Let me know what you think!

​

For my Big Mouth fans and others let me introduce you to the

Father Johan

The Eater of Winter Children

Large Fey, Chaotic Evil

“When the last bell tolls, close your eyes, little one. If you can hear the flute, he can hear your blood.”

Got my idea here

The Folklore

Every village near the great river knows the story of Father Johan.

Once every year, on the night of the winter solstice, the villagers ring their bells. The last bell is the signal. The test has begun.

Far beneath the river, Father Johan awakens in his castle, a palace constructed from the bones of children who failed the test in winters past. He rises from the depths, carried to the surface by a living braid of fifty black eels, twisting together like a rope.

First comes the smell.

Black licorice.

Then comes the flute.

Father Johan has the body of a walrus, the sharp teeth of a dolphin, and the legs of countless crabs, which click and scrape against the frozen earth as he approaches. Around his enormous neck hangs a string of tiny bells, each one taken from a child who once tried to escape him.

His flute is made, as you might have guessed, from children's bones.

He does not care if you have been naughty or nice. In his region, good children and bad children taste exactly the same.

Fortunately, the villagers have discovered a loophole.

Father Johan only hunts the living. If you can trick him into believing you are already dead, you are no longer a fresh meal. The customary method is to climb inside a child's coffin, close the lid, and lie perfectly still until he leaves.

But even then, there is one final hope.

You must pray to the Mongoose King.

Whether the king hears your prayer, whether he accepts your offering, and whether he can defeat Father Johan in their ancient dance battle are matters nobody can predict.

Every village tells the story differently.

Every village has its own version of the prayer.

And every winter, somewhere along the river, another village rings its last bell.

The Mongoose King

An ancient trickster spirit, patron of desperate parents, and undisputed champion of the riverbank dance floor.

When the village prayer is spoken and a suitable offering is left behind, there is a chance the Mongoose King will arrive.

He resembles an ordinary mongoose at first glance, except that he wears a tiny golden crown and a cape sewn from the whiskers of his enemies. His paws move so quickly that the snow beneath him never settles. He is clever, nimble, vain, and absolutely convinced that no creature in the world can dance better than he can.

He also happens to be the only being Father Johan respects enough to challenge.

The Prayer

The villagers kneel beside their children's coffins and whisper:

“Oh dear Mongoose King, please protect my tender children's bones from the jaws of Father Johan, and do enjoy this offering I left for you.

Oh, oh, Father Johan can hear your blood. Perhaps you're lucky, and your offering and prayers have attracted the Mongoose King.”

Summoning the King

A character must place an appropriate food offering before a small altar or on the snowy ground and recite the prayer. The character then makes a DC 14 Religion or Performance check.

On a success, the Mongoose King appears. On a failure, the offering disappears anyway, leaving behind a single golden whisker.

The king can be summoned only once each winter solstice.

The Dance Battle

Upon appearing, the Mongoose King eats the offering, wipes his paws, and challenges Father Johan to a dance battle.

Father Johan is compelled by their ancient pact to accept.

The battle lasts three rounds. During each round, the two contestants perform a supernatural dance while the village watches in terrified silence.

At the start of each round, one character can assist the Mongoose King with a DC 14 Performance, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, or Arcana check.

- Success: The Mongoose King gains a +2 bonus to his contest roll that round.

- Failure: Father Johan gains a +2 bonus instead.

After the assistance check, both contestants roll a d20: the Mongoose King adds +7, and Father Johan adds +5, along with any bonuses from the character's assistance.

The contestant with the higher result wins that round. The first to win two rounds wins the battle.

If the Mongoose King wins: Father Johan lets out a furious bellow, collapses into a heap of eels, and slides back into the river. His castle doors slam shut, and he sleeps until the next winter solstice. Every child in the village survives.

If Father Johan wins: The Mongoose King bows, accepts his defeat, and vanishes into the night. Father Johan turns toward the village, smiling with his terrible dolphin teeth. The test is over. The feast begins.

---

Running the Encounter

Father Johan works best as a terrifying social and combat encounter rather than a monster the players are expected to defeat through damage alone.

Give the party a few minutes to discover the local customs. The villagers might be frantically preparing coffins, hiding food offerings, or arguing about whether the Mongoose King is real.

Then ring the final bell.

Describe the smell before revealing Father Johan. Let the party hear the scrape of crab legs on the frozen bank, the click of fifty eels against one another, and finally the first notes of the bone flute.

Give players choices: hide in coffins, fight, escape, bargain, or attempt the summoning ritual.

Father Johan can be defeated in combat, but the folklore offers a different path. The players may discover that surviving the night is not about being stronger than the monster. It is about knowing the rules of a game that has been played for centuries.

