Let's Read The Monster Manual II: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Fight Them

[Unoriginal]

As this used to be a very nice thread I'd like to ressurect it - hope that more people will join in again :)

Thanks for writing this entry.


I'm really sorry to not have done it myself and sooner, everyone, I was caught in-between personal issues and a big writing slog.

Personally, I like the art quite a bit.

**5e did mostly away with alignment and all the discussions it spawned at various play tables/internets. I think it is a good oportunity to not see all 'evil creatures' as inherently evil, (i.e.: stupid evil), but to maybe leave some perspective: e.g. they are seen as cruel by their enemies but they themselves would call it rational. Why not give monsters a motivation beyond "to see the world burn". I found the input on good aligned chromatic dragons very interesting btw :)

This I kinda disagree with. In general, Hobgoblins are pragmatic and have more motivations than "see the world burn", sure, but they are also knowingly and happily tyrannical simply because they desire to impose their supremacy on others and enjoy making them suffer. They are deliberately cruel and malevolent with their subordinates (if they displease their superiors), slaves, prisoners and second-class allies, as well as with their enemies in the field, even if they are usually savvy enough to not waste ressources on petty villainy. They act like fascists because they enjoy it way more than the alternatives.

To reference Orwell: if you told an hobgoblin to picture the future as a boot stepping on someone's face, forever, the hobgoblin would see it as a pretty great future as long as the boot is worn by an hobgoblin.

That being said, most evil creatures in D&D weren't "stupid evil", even in previous editions, unless they were played that way on purpose. That is to say, they generally wanted understandable things, like power, riches, pleasure and the like, and their evil was due to how they worked toward that goal

[Shining Wrath]

Also worth noting: Hobgoblins are LE, goblins NE, bugbears CE. In Volo's we learn that they had different gods who were defeated and destroyed by Maglubiyet. Hobgoblins are larger and stronger than goblins, and better organized. They serve as the "leaders" of the goblinoids; bugbears are too few in number and too chaotic. It is the hobgoblins, then, who decide when to summon the 3 races together and march forth as a horde. Hobgoblins treat goblins as slaves and fireball fodder.

My setting has a hobgoblin nation - the players haven't visited them yet. They are always at war with another evil kingdom (fire giants and salamanders) who enslave goblins and hobgoblins; if anyone is going to enslave goblinoids, it's the hobgoblins, not some hotheads. That's how I view them - you can talk to them, you can trust them somewhat, but if they ever see a chance to conquer your land and enslave you, watch out.

Battlefield tactics note: because of Combat Advantage, hobgoblin fortresses should feature 10' wide corridors. Two hobgoblins standing side by side are more powerful than two in a line.

[Unoriginal]

Battlefield tactics note: because of Combat Advantage, hobgoblin fortresses should feature 10' wide corridors. Two hobgoblins standing side by side are more powerful than two in a line.

Good point.

I was also surprised the Hobgoblin Captain had a greatsword rather than a shield. This suggest to me the Captains are more front-liners than "stand in the back and order the troops".

Regarding the Hobgoblin Warlord, while they are pretty good as combat opponents and can make good antagonists for a campaign, I think they lack a bit of je ne sais quoi to be Big Bad material. They always seem to me to be the kind of enemy general that serves the BBEG without truly being in the inner circle, or to be a secondary antagonist who are dangerous for sure, but not quite standing out enough to be the real threat to all the campaign. Note I'm talking about the Hobgoblin Warlord in the MM, not about hobgoblins in general.

[ScathachOfSkye]

I like hobgoblins a lot in this addition, well their NPC stats and lore at least.

Their stat block captures the organized structure of their armies and also makes combat more interesting. Martial Advantage acting similar to Sneak Attack means that positioning for combats involving them is always important and the Leadership ability makes it important to defeat the Captain and Warlord units as it gives a powerful buff to all of its allies.

I've actually used parts of their stats to represent other martially skilled humanoid enemies before.

Hobgoblins lend themselves well to any adventure involving a military campaign, either as the enemy force or as mercenaries that fight for one or both sides. Ultimately, the hobgoblins are conquerors, but they have an orderly and power oriented society (hence Lawful Evil) so they can be a powerful adversary in either battle or diplomacy.

Also, although they are slightly different, I like Eberron's hobgoblins as well due to the different factions within Darguun and their varied sources of political intrigue.

[Regitnui]

That's how I view them - you can talk to them, you can trust them somewhat, but if they ever see a chance to conquer your land and enslave you, watch out.

