The 5E DIY Dungeon Mastery Challenge #1: Make a Monster!

[Steel Mirror]

Welcome to the first ever DIY Dungeon Mastery Challenge, GitP’s 5E homebrew contest for DMs to exercise their creativity in the pursuit of glory and riches! (Or at least in hope of a virtual high five and something to be proud of) Contests like the DIY DMC (and there are many fantastic contests for different versions of D&D on this forum) do three great things:

• Create resources for other DMs to use by drawing on the creativity, experience, and all around awesomeness of the many talented DMs on this forum.
• Provide a chance to test your DMing mettle and to show off all those ideas that you’ve had swimming in the back of your mind.
• It’s lots of fun!

DIY Dungeon Mastery Challenge #1: Make a Monster!

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This first competition coincides with the wide release of the second of D&D 5E’s core rulebooks, and my personal favorite of the three, the Monster Manual! To celebrate, this contest will be all about creating an exciting new monster to delight DMs and battle against PCs the multiverse over.

Contest Requirements

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In order to be eligible for the competition, you must:

• Make a Monster! Create a monster entry with complete statistics using the approximate template used by the 5E Monster Manual.
  Spoiler: Sample Stat Block Template

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  Big Slobbering Baddie
  Large beast, unaligned

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  Armor Class X (natural armor)
  Hit Points X (3d8+Y)
  Speed 40 ft

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  Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
  10 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	25 (+7)

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  Skills Stealth +2, Intimidation +9
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 12
  Languages Creepy Whispers
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)
  
  Cut & Paste version:
  
  [size=3][b]Big Slobbering Baddie[/b][/size]
  [i]Large beast, unaligned[/i][HR][/HR][b]Armor Class[/b] X [i](natural armor)[/i]
  [b]Hit Points[/b] X (3d8+Y)
  [b]Speed[/b] 40 ft[HR][/HR][table="width: 500"]
  [tr]
  [td="align:center"][B]Str[/B][/td]
  [td="align:center"][B]Dex[/B][/td]
  [td="align:center"][B]Con[/B][/td]
  [td="align:center"][B]Int[/B][/td]
  [td="align:center"][B]Wis[/B][/td]
  [td="align:center"][B]Cha[/B][/td]
  [/tr]
  [tr]
  [td="align:center"]10 (+0)[/td]
  [td="align:center"]10 (+0)[/td]
  [td="align:center"]10 (+0)[/td]
  [td="align:center"]10 (+0)[/td]
  [td="align:center"]10 (+0)[/td]
  [td="align:center"]25 (+7)[/td]
  [/tr]
  [/table][HR][/HR][b]Skills[/b] Stealth +2, Intimidation +9
  [b]Senses[/b] Darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 12
  [b]Languages[/b] Creepy Whispers
  [b]Challenge[/b] 1 (200 XP)
• More than just XP on the Hoof. Give a brief explanation of its ecology, lore, and if it is intelligent, its culture. Also mention any tactics it might favor in combat, or how it might use its environment or other facets of the world at large which sets it apart from every other monster in the MM. Extra points here if you do a good job of inspiring a DM to use your monster in her campaign!
• Wildcard! As an added challenge and boost for your creative juices, choose at least three of the Wildcard Elements listed below, and integrate them into your entry however you can!

Wildcard Elements

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Each entry must include three of the following elements, of your choice.

• Unique. Your entry is not a species or a race, it is a single unique being with a story and a motivation that might put it at odds with the PCs.
• Legacy. The monster you've chosen was given stats in a previous edition of D&D, but didn't make the cut for the 5E Monster Manual. You've decided to dust it off and give it a new twist to usher in the latest edition.
• Misunderstood Mythology. Your monster is the truth behind a bit of real world mythology, but all the myths get a key fact about it wrong. Once we find out the real truth, we’ll never see the monster in quite the same way again...
• Extreme Dimorphism. Males and females of this species have radically different physical traits and appearances, and are so different that they actually require different stat blocks. Please supply a stat block for both males and females if you choose this optional element.
• Invasive Species. This creature evolved or emerged in a different land, ecosystem, or even plane of existence, and now threatens to displace native species in an area where it has been introduced.
• Sessile. Your monster doesn’t have a move speed, at least not in any sort of time scale relevant to a combat round. Perhaps it survives by ambushing prey, luring food to its location, or some other strategy that doesn’t require rapid movement.
• Valuable Drop. Some part of your creature’s body is valuable in its own right, enough to make killing the creature and harvesting it for sale a lucrative endeavor.
• Endangered. Maybe they were once numerous, maybe they have always been rare and fragile, but for whatever reason there are only a few of these beings left and they are currently on the cusp of complete extinction.
• Unorthodox Camouflage. Some wild animals use pigmentation or shape to blend into their environments; this monster goes one further. Examples of unorthodox camouflage in D&D include the mimic, the doppelganger, the wolf-in-sheep’s clothing, and the raggamoffyn, among many others.
• Nigh-Impervious. This creature has a defensive adaptation so powerful that it can be extremely difficult to put it down unless you know its weakness. Think a troll’s vulnerability to fire, or Smaug’s weak scale.
• Exotic Communication. These creatures are intelligent enough to have language, but their method of communicating is so strange that humanoids might not even recognize it (think cuttlefish, or bees). Learning to bridge this cultural gap might be an important step forward in PCs' dealings with this race, or an enduring obstacle in the way of peaceful coexistence.
• Attack, my Minions! This species was created by a mad wizard, conquering god, or other megalomaniac for the express purpose of serving him. They may still be in his service, or they may have broken free to live on their own.
• Friend or Foe? Sometimes the difference between a friend and a foe is a matter of timing or opportunity. Your creature could still be encountered as a challenge for a group of PCs, but it also qualifies as a possible ally under an existing spell or class feature (e.g. the Find Familiar spell, Conjure Woodland Beings, the Beastmaster subclass, etc.). Be sure to include a brief explanation of how your creature might respond to such servitude or partnership, and any quirks of the relationship that go beyond the standard ability description.
• Cultural Divide. Biology isn't the only thing that separates different peoples. Your entry is a member of a culture so alien that outsiders find great difficulty relating to those within it, and may find it difficult to understand the most basic of its values (and vice versa). It is a challenge to establish even basic rapport with members of such a culture without accidentally clashing with some unknown tenet, which often leads to conflict.

Remember to mention in your post which optional elements you have chosen, so that the people judging don’t have to hunt through and try to figure out your thought process on their own.

Spoiler: Rules & Voting Information

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Rules of the Competition

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• Contest Duration. The contest will be open to new submissions for 2 weeks, from the 30th of September to the 14th of October. All submissions and revisions to existing submissions made after that date will not be judged.
• One Entry per Person, one Post per Entry. Please only submit one entry for consideration. If you have more than one idea for an entry, you may submit further ones just for fun, but only one will be judged, so be sure to call out in the title that they aren't your primary submission. Also, please contain each submission in a single post, to make it easier for judges to read.
• No Plagiarism. Should be self explanatory. Only submit original materials, and don’t include copyrighted material of any kind unless you own the copyright. In general, observe the forum’s code of conduct and you should be fine.
• Free Use. By submitting your entry to the DIY contest, you are agreeing to let people use your entry and ideas within it for their own games, to modify and enjoy as they require. After all, what's the homebrewing forum for except to collaborate and create a list of resources to help each other out?
• Formatting. Do your best to make your entry easy to read and process, please. Proper grammar and spelling, breaks for paragraphs, and title headings that divide your magnum opus into digestible chunks are all your friends. If you make it easy to read your entry, you make it easy for people to vote for it!

Voting

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Voting will begin after the contest ends, on the 14th of October. Anyone may vote, though entrants get an extra category in which to cast a vote that non-entrants may not vote for. There are 4 categories to vote for. Anyone who votes may cast a vote in each of the first three categories. You may vote for a different entry in each category, or you may vote for the same entry multiple times if you think it excels simultaneously in multiple categories. You may not vote for your own entry (if you do it will not be counted). Please feel free to comment in each category as to why you chose whichever entry you did! The categories for consideration are:

• I Just Like it. Choose whichever entry you thought was the most interesting, according to whatever criteria you feel are appropriate. Sometimes something will just tickle your fancy, and this category exists to reward that. Anyone may vote in this category.
• Usability. Which entry do you think would be easiest to use in your own game, or which entry jumped out to you as the most complete and ready to be dropped right into a game? Creativity is well and good, but general ability to be used in a wide variety of games with a minimum of fuss is valuable in its own right. Anyone may vote in this category.
• The Spirit of the Competition. Which entry used the Wildcard Elements in the most interesting ways, or satisfied the main thrust of the challenge better than all its peers? This is a competition, after all, and the entry that fulfilled it the best should be rewarded! Anyone may vote in this category.
• I Wish I had Thought of That! When you were reading other people's entries, which one of them made you think "man, that's a great idea! I wish I had thought of that..." Only people who submitted an entry of their own may cast a vote in this category. Even though you cannot vote for yourself, entrants should have a little more say in how the winners get chosen.

