monster stories with often advance from for list

Rutterkin

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

poisoned in this way, it dies and instantly transforms into a living manes (see the Monster Manual). The transformation can be undone only by a wish spell.Rutterkins are warped demons that roam the Abyss in

wave of fear in advance of their attacks that leaves their victims terrified and rooted in place. Creatures bitten by rutterkins are exposed to a terrible disease that infects them with the corrupting

Moodmark Paint

Magic Items Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica

This thick, black paint is stored in a small jar, containing enough paint to apply moodmarks to one creature. The paint is dabbed on the face in spots or markings that often resemble the eyes of

(Insight) check can discern whether you are happy, sad, angry, disgusted, surprised, or afraid, as well as the main source of that emotion. For example, you might communicate fear caused by a monster you

Dragonborn of Tiamat

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

itself on a success.Champions of the dragon queen are often called Talons of Tiamat. They work tirelessly to free their master from her imprisonment in Avernus, and Tiamat grants these pawns immense

themselves to their divine ancestor. Dragonborn champions advance the cause of their dragon god among draconic creatures and other folk alike.

Wynling

Monsters Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

protected by wynlings with stories of vanishing equipment and curious eyes staring from the shadows. Wynlings typically live on the mountains they protect, but they often venture into nearby settlements

Kenku

Species Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

Feathered folk who resemble ravens, kenku are blessed with keen observation and supernaturally accurate memories. None of them can remember the origin of the first kenku, however, and they often joke

that there are as many kenku origin stories as there are kenku. Some of them paint their genesis as a curse, being a flightless bird people doomed to mimic other people’s creations. Other kenku

Young Kruthik

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

chambers, incorporating them into their lairs when they can. Kruthiks communicate with one another through a series of hisses and chittering noises. These sounds can often be heard in advance of a kruthik

. As they burrow through the earth, they leave behind tunnels—evidence that is often the first clue to the nearby presence of a kruthik hive. Kruthiks also make use of preexisting underground

Tabaxi Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

We had a tabaxi come through once, a few winters back. She kept the taproom packed each night with her stories and spent most days napping in a chair in front of the fireplace. We thought she was

, wandering tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world’s wonders. Ultimate travelers, the inquisitive

Dragon Chosen

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

dragon’s might. They serve as enforcers of their masters’ will; they often accompany dragon speakers—and are quick to defend them if they sense any ill intent. Dragon chosen are

reflect the ethos of the dragon they follow. Many dragon followers have personal stories of benevolent dragons sharing great knowledge, protecting their towns, or sparing their lives during some

Kruthik Hive Lord

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

series of hisses and chittering noises. These sounds can often be heard in advance of a kruthik attack. Whenever their lair is invaded, kruthik guards send out an alarm by rapidly tapping the stone

forges and pools of molten lava, and carve out lairs as close to such locations as possible. As they burrow through the earth, they leave behind tunnels—evidence that is often the first clue to

Vargouille

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

hour, as its head takes on fiendish aspects. The curse doesn’t advance while the target is in sunlight or the area of a daylight spell; don’t count that time. When the cursed target’s

or a dretch, fears vargouilles only if they appear in great numbers. In the Lower Planes, vargouilles rarely get the chance to eat live prey other than vermin. More often, they lap up the ichor left

Emerald Dragon Wyrmling

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

dragons often work together, with emerald dragons tracking the source of an incursion while sapphire dragons plan and execute a decisive purge—or recruit agents to do it for them. Emerald

dragons’ preference for volcanic lairs often puts them in conflict with fire giant;fire giants. Despite their reluctance to reveal themselves to strangers, emerald dragons might approach experienced

Naiad

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

all others. Over time, such a resident nymph often becomes connected with their aquatic home through sightings and stories, becoming a guardian of the place and, in effect, a manifestation of its

, naiads gather to revel in nature’s might. Individual naiads often grow fixated with a single type or body of water, potentially preferring a deep sea trench, coastline, or river system above

Velociraptor

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

damage.This feathered dinosaur is about the size of a large turkey. It is an aggressive predator and often hunts in packs to bring down larger prey. Dinosaurs The Monster Manual has statistics for several kinds of dinosaurs.