That's how I see them. Hobgoblins are almost always the lesser of two Evils. They don't want to kill you, and they don't want to eat your or burn your cities and salt your fields. They just want your stuff and to run the world differently. A largely ideological conflict (Tyrants vs Democracy) can always be put aside in the face of a threat to existence. After all, you both want the world just like it is.

[Unoriginal]

I would qualify the hobgoblins not as the lesser of two evils, just as the less immediate one.

They are described in the books as ultra-despotic, and living under their heels is pretty hellish.

It's simply that usually they will try to conquer you with a years-long war that let them establish a strong power base wherever they go. They're not likely to mind-control the local ruler like Aboleth or Illithids would, nor to open a portal in the middle of the capital to let Fiends get out and conquer, nor to do a ritual during the cosmic conjunction that'd grant their leader godhood.

[Regitnui]

That's mine point though, Unoriginal. The hobgoblins are usually the lesser of two evils compared to the aboleth, illithid, or whatever other world-destroying menace, because they like the world productive and functional too.

[MasterMercury]

I would qualify the hobgoblins not as the lesser of two evils, just as the less immediate one.

They are described in the books as ultra-despotic, and living under their heels is pretty hellish.

It's simply that usually they will try to conquer you with a years-long war that let them establish a strong power base wherever they go. They're not likely to mind-control the local ruler like Aboleth or Illithids would, nor to open a portal in the middle of the capital to let Fiends get out and conquer, nor to do a ritual during the cosmic conjunction that'd grant their leader godhood.

Hobgoblins are the best enemy to start and end with. To start with because they are a fairly simple race to fight. They are evil conquerors, expanding their empire. Have just a platoon of them fight the party, and have most of them killed.

Fast forward years later. The party has slain demons, dragons, and unmentionable horrors. They come home to see the great hobgoblin Legion, with bugbear shock-troopers and goblin slaves building machines of war.

Just an Idea, but the versatility of the hobgoblins is one of my favorite things.

[Unoriginal]

That's mine point though, Unoriginal. The hobgoblins are usually the lesser of two evils compared to the aboleth, illithid, or whatever other world-destroying menace, because they like the world productive and functional too.

Aboleths and Illithids aren't world-destroying menaces, though. They want the world productive and functional, too, just to their standards (ie everyone enslaved under them).

[Shining Wrath]

Hobgoblins in general don't eat your brains or mind control you. They just kill you if you don't obey. There's oppression, and there's oppression.

Although they didn't publish it (yet), I think Hobgoblins make fine "NPC with class levels" fodder. There's no reason the BBEG can't be a 20th level hobgoblin druid.

[Regitnui]

Aboleths and Illithids aren't world-destroying menaces, though. They want the world productive and functional, too, just to their standards (ie everyone enslaved under them).

They want the world fundamentally changed. Hobgoblins are practically human, and most of the peasants would hardly notice the fact that their rulers don't look like them anymore.

[Unoriginal]

Hobgoblins in general don't eat your brains or mind control you. They just kill you if you don't obey. There's oppression, and there's oppression.

They want the world fundamentally changed. Hobgoblins are practically human, and most of the peasants would hardly notice the fact that their rulers don't look like them anymore.

You're kind of glossing over the systematic enslavement, the constant surveillance to make sure you obey, the tortures and harsh treatments to break your spirit, and the removal of any rights or free time you ever had.

Hobgoblins are *not* just going to let the people they conquer be relatively free with the only difference who is in charge. They'll take everything from you and then will force you to work in order to produce more benefits for them.

Granted, it's not really different from living under a human totalitarian tyrant, but still.

[DerKommissar]

Granted, it's not really different from living under a human totalitarian tyrant, but still.

I think the "but still" would be interesting to elaborate on. I mean even the red wizards of thay are somewhat accepted and afaik they are pretty mean guys. So are hobgoblins in a human city unthinkable? I think to only use them as bad guys who only want to conquer in the mid-long term wastes a bit of potential. They are not ogres after all, or gnolls...

I guess it boils down to: if a hobgoblin would be brought up by good aligned humans, would he still be necessarily evil? I think in part yes, but less than a gnoll... don't know, as said in the entry: I'm not so happy about the alignments :)

[Unoriginal]

I think the "but still" would be interesting to elaborate on.

The "but still" was just to say that while living under hobgoblin domination is not that different from living under an horrifyingly fascistic human tyrant, it's hardly a desirable position

I mean even the red wizards of thay are somewhat accepted and afaik they are pretty mean guys.

