Homebrew A Leveled Up Bestiary

[Faolyn]

More familiars, and these are neutral familiars—creatures from Concordant Opposition (AKA the Outlands), Nirvana (Mechanus), and Limbo (which felt no need to change its name). Perhaps sadly, while Level Up has Lawful and Chaotic as alignments, it doesn’t have Neutral as one. Perhaps if there’s ever a planar book for LU that will be addressed.

The two angelic familiars were similar enough that I felt they could be turned into a single entity. The neutral familiars are different enough that I was able to keep them as separate beings.

I’m going to apologize here. I literally could not think of any signs for any of these creatures. I’m sorry. Maybe on their home planes they leave signs. If you can think of some, let me know; when I get enough, I’ll add a signs section.

Anyway, the first “neutral” familiar is the tabur (singular: tabi), which was originally from Nirvana, before it became Mechanus. It originally looked like a marble statue of whatever its spellcaster’s race (no idea what one looked like if it wasn’t a familiar), but, well, I like the clockwork stylings of Mechanus so I changed it a bit. If you want to move away from Mechanus in your Level Up game, feel free to turn them back into pure marble.

Tabur
Tabi are tiny constructs made of bronze clockwork and marble. Their forms are humanoid and their features idealized, but connected with an articulated skeleton of metal gears and cogs. Although capable of great speed, they move slowly and deliberately and never seem hurried.

Serenity. Tabi are devoted to order and discipline, untainted by cruelty or kindness alike. They care for harmony and order. When not in action, they spend most of their time in meditation, contemplating the rhythmic movement of the universe.

Superb Martial Artists. Tabi can magically produce a sword out of their own clockwork and use it with a high level of proficiency. They have an intrinsic understanding of humanoid anatomy and are capable of inflict damage to just the right nerves to cause excruciating pain and temporary paralysis.

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

DC 15. A tabur is a clockwork being from planes of utter order, such as the Plane of Space. They frequently are employed by gods of law and balance.

DC 20. Tabi care for balance, care nothing for good and evil, and have a hatred of chaos. Although a tabur familiar will unquestioningly follow its master’s orders, they will subtly try to make their actions as non-chaotic as possible.

Tabur Encounters
Terrain: Astral Plane, Temple

CR 0-1 1-2 tabi; 1 tabi and 1 gear spider

Behavior
1-2. Meditating
3. Carefully taking a machine apart to understand how it works; if left alone, it will put the machine back together, and it will work better than before.
4. Practicing martial maneuvers.

Names
Asha, Kusma, Nazem, Saagh, Zele

Tabur
Tiny construct
Challenge 1/2 (50 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 14 (4d4+4)
Speed 40 ft.

STR 9 (-1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 13 (+1)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 11 (+0) CHA 12 (+1)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Medicine +2 (+1d4), Perception +2 (+1d4)
Damage Resistances acid, fire, force, damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Celestial, Common, Primordial
Lawful. The tabur radiates an aura of Law.
Familiar. The tabur can communicate telepathically with its master while they are within 1 mile of each other. When the tabur is within 10 feet of its master, its master shares its Magic Resistance trait.
Immortal Nature. The tabur doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Jumper. The tabur can jump up to 10 feet horizontally and 5 feet vertically without a running start.
Magic Resistance. The tabur has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions
Multiattack. The tabur makes two attacks with its bronze blade.
Bronze Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing damage. If both attacks hit, the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of its next turn.
Shapeshift. The tabur magically changes its form into a dog (size Small, speed 40 ft.), hawk (speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.), or hare (speed 40 ft.). In hare form, it has a long jump of up to 15 feet. In all forms, it is made of bronze clockwork and marble and doesn’t look like a living animal. Its statistics are the same in each form except for its size and speed. Its bronze blade is absorbed into its new form, but all other equipment it is carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Reactions
Parry (1/Round). If the tabur is wielding its bronze blade and can see its attacker, it adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack or ranged spell attack that would hit them.

Combat
Tabi are methodical fighters, using their bronze blade attack strategically on who they feel is the most vulnerable target.

 

[Faolyn]

The second “neutral” familiar is the orrek, originally from the Concordant Opposition. They’re pretty common there, apparently. They also had a strange vulnerability to “greenstone,” defined as any green rock, such as an “inferior grade of jade.” Why, I have no idea. The idea of greenstone being a weakness to certain creatures is an interesting one, but it's not one that was ever used, except, perhaps, in Stephen Inniss' game.
The original entry gave the orrekkin some limited shapechanging abilities, but honestly, it feels out of place with them. They didn’t have a real theme going on with their abilities or their alternate forms, so I ditched the shapechanging and tried to make them a bit more streamlined.

Orrek
Familiars with a special use, Dragon Magazine #86
Created by Stephen Inniss

Orrek (plural: orrekin) looks like a slightly mole-like humanoid with a homely but friendly faces and squat, muscular bodies that are covered with short, soft metallic brown or black fur. Their hands are large and tipped in iron claws, and their eyes and teeth look like polished black stones. Orrekin have charming, no-nonsense personalities and soothing voices.

Elements of Balance. Although they appear to be earth elementals, orrekin embody all of the elements to one degree or another: they can channel fire, swim through solid rock as if it were water, and can turn into air. They believe very strongly in the balance between elements and loathe the idea of any one element gaining superiority over another one. They also find ideological extremes, such as Law and Chaos, to be ridiculous and possibly even dangerous.

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

DC 15. Even though they seem like earth elementals, orrekin actually embody all the elements: they can create fire, turn into air, and can move through rock like it were water.

DC 20. Orrekin are rarely found on the elemental planes. Instead, they are most common burrowing in the primordial material that lies between planes.

Orrek Encounters
Terrain: Caverns, Elemental Chaos, Mountains, Plane of Earth

CR 1-2 1d4 orrekin; 2 orrekin and 1 mephit (any type)
Treasure. 2 malachites (10 gp each), potion of animal friendship,

Behavior
1-2. Following intruders to see what they’re up to.
3. Lecturing an elemental for being unnecessarily destructive.
4. Waiting impassively, disguised as a statue.

Names
Calthen, Itziar, Kalju, Piro, Senka, Zuerrl

Orrek
Tiny elemental
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 18 (4d4+8; bloodied 9)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.

STR 9 (-1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 13 (+1)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 11
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +3
Damage Resistances acid, fire, poison; damage from nonmagical, non-stone weapons
Condition Immunities petrified, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Primordial, Terran
Elemental Nature. The orrek doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Familiar. The orrek can communicate telepathically with its master while they are within 1 mile of each other. When the orrek is within 10 feet of its master, its master shares its Magic Resistance trait.
Magic Resistance. The orrek has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spellcasting. The orrek’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (save DC 11, +3 to spell attacks). It can cast the following spells, without the need for material components:
At Will: produce flame
1/Day Each: gaseous form, gust

Actions
Multiattack. The orrek makes two attacks with its claws.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+1) slashing damage.
Tunneler. The orrek can burrow through nonmagical, unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the orrek can choose to not disturb the material it moves through.
Stoneform. The orrek can magically transform into a Tiny stone statue (speed 0 ft.), made of any type of stone they wish. While in this form, it can’t take actions (other than to return to its true form) or manipulate objects, and it is immune to nonmagical damage from weapons. Its statistics are the same in each form except for its size and speed. Equipment it is carrying is not transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Combat
Generally non-combatative, an orrek prefers to strike, then quickly tunnel through the ground and pop up behind their target. They are careful fighters, though, and will retreat if injured. If fighting against targets who aren’t using magical weapons, they will turn into stoneform until they feel that they can sneak away.

 

[JEB]

They also had a strange vulnerability to “greenstone,” defined as any green rock, such as an “inferior grade of jade.” Why, I have no idea.

Maybe they're originally from Krypton.

 

[Faolyn]

The last of the special familiars is the quark, from Limbo. I’m guessing they were named that because Limbo is a plane of primal nature and quarks are a fundamental particles of all matter. If so, a clever use of a name!

