Dragon Encounters

Combat scenarios for every monster, allowing them to utilize their combat potential to the fullest for the first time ever.

Combat rating 5

February 1, 2024

ALLOSAURUS: Hunted by a pack of dinosaurs

Of all the monsters in the Monster Manual, dinosaurs are the ones that really don’t fit. Continue reading

animal, attacker (CR 0-4)

Combat rating 3, Combat rating 4, Combat rating 5, difficulty 3, difficulty 4, dinosaurs
January 30, 2024

SPINED DEVIL: Messenger, Sentry, and Quick-Moving Attacker

Before I begin, let me say that there is no reason that the spined devil would ever make a melee attack. Continue reading

attacker (CR 0-4), minion

Combat rating 3, Combat rating 4, Combat rating 5, devils, difficulty 4
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
September 21, 2023

COUATL: The Hidden Advisor

The coutal is good aligned monster that is clearly designed to be a quest giver. It only exists because in order to fulfill a mission given by a long-forgotten deity, it stays in hiding when it doesn’t have a pressing need to act… How else can it possibly be used? Continue reading

ally (CR 0-4), independent

Combat rating 5, Combat rating 6, Combat rating 7, Combat rating 8, difficulty 4, difficulty 5, puzzle
August 31, 2023

CHUUL: Crazy Collecters, and a Ruined House

A brief look at the chuul’s picture tells us that this monster isn’t going to have trouble navigating difficult terrain. Between the extra legs for balance, and the pincer like grips that it clearly has at the end of each leg, it’s not going to slip, let alone fall, very often. Continue reading

animal, attacker (CR 0-4), guardian (CR 0-4)

Combat rating 5, Combat rating 6, Combat rating 7, Combat rating 8, difficulty 6, difficulty 7
August 17, 2023

CENTAUR: Tactics of Horse Archers

The Monster Manual doesn’t talk much about what centaurs are like. In almost every book I can think of, though, their personalities range from proud to arrogant jerks. They are certain of themselves and they look down on other creatures. Continue reading

guardian (CR 0-4), minion

battlemap, Combat rating 3, Combat rating 4, Combat rating 5, difficulty 4, social encounter
August 10, 2023

CARRION CRAWLER: The Monster on the Ceiling

The players have to climb a cliff, and there is a carrion crawler waiting for them on top of an outcropping (to stop them from shooting it down.) Continue reading

animal, guardian (CR 0-4)

Combat rating 3, Combat rating 4, Combat rating 5, difficulty 3, difficulty 4
June 1, 2023

BANSHEE: How to Combine Fear and Incorporeal Movement

Suggested setting: A grand manor, with a white marble staircase leading up into it. Manor and staircase and now partially in ruins. When the party enters it is evening, and a storm is beginning outside. Continue reading

guardian (CR 0-4), independent

Combat rating 5, Combat rating 6, Combat rating 7, Combat rating 8, difficulty 4
May 28, 2023

AZER: Turning its Terrain Into a Hazard

The azer are extremely neutral. They won’t seek out a conflict, but they won’t shy away from one either. If the players are coming after them, or if for some reason they need to attack the players, they won’t try to avoid it. Continue reading

guardian (CR 0-4), minion

Combat rating 3, Combat rating 4, Combat rating 5, difficulty 3, difficulty 4
May 25, 2023

ANKHEG: Four Ways to use for Burrowing Monsters

The ankheg’s preferred style of combat is to burrow, and to attack by coming out of its burrow right under the victim, so that only that one person can fight back at it. Continue reading

animal, guardian (CR 0-4)

Combat rating 3, Combat rating 4, Combat rating 5, difficulty 3, difficulty 4, difficulty 5, traps

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.

Combat rating 5

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