Darkling Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

speak of a seelie fey who betrayed the Summer Queen. His true name has been stricken from history, but the stories call him Dubh Catha ("Dark Crow" in Common). So great was the Summer Queen's wrath

that she cursed every member of his house. Other fey refer to the descendants of Dubh Catha's house as the dubh sith-or, in Common, "darklings." Darklings most often settle in secluded caverns and

Adult Kruthik

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

sounds can often be heard in advance of a kruthik attack. Whenever their lair is invaded, kruthik guards send out an alarm by rapidly tapping the stone floor with their sharp legs. In addition to

lairs as close to such locations as possible. As they burrow through the earth, they leave behind tunnels—evidence that is often the first clue to the nearby presence of a kruthik hive

Young Emerald Dragon

Monsters Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

. These gem dragons often work together, with emerald dragons tracking the source of an incursion while sapphire dragons plan and execute a decisive purge—or recruit agents to do it for them

. Emerald dragons’ preference for volcanic lairs often puts them in conflict with fire giant;fire giants. Despite their reluctance to reveal themselves to strangers, emerald dragons might approach

Celebrity Adventurer's Scion

Backgrounds Acquisitions Incorporated

Your family name strikes fear and admiration in the hearts of the common folk — but that’s got nothing to do with you. Songs and stories celebrating the adventuring exploits of your

parent, and when they were around, it was all about them and tales of slaying this demon or vanquishing that dragon. All too often, you’d be woken out of a sound sleep by someone standing outside

Relentless Juggernaut

Monsters Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

turn. The juggernaut regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Implacable Advance. The juggernaut moves up to its speed, ignoring difficult terrain. Any object in its path takes 55

(10d10);{"diceNotation":"10d10","rollType":"damage","rollAction":"Implacable Advance","rollDamageType":"bludgeoning"} bludgeoning damage if it isn’t being worn or carried. Rapid Shaping (Costs 3

Darkling Elder Legacy

Monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters

without any components. Wisdom is its spellcasting ability. Ancient legends speak of a seelie fey who betrayed the Summer Queen. His true name has been stricken from history, but the stories

, in Common, "darklings." Darklings most often settle in secluded caverns and chambers beneath the towns of other species. From such enclaves, they quietly ply their trade as thieves and assassins

Tree Blight

Monsters Curse of Strahd

succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern that the blight is animate. Siege Monster. The blight deals double damage to objects and structures.Multiattack. The blight makes one

or more slashing damage to it on one attack. Cutting the root doesn’t hurt the blight but ends the grapple.Blights (as described in the Monster Manual) are evil, ambulatory plant creatures, and

Frost Salamander

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

them to attack expeditions and settlements that other predators would avoid, as they often mistake the fire of a forge or a campfire for a large, tasty meal. azer;Azers (see the Monster Manual) use this

but. Frost salamanders greedily devour any prey foolhardy enough to try sleeping in their lairs. On rare occasions, frost giant;frost giants (see the Monster Manual) capture and tame these creatures, using them to burrow into the ice to help create outposts and fortresses.ColdFire

Bag Jelly

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

similar to the dungeon scavengers described in the Monster Manual. As their name suggests, though, these creatures are most often found in the bags carried by giants, where they feed on whatever

Ogre Howdah

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

as a fighting platform for up to four Small people. Ogre howdahs are most often seen bearing bow- and spear-wielding goblin;goblins into battle, or perhaps kobold;kobolds or deep gnome (svirfneblin

);deep gnomes (all three appear in the Monster Manual), but they might also transport other Small folk. Ogres of War Ogres love to rush headlong into battle, but with enough time and patience, some

Thri-kreen Gladiator

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

attack that would hit it. To do so, the thri-kreen must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.Thri-kreen gladiators relish opportunities to test their mettle in combat and often paint their

communication difficult to interpret and impossible to duplicate. To interact with creatures of other sapient species, thri-kreen rely on a form of telepathy. Thri-kreen often use weapons of their own design

