So there are several threads here that talk about various facets of different people’s campaigns and worlds like favorite NPCs, religious structures, interesting places and the worlds themselves.
However, in this thread I’m curious to hear about some of the more unique creatures you have created or adapted into your campaign worlds.
Starting off, in my world I have several different species of Aboleth. During the war between the Gods and the Primordials, two ancient twin Aboleths attempted to reach the planes connected to these two warring factions to harness some of their powers to gain the upper hand for their own kind. However upon reaching these planes they were inexplicably changed by the energies radiating from these places and became something entirely new. Shunned by their own kind for being tainted by these titans, they now roam the Material Plane as god-like beings.
The Primordial Aboleth created offsprings infused with a different elements from the Elemental Chaos. These were the Lave-Flow Aboleths, the Sky-Skimmer Aboleths, the Torrent-Soul Aboleths, and the Stone-Shaper Aboleths. Their elements should be obvious.
The Celestial Aboleth created offsprings as well, namely the Starlight Aboleth (based around the Twilight domain and moon/night deities), Solar Aboleth (based around the Light domain and sun deities), the Soul-Song Aboleth (based on the Life and Peace Domain), and the War-Song Aboleth (based on the War and Order domains).
These Aboleth are rare but they are powerful, and unlike their more Aberrant counterparts, they are often more neutral with dips into the other alignment depending on the individual.
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"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
In my homebrew world, there is type of creature called "demonspawn," which are creatures created by demons. The term is also used as a derogatory name for tieflings. Demonspawn span all different creature types, from aberration (demonfire), to plant (bloodthorn bush), to elemental (frostshard slayer). Each also has unique origins.
Bloodthorn Bushes, which appear as pale grey thorn bushes, and Thorn Sprouters, which appear as long tangles of vines with arrow shaped "heads" were both created by the demon lord Vyxnoroq. The defining trait of the Bloodthorn Bushes is their ability to suck blood out of the body, and they turn a crimson color when they're full. Thorn Sprouters have the ability to spit an acidic substance out of their arrowhead "face". Both are plants.
Demonfires appear as balls of celestial flame and were created by the demon lord Ladrora to lure travelers and adventurers to their doom. While they are only just intelligent enough understand and obey orders from their demonic masters, demonfires take a malicious glee in finishing off their helpless prey. Demonfires are aberrations.
Dualblood Engorgers appears as gelatinous semi-translucent blue blobs that expand and are tinted red when they come in contact with human flesh. They're created when a demon consumes itself in order to not starve. Dualblood Engorgers are oozes.
Frostshard Slayers appear as 6 foot tall shards of pale blue crystal that looks like it's made of ice. They're created from the crystalized blood of a mortal and a demon lord. They have the ability to fire rays of cold, and they can slash creatures with miniature crystals that orbit around them. Frostshard Slayers are elementals.
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All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew:Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
I really like the Dualblood Engorgers, the idea of a demon consuming itself only to become something even more grotesque and disturbing is brilliant!
Thanks!
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All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew:Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
in my world there is a bunch of monsters called monsters of shadow or shadow demons of lolth. there made by elves that use magic from lolth that she got from the plane of shadow, so some of the monster's of my setting dont have living versions but instead are creations of magic. i haven't really fleshed out what monsters in my setting are made from shadow magic or not, but so far i got lycanthropes that just look like people wrapped in shadowy illusions, griffons that have black fur and feathers with black smoke rising from them, and wraiths who are the spirits of elf worshipers who got rejected by lolth and now cant move on to the afterlife in the abyss.
another creature i changed is the doppelganger which are constructs instead because they can be made inside of a special magic cauldron if you have the right ingredients. this way a rich villain can have a large number of shapeshifters as expendable minions.
More a creature than a monster, and more a race at that, though I've not made any playable rules for them.
The N'ka'ch'ka, a race of 4-5ft tall humanoid woodlice. Their name originates from the clicking noises they use to communicate. They are indigenous to the Wooden Mountain, a colossal natural structure made entirely of ancient trees intertwined together. It extends far blow the ground as well as rising above it, where the weight of the trees has caused it to sink over the thousands of years it has been growing. Meanwhile, the N'Ka'Ch'Ka have tended the roots of the wooden mountain, keeping it healthy. They mine the various types of amber which form from the saps of the tree, and have various properties. Their social structure is akin to that of an ant nest, wit ha single giant queen deep within the wooden mountain. There are 3 known castes of the N'ka'ch'ka; Workers, Warriors and Custodes. The Workers are 4-5ft tall, stocky and strong, capable of lifting heavy loads. The warriors are 5-6ft tall, with thicker shells and quicker movements. The Custodes are more anthropomorphic, with softer shells, quicker minds and slighter builds. They are the custodians of the Wooden Mountains great galleries, where the history of the world is stored, locked in the resins and amber mined from deep within the mountain. These galleries are stunning, with the polished amber showing creatures trapped within the resin, caught where they fell and locked eternal as proof of the creatures which once wandered these realms. The high order of the Custodes is privy to the Forbidden Gallery - a vault containing things which are considered too dangerous or too disturbing to be shown to the world.
I also have in the works a type of reptile which works in a similar manner to a chameleon, but is also capable of producing flashes of light, which are blinding to most and cause damage to those with darkvision (and extra damage to those with sunlight sensitivity). It hunts by using illusions to disguise itself.
Another creature (inspired by a creature in my favourite book series) is a flying shapechanger which feeds on fear. It's capable of casting illusions to trick its foes, and whilst it is fundamentally immune to all damage except radiant, it is easy to kill if you do have radiant damage, and it cannot inflict damage to anyone - it exclusively messes with the heads of parties; casting illusions and fear spells to feed on the fear and attempt to trick people to their deaths - for the sweetest fear it feeds on is at the moment of death.
oooh ok im so glad I found this thread, creatures and monsters were the first things that actually inspired me to make my world !!
