Books Referenced

This document makes direct reference to passages from the following books published by Wizards of the Coast.

• Player's Handbook
• Monster Manual
• Dungeon Master's Guide
• Volo's Guide to Monsters

The Monster Manual and Volo's Guide to Monsters are of particular relevance.

In addition, some spellcasters in this document draw on spells found in Chapter 2 of the Elemental Evil Player's Companion, which can be found online here.

Usage Recommendations

Some general guidelines for incorporating new NPCs (and anything else, really) in your adventures:

1. The biggest numbers don't make the greatest stories.
2. There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
3. Those who fight alone, die alone.

Credits

Class Index

Wholly original statblocks created for this document are marked with an asterisk*. Otherwise, variations and adjustments may be given to NPC statblocks found in the Monster Manual or Volo's Guide to Monsters.

Statblock Index

Berserker

Berserker, MM pg. 344.

The berserker is a CR 2 creature (450 XP). For slightly more of a challenge to your party, you can increase its CR with the following changes:

• Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
• Unarmored Defense. The berserker's AC includes its Constitution modifier.
• Multiattack. The berserker makes two greataxe attacks.

The berserker has an offensive CR of 3 and a defensive CR of 5.

The berserker's new challenge rating is 4 (1,100 XP).

Spirit Totem Barbarian

I'd like to use this space to outline the process of hacking an NPC statblock out of class features.

The spirit totem barbarian gets all of the regular barbarian abilities: Rage, Unarmored Defense, Reckless Attack, Danger Sense, Extra Attack, Fast Movement, Feral Instinct, Brutal Critical, Relentless Rage, Persistent Rage, Indomitable Might, and Primal Champion. On top of that, it gets features specific to its subclass: Spirit Seeker, Totem Spirit, Aspect of the Beast, Spirit Walker, and Totemic Attunement.

As you can see, this is a lot. The goal is to fit the statblock onto the column on the right. Otherwise, a DM is going to be balk at the statblock due to its complexity. Our design goals are simplicity while still capturing the essence of what makes the subclass distinct: reckless attack is a good ability, but it's not crucial to the "essence" of the spirit totem in the same way it is for the berserker. We're also focusing on combat-related abilities: roleplay-focused "ribbons" like Spirit Walker don't need to be included in our statblocks.

The spirit totem barbarian is a creature that draws upon animal spirits to give it unnatural strength in battle, so we're going to focus on the following features and ignore the rest: Rage, Extra Attack, Fast Movement, Feral Instinct, Spirit Seeker, Totem Spirit, and Totemic Attunement.

Additionally, we're only going to stat out the Bear totem to help focus on one statblock. We'll include the Eagle and Wolf as variants.

Rage. Just resistance to physical damage. We don't need every benefit of rage to represent the essence of the spirit totem. We also want to limit using class resources in a statblock, considering it doesn't actually have a class, per se.

Extra Attack. Use multiattack instead.

Fast Movement. +10 movement speed.

Feral Instinct. Looking over the feature, I don't feel it's necessary. I won't include it after all. Limited space.

Spirit Seeker. Innate spellcasting. At will, but only ritual.

Totem Spirit. Our bear gives us resistance to all damage except for psychic.

Totemic Attunement. Don't need "while you're raging."

Lore Bard

Bard, VGM pg. 211.

To distinguish a lore bard from the standard bard in Volo's Guide to Monsters, implement the following changes.

• Skills Arcana +4, History +4, Religion +4

Additionally, the lore bard removes the Taunt ability and adds the following reaction:

• Cutting Words. When a creature the bard can see within 60 feet of it makes an attack roll, ability check, or damage roll, the bard subtract 4 (1d8) from the result. This has no effect if the creature can't hear the bard or is immune to being charmed.

These changes do not adjust the bard's CR.

Valor Bard

Originally, I was going to provide guidelines for adjusting the VGM bard to suit a valor bard like the lore bard above, but the changes were too numerous, so I included it as a separate statblock. I can use this space instead to talk about the concept of challenge rating in 5th edition. Hopefully this can help inform the way that you build encounters using these NPCs and other monsters.