Err, what do you mean? The Red Wizards aren't accepted more than any dictatorship that enforces their will with combat superiority is.

So are hobgoblins in a human city unthinkable?

Depends what you mean. I don't think human cities would have that much problems with individual hobgoblins showing up, and I would even say that hobgoblin mercenary companies would have a reputation for loyalty and reliability, as well as not causing much troubles during downtimes due to their disciplines.

I think to only use them as bad guys who only want to conquer in the mid-long term wastes a bit of potential.

Oh, they don't *only* want that. But if you give them the opportunity, they will.

Of course, if you want to change that in your campaign, I'm not criticizing you or objecting to it, not at all. I'm just saying that the Hobgoblins as portrayed in the books are more Axis Powers or Star Wars' Empire than just "they'll take over and the peasants won't notice".

They are not ogres after all, or gnolls...

Well, they have different tendencies. Gnolls in particular are savage, gluttonous ravagers with a mindset close to the one of the demonic brute.

I guess it boils down to: if a hobgoblin would be brought up by good aligned humans, would he still be necessarily evil? I think in part yes, but less than a gnoll... don't know, as said in the entry: I'm not so happy about the alignments :)

I'd say that an hobgoblin brought up in a less oppressive society would still have some controlling, disciplinarian and sadistic tendencies (as the PHB say, the evil gods created their people with innate urges to make sure their servants would have an harder time not obeying them), but the hobgoblin could be much more benevolent than if brought in a society where benevolence is beaten out of you as soon as a trace is seen, and so could live among humans or others without those urges being a real problem.

[DerKommissar]

Thanks for the answer unoriginal, it gave me some perspective on the matter i didn't have before :)

The mercenary example is what i meant by the red wizards: they are a necessary evil, as they bring magic items with them. So they have enclaves in many cities (according to the wiki)...

Anyways, somebody wants to take a shot at the homunculus? I'd be very interested to read a good take on it, as to me it seems like a rather bland creature and it doesn't stir my imagination at all...

[Unoriginal]

Thanks for the answer unoriginal, it gave me some perspective on the matter i didn't have before :)

You're more than welcome, and thank you again.

The mercenary example is what i meant by the red wizards: they are a necessary evil, as they bring magic items with them. So they have enclaves in many cities (according to the wiki)...

Oh, I see.

Anyways, somebody wants to take a shot at the homunculus? I'd be very interested to read a good take on it, as to me it seems like a rather bland creature and it doesn't stir my imagination at all...

I was going to do it either today or tomorrow. I'll start now and see if anything come up soon, but I don't have that much time in front of me right now.

[DerKommissar]

I'd like to take a shot on the hydra, so if somebody would deal with the hook horror (after the homunculus), it would be much appreciated :)

[ShikomeKidoMi]

The MM does not depict the different ranks, but only the Captain (I think it is the Captain, as the others have shields in their descriptions. On the other hand I think that he is wielding a longsword, not a greatsword. So its hard to tell...)

First, thanks for starting this thread up again.

Moving on, I think that is a greatsword, just more of a real-world sized one than a fantasy one. Admittedly, he's only holding it in one hand, but that's so he can point, he's not swinging it at a foe. The perspective in that picture is weird, but if you look at it, he's holding the sword diagonally away from him and it's still so long that it extends past where his feet should be, hidden by the text box. When your sword's blade alone is notably longer than your leg, that's greatsword territory.

So my guess would be you're right, and that's a hobgoblin captain.

[Regitnui]

Granted, it's not really different from living under a human totalitarian tyrant, but still.

I'm not glossing, but saying this. A tyrant, human or hobgoblin, is an ally versus the world-ending horrors. If your players need to make friends with the evil empire over the hills, hobgoblins are an ideal race to use for that role.

Of course, I'm also from Eberron, where the goblinoid society is largely self-contained. Slavery is only practiced by the evil tribes, and the vast majority of them consider the practice a waste of their time, when their own honour rests on what they contribute for the tribe/country, whether goblin, hobgoblin or bugbear. Using slaves is less honourable than doing the work yourself. They're a LN culture.

[JackPhoenix]

Aboleths and Illithids aren't world-destroying menaces, though. They want the world productive and functional, too, just to their standards (ie everyone enslaved under them).