Sunscreechers: Vulture-like wyverns that stand at about 7 ft. tall at the shoulders. They have beaked mouths and two forlegs, in addition to a sweeping tail with a small feather plumage on the end. Their wings are batlike but layered in coarse feathers. They range from a pale beige to a deep gold. Sunscreechers live in the skies for most of their life, touching the ground only to drink and rest. They can fly for weeks without rest and are carnivorous scavengers. They also tend to be extremely territorial, but are cowardly and will not fight to the death. They earn their name for their loud screeching sound when they spot prey, which they circle and incite to run. As the prey flees, they swoop down and carry it into the air, only to drop it from an astounding height. Since their beaked mouths have only small teeth, they don't actively try to bite their prey, instead using their taloned claws for battle. Some elf races have found ways to tame and ride the creatures, allowing to aerial combat.
Dunecrawlers: Huge lizards about the size of a pickup truck and just as wide. Their backs are covered in thick plated armor and their front and rear talons have 6 fingers each, adapted for swift digging. The horns on the front of their flat heads serve as an additional digging tool to help cover their faces. Dunecrawlers submerge themselves in the sand and leave their mouths open for days, waiting for small creatures to wander inside what appears to be a cave. They are not aggressive, but if a creature strays near its mouth, it will attack and attempt to consume them. They're lightning fast when pouncing, but are terrible runners.
Ghosts: Ghosts (since there are no actual ghosts in the world) are tall, lean horses with large cloven hooves. Their eyes and bodies are sunken in and sallow, and their skin is a pale sickly white. They are extremely skittish and will flee from anything that enters their line of sight. Ghosts can sprint for vast lengths of time and are extremely fast. Although attempted, they make terrible mounts and flee or die of stress when put in an inclosed environment. They require little to no water and are actually known to sift through and eat certain elements of sand.
Drakeans: One of the most common species, Drakeans are used as mounts by most races. They are fairly durable and resemble velociraptors with plates armor and thick horns on their heads. Their talons are retractable for use on a wide range of terrain. They tend to be fairly temperamental and aren't remarkably fast, but they make up for speed in endurance. They lay eggs and are natural pack animals. They stand at around 8 ft. tall at the crown of their head, 6 ft tall at the shoulder. Drakeans are typical mounts for lone riders or riders without much baggage.
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— δ cyησ • τηε crσc mαsτεr • hε/hιm δ — “sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ, ɪ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ, ɪɴ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴜs.” ——————| EXTENDED SIG |—————— Φ • happily married to • ☁️ℝ𝔼𝔻ℙ𝔼𝕃𝕋☁️ • As vast as the sun, stars, and the sky itself, so is my promise to you • Φ
Now, imagine a Tarrasque but scale it up to the size of the largest mountain you can think of. Now picture it with jet black scale, and back plates and horns that seem to be dripping with shadows. It’s eyes like red glowing embers. It can breath a concentrated beam-like breath weapon of pure white fire that is very dangerous to any being of a fiendish, shadowy, or undead nature.
Now imagine that it’s whole purpose is to engorge itself on these sorts of creatures, protecting the world from these dark being and their evil machinations. Now imagine that it can speak to you, and when communed with it can grant you a small portion of its power, via prayer or pact. And if you are lucky enough to be deemed worthy? You may be able to join it on the tainted battlefields, finding honor and glory in slaying the very things of nightmares in the presence of this god-like creature.
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"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Now, imagine a Tarrasque but scale it up to the size of the largest mountain you can think of. Now picture it with jet black scale, and back plates and horns that seem to be dripping with shadows. It’s eyes like red glowing embers. It can breath a concentrated beam-like breath weapon of pure white fire that is very dangerous to any being of a fiendish, shadowy, or undead nature.
Now imagine that it’s whole purpose is to engorge itself on these sorts of creatures, protecting the world from these dark being and their evil machinations. Now imagine that it can speak to you, and when communed with it can grant you a small portion of its power, via prayer or pact. And if you are lucky enough to be deemed worthy? You may be able to join it on the tainted battlefields, finding honor and glory in slaying the very things of nightmares in the presence of this god-like creature.
nice!! I love the shadow armored aesthetic!
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— δ cyησ • τηε crσc mαsτεr • hε/hιm δ — “sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ, ɪ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ, ɪɴ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴜs.” ——————| EXTENDED SIG |—————— Φ • happily married to • ☁️ℝ𝔼𝔻ℙ𝔼𝕃𝕋☁️ • As vast as the sun, stars, and the sky itself, so is my promise to you • Φ
Ladrora is the demon lord of corruption and decay. She stands 15 feet tall, with the upper body of a sickly humanoid, and the lower body of grotesque worm. Flaming wings also sprout from her back, granting her the power of flight. Ladrora delights in warping creatures into twisted amalgamations, and she created many terrible horrors, such as the chimera, the basilisk, and Arshirog, monstrous creatures of flame created by exposure to a horrific disease. Ladrora has the power to cause insanity with a mere touch, or release terrible plagues upon her foes.
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All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew:Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Ladrora is the demon lord of corruption and decay. She stands 15 feet tall, with the upper body of a sickly humanoid, and the lower body of grotesque worm. Flaming wings also sprout from her back, granting her the power of flight. Ladrora delights in warping creatures into twisted amalgamations, and she created many terrible horrors, such as the chimera, the basilisk, and Arshirog, monstrous creatures of flame created by exposure to a horrific disease. Ladrora has the power to cause insanity with a mere touch, or release terrible plagues upon her foes.
