New Monsters for D&D 5th Ed: Choker, Blazing and Decrepit Skeleton

I had some time last night and today to do some fun things after finishing off a deadline earlier in the week, so I set about writing up some monsters from previous editions of D&D that I like, but haven't appeared in 5th edition yet.

As usual, these are my first passes at these critters, so if you have feedback or advice, I'd love to hear it. I think they're fairly balanced and correct, but I haven't yet run them in a game (thought I may soon!).

I wish I had some kind of graphic design program, so I could make a pretty PDF, but I don't, so instead you'll have to take this text-only PDF, if you want one.

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Choker                           

Chokers are small, cruel, and hate-filled monsters created long ago in the laboratory of some mad wizard or otherworldly being. They live underground or in heavily-shadowed areas that allow them to easily conceal themselves—both to keep them safe from predators and so they can attack from surprise. They are most often found in caves, tunnels, or the Underdark, but they’ve learned to live in large cities, specifically in sewers, crawl spaces, or other nooks and crannies that are easy to find in a city. Constantly on the lookout for food, chokers are nasty, evil creatures who prefer to work together to take down larger creatures before consuming them. Chokers have long, boneless arms and legs, more like tentacles than anything else, and walk with a strange, long, loping gait. While no taller than halflings, they look nothing like that race otherwise, instead they are gray skinned creatures with oversized hands lined with sharp spines, a hairless head with no nose, dark pits for eyes, and jagged teeth, and stunted feet with only a few long-nailed toes.

Nighttime Stalkers. During the daylight hours, chokers prefer to hide away, emerging from hiding only at night to hunt and inflict pain on others. Their preferred method of attack for a choker is to strike from surprise and wrap its pliable arms around its target’s neck, then slowly choke the victim to death. If attacking with others of its kind, one choker strangles the target while the others slash at it with their spiny tentacle-like arms.

Bauble Fascination. While not very bright, chokers are intelligent enough to understand that some things are valuable or important. Sometimes, this leads them to fixate on stealing a certain item from a person, like a brooch or shiny dagger, while other times a choker might become desirous of a fancy hat or cloak. As such, it’s entirely possible to find chokers bedecked in odd bits or clothing or secreting away odds and ends of uncertain value.

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Choker

Small monstrosity, chaotic evil

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AC 15 (natural armor)

HP 18 (4d6 + 4)

Speed 20 ft., climb 10 ft.

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Str 16 (+3)   Dex 14 (+2)     Con 13 (+1)

Int 4 (-3)       Wis 13 (+1)     Cha 7 (-2)

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Skills Stealth +6

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11

Languages Undercommon

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

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Quickness. The choker can take the Disengage or Move action as a bonus actions on each of its turns.

Actions                                  

Multiattack. The choker makes two tentacle attacks.

Strangle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and a Medium or smaller target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and takes 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns, and the choker can’t strangle or use a tentacle attack against another target.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.

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Blazing Skeleton                   

A blazing skeleton is the result of someone dying in a fire intense enough to reduce their body to smoldering black bones. The blazing skeleton is granted unlife due to the strong emotions it felt as it died or due to the presence of necromantic energy or evil linked in some way to fire or the hells.

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Blazing Skeleton

Medium undead, lawful evil

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AC 13 (armor scraps)

HP 26 (4d8 + 8)

Speed 30 ft.

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Str 10 (+0)   Dex 14 (+2)     Con 15 (+2)

Int 6 (-2)       Wis 8 (-1)        Cha 5 (-3)

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Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning, cold

Damage Immunities poison, fire

Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9

Languages understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

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Explosive Destruction. The blazing skeleton explodes in a fiery blast when it dies, and each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The explosion ignites flammable objects in that area that aren’t being worn or carried.

Fiery Aura. At the start of each of the blazing skeleton’s turns, each creature within 5 feet of it takes 3 (1d6) fire damage, and flammable objects in the aura that aren’t being worn or carried ignite. A creature that touches the blazing skeleton or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Blazing Weapons. When the blazing skeleton hits with a melee weapon, it deals an extra 3 (1d6) fire damage (included in the attack).

Illumination. The blazing skeleton sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

Actions                                  

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage, plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.

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Decrepit Skeleton                  

At one time the decrepit skeleton was a normal skeleton, but that was a long time ago. Now, so much time has passed that the necromantic energies keeping the skeleton animated have weakened and its bones have started to rot and fall apart. A decrepit skeleton creaks and bone dust falls from it with every motion. While they can still fight, they are weaker than other skeletons and shatter with almost any blow or crumble to dust when affected by the power of the gods.

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Decrepit Skeleton

Medium undead, lawful evil

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AC 12 (armor scraps)

HP 5 (1d8 + 1)

Speed 30 ft.

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Str 10 (+0)   Dex 12 (+1)     Con 13 (+1)

Int 4 (-3)       Wis 6 (-2)        Cha 3 (-4)

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Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning, radiant

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8

Languages understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak

Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

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Actions                                  

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

I hope you get some good use out of these!