World-destroying? Perhaps not. But while life under hobgoblin rule would certainly be hard, and their punishment for breaking their rules would be hard, it's much better than ending up exterminated as a threat (though hobgoblins will do that too, they are more willing to make a deal with someone powerful), kept alive like livestock only to have your brain eaten (mind flayers), mind controlled all the time, or experimented on and/or mutated into some aberrant monstrosity that would be more useful (both mind flayers and illithids do that). At least mind flayers need humanoids as a source of brains, aboleths only deal with the surface scum because they lack means to wipe the whole world clean. Or, to add comparison with orcs, another common enemy, being abused even harder or beaten to death just because some orc felt the urge to punch or kill something. Hobgoblins mostly leave you alone as long as you pay your taxes, keep quiet and forget your old gods.


What I find interesting is comparison of standard hobgoblin to NPC guard. They are almost identical, guard gets +1 Wis and Cha compared to hobgoblin, and proficiency in Perception, while hobgoblin gets darkvision. The difference between them is better equipment for hobgoblin and Martial Advantage. And basic orc is physically superior to both, but lacks in the armor department. It's not coincidence I use hobgoblin stats (with human/whatever racial bonuses) to represent better training Karrnathi soldiers have compared to other 3 nations.

Playable hobgoblin race from Volo, however... well, I would expect it to line up with the abilities hobgoblins in MM have... instead, we've got pretty much the perfect wizard race. +Int? Dex or Str would be better (propably Dex, that's what hobo's used to have in 3e), and where did Saving Face came from? Where's hobgoblin iconic 5e racial ability, Martial Advantage?

[ScathachOfSkye]

I'd like to take a shot on the hydra, so if somebody would deal with the hook horror (after the homunculus), it would be much appreciated :)

I have some thoughts on the Hook Horror so I would be happy to do it.

[Unoriginal]

Homunculus


Introduction:

Ah, to create life... A power which rarely seems to give any good result in fiction when attempted by mortals, all thing considered. Maybe as a constant reminder of the hubris of wanting to equal the gods. D&D is no stranger to this trope, what with various weird monsters like the Owlbears often being described as the results of mad wizards' works.

The Homunculus, coming from the lore of alchemy (with a name meaning "little man"), is a partial and mostly benign exemple of this. Present in the game since AD&D at least as a small and weak construct created to be their spies and limited servants, the Homunculi occupy a niche, but well established role.

Art:
Starting strong with a pretty nice artwork, the Homunculus manages to be weird, non-human looking yet very expressive. The design manages to capture the idea of a creature that is not quite natural, but built by someone who has an informed idea of how different natural elements work and who managed to put them together. While there is no true indicator of scale, I find that the artist managed to give the impression of a small being thanks to the proportions and pose of the creature.

As for the feelings it convey, the pictures manages to carry very well the impression of a weak, puny being who needs to be careful yet is still determined in pursuing its observation, as its master ordered.

All in all, a very fine illustration for a creature that wouldn't be out of place in a Spiderwick book or a Del Toro movie like Hellboy.

Purpose and Tactics:

One thing is certain: the purpose of the Homunculus is *not* combat. With its fully deserved Challenge of 0, low HPs and far from extraordinary AC, the construct would be lucky to last one round of combat if anyone decides to attack it. Not to mention it lacks the Flyby of an Owl familiar or the invisibility of a Quasit to use the Help action to assist their master in combat without taking too much risks. As for their attack, Bite, it deals a pitiful damage (yes, damage, singular), and its poison (the Homunculus is probably poisoned due to the mandrake used in its creation), while having an interesting effect, is easy to resist.

However, that is not to say that the Homunculus is useless, as its true purpose is to give a boost to the caster it is bound to.

Sharing senses with its creator, the Homunculus can serve as the go-to spy for mages à la Saruman's crows, not to mention how they essentially grant their creators darkvision and allow them to surprise their opponents by giving the caster unusual lines of sights, especially interesting in an environment where those are limited by obstacles like trees or rocks.

Furthermore, and something that should not be ignored, is that their also grant their creator a kind-of-resistance to charm effect. Since the Homunculus is still able to think independently, and is immune to being charmed, it is perfectly capable to warn its master if their mind is being manipulated, and even charmed, it'd take a very poor caster to ignore their Homunculus's warnings that something is fishy.

Finally, the Homunculus being immune to poison, its creator can use it to handle dangerous substances, which might even come handy in combat, and I could totally see a Wizard put something valuable in a very toxic hiding spot as they know their construct can recover it without troubles.

Fluff:

While short, the Homunculus entry is perfectly functional, covering their creation, their main jobs, and the bonds they have with their creators, and adds a few nice details like mandrake root being involved in their creation ritual.