Ladrora is the demon lord of corruption and decay. She stands 15 feet tall, with the upper body of a sickly humanoid, and the lower body of grotesque worm. Flaming wings also sprout from her back, granting her the power of flight. Ladrora delights in warping creatures into twisted amalgamations, and she created many terrible horrors, such as the chimera, the basilisk, and Arshirog, monstrous creatures of flame created by exposure to a horrific disease. Ladrora has the power to cause insanity with a mere touch, or release terrible plagues upon her foes.
Didn't Xhandras defeat Ladrora?
Yes, but it was on the Material Plane, so she reformed in the Abyss.
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All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew:Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Ladrora is the demon lord of corruption and decay. She stands 15 feet tall, with the upper body of a sickly humanoid, and the lower body of grotesque worm. Flaming wings also sprout from her back, granting her the power of flight. Ladrora delights in warping creatures into twisted amalgamations, and she created many terrible horrors, such as the chimera, the basilisk, and Arshirog, monstrous creatures of flame created by exposure to a horrific disease. Ladrora has the power to cause insanity with a mere touch, or release terrible plagues upon her foes.
Didn't Xhandras defeat Ladrora?
Yes, but it was on the Material Plane, so she reformed in the Abyss.
Also known as field demon, the blightmare once was a noble mare or steed that was posessed by an evil spirit from the lower planes, conjured by a vengeful hag or other creatures of evil intent. Its aura of decay lets crops rot on the field and spreads disease among cattle and humanoids.
A blightmare's appearence is that of an almost starved grey horse with glowing eyes and the maw of a wolf, covered in patches of luminous mold. By day it hides from the sun seeking shelter in murky waters, by night it prowls through fields and orchards, destroying harvest by its mere presence and attacking lone wanderers that brave the darkness.
The next monster is one I would love to play (the avatar says it all), except I only have two level 5 PCs. I look forward to the time when I can implement this monster in a scenario that revolves around it.
Welcome to : the cloaker lord
The cloaker lord is a kind of queen bee of the cloakers. This monster of the underdark is huge and could envelop a cloud giant. Its neck is longer, its teeth are similar to those of abyssal fish. Its tail is even longer and looks like a whip, and what about those 4 pairs of mandibles on its torso! When we look at the sketches of this monster, it is hard to imagine that this abomination could be furtive and silent. However, it is with this mentality that many adventurers have perished by approaching its nest while being badly prepared.
The most important characteristics of the cloaker lord are his moan that hypnotizes humanoids and controls aberrations - cloakers included, as well as his lair, a network of caves large enough to accommodate him and hordes of cloakers that devour everything in their path and prowl for miles around, as well as its larvae eating the mycelium of luminescent mushrooms, contaminating and weakening them, making the still living mushrooms blink and rotting in a supernatural way the dead ones.
In my campaign, the known world is on the back of the tarrasque and beyond it is a barren desert. The entrance to the underdark is beyond the tarrasque, for it is the hole it left when it rose. This is how the oceans rushed into the hole and flooded the lowerdark. Unusual and frightening monsters have developed in this abyss. The PCs will have to make an excursion there, as a powerful lich has built its lair. To repel intruders, the lich has convinced a cloaker lord to set up his nest in front of the only entrance to the lowerdark and to let the lich pass through whenever it wishes. From then on, hordes of cloakers will hunt and raze villages throughout the middledark. The other creatures will mysteriously disappear little by little. The lord cloaker wishes to steal the knowledge and powers of the lich, and to do so, hunts down all the aberrations to gather them and make them his "zombie servants", to ambush the lich. The cloaker lord fiercely defends his territory, so the PCs will have to dislodge him to get through. But how? Kill him? Or make a deal with him to kill the lich, potentially resulting in an even more powerful supervillain? This promises to be fun.
And again, this monster comes from the underdark. Imagine if one of them came to the surface in the Forgotten Realms and gradually made the population disappear?
I've been coming up with ways of spicing up the normal wildlife of my world, and I've come up with two categories of creatures. The first of these two are the Living Constructs.
Living Constructs - This creatures are a strange enigma to the wild and savage lands of Multa, one of the continents on the Plane of Salvera. These strange machines seem to mimic the natural flora and fauna their forms imitate, from the tiniest of insects and the smallest of flowers to the largest of titanic beasts and the mightiest trees. Despite their nature, they seem to require sustenance to survive in the forms of water, magic in various forms and solid fuel both organic and not. They even seem to be able to reproduce and grow in size and strength much like any natural creature.
Those that study the remains of one of these constructs find that their systems are far more complex then any construct made by mortal hands, an infusion of complex magical energies and tech not even the most skilled of artificers can decipher. Some claim that the first of these machines were created by the Soul Forge, one of the great Lights responsible for stabilizing Salvera after the Gods abandoned the plane at the end of the devastating Dawn Wars. Though, it's not in the Soul Forge's nature to divulge their secrets to mere mortals.
Many categories of these Living Constructs exists, each defined by the various metals and other inorganic materials they are made from. From the bulky stone constructs to the fire resilient iron constructs, and from the lustrous and light weight golden constructs to the magically charge gem constructs. Each one have their own strange and powerful abilities unique to their inorganic make-up.
I've an interesting creature I've invented for my homebrew world. I'm looking forward to introducing this to the group as a friendly little critter, and I'm seriously hoping that they decide to take it on as a pet (it's going to be very cute and cuddly). Having one nearby when they get into combat could have crazy results!
So, I made a fun creature inspired by Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse that Odin rode in Norse mythology.