Sea Spawn

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

grappled (escape DC 12) if it is a Medium or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the sea spawn can’t use this tentacle on another target.Many of the stories sung as sea chanteys and

turtle;dragon turtles (morkoths appear in this book; the others appear in the Monster Manual)—all of these and more can mark mortals as their own and claim them as minions. Unlucky folk might

Valindra Shadowmantle Legacy

Monsters Tomb of Annihilation

). When preparing her spells, Valindra can swap out any spell on her list of prepared spells for another wizard spell of the same level. Valindra has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips

of invulnerability 7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift 8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun 9th level (1 slot): power word kill Turn Resistance. The lich has

Thri-kreen Mystic

Monsters Spelljammer: Adventures in Space

navigate difficult terrain in Wildspace, turn invisible, and drain life from their prey. They often serve as spelljammers aboard thri-kreen ships. Thri-kreen Thri-kreen are carnivores with insectile

sapient species, thri-kreen rely on a form of telepathy. Thri-kreen often use weapons of their own design, particularly the gythka (a two-handed polearm with a blade at each end) and a light thrown

Devourer

Monsters Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse

5 Hit Dice, it becomes a ghoul. Otherwise, it becomes a wight. (All three appear in the Monster Manual.) A devourer can imprison only one creature at a time. Soul Rend (Recharge 6);{"diceNotation

Material Plane, he often sets them on a mission to create, control, and lead a plague of Undead. Skeleton;Skeletons, zombie;zombies, ghoul;ghouls, ghast;ghasts, and shadow;shadows (all of which

Granite Juggernaut

Monsters Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Magic Resistance. The juggernaut has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Siege Monster. The juggernaut deals double damage to objects and structures.Slam. Melee

and rollers are often adorned with fearsome heads, such as those of enraged rhinos. Granite juggernauts are found on many worlds and typically are used to protect high-value locations.Poison, Psychic

Polukranos

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only to make opportunity attacks. Siege Monster. Polukranos deals double damage to objects and structures. Wakeful. While Polukranos sleeps, at

world, and so great were its size and strength that the gods Nylea and Heliod combined their power to bind the monster deep within the Nessian Wood. That incarnation was slain, but the eternal ideal

Nightmare Shepherd

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

Sunlight Weakness; see the Monster Manual) arise in unoccupied spaces within 20 feet of the shepherd. The shadows act right after the shepherd on the same initiative count and fight until they’re

plane might consider it a rarity from some undiscovered Abyssal layer. In general, feel free to use whatever fiends you wish when telling stories in Theros—the Underworld’s a big place with room for all the incarnate wickedness you desire. PoisonCold, Necrotic

Tortle Legacy

Species The Tortle Package

set out on their own. Beliefs Tortles don’t have their own pantheon of gods, but they often worship the gods of other races. It’s not unusual for a tortle to hear stories or legends

what little time they have left telling stories to their offspring. Within a year, the young tortle becomes an orphan, though not before it learns to speak and to survive on its own. A young tortle

Bullywug Royal

Monsters Ghosts of Saltmarsh

must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.The largest or most intelligent bullywugs invariably end up leading their kind. A royal is often mounted astride a giant toad or

accompanied by one (see the Monster Manual for the giant toad;giant toad's stat block).Croaked Decree (Recharge 5–6);{"diceNotation":"1d6","rollType":"recharge","rollAction":"Croaked Decree"}. The royal

Spectral Cloud

Monsters Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0. A Humanoid slain by this attack immediately rises as a miniature spectral cloud (use the specter stat block in the Monster Manual). The

’s appearance becomes clear: a skeletal cloud giant corpse. Tales suggest cloud giants sometimes seek this fate rather than accept the end of their naturally long lives. In such stories, a

Abhorrent Overlord

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

, drawn by its evil and the promise of warm meat. An abhorrent overlord has no sense of loyalty or camaraderie toward these sycophants and often devours members of its retinue, yet more of the same

, while a balor meeting a Theros demon on some other plane might consider it a rarity from some undiscovered Abyssal layer. In general, feel free to use whatever fiends you wish when telling stories

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