And when the dance battle begins, make it ridiculous.

The Mongoose King performs impossible spins and moonwalks across the ice. Father Johan answers by swinging his enormous walrus body in time with the music, his crab legs tapping out a rhythm that shakes snow from the rooftops.

For one glorious moment, the entire village believes the mongoose might actually win.

Then Father Johan performs his signature move: The Fifty-Eel Waltz.

The music stops.

The Mongoose King stares in disbelief.

And Father Johan has danced him to cream.

Tonight, Father Johan wins.

Tonight, the village feasts on terror.

And next winter solstice, when the last bell rings, another village will learn the rules of the test.

Let me know what you think!

Lore & More on Patreon!

The Headless Horseman is more than just an undead rider with a flaming pumpkin for a head. He's a vengeful spirit bound to the mortal world by an ancient curse, with his steed, armored body, and spectral jack-o'-lantern forming a single, inseparable entity.

Legends tell of a fallen soldier, executioner, or knight who was beheaded for his crimes and returned under a cursed harvest moon. Some believe his spirit is connected to Samhain, when the boundary between the living and the dead grows thin enough for restless spirits to cross.

Wherever he rides, crops rot, animals panic, and the air fills with the smell of smoke and freshly dug earth. And simply defeating him isn't enough. Unless a specific funerary ritual is performed, the Horseman eventually rises again to continue his hunt.

Mechanically, the Headless Horseman is a CR 14 undead built around mobility, relentless pursuit, and devastating attacks. His Fiery Greataxe deals slashing and fire damage, with additional necrotic damage against frightened enemies, while Laughing Skull allows him to hurl his flaming pumpkin head at enemies, unleashing a fiery explosion that deals 10d6 fire damage.

His Ghostride ability lets him pass through solid objects, while his legendary actions allow him to charge across the battlefield, stun enemies with Glare of Embers, or mark a target with Harvest Mark, making that creature especially vulnerable to his attacks.

I've also included four optional traits to customize the encounter, from leaving burning hoofprints behind to relentlessly tracking creatures that try to escape him.

The Headless Horseman is from Undead & Undead: The Ultimate Undead Handbook, available for 5E and the 2024 Edition on DriveThruRPG!

The manual includes 90+ undead statblocks, each with optional traits and variants, alongside an undead lair system, 50+ magic items, customizable templates, necromantic rituals, campaign tools, and VTT resources. It's designed to give DMs plenty of options for building undead encounters, from minor restless spirits to powerful necromantic horrors.

My Kickstarter for 300+ Mythological Items for 5E and 2024 is also live now! The campaign includes a physical hardcover, as well as printed editions of my previous manuals.

You can find more of my creatures, magic items, and manuals on DriveThruRPG, my Linktree, or over at r/JonnyDM!

A creature I dreamed up, a fusion of the false hydra and the thessal hydra.
A unholy union created by the combined works of Thessalar and Frantisek Markov this creature lacks the singing ability of the false hydra however, it has gained an equally terrifying ability. Any creatures that it has eaten, it can combine the features of and manifest a doppelgänger which it can then spread out into the world. Well, also creating a similar manipulation of the mind of those in the area to a different song. This one, forcing all that hear it to recognize this manifestation, as if it was an old acquaintance or neighbor.

These manifestations main goal is to bring new victims to the false thessal to be devoured. Anyone who kills one of the manifestations will not remember killing them nor will anyone remember that person‘s interactions with the world. The corpse will quickly dissolve, and any id ens of its existence will rest solely on the blood of the blades that killed it.

what do you dudes think? I’m still working on it but opinions are always nice

Hello! I am running a game with my friends and I am having a little bit of trouble with the enemies.

I want to make them look cool and with interesting abilities but I am struggling a lot with It.

Do you have any suggestions or tips?

I found the image of this guy online and it seemed cool but I have no idea where to start with.

He Is a subjugated minion of a male hag.

I'm sharing a free monster supplement for Kengir, part of my upcoming Bronze Age Mesopotamian 5e setting.

The Gallu is an underworld constable: a towering Utukku (Udug) sent from Kur to hunt, seize, and drag the guilty where they belong.

Where the previously shared Rabisu acts like an underworld bailiff, arriving with writs, contracts, and legal authority, the Gallu feels more like the terrible hand that enforces the sentence. It does not hurry. It does not forget. A debt unpaid remains fresh until collected.

At the table, a Gallu works best when the monster is also a mystery. Why has it come? Who broke the oath? Who made the forbidden bargain? Is it a lawless demon, or is it carrying out a command from Allatu (Ereškigal), Queen of the Great Below?

