How about we leave some of our favorite homebrew nasties here. This one is a particular favorite of my I never got to use.
Harbinger in the Mist Str 20 Dex 12 Con 12 Char 20 Wis 15 Int 15 HP: 250 AC: 18
4 attacks per turn. (2d10+5) + 1 in 10 chance to grapple on hit. Player must roll a DC 16 strength saving throw or be grappled.
Abilities
Eyes in The Mist The harbinger sees all. It is unaffected by stealth and sneak attacks.
Grapple with fear if a player is in the grasp of the harbinger it will bring them to the precipice of its maw and a black fog will overtake them. The player must make a DC 14 wisdom saving throw or be overtaken with fear.
Cast Away the harbinger tosses aside the adventurer in its grasp dealing 1d6+5 damage per ten feet.
Doomsay A booming voice howls an unknown and unsettling language, filling anyone within earshot with a crippling feeling of dread. Players must contest the harbingers Charisma or be stunned for 1d6 rounds. The players can contest the harbingers charisma at the end of each of the harbinger’s turns.
Lore
The harbingers are ethereal aberrations that dwell in the void. Little is known about the origin or purpose although some scholars have theorized that they are servants of a greater being. There are few accounts of harbingers entering the material plain, they are known to take control of sorcerers unfortunate to open holes to the void. Captured sorcerers are used as “puppets”, serving their otherworldly masters in the mission of creating portals to the material plane.
Appearance
Harbingers are terrifying spherical masses of writhing gray tentacles that float high above the ground. Their center-mass is a solid form except for a single dark hole from which pours a heavy mist. This hole is the one thing that people can see through the tendrils.
Str * Dex * Con * Int * Wis * Cha * HP: 7d8+ AC: 10+special
1 attack per turn + additional
Abilities
The Fromwhat only starts with two abilities:
Dreadmonger - any sentient creatures who spends more than a week within a mile of the Fromwhat's lair start to believe that they have encountered the Fromwhat in some unspeakable manner. None of them can ever fully describe it though. Whenever such a sentient creature encounters any misfortune, they must make a Wisdom save DC: 14. If they fail, they believe the Fromwhat to be responsible and their mind will conjure up some dark evidence they think they saw, tending toward the horrific. Should a horse escape it's stable, the farmer will claim that they investigated and the stable was sprayed with blood, with obvious blood trail from where the horse had been dragged away. Someone bangs their head on a doorway, they will claim they hit their head fleeing from the Fromwhat, in the darkness - it's hot, foul breath filling their soul with dread. The more dramatic the better. Of course, there is never any actual evidence and those who believe these things happen will always have a reason. The farmer will have cleaned up the mess made when his horse was killled etc. Worse, should anyone suggest any awful appearance or powers that the Fromwhat may have, those afflicted by Dreadmonger will agree that they have seen such.
Sense of Dread - The Fromwhat is magically able to gain powers and appearance that anyone facing it believes that it should have. This includes any creatures who have information on the Fromwhat that they gained talking to those afflicted by Dreadmonger.
Appearance
The Fromwhat's default form is that of an old, frail looking goblin.
Encounters
The Fromwhat moves to an area and makes it's lair, waiting for it's Dreadmonger ability to afflict the local populace, who will rapidly become convinced that a terrible beast is stalking their village. Often they will send for adventurers. When those adventurers arrive, they will undoubtedly question the villagers about what they have seen. Imagine a conversation thus:
Mage: "How big is this thing?" Villager: "I'm not really sure..." Priest: "Is it bigger than an ogre?" Villager: "Yes, it is." Mage: "As big as a giant?" Villager: "Yes - it is an awful creature!" Mage: "Does it have any special powers?" Villager: "It does." Mage: "What sort of powers? Priest: "You said it attacked in the dark - maybe darkness related powers?" Villager: "I think it did" Mage: "Did it appear out of nowhere?" Villager: "*sobs* Yes, I didn't see it until it was ontop of me!" Priest: "The other villager said it had hot, foul smelling breath..... does it eat people?" Villager: "Poor Pete - it grabbed him and swallowed him whole..." Mage: "Wait, it swallowed him whole? It must have a massive set of jaws?" Villager: "Massive like you wouldn't believe." Priest: "....or maybe he meant the breath was hot, like ...." Mage: "...a breath weapon?" Villager: "Poor bessie the cow - she melted on the spot when it roared it's fierce breath!"
You should get the idea - this is a great opportunity to play on the fears of the players as their characters interview various npcs. Just make sure to write down all of the powers and abilities that the players come up with. Avoid npcs just answering "yes" to all questions - it makes it too obvious. They are clearly scared and may act erratically.
