Intelligent alien creatures such as aboleths, as well as the occasional mad wizard or capricious deity, enjoy tinkering with creatures to make them more suited for their environments or just as a thought exercise. Then the PCs have to go out and fight things like owlbears or chimeras.
Doesn’t it make you want to get in on the action? Monster Mix crosses two monsters from the Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault to create new horrors that combine elements from the original creatures beyond just shuffling their component abilities.
Previous installments have kept the Challenge Ratings (CR) of the mashed-up monsters fairly close. This time, however, the CR ranges have a wide disparity, so a GM can add one as a surprise encounter for players expecting a pushover Tiny critter.
Dragonette, Devastator
This minute dragon has a serpentine shape and multiple stinger-tipped tails. Its four claws and spiked, black wings seem equally dangerous.
Small Package of Annihilation. Pseudodragons near a rupture or portal leading to the Astral or Ethereal Plane are susceptible to absorbing the destructive energy of dying astral destroyers. The dragonettes retain their size, but they change their appearance and appetites to match the more powerful creatures.
Lurid Mental Imagery. Devastators communicate their thoughts about the destruction of all reality to all creatures within range. These thoughts temporarily disorient the dragonettes’ prey, giving devastators ample opportunity to realize these visions.
Wizard Enmity. Having at least once served as a familiar to a wizard, devastators view their service with disdain. They seek out wizards with familiars to destroy the wizards and liberate the unjustly bound familiars. Devastators may spare these newly freed familiars from destruction.
DEVASTATOR CR 14
Tiny Dragon
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 253
Speed 15 ft., fly 80 ft.
Perception 18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Stealth 12
Resistant poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks | charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., keensense 30 ft.
Languages understands Common and Draconic but can’t speak
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| −2 | +10 | +9 | −1 | +3 | +0 |
Astral Traveler. The devastator doesn’t require ambient pressure and can stand 7 days without air before it risks suffocating. While traveling in the Astral Plane, Ethereal Plane, Void, or space, the devastator glides on magical winds, covering immense distances in short times.
Heightened Senses. The devastator’s Perception is 23 when perceiving by sight, hearing, or smell.
Sense Magic. The devastator senses and can pinpoint the location of magic within 60 feet of it. If it senses magic and can see the creature or object bearing the magic it senses, it sees a faint aura around that creature or object.
Terrifying Imagery. The devastator telepathically displays images of destruction and ruin. A creature that begins its turn within 100 feet of the devastator must succeed on a DC 16 WIS save or become frightened of the devastator for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The creature is immune to this devastator’s Terrifying Imagery for 1 hour after it succeeds on its save.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The devastator makes one Bite attack, three Claw attacks, and two Sting attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d4 + 10) piercing damage, and one magic effect of 4th circle or lower on the target ends.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d6 + 10) slashing damage.
Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d4 + 10) piercing damage plus 5 (2d4) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 CON save or be poisoned for 1 hour. If the creature fails the save by 5 or more, it falls unconscious while poisoned in this way, or until it takes damage or another creature uses an action to shake it awake.
Astral Stride. The devastator magically enters the Astral Plane or the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. Other creatures can’t be transported with it.
BONUS ACTIONS
Reality Consuming Ash. The devastator exhales a cloud of ash in a 10-foot radius sphere centered on itself, instantly destroying all nonmagical material in the area that isn’t being worn or carried and reducing any nonmagical objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried to 0 HP.
Each creature in the area must make a DC 17 DEX save, taking 14 (4d6) force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If at least one creature fails the save, the devastator regains 14 (4d6) hit points. Otherwise it regains 7 (3d4) hit points. Alternatively, the devastator can leave the destroyed matter in place, making the area heavily obscured. This lasts for 1 minute or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it.