Challenge rating is an average score that attempts to consolidate the defensive and offensive capabilities of a given creature. A challenge rating of "1" suggests that a creature is strong enough to provide a "Medium" challenge for a standard party of four 1st-level adventurers. A challenge rating of 2 is a Medium challenge for a party of 2nd level adventurers, etc. Keep in mind a single monster will be easily defeated regardless.

This doesn't apply at levels lower than 1 (it can be CR 0, 1/8, 1/4, or 1/2) or for levels higher than 20, which is the level cap for 5th edition. The tarrasque is a CR 30 creature, but it will never fight a party of four 30th-level adventurers.

Having greater numbers of enemies or higher CR enemies increases the difficulty from Medium to Hard or Deadly. Similarly, smaller numbers of enemies and weaker CR enemies decreases the difficulty from Medium to Easy or Trivial. There's a formula for calculating it which I won't go into, but you can use tools like this. The system for calculating the "deadliness" of an encounter is based on a two assumptions.

First, it assumes that the party is not at full strength; they've been fighting for most of the day and can't just nuke the monster with everything they've got.

Second, it assumes an "adventuring day", which is defined as eight encounters that decrease resources (hit points, class features, gold pieces, NPC helpers, spell slots, etc). These are usually combat encounters, but they can be anything, including traps and roleplay scenarios. Xanathar's Guide to Everything goes into more detail about the expectations (which you can read about in more detail here). In one hour of play, you should expect four easy fights or two difficult fights.

Whether these are realistic assumptions is left up to the reader, but the CR system is based upon these assumptions, and they should be considered when planning encounters using these NPC statblocks.

Knowledge Priest

• Skills History +5, Religion +5
• Languages Any four languages
• Innate Spellcasting. The priest's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (save DC 13). The priest can cast the following spells innately.
  3/day each: detect thoughts, suggestion

Life Priest

• Armor Class 16 (chain mail)
• Preserve Life (Recharges After a Short or Long Rest). The priest targets up to six creatures it can see within 30 feet. The priest heals these creatures, dividing up 30 hit points between them.

Light Priest

• Hit Points 82 (15d8 + 15)
• Spellcasting. The priest replaces its list of prepared spells with the following.
  Cantrips (at will): light, sacred flame, thaumaturgy
  1st level (4 slots): burning hands, cure wounds, faerie fire
  2nd level (3 slots): flaming sphere, scorching ray
  3rd level (2 slots): daylight, fireball
• Radiance of the Dawn (Recharge 5-6). Each creature within 30 feet of the priest that can see it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (2d10 + 3) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

With these changes, the priest has an offensive challenge rating of 6 and a defensive challenge rating of 1.

The priest's challenge rating is 4 (1,100 XP).

Nature Priest

• Armor Class 16 (chain mail)
• Spellcasting. The priest replaces its list of prepared spells with the following.
  Cantrips (at will): guidance, thorn whip, druidcraft
  1st level (4 slots): animal friendship, goodberry, speak with animals
  2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, spike growth
  3rd level (2 slots): plant growth, wind wall
• Charm Animals and Plants (Recharge After a Short or Long Rest). Each animal and plant within 30 feet of the priest that can see and hear it must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target is charmed by the priest until the end of its next turn.

Land Druid

Druid, MM pg. 346 or Archdruid, VGM pg. 210.

To signify either of these druids as land druids of a particular circle, you can add the Circle Spells from PHB pg. 68 to their list of prepared spells, as long as they have spell slots of the same level or higher. This does not affect their challenge ratings.

Moon Druid

Archdruid, VGM pg. 210.

For a more interesting battle with an archdruid, you can change the rules of its Change Shape ability to more accurately reflect the class feature: instead of the archdruid sharing its pool of hit points with its animal shapes, each animal shape has its original hit points which are independent of the archdruid's. The party must defeat each animal shape individually before ultimately defeating the archdruid in its true form.