Quark
Familiars with a special use, Dragon Magazine #86
Created by Stephen Inniss

In their native form, quarks look like sculptures made from twisted wires of solid mercury, with a silvery dandelion puff of hair and shimmering, multicolored butterfly wings that change pattern and color over time. They are consummate shapechangers, though, and are rarely found in any one form for very long.

Creatures of Chaos and Whimsy. Born of the primordial soup from which reality is made, they embody change. They hate rules, although they don't necessarily go out of their way to automatically break them, either--that would be too predictable! Quarks prefer not to fight, but when they do must, they do so by firing off a tiny sliver of their body’s basal material. This doesn’t harm them—they seem to generate these slivers whenever they need to and have an unlimited supply of them.

One of a Kind. Perhaps because of, or despite of, their chaotic nature, quarks are strangely solipsistic. When two quarks meet, one of two things happen. The most common is that they simply ignore each other—they don’t even seem to be able to recognize that they are the same type of creature, and each views the other as a strange but uninteresting creature. As a result, they form no bonds among their kind, nor do they need to, because the Elemental Chaos spawns new quarks and consumes old ones at random.

From Several, One. The other possibility is the rarer one: the two quarks get an overwhelming need to merge with each other. The result is a bright flash of (harmless) light which, when it fades, reveals an entire new creature. The creature can be anything at all, although they are only rarely become a supernatural being such as a fiend or fey, and are never undead. This new being has most of the raw knowledge that their past lives accrued, but only the vaguest of memories and emotions associated with those memories.

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

DC 15. Quarks are from the Elemental Chaos and represent no one element but rather, a conglomeration of all of them.

DC 20. Quarks shapechange as easily as other creatures breathe. However, all of their forms share a flaw: a bit of silvery color such as a streak in the fur or feathers when in animal form or a single silver leaf when in plant form. A DC 14 Perception check can spot this bit of coloration.

Quark Encounters
Terrain: Astral Plane, Elemental Chaos, Ethereal Plane

CR 0-1 1 quark.

Behavior
1. Painting a mural; it’s a riot of colors with no theme or shapes.
2. Pretending to be a rock.
3. Freeing an animal caught in a trap and then destroying the trap.
4. Rapidly changing shape between a dozen different animal forms.

Names
Abden, Dekan, Drefan, Kyrys, Huyana, Tvor

Quark
Tiny elemental
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
AC 13 (natural armor)
HP 7 (2d4+2)
Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft.

STR 5 (-3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 12 (+1)
INT 11 (+0) WIS 9 (-1) CHA 14 (+2)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Perception +1 (+1d4)
Damage Resistances acid, fire, poison, damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, grappled, restrained, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 10 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Primordial
Chaotic. The quark radiates an aura of Chaos.
Familiar. The quark can communicate telepathically with its master while they are within 1 mile of each other. When the quark is within 10 feet of its master, its master shares its Magic Resistance trait.
Immortal Nature. A quark doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Magic Resistance. The quark has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions
Silver Sliver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 15 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Confusion (1/Day). The quark targets a creature it can see within 30 feet. The target must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw, becoming confused for 1 minute on a failure. The target may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Flawed Shapeshift. The quark magically changes its form into any Tiny or Small beast, an awakened shrub (size Small, speed 20 ft.), or a Tiny cloud of fog (speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft.), puddle of water (speed 5 ft., swim 30 ft.), or a rock (speed 0 ft.). In beast form, it takes the movement types of the form it has adopted. In fog, water, or rock form, it can’t manipulate objects or take actions other than to return to its true form, and it is immune to nonmagical damage from weapons. In fog and water form, it can pass through a space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. Its statistics are the same in each form except for its size and speed. Equipment it is carrying is not transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Combat
As chaotic in combat as they are in everything else, quarks prefer to run around, throwing silvers from a distance. They have no fear of death and will fight until slain, unless their master orders them to stop.

 

[Faolyn]

Now starts Creature Catalog 1, published in Dragon #89. This was a pull-out section containing 29(!) new creatures. Some of them (especially those created by Ed Greenwood) went on to bigger and better things in later editions (well, mostly in 2e), but a lot more faded into obscurity. Two more Creature Catalogs would be published soon after, in issues 94 and 101, and then three more articles much, much later for 3e. I’m sure I’ll get there eventually! For those keeping score, the dark naga (created by Ed Greenwood) debuted in this article.

The first creature is the calygraunt, which would in later editions be called the feystag. Which, I have to admit, it a lot easier to spell. I cannot begin to count how many times I transposed the a’s and u’s.

Artist: Roger Raupp

Their illustration in 2e's Monstrous Compendium Annual Appendix 1 is far more catlike:

Artist: Tony Diterlizzi

They're fey; they're likely quite varied in shape.

Calygraunt (Feystag)
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Ed Greenwood

Also called feystags, calygraunt resemble cat-like hares, or possibly hare-like cats. They stand on two legs, although they can easily drop to all fours to run quickly. They have a pair of antlers and are often confused for jackalopes. They’re larger and far more intelligent than those creatures, however. Not counting their ears, calygraunts can reach four feet in height. Mostly vegetarian, they prefer herbs (especially mint), moss, and mistletoe, although they will sometimes each insects or cooked meats other creatures prepare for them.

Magic-Born. Calygraunts are created when a spellcaster’s desire to learn and control great and greater magic grows to obsessive levels. As a result, they can be frequently found near the lair of liches. Most calygraunts stay in such an area for long—they either quickly get as far away as they can or they get killed by the lich. Before they do so, though, they can cause a lot of havoc because of their singular ability to recognize and control magic items from afar and their love of stealing these items.

Magic-Lovers. Calygraunts are completely fascinated by magic items. It doesn’t matter the type of item or its level of power. To them, the simplest magical trinkets are as important and as amazing as the most powerful of magic items. They collect magic items and are often willing to trade away older ones they’ve used a lot for newer ones they’ve never seen before.

Solitary Wanderers. Most calygraunt constantly wander, calling no place home. They love nothing more than discovery and are always seeking out new places to explore. They love their solitude, although rarely one will find a romantic partner to travel with (who may or may not be another calygraunt). In these cases, they mate for life; if their partner has children, they often will adopt those children as their own. While they do enjoy parties—a calygraunt is often a welcome guest of a satyr revelry—and being social, they very quickly get tired of other people. So much do these creatures otherwise love their solitude that they often leave traps behind them to discourage followers.

Putting Down Roots. On rare occasions, a calygraunt loses the desire to wander. These are often individuals who have suffered from some great injury or trauma, have lost their partner, or have suffered a curse from one of the magic items they stole. They often dwell in the borderlands between the Feywild and the mortal world, and commonly set up shop as magic dealers, sages, and hedge mages for hire.

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

DC 10. Calygraunts are also known as feystags. They are animal-like fey that have a passion of magic items of all types.

DC 15. Calygraunts have the ability to control other people’s magic items from afar.

DC 20. As they are highly knowledgeable about magic items, calygraunts are often willing to sell information about items brought to them.

Monster Encounters
Terrain: Feywild, Forest, Hills, Laboratory, Urban

CR 1-2 1 calygraunt; 1 calygraunt and its mate: another calygraunt, a dryad, satyr, or forest gnome scout.
Treasure: amber wings, bag of holding, chime of opening, skeleton key

CR 3-4 1 calygraunt hedge mage; 1 calygraunt and its mate: a centaur, minstrel, or druid.
Treasure: feather token (tree), hat of disguise, pipes of haunting, wand of magic missiles

Signs
1. One of the character’s magic items suddenly activates.
2. When the characters wake up, they realize one common magic item they own is missing. In its place is another common magic item that is functional but clearly well-used.
3. A posted sign offering to buy magic items, along with the location of the buyer.
4. A spellcaster’s minions approaches the party, asking if they’ve seen the calygraunt. They offer a substantial bounty for the calygraunt’s head and the return of the items it stole.