Still, one should not forget that the Homunculuses are still sapient beings on their own, and nothing is stopping them from having personalities and quirks very different from the ones of its creators. A DM could have fun pairing a grumpy workaholic Wizard with a lazy, laid-back Homunculus, a prime-and-proper, haughty Warlock with a crass and disheveled Homunculus, or a carefree Sorcerer, rebellous scion of a noble family, with a butler-esque distinguished gentleman contruct.

Hooks:

Dead Men Tell Snow Tales

As the PCs are waiting for a snowstorm to pass in an inn, an Homunculus carrying an urgent message arrives and give it to them. Its master, the Sorcerer Aniko, has discovered this snowstorm is not a natural phenomenon, but has been captured by the ones responsible. Are you a bad enough dude to save the Sorcerer?

I Spy with my Little Eye...

Unknowingly of all, the Wizard Doran Solace has taken over the town of Marchtrees, using magic to disguise himself as the mayor. As the PCs approach, the Wizard's Homunculus is keeping an eye on them...


Busby's Friendly Games and Wonderous Competitor-Driven Challenges Extravaganza!

The Homunculus Busby, having some free time while its master is in vacation, decides to have some fun and organize a small competition where all passerbies are invited, the adventurers included. Race through the forest, game of chess, horseshoes contest, boxing! If one of the contestants can beat all of its challenges, Busby will give them one or two valuable potions from its master's reserve.

Verdict: A strange UFO of a monster for sure, but certainly far from a bad one.

[Regitnui]

Ah, the homunculus. The monster in the manual that disappointed me the most. Not because it's bad, mind you. I like the little guy, it's just rather underwhelming when Eberron to the concept of "mage's servant" and ran with it, resulting in homunculi like the packmate (animated container), iron defender (doglike construct), dedicated wright (item maker), furtive filcher (ashy thief), expeditious messenger (flying lemur), arbalester (living bow) and persistent harrier (spiny flanker). This could have been an entire category of monsters, with one or two line write-ups like the mephits, but we had just the one...

Not a bad one. Just a rather boring one.

[War_lord]

On the subject of Hobgoblins, I think they work best as a secondary antagonist in a campaign where the the big bad is something like a Green Dragon. They're a credible threat for the party to repeatedly defeat while keeping the big bad's mystique intact.

[JackPhoenix]

Ah, the homunculus. The monster in the manual that disappointed me the most. Not because it's bad, mind you. I like the little guy, it's just rather underwhelming when Eberron to the concept of "mage's servant" and ran with it, resulting in homunculi like the packmate (animated container), iron defender (doglike construct), dedicated wright (item maker), furtive filcher (ashy thief), expeditious messenger (flying lemur), arbalester (living bow) and persistent harrier (spiny flanker). This could have been an entire category of monsters, with one or two line write-ups like the mephits, but we had just the one...

Not a bad one. Just a rather boring one.

That's the result of FR pushing. And remember, basic homunculus was also the only homunculus in 3.5e MM, everything else came with Eberron. But even if WotC actually release Eberron, it's not certain we'll get improved homunculi if they'll keep with the latest version of artificer.

[Unoriginal]

Homunculuses are typically the kind of monsters you can easily add variations in other books.

In any case, it doesn't take much work to make them entertaining.

[Regitnui]

That's the result of FR pushing. And remember, basic homunculus was also the only homunculus in 3.5e MM, everything else came with Eberron. But even if WotC actually release Eberron, it's not certain we'll get improved homunculi if they'll keep with the latest version of artificer.

I know, but it wouldn't be too far off that the FR has a packmate or arbalester. It would have been very easy to include one or two variants, so easy that I wonder why they haven't.

[ScathachOfSkye]

Hook Horror

Intro

The Hook Horror is one of those strange DnD monsters that are a mixture of two or more mundane creatures and large portion of sheer absurdity. For the Hook Horror, it is part vulture, part beetle, with the addition of several other features such as giant hooks for arms, echolocation, and a very rudimentary form of society. It is one of the long line of creatures that live in caves and the Underdark with the purpose of attacking your players.

Art

The Monster Manual provides us with a full body picture of a Hook Horror posturing in what seems to be an aggressive stance. There is no real sense of scale to tell us that this is a Large sized creature as opposed to being about the size of a normal bird. The positioning of many of the spines that cover its body seem odd, as they seem to be concentrated in the spots that would be most cumbersome for its motion and those on its face almost look like cat's whiskers rather than spines. Similarly, something about its musculature seems off, although the definition on them does help portray its high Strength score. The coloration of this piece does work in its favor, I especially like how its eyes seem pale and underdeveloped, portraying its limited 10ft of darkvision.

