Faolyn
(she/her)
Would you believe I forgot to stick dragons in there?Cool idea!
No dragons? A Cobra Dragon written up as a LevelUp Essence Dragon would be cool.
Homebrew A Leveled Up Bestiary
- Thread starter Faolyn
- Start date
Faolyn
(she/her)
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
(she/her)
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?)
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?)
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WarDriveWorley
Hero
Yup. Pink dragons blow the bubbles of DOOM!
Faolyn
(she/her)
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.
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.
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Faolyn
(she/her)
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.
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.
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Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
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
(she/her)
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
(she/her)
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!
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!
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JEB
Legend
A piece dropped out, FYI. (But otherwise, neat.)
