Monster

Outcast From Society

When monsters are found they are hunted down and slain. Monsters cannot stay in one place for long and are forced to live in the shadows. This ostracism either causes a monster seek redemption, or drives them further from the light. When a monster does find a place where they are welcome, they will stop at nothing to protect it.

Consider how you interact with other people: do your good deeds assuage their fears or do you conceal you true nature?

Becoming a Monster

Not all who are considered monsters are deserving of that title. Few monsters choose this life and most fight only to escape it, but there are some who relish the bloodshed and infamy it brings them. Monsters become adventurers for many reasons: some seek acceptance, some want revenge, and others just love the violence. The dark powers which created you must have done it for a reason, this pain cannot be for nothing. Will you embrace your dark destiny or fight to save the light within you?

The first step to creating a monster is choosing what kind of monster you wish to be. Were you created by another monster? Did you go too far in the pursuit of power? Do you even know why you are this way? Do you serve a master, do you make your own path, or do you follow fate?

Quick Build

You can make a monster quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the hermit background.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d12 per monster level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per monster level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: All armor
• Weapons: Simple weapons, flails, morningstars, shortswords, tridents, whips
• Tools: None
• Saving Throws: Charisma, Constitution
• Skills: Choose two skills from Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, Religion, Stealth, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• Chain mail and a handaxe

Creature of the Night

At 1st level, choose what type of horrific creature you have become. The creature you choose grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 11th, and 17th level.

You can choose between the Risen or Bloodthirsty creature types.

Inhuman Nature

When you start your dark journey at 1st level your body is twisted by foul forces, you gain the following features:

• While you are not wearing armor your Armor Class is equal to 13 + your Constitution Modifier.
• Your unarmed strikes deal 1d8 + your Strength or Dexterity slashing damage.
• You gain darkvision out to 60ft, if you already have darkvision the range of your darkvision increases by 60ft.
• You have resistance to necrotic damage.

Darkness

At level two, as a bonus action you can expend and roll a hit die to perform a dark action. You learn the three dark actions described below and an additional dark action at level 6 as a creature feature.

Some of your monster features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Dark Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

• Unnatural Health. Gain temporary hit points equal to the number rolled on your hit die plus your Constitution.
• Lash Out. Make an attack, if this attack hits the target creature takes slashing damage equal to the number rolled on your hit die and cannot regain hit points until the end of your next turn.
• Terrify. Force one creature that can see you to make a wisdom saving throw against your Dark dc or be frightened of you for one minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of it's turns to end the effect.

Foul Fortitude

At 3rd level, you have additional hit dice equal to half your Monster level. When you finish a short rest you regain these hit dice and may spend them to restore hit points.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Multiattack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Nightstalker

At 7th level you have mastered creeping through the shadows. Your movement increases by 10 feet and you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Additionally after you make a stealth or athletics check you may expend a hit die and add the number rolled to the check.

Destruction

Also 7th level your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Legendary Action

At level 9 you have become a monster of legends. At the end of another creature’s turn you can immediately perform one of your dark actions as a reaction without expending a hit dice. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. You can use this feature twice between rests starting at 14th level and three times between rests starting at 18th level.

Legendary Resistance

At level 10 when you fail a saving throw you may use your reaction and spend a hit die to add the number rolled to the saving throw.

Husk

At 1st level, you gain resistance to poison damage. Additionally, once per long rest when you are reduced to 0 hit points you may choose to be reduced to 1 hit point instead.

Reanimation

At 1st level you gain the power to imbue the dead with a fraction of your power. At the start of your turn you can summon the cadaver of a medium or small creature to fight for you for one minute. Your cadavers act immediately after you in initiative and obey your verbal commands. You may only control one cadaver at a time, if you reanimate a second cadaver the first one immediately dies. If a small or medium creature dies within 30ft of you you may turn it into a cadaver.