Mechanically, it’s a CR 10 fiend built around fear, grappling, brute force, spirit movement, and terrifying pursuit. Its Man-Catcher restrains victims, its Spirit Form lets it pass through walls, and its Skin Wearer ability allows it to take the form of the last creature it killed.

This is the kind of monster that should make the party ask whether killing it actually solves the problem, or just delays the next collector.

Do you like fiends that arrive as agents of cosmic law, or do you prefer them as pure malice and chaos?

Hello, fellow adventurers! Today, I'm excited to share an extended preview of Mythological Creatures, a monster compendium featuring over 350 pages of content inspired by worldwide legends and myths! Drawing inspiration from legends and myths across the world, this extensive collection brings to life a wide array of legendary beasts and mythical entities. Each entry provides not only detailed statblocks but also background information to integrate these beings seamlessly into your campaign.

What's in this Manual:

• Book Structure: Featuring more than 350 pages, our compendium introduces a diverse and dynamic collection of over 300 statblocks from legends. This book is a treasure trove for enthusiasts and Game Masters alike, divided into six distinct sections, each detailing monsters and myths from various parts of the world. The sections are divided as follows: American Mythology, Asian Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, Greek Mythology, Norse Mythology, and Other Mythologies.
• Mythic Heroes: Each mythology is further enriched with a scalable Mythic Hero, an iconic figure pivotal to their respective mythos. For instance, in the Greek section, readers will encounter an Olympian hero, while the Asian section features a martial cultivator. These figures are presented with three distinct statblocks each - one at CR5, CR10, and CR15 - and equipped with a vast selection of additional custom traits that can also be applied to other creatures. Through these traits, you can possibly adapt each statblock to reflect a specific hero from legends. For instance, an Olympian hero could be customized to represent Hercules, with enhanced strength and combat skills; Ulysses, known for his cunning and strategic mind; or Achilles, renowned for his unparalleled prowess in battle. The multitude of traits opens up a wide array of options, allowing Game Masters to create a diverse range of legendary heroes (or villains) in unique and imaginative ways.
• Unique Encounters: In addition to the statblocks, each creature is brought to life with a detailed entry describing its lore, often accompanied by fascinating legends that surround it. While the mythological aspect forms an integral part of this compendium, it serves primarily as an inspirational backdrop to the diverse creatures within. Our manual has been thoughtfully designed to cater to a wide range of campaigns and play styles, offering a substantial selection of Challenge Ratings (CRs) suitable for both gritty and epic adventures. To add an element of surprise and variability in encounters, we've included numerous additional variant traits, ensuring that even repeated encounters with the same creature remain fresh and challenging.
• Multiphased Bossfights:  Many creatures in this manual feature a unique second phase: the Mythological Phase. Additionally, we provide rules and guidelines for creating a Mythological Phase for other creatures that might not have one.

If you'd like to check out the full manuals, they're all available through my 300+ Mythological Items for 5E and 5.5E Kickstarter at discounted prices.

The campaign itself is focused on 300+ magic items inspired by myths and legends from around the world, but you can also get my previous manuals as discounted add-ons and bundles. All of these books are also available in professionally printed, high-quality Hardcover editions through the campaign.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mythoschronicles/300-mythological-items-for-5e-and-2024

Hello! I was recommended this subreddit to look for help in creating a homebrew species of monsters for an upcoming dnd campaign I'm creating.

The general inspiration that I'm drawing from in terms of ideas for these monsters are the Yuuzhan Vong from Star Wars Legends, and a little bit from the Mindflayers. Mainly drawing from the Yuuzhan Vong being a genocidal warrior species that are an imposing threat over the larger galaxy as a whole, and from the Mindflayers wishing to rebuild their empire and conquer. I don't know if that makes 100% sense but I could clarify to anyone with questions.

The way I want to implement them into the story is for the first half of the campaign, the party is trying to stop someone whom they believe to be the main antagonist of the overarching story, but it turns out this individual is actually trying to prevent and stop an even larger threat that would be able to take over and wipe out the entire realm. This larger threat being the monster I wish to homebrew.

I apologize if any of that was confusing but these are just some general thoughts and inspirations I'm drawing from about what my ideas for these monsters are. I understand I could use the Mindflayers or Gith or any other race or monster but I really want to create my own that fits within the lore of this world I'm creating. I'd be happy to clarify and answer any questions anyone has about this!