The Drasill:
The battle was fierce, blade and spell clashing as my companions and I fought off against the bandit chief and his remaining lackeys. The fighting had been rough, with much blood shed on both sides. As one of those blasted berserkers rushed towards me, I called upon the arcane energy at my disposal and quickly recited a familiar incantation. I had cast this spell many times before, it was almost second nature when I felt myself leave the space I had once occupied. This time however, instead of reappearing where I had meant to move.....time seemed to freeze for just a bit. I looked around, recalling the area as familiar and yet.....not. My companions were no where to be seen, nor were the bandits.....save for one. One of those archers that had fallen in the battle was here too. How though I wondered, for I had seen one of my companions cleave the head off of his body. Then the man turned to me, his expression fearful, blood staining his neck and his clothing as clear signs of his mortal injuries. Gods, but he didn't even look to have reached his twentieth winter. Such a waste of life I thought. It was then that my brain caught up with what was going on, the Ethereal Plane....that must be where I am. My mentor had told me a bit able this place, how mages can use magic to travel between the material world and this ghostly plane where spirits tread. But why was I lingering here?
Before either of us could speak, we heard a noise that caught our attention. The sound of several hooves and a howling, ghostly whicker of a horse. Soon, we were approached by a frightening sight. A massive stallion who's pale gray hide was so taut that it seemed every bone was visible, save for where the skull was as if the flesh had eroded away. The horse rode on eight near skeletal legs which were bath in a sickly bluish-green flames that trailed up from the hooves, the same flame that made up the wild mane and tail of this ghostly beast, connected by a fiery trail along it's back. It's eyes were alight with that same ghostly blaze as it rode up to the young bandit, before stopping a short distance away. It seem to stare directly into the young man's eyes. The bandit backed away a bit, his face lighting up with a dreadful realization, before tears began to fall. I could only stare in silence, the sight both frightening and sorrowful. Then the bandit spoke, his voice shaken and near to break.
"Please.....no, I can't.....please...."
As if stirred by the young man's fear and melancholy, the horse slowly walked towards him. As it approached, we both watch at it began to change. The sickly flames transformed into a soft blue blaze, bathing the area in a calming warmth. It's pale gray hide transforming into a coat of pure white. No longer did the horse look like a near skeleton but a powerful and vibrant steed full of vigor and vitality, young and full of life just as the young man had been before he was cut down. As the bandit watched this transformation, he seemed to calm some, as if comforted by the creature's change and the soothing aura it now took. What once had been a look of fear and denial, was slowly morphing into grim acceptance. As the stallion reach the man, he had to look up at the creature to keep eye contact. The horse then lowered it's muzzle to the man, who's tears continued to flow down.
"I'm scared...."
Without hesitation, the horse then bowed down with an uncanny amount of flexibility. It was an offer, I realized somehow. The horse would take him to what lies beyond the veil of life, so he didn't have to travel alone. As the young bandit watch, he took a deep breath, his last breath. Then he climbed upon the horse's back, cautiously grabbing onto it's fiery mane. As the horse rose up, it turned to me, as if it eyes bore into my very soul. Then with a howling whicker, it galloped off into the mist of the plane. As the two spirits started to leave my vision, I was suddenly back in the fray of battle. Regaining my composure, I aided my companions in finishing the fight. However, as they busied themselves with gather up the stolen goods and coin, I was drawn to the young bandit's body. Despite the gruesome sight, his face seemed peaceful. I'm not much of a religious man.....but I couldn't help but pray a small prayer that he found peace....and should I someday fall, that such a creature as that stallion would be there to guide me beyond the veil too.
This undead creature is native to Salvera, and resembles a large horse with eight legs and a fiery mane and tail. Though these strange beasts can be seen roaming the lands of the material plane, they typically make their homes on Salvera's Ethereal Plane. Despite their ghostly appearance, these creatures are typically friendly towards those they happen to come across, only becoming hostile if attacked and often willing to aid lost travelers in finding their way. They are said to be some of the fastest and most agile steeds one can find. While they are content to just roam around, these creatures are drawn towards the mortal souls of the recently deceased that appear in the Ethereal Plane. The Drasill will often approach these souls and act as guides and mounts that will take them to their appropriate afterlives.
One of the most curious traits of these creatures is their ability to change their appearance depending on those they encounter. Sometimes they look like eight-legged nightmares with shadowy black coats, demonic faces and bathed in hellfire. Other times they look like sickly pale horses who's bones show through pale or rotting skin, their flames a sickly green or bluish-green in hue. Sometimes they instead look like ghostly white stallions with warm blue flames, or powerful steed who's coat are aglow with golden radiance and their manes like holy fire. Sometimes they look to be little more then an incorporeal horse-like wisp or an animated skeleton with flames of various colors. Regardless of their form however, their eyes show a deep level of empathy and intelligence and their soothing auras aid those in acceptance and moving on to the next life.
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"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
I can't believe I missed this thread! I have quite a few:
I like your homebrew Aboleths, but I have my own one that is kind of similar to a few of yours: The Shibboleths (inspired by a real world term with an age-old history). A Shibboleth is an elder aboleth that not only remembers that they were created by Pisaethces the Blood Queen, but worship her as their creator deity (after all, she predates the coming of the Gods to Abeir-Toril). Basically, they're archpriest-aboleths with blood and water-related spells, like Control Water, Create/Destroy Water, and so on, but the water that they control/create through their spellcasting appears as blood-colored mucus. They're essentially the "Hive-Mothers" of the few remaining aboleth dens, having the whole run of the place, commanding younger and less powerful aboleths, and having the most slaves (typically kuo-toa and sahuagin).