Two small sketches of the Hook Horror show it from different angles. The top one provides a close up of its face that is actually relatively broad, more similar to an eagle's than a vulture. The bottom picture shows off the large beetle exoskeleton that provides the Hook Horror's natural armor. Overall, the art seems a little off, but does do a good job of depicting some of the aspects of the stat block.

Purpose and Tactics

The Hook Horror in combat primarily serves as a simple melee monster of moderate difficulty that your players can encounter either alone or in small packs. Its hit points are below par for its CR, but its moderate AC can help alleviate this somewhat. The monster's fluff calls out it acting as an ambush hunter, but its Stealth modifier is +0, making it unsuited for the task other than its ability to climb up cave walls using its climbing speed. On the other hand, the Hook Horrors own +3 Perception boosted with likely advantage from Keen Hearing and Blindsight makes it difficult for players to get the jump on it and would make it work well as a guardian for the lair of some sort of boss monster.

Once combat is initiated, the Hook Horror provides a very simple threat as its only means of fighting is making two attacks with its namesake hooks. These attacks do a standard amount of damage for a CR 3 creature and have no riders. By itself, a Hook Horror likely will not provide a particularly interesting opponent. It does have a weakness that can be exploited as the Hook Horror cannot use its Blindsight when deafened, potentially crippling its ability to deal with ranged threats.

Fluff

An omnivore that will eat anything or anyone that happens to wander into its territory. Hook Horror's actually have their own language made by hitting its hooks against hard surfaces. This can provide a little bit of suspense as players will likely hear the echoing strikes that a Hook Horror uses to communicate to others of its kind before they see the creature itself. These monsters live in small clans ruled by an alpha female, meaning that it is perfectly reasonable for encounters with several Hook Horrors to occur.

Hooks

Get it, he has hooks for arms. Alright, now that the obvious pun is out of the way we can continue.

The PCs are wandering through the Underdark when the more perceptive members of the party hear what sounds like a rock falling ahead. Several more of these noises at various distances can be heard getting closer before they suddenly stop. Unknown to the players, a Hook Horror pack has located the players and set up an ambush just around the next corner.

The party needs to acquire a magic item within the drow city's vaults, but its interior is guarded by a clan of Hook Horrors and magical darkness fills many of the twisting tunnels within. Can they figure out a strategy for sneaking through undetected or will they try to fight an opponent head on that can "see" perfectly fine despite the darkness?

The players discover a small clan of Hook Horrors that seems to have made efforts to become more like humanoid races, using their languages and technology. When they approach the clan, they are not immediately attacked, but instead the leader of the pack attempts to communicate with them, what will they do?

Verdict

The Hook Horror fills a purpose as one the the weird creatures to challenge the PCs for an enjoyable encounter or two, but it lacks the depth required to be especially memorable or the focus of a longer adventure.

[Regitnui]

They don't grab me. /pun

I'd like to use them, but that would require I get a group to a place where these things can be considered mooks. Though I'm AFB, the lack of Sunlight Sensitivity or similar limiting trait makes these guys more interesting that just being underground monsters. Nocturnal hook horrors stalking a party through the jungle, anyone? Or maybe they cling to the sides of buildings in the bigger cities of D&D (Sharn from Eberron, as an example) and survive by eating pets or the homeless. While they aren't particularly interesting, they can be used anywhere there's a little verticality to add interest to an encounter.

[ShikomeKidoMi]

The Monster Manual provides us with a full body picture of a Hook Horror posturing in what seems to be an aggressive stance. There is no real sense of scale to tell us that this is a Large sized creature as opposed to being about the size of a normal bird. The positioning of many of the spines that cover its body seem odd, as they seem to be concentrated in the spots that would be most cumbersome for its motion and those on its face almost look like cat's whiskers rather than spines. Similarly, something about its musculature seems off, although the definition on them does help portray its high Strength score. The coloration of this piece does work in its favor, I especially like how its eyes seem pale and underdeveloped, portraying its limited 10ft of darkvision.

This art's pretty good, though I like the 2nd edition version of the Hook Horror best.

Spoiler

Show

It's less muscular in build but that just makes it resemble a mantis more. Besides visible musculature isn't really much of a thing for creatures with an exoskeleton. And the placement of it's body spikes is a lot more practical looking. The smaller hooks look nastier somehow to me, too. Sharper.

Not everything gets scarier looking by being beefier.