| Cover Art |
Hardcover
This column is partially collected in a full-colour hardcover compilation called Mythological Figures & Maleficent Monsters available on ENPublishingRPG.com or DriveThruRPG.
Achilles. Lancelot. Robin Hood. Thor. Heroes, all.
The world is full of myths and legends which inspired those in our modern fiction and games. Iconic warriors and wizards, vampires and things from the deep, these legends are universally known.
Mythological Figures & Maleficent Monsters delves into these paragons of literature, fable, and folklore. From Ancient Greece to the Outer Realms, deepest Transylvania to the High Seas, you’ll meet champions and thieves, pirates and knights, demigods and fey queens, ancient evils and urban legends. Archetypal heroes meet exemplars of villainy like Blackbeard, Rasputin, Dracula, and Baba Yaga.
From Mike Myler’s popular column, this epic compilation of over 100 legendary heroes, villains, and monsters brings these characters to life for the 5th Edition of the world’s oldest roleplaying game.
The hardcover includes a foreword by James M. Ward, author of AD&D's Deities & Demigods.
Methodology
Challenge ratings are calculated using both the DMG guidelines, and the Blog of Holding's rubric, with a little manual adjustment. The mythological figures strictly use player character build rules. Most classes used are from the D&D official rulebooks, but occasionally another class might be requisitioned when needed:- The Warlord fighter subclass can be found on ThinkDM. It is based on the subclass created by a Wizards of the Coast designer.
- Other classes come from EN Publishing's Masterclass Codex.
Mythological Figures
| Name | Classes | Challenge | Notes |
| Abraham Van Helsing | rogue 2/artificer 2/ranger 1 | 3 | Dutch |
| Achilles | fighter (champion) 18 | 12 | Greek |
| Aladdin | rogue (thief) 8 | 8 | Middle East |
| Alan-a-Dale | bard (lore) 8 | 5 | British |
| Alexander the Great | fighter (banneret) 20 | 11 | Greek |
| Allan Quatermain | fighter (archer) 12/ranger 1 | 9 | British |
| Anne Bonny | rogue (thief) 4/fighter (archer) 5 | 6 | Irish |
| Aphra Behn | rogue (mastermind) 5/bard (lore) 3 | 5 | British |
| Arthur, King | fighter (warmaster) 4/paladin (oath of royalty) 15 | 12 | British |
| Atalanta | ranger (hunter) 8 | 5 | Greek |
| Bass Reeves | fighter (sharpshooter) 14/ranger 1 | 11 | American |
| Beowulf | barbarian (berserker) 20 | 17 | British |
| Billy the Kid | gunfighter (drifter) 8 | 6 | American |
| Blackbeard | rogue (thief) 7/fighter (warmaster) 7 | 8 | British |
| Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta, Admiral | rogue (duelist) 5/fighter (brutal) 11 | 11 | Spanish |
| Boudica, Queen | bard 5 (battle)/fighter (skirmisher) 6 | 6 | British |
| Calico Jack Rackham | rogue (mastermind) 12 | 7 | British |
| Captain Ahab | ranger 1/rogue (swashbuckler) 5/fighter (brutal) 7 | 7 | American |
| Cathay Williams | rogue (genius) 5/fighter (champion) 3 | 3 | American |
| Charles Vane | rogue (mastermind) 5/fighter (brute) 7 | 8 | British |
| Ching Shih, Pirate Queen | bard (battle) 5/rogue (genius) 7/fighter (warmaster) 8 | 11 | Chinese |
