minion

January 9, 2024

ERINYES: Fighting the Furies in a Burning House

How to Use: Persuasion Tactics As the only devils to not look obviously evil, I would imagine that they get the job of convincing important mortals to trade their souls and otherwise bargain with the hells. (Run of the mill devils will be approached by imps, the hell’s errand boys. Succubae and/or rakshasas would be… Continue reading

guardian (CR 11-16), minion

Combat rating 13, Combat rating 15, Combat rating 16, devils, difficulty 15, difficulty 17, difficulty 20, difficulty 21, puzzle, social encounter, traps
January 1, 2024

CHAIN DEVIL: How to Maximise Animated Chains

My combat encounters are going to revolve around various ways to use the animate chains ability, but before we get into that, I want to discuss his unnerving face reaction. Continue reading

guardian (CR 8-10), minion

Combat rating 10, Combat rating 11, Combat rating 14, Combat rating 16, devils, difficulty 10, difficulty 11, difficulty 9
December 28, 2023

BONE DEVIL & Taking Care of a Group of Commoners

How to Use: Skirmisher Devil of the Nine Hells This article will cover bone devil tactics, combat with unwilling slaves, and several challenges of escorting the rescued to safety. Combat encounter 1: Battle of Stone Columns (difficulty 10) Suggested terrain: A dessert wilderness, with tall peaks of rock jutting up on both sides of the… Continue reading

guardian (CR 8-10), minion

Combat rating 11, Combat rating 13, Combat rating 16, Combat rating 18, devils, difficulty 10, difficulty varies
December 25, 2023

BEARDED DEVIL: Basic Tactics, and Strategic Positions

The bearded devil is the first monster I have encountered since starting this blog that does not require any special setting to make using it interesting. Continue reading

guardian (CR 0-4), minion

Combat rating 4, Combat rating 6, Combat rating 7, devils, difficulty 5, difficulty 6, difficulty 7
December 21, 2023

BARBED DEVIL: Why Devils Need to Pay for Souls

Before going into the meat of the article, I wanted to write a little about devil contracts. There seems to be a gaping plot hole in the entire idea. Continue reading

guardian (CR 5-7), minion

battlemap, Combat rating 11, Combat rating 7, Combat rating 8, Combat rating 9, devils, difficulty 6
December 18, 2023

YOCHLOL: Dangers of the Yochlol’s Web

The yochlol comes with one of the strangest abilities in D&D. It has the ability to turn into a cloud of toxic mist, with will render anyone inside it poisoned, making it harder for them to attack and easier for them to be attacked. Continue reading

guardian (CR 8-10), minion

battlemap, Combat rating 12, Combat rating 14, Combat rating 17, Combat rating 20, demons, difficulty 11, social encounter, traps
December 14, 2023

VROCK: A Harrying Attacker and a Treasure Raider

Let’s start with basic strategy. The vrock will perch on a high peak, or other high point, and whenever its spores are available it will fly just low enough to use them before flying back up. Continue reading

guardian (CR 5-7), minion

Combat rating 11, Combat rating 12, Combat rating 8, Combat rating 9, demons, difficulty 6, difficulty 7, difficulty 8
December 11, 2023

SHADOW DEMON & How to Use Hiding

The shadow demon has the ability to hide when it’s in partial or complete darkness. As hiding in D&D doesn’t seem to have exact rules, except for the fact that anybody spending an action has a chance to detect someone hidden*, I would Continue reading

guardian (CR 0-4), minion

Combat rating 5, Combat rating 6, Combat rating 7, Combat rating 8, demons, difficulty 6, difficulty 8, homebrew
December 7, 2023

QUASIT & Making Familiars and Other NPCs Interesting

Before we get into uses for this monster as an enemy, I’m going to start with how to use the quasit as an ally. Specifically, how it can be used when it’s playing the role of a warlock’s familiar. Continue reading

guardian (CR 0-4), minion

battlemap, Combat rating 1, Combat rating 2, Combat rating 3, difficulty 1, difficulty 2, difficulty 3, puzzle, social encounter
November 30, 2023

MANES: Using the Manes’ Unique Powers

The manes erupt into a cloud of extremely bad smelling gas when killed. For our first combat encounter, realize that this would trigger an alarm. Continue reading

attacker (CR 0-4), minion

Combat rating 1, Combat rating 1/2, Combat rating 1/4, difficulty 1, difficulty 2, puzzle

About Me

I’ve been a DM since I was about 10 years old. (Not of D&D, admittedly, but still.) After growing bored of fights that were all the same, dungeons heavily populated by one monster type, and a general shortage of ideas, I figured I’d embark on my own trip through the Monster Manual, one monster at a time. Feel free to join the quest.

Dragon Encounters

minion

CHAIN DEVIL: How to Maximise Animated Chains

BONE DEVIL & Taking Care of a Group of Commoners

BEARDED DEVIL: Basic Tactics, and Strategic Positions

BARBED DEVIL: Why Devils Need to Pay for Souls

VROCK: A Harrying Attacker and a Treasure Raider

SHADOW DEMON & How to Use Hiding

MANES: Using the Manes’ Unique Powers

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