The winner of the competition will be chosen by a simple count of which entry got the most votes. Each category of votes will also have a winner, so that the Best in Show could be different from the Most Usable, and so on. Winners of the whole competition and of each category will be showered in the adulation of their peers and the envy of those who haven't yet taken the leap to brewing their own content for their TTRPG of choice, and will also be consulted for future incarnations of the DIY Dungeon Mastery Challenge! (Assuming there is enough interest to have another version!)

Discussion of this contest, including declarations of interest, questions about the contest elements, and discussion of the various entries, can go in this thread. For questions about the DIY DMC in general, including rules clarifications, questions about voting, and discussion of future challenges, please use the DIY Dungeon Mastery Chatter thread. Now get to brewing!

[Steel Mirror]

Questions & Answers

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I'd like to suggest adding a link to Surf's D&D Blog, or at least his GitP forum thread in the OP, just because the rules for making a balanced monster haven't actually come out yet, and this is the best resource we have so far.

Those are good links, and something I hadn't noticed yet myself! Very nice, hardheaded peek behind the monster creation scenes, and a good read for anyone who wants to make monsters like the pros.

Alright, before I get too far into this, what's the official ruling on multiple "flavors" of the same creature? Does it still count as the same creature if you have, say, base, hunter, assassin and captain versions of it, or does each count as a different creature (meaning you have to choose one to be your submission)?

You can submit multiple versions of the same creature in the same entry if you like! You only need to make separate entries if they are different species, or completely unrelated to each other.

[Steel Mirror]

Reserved for list of entries and to announce vote tallies and winners.

Entry	Contestant
The Carrion Lord	Dire_Stirge
Venus Fly Traps	jkat718
The Toxic Skip (Just For Fun, Do Not Vote)	Steel Mirror
The Void Walker	Gnomes2169
Paper Dragons	infinitetech

[Inevitability]

Interesting...

EDIT: Although some more wildcards would be nice.

[Steel Mirror]

Sure thing! The original ten were what I could think of that sounded interesting at the time, but we can add a couple new ideas onto that.

• Exotic Communication. These creatures are intelligent enough to have language, but their method of communicating is so strange that humanoids might not even recognize it, and they might recognize speech or writing either. (Think cuttlefish, or bees) Learning to bridge this cultural gap might be an important step forward in PCs' dealings with this race, or an enduring obstacle in the way of peaceful coexistence.
• Attack, my Minions! This species was created by a mad wizard, conquering god, or other megalomaniac for the express purpose of serving him. Perhaps they are still enslaved, or perhaps they have broken free of his influence and are struggling to find a place for themselves in a confusing world without the man up top giving them constant orders.

How many Wildcard Elements do you think is a good number? Do you (or anyone) have any elements that you would like to see in the challenge?

[infinitetech]

would making a community/civilization count toward wild card potential? something so exotic most cultures would be completely lost? such things as foreign as the specie/trophy hierarchy of the predator home world or the tribes in the time machine?

[Steel Mirror]

would making a community/civilization count toward wild card potential? something so exotic most cultures would be completely lost? such things as foreign as the specie/trophy hierarchy of the predator home world or the tribes in the time machine?

So something like:

• Cultural Divide. Biology isn't the only thing that separates different peoples. Your entry is a member of a culture so alien that outsiders find great difficulty relating to those within it, and may find it difficult to understand the most basic of its values (and vice versa). It is a challenge to establish even basic rapport with members of such a culture without accidentally clashing with some unknown tenet, which often leads to conflict.

Does that look right? Or would you alter that somehow?

[Inevitability]

What is your opinion on including stuff meant for PC's? (like the quasit being available as a familiar?)

[Inevitability]

Psilofyr the Spore Lord, Creator of all Myconids, Master of Fungus, Bodyless Sovereign of Mushrooms... Those are but a few names people have given the Carrion King in the eons he lived. Not even the Carrion King himself knows the origins of this being, or what foul magic twisted it in it's current shape, but many have speculated on it.

A group of knowledgable human sages are sure the Carrion King used to be a powerful and righteous Fey Lord, who was betrayed and cast into the bottomless ravines that are found in the Feywild. There, almost dead, the creature transferred his consciousness into a single small mushroom, which eventually evolved in the being he is now. Others, such as the gnomes that live close to his immense domain, claim he is an evil parasite planted in the feywild by an unknown demon lord. Myconids see the Carrion King as something close to a god, with near unlimited ability to regenerate and powerful magic. No matter who is right, those stories agree on one point. The Carrion King, in his current form, is truly one of the more powerful and capricious beings in the Feywild, and few who crossed swords with him lived to tell the tale.

To understand this being, one must grasp that every single mushroom, every tiny mycelium, every fungus that is a part of the Carrion King alters his personality in a subtle way. Because of this, the Carrion King's body and mind are constantly shifting, changing, and growing. However, this comes at a price, as the Carrion King is first and foremost mad. His unstable mind and the centuries of living in the cold darkness of the Feywild's caves have left him with a capricious, unreliable spirit.

In general, the Carrion King is a curious and open being, using telepathy to communicate with all creatures that enter his domain. If they appear interesting to him, he'll create a body and have Myconids bring the 'guests' before it. The Carrion King often employs mortals to serve him, with the goal of expanding his domain. He may command them to destroy an enemy city, reconnect one of his rogue manifestations to his great being, or explore a new area for him. Rewards often include rare gems, which the Carrion King comes across as he grows but does not care for in any way. Sometimes the heroes are merely given the location of one such gem, and will have to unearth it themselves.

The Carrion King has only one true fear: the destruction of himself and his complete network. If he learns of any such threat, he immediately gathers large groups of Myconids, Fungi, and other allies of his to attack and destroy it. If the threat has already entered his lair, he creates a body himself to directly crush it.

Spoiler: The Carrion King

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Carrion King
Huge Plant, Lawful Evil

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Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 270 (20d12+140)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

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Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
21 (+5)	12 (+1)	24 (+7)	18 (+4)	10 (+0)	23 (+6)

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Saving Throws Constitution +13, Wisdom +6, Charisma +12
Damage Resistances Cold, Necrotic, Psychic
Damage Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities Poisoned, Charmed, Frightened
Skills Arcana +10, Nature +10, History +10, Intimidation +12
Senses Blindsight 60 ft, Tremorsense 200 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Deep Speech, Sylvan, Common, Telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the Carrion King fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Mycelium Network. The Carrion King rarely creates a body, most of the time biding his time within his Mycelium Network (described below). While in this network, the Carrion King can't be attacked or targeted by any spell or ability, and loses the ability to talk (telepathy can still be used), take an action, move, or use any sense other than his tremorsense. For the purpose of calculating the range of his Telepathy and Tremorsense, assume the Carrion King is filling each space that contains at least part of the Mycelium Network and is connected to the other parts.

Creating a physical body requires the Carrion King to spend a minute focusing on this, after which a body (as described here) appears at any point within 10 ft. of the Mycelium Network. The Carrion King can only have one body at a time. By spending another minute, the Carrion King can cause his current body to fall apart in a rotting pile of fungoid matter.

While the Carrion King has a body created, his mind is too focused on keeping it together and acting through it to focus on other tasks. This means that while the Carrion King possesses a body, he can't use his tremorsense and telepathy through the Mycelium Network.

If the Carrion King's body is destroyed in any other way than himself voluntarily causing it to fall apart, he automatically retreats into the Mycelium Network and loses the ability to create a body for the next 6d6 hours. Until this time has elapsed, the Carrion King does not attempt to communicate in any way, and even when directly spoken to (such as by a creature using telepathy) appears less talkative and open than usual.

Magic Weapons. The Carrion King's melee weapon attacks are magical.

Magic Resistance. The Carrion King has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions:

Multiattack. The Carrion King makes two melee attacks and can use Spore Burst.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature.
Hit: 31 (4d12+5) bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 21 constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target is paralyzed, and it takes 21 (6d6) poison damage at the start of each of its turns. The poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Spore Burst. The Carrion King creates a cloud of spores in a 15 ft. radius sphere anywhere within 60 ft. of it, choosing the type of spores from the following list:

1. Toxic Spores. All creatures within the sphere must make a DC 21 constitution saving throw or take 18 (4d8) poison damage.