The Dream Watchers and Dream Snatchers. Hundreds of years ago, an Elder Evil from the Far Realm sent out a fragment of its whole self to venture into the now secluded worlds of Tor-eal, curious of the unique nature of the world. Eventually, this Elder Evil found a demiplane drifting through the Deep Ethereal that strangely felt a bit like home, the Demiplane of Nightmares. This alien entity decided that to use a bit of its aberrant powers to transform and expand this demiplane, separating it from being a part of the Deep Ethereal, and causing it to become a whole plane of existence; the Plane of Dreams. In the act of using great power to promoting a mere demiplane into a whole plane of existence, the Entity bound itself to this plane of existence, causing the fragment of it that is dwelling in Tor-eal to be incapable of leaving the Plane of Dreams so long as it exists. In order to balance out this major restriction to its ability to act freely in Tor-eal, the Entity used even more of its power to cause the minds of creatures to venture into the Plane of Dreams as they slept, forming their own "dream hubs" for their dreams to play out as the servants of the Entity watches (now being known only as "That-Which-Watches-Us-In-The-Night"). Its servants are the Dream Watchers (Medium-sized floating eyeballs with psychic-damaging mind-blasts) and Dream Snatchers (Medium-sized floating human hands that drag people back into the dream hubs if they ever somehow escape). That-Which-Watches-Us-In-The-Night dwells in the very center of the Plane of Dreams, appearing as a giant eyeball the size of the Sun with an aberrant-purple and deep-orange iris.
Gem Golems. They come in all variety of gemstones, typically serve Gemstone Dragons, and have minor telekinetic powers.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Not really a creature or even battle mechanic, but I changed Derro's fluff so any monster or aberration that eats Derro flesh is infected with Derro madness and could be enslaved by their sorcerers. This turns usually low-threat enemies into a deadly force, combining multiple monsters that don't usually work together in their armies.
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So there are several threads here that talk about various facets of different people’s campaigns and worlds like favorite NPCs, religious structures, interesting places and the worlds themselves.
However, in this thread I’m curious to hear about some of the more unique creatures you have created or adapted into your campaign worlds.
Starting off, in my world I have several different species of Aboleth. During the war between the Gods and the Primordials, two ancient twin Aboleths attempted to reach the planes connected to these two warring factions to harness some of their powers to gain the upper hand for their own kind. However upon reaching these planes they were inexplicably changed by the energies radiating from these places and became something entirely new. Shunned by their own kind for being tainted by these titans, they now roam the Material Plane as god-like beings.
The Primordial Aboleth created offsprings infused with a different elements from the Elemental Chaos. These were the Lave-Flow Aboleths, the Sky-Skimmer Aboleths, the Torrent-Soul Aboleths, and the Stone-Shaper Aboleths. Their elements should be obvious.
The Celestial Aboleth created offsprings as well, namely the Starlight Aboleth (based around the Twilight domain and moon/night deities), Solar Aboleth (based around the Light domain and sun deities), the Soul-Song Aboleth (based on the Life and Peace Domain), and the War-Song Aboleth (based on the War and Order domains).
These Aboleth are rare but they are powerful, and unlike their more Aberrant counterparts, they are often more neutral with dips into the other alignment depending on the individual.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Homebrew - Circle of the Living Machines Druid, Path of the Dragon Soul Barbarian
My hombrew Great Wyrm Dragons
In my homebrew world, there is type of creature called "demonspawn," which are creatures created by demons. The term is also used as a derogatory name for tieflings. Demonspawn span all different creature types, from aberration (demonfire), to plant (bloodthorn bush), to elemental (frostshard slayer). Each also has unique origins.
Bloodthorn Bushes, which appear as pale grey thorn bushes, and Thorn Sprouters, which appear as long tangles of vines with arrow shaped "heads" were both created by the demon lord Vyxnoroq. The defining trait of the Bloodthorn Bushes is their ability to suck blood out of the body, and they turn a crimson color when they're full. Thorn Sprouters have the ability to spit an acidic substance out of their arrowhead "face". Both are plants.
Demonfires appear as balls of celestial flame and were created by the demon lord Ladrora to lure travelers and adventurers to their doom. While they are only just intelligent enough understand and obey orders from their demonic masters, demonfires take a malicious glee in finishing off their helpless prey. Demonfires are aberrations.
Dualblood Engorgers appears as gelatinous semi-translucent blue blobs that expand and are tinted red when they come in contact with human flesh. They're created when a demon consumes itself in order to not starve. Dualblood Engorgers are oozes.
Frostshard Slayers appear as 6 foot tall shards of pale blue crystal that looks like it's made of ice. They're created from the crystalized blood of a mortal and a demon lord. They have the ability to fire rays of cold, and they can slash creatures with miniature crystals that orbit around them. Frostshard Slayers are elementals.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew: Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
I really like the Dualblood Engorgers, the idea of a demon consuming itself only to become something even more grotesque and disturbing is brilliant!
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Homebrew - Circle of the Living Machines Druid, Path of the Dragon Soul Barbarian
My hombrew Great Wyrm Dragons
Thanks!
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew: Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
in my world there is a bunch of monsters called monsters of shadow or shadow demons of lolth. there made by elves that use magic from lolth that she got from the plane of shadow, so some of the monster's of my setting dont have living versions but instead are creations of magic. i haven't really fleshed out what monsters in my setting are made from shadow magic or not, but so far i got lycanthropes that just look like people wrapped in shadowy illusions, griffons that have black fur and feathers with black smoke rising from them, and wraiths who are the spirits of elf worshipers who got rejected by lolth and now cant move on to the afterlife in the abyss.
another creature i changed is the doppelganger which are constructs instead because they can be made inside of a special magic cauldron if you have the right ingredients. this way a rich villain can have a large number of shapeshifters as expendable minions.
More a creature than a monster, and more a race at that, though I've not made any playable rules for them.
