r/ItsADnDMonsterNow

I've been working on an original homebrew bestiary and wanted to share one of my favorites: the Neurotoad.

It's a Tiny Beast built entirely around collective illusions. What makes it mechanically unique is that its danger scales with numbers: with 1-2 Neurotoads it produces false sounds and shadows; with 3-4 it generates illusory duplicates and distance distortion; with 5 or more it can simulate entire terrain, conceal exits and create nonexistent enemies. And the DC of its saving throws increases by +1 for each additional Neurotoad present.

Its Synaptic Call trait summons 1d4 reinforcements the moment it feels threatened, which can turn an apparently easy encounter into illusory chaos within a few rounds. Harmless Appearance makes players underestimate the threat until it's too late.

And when a creature fails a saving throw, Distorted Reality imposes disadvantage on its next roll or reduces its speed by half.

It doesn't seek to kill. It seeks to confuse until you leave.

The bestiary quote sums it up perfectly: "Don't trust what you see… when the swamp is thinking alongside you."

Ideal encounter: 2-3 Neurotoads at the start that quickly scale to 5 or more.

Feedback on balance for CR 1/2 is very welcome.

These pages are from Goblins & Goblins, my manual focused on expanding goblins into a much wider range of roles, encounters, factions, and campaign tools.

This preview includes the Goblin Shadowmancer, a CR 3 spellcaster built around darkness, fear, teleportation, necrotic magic, and optional shadow traits; the Goblin Alchemist, a chaotic potion-maker with random concoctions, explosive flasks, and extra customization options; and the Goblin King, a CR 4 leader who commands nearby goblins, uses legendary actions, and can turn a messy goblin fight into something much more dangerous.

I wanted Goblins & Goblins to make goblins feel fresh again, not just as disposable low-level enemies, but as tricksters, leaders, weird specialists, faction members, recurring villains, or chaotic allies that can show up at many different levels of play.

What’s Inside?

• Tons of Goblin Statblocks – From the explosive Goblin Alchemist to the fearsome Goblin King, with extra traits and variants for customization.
• Unique Goblin Races – Expand your bestiary with Desert Goblins, Sky Goblins, Snow Goblins, and Swamp Goblins, each with unique abilities and lairs.
• Goblin Campaign Tools – Factions, encounter ideas, trap-filled hideouts, and a goblin name table to enrich your adventures.
• 75+ Magic Items – From general goblin gear to race-specific magic items tailored for each goblin subrace.
• VTT & Art Resources – Includes 36 art handouts and 28 creature tokens to bring goblins to life at your table.

You can also find more of my creatures and manuals on DriveThruRPG, my Linktree, or by visiting r/JonnyDM!

I've been working on an original homebrew bestiary and wanted to share one of my favorites: the Snaptongue.

It's a Tiny Beast built entirely around opportunism. What makes it interesting mechanically is the combination of three traits working together: Reptilian Camouflage gives it advantage on Stealth in natural environments and ruins, Opportunist by Nature gives it advantage against distracted or controlled creatures, and Never Fights to the Death makes it flee the moment things get dangerous.

Its main action is Prehensile Tongue: a 15 ft. reach attack that doesn't just deal damage but can steal an object, knock the target prone, or drag it 5 ft. closer. And with Swallow and Run it can disengage without provoking opportunity attacks while gaining temporary hit points if it stole something that turn.

It doesn't seek to kill. It seeks to steal and disappear. An encounter with 2-3 Snaptongues can be more frustrating and memorable than a dragon for a disorganized party.

The bestiary quote says it all: "It doesn't attack you. It waits. And by the time you notice… your food is already gone."

Hello, fellow adventurers! Today, we are excited to share an extended preview of magic items from our upcoming Kickstarter project, 300+ Mythological Items for 5E and 2024.