2. Animating Spores. All corpses within the sphere raise as Quaggoth Spore Servants.

3. Obscuring Spores. The sphere becomes heavily obscured until a moderate or strong wind (such as by a Gust of Wind spell) clears it.

4. Maddening Spores. All creatures within the sphere must make a DC 20 wisdom saving throw or become confused and erratic in their behavior (as the Confusion spell) for 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns, creatures can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

5. Narcotic Spores. All creatures within the sphere must make a DC 20 wisdom saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns, creatures can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

6. Purifying Spores. All creatures within the sphere regain 6d10 hit points.

7. Paralyzing Spores. All creatures within the sphere must make a DC 21 constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns, creatures can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

8. Dominating Spores. All creatures within the sphere must make a DC 20 charisma saving throw or be dominated by the Carrion King (as the Dominate Monster spell). The Carrion King can only have one creature dominated at a time (if multiple creatures would be under the effect of this ability at any given time, the Carrion King chooses which one to control). At the end of each of their turns, the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. However, if a creature fails three saving throws against this effect, it stops making saving throws, and does not longer count as a dominated creature for the purpose of this ability (meaning the Carrion King can use those spores on another creature). Only a Protection from Poison, Remove Curse, or Wish spell cast from a 9th-level spell slot can remove the spores and cure the creature, returning it to it's former state.

Legendary Actions: The Carrion King 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 Carrion King regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Drain Life: Miniscule mycelia try to invade each creature within 10 ft. of the Carrion King. Each of those creatures must make a DC 21 constitution saving throw or take 7 (2d6) damage. The Carrion King then regains HP equal to the total damage dealt.
Slam: The Carrion King makes a Slam attack.
Spore Burst (costs 2 actions): The Carrion King uses Spore Burst.

The Carrion King's Lair:

The Carrion King's lair is not a single place, or even a few places, it is the complete cave network touched by his Mycelium Network. The king does not seem to be able to move beyond it's border, or maybe he simply doesn't want to. Those caves do not contain only mushrooms, though. Dangerous underground predators roam the area, devouring all moving beings they can see, ravines and crevices cut tunnels in half, and sometimes the inherit magic of the feywild manifests in strange and unusual ways deep in the tunnels.

In addition, many myconid tribes live here, keeping the Carrion King aware of any possible danger the area may pose. The king himself isn't concerned with their safety, and as such does not fear putting them in danger investigating a possible threat.

While the lair is massive, the effect's of the Carrion King's presence (detailed below) are often only felt deep within the tunnels, where large amounts of mushrooms grow in colossal caves. For the other parts of the lair, use the regional effects instead.

Lair Actions: On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Carrion King takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Carrion King can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

-1d12 Myconid Sprouts loyal to the Carrion King appear in spaces in the lair chosen by the DM.
-Several mushrooms burst apart, releasing large clouds of irritating spores. All creatures within a 30 ft. radius sphere must make a DC 15 dexterity saving throw or be blinded for 1 round. In additon, creatures that fail the saving throw take 13 (3d8) poison damage.
-Fungi start spreading and growing at a terrific rate, making a 60 ft. radius sphere of ground difficult terrain for all creatures but the Carrion King and his servants.

Regional Effects
The area tainted by the Carrion King's spores is large, and the spores there cause one or more of the following effects.
-Unattended corpses slowly turn into Quaggoth Spore Servants.
-Food brought into the area becomes fungi-infested and inedible after only a few hours of exposure to the air. A Purify Food and Drink spell cast from a 6th-level or higher slot negates this effect, although the food may become infested again.
-Water and plants found in the area taste sour and foul, but are mostly save to eat. However, when consuming large amounts of it for an extended period of time, the DM is free to impose any penalties he sees fit for eating partly contaminated food.

If the Carrion King is truly destroyed, these effects fade over the course of a day. If he is only temporarily put down, however, the effects are less severe but still there.

Spoiler: Combat Tactics

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The Carrion King hits hard with little regard for the safety of himself or his servants. If a tactically sound move would involve putting several of his servants in danger, he'll do so anyway. After all, doesn't his own security and survival outweigh the lives of a few replaceable servants?

During the first round of combat, the Carrion King tries to end the battle before it has even started, hitting as many enemies as possible with his limbs, and finishing the job with a Narcotic or Dominating spore burst. If any foes still stand after the initial assault, the Carrion King tries to overwhelm them by sheer force. He strikes all who dare come within reach of his flailing arms, and tries to disable ranged attackers with well-positioned spore clouds.

If the Carrion King's survival would be absolutely necessary (such as when his whole network is threatened), he often goes on the defensive, restoring his health with Drain Life and Purifying Spores. In addition, the mad king will use Animating Spores and his powers of creation to keep a wall of servants between himself and the enemy.

Spoiler: The Mycelium Network

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As noted above, the Carrion King's consciousness is scattered across millions of tiny mushrooms, spores, and mycelia, all connected with each other. The DM determines the size of this network.

If part of the Mycelium Network is detached from the largest part, it either dies and withers away in 1d8 hours or becomes self-aware (the DM decides which of the two happens). If it becomes self-aware, it may turn into a fungoid creature (such as a myconid or shrieker) or (if it is large enough) become a lesser version of the Carrion King with it's own personality, alignment and goals.

Spoiler: Destruction

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While most mortals would tell you it is impossible, there are a few ways the insane being that is the Carrion King can be stopped. These ways, however, are complex and difficult, and might as well be the focus of a whole campaign.

-The androsphinx Setel, who guards a temple hidden under the highest mountain on earth, is said to know more about the Carrion King. Those who pass his tests are taught the true origin of this being, and given a chance to travel back in time to stop the Carrion King from ever becoming what he is today.

-The Carrion King's power is such that both the material plane and the shadowfell contain a (less powerful) counterpart of him. It is said that by destroying a body of all three at the same time, the king would cease existing.

-A certain myconid legend talks about a poison so potent even the Carrion King would completely wither away if he only touched it. However, gathering the ingredients of this poison require the brewer to perfrom irredeemably evil acts... Some speculate this poison's recipe was deliberately created by fiends with the sole purpose of drawing more souls to evil.

Spoiler: Wildcards

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Legacy: The Carrion King appeared as a 4e creature in Dragon Magazine 420.

Nigh-Imprevious: Sure, you can burn his body to the ground, or hack it to pieces, but the Carrion King will (almost) always regrow.

Invasive Species: When you consider the Carrion King is trying to cover about all planes in mushrooms, it can't be anything but this.

Unique: If you consider his fragmented mind to count as 'one'...

[Steel Mirror]

What is your opinion on including stuff meant for PC's? (like the quasit being available as a familiar?)

I'll add another option to the list.

• Friend or Foe? Sometimes the difference between a friend and a foe is a matter of timing or opportunity. Your creature could still be encountered as a challenge for a group of PCs, but it also qualifies as a possible ally under an existing spell or class feature (e.g. the Find Familiar spell, Conjure Woodland Beings, the Beastmaster subclass, etc.). Be sure to include a brief explanation of how your creature might respond to such servitude or partnership, and any quirks of the relationship that go beyond the standard ability description.

[infinitetech]

perfect, and so is the friend or foe option, it think i have a great build going 8-)

[Steel Mirror]

perfect, and so is the friend or foe option, it think i have a great build going 8-)

Fantastic! I look forward to seeing what you have!

[stitchlipped]

I definitely want to try and get in on this, but I'm still waiting for my Monster Manual to arrive.

[Inevitability]

I definitely want to try and get in on this, but I'm still waiting for my Monster Manual to arrive.

I'd say just do it. I don't have a MM either.

[Steel Mirror]

Yeah, go for it! If you have any questions about the MM I don't mind answering them, but overall I think it should be pretty easy to enter the contest without it.

[jkat718]

I'd like to suggest adding a link to Surf's D&D Blog, or at least his GitP forum thread in the OP, just because the rules for making a balanced monster haven't actually come out yet, and this is the best resource we have so far.

I'll post my monster here, once I finish it up. It's the Venus Flytrap, but I'm multiple stat blocks for it at different growth stages. Hopefully, these will be useful to an evil DM somewhere.

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Found in the wildest of jungles, or in the depths of the Underdark, the Venus Flytrap is a deadly plant. The smaller forms are most common, some even appearing in forests that have become merely over-grown. The larger flytrap is found solely in either evil-infested forests, deep jungles, or the Underdark. The unprepared adventurer who finds the Elder Venus Flytrap...woe be unto him. Many an adventurer has gone looking for this fabled weed, despite the risks, to harvest the potent venom found within. This hunting has driven the Flytrap to near-extinction in some areas, but groves of the plant still exist in the wild, untouched by the ravages of civilisation.

