The Deathmarked Wight is a CR 12 variant of the classic wight, created for campaigns where undeath feels tied to a greater power. Instead of being only a hateful remnant of a former life, this wight has been chosen by a death god, ancient lich, or powerful necromantic order, carrying a mark that gives it purpose, authority, and far more dangerous abilities.

It can place a deathmark on a victim, weaken enemies with necromancy, drain life, raise the creatures it kills into temporary undead servants, and unleash pulses of necrotic power. I wanted it to feel like an undead enforcer or emissary, the kind of creature sent to crush rebellions, retrieve escaped undead, punish enemies of a death cult, or prepare the way for something much worse.

The Wight entry also includes expanded lore and optional traits to customize the base creature, such as memories from life, empowered zombie servants, or extra necrotic damage against untouched victims. Together, the two statblocks give you both a classic undead threat and a much deadlier champion of death for higher-level encounters.

These creatures are from Undead & Undead: The Ultimate Undead Handbook for 5E and the 2024 Edition available on DriveThruRPG!

Undead are more than shambling corpses and skeletal minions. Undead & Undead is your complete guide to raising the dead, commanding their power, and unleashing them in terrifying new forms - from restless spirits and cursed warriors to spectral lords, zombie dragons, and necromantic abominations.

What’s Inside?

• 90+ Undead Statblocks – From crawling hands and soul wisps to deathpriests, banshees, mummy sovereigns, and lich gods. Each entry includes optional traits and variants to customize your encounters.
• Undead Lair System – A scalable, flexible system to turn crypts, cursed cities, and haunted ruins into deadly environments. Includes thematic traps, lair actions, environmental effects, and more.
• 50+ Magic Items – Cursed relics, necrotic weapons, undead-bound artifacts, and forbidden tomes designed to horrify or empower.
• Customizable Templates & Traits – Easily create unique undead with variant traits, thematic abilities, and storytelling tools for every archetype.
• Campaign Tools – Includes undead cult generators, random encounter tables, unholy rituals, haunted visions, and apocalyptic plot hooks to fuel your adventures.
• VTT & Art Resources – 60 art handouts and 45 VTT tokens to bring your undead encounters to life, whether in person or online.

I’m also working on Mythological Items for 5E and 5.5E, an upcoming Kickstarter featuring 300+ magic items inspired by myths and legends from around the world. It includes weapons, armor, relics, artifacts, and scaling items that can grow with the characters over the course of a campaign. You can subscribe to our newsletter to get updates and download a free 30-page PDF preview. We only send emails occasionally, and only when there’s a new release, important news, or exclusive free content and discount codes to share.

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

She had the body of a great black cat, with the neck and head of a beautiful elf-maiden – though if that head was on a humanoid body, she’d have to be nine feet tall to match the scale. Her skin was flawless cream, her eyes glittering gold. Her long hair was midnight black, dropping down and mingling with the vast raven’s wings folded on her back. The black of her fur and hair was striped with bands of brilliant orange, and these seemed to glow in the dim light; when she shifted these stripes rippled like flames.

“Why are you doing this?” Daine said. “If you know so much about our destinies, why the riddles? Why not just tell us what you know?”

The sphinx smiled. “What answer do you wish to hear, Daine with no family name? That I am bound by divine and arcane laws, and have told you all that I can? That I have told you what you need to know to fulfill your purpose in this world? Or that I have my own plans, and I am shaping your destiny as much as any of the others who watch?”

“Which is true?”

“Which will you believe?”

- The Dreaming Dark Trilogy I: City of Towers

"Not technically a faculty member, the sphinx called Flamewind is certainly one of the most interesting characters on campus. A recent expedition to Xen’drik encountered her, and she claimed she had been waiting for the scholars to find her. She willingly returned with them to Khorvaire and took up residence at the top of a spire beside Lareth Hall’s great dome. She frequently summons adventurers to her chamber and sends them on cryptic missions. Many say she has oracular powers and has studied the Draconic Prophecy." - Forge of the Artificer

The full automation for Flamewind and over 500 other monsters created and adjusted for the Eberron setting are in Elsie's Notes of Certain Doom, and entirely avrae compatible! If you'd like to join in facing encounters like these and immerse yourself in the Eberron setting, Eberron: Legends of the 5th Dawn is the west marches for you!

Hey everyone!

I wanted to share this horrifying piece of primeval lore: the Proto Bird-Bear.

Before the classic, quadrupedal beast we all know and love (or fear) became the standard in our forests, there was this flawed, initial experiment by a mad wizard. It’s an unrefined, upright chimera that walks like a man but kills like a monster.

Mechanically, it’s a CR 6 bruiser that uses Vengeful Enrage to lock onto whoever damages it first. Once it hits half health, Bloodied Rampage kicks in, granting it a massive speed boost and resetting its rage onto whoever dealt the bloodying blow. Combine that with a beak attack that grapples and crushes, and you have a very nasty encounter for a mid-tier party exploring deep woods or forgotten ruins!