Once you have used this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Dark Action: Infection

Starting at 6th level, a creature within 30 feet must succeed a dexterity saving throw or be poisoned and take necrotic damage equal to a roll of your dark die at the start of each of it’s turns. At the end of it’s turn a creature may repeat the save ending this effect on a successful save.

Plague

At 11th level, you can control up to two cadavers at a time instead of one, if you summon a third cadaver one cadaver of your choice immediately dies.

Hollow

At 17th level your body is an empty husk of pestilence. You have immunity to poison and necrotic damage. If you or a cadaver is reduced to 0 hit points, all creatures of your choice within 10 feet must make a Constitution saving throw against your dark dc. Any creature that fails their saving throw takes 3d12 necrotic damage and is blinded until the end of their turn, or half as much on a successful save.

Child of the night

At 1st level you have resistance to poison damage, and you can communicate basic ideas with wolves and bats.

Hemorrhage

At level 1, when you hit with a melee attack you may deal 2d6 bonus necrotic damage and heal yourself for the same amount. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus and regain all uses after a short rest. This feature does not work on constructs or undead.

Dark Action: Drain

At 6th level as a bonus action you can expend a hit die to cause one creature with 30 feet to make a dexterity saving throw. on a failed save the target creature takes necrotic damage equal to the number you rolled on your hit die and you heal for the same amount.

Charming

Additionally at level 6, when you use your terrify dark action you may charm the creature instead.

Shapechanger

At 11th level as an action you can turn into a cloud of bats or bloody mist. When you transform, your size becomes small, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed, and resist all damage. While in this form the only action you can take is the action to change back into your normal form, however you can still perform dark actions.

Thrall

At level 17, if a creature fails it's saving throw against your terrify dark action three turns in a row it becomes your thrall. Your thralls are charmed by you and do not repeat the saving throw to end the effect at the end of their turns. While chared by you follow any orders you give them to the best of their ability. If you or an ally harm a thrall or command them to take an action which would endanger themself or a loved one, the thrall may repeat the saving against your charm, ending the effect on a successful save.

Spirit

You have been brought back from beyond the grave to finish what you started in life.

Experiment

You have been transformed into something monstrous in the name of science.

Insane Insight

At first level, the horrific experiments performed on you have left you with scientific revelations. You gain resistance to lightning damage. Additionally you gain a bonus to medicine checks equal to your Constitution modifier.

Overcharge

Additionally at level one you can push the limits of your augmented form. At the start of your turn you may overcharge yourself for one minute. While you are overcharged your size becomes large and you may add your constitution modifier to all ability checks and damage rolls you make. You can stay overcharged for one minute

Living Weapon

At 1st level you have been made only to kill. You have a weapon incorporated into your body. Choose one weapon which you are proficient and lacks the two-handed property.

During a short rest you can incorporate a weapon are proficient and lacks the two-handed property into your body.

Dark Action: Bolt of Inspiration

At 6th you learn to harness the power keeping you alive. As a dark action you may force all creatures within 10 feet of you to make a Dexterity saving throw, on a failed save a creature takes lightning damage equal to the number rolled on your hit dice, or half as much on a successful save. You may spend additional hit dice to roll them and add them to the damage

Dark Action: Breath weapon

As a dark action you exhale elemental power in a 30 foot cone in front of you. All creatures in the cone must make a dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to the number rolled or half as much on a successful save. WHen you use this dark action you may spend additional hit dice to roll them and add them to the damage. The damage type for this ability is the same damage type you chose at level 1

Abberant Form

At level 1, your body is unnatural to creatures from this plane. Gain resistance to psychic damage. Additionally, once per long rest, when a creature scores a critical hit against you may turn it into a normal hit.

Abberant Mind

You may communicate telepathically with creatures within 30 feet. When you hit a creature that is grappled, frightened, or stunned

Dark Action: Mind Flay

As a dark action force one creature within 30 feet to make a Intelligence saving throw, on a failed save the target creature takes damage equal to the number rolled and is incapacitated until the start of your next turn. Once a creature is incapacitated by this ability you cannot target it again with this ability until you finish a long rest.