Behavior
1-2. Sketching or painting the scenery.
3. Playing with a minor magic item.
4. Taking a nap under a tree.
5. Stalking the characters and learning about their magic.
6. On the run from a spellcaster’s minions.

Names
Analup, Bruxo, Galdur, Jadu, Kiama, Ramil, Zinta

Calygraunt (Feystag)
Medium fey
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
AC 13
HP 22 (4d8+4)
Speed 40 ft.

STR 9 (-1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 13 (+1)
INT 15 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 15 (+3)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 13
Skills Arcana +4 (+1d6), Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +5 (+1d4)
Saves Int +4, Wis +3, Cha +4
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, rattled
Senses darkvision 60 ft., truesight 10 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Sylvan
Magic Resistance. The calygraunt has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magically Shielded. The calygraunt can’t be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors.

Actions
Multiattack. The calygraunt makes two attacks with its claws.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) slashing damage.
Fey Walker. The calygraunt magically shifts from the Material Plane to the Feywild or vice versa. It can bring up to one willing creature with it.
Take Over (Recharge 5-6). The calygraunt attempts to take control of a ring, rod, staff, wand, or wondrous item that it can see within 30 feet of it that it has previously identified using its Identify Item trait. The item must have to be activated to be used. The calygraunt must make a DC 10 Charisma check, versus the owner’s Charisma if the owner is attuned to the item.
If the calygraunt succeeds, it can immediately use the item. If the item requires attunement, the attunement to the original owner ends and the calygraunt becomes instantly attuned. It can be attuned to any number of magic items and can use items regardless of attunement requirements of heritage or class. On a failure, the calygraunt can’t try to control the object again for 24 hours.
Use Magic Item. The calygraunt uses an item to which it is attuned, as long as it is within 30 feet of the item, by using a mental command; this uses up the appropriate number of uses per day or charges. The calygraunt can use any of the item’s functions, but unless it is using or holding the item the way it is intended to be used, it can’t aim the effects. For instance, a wand will randomly target a creature, including the calygraunt, within its range. If the item has multiple abilities, the function that is activated will be chosen randomly unless the calygraunt is holding or wearing the item.

Bonus Actions
Identify Item. The calygraunt chooses an item it can see within 30 feet of it. The calygraunt immediately knows if the item is magical or not. It can then make an Arcana check. The DC is as follows: common item: DC 10; uncommon item: DC 12; rare item: DC 14; very rare item: DC 16; legendary item: DC 18. If another creature is attuned to the item, the calygraunt has disadvantage on this roll.
On a success, the calygraunt learns the item’s magical properties, how to use them, whether it requires attunement and is currently attuned, how many charges it has, and what spells were used to create it. The calygraunt can’t detect or identify artifacts in this manner. On a failure, the calygraunt can’t try to identify the object again for 24 hours.
Runner. If the calygraunt drops to all fours, it can take the Dash action as a bonus action. It can’t carry any objects in its hands while using this ability

Reactions
Retaliative Spark of Magic. If the calygraunt takes damage from a weapon or spell attack that originated within 30 feet of it, and if the calygraunt is attuned to at least one magic item that is also within 30 feet of it, then magic sparks from the attuned magic item and strikes the creature who inflicted the damage on it. That creature must make a DC 13 Dexterity check or take 7 (2d6) force damage.
At the Narrator’s discretion, if the item inflicts a different type of damage, such as a wand of fireballs that inflicts fire damage, then the damage is of that different type and not force damage.

Combat
Calygraunts try to remain in hiding and activate magic items they see, and then escape in the confusion.

Variant: Calygraunt Hedge Mage
Some calygraunts truly study the magic that makes up the items they covet and end up learning a handful of spells. Like wizards and clerics, they can choose to prepare different spells each day and use spell slots to cast them. Unlike any type of humanoid spellcasters, they aren’t limited to a single class’s spell list. The Narrator can assign a calygraunt any spell they wish, and each one may also have one or more rare spells as well. The calygraunt has no spellbook; instead, it learns their spells from the items they have owned over the years, and can switch out which spells they have prepared through meditation.

The feystag hedge mage is CR 3 (750 XP) and has 55 (10d8+10; bloodied 28) hit points. Its Intelligence is 16 (+3) and its Charisma is 18 (+4).

Spellcasting. The feystag hedge mage is a 5th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks.). It has the following spells prepared:

Cantrips (At Will): dancing lights, druidcraft, prestidigitation, vicious mockery
1st-level (4 slots): animal friendship, augury, magic missile
2nd-level (3 slots): detect thoughts, fly
3rd level (2 slots): major image

It also gains the following action:

Magic Missile (1st-Level; V, S). Three glowing arrows fly from the mage simultaneously, unerringly hitting up to 3 creatures within 120 feet. Each arrow deals 3 (1d4+1) force damage.

 

[Faolyn]

Another Greenwood creature, the cantobele appeared in the Creature Catalog and then in one of the Forgotten Realms MC Appendixes, and then nowhere else, as far as I can tell. It has a similar niche to the leucrotta—it can lure people with its voice—but with enough of a twist I don’t mind converting it.

Their magical abilities and the strange, bell-like ringing they produce put me in mind of a strange fey creature. While I didn’t make them fey, I took that idea and ran with it.

Artist: Bob Maurus

Cantobele
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Ed Greenwood

Cantobeles are said to be the creations of powerful and evil hags, who gave them voices they had stolen from youths they had kidnapped. They are sleekly-muscled beasts that resemble a great cat mixed with a wolf-like muzzle and fur that changes from tawny to gray to black, depending on the season, but their startlingly human eyes and six legs immediately reveal them to be no mere animal.

Voice of an Angel. Cantobeles are intelligent creatures who can speak several languages, and their human-like voices are startlingly beautiful in comparison to their beastly forms. Powerful hunters, they use a combination of their ability to read minds with their melodic voices to lure people into the underbrush, at which point they strike.

Devoted Parents. Although they find a mate rarely and reproduce rarely, they produce large litters, numbering on average 10 cubs. Both parents are dedicated to their young, with the male doing much of the rearing while the female hunts, until the young are old enough to learn how. Cubs stay with their parents for several years perfecting their skills. When they are able to manifest their mind-reading abilities, they are considered mature enough to head out on their own. At that point, the parents part, never to mate again.

Land of Illusions and Misdirections. Some cantobele, particularly those who are allied with a coven of hags, have the ability to encircle their lair with powerful divination-thwarting illusions. Whenever a divination spell of 5th level or lower is cast within a half-mile radius of the cantobele’s lair, the Narrator should roll a d4. On a 1, the spell returns false information.

In order to activate this power, the cantobele must make perform a daily ritual in which they patrol a circuit one mile in diameter centered on the lair. Failure to do so causes the illusion to end.

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

DC 10. Cantobele are six-legged, cat-like creatures with melodic voices.

DC 15. Cantobeles have the ability to read minds and use that to help them lure intelligent prey in.

DC 20. Sages believe that cantobeles may be the creation of evil hags. Whether or not this is true, they often make alliances with them.

Cantobele Encounters
Terrain: forests, hills, mountains, swamp

CR 5-10 cantobele; cantobele and green hag
Treasure: 85 gp, silver dagger with storage compartment and electrum pommel in the shape of a hawk (75 gp), oil of slipperiness, one waystone.

CR 11-16 2 cantobeles; cantobele and 3 cantobele cubs; cantobele and 2 green hags or 1 coven green hag; cantobele and winter hag
Treasure: 160 gp, 3 carved jade chess pieces (125 gp each), a pair of gold earrings (150 gp) and matching necklace (250 gp), a unicorn’s horn, +1 mace made of black stone with silver decorations, cord of spirit stealing

CR 17-22 1 cantobele and 5 cantobele cubs
Treasure: 80 pp, 250 gp, a wizard’s diary with notes that leads to the discovery of a rare 5th-level spell, a chest of 50 silver ingots (5 gp each), a golden crown set with rubies and sapphires (2,500 gp), ring of spell storing with lightning bolt currently stored in it, gem of seeing.