PROTO BIRD-BEAR: OWL

Strigiformes Ursus (Primeval)

Classification: Arcane Chimera | Region: The Deep Woods & Forgotten Ruins

Before the more anatomically integrated iterations of the modern beast roamed the forests, there was the Proto Bird-Bear. Often dismissed as a myth or a mad wizard's initial, flawed experiment, this primeval chimera is a terrifying testament to unrefined arcane splicing. Its form is an awkward, upright nightmare, lacking the quadrupedal grace of a true bear or the aerodynamic logic of an owl. It lumbers on two stout legs, driven by a chaotic, insatiable hunger and an aggressive, highly territorial instinct.

Unlike its modern descendants, the Proto Bird-Bear's skeletal structure is a horrific clashing of species with a bite capable of snapping a warhorse's femur. It relies on sheer, uncoordinated brutality rather than predatory grace. Its shaggy a matted, patchy nightmare of stiff feathers and coarse fur, offers little insulation but serves as a surprisingly effective, bristling armor against slashing blades.

Survivors of encounters with this aberration note its eerie silence. Despite its awkward, heavy gait, the magical nature of its creation seemingly suppresses the sounds of its footfalls. It stalks the deepest woods not as a natural hunter, but as a living terror, lashing out with elongated claws and a snapping, bone-crushing beak at anything that crosses its path.

PROTO BIRD-BEAR

Large Aberration, Unaligned

CHALLENGE 6 | PB +3

• AC: 14 (Natural Armor)
• HP: 133 (14d10 + 56)
• Initiative: +0 (10)
• Speed: 40 ft.

• Skills: Athletics +7, Perception +5
• Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
• Languages: —

TRAITS

• VENGEFUL ENRAGE. The first time the bird-bear takes damage in combat, it focuses its rage on the creature that dealt the damage. Until that target is reduced to 0 Hit Points or the bird-bear becomes Bloodied, the bird-bear has Advantage on attack rolls against that target, and it must use its movement to pursue and attack that target if capable.
• BLOODIED RAMPAGE. The first time the bird-bear becomes Bloodied (has 66 or fewer Hit Points), its previous rage ends, and it immediately focuses its rage on the creature that dealt the bloodying damage. While Bloodied, the bird-bear's Speed increases by 20 feet, and it has Advantage on attack rolls against the new target.

ACTIONS

• MULTIATTACK. The bird-bear makes two attacks: one with its Shattering Beak and one with its Paw, or two with its Paws. If both Paw attacks hit the same target on the same turn, the target takes an extra 4 (1d8) Bludgeoning damage and has the Prone condition.
• SHATTERING BEAK. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) Piercing damage, and the target has the Grappled condition (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, it can't use its Shattering Beak attack against another target.
• PAW. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) Bludgeoning damage.

BONUS ACTIONS

• FURIOUS DASH (REQUIRES BLOODIED). The bird-bear takes the Dash action.

REACTIONS

• FERAL RETALIATION. Trigger: The bird-bear takes damage from the target of its current rage. Response: The bird-bear moves up to half its Speed straight toward the triggering target. If it ends this movement within 5 feet of the target, it makes one Paw attack against it.

They have finally arrived, the very representation of death incarnate as the Kindred. I have held them in incredibly high esteem regarding their power scale. What do you think? Do you like it? What modifications would you make to them?

The art and images are from League of Legends, property by Riot Games.

If you want to use Kindred and other champions, here is the FoundryVTT module.

We are in the process of assembling a bestiary of 5.5 D&D monsters, and would love for you to use them in your campaign or session and give us feedback! We've thrown a handful of representative monsters into a playtest manual. If you'd be interested in giving it a go, feel free to download here: Crypt of Creatures Playtest

[effacé]

GIVEAWAY: Voragheel, the Vampire Dragon

To enter the giveaway, leave one first-level comment on this post.

Help keep this comment visible so the giveaway rules and entry details are easy to find for everyone.

With Archvillain Encounters: Death & Beyond now live on Gamefound, we are giving away one huge Voragheel miniature, professionally painted by the Minis for War, ready to dominate the table or display shelf.

Here’s the link to our campaign: https://gamefound.com/projects/archvillain-games/archvillain-encounters-death--beyond?refcode=-92s1a9jd0G3DTQXCEkoYw

The raffle will take place after the Early Bird period has ended, on Saturday, May 16, at 7:00 PM EEST / 4:00 PM UTC.

A mausoleum was built to keep him buried.

It failed.

Voragheel is one of the dark-fantasy boss miniatures featured in the campaign. You can see him, along with more 5E boss encounters, miniatures, battlemaps, lore, adventures, and campaign content here.

Once a mighty shadow dragon, Voragheel was betrayed by the Shepherds, an ancient vampiric order that feared his rule over the night. They entombed him beneath a mausoleum soaked in blood rites and let his name fade into myth.

