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.
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.