Signs
1. A bell-like ringing in the distance. A DC 17 Insight check reveals that the sound doesn’t originate from an actual bell.
2. Piles of melting snow and a chunks of a corpse that has been frozen solid.
3. A set of feline-like tracks from an animal with six legs.
4. After casting a divination spell, and with an Arcana check (DC equals 14 + the spell’s level), the party realizes that the spell gave the wrong information.

Behavior
1. Lurking in the undergrowth, offering promises to anyone who follows its voice.
2. Discussing current events with an allied hag.
3. Performing its ritual encircling of its lair.
4. Sleeping off its last meal.
5. Singing a sweet-sounding song of its own creation.
6. Teaching its young how to hunt.

Names
Inbal, Kampan, Nikanta, Reisu, Shijan

Cantobele
Large monstrosity
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 105 (14d10+28; bloodied 52)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 17 (+3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)

Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 14
Skills Deception +4 (mimicry +1d6), Perception +3, Performance +4 (+1d4), Stealth +5 (+1d4)
Saves Dex +4
Damage Immunities cold
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Sylvan, and three others
Keen Smell. The cantobele has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Magically Shielded. The cantobele can’t be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors.
Pounce. If the cantobele moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Protected Eyes. The cantobele has advantage on saving throws to avoid being blinded.
Spellcasting (3/Day). The cabtobele can cast detect thoughts without any components. Its spellcasting ability for this trait is Charisma (spell save DC 12).
Sure-Footed. The cantobele has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.

Actions
Multiattack. The cantobele makes five attacks: one with its bite and four with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) slashing damage.
Cold Breath (Recharge 6). The cantobele exhales a 30-foot cone of freezing wind and snow. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) cold damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a success. A creature killed by this damage becomes a frozen statue until it thaws.

Bonus Actions
Opportune Bite. The cantobele makes a bite attack against a prone creature.

Cantobele Cub
Medium monstrosity
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor)
HP 55 (10d8+10)
Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 13 (+1) DEX 15 (+2) CON 12 (+1)
INT 9 (-1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 11 (+0)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Deception +2, Perception +3, Performance +2, Stealth +4
Saves Dex +4
Damage Immunities cold
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Sylvan
Keen Smell. The cantobele has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Magically Shielded. The cantobele can’t be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors.
Pounce. If the cantobele moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Protected Eyes. The cantobele has advantage on saving throws to avoid being blinded.
Sure-Footed. The cantobele has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.

Actions
Multiattack. The cantobele makes five attacks: one with its bite and four with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing damage.
Cold Breath (Recharge 6). The cantobele exhales a 30-foot cone of freezing wind and snow. Each creature in that area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a success. A creature killed by this damage becomes a frozen statue until it thaws.

Bonus Actions
Opportune Bite. The cantobele makes a bite attack against a prone creature.

Combat
A cantobele prefers to lure a single traveler into ambush, then attacking with bite and claws. Against a large group, it starts out with its cold breath first. If bloodied, it will either flee, only to begin tracking the targets again and waiting for a better time to strike, or will attempt to bribe the targets with an item from its horde.

 

[Faolyn]

The next monster from the Creature Catalog is the fachan, created by Roger Moore—or rather adapted by him, as it’s an actual creature from Gaelic Scots lore. Here, this creature is basically a mutant ogre. 2e would go on two have two different fachans, one for the Realms and one for Savage Coast/Red Steel. Strangely, the Savage Coast version is the one taken from this article, word-for-word in some places. The fachan printed in the Forgotten Realms MC Appendix is a mere 2-4 feet tall and are considered to be the “blessed of Gruumsh.”

For whatever reason, I don’t particularly like the true giants (hill, frost, etc). They just don’t do anything for me. But I really like the smaller giants like ogres and the weirder “malformed” ones like the ettins and cyclops. So the fachan is right up my alley. For the record, their weird body plan meant that in 1e and 2e, rangers only got half the bonus they normally got against giants. I guess it’s because fachan are, in a manner of speaking, only half a giant.

In writing this creature, I reread the ogre section in the LU MM and was surprised to see they had been given an Int score of 10. A far cry from the Int 5 ogres of oD&D!

The fachan is under the header of “Ogre,” so uses that entry’s Signs, Behaviors, and Names.

Artist: Bob Maurus

Ogre, Fachan
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Roger Moore

Fachan are born, albeit rarely, to otherwise normal ogres. They have a single leg in the middle of a complex pelvis, a single arm that emerges from the center of their chest, and single eye in the middle of their forehead. They move by hopping and can make powerful and agile leaps, if necessary.

Ominous Births. One in roughly every 400 ogres is born a fachan, and as they are usually incapable of reproduction, this is the only way that fachan are born. Ogres view the birth of a fachan as an omen, with some tribes seeing it as a good omen and others seeing it as a bad one. Regardless, fachans are usually welcomed by the other ogres, as they’re known to be exceptionally strong and wary—if the birth of a fachan heralds bad times to come, the other ogres want someone as strong as the fachan fighting on their side against it!

Legends and Lore
With Culture or History check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 15. Fachan are a rare mutation of ogres, occurring in roughly one out of every 400 births. They are capable of making tremendous leaps and are known to have exceptional hearing.

DC 20. Although they generally lack spellcasting abilities, many parts of a fachan’s body are in high demand by wizards and artificers for their use in making magic items.

Fachan Encounters
CR 5-10 1 or 2 fachan; fachan with 1-3 ogres; fachan with 1d4+1 ogrekin; fachan with cave bear or saber-toothed tiger
Treasure: 500 gp, 950 sp, tarnished bronze bracelet set with leaves made of flakes of agate (125 gp), a portrait of a local member of nobility, painted in profile (100 gp), potion of clairvoyance, spell scroll of blur.

CR 11-16 1 or 2 fachan with 1-3 cave ogres; fachan with ogre mage.
Treasure: 1,200 gp, 3 jet gems (100 gp each), six-sided die made from platinum with demon faces embossed on it (250 gp), pair of dragonhide gauntlets (200 gp), eversmoking bottle, a bone-spiked vicious mace, wooden +1 shield of elven design.

Fachan
Large giant
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 77 (9d10+27; bloodied 36)
Speed 40 ft.

STR 21 (+5) DEX 14 (+2) CON 17 (+3)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0)

Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 16
Skills Perception +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Giant
Kip Up. If the fachan is knocked prone, standing up only uses 5 feet of its movement instead of half.
Keen Hearing. The fachan has advantage on and a d6 expertise die with Perception checks that rely on hearing.
Poor Depth Perception. The fachan makes all ranged attacks with disadvantage.

Actions
Multiattack. The fachan attacks twice: once with its headbutt and once with its greatclub or kick.
Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or fall prone.
Headbutt. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4+5) bludgeoning damage and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.
Kick. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Vaulting Leap. The fachan jumps up to its Speed horizontally and half its speed vertically without provoking opportunity attacks, and it can land in a space containing another creature. That creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 19 (4d6+5) bludgeoning damage and being knocked prone on a failure. On a success, the creature takes half damage and is pushed 5 feet to a space of its choice. If that space is occupied, the creature is knocked prone.

Combat
Fachan prefer to using Vaulting Leap to jump into the fray, and then use its Headbutt to stun anyone left standing into submission.

 

[jphinney]

Love the work and can't wait to add these to my games. Also a wonderful walk through memory lane. I think I still have most of those Dungeon magazines and this brings back wonderful memories of monsters forgotten.

 

[Faolyn]

Love the work and can't wait to add these to my games. Also a wonderful walk through memory lane. I think I still have most of those Dungeon magazines and this brings back wonderful memories of monsters forgotten.

I'm so glad you like them!