This works best if you choose two different animals.

Additionally, you can remove the CR limitation on the archdruid's animal shapes, allowing it to transform into any beast that exists in its world.

If you make these changes, the CR of the archdruid isn't changed. Instead, you add the appropriate XP of each animal shape to the amount of XP your party gains upon defeating the archdruid.

Champion

Champion, VGM pg. 212, Gladiator, MM pg. 346, or Warlord, VGM pg. 220.

Any of these is sufficient to represent a champion fighter.

Battlemaster

The battlemaster is separated into two statblocks: a Master-at-Arms and a Rally Guard.

The master-at-arms has a longsword (instead of a greatsword) to make it more convenient for the DM to roll its damage dice, considering it can make up to 6 attacks per turn and its maneuvers also use a d10.

Offensive: 3 rounds, 15d10 + 72 = 154.5. Average 51.5 dpr. +9 bonus. CR 9.

Defensive: 135 hp, 18 AC. CR 6.

Total: (6+9)/2 = 7.5, round to 8.

Challenge Rating: 8 (3,900 XP)

Eldritch Knight

Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

---

• Armor Class 18 (chain mail, shield)
• Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
• Speed 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	11 (+0)	17 (+3)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)

---

• Skills Arcana +5, Athletics +7
• Senses passive Perception 10
• Languages Any three languages
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

---

Bonded Weapon. The eldritch knight's bonded weapon is its spear. The eldritch knight cannot be disarmed if it is wielding its spear. As a bonus action, the eldritch knight can magically teleport its spear into its hand.

Spellcasting. The eldritch knight is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The eldritch knight has the following wizard spells prepared, which it can cast without somatic or material components:

Cantrips (at will): prestidigitation, ray of frost
1st level (3 slots): alarm, shield, unseen servant

Actions

Multiattack. The eldritch knight makes two attacks with its spear.

Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, or 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack.

Open Hand Monk

Martial Arts Adept, VGM pg. 216.

While the martial arts adept is sufficient to represent a monk that follows the Way of the Open Hand, some adepts might secretly possess the following technique, which they are sworn against using except in the most dire situations.

• Quivering Palm (Recharges After a Long Rest). When the adept hits a creature with an unarmed strike, it can apply hidden (but lethal) vibrations to their body. These vibrations last for 14 (4d6) days or until the adept uses this action on another creature, after which the effects end harmlessly. Otherwise, the adept can use its action to force the target to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target falls to 0 hit points. On a successful save, the target takes 33 (6d10) necrotic damage. The adept can also choose to end the vibrations harmlessly as an action.

As this is a secret and forbidden technique that might go unnoticed in a fight without affecting the outcome, and it's impossible to tell without magic which martial arts adepts can use this technique, it does not affect the CR.

Shadow Monk

I can use this space to talk about the process of calculating the challenge rating of a monster created from scratch.

CR is calculated as an average of its offensive and defensive capabilities. The guidelines for determining these is located in the DMG pgs. 274-282.

Air Bender

Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

---

• Armor Class 13 (leather armor)
• Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)

---

• Senses passive Perception 12
• Languages Any one language
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Actions

Fist of Unbroken Air. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is pushed 20 feet away and knocked prone. On a successful save, it is pushed 10 feet and isn't knocked prone.

Earth Bender

Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

---

• Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
• Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
• Speed 25 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)

---

• Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
• Senses passive Perception 12
• Languages Any one language
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Actions

Fist of Four Thunders. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and each creature other than the bender within 10 feet that can see and hear the bender must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 11 (2d10) thunder damage.

Fire Bender

Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

---

• Armor Class 13 (leather armor)
• Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
• Speed 35 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)

---

• Damage Resistances cold, fire
• Senses passive Perception 12
• Languages Any one language
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Actions

Multiattack. The bender makes two Fangs of the Fire Snake attacks.

Fangs of the Fire Snake. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d10 + 2) fire damage.