The N'ka'ch'ka, a race of 4-5ft tall humanoid woodlice. Their name originates from the clicking noises they use to communicate. They are indigenous to the Wooden Mountain, a colossal natural structure made entirely of ancient trees intertwined together. It extends far blow the ground as well as rising above it, where the weight of the trees has caused it to sink over the thousands of years it has been growing. Meanwhile, the N'Ka'Ch'Ka have tended the roots of the wooden mountain, keeping it healthy. They mine the various types of amber which form from the saps of the tree, and have various properties. Their social structure is akin to that of an ant nest, wit ha single giant queen deep within the wooden mountain. There are 3 known castes of the N'ka'ch'ka; Workers, Warriors and Custodes. The Workers are 4-5ft tall, stocky and strong, capable of lifting heavy loads. The warriors are 5-6ft tall, with thicker shells and quicker movements. The Custodes are more anthropomorphic, with softer shells, quicker minds and slighter builds. They are the custodians of the Wooden Mountains great galleries, where the history of the world is stored, locked in the resins and amber mined from deep within the mountain. These galleries are stunning, with the polished amber showing creatures trapped within the resin, caught where they fell and locked eternal as proof of the creatures which once wandered these realms. The high order of the Custodes is privy to the Forbidden Gallery - a vault containing things which are considered too dangerous or too disturbing to be shown to the world.
I also have in the works a type of reptile which works in a similar manner to a chameleon, but is also capable of producing flashes of light, which are blinding to most and cause damage to those with darkvision (and extra damage to those with sunlight sensitivity). It hunts by using illusions to disguise itself.
Another creature (inspired by a creature in my favourite book series) is a flying shapechanger which feeds on fear. It's capable of casting illusions to trick its foes, and whilst it is fundamentally immune to all damage except radiant, it is easy to kill if you do have radiant damage, and it cannot inflict damage to anyone - it exclusively messes with the heads of parties; casting illusions and fear spells to feed on the fear and attempt to trick people to their deaths - for the sweetest fear it feeds on is at the moment of death.
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread - latest release; the Harvest Sprite, a playable Jack-o-Lantern Race!
Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: The College of Fisticuffs Bard!
I also dabble in art on here (my art thread)
oooh ok im so glad I found this thread, creatures and monsters were the first things that actually inspired me to make my world !!
Sunscreechers: Vulture-like wyverns that stand at about 7 ft. tall at the shoulders. They have beaked mouths and two forlegs, in addition to a sweeping tail with a small feather plumage on the end. Their wings are batlike but layered in coarse feathers. They range from a pale beige to a deep gold. Sunscreechers live in the skies for most of their life, touching the ground only to drink and rest. They can fly for weeks without rest and are carnivorous scavengers. They also tend to be extremely territorial, but are cowardly and will not fight to the death. They earn their name for their loud screeching sound when they spot prey, which they circle and incite to run. As the prey flees, they swoop down and carry it into the air, only to drop it from an astounding height. Since their beaked mouths have only small teeth, they don't actively try to bite their prey, instead using their taloned claws for battle. Some elf races have found ways to tame and ride the creatures, allowing to aerial combat.
Dunecrawlers: Huge lizards about the size of a pickup truck and just as wide. Their backs are covered in thick plated armor and their front and rear talons have 6 fingers each, adapted for swift digging. The horns on the front of their flat heads serve as an additional digging tool to help cover their faces. Dunecrawlers submerge themselves in the sand and leave their mouths open for days, waiting for small creatures to wander inside what appears to be a cave. They are not aggressive, but if a creature strays near its mouth, it will attack and attempt to consume them. They're lightning fast when pouncing, but are terrible runners.
Ghosts: Ghosts (since there are no actual ghosts in the world) are tall, lean horses with large cloven hooves. Their eyes and bodies are sunken in and sallow, and their skin is a pale sickly white. They are extremely skittish and will flee from anything that enters their line of sight. Ghosts can sprint for vast lengths of time and are extremely fast. Although attempted, they make terrible mounts and flee or die of stress when put in an inclosed environment. They require little to no water and are actually known to sift through and eat certain elements of sand.
Drakeans: One of the most common species, Drakeans are used as mounts by most races. They are fairly durable and resemble velociraptors with plates armor and thick horns on their heads. Their talons are retractable for use on a wide range of terrain. They tend to be fairly temperamental and aren't remarkably fast, but they make up for speed in endurance. They lay eggs and are natural pack animals. They stand at around 8 ft. tall at the crown of their head, 6 ft tall at the shoulder. Drakeans are typical mounts for lone riders or riders without much baggage.
— δ cyησ • τηε crσc mαsτεr • hε/hιm δ —
“sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ, ɪ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ, ɪɴ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴜs.”
——————| EXTENDED SIG |——————
Φ • happily married to • ☁️ℝ𝔼𝔻ℙ𝔼𝕃𝕋☁️ • As vast as the sun, stars, and the sky itself, so is my promise to you • Φ
More of a single, unique creature.
Korzirak, The Eternal Maw of Shadows
Now, imagine a Tarrasque but scale it up to the size of the largest mountain you can think of. Now picture it with jet black scale, and back plates and horns that seem to be dripping with shadows. It’s eyes like red glowing embers. It can breath a concentrated beam-like breath weapon of pure white fire that is very dangerous to any being of a fiendish, shadowy, or undead nature.
Now imagine that it’s whole purpose is to engorge itself on these sorts of creatures, protecting the world from these dark being and their evil machinations. Now imagine that it can speak to you, and when communed with it can grant you a small portion of its power, via prayer or pact. And if you are lucky enough to be deemed worthy? You may be able to join it on the tainted battlefields, finding honor and glory in slaying the very things of nightmares in the presence of this god-like creature.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Homebrew - Circle of the Living Machines Druid, Path of the Dragon Soul Barbarian
My hombrew Great Wyrm Dragons
nice!! I love the shadow armored aesthetic!