 

[Faolyn]

The next creature is the glasspane horror, designed to be treasure guards and are definitely different from the typical guardian née golem. They’re another shapeshifter, and IMO the “horror” in their name is well-earned—one of their forms is a cloud of glitter! Narrators, you know what to do with this information!

Artist: David C. Sutherland III

Glasspane Horror
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Rosemary and Don Webb

These shapechanging elementals are rarely seen in their true form, because their true form is a transparent pane of glass-like crystal, utterly indistinguishable from normal glass. They have two other forms. The first is a giant humanoid, well over twice a typical human’s height, made of dazzling, multicolored crystalline shards, and the other is a fast-moving cloud of glittering mica flakes. They spend as much time in these latter forms as they do resting in their true form.

Not So Horrible. Despite their name, glasspane horrors aren’t evil or cruel, nor do they have any particular dislike of non-elemental creatures. The horror in their name comes from their utter inconspicuousness. Treasure-stealers expect mimics and living statues. They don’t expect the window to come alive and attack.

Elemental Mercenaries. Glasspane horrors are much sought after guards and sentries, as they are very patient, highly observant, and loyal to their employers. They pride themselves on being unbribable, but are not stupidly loyal. A horror in danger of being killed will retreat and warn its employer. However, one whose employer is slain will seek revenge. Horrors don’t come cheap, though, and they demand gemstones—their primary food source—as payment for their work.

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

DC 15. Glasspane horrors are a strange form of elemental. In their natural form, they are indistinguishable from a pane of glass.

DC 20. Glasspane horrors have a reflective body, and force, lightning, radiant, and prismatic magic bounce right off them and reflect back at the caster.

Monster Encounters
Terrain: Caverns, Laboratory, Plane of Earth, Settlement, Tomb

CR 5-10 Glasspane horror; glasspane horror horror with 2d4 guards; glasspane horror with 2 hound guardians.
Treasure: 90 pp, 750 gp, 1,750 sp, 7 citrines (50 gp each), porcelain statue of an eagle (bulky, worth 150 gp), surreal landscape painting (worth 250 gp), spell scroll of spare the dying, potions of mind reading and water breathing, blue bag of tricks, Small +3 padded cloth armor.

CR 11-16 2 glasspane horrors; glasspane horror with 2 guard squads
Treasure: 800 pp, 1,500 gp, 2 garnets (100 gp each), peridot (500 gp), triptych icon of an elven god made of gold, jade, and rare woods (2,500 gp), blade of the Sanguine Knot, bronze griffin, dimensional shackles, ever-shifting map, prismatic gown

Signs
1-2. A trail of glitter
3. the thud of heavy footsteps; with a DC 15 Insight or Perception check, the creature is walking on a patrol route.
4. Shimmering, gem-toned lights reflecting off of walls in the distance.

Behavior
1-3 Disguised as a pane of glass, just watching.
4. Having a telepathic conversation with a fellow guard.
5. Negotiating a pay raise with its employer.
6. In humanoid form, tasting gems to find out which will be the best to eat.

Names
Aanye, Aligoq, Kass, Manyah, Saghkar

Glasspane Horror
Large elemental (shapechanger)
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
AC 17 (natural armor)
HP 126 (12d10+48; bloodied 113)
Speed 0 ft. (true form), 40 ft. (humanoid form), 0 ft., fly 90 ft. (in sand cloud form)

STR 16 (+3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 19 (+4)
INT 9 (-1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 17 (+3)

Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC +14
Skills Perception +4 (+1d4)
Saves Con +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities force, lightning, poison, radiant
Condition Immunities blinded, fatigue, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, strife, unconscious
Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius, true form and sand cloud form only), darkvision 60 ft. (humanoid form only), passive Perception 17
Languages telepathy 60 ft.
Elemental Nature. An elemental doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
False Appearance (True Form Only). While the horror remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a large pane of glass.
Glittering Cloud (Sand Cloud Form Only). The horror can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing, but can’t move through water.
Reflective. If the horror is targeted by a spell that inflicts force, lightning, or radiant damage, roll a d6. On a 1-5, the horror is unaffected. On a 6, the horror is unaffected, but the effect is reflected back at the caster turning the caster into the target. In addition, the horror is immune to spells from the prismatic school.
Transparent. Perception checks that rely on sight made to locate the horror are made at disadvantage.

Actions
Multiattack (Humanoid Form Only). The horror makes two fist attacks. Alternatively, it makes one Fist attack and uses its Dazzling Light.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
Crystalbrittle (Humanoid Form Only; 3/Day). The horror touches a creature wearing nonmagical metal armor or a nonmagical metal shield. That creature must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the armor is turned into a fragile crystalline substance. The next time the target takes damage, the armor breaks and is destroyed.
Dazzling Light (Humanoid Form Only). The horror flexes its crystal skin and brilliant shimmers of light dazzle those nearby. Each creature within 10 feet must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw they make before the start of their next turn. This ability doesn’t work in darkness. A creature immune to being blinded isn’t affected.
Slicing Whirlwind (Cloud Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the horror’s space. Hit: 14 (4d6) slashing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn.

Bonus Actions
Consume Gem. The horror crushes and absorbs one gemstone that is holding. For every 50 gold the gemstone is worth, the horror gains 1d6+4 hit points. For 1 minute afterwards, its Transparent trait doesn’t work.
Shapeshift. The horror magically changes its form into a Large humanoid made of crystal or a cloud of glittering sand, or back into its true form, which is a Large pane of transparent crystal that is 10 feet on a side and 1 inch thick. Its statistics are the same in each form. Equipment it is carrying is not transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Combat
The glasspane horror begins combat in humanoid form, using Crystalbrittle on the most heavily-armored foe, then pummeling with their fists while calling for reinforcements. If bloodied, the horror with transform into cloud form and make at least one attack in that form before fleeing.

 

[Faolyn]

Up next is the peltast, and it’s going to be a departure from normal monsters. It’s one of those creatures that honestly feels like it should be an object instead. I could give it full stats, but let’s face it: nobody is going to fight this thing. It has no attacks and isn't capable of speech. There’s no monster use here. And so: the peltast, a living magic item.

This also brings a new entry into the Table of Contents in post #1: Monsters That Should Be Objects. There was one in an earlier issue of Dragon, but it was basically a living computer with infinite hp, so I didn’t feel a need to convert it.

Artist: ?. From MC Appendix II; the art in the Creature Catalog was... not very useful

Peltast
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Ed Greenwood

Wondrous object, very rare (cost 9,000 gp)
Crafting Components: A peltast is a living being and can’t be constructed—although it can, potentially, be bred.

Distantly related to the mimic, a peltast in its natural form looks like a Tiny blob of amorphous leather. They are incapable of taking on as many forms as mimics can and are limited to shapechanging into a Tiny or Small leather object, such as a belt or backpack. In object form, a peltast is indistinguishable from a normal object.

The first time each day a peltast in object form is donned by a humanoid, it attaches to its wearer and bites. The peltast’s saliva injects an anesthetic, making the bite painless and unnoticeable. When first donned, and at the end of each short rest the wearer makes, the wearer must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, its hit point maximum is reduced by 1 due to blood loss. The wearer dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This reduction lasts until the wearer completes a long rest. Removing the peltast requires no action.

While the peltast is attached, the wearer has advantage on saving throws to avoid being diseased or poisoned and gains an expertise die on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. If the wearer is reduced to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. Once this happens, the peltast can’t grant this ability again until it completes a long rest.

Although a detect magic will reveal that there is a magical aura around a peltast, an identify spell won't reveal what it is. A DC 15 Nature check is required, instead.

The peltast is a CR 1/8 Monstrosity has AC 11, 5 (2d4) hit points, and a speed of 10 ft., climb 10 ft. It has darkvision to 30 feet and tremorsense to 30 ft. It is resistant to fire and lightning damage, immune to poison and bludgeoning damage, and to the grappled, poisoned, and prone conditions. It has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Its attributes are Strength 6 (-2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 10 (+0), Int 6 (-2), Wis 9 (-1), Cha 6 (-2). It can’t speak or understand any languages.