Water Bender

Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

---

• Armor Class 13 (leather armor)
• Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
• Speed 35 ft., swim 35 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)

---

• Senses passive Perception 12
• Languages Any one language
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

---

Actions

Water Whip. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage and is either knocked prone or pulled up to 25 feet closer to the bender. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and isn't pulled or knocked prone.

Kingsguard

The devotion paladin has been given a new name to distinguish it from devotion paladin player characters. It's meant to be clear that these NPCs are not a direct translation of class features. NPCs and PCs are not created the same.

Feysworn

Similarly, the feysworn is an NPC meant to represent a powerful martial figure sworn to the protection of an even more powerful fey, rather than a straight translation of an Oath of the Ancients Paladin to statblock form.

Aspect of Vengeance

Medium celestial, any alignment

---

• Armor Class 18 (plate)
• Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60)
• Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.

---

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	10 (+0)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)	17 (+3)

---

• Saving Throws Wis +6, Cha +7
• Condition Immunities frightened
• Skills Intimidation +7, Investigation +5, Survival +4,
• Senses passive Perception 12
• Languages Any two languages
• Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

---

Aura of Courage. The aspect and friendly creatures within 30 feet of it can't be frightened while the aspect is conscious.

Sacred Weapons. The aspect's weapon attacks are magical. When the aspect hits with its maul, the weapon deals an extra 18 (4d8) radiant damage (included in the attack).

Vow of Enmity (Recharges After a Short or Long Rest). As a bonus action, the aspect targets a creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The aspect always knows in which direction its target can be found, and the aspect has advantage on attack rolls against the creature until the creature dies or the aspect chooses another target.

Actions

Multiattack. The aspect uses its Abjure Enemy, if it can. It then makes three attacks with its maul.

Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) radiant damage.

Abjure Enemy (Recharge 5-6). The aspect targets a creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The creature must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw, and the creature has disadvantage on its save if it is a fiend or undead. On a successful save, the the creature is frightened for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While frightened, the creature's speed is 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to speed. On a successful save, the creature's speed is halved for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. This action has no effect on creatures immune to being frightened.

Offensive Challenge Rating

The aspect of vengeance deals 29 damage with every strike of its maul, for a total of 87 per turn. Additionally, it has an ability which grants it, basically, permanent advantage.

87 damage is CR 14. Permanent advantage, as seen with Pack Tactics, grants a +1 to effective attack bonus. Even upping this effective bonus to +2 doesn't change the ranking in this situation, unfortunately.

What about Abjure Enemy? It's unclear, because there aren't any precedents in the DMG about the impact of affecting an opponent's ability to escape a fight. However, the dire wolf and other creatures that can knock enemies prone (an ability which also halves an enemy's speed and makes them vulnerable) don't seem to gain any benefit from it in terms of CR.

It's still a potent ability. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and say that it increases the attack bonus by another +1. This finally brings our offensive CR up by one ranking.

Offensive Challenge Rating: 15

Defensive Challenge Rating

The aspect of vengeance has 150 hit points, AC 18, and some saving throws, immunities, and flight. The saving throws and immunities are not sufficient enough to affect its ranking, and without ranged weapons to take advantage of its flight, it doesn't impact the ranking either.

However, we can see that frightening an enemy does have an effect! Having Frightful Presence, an ability that targets a large number of enemies, increases your effective hit points by a large amount if you're fighting a party of 10th level or lower.

This creature isn't meant to be a solo monster, as evidenced by its aura ability. Additionally, its Abjure Enemy only targets a single creature, not a whole party. Ultimately I would say that it doesn't affect the ranking, either.

So, 150 hit points brings us to CR 6 and the AC increases that to CR 7.

Defensive Challenge Rating: 7

Luckily for us, if my judgement is wrong for the offensive challenge rating and it should stay at CR 14 instead of 15, the final challenge rating is the same due to rounding.

Final Challenge Rating

15 + 7 = 22.

22 / 2 = 11.

Challenge: 11 (7,200 XP).