Venus Flytrap

Venus Fly Trap Sprout Tiny plant, unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 10 (4d4+0) Speed 0 ft Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha 7 (-2) 5 (-3) 10 (+0) 1 (-5) 2 (-4) 1 (-5) Saving Throws Str +0, Con +2 Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8 Languages — Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack The venus fly trap makes three attacks: two with its tentacles and one with its bite. Bite Melee Weapon Attack +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (3d6-2) piercing damage. Tentacle Melee Weapon Attack -2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 (2d4-3) bludgeoning damage, plus 2 (1d4) poison damage.

Venus Flytrap, Adult Small plant, unaligned Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 18 (4d6+4) Speed 0 ft Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha 9 (-1) 7 (-2) 12 (+1) 1 (-5) 3 (-4) 1 (-5) Saving Throws Str +1, Con +3 Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 6 Languages — Challenge 1 (200 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack The venus fly trap makes three attacks: two with its tentacles and one with its bite. Bite Melee Weapon Attack +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (3d6-1) piercing damage. Tentacle Melee Weapon Attack -1 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 3 (2d4-2) bludgeoning damage, plus 2 (1d4) poison damage.

Venus Flytrap, Greater Medium plant, unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 26 (4d8+8) Speed 0 ft Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha 10 (+0) 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 1 (-5) 4 (-3) 1 (-5) Saving Throws Str +2, Con +4 Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened Senses Blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 2 (450 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack The venus fly trap makes three attacks: two with its tentacles and one with its bite. Bite Melee Weapon Attack +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) piercing damage. Tentacle Melee Weapon Attack +0 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (2d4-1) bludgeoning damage, plus 4 (2d4) poison damage.

Venus Flytrap, Elder Large plant, unaligned Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 32 (4d10+10) Speed 0 ft Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 1 (-5) 5 (-3) 1 (-5) Saving Throws Str +3, Con +5 Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception9 Languages — Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) ACTIONS Multiattack The venus fly trap makes three attacks: two with its tentacles and one with its bite. Bite Melee Weapon Attack +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 24 (6d6+1) piercing damage. Tentacle Melee Weapon Attack +1 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (4d4-1) bludgeoning damage, plus 8 (4d4) poison damage.

Venus Flytrap Poison, when properly prepared from a dead Venus Flytrap (INT check DC 16 & DEX check DC 24 w/ Poisoner's kit), is more potent than most poisons:

Poison, Venus Flytrap. You can use the poison in this vial
to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or up to three
pieces o f ammunition. Applying the poison takes
an action. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or
ammunition must make a DC 15 Constitution saving
throw or take 2d4+1 poison damage. Once applied, the
poison retains potency for 2 minutes before drying.

You can gather a maximum of 1 vial of Venus Flytrap Poison from a Venus Flytrap Sprout, 3 vials from a Adult Venus Flytrap, 5 vials from a Greater Venus Flytrap, and 7 vials from an Elder Venus Flytrap. The Venus Flytrap must be dead when its poison is harvested, and the poison can only be collected once per Venus Flytrap.

Wildcards:

• Sessile. It's a plant, it doesn't move.
• Endangered. Venus Flytraps were hunted for their poison, almost to extinction.
• Rare Drop. Venus Flytrap Poison can be gathered from the corpse of the Venus Flytrap.

[Inevitability]

Size names:

-Big
-Enormous
-Titanic
-Colossal
-Miniscule

[infinitetech]

there used to be stats for these, so it kind of counts as legacy too

[Steel Mirror]

Welcome to the contest jkat718, and thank you for those links! I added them to the Q&A post, and you to the entrants' post alongside Dire_Stirge.

[stitchlipped]

I'd say just do it. I don't have a MM either.

Yeah, go for it! If you have any questions about the MM I don't mind answering them, but overall I think it should be pretty easy to enter the contest without it.

I wanted to be able to compare and contrast to as many equivalent CR creatures as possible, and have more unique abilities to base mine off of.

My MM actually arrived today, so I can start thinking about it!

[jkat718]

Size names:

-Big
-Enormous
-Titanic
-Colossal
-Miniscule

Thanks, Dire! These are great, I think I'm going to use some of these.

Welcome to the contest jkat718, and thank you for those links! I added them to the Q&A post, and you to the entrants' post alongside Dire_Stirge.

I'm glad to be here. Those links are super helpful for me, I just wanted everyone to see them.

[Steel Mirror]

Time for a little bump for this thread (I hope it's not forgotten!), and to that end I submit to you a little homebrew of my own, the dreaded Toxic Skip!

Since I am organizing the contest, this one is just for fun and shouldn't be judged along with the rest of them. But hopefully it will help convince some of you homebrewers (I know you are out there!) to join in on the fun. Also, since I am as new to this 5E monster homebrewing as anyone, I would love to hear feedback on my monster, whether you think it is balanced, or if you have a suggestion that you think would make it even better. If you are interested in feedback as well, let us know! Let's get some discussion going!

The Toxic Skip

Toxic skips are amphibians native to jungles and rainforest. They are similar to frogs in appearance, though there is so much difference between males and females that they are often mistaken for separate species. They are called skips thanks to their curious method of locomotion; like a frog, they are capable hoppers, but they also have webbing between their arms, legs, and tail which allows them to glide for great distances when their limbs are outstretched. In their natural jungle habitats, the spectacle of hundreds of toxic skips being startled into hopping and taking flight transforms the rainforest into a whirl of delirious colors and high-pitched croaking.

They are called "toxic" skips for an equally good reason. Toxic skip males are brightly, garishly colored, much like poison dart frogs. Also like those frogs, their skin is incredibly poisonous. Even touching their skin with exposed flesh causes immediate numbness in the affected region; if left alone or exposed in sufficient quantities, it can lead to paralysis and death. Only the males are poisonous, and only the males are so brightly colored. Sometimes male toxic skips are sought out for the poisonous nature.

While males are about the size of a walnut, females are much larger, about as large as badger. Instead of the flashy oranges, yellows, reds, and blues of their male counterparts, female toxic skips have colors that match the forest. While they are still capable of gliding, they prefer to remain on ground level, where they can use their camouflage to ambush wandering insects and small reptiles. Toxic skip females are mobbed by scores of males during mating season, all of which jockey for position constantly in order to be in the right place to fertilize the females eggs as she lays them in a shallow pool of water that she has claimed as her nest. Unwary travelers happening upon such mating frenzies might startle the males into sudden flight, and the females into defensive action, which can quickly prove deadly to the unprepared. Females also watch over their eggs (they lay hundreds at a time) until they hatch, fending off any predators looking for a quick, gooey meal. She can be extremely aggressive at these times, attacking intruders and hanging on until she is victorious or dead, though backing off from the nest is enough to escape her wrath.

Poisonous Harvest
The poison in a toxic skip's body can be gathered and refined into a potent toxin, which can also fetch a nice price on the black market. A recently dead (within the last hour) skip can be harvested in this way, as can a live specimen (though great care must be taken in such an instance to avoid poisoning the would-be poisoner). This requires a Poisoner's kit and a DC 14 Tools (Poisoner's kit) check. On a natural 1, the check automatically fails and you take 1 poison damage. Refining the poison then requires another DC 10 Tools (Poisoner's kit) check. On a success, you gain a single dose of skip toxin, which can be applied to a weapon. On injury, the poison forces the target to make a DC 14 Constitution save or become completely paralyzed for 1 minute. This poison is worth 50 gp on the open market, though selling poisons is illegal or requires special licenses in many societies.

Variant: Toxic Skip Familiar
The Find Familiar spell may be able to summon a toxic skip to serve as a familiar to a character who is knowledgeable about them. Such a familiar behaves in all respects as a normal familiar summoned according to the spell's description, but the caster also gains advantage on all saving throws against paralysis while the familiar is within 10 feet. Casters with a toxic skip familiar would be well advised to wear gloves and plenty of clothing, though, as the touch of the toxic skip remains as poisonous to them as to anyone else.

Spoiler: Toxic Skip Male, CR 0

Show

Toxic Skip (male)
Tiny beast, unaligned

---

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 1 (1d4-2)
Speed 20 ft, climb 20 ft, fly 30 ft

---

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
2 (-4)	15 (+2)	7 (-2)	1 (-5)	10 (+0)	2 (-4)

---

Senses passive Perception 10
Languages -
Challenge 0 (10 XP)

---

Contact Poison. The merest touch is enough to expose someone to the toxic skip's poison. The toxic skip has advantage on attacks against those wearing light or no armor, disadvantage against those wearing heavy armor.