— δ cyησ • τηε crσc mαsτεr • hε/hιm δ —
“sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ, ɪ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ, ɪɴ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴜs.”
——————| EXTENDED SIG |——————
Φ • happily married to • ☁️ℝ𝔼𝔻ℙ𝔼𝕃𝕋☁️ • As vast as the sun, stars, and the sky itself, so is my promise to you • Φ
Ladrora is the demon lord of corruption and decay. She stands 15 feet tall, with the upper body of a sickly humanoid, and the lower body of grotesque worm. Flaming wings also sprout from her back, granting her the power of flight. Ladrora delights in warping creatures into twisted amalgamations, and she created many terrible horrors, such as the chimera, the basilisk, and Arshirog, monstrous creatures of flame created by exposure to a horrific disease. Ladrora has the power to cause insanity with a mere touch, or release terrible plagues upon her foes.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew: Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Didn't Xhandras defeat Ladrora?
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
Yes, but it was on the Material Plane, so she reformed in the Abyss.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew: Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
That's why I used defeat.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
Blightmare:
Also known as field demon, the blightmare once was a noble mare or steed that was posessed by an evil spirit from the lower planes, conjured by a vengeful hag or other creatures of evil intent. Its aura of decay lets crops rot on the field and spreads disease among cattle and humanoids.
A blightmare's appearence is that of an almost starved grey horse with glowing eyes and the maw of a wolf, covered in patches of luminous mold. By day it hides from the sun seeking shelter in murky waters, by night it prowls through fields and orchards, destroying harvest by its mere presence and attacking lone wanderers that brave the darkness.
The next monster is one I would love to play (the avatar says it all), except I only have two level 5 PCs. I look forward to the time when I can implement this monster in a scenario that revolves around it.
Welcome to : the cloaker lord
The cloaker lord is a kind of queen bee of the cloakers. This monster of the underdark is huge and could envelop a cloud giant. Its neck is longer, its teeth are similar to those of abyssal fish. Its tail is even longer and looks like a whip, and what about those 4 pairs of mandibles on its torso! When we look at the sketches of this monster, it is hard to imagine that this abomination could be furtive and silent. However, it is with this mentality that many adventurers have perished by approaching its nest while being badly prepared.
The most important characteristics of the cloaker lord are his moan that hypnotizes humanoids and controls aberrations - cloakers included, as well as his lair, a network of caves large enough to accommodate him and hordes of cloakers that devour everything in their path and prowl for miles around, as well as its larvae eating the mycelium of luminescent mushrooms, contaminating and weakening them, making the still living mushrooms blink and rotting in a supernatural way the dead ones.
In my campaign, the known world is on the back of the tarrasque and beyond it is a barren desert. The entrance to the underdark is beyond the tarrasque, for it is the hole it left when it rose. This is how the oceans rushed into the hole and flooded the lowerdark. Unusual and frightening monsters have developed in this abyss. The PCs will have to make an excursion there, as a powerful lich has built its lair. To repel intruders, the lich has convinced a cloaker lord to set up his nest in front of the only entrance to the lowerdark and to let the lich pass through whenever it wishes. From then on, hordes of cloakers will hunt and raze villages throughout the middledark. The other creatures will mysteriously disappear little by little. The lord cloaker wishes to steal the knowledge and powers of the lich, and to do so, hunts down all the aberrations to gather them and make them his "zombie servants", to ambush the lich. The cloaker lord fiercely defends his territory, so the PCs will have to dislodge him to get through. But how? Kill him? Or make a deal with him to kill the lich, potentially resulting in an even more powerful supervillain? This promises to be fun.
And again, this monster comes from the underdark. Imagine if one of them came to the surface in the Forgotten Realms and gradually made the population disappear?
My favourites creations :
Half-Cloaker, Cloaker Lord, Potion of the Cloaker
I am looking for advice to upgrade my campaign.
There are troglodytes in my living room and cloakers in my basement.
I've been coming up with ways of spicing up the normal wildlife of my world, and I've come up with two categories of creatures. The first of these two are the Living Constructs.
Living Constructs - This creatures are a strange enigma to the wild and savage lands of Multa, one of the continents on the Plane of Salvera. These strange machines seem to mimic the natural flora and fauna their forms imitate, from the tiniest of insects and the smallest of flowers to the largest of titanic beasts and the mightiest trees. Despite their nature, they seem to require sustenance to survive in the forms of water, magic in various forms and solid fuel both organic and not. They even seem to be able to reproduce and grow in size and strength much like any natural creature.
Those that study the remains of one of these constructs find that their systems are far more complex then any construct made by mortal hands, an infusion of complex magical energies and tech not even the most skilled of artificers can decipher. Some claim that the first of these machines were created by the Soul Forge, one of the great Lights responsible for stabilizing Salvera after the Gods abandoned the plane at the end of the devastating Dawn Wars. Though, it's not in the Soul Forge's nature to divulge their secrets to mere mortals.
Many categories of these Living Constructs exists, each defined by the various metals and other inorganic materials they are made from. From the bulky stone constructs to the fire resilient iron constructs, and from the lustrous and light weight golden constructs to the magically charge gem constructs. Each one have their own strange and powerful abilities unique to their inorganic make-up.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Homebrew - Circle of the Living Machines Druid, Path of the Dragon Soul Barbarian
My hombrew Great Wyrm Dragons
I've an interesting creature I've invented for my homebrew world. I'm looking forward to introducing this to the group as a friendly little critter, and I'm seriously hoping that they decide to take it on as a pet (it's going to be very cute and cuddly). Having one nearby when they get into combat could have crazy results!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
DM's Guild Releases on This Thread - latest release; the Harvest Sprite, a playable Jack-o-Lantern Race!
