Example: a monster called Green Hag Obama would have Green as pre-name, Hag as name and Obama as surname. This separation allows Monstershuffler to pick only the 'name' part when writing descriptions inside the stat block.
When a creature is generic, its name is preceded by the article "the" inside descriptions, like "The hag has advantage on Wisdom (Perc[...]"
Find more names on fantasynamegenerators.com
Male pronouns: he/his/him/his
Female pronouns: she/her/her/hers
Neutral pronouns: they/their/them/theirs
Thing pronouns: it/its/it/theirs
This value affects descriptions when tags like [they] or [them] are used: they will be automatically converted into the pronouns chosen for the creature. To know more about tags click here.
If you choose (from other sources) Monstershuffler will attempt to find this value inside the creature's template, class or race in that order, and give a default value when none is found.
1 = tiny; 2 = small, 3 = medium, 4 = large, 5 = huge, 6 = gargantuan.
Expressions add dynamic values to statistics. Example: adding '1' as an expression to the size of a medium-sized creature will make it Large, and adding 'LVL/9' will make it grow in size every 9 levels (Hit Dice).
If you choose (from other sources) Monstershuffler will attempt to find this value inside the creature's template, class or race in that order, and give a default value when none is found.
Add a subtype:
In case you didn't know: you can write and add your own subtypes!
Warning: changing the creature's race or race variant will replace all related statistics and actions, including the ones you may have edited.
Warning: changing the creature's profession will replace all related statistics and actions, including the ones you may have edited.
Warning: changing the creature's class or class variant will replace all related statistics and actions, including the ones you may have edited.
Warning: changing the creature's template will replace all related statistics and actions, including the ones you may have edited.
Alignment is randomly determined when a creature is generated inside the NPC Generator. The values above influence the result of the random roll by making it lean towards a certain alignment. Other stats may influence the result as well.
Short Background
Here you can write a very short background to help yourself or other dungeon masters roleplay this creature. Leave it blank if you want to hide this part of the stat block.
Find more ideas on SeventhSanctum.com
If you were to describe this creature's personality, what word would you use? Leave the input blank if you want to hide this part of the stat block.
Armor Class:
If you choose (from other sources) Monstershuffler will attempt to find this value inside the creature's template, class or race in that order, and give a default value when none is found.
This creature's level is the sum of the Hit Dice found inside these sections:
The Hit Die chosen reflects the creature's size: Tiny: d4, Small: d6, Medium: d8, Large: d10, Huge: d12, Gargantuan: d20.
*You can leave this field blank, as Races and Templates don't necessarily have base Hit Dice.
The Hit Die chosen reflects the creature's size: Tiny: d4, Small: d6, Medium: d8, Large: d10, Huge: d12, Gargantuan: d20.
Speeds (ft):
If you leave these values blank Monstershuffler will attempt to find them inside the creature's template, class or race in that order, and give a default value when none is found.
Setting a speed type to 0 will forcibly disable it.
Add an expression for a type of speed:
Base ability scores:
You can prevent expressions from increasing ability scores too much by setting a limit here:
Ability scores limit:
A score of 18 is the highest that a person usually reaches. Adventurers can have scores as high as 20, and Monsters and divine beings can have scores as high as 30.
Add an expression for an ability score:
Classes usually make characters increase one ability score by 2 every four levels, which translates into the expression (LVL/4)*2 + 2. You should always add a similar expression to the primary ability score of a class.
Add a saving throw:
If you want to give Expertise (double proficiency) to a saving throw, just add an expression to it with 'PROF' as value.
Add a skill:
If you want to give Expertise (double proficiency) to a skill, just add an expression to it with 'PROF' as value.
Random skills:
Pick random Skills from the in addition to the ones chosen already.
Add a damage vulnerability:
Add a damage resistance:
Add a damage immunity:
Add a condition immunity:
Senses (ft):
If you leave these values blank Monstershuffler will attempt to find them inside the creature's template, class or race in that order, and give a default value when none is found. Setting a sense to 0 will forcibly disable it.
Add an expression for a sense:
Add a language:
Random languages:
Pick random Languages from the in addition to the ones chosen already.
