Epic Monsters is off to the valleys of West Virginia today, chasing after a furry flying cryptid known in the region as the Mothman!
This is a recent myth in American folklore borne out of old Cold War paranoia and an unhealthy amount of superstition. In November 1966 there are two sightings (first some gravediggers and then two couples from Point Pleasant) of a man-like shape flying low, a large, gray, red-eyed creature with 10-foot wings. Then all of a sudden everyone with a telephone happens to see it! The scientific community places the blame on this or that bird managing to fly out of their migratory patterns, but after the ruinous collapse of the Silver Bridge (an event that claimed the lives of 46 people) the mothman becomes inextricably tied to the tragedy. To really get the lowdown you need to visit the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia USA. It’s definitely, definitely not a hoax!
Design Notes: There’s as much explanation of what the Mothman is capable of doing as there is solid evidence for its existence—which is to say not much—so I’ve opted to focus on making it a fun, unique monster. The application of fire quickly incinerates the mothman just like a moth, but unlike an insect it is a source of immense knowledge for anyone able to understand its bizarre psyche and just trying to hit it will be a disappointing endeavor. Getting this to work with a precognition angle was difficult and meant a lot of number tweaking, but with low enough hit points, AC (remember that 10 is effectively a 15 thanks to Foresight), and attack bonuses (effectively +8 to hit) it managed to fit into CR 4. The DMG landed Mothman here at 4.1875 and the Blog of Holding at 5.2083333, which averages out to 4.69 and change.
Mothman
Medium aberration, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 42 (5d8+20)
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft.
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +7, Stealth +6, Survival +5
Damage Vulnerabilities acid, fire, lightning, thunder
Damage Resistances cold, poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses blindsight 40 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Common, telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Electrical Interference. The mothman’s potent psionic energies create a roil in the air, disrupting the senses of mortal creatures and causing metal to behave erratically within 100 feet of it. Any creature within the aura and wielding a heavy weapon made of metal takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls. A creature wearing heavy metal armor within the aura reduces its speed by half. In addition, the mothman is immune to magic missile.
Evasion. If the mothman is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the mothman instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Flyby. The mothman doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Foresight. The mothman can’t be surprised and has advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. Additionally, other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against it. Unlike normal, if an attacking creature would have advantage twice or more (such as from true strike while making a melee attack against a prone mothman) the attacking creature has advantage.
Innate Spellcasting. The mothman’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). The mothman can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Prodigious. The mothman counts as Large-sized when determining its carrying capacity.
Siege Monster. The mothman deals double damage to objects and structures.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The mothman attacks twice: once with its claws and once with its wings.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 11).
Wing. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage.
This is a recent myth in American folklore borne out of old Cold War paranoia and an unhealthy amount of superstition. In November 1966 there are two sightings (first some gravediggers and then two couples from Point Pleasant) of a man-like shape flying low, a large, gray, red-eyed creature with 10-foot wings. Then all of a sudden everyone with a telephone happens to see it! The scientific community places the blame on this or that bird managing to fly out of their migratory patterns, but after the ruinous collapse of the Silver Bridge (an event that claimed the lives of 46 people) the mothman becomes inextricably tied to the tragedy. To really get the lowdown you need to visit the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant, West Virginia USA. It’s definitely, definitely not a hoax!
Design Notes: There’s as much explanation of what the Mothman is capable of doing as there is solid evidence for its existence—which is to say not much—so I’ve opted to focus on making it a fun, unique monster. The application of fire quickly incinerates the mothman just like a moth, but unlike an insect it is a source of immense knowledge for anyone able to understand its bizarre psyche and just trying to hit it will be a disappointing endeavor. Getting this to work with a precognition angle was difficult and meant a lot of number tweaking, but with low enough hit points, AC (remember that 10 is effectively a 15 thanks to Foresight), and attack bonuses (effectively +8 to hit) it managed to fit into CR 4. The DMG landed Mothman here at 4.1875 and the Blog of Holding at 5.2083333, which averages out to 4.69 and change.
Mothman
Medium aberration, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 42 (5d8+20)
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
13 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 12 (+1) |
Damage Vulnerabilities acid, fire, lightning, thunder
Damage Resistances cold, poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses blindsight 40 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages Common, telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Electrical Interference. The mothman’s potent psionic energies create a roil in the air, disrupting the senses of mortal creatures and causing metal to behave erratically within 100 feet of it. Any creature within the aura and wielding a heavy weapon made of metal takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls. A creature wearing heavy metal armor within the aura reduces its speed by half. In addition, the mothman is immune to magic missile.
Evasion. If the mothman is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the mothman instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Flyby. The mothman doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Foresight. The mothman can’t be surprised and has advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. Additionally, other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against it. Unlike normal, if an attacking creature would have advantage twice or more (such as from true strike while making a melee attack against a prone mothman) the attacking creature has advantage.
Innate Spellcasting. The mothman’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). The mothman can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Constant: tongues
At will: guidance, detect evil and good, detect magic, detect poison and disease
3/day each: augury, dream, identify, detect thoughts, fear, locate animals or plants, locate object, speak with animals
1/day each: arcane eye, clairvoyance, divination, locate creature, phantasmal killer
1/week each: commune, commune with nature, contact other plane, legend lore, scrying
1/month each: find the path, true seeing
Prodigious. The mothman counts as Large-sized when determining its carrying capacity.
Siege Monster. The mothman deals double damage to objects and structures.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The mothman attacks twice: once with its claws and once with its wings.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 11).
Wing. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage.