Amphibious. The toxic skip can breathe air and water.

Actions

---

Poison Touch. Melee Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 feet, one target.
Hit: 1 poison damage.

Spoiler: Toxic Skip Male Swarm, CR 1

Show

Toxic Skip Swarm
Medium swarm of tiny beasts, unaligned

---

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 31 (7d8)
Speed 20 ft, climb 20 ft, fly 30 ft

---

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
12 (+1)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	1 (-5)	10 (+0)	2 (-4)

---

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages -
Challenge 1 (200 XP)

---

Contact Poison. The merest touch is enough to expose someone to the toxic skip's poison. The toxic skip swarm has advantage on attacks against those wearing light or no armor, disadvantage against those wearing heavy armor.

Amphibious. The toxic skip can breathe air and water.

Actions

---

Poison Touch Flurry. Melee Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 feet, one target in the swarm's space.
Hit: 9 (2d8) poison damage and the target must make a DC 10 Constitution save. If it fails, it must make another save at the start of its next turn; if it fails again, it is paralyzed until it makes a successful save. If the swarm has half its hit points or fewer, the attack deals only 4 (1d8) damage.

Spoiler: Toxic Skip Female, CR 1/2

Show

Toxic Skip (female)
Small beast, unaligned

---

Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
Hit Points 19 (3d8+6)
Speed 20 ft, climb 20 ft, fly 20 ft

---

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
14 (+2)	10 (+0)	15 (+2)	1 (-5)	10 (+0)	2 (-4)

---

Senses passive Perception 10
Languages -
Challenge 0 (10 XP)

---

Amphibious. The toxic skip can breathe air and water.

Stubborn Fighter. If the female toxic skip makes an attack against a target she is currently grappling, she deals an extra 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage.

Actions

---

Bite. Melee Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 feet, one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the toxic skip may not attack a target other than the one it is grappling.

Wildcard Elements:
Extreme Dimorphism. Females are relatively large, uncolorful, and stubbornly defend their nests unto death with a bite attack. Males are tiny, brightly colored, and poisonous, and are deadly in swarms if provoked or startled.
Valuable Drop. The poison of a toxic skip can be sold for a nice profit in the right places.
Friend or Foe? Male toxic skips are an option for the Find Familiar spell.

[infinitetech]

i am still creating the tables, lists, spells, art, and refined wording, but i know people were curious about what i was making, this is WIP and should not be judged i am still editing alot, but here for your viewing is gen 1 of a whole bio-system super race that should fit almost any setting, names will likely change i was in a punny alliterative mood at the time,

Weaved Works Wacky World Wonders
Weave Warriors
o Mending
§ often form groups in which one becomes a leader and others surround it
o the ones around it mainly just work to survive
o the ones who help lead form the advisors
§ once there are 5 members aside from the leader the group is considered “complete”
· instead of a leader or an advisor one can be a former
· once complete if a former arrives that can work with the leader and her cabinet they “mend” into a higher creature
1. Fine :
a. Weasect
i. Small simple living extensions of magic energy
1. Elementally pure
a. Travel by elementally appropriate means
b. See by elemental way, attack and release death attack according
c. Bolster the chosen element around them and purify/grow/strengthen it
ii. extremely simple insect level minds
1. basic drives
2. only very simple emotions and mental form
iii. often forms hive with queen/drone
iv. mends into a peave
2. diminutive :
a. peave
i. small creature of energy
1. 7 aspects, see mending rules
2. Elemental bolstering, see aura table
3. See previous abilities
4. Might get other abilities, see elemental strength table
ii. mouse/bird creature type mind
1. specific drives
2. simple emotions or feelings
3. start of thoughts
4. very simple tasks
iii. often forms nests with a matriarch/elders
iv. mends into wemal
3. tiny :
a. wemal
i. creature of energy
ii. cat/wolf creature type mind
1. can learn and do things an animal companion/familiar/pet could
iii. often forms pack with an alpha/betas
iv. mends into chave
4. small :
a. chave
i. small being of energy
1. now capable of complicated tasks physically
2. see previous
ii. child-like being type mind
1. equal to grade school thought power roughly
iii. often forms gangs with a story teller/playmates
iv. mends into weavite
5. medium :
a. Weavite
i. Medium being of energy
ii. commoner type mind
1. on par with your common worker, artisan, or other npc
iii. often forms communities with an head house/neighbors
iv. mends into wearon
6. large :
a. Wearon
i. large being of energy
ii. educated type mind
1. tacticians, generals, royalty, most pcs
iii. often forms businesses with an owner/workers
iv. mends into lorave
7. huge :
a. lorave
i. small elemental of energy
1. gain traits from the full-elemental list
2. see previous
3. can create elemental concentrates
ii. scholarly sage type mind
1. man on the mountain, historian, school head master(at an arcane school), most caster pcs
iii. often forms governments with an empress/princesses
iv. mends into weagend
8. gargantuan :
a. weagend
i. elemental of energy
ii. Genius type mind
1. Nickola Tesla, Einstein, Sherlock Holmes, knowledge/research based pcs
iii. often forms inter-cultural relationships with an leader/representatives
iv. mends into deiave
9. colossal :
a. deiave
i. minor deity elemental of energy
1. gains traits from the weave deity tables
2. see previous
3. can create planes based on the plane craft table
ii. makes a mind flayer seem doltish type mind
1. able to effortlessly play entire lands against each other, can do most godly level mind type tricks..
iii. often forms planes with an ?????/pantheon?
iv. mends into … unknown, this form is so rare in and of itself that nothing above has been documented (also the size graph topped out)(there are more, but these are highly unlikely to be encountered, follow previous patterns and basically anything past this gets to the point where they craft entire solar systems worth of multidimensional existence and so on)

remember this is WIP i will post an updated version soon i hope

things to look forward to: spells, feats, stats, merging rules, community rules, pc race version, random creating method, and much more

[Gnomes2169]

Alright, before I get too far into this, what's the official ruling on multiple "flavors" of the same creature? Does it still count as the same creature if you have, say, base, hunter, assassin and captain versions of it, or does each count as a different creature (meaning you have to choose one to be your submission)?

[Steel Mirror]

Alright, before I get too far into this, what's the official ruling on multiple "flavors" of the same creature? Does it still count as the same creature if you have, say, base, hunter, assassin and captain versions of it, or does each count as a different creature (meaning you have to choose one to be your submission)?

You can submit multiple versions of the same creature in the same entry if you like! You only need to make separate entries if they are different species, or completely unrelated to each other.

[Gnomes2169]

You can submit multiple versions of the same creature in the same entry if you like! You only need to make separate entries if they are different species, or completely unrelated to each other.

Alright, great! Also, how many Wild cards can you use? Because my critter sort of fits... er... 4 of them? (Legacy, unorthodox cammo, exotic communication and cultural divide)

[Steel Mirror]

Alright, great! Also, how many Wild cards can you use? Because my critter sort of fits... er... 4 of them? (Legacy, unorthodox cammo, exotic communication and cultural divide)

Oh yeah, 3 is the minimum. There is no maximum! So long as you can make a good case for fitting more of them, have at it!

[infinitetech]

still upgrading mine to "playable" work is going strong, so much lore to add after playable is finished, im basically making an entirely new ecosystem/level use/other stuff build, could have entire games with this one thing haha, just a progress update

[Gnomes2169]

Alright then, I have four days to convert the Void walker from the 3.0 online supplement "Dwellers of the Void" and update it as it would have been for my campaign anyway... I can most definitely do this.

The Void Walker

The most populous denizens of the plane between all planes, void walkers are unique among the cosmology for being divided in between the factions of the great void war, being found within the armies of creation, void and oblivion in roughly equal attendance, with some free agents popping up and wandering about on the void worlds from time to time. Primarily they serve as soldiers and assassins on the war torn plane, doing the bidding of their patron and being loyal almost to a fault. Those that appear on the mortal plane are there to hunt down dangerous individuals that could unbalance the war in the void... Or they are there to unbalance the war in the void. It really does depend on which side they ally with.

Children of Void: The void walkers are the only mortal creations of the shattered demiurge Void. While originally they were designed to be genderless enforcers of balance between oblivion and creation, Void understood in its wisdom that no amount of planning or forethought could account for every variable, and it granted them full autonomy from its will, making the void walkers far more free than any divine servant before them, and more free than many that came after. After Gaia, the primal shard of Creation, gifted them genders and the ability to procreate, the Void Walkers became a proper race rather than simple servants. The demiurge of the Void never did understand the point of allowing its creations to reproduce on its own, and still doesn't to this very day, but it does not revoke this gift.