Other settings:
If you choose (from other sources) Monstershuffler will attempt to find this value inside the creature's template, class or race in that order, and give a default value when none is found.
Setting Telepathy to 0 will forcibly disable it.
Calculate the estimated CR of this creature at two different levels (Hit Dice) and write it below. Monstershuffler will then calculate all the other CRs automatically. You can use the instructions at page 274 of the Dungeon Master's Guide or our tables as reference.
Go to the Hit Points settings and set the level (Hit Dice) of the Creature to 1: what is your estimated CR for this creature as a "level 1" monster?
Now set the level (Hit Dice) to the highest number reasonable for this type of creature: what is your estimated CR at that level?
If you want to create monsters or NPCs that can be used consistently from Challenge Rating 0 to Challenge Rating 30, use expressions whenever possible to make statistics dynamic, and enable/disable actions at the appropriate levels!
All monsters and NPCs usually have their proficiency bonus determined by their Challenge Rating. The option "by Level" helps you create Player Character-like creatures when you need one.
The standard description that precedes Legendary Actions will appear as soon as a Legendary Action is available for the creature.
Action Settings:
Active from level* to level*
*Leave these fields blank if you want this action to be always active.
Description:
Use tags and dynamic values inside descriptions to make this creature reusable. Also check the manual below to understand how to create actions.
List of tags available
Drag and drop values inside the description, or write directly the name of a value between {braces}. Click on values to edit them.
Click on the attributes below to shape the description of this attack:
You can choose these additional filters for the random weapon:
*You can leave these fields blank.
*You can leave these fields blank.
You may want to use the expression "8+PROF+ability" for saving throws, where ability is the ability score modifier related to this action (STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA).
Values in "feet"/"-feet" should always be multiplied by 5 because of the way length is measured in D&D battle maps. The length of the fiery breath of a dragon that grows in size every two levels could be written like this"(LVL\2)*5".
This type of value is used inside Multiattack descriptions. It is based on the "Extra attack" feature of the Fighter Class and many melee-type official monsters apparently follow the same rule. These are the results it gives:
Before level 5: one attack
From level 5: two attacks
From level 11: three attacks
From level 20: four attacks
From level 32: five attacks
...giving one extra attack after x levels + 3, where x was the previous interval.
Add a bonus to attack values:
Spellcasting ability:
If you choose (from other sources) Monstershuffler will attempt to find this value inside the creature's template, class or race in that order, and give a default value when none is found.
Spell groups:
Spell groups are lists of spells that become available to a creature at a chosen level.
When available, spells are then sorted by their number of uses per day, to create the standard D&D5e spell list for monsters.
Add a spell to the group:
Search Filters:
Spells in this group:
Random spells:
Pick random Spells from the in addition to the ones chosen already, using the filters currently selected.
*You can use expressions to calculate this field dynamically! Click here for a quick guide.
Author
Adds
10
Darkmantle
Echolocation. The darkmantle can't use its blindsight while deafened.
False Appearance. While the darkmantle remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a cave formation such as a stalactite or stalagmite.
Crush. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the darkmantle attaches to the target. If the target is Medium or smaller and the darkmantle has advantage on the attack roll, it attaches by engulfing the target's head, and the target is also blinded and unable to breathe while the darkmantle is attached in this way.While attached to the target, the darkmantle can attack no other creature except the target but has advantage on its attack rolls. The darkmantle's speed also becomes 0, it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed, and it moves with the target.A creature can detach the darkmantle by making a successful DC 13 Strength check as an action. On its turn, the darkmantle can detach itself from the target by using 5 feet of movement.
Darkness Aura (1/Day). A 15-feet radius of magical darkness extends out from the darkmantle, moves with it, and spreads around corners. The darkness lasts as long as the darkmantle maintains concentration, up to 10 minutes (as if concentrating on a spell). Darkvision can't penetrate this darkness, and no natural light can illuminate it. If any of the darkness overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell creating the light is dispelled.
Description
A darkmantle resembled an octopus or squid with limestone-colored skin and a thick membrane of skin stretched between each of its tentacles, reaching about two-thirds of the way to the tips. Part of its body was covered in a stony dorsal shell. When perfectly still, they looked just like stalactites, stalagmites, or other lumps of stone. A darkmantle had eight eyespots, but these were not true eyes.
