DND 5E MONSTER BY TYPE HOW TO
DND 5E MONSTER BY TYPE MANUAL

DND 5E MONSTER BY TYPE HOW TO

The next step on how to make a D&D monster involves putting it all together.

Goblins are inherently lazy, so I canвЂ™t imagine them being вЂњwakefulвЂќ, even with two heads. Observing all this, IвЂ™m going to give the goblin Multiattack, Two Heads, and double its Perception proficiency. This makes me think that having more than one head makes the creatures better at multiple attacks. There is one more subtle feature that all these creatures have in common: multiattack! The chimera can attack once with each of its heads (or parts, if you count the lion headвЂ™s claw attack as a вЂњheadвЂќ), the ettin makes two attacks with each of its weapons, and the death dog makes two bite attacks. However, it doesnвЂ™t have a special feature related to its multi-headed nature. Like the ettin and death dog, the chimera has double the proficiency bonus. Tsk, tsk, WotC copywriters.ДЇinally, we have the chimera (page 39). Note that the wording of the featureвЂ™s name is different than the ettins although itвЂ™s exactly the same. Death dogs also have double the proficiency bonus in Perception as well as the Two-Headed feature. The subtle feature is its expertise in Perception (double proficiency bonus). The obvious features are its Two Heads and Wakeful features. The ettinвЂ™s two heads gives it some interesting features, some obvious and some subtle.

DND 5E MONSTER BY TYPE MANUAL

Fortunately, there are a couple of different monsters in the Monster Manual that has more than one head.ДЇirst, we have the obvious choice, the ettin (page 132). We know a lot about goblins now, but we donвЂ™t know much about two-headed goblins. The best way to do this is to find a creature that has options that are similar to what weвЂ™re looking for, but not enough other motifs to warrant it being the base creature. Next, I want to find secondary characteristics that fit the concept. Knowing all this, we can start customizing our goblin with secondary characteristics.

The elite goblins get Multiattack and the Redirect Attack reaction which allows it to swap places with another goblin (whaddajerk).

All goblins seemingly have the Nimble Escape feature which allows them to take Disengage or Hide as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Thanks to darkvision, goblins can see in the dark up to 60 ft.

They are naturally stealthy, getting double their proficiency bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

The elite goblins are slightly stronger and charismatic.

Goblins have below average Strength, Wisdom, and Charisma above-average Dexterity and average Constitution and Intelligence.

Basic goblin вЂњwarriorsвЂќ have 2 hit dice, while elites have 6.

This will help me figure out the characteristics that all goblins should have in common.ДЇrom this stat block (and the accompanying Goblin Boss stat block) we learn that both goblins share the following features: LetвЂ™s take a look at our two-headed goblin concept.ДЇirst off, I know that IвЂ™d want to look at the goblin stat block on page 165 вЂ“ 166 of the Monster Manual. With nearly 500 monsters all with tons of features, actions, and options, thereвЂ™s bound to be something in there that comes close to matching what I conceptualized in Step #1. In fact, itвЂ™s pretty rare that I have to reference any other book. When learning how to create a D&D monster, this is your best resource. Once I have the concept, I then turn to the book I consider the вЂњRosetta StoneвЂќ of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition: the Monster Manual. Why? Because I love goblins! Plus, this artwork from MTG artist Mike Burns is just too funny! Step #2 вЂ“ Figure out the вЂњbase monster.вЂќ In this example, I want to create a two-headed goblin.

Once I have the basic concept down, I do a little shopping. Is the monster a minion? Or is it a big bad evil guy/girl (BBEG)? Do I want the monster to be memorable, or do I want the monster to be sort of an вЂњasshole monsterвЂќ, the type my players will never forget? The first thing I do when I create new monsters for Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition is think about what I want the monster to do and what its purpose not only in the game is, but the fantasy world itself.

Dnd 5e monster by type