Here other idea for mechanival time monster

The Golden Chrono-Peacock

Medium Construct, Unaligned

Armor Class: 16 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points: 78 (12d8 + 24)

Speed: 30 ft., fly 45 ft. (hover)

STR 12(+1) DEX 18(+4) CON 14(+2) INT 1(-5)

WIS 12(+1) CHA 10(+0)

Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned

Senses: Blindsight 60 ft., Passive Perception 11

Languages: — Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)

Clockwork Resilience. The peacock has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Stagnant Present Aura. The peacock radiates an aura of frozen moments within a 30-foot radius. When a hostile creature starts its turn within this area, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or its time freezes entirely until the start of its next turn.

While frozen in this way, the creature is paralyzed, except it cannot take damage from any source; attacks and spells simply freeze in mid-air right before touching it, resolving only when the effect ends.

Actions

Multiattack. The peacock makes two attacks: one with its bladed beak and one with its gear-talons.

Bladed Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,

reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 8(1d8+4) piercing damage plus 4(1d8) force damage.

Gear-Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage.

Chrono-Fan: Time Stop (Recharge 5–6).

The peacock opens its massive, spinning clock-face tail. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is locked in a pocket of stopped time for 1 minute.

The frozen creature is paralyzed and suspended in place.

A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Unlike the aura, if the peacock or its allies attack the frozen target, the target takes damage normally as the peacock's attacks are calibrated to bypass its own time-stop.

💎 Salvage & Loot

Upon defeating the peacock, characters can harvest the following components from its remains:

⚪ Common: Chunks of Titanium and Living Gold (Value: \~50 gp). Leftover melted scraps from the chassis after the creature's final core collapse. Highly valuable to goldsmiths.

🟢 Uncommon: Chrono-Cogs & Golden Screws. These tiny components fly far from the creature during the battle whenever it takes damage, successfully escaping the final chronological implosion. Artificers and master clockmakers covet these precise parts for crafting high-end precision tools or magical pocket watches.

🟣 Rare/Legendary: The Unbroken Chrono-Spring. An unbreakable, glowing mainspring recovered from the center of the peacock's chest. It holds a perpetual charge of chronological tension. Can be used to craft items that allow the user to cast Hold Person, Hold Monster, or manipulate initiative rolls.

Lore on Patreon!

Let me know what you think!

Here idea for mechanical time monster

The Silver Pendulum Scorpion

Large Construct, Unaligned

Armor Class: 17 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points: 85 (10d10 + 30) Speed: 40 ft.

STR 18(+4) DEX 12(+1) CON 16(+3) INT 1(-5)

WIS 10(+0) CHA 1(-5)

Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned

Senses: Blindsight 60 ft, Passive Perception 10

Languages: — Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)

Clockwork Resilience. The scorpion has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Temporal Flux Aura. The grand clockwork pendulum in the scorpion's tail constantly pushes and pulls the flow of time within a 30-foot radius around it. When a hostile creature starts its turn within this area, it must roll a d4:

1–2 (Time Rewinds): The creature's personal timeline drags backward. It has disadvantage on weapon attack rolls during this turn as its movements repeat past moments.

3–4 (Time Accelerates): The creature's personal timeline surges forward. Its movements become erratic and hyper-sped up, making it difficult to aim; it has disadvantage on weapon attack rolls during this turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The scorpion makes three attacks: two with its gear-claws and one with its pendulum sting.

Gear-Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,

reach 5 ft. one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage as the ticking gears grind into the target.

Pendulum Sting (Temporal Reel). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.

Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or its time fractures.

Roll a d4:

1–2 (Rewind): The target is cast backward in time. It disappears and immediately teleports to the space it occupied at the start of its previous turn. If that space is occupied, it appears in the nearest unoccupied space.

3–4 (Fast-Forward): The target is launched into the immediate future. It vanishes completely from existence and reappears in the same space at the start of its next turn. Until then, it is out of combat, cannot take actions, and cannot take damage.

💎 Salvage & Loot

Upon defeating the scorpion, characters can harvest the following components from its remains:

⚪ Common: Chunks of Silver and Dark Steel (Value: \~50 gp). Raw, magical alloy harvested from the shattered chassis. Can be melted down or sold to blacksmiths and artificers.

🟢 Uncommon: Paradox Pins & Silver Rivets. These tiny mechanical components scatter onto the ground during the battle whenever the scorpion takes heavy damage. They are extremely durable fasteners highly coveted by clockwork creators to reinforce joints and mechanisms.

🟣 Rare/Legendary: The Paradox Escapement. The intact mechanical heart recovered from the base of the pendulum tail. It actively regulates the flow of time and repels the laws of physics. An expert artificer can use it to craft powerful time-altering items.

