Art by ortsmor, CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
Do you find yourself flustered while throwing a creature at a party because they are ALL DUNGEON MASTERS who know the Monster Manual inside and out?
“He has a teleportation legendary action, so watch out for that!”
Despite our best efforts, we can’t always prevent meta-gaming. Meta-gamers gonna meta-game. That’s why I love homebrew monsters—you can throw the unknown at the players and chuckle menacingly when they think they can predict the creature’s attacks, only to get chomped, clawed, and chewed.
Here are a few spotlights of my favorite homebrew monsters.
Tooth Fairies, CR 1
Based from the movie Hellboy II: The Golden Army, these ugly buggers look nothing like Dwayne the Rock Johnson, and they certainly won’t leave you presents while you sleep. Kind of cute from a distance, these creatures become instantly menacing as they reach their clawed hands into your screaming mouth.
Thank you Reddit user StriderT for the accompanying GrimmDark manual, supplying bountiful homebrew resources.
Source: Reddit
Hell Bovine, CR 3
Looking for an alternative to an orc raiding party? This herd has some cool abilities, such as flanking advantage and pack tactics, which can prove quite challenging to an underestimating cocky party.
Look for more homebrew material from the incredible Paul Weber.
Source: Weber’s Tumblr
Kipine, CR 4
Created by Tumblr user tr1lobyte, this owlbear mutation takes to the skies at night to provide a spooky challenge. Bonus points if a player can manage to ride one!
Source: Tumblr
Behemoth, CR 13
Resembling something like a dragon/shark/demogorgon hybrid, this literal monster jumps its prey from above, though it has a soft spot for other big ugly things.
Check out reddit user Arilianis for more incredible homebrew monsters.
Image source: Imgur
The King in Yellow, CR 30
The boss of all bosses. A Great Old One incarnate. King of the Yellow Cult. A legendary encounter. This guy is the perfect final boss to kick a bunch of presumptuous level 20-ers right in the balls. Beware his gaze!
Credit: Reddit user altfuldisch
Before you go, check out Flutes’ article about how to use Mind Flayers in many ways for your campaign.
