D&D 5E What's your lowest CR legendary monster?

[the Jester]

DMs, what's the lowest CR legendary monster you have created and/or used?

I don't think I've used any below about CR 6, but I've made a couple of CR 1 legendary monsters. I just did up my second one, who I'll post as an example of what I think a low level legendary monster can be like:


Jackalwere Old Man of the Desert
Medium Humanoid (Shapechanger), often neutral

Armor Class 11
Hit Points 44 (8d8+8)
Speed 25 ft.

STR 8 (-1), DEX 12 (+1), CON 13 (+1),
INT 15 (+2), WIS 18 (+4), CHA 11 (+0)

Skills Insight +6, Perception +6, Religion +4
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that isn't magic or cold iron
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common, any three (can't speak in jackal form)
Challenge 1 (200 xp) Prof +2


Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the jackalwere fails a save, it can choose to succeed instead.

ACTIONS

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.

Transfixing Gaze. Each creature within 30' of the jackalwere that can see it must make a DC 14 Wis save. If it succeeds, it is immune to the jackalwere's Transfixing Gaze for 24 hours. If it fails, it is transfixed for 1 minute (save ends). While transfixed, its speed is 0, and it can't take the attack, cast a spell, or Dodge.
A creature that fails its save by 5 or more instead succumbs to a magical slumber, falling unconscious for 1 hour or until a creature uses an action to wake the target.

Shapechanger. The jackalwere polymorphs into a specific Medium human or a jackal-humanoid hybrid, or back into its true form (a Small jackal). Other than its size, its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

REACTIONS

You're Only Hurting Yourself. When the jackalwere takes damage, the creature that deal the damage must make a DC 14 Wis save, taking an equal amount of force damage on a failure or half that on a success.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The jackalwere can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The jackalwere regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Lecture. The jackalwere lectures a creature that can hear it within 60' that has attacked or cast a spell since the end of the jackalwere's last turn. That creature must make a DC 14 Wis save or be stunned until the end of its next turn.
• Recover (costs 2 actions). The jackalwere regains 9 (2d8) hit points.
• Teleport. The jackalwere teleports up to 30' to a space it can see.

 

[Fenris-77]

Are Three Kobolds in a Trenchcoat legendary? I don't recall...

 

[Sacrosanct]

Cr 1 I believe. But I'll confirm when I'm at my PC tomorrow

*edit: nope. CR 2. Two of them in fact (the CR 1 had lair actions, but wasn't legendary)

 

[Charlaquin]

I give ghosts and other incorporeal undead lair actions, so if that counts, the specters.

 

[Professor Murder]

Relevant

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

 

[Quickleaf]

I've got a CR 8 legendary Scorpion Witch, but haven't run her yet.

For lower levels when PCs are squishier, I've found that breaking the mold with a "Haunting Monster" worked well for my group. This is based on an idea from Dael Kingsmill, but here's a very rough outline:

A Haunting Monster begins unmanifested and without a body, but able to perceive the area encompassing the haunting. Its presence can be sensed by spells and features which detect its type.

When the Haunting Monster becomes active, roll 6 initiative values.

On the first round, the unmanifested monster chooses one of those values to act upon; it may use its Haunting Actions instead of its normal actions.

On the second round, it chooses 2 of those values to act upon.

On the third round, it chooses 3 of those values to act upon.

On the fourth round, it manifests either one of its forms (or its only form) or invisibly (if it has the capability). While manifested it may use a Haunting Action as a Lair Action on initiative count 20.

 

[IvyDragons]

Apart from for poops and giggles, I don't really think making a 0.125 CR squirrel legendary was the intention of the game.
Obviously you can though if thats the kind of game you play where they can knock you out with a well hurled acorn. Young kids certainly have fun with it.

 

[Stalker0]

I've done CR 6 legendaries but nothing lower. I think my issue is that legendary monsters aren't just about mechanics, its got a certain "something something" flavorwise. These are the monsters of legend and myth, it seems weird that it would only be a challenge for 4 people right out of boot camp.

 

[Quickleaf]

I've done CR 6 legendaries but nothing lower. I think my issue is that legendary monsters aren't just about mechanics, its got a certain "something something" flavorwise. These are the monsters of legend and myth, it seems weird that it would only be a challenge for 4 people right out of boot camp.

I'm sure there are other answers, but I imagine monsters of legend that can be confronted by lower level adventurers would need to be especially elusive. There's a reason they've survived long enough to become legends that aren't just stomped by a passing knight. Thinking about that, plus Dael's video, is how I arrived at the whole "Haunting Monster" concept.

Back in 2016 I posted about the Planescape "monster of legend" being a possible inspiration for legendary monsters. The Nemean Lion is a good example. A regular lion becomes scary if it can't be harmed by any means. Despite its low CR, the challenge becomes one of lateral thinking. We can put it to sleep or charm it to avoid it, but the threat remains in the area afterwards.

That's sort of the other side of the coin: A low-CR legendary monster might be especially elusive OR it might be especially resilient.

 

[beancounter]

An aboleth.