to how my idea MM would be. I'd have a page or so on each humanoid, even those that aren't for PCs, detailing their culture(s), without stats but with a brief template to slap on the NPC template.

And since these would be NPCs, the template could possibly even include stat modifiers, which I'm sure you'd like.

 

[Faolyn]

Isn’t everything more fun with monkeys? Even when they’re skull-faced chaos monkeys?

Artist: Roger Raupp

Quatch
Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #42
Created by Andrew South

Quatch resemble small, golden-furred monkeys with grinning skulls for faces and bone-white hands and feet. Their eyes glow an eerie red.

Fuzzy Logic. Quatch are fascinated with logic, philosophy, and trivia, but their minds are so twisted and alien that when they speak of their interests—which they will do at the slightest provocation—their words actually cause confusion and madness in those who hear them. They Despite their intelligence, they don’t seem to understand the trouble their babbling causes.

Born From Illogic. Although it’s not obvious from their appearance, quatch are a type of fey, and like many fey, are created from the emotions of mortals. Quatch spontaneously generate in underground places where unsolvable riddles, planar concurrences, or mind-twisting geometry have caused people to become greatly frustrated or suffer from great mental anguish. Once created, a quatch finds itself a small niche, preferably up high on a wall, where it lurks, unmoving, for hours or even days at a time, only leaving to hunt rats, lizards, or bugs for food or to gather shiny objects as treasure.

Sometimes, when a quatch has come across a particularly interesting idea of piece of information, it will mull on it for long periods of time. This sometimes causes new quatch to form.

Fast Friends. These fey lead solitary lives, but not entirely by choice. Should a creature show the quatch any kindness, it will latch onto that creature—perhaps literally—and consider it to be its friend. It will then follow its friend everywhere, asking loud and bizarre questions and subjecting them to its nonsensical ideas. The quatch is entirely serious with this declaration of friendship, but it is completely incapable of understanding that its speech is harmful. Most of its new friends either end up going insane or attacking the quatch in self-defense.

Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 10. The speech of a quatch can drive listeners insane, but its golden pelt is quite valuable to those who choose to risk their minds.

DC 15. Quatch are a type of fey and can’t be reasoned with. However, they aren’t hostile and only attack if harmed.

DC 20. Quatch are literally born of frustration and madness and have no ability to control their own abilities because of that.

Quatch Encounters
Terrain: caverns, ruins, Shadowfell
Quatch prefer dark places, especially places that once held information, such as abandoned libraries.

CR 1/8 1 quatch.
Treasure. 2 agates (10 gp each), bag of beads (1 gp), silver earring (35 gp)

CR 2 3d4 quatches
Treasure. 25 sp, 180 cp, gold and garnet ring (500 gp), elemental gem (water)

Signs
1-2. The sound several creatures babbling at each other.
3. Strange writing on the wall, written in multiple languages and not making much sense when translated.
4. A person curled up in a fetal position on the floor, having succumbed to madness.

Behavior
1-4. Sitting silently above a doorframe or in a niche on a wall.
5. Muttering loudly to itself.
6. Hunting for food or treasure.
7. Mourning the loss of its latest “friend.”
8. Reading a book upside down.

Names
Avagdha, Ekthebrelb, Iactal, Kthuadeg, Naiothilix, Ykaorva, Zethvhor

Quatch
Small fey
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
AC 12
HP 7 (2d6; bloodied 3)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 8 (-1) DEX 16 (+2) CON 11 (+0)
INT 13 (+1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 16 (+3)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Senses darkvision 120 ft.,
Languages Common, Undercommon, Sylvan
Chaotic. The quatch radiates a Chaotic aura.
Mind-Twisting. A creature who attempts to read the quatch’s mind or communicate with it telepathically is subjected to its Voice of Madness attack.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 (1d4-1) piercing damage.
Voice of Madness. The quatch babbles nonsense. Any creature within 30 feet of it that can hear it must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be confused for 1 minute. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself. Each time the creature rolls a critical failure on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw while confused, it takes 1 level of strife. It also gains a level of strife if the creature remains confused for the entire duration. A creature that has any form of mental stress is immune to gaining levels of strife from the quatch.

Bonus Actions
Speedy. The quatch takes the Dash action.

Combat
Quatch aren’t hostile creature and will only bite if attacked first, at which point they will use Dash in order to flee.

Edit: I forgot the CR and XP value and nobody noticed!

 

[JEB]

Most of its new friends either end up

A piece dropped out, FYI. (But otherwise, neat.)