| Cleopatra | rogue (genius) 10 | 4 | Egyptian |
| Comte de Saint Germain | bard (eloquence) 6/artificer (alchemist) 10 | 9 | European |
| Conan the Barbarian | barbarian 1/ranger 1/rogue (thief) 3/fighter 11 (champion) | 9 | American |
| Confucius | rogue (genius) 6/cleric (knowledge) 4 | 5 | Chinese |
| Cú Chulainn | barbarian (berserker) 9/fighter (brute) 11 | 14 | Irish |
| Daedalus | rogue (genius) 9 | 3 | Greek |
| David | fighter (archer) 8 | 4 | Middle East |
| Dido | rogue (mastermind) 6 | 1 | Phoenician |
| Don Quixote | fighter (cavalier) 4 | 2 | Spanish |
| Dr. Moreau | artificer (alchemist) 12 | 7 | British |
| Drona | bard (blade) 5/fighter (master of battle) 11 | 9 | Indian |
| Elizabeth I, Queen | rogue (mastermind) 5/bard (college of lore) 8 | 6 | British |
| Elizabeth Bathory | rogue (genius) 5/bard (whispering) 5 | 7 | Hungarian |
| Enkidu | barbarian (primal) 4 / fighter (champion) 13 | 13 | Mesopotamia |
| Eric Bloodaxe | fighter (brute) 12/barbarian (juggernaut) 4/rogue 2 | 16 | Norwegian |
| Fairest Queen | bard (glamour) 14 | 8 | Europe |
| Fionn mac Cumhail | ranger (monster slayer) 20 | 15 | Ireland |
| Florence Nightingale | rogue (scout) 5 | 1 | British |
| Francis Drake | rogue (swashbuckler) 6/fighter (scout) 6 | 7 | British |
| Friar Tuck | rogue (thief) 5/ fighter (brute) 4 | 5 | British |
| George, Saint | fighter (cavalier) 6/cleric (protection) 8/paladin 2 | 10 | British |
| George Washington, General | fighter (warmaster) 16 | 8 | American |
| Ghengis Khan | ranger (animal master) 3/fighter (warmaster) 12/rogue (genius) 5 | 10 | Asian |
| Gilgamesh | ranger (hunter) 8/monk (open hand) 8/cleric (nature) 4 | 12 | Mesopotamian |
| Grace O'Malley | fighter (brutal) 11/rogue (thief) 5 | 10 | Irish |
| Guinevere | bard (glamour) 10 | 5 | British |
| Harald Hardrada | rogue 2/barbarian (overwhelming) 4/fighter (master of battle) 12 | 12 | Norwegian |
| Harry Houdini | fatebender (mascot) 6/rogue (thief) 6 | 7 | American |
| Hayreddin Barbarossa | fighter (warmaster) 11/bard (valorous) 5/ranger (hunter) 4 | 11 | Middle East |
| Hel | cleric (mind) 20 | 19 | Norse |
| Hercules | barbarian (holy) 8/fighter (champion) 11 | 17 | Greek |
| Hippolyta | ranger (hunter) 4/fighter (champion) 15 | 9 | Greek |
| Hua Mulan | monk (kensei) 4/fighter (warmaster) 12 | 8 | Chinese |
| Huon of Bordeaux | fighter 2/paladin (oath of the crown) 11 | 13 | French |
| Imhotep | cleric (knowledge) 8 | 6 | Egyptian |
| Irene Adler | rogue (inquisitive) 9/bard 4 (college of lore) | 4 | British |
| Jan "One-Eyed" Žižka | marshal (swift strategist) 11 | — | Czech |
| Jason | rogue (swashbuckler) 7/fighter (scout) 11 | 11 | Greek |
| Joan of Arc | bard (valorous) 5/fighter (master of battle) 8/paladin 2 | 12 | French |
| John Henry | fighter (brutal) 20 | 13 | American |
| John "Jack" Broughton | fighter (brutal) 7/monk (drunk) 3 | 6 | British |
| Julie d'Aubigny (aka La Maupin) | rogue (duelist) 9/fighter (master of battle) 7 | 10 | French |
| Khutulun | ranger (animal master) 4/fighter (inspirational) 8/rogue 2 | 8 | Mongolian |
| King Shaka | monk (kensei) 3/fighter (warmaster) 15 | 9 | Zulu |