The peltast exudes waste materials whenever it is immersed in water. This stains and fouls adjacent water within 5 feet of it, making it unpotable, and anyone who drinks the water is poisoned for 10 minutes and suffers from cramps and nausea.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

It looks disappointed in my choices.

 

[Faolyn]

It looks disappointed in my choices.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think it would be voiced by the guy who did Droopy Dog.

 

[Faolyn]

Now the wind steed, also known as the asperii. Did you know that Asperii is a service management company that deals in cloud-based solutions? I just found that out when I did a search on asperii to try to remember which 3e MM they were in. The company’s logo is a horse head in profile with a lightning bolt attached. I get that the name asperii has Latin roots with the word for wind/air (High School Latin was a long time ago, but I still remember a few things), but I can’t find any mythological connection with horses here. What am I missing here!? All of my search results are for this company or this D&D creature. Is this a coincidence, or could it possibly be that this company, established in 2011, was named after a D&D monster first published in 1984? I am so confused. Can anyone shed some light on this?

You know what else I found when I searched “asperii horse”? The stats I created for them back for my college gaming group when I converted them from 2e to 3e, 20~ years ago! I had no idea that tripod pages were still around.

Anyway, I’ve always liked the idea, and while they’re very similar to pegasi (pegases?), I’m converting them anyway. They're elementals, not celestials.

Also, with this monster, I’m done with Creature Catalog I! But Creature Catalog II is coming up soon.

Artist: Roger Raupp

Wind Steed (Asperii)
Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89
Created by Ed Greenwood

Wind steeds, also called asperii, appear to beautiful horses with cloud-colored coats and flowing manes, tails, and feathering on their forelegs that is a silvery gray or platinum white. They lack wings but can gallop through the air with agility and speed that few other creatures can match. They are actually horse-shaped elementals and are nearly as flesh-and-blood as actual horses. These inoffensive creatures gallop through the skies, riding on the winds, and rarely coming close to the ground.

Despite looking and acting like horses, wind steeds are omnivores. They like tender leaves, fish, and the meat of birds of prey. They rarely eat and actually have little need to, but when they get the chance to eat, they positively gorge themselves.

Coveted Mounts. Skittish and shy, wind steeds are also friendly with those who prove to have good intentions. They are even sometimes willing to serve as mounts, at least for short times, provided that the would-be rider is friendly to them. A wind steed fly so smoothly that it’s all but impossible to fall off—and should a rider fall anyway, their innate magic makes those falls harmless.

Telepathic Talkers. Wind steeds communicate primarily through telepathy, although they rarely speak to non-asperii until they’ve earned the steed’s trust by proving their good intentions. Those that manage to do so quickly learn that wind steeds are highly opinionated on just about everything.

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

DC 10. Sometimes thought of as wingless pegasi, wind steeds, also called asperii, are actually elemental creatures.

DC 15. These intelligent creatures are in high demand as mounts. If captured when young, they make for excellent steeds, and their magical nature makes staying mounted, even when flying, remarkably easy.

DC 20. Wind steeds are rarely found on the Material Plane, but when they are, they typically congregate near frozen mountain tops and over vast arctic plains.

Wind Steed Encounters
Terrain: Elemental Air, Mountains, Tundra

CR 0-2 Wind steed

CR 3-4 2 wind steeds

CR 5-10 1 herd noble and 2-3 wind steeds

Behavior
1-2. Soaring overhead.
3. Grazing on mosses and flowers.
4. Playfully teasing a storm giant or silver dragon.
5. Sleeping on a cloud.
6. Diving into a clear, cold pond; when it emerges, it has a fish in its mouth.

Names
Aeolus, Akash, Corentin, Erjon, Sirocco, Zephyr

Wind Steed
Large elemental
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
AC 16
HP 38 (4d10+18; bloodied 19)
Speed 60 ft., fly 120 ft.

STR 18 (+4) DEX 22 (+6) CON 15 (+2)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 14 (+2)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 16
Skills Acrobatics +8 (aerobatics +1d4), Perception +4
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances lightning, thunder
Damage Immunities cold
Senses true seeing 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Auran, telepathy 60 ft.
Cloud-Walker. The wind steed can walk and rest on clouds as if they were solid terrain.
Limited Magic Resistance. The wind steed has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects from the Air school of magic.
Magic Eyes. The wind steed can see into the Material Plane, Astral Plane, and Ethereal Plane. Additionally, it is immune to gaze attacks.
One With The Wind. The wind steed can’t be pushed back or knocked prone by wind. Additionally, if the wind steed has the wind at its back, it doubles its fly speed.
Perfect Mount. If a creature knows any maneuvers from the Spirited Steed tradition, that creature’s save DC for those maneuvers increases by 2 while it is mounted on the wind speed. Additionally, the creature has advantage on any saving throw made to avoid being knocked off the wind steed.
Spellcasting (At Will). The wind steed casts feather fall without the need for any components. Its spellcasting ability for this trait is Charisma.

Actions
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6+6) bludgeoning damage. If the wind steed moves at least 20 feet straight towards the target before the attack, the target makes a DC16 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.

Bonus Actions
Stormburst (1/Day, when Bloodied). The wind steed emits a burst of electricity in a 10-foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) lightning damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.

Reactions
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker the wind steed can see hits it with an attack, the wind steed halves the attack’s damage against it.

Combat
The wind steed charges at an enemy. If it knocks it foe down, it flies away and charges again on its next turn. Otherwise, it continues to attack with its hooves.

Variant: Herd Noble
When a wind steed reaches a certain age, it becomes a herd noble. Its coloration changes, going from its original pale color to a deep, iridescent nacre with hints of a rainbow of color in their mane, tail, and feathering. Despite their name, they are as likely to be an advisor to the leader of a herd as they are to be the leader themselves.

The herd noble is CR 3 (700 XP). It has 60 (8d10+16; bloodied 30) hit points. The range of its telepathy increases to 90 feet and its Intelligence is 13 (+1) and Charisma is 16 (+3). Its Spellcasting trait has been altered:

Spellcasting. The wind steed’s spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At Will: feather fall
3/Day: suggestion

 

[Faolyn]

Greenwood is a juggernaut of monster design, and this article contains a bunch a’ bats. Or, well, bat-like creatures. Several of them are only bat-adjacent, really. The information from these bats was dictated to Ed by Elminster himself, so… none of these bats are sexy high-level ladies so does that mean he is more accurate or less accurate in his descriptions?

Anyhoo, the first of these Pseudomegochiroptera (my term, not Ed’s or Elminster’s) is the sinister-sounding sinister. I’m listing it as a monstrosity, but it’s pretty magical and kind of looks like a flying manta ray which means that it could very well be related to the cloaker, an aberration. Feel free to change it to aberration for your games.

As a side note, I’ve never been quite sure if a winged creature’s size should include their wingspan. The sinister is described as Large and having a 9-foot wingspan. In real life, one of the biggest bats in the world, if not the biggest bat (the golden crowned flying fox) has a wingspan of five feet... but it weighs less than three pounds and its body length is under two feet. I would consider that to be a Tiny creature, not the Medium creature that its wingspan would suggest. D&D and logic are not mixy things, but I decided to bump the formerly-Large sinisters down to Medium.

Since that's a less-than-helpful picture, here's what they looked like in Monsters of Faerûn:

Artist: Michael Kaluta

Sinister
Bats that do more than bite, Dragon Magazine #90
Created by Ed Greenwood

Sinisters resemble flying manta rays but with batlike ears and leathery wings. They are covered in velvety black hide and appear to be skeletally gaunt, and their eyes are a flat, non-reflective purplish-black. They make no vocalizations—unlike true bats, they don’t use echolocation to navigate—and as they fly magically, their wings make no noise when they flap. Sinisters draw their name from their ghoulish appearance, their tendency to watch people in utter silence, and certain alien behaviors they have been observed performing, not from known acts of evil. Sinisters are omnivores, surviving primarily on fruits, nuts, and carrion.