The real trick is when the player characters face the Fromwhat and .... it does indeed have all the powers that they believe it does.
The example above - we have a giant, with a dragon's head and breath weapon, that can control magical darkness and appear from it (maybe dimension door). You can imagine how player characters will add to this. Adjust the statistics appropriately.
The Fromwhat is actually a primal illusion - powerful enough that it cannot be disbelieved.
It feeds on fear and despair - so battling adventurers and having them escape only to spread stories of it's power is ideal. Combined with the fact that it's powers are actually illusory - anyone reduced to zero hitpoints by the Fromwhat will not have to make death rolls, instead they are in a temporary coma, that will last between an hour and 24 hours, depending on what it more dramatic.
The Fromwhat does like shiny things though, so it may well rob the adventurers of any suitable impressive looking belongings (not necessarily the valuable ones, but the things that look pretty).
Note - Truesight will allow the person with it to see the real form of the Fromwhat, with the form of the creature that they have "created" surrounding it.
Damn, I'm definitely making a mental note to use that one later. Just imagine a Fromwhat making its lair near a major metropolitan city. That'd be the ultimate nightmare scenario.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"When I finally find a pen I have nothing to say..." ~Some graffiti I found once.
It wasn't much of a homebrew, but I re skinned an Ettin. I was running a campaign where the heroes were trying to collect magic amulets that would eventually bestow god hood; there were 100 of them, and as soon as all were claimed, the pantheon of this new world would be set. One amulet was found by a pair of feuding families; in the end there was one member of each family left, and they were locked in battle for it. An abberant possesed warlock cursed them, they fused into one being, back to back. The resultant creature walked in a kind of spinning dance, couldn't be surprised, and attacked with two oversized rapiers. Describing it was so much fun, and it had the desired effect of creeping out players.
I'm intending on including an online version of my customized Forgotten Realms (something I'm now working on for the Dungeon Master's Guild) here on D&D Beyond. And once I have that done, I'll include my original campaign setting, Æthercoil.
How about we leave some of our favorite homebrew nasties here. This one is a particular favorite of my I never got to use.
Harbinger in the Mist
Str 20 Dex 12 Con 12 Char 20 Wis 15 Int 15
HP: 250 AC: 18
4 attacks per turn. (2d10+5) + 1 in 10 chance to grapple on hit. Player must roll a DC 16 strength saving throw or be grappled.
Abilities
Eyes in The Mist The harbinger sees all. It is unaffected by stealth and sneak attacks.
Grapple with fear if a player is in the grasp of the harbinger it will bring them to the precipice of its maw and a black fog will overtake them. The player must make a DC 14 wisdom saving throw or be overtaken with fear.
Cast Away the harbinger tosses aside the adventurer in its grasp dealing 1d6+5 damage per ten feet.
Doomsay A booming voice howls an unknown and unsettling language, filling anyone within earshot with a crippling feeling of dread. Players must contest the harbingers Charisma or be stunned for 1d6 rounds. The players can contest the harbingers charisma at the end of each of the harbinger’s turns.
Lore
The harbingers are ethereal aberrations that dwell in the void. Little is known about the origin or purpose although some scholars have theorized that they are servants of a greater being. There are few accounts of harbingers entering the material plain, they are known to take control of sorcerers unfortunate to open holes to the void. Captured sorcerers are used as “puppets”, serving their otherworldly masters in the mission of creating portals to the material plane.
Appearance
Harbingers are terrifying spherical masses of writhing gray tentacles that float high above the ground. Their center-mass is a solid form except for a single dark hole from which pours a heavy mist. This hole is the one thing that people can see through the tendrils.
"When I finally find a pen I have nothing to say..." ~Some graffiti I found once.
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D&D Beyond FoundersSure, I got one! It's pretty horrific!
The Fromwhat
Str * Dex * Con * Int * Wis * Cha *
HP: 7d8+ AC: 10+special
1 attack per turn + additional
Abilities
The Fromwhat only starts with two abilities:
Dreadmonger - any sentient creatures who spends more than a week within a mile of the Fromwhat's lair start to believe that they have encountered the Fromwhat in some unspeakable manner. None of them can ever fully describe it though. Whenever such a sentient creature encounters any misfortune, they must make a Wisdom save DC: 14. If they fail, they believe the Fromwhat to be responsible and their mind will conjure up some dark evidence they think they saw, tending toward the horrific. Should a horse escape it's stable, the farmer will claim that they investigated and the stable was sprayed with blood, with obvious blood trail from where the horse had been dragged away. Someone bangs their head on a doorway, they will claim they hit their head fleeing from the Fromwhat, in the darkness - it's hot, foul breath filling their soul with dread. The more dramatic the better. Of course, there is never any actual evidence and those who believe these things happen will always have a reason. The farmer will have cleaned up the mess made when his horse was killled etc. Worse, should anyone suggest any awful appearance or powers that the Fromwhat may have, those afflicted by Dreadmonger will agree that they have seen such.