Or check them all out on DMs Guild!
DrivethruRPG Releases on This Thread - latest release: The College of Fisticuffs Bard!
I also dabble in art on here (my art thread)
So, I made a fun creature inspired by Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse that Odin rode in Norse mythology.
The Drasill:
The battle was fierce, blade and spell clashing as my companions and I fought off against the bandit chief and his remaining lackeys. The fighting had been rough, with much blood shed on both sides. As one of those blasted berserkers rushed towards me, I called upon the arcane energy at my disposal and quickly recited a familiar incantation. I had cast this spell many times before, it was almost second nature when I felt myself leave the space I had once occupied. This time however, instead of reappearing where I had meant to move.....time seemed to freeze for just a bit. I looked around, recalling the area as familiar and yet.....not. My companions were no where to be seen, nor were the bandits.....save for one. One of those archers that had fallen in the battle was here too. How though I wondered, for I had seen one of my companions cleave the head off of his body. Then the man turned to me, his expression fearful, blood staining his neck and his clothing as clear signs of his mortal injuries. Gods, but he didn't even look to have reached his twentieth winter. Such a waste of life I thought. It was then that my brain caught up with what was going on, the Ethereal Plane....that must be where I am. My mentor had told me a bit able this place, how mages can use magic to travel between the material world and this ghostly plane where spirits tread. But why was I lingering here?
Before either of us could speak, we heard a noise that caught our attention. The sound of several hooves and a howling, ghostly whicker of a horse. Soon, we were approached by a frightening sight. A massive stallion who's pale gray hide was so taut that it seemed every bone was visible, save for where the skull was as if the flesh had eroded away. The horse rode on eight near skeletal legs which were bath in a sickly bluish-green flames that trailed up from the hooves, the same flame that made up the wild mane and tail of this ghostly beast, connected by a fiery trail along it's back. It's eyes were alight with that same ghostly blaze as it rode up to the young bandit, before stopping a short distance away. It seem to stare directly into the young man's eyes. The bandit backed away a bit, his face lighting up with a dreadful realization, before tears began to fall. I could only stare in silence, the sight both frightening and sorrowful. Then the bandit spoke, his voice shaken and near to break.
"Please.....no, I can't.....please...."
As if stirred by the young man's fear and melancholy, the horse slowly walked towards him. As it approached, we both watch at it began to change. The sickly flames transformed into a soft blue blaze, bathing the area in a calming warmth. It's pale gray hide transforming into a coat of pure white. No longer did the horse look like a near skeleton but a powerful and vibrant steed full of vigor and vitality, young and full of life just as the young man had been before he was cut down. As the bandit watched this transformation, he seemed to calm some, as if comforted by the creature's change and the soothing aura it now took. What once had been a look of fear and denial, was slowly morphing into grim acceptance. As the stallion reach the man, he had to look up at the creature to keep eye contact. The horse then lowered it's muzzle to the man, who's tears continued to flow down.
"I'm scared...."
Without hesitation, the horse then bowed down with an uncanny amount of flexibility. It was an offer, I realized somehow. The horse would take him to what lies beyond the veil of life, so he didn't have to travel alone. As the young bandit watch, he took a deep breath, his last breath. Then he climbed upon the horse's back, cautiously grabbing onto it's fiery mane. As the horse rose up, it turned to me, as if it eyes bore into my very soul. Then with a howling whicker, it galloped off into the mist of the plane. As the two spirits started to leave my vision, I was suddenly back in the fray of battle. Regaining my composure, I aided my companions in finishing the fight. However, as they busied themselves with gather up the stolen goods and coin, I was drawn to the young bandit's body. Despite the gruesome sight, his face seemed peaceful. I'm not much of a religious man.....but I couldn't help but pray a small prayer that he found peace....and should I someday fall, that such a creature as that stallion would be there to guide me beyond the veil too.
This undead creature is native to Salvera, and resembles a large horse with eight legs and a fiery mane and tail. Though these strange beasts can be seen roaming the lands of the material plane, they typically make their homes on Salvera's Ethereal Plane. Despite their ghostly appearance, these creatures are typically friendly towards those they happen to come across, only becoming hostile if attacked and often willing to aid lost travelers in finding their way. They are said to be some of the fastest and most agile steeds one can find. While they are content to just roam around, these creatures are drawn towards the mortal souls of the recently deceased that appear in the Ethereal Plane. The Drasill will often approach these souls and act as guides and mounts that will take them to their appropriate afterlives.
One of the most curious traits of these creatures is their ability to change their appearance depending on those they encounter. Sometimes they look like eight-legged nightmares with shadowy black coats, demonic faces and bathed in hellfire. Other times they look like sickly pale horses who's bones show through pale or rotting skin, their flames a sickly green or bluish-green in hue. Sometimes they instead look like ghostly white stallions with warm blue flames, or powerful steed who's coat are aglow with golden radiance and their manes like holy fire. Sometimes they look to be little more then an incorporeal horse-like wisp or an animated skeleton with flames of various colors. Regardless of their form however, their eyes show a deep level of empathy and intelligence and their soothing auras aid those in acceptance and moving on to the next life.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Homebrew - Circle of the Living Machines Druid, Path of the Dragon Soul Barbarian
My hombrew Great Wyrm Dragons
I can't believe I missed this thread! I have quite a few:
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Not really a creature or even battle mechanic, but I changed Derro's fluff so any monster or aberration that eats Derro flesh is infected with Derro madness and could be enslaved by their sorcerers. This turns usually low-threat enemies into a deadly force, combining multiple monsters that don't usually work together in their armies.