Hunter

Scout, MM pg. 349

To get across the flavour of a hunter of big game, you can give scouts one of the following abilities:

• Colossus Slayer (1/Turn). The scout deals an additional 4 (1d8) damage with its weapons when it hits a creature below its hit point maximum.
• Giant Killer. When a Large or larger creature hits or misses the scout with a melee weapon attack, the scout can immediately make one weapon attack against that creature. (Reaction)
• Horde Breaker. When the scout hits a creature with a weapon attack, it can use its bonus action to make the same attack against a different creature within 5 feet of the original target and within range of its weapon.

The scout is still quite weak defensively, so I recommend the following changes in addition:

• Armor Class 14 (hide armor)
• Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)

With these changes, the scout's offensive challenge rating is 2 and its defensive challenge rating is 1/2.

The scout's new challenge rating is 1 (200 XP).

Beastmaster

The beastmaster's challenge rating doesn't include its animal companion. Since we're not strictly limited by what the class can actually do, we can give the beastmaster any animal companion available in a published book. Included are some randomly-picked suggestions.

Thief

Master Thief, VGM pg. 216, or Spy, MM pg. 349.

The master thief is sufficient for an effective cat burglar or dashing vagrant, while the spy is sufficient to represent the roleplay focus of a more social setting.

Assassin

Assassin, MM pg. 343.

I feel that the assassin here is very strong (CR 8), and there should be an option available for a weaker assassin.

Arcane Trickster

You can represent a spellcaster rogue using the statblock included here. You'll notice that, like the eldritch knight, its spellcasting ability compares it to full spellcasters rather than levels in the class it's mimicking.

Wild Magic Sorcerer

Apprentice Mage, VGM pg 209., Mage, MM pg. 347, or Archmage, MM pg. 342.

Any of these, or in fact any creature with spellcasting, can represent a wild magic sorcerer. Simply add the following trait to that creature:

• Wild Magic Surge. When the creature casts a spell of 1st-level or higher, it rolls twice on the Wild Magic Surge Table (PHB pg. 104) and uses either number.

As the effects are unpredictable, this does not change a creature's challenge rating.

Dragon Sorcerer

I've included the statistics for a red dragon sorcerer only. This statblock can also be used for a brass or gold dragon sorcerer. For other dragon types, you can remove the immunity to fire and make these suggested changes.

Warlock of the Archfey

Warlock of the Archfey, VGM, pg. 219.

The warlock in Volo's Guide to Monsters is sufficient to represent this subclass.

Warlock of the Fiend

Warlock of the Fiend, VGM, pg. 219.

The warlock in Volo's Guide to Monsters is sufficient to represent this subclass.

Warlock of the Great Old One

Warlock of the Great Old One, VGM, pg. 220.

The warlock in Volo's Guide to Monsters is sufficient to represent this subclass.

Patron Gifts

For extra flavour in your warlock NPCs, you might want to include specialised weapons, familiars, and/or spellbooks that your warlocks carry with them, none of which change their challenge rating. You can include all three gifts if you wish; there's no restriction on just one per warlock.

These gifts vary based on the patron, a few of which are included here. You can design your own gifts for other patrons.

Familiars. The "Chain" options available here are not representative of the options available to player characters and don't follow the same rules. Instead, the companions are independent creatures that serve the patron in a partnership with the warlock. These creatures might spy on their warlock "master" as much as they spy on enemies of their patron.

Generic Wizards

Apprentice Mage, VGM pg 209., Mage, MM pg. 347, or Archmage, MM pg. 342.

Any of these are sufficient to represent a generic wizard.

Specialised Wizards

Wizards that specialise in magic of a particular school have been consolidated here in alphabetical order.

• Abjurer, VGM pg. 209
• Conjurer, VGM pg. 212
• Diviner, VGM pg. 213
• Enchanter, VGM pg. 213
• Evoker, VGM pg. 214
• Illusionist, VGM pg. 214
• Necromancer, VGM pg. 217
• Transmuter, VGM pg. 218

Wizard Companions

A wizard might have companions that follow it around and do its bidding, willingly or otherwise. They are listed here for easy reference while building your wizard encounters.