Step into a realm of ancient gods, legendary heroes, and forgotten civilizations with Mythological Items, a comprehensive compendium featuring over 300 magical items specifically designed for 5E and its 2024 ruleset update. This manual spans a vast array of cultural traditions, organizing its treasures into regional categories for easy reference and immersive worldbuilding. Each item includes not only full game mechanics, but also lore and background information to integrate it seamlessly into your campaign, whether as treasure, quest rewards, or the key to an unfolding mythic saga. From the storm-summoning weapons of thunder gods to cursed trinkets whispered of in ancient lore, this book brings myth to your table like never before.

This manual offers an extensive collection of magical items that can be incorporated into any campaign, regardless of its connection to specific mythological themes. The items presented in this volume, drawn from a multitude of global legends and folklore, are envisioned to enhance the diversity and depth of any fantasy world. This eclectic array mirrors the inherent blending of elements in many worlds and settings, where influences from various cultures and mythologies coexist harmoniously. For instance, Thor’s Hammer, Mjölnir, could serve as the centerpiece of a divine quest, while Draupnir, the Norse ring of endless wealth, might drive political intrigue or power struggles in a kingdom torn by greed.

Mythological Items also provides a solid foundation for campaigns that wish to delve deeper into the relics of a specific mythology or blend multiple traditions into a larger, interconnected setting. A campaign inspired by Greek mythology could see players donning the Nemean Lion’s Pelt, becoming nearly invulnerable as they take on challenges worthy of Heracles himself, while a campaign drawing from Japanese folklore could involve uncovering the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the fabled grass-cutting sword tied to imperial lineage and divine storms.

We suggest checking our pre-launch page for additional info and an extended 30-page preview of our compendium, scheduled to release in September! Alternatively, you can also subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on upcoming projects, special offers, and important news about our past and future works.

Happy adventuring!

Comparto la ficha del Neurósapo, una pequeña criatura anfibia de apariencia inofensiva que esconde una capacidad psíquica sorprendente. En lugar de atacar directamente, sincroniza su mente con otros Neurósapos cercanos para generar ilusiones colectivas que confunden y desorientan a los intrusos. Diseñada para ser una amenaza inquietante e impredecible en niveles bajos.

Las ilustraciones son generadas con IA. Todo el concepto, lore, mecánicas y maquetación son de elaboración propia.

Busco artista: Estoy en proceso de sustituir el arte IA de mi bestiario por ilustraciones comisionadas. Busco principalmente estilo fantasy realista, aunque estoy abierto a otros estilos si encajan con la identidad visual del proyecto. Si te interesa colaborar, escríbeme por privado. Criaturas con ciclos evolutivos de varias etapas, por lo que hay trabajo continuado si hay buen encaje.

Feedback sobre el balance bienvenido, especialmente sobre si CR 1/2 os parece adecuado para una criatura cuya principal amenaza es psíquica y colectiva.

Here are a few preview pages from Atlantis: War of the Tridents, my 270+ page adventure module for 5E, blending Greek mythology, Atlantean fantasy, underwater exploration, political conflict, and traditional fantasy adventure.

This preview shows a mix of the content included in the book: the Barbarian: Path of the Sea Serpent, an ocean-themed subclass built around aquatic adaptation, serpent-like fury, and sea monster resilience; the Atlantean Elemental Sword, a very rare magic weapon forged with fire, lightning, and water gems; several new ocean-themed spells like Rejuvenating Waters, Water Cyclone, and Tidal Smite; Callista, the High Priestess of Athena in Atlantis; and monsters such as the Brine Sea Serpent and Lesser Stone Golem.

The full adventure includes flexible campaign paths, underwater and surface encounters, new character options, spells, magic items, NPCs, monsters, locations, factions, and extensive VTT resources.

It is designed for campaigns that want mythic adventure, oceanic exploration, Atlantean politics, divine influence, ancient secrets, and dangerous creatures from the depths.

You can explore all my manuals and resources on DriveThruRPG, or through my Linktree, and check out more previews on r/JonnyDM.