| Lancelot, Sir | fighter (champion) 7/paladin (oath of devotion) 6 | 12 | British |
| Leonidas | fighter (battlemaster) 20 | 13 | Greek |
| Little John | fighter (scout) 11 | 7 | British |
| Loki | rogue (genius) 17/bard 1/druid (lunar) 8 | 16 | Norse |
| Maid Marian | ranger 1/rogue (swashbuckler) 11 | 6 | British |
| Mary Fields ("Stagecoach Mary") | fighter (scout) 6 | 4 | American |
| Mary Read | rogue (genius) 6/fighter (champion) 5 | 6 | British |
| Melankomas | monk (merciful) 8/fighter (master of battle) 6 | 14 | Greek |
| Merlin Ambrosius | wizard (illusionist) 17/druid (herdmaster) 8 | 20 | British |
| Miyamoto Musashi | fighter (samurai) 18 | 10 | Japanese |
| Moctezuma II | fighter (banneret) 12 | 7 | Aztec |
| Mordred | fighter (banneret) 18 | 12 | British |
| Morgan le Fay | sorcerer (holy blood) 16 | 16 | British |
| Muso Gonnosuke | fighter (samurai) 11 | 6 | Japanese |
| Nemo, Captain | artificer (gunsmith) 9 | 9 | French |
| Nikola Tesla | tinkerer (mechanic) 9 | 5 | American |
| Nymue, Lady of the Lake | wizard (inventor) 20 | 13 | British |
| Paul Bunyan | monster tamer (animalist) 11/ranger 1/fighter 2 | 11 | American |
| Penthesilea, Queen | ranger (hunter) 4/fighter (brutal) 14 | 12 | Greek |
| Perseus | rogue (thief) 7/fighter (champion) 5 | 10 | Greek |
| Peter Jackson | fighter 6 (battlemaster)/monk (open hand) 4 | 5 | Australian |
| Piri Reis | fighter (banneret) 17 | 9 | Turkish |
| Prospero | wizard (enchantment) 11 | 8 | British |
| Rasputin | rogue 1/barbarian 1/fighter (brutal) 10 | 6 | Russian |
| Robin Hood | rogue (thief) 5/fighter (archer) 7 | 8 | British |
| Sadie Farrell | rogue (thief) 3/monk (open hand) 3/fighter (battlemaster) 3 | 5 | American |
| Sage Douban | artificer (alchemist) 5 | 2 | Middle East |
| Saladin | rogue (genius) 6/fighter (warmaster) 11 | 10 | Middle East |
| Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh | fighter (battle master) 6/monk (kensei) 8 | 11 | Dahomean/Benin |
| Semiramis | rogue (genius) 10/bard (loquacious) 5 | 7 | Assyria |
| Sherlock Holmes | savant (coordinator) 13 | 9 | 7 | British |
| Sheriff of Nottingham | rogue (mastermind) 6/ranger (gloom stalker) 6 | 5 | British |
| Sinbad | rogue 2/ranger 1/fighter (archer) 7 | 5 | Middle East |
| Sir Guy of Gisborne | ranger (hunter) 3/fighter (brute) 8 | 7 | British |
| Snow White | sorcerer (divine soul) 8/bard 1 | 5 | Europe |
| Sun Wukong | rogue (thief) 12/monk (open hand) 8 | 14 | Chinese |
| Talos | fighter (archer) 6 | 4 | Greek |
| Tamar, Queen | rogue (genius) 6/fighter (warmaster) 8 | 9 | Georgian |
| Tarzan | barbarian (animalist) 9 | 5 | American |
| Thor Odinson | fighter (eldritch knight) 14/barbarian (lightning harbinger) 4/paladin 2 | 15 | Norse |
| Titania | bard (fey) 20 | 13 | British |
| Tomoe Gozen | fighter (samurai) 15 | 8 | Japanese |
| Ulysses/Odysseus | rogue (genius) 9/fighter (master of battle) 11 | 11 | Greek |
| Vlad the Impaler | occultist (vampire) 15 | 12 | Romanian |
| William the Conqueror | fighter (cavalier) 16 | 11 | French (and British?) |
| Will Scarlet | fighter (battle master) 11 | 8 | British |
| Zhuang Zhou | geomancer (architect) 7 | 4 | Chinese |