Given free will and time to grow of their own accord, the void walkers began to worship and follow the tenants of Void's children, which was all according to Void's plan. When Nulles was overthrown and Eo took the seat of Oblivion, however, things became a little more... complicated.

Three faction soldiers: Void walkers typically fall into one of three camps, or they flow in between them. Common traits for each faction are as follows:

Creation: Those allied with creation tend to focus on finding the beauty in life and everything it holds. While this most often appeals to protectors, civilians and other peace-minded individuals, sometimes it attracts those who would seek power over others. After all, what is the point of gaining that power, only to be a pawn or wasting it on destroying your prize? Void walkers that choose to be allied with creation tend to look at the consequences of their actions and potential cost and collateral before they decide if an action is worth taking. They often take great pains to ensure that their target is isolated from innocents and civilians, and tend to believe that they have no business interfering in the lives of those who do not deal or tamper with the void.

Void: Void walkers of the void have an average life expectancy of one year. Most often, these soldiers are directly created by Void itself, and as such they have the least variety, personality and sexuality of all of the void walkers. In fact, they tend to not even have genders or names, and just implicitly understand which one is being referred to when Void or any other being addresses them. These void walkers believe that balance must be maintained at any cost, and they will work tirelessly to ensure that the balance is maintained or restored. Their sense of humor and voice are equally dry, and most other void walkers describe these ones as, "boring," "dull," and "sticks in the mud." However, they are also incredibly loyal, if temporary, companions to have at your side. These void walkers also tend to be arrogant, boasting that they serve "the first shard itself," and they typically refuse to use any language beside primordial to communicate, as any other tongue is "filth unfit to be spoken" by the void's champions.

Oblivion: Few know where Eo gets his void walker troops, as for all intents and purposes the oblivion worlds appear to have no cities, no civilization and no place they could spawn from. This does not stop Eo from having his own legions of loyal psuedo-immortal soldiers. Void walkers from this faction tend to care about three things, power, knowledge and themselves. There are a few who cannot stand Eo and and his war mongering ways, who instead continue to worship the dead primal shard Nulles, but for the most part oblivion's void walkers are motivated by greed, lust and envy and are more than willing to bow to the usurper for them. More solitary than the other void walkers, followers of oblivion tend to see other beings, including void walkers of the same faction, as blights and obstacles, and they treat them accordingly. Any interactions with other beings are made purely for their own benefit, or because Eo gave them direct orders to do so.

Inter-planar assassins: When Void created these beings it meant for them to be the firm, unseen hand that kept order. It gave them them the proper tools for this purpose, making them adaptable in mind and body, and giving them a singular will and drive to allow them to ignore the damage done to their bodies. The greatest skill granted to the walkers is the ability to bend light and shadow to conceal themselves, and this is the skill that defines their role these days. Some of the most feared assassins within the void, they are trained to use their gifts to find, spy on and mark targets, taking them out before they can even become a threat. Sometimes they are sent into the mortal plane to take care of cults or others researching how to tap into the void, as some secrets are better left undiscovered.

Before a void walker strikes, they will leave four signs for their target. They will leave these signs in places that cannot be missed, though they are not particularly obvious as far as signs go. Usually they are a row of four related objects left on a work bench or the front door of a target, and they can be anything, from four differently shaped spoons made of four different materials, to four different relics, or four different parts of the same animal. Whatever they are, these four items serve as a last warning to their target, telling them to back off and let things die. If their target doesn't get it (they almost never realize that the sign is anything more than a prank or collection of items they forgot to put away), then the void walker, their friends and any other forces they called in to help them will take the appropriate actions. These strikes come fast, are well coordinated and often go completely unheard of after they are done. Targets disappear, and everything goes back to normal as the void walkers return to their home and move onto the next mission.

Appearance: Generally, a void walker will be between 7-8 feet tall, thin, white or grey skinned and have moderately long black, silver or white hair. In most ways they physically resemble a human, with slightly sharper and more pronounced features, right down to having two eyes that are not only the same color as each other, but which pupils and an iris! However, unlike a human these eyes have pupils which are a horizontal slit, and the color of the iris is different depending on which faction they swear allegiance to. Followers of creation have golden eyes, those of void have silver, and the worshipers of oblivion have the darkest obsidian black, to the point where they appear to not have pupils.

Those void walkers who remain unaligned are similar in every physical way to others of their race except for their eye color. Their eyes change between colors over the course of the day, most often becoming a fiery ruby, opaque emerald, electric topaz or deep sapphire. Often these will reflect the moods of the void walker at any given moment, making them some of the worst liars in all of creation. For each void walker the colors will represent different things. For example; Blue for one void walker may represent grief and disappointment, while for another it represents passion and joy. The ony color that seems to be consistent between each walker is violet, which represents such deep, violent loss and sorrow that it borders on being suicidal. Given the rarity of unaligned void walkers, this color shift seems to be a random, violent thing to most races, and even most void walkers do not understand why their unaligned bretheren have such sudden chromatic shifts.

Age: Most void walkers only live to their mid 30's or 40's because of their life style and the chaos of the war raging on their home plane. Those on the side of the void have... slightly shorter life expectancies. Often created directly on the battlefield fully equipped and trained, they last maybe a year. That is, if they survive their first battle at all.

However for those that do not choose the life of a soldier or assassin, and who somehow avoid the war itself, life expectency skyrockets. A void walker will age much like a human until their 26th or 27th birth day, at which point their aging process slows to less than a crawl. The oldest void walker ever recorded was 432 years old... And she died choking on a chicken bone. Some people estimate that a void walker has a maximum age of 450, some say it's 500, but most agree that it is within that range.

Society: Oddly enough, despite the strong presence of a military body within the ranks of the void walkers the majority of their societies are not actually militaristic. The system of rule varies from faction to faction and world to world, but for the most part void walker societies look like this:

Creation: The majority of the void walkers of creation are led by a republic elected from the ruling elite and heroes. Some influences of a theocracy slip in during times of emergency, which is when Gaia, their greiving deity, will select a void walker among them to rise up as the dictator and lead her people to victory and salvation. The societies of creation exist as a buffer between Gaia and Eo, serving as their god's protection from the mad king of oblivion as they look for some way to strike back and kill Eo to end this terrible war.

Void: The people of the void faction are lead directly by their shattered god in one of the most heavy-handed theocracies to ever exist. This is mostly because they tend not to live long enough to develop a more complex system than their god really wanting it, but for what it is, the system works well enough. As Void, the god that the society and plane are named after, cannot be on every world and every battlefield, it has granted station and power to trusted advisors and generals, dubbing them Prophets and Disciples respectively. These mortals are basically demi-gods, who further divide their power to appointed Bishops and Cardinals who are put in charge of major cities and towns and battalions of troops. From there, the various Priests and Acolytes are appointed to lead specific communities and squads of troops, and that is where the divine favor is spread too thin for any more divisions. Special mention should be made of the High Prophet Ephiel, who is the right hand of Void, a voidwalker who rose to demi-god status and the immortality that goes with it, and who abandoned his flesh for the bone of lichdom. Ephiel is treated as the voice of Void, and some whisper that he is the real power behind the divine throne.

Oblivion: Less of a society and more of a loosely allied state of anarchistic clans held together kicking and screaming by Eo, oblivion is basically one pebble throw away from collapsing under its own weight. The strongest individuals are the ones that rule, while those that are weaker simper and beg for scraps, plotting their own vengeance and rise to power. Unlike other factions, the void walkers of oblivion are not the ones with power or rank, they are instead servants to the horrors and creatures that they draw power from, and are often jealous, spiteful creatures because of their station.

Unaligned: Though they only have three cities of their own, and only one on the mortal plane, the void walkers who owe allegience to no god base the societies they forge around the ideals of a meritocracy, where those with the greatest merits and accomplishments are those that lead. For most races this results in competing guilds, and the void walkers are no exception to the rule. While slightly more unified than most guild societies, there is still healthy (and sometimes dangerous) competition between each of the guilds. More often than not, the single city of unaligned void walkers is all the contact mortals outside of the void will have with this race, and even these encounters are horribly, horribly rare.

Spoiler: Void walker

Show

"Even the least of the void dwellers should frighten you, child. For though they may be weak and of ill frame, they are instilled with a natural grace that can strike with cruel, unforgiving accuracy. You might see these nameless assassins as common soldiers... Of course, that's only if they allow you to see them at all."
-Journal of the trap master, warning adventurers and seekers of power alike.

Void walker
Medium humanoid (extraplanar), 33% NG, 33% TN, 33% NE, 1% Any

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Armor Class 13 (15 with shield) (leather armor)
Hit Points 10 (3d8-3)
Speed 30 ft

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Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
7 (-2)	14 (+2)	9 (-1)	13 (+1)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)

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Skills Investigation +3, Stealth +4
Senses Darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 10
Languages Primordial
Challenge 1/4 (75 XP)

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Deciphering mind: The void walker has advantage on all intelligence saving throws and intelligence checks.

