#cr 0.5

[paperanddice]

Fihyr Small aberration, chaotic evil Armor Class 13 Hit Points 21 (6d6) Speed 30 ft. Str 7 Dex 13 Con 10 Int 5 Wis 12 Cha 7 Skills Stealth +5 Senses darkvision 60 ft. passive Perception 11 Languages - Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The fihyr takes 10 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. Actions Multiattack. The fihyr uses its Frightful Presence. It then makes a bite attack. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the fihyr's choice that is within 30 feet of the fihyr and aware of it must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Frightful Presence of all fihyr (but not greater fihyr) for the next 24 hours.

Greater Fihyr Medium aberration, chaotic evil Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32) Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover) Str 11 Dex 19 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 15 Cha 15 Skills Stealth +7 Senses darkvision 60 ft. passive Perception 12 Languages - Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the fihyr has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Actions Multiattack. The greater fihyr can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes 1d4+1 bite attacks. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the fihyr's choice that is within 30 feet of the fihyr and aware of it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful, or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Frightful Presence of all fihyr and greater fihyr for the next 24 hours. Superior Invisibility. The fihyr magically turns invisible until it attacks or its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment the fihyr wears or carries is invisible with it.

Fihyr are the collected fears of humanoids made corporeal. These creatures were once thought to be related to beholders, but in fact there is no connection between the two kinds of monsters aside from a superficial resemblance.

As the remnants of hundreds of people’s nightmares swirl through the ether, they somehow combine with leftover magical power and coalesce into these physical monsters. A few random dream images aren’t enough; it takes the strong emotional energy o f mass of people under duress to spawn a fihyr. The right combination of conditions is most often found in cities that are under siege, or being terrorized by monsters, or suffering from famine, civil war, or other mass trauma.

Greater fihyrs are larger, more intelligent, and much more dangerous than the smaller variety. A greater fihyr forms when a number of small fihyrs combine.

All fihyrs have the same general appearance; the two kinds differ mainly in size. A fihyr is a roughly spherical blob of soft tissue and pulsating gray matter, much like a gigantic brain with a partial layer of skin stretched over it. The body of a fihyr is about 2 feet in diameter; that of a greater fihyr is closer to 7 feet. Two large tentacles hang below the body and serve as the creature’s legs. A mass of much smaller, constantly writhing and twining tentacles projects from its body; these help it maintain its balance. Numerous mouths and eyes are placed at random along the “front” side of the creature’s body. The eyes are a startling gold color with horizontal black pupils, and the mouths are lined with needle-sharp teeth. The mottled skin of a fihyr runs the full spectrum of colors, but always in dull, sickly shades. An oily sheen covers the surface of the creature’s body.

Fihyrs rarely survive beyond the night of their formation, and they never leave the troubled area that spawned them. Greater fihyrs, on the other hand, survive until slain. They have been known to wander for hundreds of miles, from one tormented spot to another, feeding on the fear and despair of the inhabitants.

Originally from the 3.0 Edition Monster Manual II. They’re an interesting monster I never really found a use for, plus the original greater fihyr was supposed to be CR 15 but this book’s balancing was absolutely awful and it definitely didn’t earn that level. If you like this post, consider following my Patreon to get access to content like this a week ahead of everybody else, plus updates on other projects I’m working on!

[paperanddice]

Shocker Lizard Small monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 36 (8d6 + 8) Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft. Str 10 Dex 15 Con 13 Int 2 Wis 12 Cha 6 Skills Stealth +4 Damage Immunities lightning Senses darkvision 60 ft. passive Perception 11 Languages - Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Electrical Sense. The shocker lizard can detect any source of electrical discharge within 100 feet of it. Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage plus 5 (2d4) lightning damage. Stunning Shock. The lizard can target one creature it can see within 5 feet of the lizard. The target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save. If the lightning damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but unconscious. Lethal Shock. Two or more shocker lizards within 20 feet of each other can both use their action to create a more powerful shock in a 20 foot radius centered on one of the lizards. Creatures in that area must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) lightning damage per lizard contributing to it, to a maximum of 54 (12d8) lightning damage.