Epic Monsters
| Name | Challenge | Notes |
| Abraxas | 20 | Basilidean |
| Antaeus | 4 | Greek |
| Anzu | 15 | Mesopotamian |
| Arachne | 5 | Greek |
| Baba Yaga | 24 | Russian |
| Balor | 15 | Irish |
| Black Shuck | 5 | British |
| Brunnhilde | 12 | Norse |
| Bunyip | 8 | Australian |
| Caliban | 2 | British |
| Catoblepas | 2 | Africa |
| Cerberus | 8 | Greek |
| Cheshire Cat | 3 | British |
| Cherub | 9 | Biblical |
| Chupacabra | 13 | American |
| Circe | 7 | Greek |
| Coyote | n/a | Native American |
| Cthulhu | 30 | Lovecraft |
| Cu-Sith | 7 | British |
| Dagon | 27 | Lovecraft |
| Donn Cúailnge | 15 | Irish |
| Dorian Gray | 7 | British |
| Dracula, Count | 23 | British |
| Drop Bear | 3 | Australian |
| Elizabeth Bathory | 9 | Hungarian |
| Escornáu | 5 | Spanish |
| Fafnir | 12 | Norse |
| Fenrir | 20 | Norse |
| Four Horsemen: Death | 23 | Biblical |
| Four Horsemen: Famine | 23 | Biblical |
| Four Horsemen: Strife | 23 | Biblical |
| Four Horsemen: War | 23 | Biblical |
| Frankenstein's Monster | 9 | British |
| Geryon | 8 | Greek |
| Ghatanothoa | 27 | Lovecraft |
| Goldhorn | 1 | Slovenia |
| Great Sphinx | 25 | Egyptian |
| Green Knight | 8 | British |
| Gremlin | 4 | British |
| Grendel | 9 | British |
| Grendel's Mother | 14 | British |
| Grootslang | 8 | South Africa |
| Grýla | 8 | Iceland |
| Hastur | 29 | Lovecraft |
| Headless Horseman | 6 | Various |
| Hodag | 4 | American |
| Horus | 29 | Egypt |
| Invisible Man, the | 4 | British |
| Jackalope | 4 | American |
| Jekyll (Dr.) & Hyde (Mr.) | 2 | 8 | British |
| Jersey Devil | 6 | American |
| Joe Magarac | 11 | American |
| Jörmungandr | 23 | Norse |
| Karkaddan | 7 | Middle East |
| Kongamato | 3 | Zambia (also Angola, Congo) |
| Krampus | 9 | German |
| Leannán Sídhe | 6 | Irish |
| Loch Ness Monster | 5 | British |
| Loveland Frog Man | 2 | American |
| Lucifer I, Falling Angel | 12 | Various |
| Lucifer II, Fallen Angel | 24 | Various |
| Lucifer III, Lord of Hell | 35 | Various |
| Mad Hatter | 6 | British |
| Mari Lwyd | 5 | Iceland |
| Māui | 25 | Polynesian |
| Mongolian Death Worm | 2 | Asian |
| Morrígan | 22 | Irish |
| Mothman | 4 | American |
| Níðhǫggr | 26 | Norse |
| Nyarlathotep | 25 | Lovecraft |
| Oberon | 14 | British |
| Odin | 35 | Norse |
| Onocentaur | 2 | Various |
| Ōphan | 10 | Biblical |
| Orang-Bati | 4 | Indonesian |
| Orthos | 3 | Greek |
| Pan | 25 | Greek |
| Pecos Bill | 18 | American |
| Peter Pan | 8 | British |
| Poukai | 8 | Māori |
| Púca | 3 | Celtic |
| Reynard the Fox | 6 | France |
| Rusalka | 6 | Slavic |
| Sea Witch | 6 | Danish |
| Seraph | 12 | Biblical |
| Sharur | 5 | Mesopotamian |
| Shub-Niggurath | 30 | Lovecraft |
| Skin-Walker | 5 | Native American (predominantly Navajo) |
| Slue-Foot Sue | 14 | American |
| Storm Hag | 5 | American |
| Subus | 2 | Africa |
| Thoth | 33 | Egyptian |
| Triton | 16 | Greek |
| Typhon | 28 | Greek |
| Wendigo | 6 | Native American (First Nations) |
| White Rabbit | 7 | British |
| World Turtle | 30 | Various |
| Xiezhi | 3 | Various |
| Yig, Father of Serpents | 28 | Lovecraft |
| Yog-Sothoth | n/a | Lovecraft |