Sinisters are innately magical beings. They are protected by a force field that stops missiles—even magical ones—from reaching it. This field is invisible until a missile pings off of it, at which point it momentarily glows with dark purple light. Th

Music Hath Charms. Curiously, sinisters love music and singing of all sorts. Should they hear music being played, they silently gather to observe and listen. They do nothing but listen, in fact, while hovering quietly in the background, unless attacked first. They are likely to follow a musician for many nights, hoping for a repeat performance. Musicians that are kind and play for them often gain long-term friends. Although the sinisters won’t follow the musician outside their territory and are only active at night, they won’t let harm befall their source of music while they’re awake.

At the Narrator’s decision, a character who critically succeeds on the Busk journey activity while in a location home to sinisters may attract several such protective “fans” for the length of their stay in the region.

Strange Rituals. On occasion, people have spotted groups of exactly seven sinisters engage in a slow, silent, floating dance. As they are otherwise found only alone or in pairs, this grouping is highly unusual for them, and nobody has been able to figure out the dance’s purpose. Some people have reported the discovery of portals leading to the Feywild and Shadowfell after such a dance, but it’s unclear if the sinisters created those portals or if their presence merely heralded the portals’ existence.

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

DC 10. Sinisters are bat-like creatures that fly magically and in complete silence.

DC 15. Sinisters are surrounded by a magical force field that repels ranged attacks, and they can paralyze creatures with their gaze.

DC 20. Sinisters love music and will loyally follow musicians around, and may even protect them.

Sinister Encounters
Terrain: caverns, Feywild, forests, mountains, ruin, Shadowfell, tomb

CR 3-4 1 sinister

CR 5-10 2 sinisters

Signs
1. Local bards speak of strange, hovering, black things that followed them while in the wilderness.
2. Broken arrows with dented tips. An adventurer knowledgeable about weapon lore or fletching may make a DC 13 Intelligence check to realize that the arrows look as though they’ve struck a solid wall. There are no solid walls in the vicinity.
3. A sensitive adventurer detects the presence of a portal to the Feywild or Shadowfell
4. A flowering tree. The flowers on the tree’s tops have been eaten.

Behavior
1. Hanging upside down from a branch or stone outcropping.
2. Hovering silently in mid-air.
3. Paralyzing a small mammal, then swooping down to kill and eat it.
4. Hunting in the shadows.

Sinister
Medium monstrosity
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 61 (10d8+16; bloodied 30)
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR 18 (+4) DEX 13 (+2) CON 15 (+2)
INT 8 (-1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 15 (+2)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 12
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4 (+1d6)
Damage Resistances acid, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from ranged attacks
Condition Immunities prone
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages telepathy 30 ft. (can transmit but not receive emotions and images), understands Common and Undercommon but can’t speak
Flyby. The sinister doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of a creature’s reach.
Magic Field. The sinister is surrounded by a magical field that deflects missiles, whether mundane or magic. Ranged weapon and spell attack rolls made against the sinister are made at disadvantage. This magic field also harmlessly absorbs magic missiles.
Magic Resistance. The sinister has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the sinister has disadvantage on attack rolls and on Perception checks that rely on sight.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) piercing damage.

Bonus Actions
Paralyzing Gaze (Gaze). The sinister targets a creature within 30 feet. The target must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, the target is immune to this sinister’s Paralyzing Gaze for 24 hours.
Shadow Stealth. The sinister takes the Hide action even if obscured only by dim light or darkness.

Combat
The sinister attacks from ambush. If it meets substantial resistance, it uses its Paralyzing Gaze and attempts to flee.

 

[Faolyn]

Now we have the hundar, which was spelled hendar in the Forgotten Realms MC Appendix, possibly to differentiate it from the slug-like haundar. It reminds me (in terms of appearance) of this one Cthulhu Mythos monster I can’t remember the name of. I can’t find my dead tree copy of the Malleus Monstrorum to look it up and it doesn’t seem to be in any of my Cthulhu-based pdfs. It was a wormy, horse-headed thing with one wing. Or maybe two wings, but the art only had one wing, IIRC. I don’t think I’m thinking of the shantaks.

Anyhoo. The hundar aren’t really Lovecraftian creatures. They’re just weird looking. And they’re not even remotely bat-like, except for their wings and echolocation.

To back to my mini-rant about wingspans and sizes, the hundar have a wingspan of 14-22 feet.

Since the art from the article was just a bat-like head in profile (and not even of a hammer-headed bat, which is very horse-like in appearance), here's their art from the FR MC Appendix:

Artist: Tom Baxa

Hundar
Bats that do more than bite, Dragon Magazine #90
Created by Ed Greenwood

Sometimes called a “horse-bat,” hundar look very little like either creature. Hundar are nasty-tempered, territorial creatures that resemble tremendous segmented worms with batlike wings and horselike heads and a mane that runs to about midway down their length. Their slimy hide is an iridescent purple-black and their eyes are fiery red. When angered, which they frequently are, hundar snort vapor from their nostrils and emit deep, rumbling roars. Despite their bulbous shape and awkward inchworm movement on land, hundar are surprisingly graceful flyers and swimmers.

Vain and Self-Important. Hundar are egotistical to a degree usually only matched by dragons. They fear almost nothing, viewing most creatures as being weaker then they are. They gladly eat humanoids, finding them superior in taste to “lesser” animals like livestock or wild game. They believe they deserve the best of everything. Although they are rarely willing to risk their lives, should they choose to attack, they fight to the death, as they can’t imagine that any creature smaller than it can pose a threat. Only a few very powerful creatures, such as dragons and aboleths, are enough to make a hundar second-guess its abilities.

Despite their vain natures, hundar rarely put much effort into making their lairs attractive to others. They live in dismal places—ruins, swamps, and moorland crags—and find their surroundings beautiful. In fact, the sheer presence of a hundar makes their surroundings even more dismal. Near a hundar’s lair, the rain and saturated ground seeps uncomfortably into even the most waterproof boots and clothing, clouds rarely part and it drizzles constantly, plants wilt, and water tastes oily and bad. And worse, zombies and other minor undead arise easily in the area. Hundars add to this effect by putting the arms, armor, and tools of their victims on display throughout their territory as both warning and declaration, not caring when they rot or rust away. Hundars are thought to live for hundreds of years, and the longer they remain in an area, the more unpleasant it gets.

Fiercely Territorial. Hundar lead very solitary lives. They allow other hundar near them only while mating, an event that occurs no more often than every thirty years or so. They drive out most other carnivores from their territory, although they tolerate, even welcome, perytons and harpies. These creatures recognize and respect the hundar’s power and get scraps of its food and safety from attackers, and in return, the hundar gets servants and admirers.

Strange Origins. Hundar have an unusual allergy to silver; it’s harmfully corrosive to them in a way rarely seen outside of supernatural creatures such as devils and lycanthropes. While some people believe that hundars are actually extraplanar in origin, there is no evidence to support that.

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

DC 10. Also called "bat-horses," hundar are notoriously bad-tempered and incredibly vain. It's possible to flatter one in order to trick it, but a hundar that suspects false flattery will turn violent and vengeful.

DC 15. A hundar’s territory is usually bare of large animals and people, as they greedily eat any humanoid they come across and chase or kill any rival predators.

DC 20. Hundar are vulnerable to both cold and silver. Cold causes their moist skin to crack and bleed while silver poisons them.

Hundar Encounters
Terrain: Grassland, Lake, Ruins, Swamp

CR 5-10 Hundar; hundar with 1-2 harpies or 1 peryton
Treasure: 220 gp, 700 ep, tarnished bronze bowl inscribed with geometric patterns (75 gp); 2 potions of poison, pipes of the sewers.