The shocker lizard is a sleek, reptilelike creature whose body can generate intense electrical shocks. They are aggressive hunters of fish, reptiles and small animals in swamps and other humid or damp environments, stunning their prey with jolts of electricity. Unless starving and backed up by other lizards they do not attack larger creatures, but if threatened they can deliver a painful shock that can be lethal if multiple lizards are present. 

Originally from the 3.5 Monster Manual. If you like this post, consider following my Patreon to get access to content like this a week ahead of everybody else, plus updates on other projects I’m working on!

[paperanddice]

Phantom Fungus Medium plant, unaligned Armor Class 10 Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) Speed 20 ft. Str 14 Dex 10 Con 16 Int 2 Wis 11 Cha 9 Skills Stealth +2 Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius) passive Perception 10 Languages - Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Perfect Invisibility. The phantom fungus is invisible. This effect ends one minute after the fungus dies. Actions Multiattack. The phantom fungus makes two attacks, only one of which can be with its bite. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. Stinger Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). The phantom fungus has six stinger tendrils, each of which can grapple one target.

The phantom fungus is either a magical experiment in creating a dangerous guardian that went rogue, or an example of what exactly evolution does in a magical world. Whatever the case, it is a permanently invisible, mobile fungus that is capable of hunting prey to sustain itself. Growing hard mineral teeth and stingers, it hunts for isolated targets and attacks with little warning, taking advantage of its invisible nature to surprise most foes. 

It looks like a brown and greenish-brown mass with a cluster of nodules grouped atop its center, each of which exudes a long tendril with a stinger on the end. The tendrils also function as sensory organs as well as weapons, and it has a large mouth that doesn’t connect with any actual digestive system. It’s purpose is to rip off chunks of meat and hold them so that the fungus can grow tendrils into the food and absorb nutrients from it. All of this is balanced upon four legs that allow it to move about slowly.

Of course, all of this is only visible if you have some means of seeing invisibility or have already killed the fungus, as whatever causes its invisibility fades shortly after death.

Originally from the 3.5 Monster Manual. I’m actually a little surprised the phantom fungus faded out of D&D lore. It fits in so well with all the other cheap ambush monsters. If you like this post, consider following my Patreon to get access to content like this a week ahead of everybody else, plus updates on other projects I’m working on!

[paperanddice]

Lilliputtian Tiny fey, true neutral Armor Class 12 Hit Points 1 (1d4 - 1) Speed 20 ft. Str 3 Dex 14 Con 8 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha 12 Skills Performance +3, Stealth +4 Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Common Challenge 0 (10 XP) Actions Tiny Weapon. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 15/45 ft., one target. Hit: 1 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (Lilliputtian's choice).

Lilliputtian Swarm Medium swarm of Tiny fey, true neutral Armor Class 12 Hit Points 24 (7d8 - 7) Speed 20 ft. Str 3 Dex 14 Con 8 Int 10 Wis 10 Cha 12 Damage Resistances piercing, slashing Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Common Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. Actions Tiny Weapons. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., or range 15/45 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (4d4) bludgeoning, piercing or slashing damage (swarm's choice) damage or 7 (2d6) damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. Instead of dealing damage, the swarm can grapple a Medium or smaller target (escape DC 12). A creature has advantage on ability checks to escape this grapple if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

Season 2, Episode 4 of Gravity Falls introduces us to the Golf War. Not the Gulf War, a real life nightmare scenario in Kuwait and Iraq, the Golf War, an ongoing conflict between the lilliputtians (the name really works better in writing) on a mini golf course. Tiny, golf ball-headed figures that live within the different mini golf holes and controlling the balls, the lilliputtians all have a different theme, depending on their hole. What doesn’t vary is their utter hatred for any lilliputtian who works in a different hole, and their tiny war has raged for as long as mini golf courses have existed. It’s adorable.

Wielding appropriate weapons for their theme (tiny swords, pistols, wooden cogs) or those stubby little pencils that places hand out, they mostly fight each other, but when driven to a unified fury they may turn their attention to the hugelings that play the games. Unfortunately for them, a solid yell of “fore” and the swing of any club-like implement will scatter them once again over the courses.

If there is a monster you want to see converted to 5e, feel free to send me a message. If you like this post, consider following my Patreon to get access to content like this a week ahead of everybody else, plus updates on other projects I’m working on!