Sleepless: This creature does not require sleep, and is immune to the spell sleep. Its long rest lasts for 4 hours instead of 8 and it goes into a meditative state to replenish its energies instead of sleeping

Void Shroud (1/ long rest): The creature becomes invisible for 10 minutes or until they make an attack or cast a spell, and cannot be detected by Blindsight or Blindsense. If a creature makes a DC 20 Wisdom (perception) check, that creature detects a shimmering in the air, and knows the location of this creature.

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Actions

Rapier: Melee attack; Versatile, +4 attack, reach 5', one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage 1-handed or 7 (1d10+2) piercing damage.

Hand crossbow: Ranged attack, +4 attack, range 30'/ 120', one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage on hit.

Spoiler: Void walker hunter

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"Elite troops that stalk intermediate prey, the hunter is far more skilled and resilient than their lesser ilk. Combining magic and blade, as well as increasing their already unnatural speed to even greater heights, there are few creatures that can escape the end of their blades."
-The Gyde for Unnatureal Creatures (By Anterson Asper)

Void walker hunter
Medium humanoid (extraplanar), 33% NG, 33% TN, 33% NE, 1% Any

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Armor Class 15 (17 with shield) (studded leather)
Hit Points 93 (17d8+17)
Speed 40 ft

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Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
10 (+0)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	17 (+3)	12 (+1)	11 (+0)

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Saving throws: Dexterity +6, Constitution +4, Intelligence +6
SkillsAcrobatics +6, Investigation +6, Perception +7, Survival +4, Stealth +6
Senses Darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 17
Languages Common, primordial, one other of their choice.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

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Deciphering mind: The void walker has advantage on all intelligence saving throws and intelligence checks.

Spellcasting: The hunter is a 7th level spellcaster. Its primary casting stat is intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The void walker hunter has the following spells prepared:

Cantrips (At will): mage hand, minor illusion, truestrike
1st level (4 slots): fog cloud, hunter's mark, sleep
2nd level (3 slots): cordon of arrows, pass without trace, silence
3rd level (3 slots): haste, hunger of Hadar, lightning arrows
4th level (1 slot): confusion

Sleepless: This creature does not require sleep, and is immune to the spell sleep. Its long rest lasts for 4 hours instead of 8 and it goes into a meditative state to replenish its energies instead of sleeping

Void Shroud (2/ long rest): The creature becomes invisible for 10 minutes or until they make an attack or cast a spell, and cannot be detected by Blindsight or Blindsense. If a creature makes a DC 20 Wisdom (perception) check, that creature detects a shimmering in the air, and knows the location of this creature.

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Actions

Multiattack: The hunter makes two attacks when they make the attack action, two with their rapier or two attacks with their long bow.

Rapier: Melee attack +6 attack bonus, range 5', one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) psychic damage.

Longbow: Ranged attack +6 attack bonus, range 150'/600', one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.

Spoiler: Void walker assassin

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"The perfect agents to use against all of our... problems. The void walker assassin is highly mobile and hard to find even for members of its same occupation. They will be our punishment squad, sent to kill any dissenters and any who would learn the most terrible, dangerous secrets of reality..."
-Ephiel, right hand of the Void.

Void walker assassin
Medium humanoid (extraplanar), 33% NG, 33% TN, 33% NE, 1% Any

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Armor Class 17 (studded leather armor)
Hit Points 142 (21d8+42)
Speed 35 ft

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Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
12 (+1)	20 (+5)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)

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[b]Saves:/b] Dexterity +9, Intelligence +8, Wisdom +6
Skills Acrobatics +9, Deception +5, Intuition +6, Investigation +12, Perception +10, Stealth +9
Tools: Thieves tools
Senses Darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 20
Languages Common, primordial, Thieve's Cant
Challenge 9 (5000 XP)

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Deciphering mind: The void walker has advantage on all intelligence saving throws and intelligence checks.

Sleepless: This creature does not require sleep, and is immune to the spell sleep. Its long rest lasts for 4 hours instead of 8 and it goes into a meditative state to replenish its energies instead of sleeping.

Hidden strike: The first time the assassin hits a creature they have advantage against in a round, that creature is dealt 28 (8d6) bonus damage. The damaged creature is allowed to make a DC 17 constitution saving throw for half damage from this effect.

Void Shroud (3/ long rest): The creature becomes invisible for 10 minutes or until they make an attack or cast a spell, and cannot be detected by Blindsight or Blindsense. If a creature makes a DC 20 Wisdom (perception) check, that creature detects a shimmering in the air, and knows the location of this creature.

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Actions

Multiattack: When the assassin makes an attack action, they may make one attack with their short sword and one attack with their dagger, or two thrown dagger attacks.

Short sword: Magic melee attack, +10 attack, range 5', single target. Hit: 9 (1d6+6) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) psychic damage.

Dagger: Magic melee or ranged attack, +9 attack, range 5' or 20'/60', single target. Hit: 7 (1d4+5) piercing damage and 7 (2d6) psychic damage. The assassin has 1 dagger that automatically returns to it the instant it hits a target. If the assassin is slain, this dagger is immediately destroyed.

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Reactions

Shadow warp (1/ long or short rest): After being hit by an attack but before damage is rolled, the assassin immediately teleports to an open space within 60', causing the attack to miss. This movement does not provoke and opportunity attack.

Blade dance: When a creature makes a melee attack roll against the assassin and the attack misses, the assassin makes a melee attack against the creature with their dagger.

Spoiler: Void walker captain

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"Leaders, veterans and powerful warriors all, those void walkers who attain the rank of captain are the pillars of any void army. While they are not as offensively geared as many of the soldiers they lead, a captain is an inspiring figure who pushes his troops, making them more powerful and resilient to the most horrifying of attacks, whether they target the body or the mind."

Void walker captain
Medium humanoid (extraplanar), 33% NG, 33% TN, 33% NE, 1% Any

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Armor Class 23 (Full plate, shield, commanding aura)
Hit Points 175 (22d8+66)
Speed 30 ft

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Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
22 (+6)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	20 (+5)	13 (+1)	18 (+4)

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Saves: Strength +10, Constitution +8, Intelligence +9, Wisdom +5
Skills Athletics +10, Intimidation +8, Investigation +9, Persuasion +8
Senses Darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 11
Languages Common, primordial, two others of their choice.
Challenge 12 (8400 XP)

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Aura shield: Whenever the captain or an allied creature is dealt damage by an an attack, spell or other effect with a saving throw, roll 1d8. The damage taken is reduced by the amount rolled.

Commanding aura: Friendly creatures within 20' of the captain may be given an order as a bonus action while in this aura and they gain advantage on their next attack roll or skill check.

Deciphering mind: The void walker has advantage on all intelligence saving throws and intelligence checks.

Sleepless: This creature does not require sleep, and is immune to the spell sleep. Its long rest lasts for 4 hours instead of 8 and it goes into a meditative state to replenish its energies instead of sleeping.

Spellcasting: The captain is a level 11 spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The void walker captain has the following spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): resistance, sacred flame, spare the dying
Level 1 (4 slots): bless, compel duel, heroism, wrathful smite
Level 2 (3 slots): aid, branding smite, magic weapon
Level 3 (3 slots): blinding smite, crusader's mantle, mass healing word
Level 4 (3 slots): aura of life, freedom of movement, staggering smite
Level 5 (2 slots): banishing smite, mass cure wounds
Level 6 (1 slot): heroes' feast

Void Shroud (2/ long rest): The creature becomes invisible for 10 minutes or until they , and cannot be detected by Blindsight or Blindsense. If a creature makes a DC 20 Wisdom (perception) check, that creature detects a shimmering in the air, and knows the location of this creature.

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Actions

Multiattack: The captain makes two attacks with its Blade of Beginnings and Endings, and one with its shield bash.

Shield bash: Melee attack, +10 attack, range 5', single target. Hit: 8 (1d4+6) bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a DC 18 strength saving throw or be shoved back 5' or knocked prone at the captain's choice.

Blade of Beginnings and Endings: Magic melee attack, +12 attack, range 5', single target. Hit: 14 (1d12+8) slashing damage, 4 (1d8) radiant damage and 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.

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Reactions

Parry: When an attack would hit the captain, they may use their reaction to increase their armor class by +4 against the attack.

[b]Shield cover:[b] As a reaction to failing a dexterity saving throw, the captain may remake the saving throw with a +2 bonus.