CR 11-16 Hundar; hundar with 3-4 harpies and 1-2 perytons; hundar with 1-2 zombie hordes.
Treasure: 200 pp, 1,120 gp, mitral band (250 gp), 3 jets (100 gp each), +1 helmet embossed with the insignia of a famed company of soldiers, death’s essence pendant.

Signs
1. A strange lack of major predators aside from harpies and perytons.
2. A trail of crushed, slightly slimy grass.
3. A post to which is tied the rusted and decayed remains of clothing, armor, and weapons.
4. With a DC 13 Perception check, a recently-dug and re-covered pit. Uncovering the pit reveals a cache of tarnished silver coins and objects.

Behavior
1. Gazing lovingly at its own reflection in a mirror or still pond.
2. Attacks on sight.
3. Messily devouring its prey.
4. Preaching to an audience of minions about how great it is.
5. In an aerial battle with young black dragon.
6. Demands surrender and tribute.

Names
Arleth, Bliss, Beauty, Joravaran, Naiardhan, Taddashree

Hundar
Large monstrosity
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
AC 16 (natural armor)
HP 133 (14d10+56; bloodied 67)
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft., swim 40 ft.

STR 19 (+4) DEX 14 (+2) CON 18 (+4)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)

Proficiency +3
Maneuver DC 15
Skills Perception +4
Saving Throws Con +7, Cha +5
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from silvered weapons
Damage Resistances acid, fire
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception
Languages Common
Cold Vulnerability. If the hundar takes cold damage, then until the end of its next turn, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws and its speeds are reduced by 20 feet.
Echolocation. The hundar can’t use its blindsight while deafened.
Limited Amphibiousness. The hundar can breathe air and water, but needs to be submerged in water at least once a day for 1 minute to avoid suffocating.
Silver Allergy. If a hundar touches an object made of silver, it takes 3 (1d6) poison damage. If the hundar takes damage from a silvered weapon, it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) piercing damage.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature and the hundar moves at least 30 feet towards it before the attack, the target takes an extra 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing bludgeoning damage, the hundar can grapple the target (escape DC 15), and a Medium or smaller creature grappled in this way is restrained. Until this grapple ends, the hundar can’t use its tail on another creature, and it makes bite attacks with advantage against the grappled target.

Bonus Actions
Opportune Bite. The hundar makes a bite attack against a prone creature.

Reactions
Tail Swipe (1/Day). If a creature within 5 feet hits the hundar with a melee attack, the attacker is battered by the hundar’s tail. The attacker must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, it takes 9 (2d4+4) bludgeoning damage and is pushed 10 feet from the hundar and knocked prone.
If the hundar is grappling a creature in its tail when it makes this attack, the grappled creature must also make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. It takes 9 (2d4+4) bludgeoning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

Combat
Hundar attack by trying to take their opponent out of their preferred element: they slam into aerial foes to knock them out of the sky, grab a land-based creature and pull them underwater to drown them, or pull an aquatic foe out of water and deposit them on land. They do not retreat, even when badly wounded.

 

[JEB]

It reminds me (in terms of appearance) of this one Cthulhu Mythos monster I can’t remember the name of. I can’t find my dead tree copy of the Malleus Monstrorum to look it up and it doesn’t seem to be in any of my Cthulhu-based pdfs. It was a wormy, horse-headed thing with one wing. Or maybe two wings, but the art only had one wing, IIRC. I don’t think I’m thinking of the shantaks.

Likely you're thinking of hunting horrors.

 

[Faolyn]

Likely you're thinking of hunting horrors.

Those are almost certainly it! Thanks!

 

[Faolyn]

The final bat is the azmyth, a tiny and friendly creature that is remarkably suitable as a familiar. They’re described in a way reminiscent of free-tailed bats—so, adorable—but the picture on their page in the Forgotten Realms Wiki shows them looking more like snakes than anything else. I guess the artist heard long tails and bat wings and that’s it. The picture in the article is, once again, a normal bat head in profile.

Taking a few days off so I can hopefully get some writing and art done for my other Level Up book. Then next time, Creature Catalog II!

Azmyth
Bats that do more than bite, Dragon Magazine #90
Created by Ed Greenwood

Azmyth resemble free-tailed bats with soft, pewter-colored fur and paler crests and beards of fur on their heads. Their skin, visible on their ears, long tails, and wings, can be nearly any (muted) color; green and mauve are particularly common. Their eyes are white and pupilless, and their tails are both unusually long and end with a needle-sharp point. Their wingspan is no more than three feet. Azmyth’s are typically friendly and unaggressive unless provoked. Their diet consists of flowers, fruit, and insects. They emit squeaks when alarmed or angry and endearing chuckles when amused.

Solitary Wanderers. Unlike true bats, they don’t travel in bats or have a roost. Instead, they travel in large, circular routes, occasionally returning to favorite spots for a few weeks or months at a time. They often form partnerships with humanoids, especially those who are themselves travelers. These partnerships become fast friendships, and the azmyth—who may live more than a century—may pass their friendship down to their companion’s children

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

DC 10. Azmyth are tiny, bat-like fey creatures. Their long tail ends in a sharp barb that delivers a nasty electrical shock. Unlike most bats, they rarely travel with their own kind.

DC 15. Azmyth can make for friendly and loyal life-long companions and familiars. They are intelligent but can’t speak, although they can communicate their emotions via a form of telepathy.

DC 20. Known to be wanderers, azmyth travel widely but frequently return to favorite spots. They are mostly solitary but enjoy traveling with humanoids; they seem to enjoy looking at life through a humanoid’s point of view.

Azmyth Encounters
Terrain: caverns, Feywild, forest

CR 0-1 azmyth

Signs
1. A half-eaten fruit; with a DC 15 Nature check, it’s clear that it was eaten by a tiny animal.
2. With a DC 14 Perception check, the sound of chuckling nearby.
3. A loud “ow!” from nearby. On investigation, the party discovers a foraging peasant or goblin who has been shocked by the azmyth after trying to grab it.
4. With a DC 14 Perception check, the sound of bat wings.

Behavior
1. Eating a fruit or flower.
2. Having a telepathic communication with a friendly pseudodragon.
3. Invisibly watching the party and judging their actions.
4. Hanging upside down from a tree branch and sleeping.

Names
Barbadine, Dahlia, Freesia, Fuchsia, Papaya, Yucca

Azmyth
Tiny fey
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
AC 12
HP 7 (2d4+2; bloodied 3)
Speed 5 ft., fly 50 ft.

STR 5 (-3) DEX 15 (+2) CON 13 (+1)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)

Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 14
Skills Nature +3, Perception +3
Saving Throws Dex +4
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.,
Languages telepathy 30 ft. (can transmit but not receive emotions and images), understands Common and Sylvan but can’t speak
Echolocation. The azmyth can’t use its blindsight while deafened.
Keen Hearing. The azmyth has advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing.
Familiar. The azmyth can communicate telepathically with its master while they are within 1 mile of each other. When the azmyth is within 10 feet of its master, its master shares its Magic Resistance trait.
Magic Resistance. The azmyth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) lightning damage, and if the target is a creature, it must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or it can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Know Alignment (3/Day). The azmyth can use its action to examine a creature it can see within 30 feet. It will know that creature’s alignment, if it has one. This trait lasts for 1 minute, and the azmyth can examine a different creature on each of its turns for the duration.

Bonus Actions
Invisibility. The azmyth magically turns invisible, along with any equipment carried. This invisibility ends if the azmyth makes an attack, falls unconscious, or dismisses the effect.

Combat
The azmyth turns invisible and then flees, using its tail to attack only if corner. If fighting alongside an ally, it strikes repeatedly with its Tail attack and turns invisible between attacks.

 

[Faolyn]

Argh! So I suddenly realized that I was being a bad person and not crediting the artists! So I went back and credited as many artists as I could, but I couldn't figure out who did all of the artwork. Dragon was really bad at saying who did what piece in these early days (they got better later), and not all of the images had signatures.

If you recognize any of the artists that I didn't credit, please let me know!