Each of a darkmantle's tentacles was covered in "teeth", and it had a lamprey-like mouth at their intersection. From the back of its head was a mucus-covered foot-muscle, with which it could cling to a wall or ceiling.
A typical specimen weighed about 30 pounds (ten kilograms) and stretched about four feet (one meter) from the tip of its head to the tip of one of its tentacles. They did not have bones and so pre-adult individuals could squeeze themselves through surprisingly tight spaces.
Behavior
Darkmantles could "see" in natural darkness, but not with true vision. Their vestigial eyes could only sense light and dark. They primarily relied upon an echolocation similar to that of bats. Because their "blindsight" had limited range, they preferred enclosed spaces and darkness to open spaces or sunlight and very rarely wandered from their subterranean homes.
The tips of a darkmantle's tentacles had sense organs similar to taste or smell with which they could locate needed minerals to consume for their shells. They also had superb senses of hearing, by means of tiny pits spaced evenly over their tentacles.
A darkmantle could slither much like a snail using its foot, but they could move much more quickly by using their tentacles like legs. This was actually its fastest method of locomotion. Its magical flight could provide lift, but it had to flap the skin between its tentacles for propulsion and was thus a clumsy flier, and its magic only kept it airborne for limited amounts of time. Darkmantles could occasionally catch a small meal in their mouths while flying, but this was rare.
To appear like stalactites, darkmantles would hang from their foot and press their eight tentacles tightly together to form a point. They could also cling to a surface with their tentacles, hanging with their pointed heads downwards instead, but their grip with their tentacles was not nearly as good—only their muscular foot was "sticky".
Darkmantles were about as intelligent as dogs, and sometimes they were encountered in packs known as clutches or swarms.
Darkmantles were prey for several cave creatures. Their usual defense was to disguise themselves as stone, but they would also alternate ground movement with flight to throw off predators tracking them by scent.
Other than the high-pitched sounds used for their natural sonar, darkmantles made no other vocalizations.
Combat
A darkmantle would cling to the ceiling of a cavern and remain still until prey moved below it. At such a point, it would drop suddenly down and unfurl its mantled tentacles in an attempt to engulf the victim's head, all while emitting its magical darkness. If successful, the darkmantle would blind, suffocate, and crush its prey. If a darkmantle missed, it would fly to the ceiling and try again.
Darkmantles could also slash with their tentacles, and since the tips were covered with "teeth" this could cause more damage than one might expect.
Ecology
Darkmantles resided in the wild in the Upperdark and in the Shadowfell. In the settlement of Cloakerhaven, they were kept as pets. Shadar-kai also kept them as pets.
Biologically, a darkmantle was a magical and highly evolved type of mollusk.
Darkmantles were hermaphrodites with both male and female reproductive organs. After mating, each of the pair would lay eggs in clutches of six to eight. These eggs were chicken-sized but the color of stone. Darkmantles maintained no sort of relationship with either their mates or their offspring.
After a tenday or so, the eggs would hatch, and darkmantles would begin their lives as tiny black grubs, which appeared much like slugs. Darkmantle grubs were about an inch long and had eight eyespots, two in the front and three on each side. Grubs were herbivores, feeding on fungi, mosses, and lichen with toothed tongues called radulae.
After about seven days of life, a grub's radula would lengthen and split, and these prototentacles would then lengthen and split a second time. After a third splitting, the creature would have eight tentacles. Once its tentacles accounted for half of its body length, a darkmantle would begin to grow a shell from its back, composed of the minerals consumed during its time as a grub. After several months, the darkmantle would be an adult about two feet in length. They would usually cease growing at about four feet in length. A darkmantle's lifespan was about six years.
Beneath its shell, a darkmantle had a statocyst, a special organ used by mollusks for balance. This helped darkmantles keep balance when hanging precariously from a wall or ceiling by their foot.
Darkmantles required sleep, and they also hibernated for several months at a time, hanging like stalactites during this time. Unless hibernating, an adult darkmantle could survive for about seven days between feedings. They consumed water from deep subterranean pools.
Darkmantle "eyes" could substitute for bat fur as a material component for the darkness spell.