Spoiler: The Blade of Beginnings and Endings

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A peculiar weapon: The Blade of Beginnings and Endings is born of the void, and all the potential and darkness that lays within. This blade may only be attuned to a being from the void, typically void walkers. Without attunement the blade is a longsword that has a +1 to its attack and damage rolls. Once the blade is attuned, it loses the versatile quality, increases its damage die to 1d12, increases its attack and damage bonus to +2 and it deals 1d8 radiant and 1d8 necrotic damage on a hit. Additionally, the wielder and any allied creature within 20' benefit from the aura shield ability, reducing all incoming damage by 1d8.

Attunement: The only way to end this attunement is to slay the wielder, and there is a 50% chance that this process will permanently destroy the blade, causing it to revert into a normal longsword.

Appearance: The blade is ornate, from the polished obsidian blade, to the opals and platinum etching. The center of the hilt holds a blue and white star tear gem, which radiates with the magical energies. A silver aura glows around the blade's edge, and the fact that it is worth more than a small dutchy is more than apparent to anyone looking at it. Even without the magic, the raw materials are likely worth around 12,000 gold, and any warrior that can claim it as a trophy would be propelled to noble status if they sold it... or it would make an object of envy above the fire place.

Rarity and creation: The cost of the materials and complexity of magic ritual that goes into this weapon's creation vastly limits their commonality. Typically, each faction on the void, with all of their grand mages, demigods and proto-gods can only craft a small handful every decade, so they are reserved and crafted specifically as a reward for those that show the greatest valor and dedication to their cause. Being designed for one specific creature, a Blade of Beginnings and Endings will often die with its wielder if the later falls in the line of duty. For this reason, the blade is often given their wielder's family name and are treated as more of an extension of their master's body than just a tool or overly ornate decoration. No two blades look the same, and each one has their name etched into the star tear gem, allowing anyone familiar with the blade to immediately identify if a sword belongs to its wielder or if it was stollen.

Spoiler: Void walkers as player characters

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Not all void walkers are controlled by a particular side, and not all of them that succeed at their task return home... in fact, some of them find that the freedom from responsibilities is alluring enough to just abandon their mission entirely, though such void walkers should take care to not become too famous, as the void has eyes and ears everywhere and deserters typically are not allowed to walk around unpunished. Often well trained and focused on the arts of war, the life of heroism and adventure calls to a void walker like a siren to a sailor; seductive, sweet and full of promise. Language barrier and cultural differences may just lead to more than a few misunderstandings, but if a void walker can rise above them, then they can be valuable allies.

Names: Void walker names, while they can be unique and differ much like a human's, tend to be themed around the faction the void walker is born into. Common names include:

Male names: Aster, Aira, Aren, Bronn, Cailis, Doram, Empheril, Ender, Gaius, Feris, Kaose, Omega, Lorac, Malzihar, Null, Serin, Terra, Xephile, Vorbrin, Woril, Zed.

Female names: Aima, Aria, Brinn, Cailin, Dores, Emilia, Endira, Gaian, Frigga, Kylie, Orrin, Lorana, Melinda, Nega, Sienna, Terrin, Xinn, Violet, Willow, Ziana.

Ability scores: +1 to either Strength, Dexterity or Constitution, +2 to either Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma
Size: Medium
Land speed: 30'
Improved dark vision: Darkvision 120'
Weapon proficiencies: Rapier, light crossbow, scimitar
Skill proficiencies: Stealth
Deciphering mind: The void walker has advantage on all intelligence saving throws and intelligence checks.
Sleepless: This creature does not require sleep, and is immune to the spell sleep. Its long rest lasts for 4 hours instead of 8 and it goes into a meditative state to replenish its energies instead of sleeping.
Void Shroud: The creature becomes invisible for 10 minutes or until they make an attack or cast a spell, and cannot be detected by Blindsight or Blindsense. If a creature makes a DC 20 Wisdom (perception) check, that creature detects a shimmering in the air, and knows the location of this creature. Once used, the Void Walker must complete a long rest before they can use Void Shroud again.

Spoiler: Void Walkers as NPC's

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The Void Walker stat block may be applied to any NPC humanoid found in the back of the Monster Manual, Volo's Guide to Monsters, and any similar book with a list of NPC professions and titles.

A creature with the Void Walker stat block gains +1 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, and gains the Sleepless, Deciphering Mind and Void Shroud (1/ long rest) abilities.

Spoiler: Combat

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The void walker is an opportunist who thinks before he acts. Often encountered only in small troops or alone, they only fight if they perceive that they have some advantage. Whether that be in numbers, positioning or just resources, if they believe that the fight will end in their favor, they will take advantage of the situation and spring their attack. If they have no advantages, or if their enemy has just proven too powerful, the void walker will seek to avoid confrontation so that they can get into a better position. Sometimes a void walker with his back against the wall has been known to strike a deal or even just surrender to his or her foe, trying to buy themselves time to regain their advantage or just escape. They are not cowards by any means; in fact, if they see a path that will certainly kill the majority of their party but that has a chance of accomplishing their goal, they will take it... it's just that they would rather live to fight another day if given the choice.

Before battle, a void walker will use their ability to hide themselves anywhere to get into an optimal position before they strike. Intelligent and observant, the void walker will either immediately go after his or her target, or they will try to kill or drive away those protecting their targets, depending on which faction they are from. Ex: A void walker from oblivion has no problems killing guards or civilians to neutralize a target, while a void walker from creation will try to keep collateral to a minimum.

In combat, a void walker is difficult to pin down as they can hide in the blink of an eye. Often they will do this if they are injured or if they are focused on by one or more foes to disorient them, allowing the void walker to get into an unexpected position or to escape. A void walker will typically attempt to neutralize more lightly protected foes first, since they tend to fall down faster, and it will give them more of an advantage if they take out an enemy and swing the numbers in their favor. If injured too greatly, the void walker will retreat to recover and make a new plan. They will research their enemy, and after finding out all they can, they will enact an optimal plan to remove the obstacle from their path. Note, not all plans will target a character's physical health...

Spoiler: Void walkers and planar binding or gate

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Being extraplanar means that the void walker lives on a different plane, and they may be summoned and bound by spells that only target outsiders such as demons or angels. Depending on which faction of the void the walker is from, they might have different goals or desire different payments for their assistance. Most often they will be in the business of brokering information, or they might help hunt down and slay a mutual target. It is very uncommon for a void walker to willingly accept a long term contract as a guard, spy or enforcer, despite them being so adept at the job, and they take exceptional offense to being bound or summoned against their will. An involuntarily bound void walker has been known to rebel in every possible way they have available against their ever so temporary masters, going so far as to put them in danger or indirectly kill or otherwise injure the arrogant fool holding them against their will if given the opportunity.

The independent nature of the void walker leads them to talk and even act out of turn. They will even go out of their way to pursue their own goals unless given direct orders to do the contrary! As such, many of the less strict summoners have found void walkers to be a gamble as far as how useful or reliable their void walker "servants" end up being.

When all is said and done, the void walker, while a skillful and very knowledgable ally, also expects to remain at least slightly autonomous, and expects to be freed from their bondage after their duty has been completed. Be warned, a slighted void walker is a dangerous opportunist who has many allies to call upon, and one should be careful in their dealings with these extraplanar assassins.

Wildcards

Legacy: This creature, while heavily modified from its original form, appeared both in a 3.0 supplement to the Oriental Adventures campaign setting, and as a summoned monster for one of the classes in 4e. It has not kept a consistent fluff in either edition, so I'm more than happy to mess with it.
Unorthodox Camouflage: Their ability to bend light to their will as an active cloaking ability makes the void walker both hard to detect and difficult to lock down even in combat. It's usually better than hiding normally, has some loopholes (certain creatures can see though it easier than others, can't move too fast, can't cast spells or attack) and would usually be for setting up/ escaping battles.
Exotic Communication: Primarily speaking in primordial means that the vast majority of PCs will not understand a void walker, and their signs and signals as well make them a bit more difficult to understand as well. While the more advanced or remarkable ones are capable of speaking in common, they only do so if they are taunting a target or if they absolutely need to, saving that revelation for an advantage at a later date.
Friend or Foe?: Able to be bound, summoned and even played, the void walker does seem to fit this category nicely, one would think.
Cultural divide: Being from three distinct and alien societies based on the protection of ideals and terrible, ancient secrets makes interactions with a void walker difficult. So usually, transactions between the void walker and other mortals are kept to a business-only standard.

[Gnomes2169]

Aaaand I should be done, with one day to spare no less!

Woops, little bit of a goof there. Forgot to submit appearance, society and other things. Fixed that now.