But the rituals never truly ended. Century after century, spilled blood seeped into the crypt below until death itself gave way. Voragheel rose again as a vampiric horror, crimson-scaled and ancient-eyed, no longer driven by hunger, but by vengeance.

The painted giveaway PVC miniature measures approximately:

Head to base: 6.8 inches / 17.3 cm
Base to top of wing: 10.2 inches / 25.9 cm
Wingspan: 13.5 inches / 34.3 cm

Unpainted versions of Voragheel are also available through the Archvillain Encounters: Death & Beyond Gamefound campaign, along with the material needed to bring him into your 5E games.

To enter the giveaway, leave one first-level comment on this post.

You can comment with anything, but if you want to make it thematic, tell us what kind of party you think would survive opening Voragheel’s tomb. That would be interesting!

Giveaway terms

No purchase is required.

Worldwide shipping any customs fees, import duties, or local taxes are covered by Archvillain Games.

One entry per person.

Only first-level comments count as entries.

Multiple first-level comments will disqualify the entrant.

The winning Reddit account must be at least 3 months old.

Winner selection

The winner will be drawn on Saturday, May 16^(th), at 8:00 PM EEST / 5:00 PM UTC.

The winner will be selected using Reddit Raffler.

The results will be announced here and the winner will be contacted by DM.

If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be drawn.

Good luck. The tomb is now open.

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/33rJcbhyN2kL

The rules said to post the link as well, is this good?

Making this monster for a friend, ignore the sub-class in the brew link, and was trying to figure out the CR. She already agreed to it, so not that it matters. It's just something fun to think about.

What do you think of my monster creation??

Art from Pinterest, there were no artists labeled

Here is the Orc Shaman, a CR 4 spellcaster built to add storm magic, ancestral spirits, and battlefield support to orc encounters.

I wanted this creature to feel like more than just an orc with spells. It can support nearby allies with temporary hit points, empower a warband with primal rage, call down lightning through its Rite of the Storm Gods, and use its voice as a supernatural force that carries across the battlefield.

The page also includes optional traits that let you customize the shaman depending on the role you want it to play. It can become more durable against thunder and lightning, deal extra force damage through ancestral spirits, hold concentration more reliably while wounded, perform ritual movement, or unleash one final spell when reduced to 0 hit points.

It works well as a tribal spiritual leader, battlefield caster, cultic storm priest, or dangerous support monster behind a larger orc warband.

This creature is from Orcs & Orcs, available on DriveThruRPG in PDF and hardcover print!

Orcs & Orcs is the ultimate guide to unleashing the full fury and depth of orc-kind in your 5E campaigns, whether you want savage warbands, disciplined armies, cursed berserkers, or iron-willed mercenaries.

What’s Inside?

• Dozens of Orc Statblocks – From the Orc Bannerbearer to the Red Orc Warlord, each entry includes extra traits and variants to help you customize encounters with brutal precision.
• Powerful Orc Factions – Expand your bestiary with Ironpeak Orcs, Oathsister Orcs, Red Orcs, and twisted Mutant Orcs. Each brings unique abilities, lore, and lair ideas.
• Orc Campaign Tools – Warband factions, tactical lairs, encounter suggestions, and more.
• 70 Orc-Themed Magic Items – Tribal relics, cursed axes, brutal armor, spiritual totems, and more.
• VTT & Art Resources – Includes 27 handouts and 17 creature tokens to bring orcs to life in-person or online.

Orcs fit into any fantasy campaign as enemies, allies, or complex factions. Wherever your world needs strength, rage, and scars earned in battle, orcs are ready.

I’m also working on Mythological Items for 5E and 5.5E, an upcoming Kickstarter featuring 300+ magic items inspired by myths and legends from around the world. It includes weapons, armor, relics, artifacts, and scaling items that can grow with the characters over the course of a campaign. You can subscribe to our newsletter to get updates and download a free 30-page PDF preview. We only send emails occasionally, and only when there’s a new release, important news, or exclusive free content and discount codes to share.

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

Today we emerge from the writing caves bring you something different. The Croaks, frog like humanoid monster that lurke in the swamp.

You can download for free the 5eTools/Improved Initative json, tokens, free pdf (pages and spreads ) from our patreon page.

If you are unfamiliar with the stat block style like, we deviated from the standard style to improve readability and ease of use. The are fully compatible with D&D 5.0e. You can read more about it in the format guide.

If you like it here is more!

If you are looking for more of our free DnD Monster check, you can find them here:

• Bandits
• Skeletons (goodie pdf)
• A tone of different insect monster

All monster are designed based on the MonsterManifest, a design paper for monster roles in combat to spice up standard DnD Combat.

We also have a subreddit r/MonsterManifest if you are interested talking to us.

If you like what you see, check out the patreon post, for the full free pdf.

Also follow us for more monster on patreon. We will release more monster each week.

Monster Manual Expanded 5.5e has been unleashed! You can grab it now at the DM's Guild!

Note that if you already own the previous version, get the bundle instead to get a discount!

anywhere i can make it more broken?