Sense of Dread - The Fromwhat is magically able to gain powers and appearance that anyone facing it believes that it should have. This includes any creatures who have information on the Fromwhat that they gained talking to those afflicted by Dreadmonger.
Appearance
The Fromwhat's default form is that of an old, frail looking goblin.
Encounters
The Fromwhat moves to an area and makes it's lair, waiting for it's Dreadmonger ability to afflict the local populace, who will rapidly become convinced that a terrible beast is stalking their village. Often they will send for adventurers. When those adventurers arrive, they will undoubtedly question the villagers about what they have seen. Imagine a conversation thus:
Mage: "How big is this thing?"
Villager: "I'm not really sure..."
Priest: "Is it bigger than an ogre?"
Villager: "Yes, it is."
Mage: "As big as a giant?"
Villager: "Yes - it is an awful creature!"
Mage: "Does it have any special powers?"
Villager: "It does."
Mage: "What sort of powers?
Priest: "You said it attacked in the dark - maybe darkness related powers?"
Villager: "I think it did"
Mage: "Did it appear out of nowhere?"
Villager: "*sobs* Yes, I didn't see it until it was ontop of me!"
Priest: "The other villager said it had hot, foul smelling breath..... does it eat people?"
Villager: "Poor Pete - it grabbed him and swallowed him whole..."
Mage: "Wait, it swallowed him whole? It must have a massive set of jaws?"
Villager: "Massive like you wouldn't believe."
Priest: "....or maybe he meant the breath was hot, like ...."
Mage: "...a breath weapon?"
Villager: "Poor bessie the cow - she melted on the spot when it roared it's fierce breath!"
You should get the idea - this is a great opportunity to play on the fears of the players as their characters interview various npcs. Just make sure to write down all of the powers and abilities that the players come up with. Avoid npcs just answering "yes" to all questions - it makes it too obvious. They are clearly scared and may act erratically.
The real trick is when the player characters face the Fromwhat and .... it does indeed have all the powers that they believe it does.
The example above - we have a giant, with a dragon's head and breath weapon, that can control magical darkness and appear from it (maybe dimension door). You can imagine how player characters will add to this. Adjust the statistics appropriately.
The Fromwhat is actually a primal illusion - powerful enough that it cannot be disbelieved.
It feeds on fear and despair - so battling adventurers and having them escape only to spread stories of it's power is ideal. Combined with the fact that it's powers are actually illusory - anyone reduced to zero hitpoints by the Fromwhat will not have to make death rolls, instead they are in a temporary coma, that will last between an hour and 24 hours, depending on what it more dramatic.
The Fromwhat does like shiny things though, so it may well rob the adventurers of any suitable impressive looking belongings (not necessarily the valuable ones, but the things that look pretty).
Note - Truesight will allow the person with it to see the real form of the Fromwhat, with the form of the creature that they have "created" surrounding it.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Damn, I'm definitely making a mental note to use that one later. Just imagine a Fromwhat making its lair near a major metropolitan city. That'd be the ultimate nightmare scenario.
"When I finally find a pen I have nothing to say..." ~Some graffiti I found once.
That is one of the most amazing monsters I've ever heard of.
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
It wasn't much of a homebrew, but I re skinned an Ettin. I was running a campaign where the heroes were trying to collect magic amulets that would eventually bestow god hood; there were 100 of them, and as soon as all were claimed, the pantheon of this new world would be set. One amulet was found by a pair of feuding families; in the end there was one member of each family left, and they were locked in battle for it. An abberant possesed warlock cursed them, they fused into one being, back to back. The resultant creature walked in a kind of spinning dance, couldn't be surprised, and attacked with two oversized rapiers. Describing it was so much fun, and it had the desired effect of creeping out players.
geek dad with 3 geek kids
I'm intending on including an online version of my customized Forgotten Realms (something I'm now working on for the Dungeon Master's Guild) here on D&D Beyond. And once I have that done, I'll include my original campaign setting, Æthercoil.
David "David Foxfire" Gonterman; 5th Edition D&D Dungeon Master
Web Page: http://foxfirestudios.net
This.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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