"You walk boldly into this place. You interrupt my prayer." The angel, if such a fallen thing could be called so, looked over his shoulder as he began to stand. Shards of ice ran streaked from his eyes down his cheeks, tears frozen. His eyes, pale blue, looked upon you with a strange brightness to them. "Go to sleep little ones, tomorrow will be a brighter day." The entity stated softly, his tone sad, afraid, yet... a faint hope laced it, a conviction that bordered on madness.

• Mercenaries discover Borael in the dead of night… while a raging blizzard lashes outside

Borael is fully automated in Elsie's Notes of Certain Doom along 500+ other monsters adapted for the Eberron setting.

Here idea for spider monster

Quad-Weaver Gladiator

Medium Beast, Unaligned

Armor Class: 14 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points: 45 (7d8 + 14) Speed: 30 ft, climb 30 ft.

STR 15(+2) DEX 16(+3) CON 14(+2) INT 2(-4)

WIS 12(+1) CHA 4(-3)

Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +5 (+7 in shadows/ceilings)

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13

Languages: — Challenge: 2 (450 XP)

Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Ten-Legged Anchor. The spider has 10 limbs: 6 hind legs for movement and anchoring, and 4 specialized front limbs for hunting. It has advantage on saving throws and ability checks made to resist being knocked prone, moved against its will, or pulled down from a surface.

Four-Arm Web Mastery. Thanks to its four free hunting limbs, the spider can manipulate its elastic net with terrifying speed and coverage. It ignores the loading quality of its net and has advantage on attack rolls with its Gladiator Net against targets directly below it.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Gladiator Net (Recharge 5–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 15/30 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: The target is restrained by the spider's net.

Because the spider uses four limbs to instantly pull and tension the lines, a hit creature is immediately yanked up to 20 feet vertically into the air (or up to the ceiling/branch where the spider is anchored) and is grappled by the spider (escape DC 13).

The net can be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 10; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).

Here idea for other mimic monster

Mimic Chameleon

Large Monstrosity (Shapechanger), Neutral

Armor Class: 12

Hit Points: 58 (9d10 + 9) Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR 16(+3) DEX 14(+2) CON 13(+1) INT 5(-3)

WIS 12(+1) CHA 8 (-1)

Skills: Stealth +6 (see Adaptive Camouflage)

Condition Immunities: Prone

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11

Languages: — Challenge: 3 (700 XP)

Shapechanger. The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a Large object (such as a wardrobe, a statue, or a section of a wall) or back into its true, lizard-like amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Adaptive Camouflage. The mimic can alter its skin color, texture, and material to perfectly match its surroundings. While motionless in object form, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and it is indistinguishable from a real object. A creature can discern its true nature with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Spider Climb. The mimic can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Tongue Lash.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the mimic can't use its tongue on another target.

Immediately after hitting the target, the mimic pulls the creature up to 20 feet straight toward it into an unoccupied space within 5 feet of itself.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage.

Bonus Actions

Reel and Feed. If the mimic successfully pulled a grappled creature to within 5 feet of itself using its Tongue Lash on this turn, it can make one Bite attack against that creature as a bonus action.

Let me know what you think!

Let me know what you think!

Here idea for mimic

Wailing Mimic

Medium Monstrosity (Shapechanger), Neutral Evil

Armor Class: 13 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points: 67 (9d8 + 27)

Speed: 15 ft.

STR 17(+3) DEX 12(+1) CON 16(+3) INT 9(-1)

WIS 13(+1) CHA 10(+0)

Skills: Deception +4, Stealth +3

Damage Immunities: Acid

Condition Immunities: Prone

Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11

Languages:— Challenge: 4 (1,100 XP) Shapechanger.

The mimic can use its action to polymorph into an object or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

False Appearance (Object Form Only). While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary object (such as a chest, a wardrobe, or a pile of rubble).

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 12(2d8+3) piercing damage plus 7(2d6) acid damage.

Wailing Lure (Recharge 5–6). The mimic emits a harrowing sound of a crying child or an injured adventurer that can be heard up to 120 feet away. Each creature within 60 feet of the mimic that can hear the wail must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed until the start of the mimic's next turn. While charmed, the creature must use its movement on its turn to move toward the source of the sound by the safest available route.

Elder Wailing Mimic (Grand Cave Illusion)

Huge Monstrosity (Shapechanger), Neutral Evil

Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points: 126 (12d12 + 48) Speed: 10 ft.

STR 22(+6) DEX 8(-1) CON 19(+4) INT 10(+0)

WIS 14(+2) CHA 12(+1)

Skills: Deception +7, Stealth +2

Damage Immunities: Acid

Condition Immunities: Prone

Senses: Darkvision 90 ft, Passive Perception 12

Languages:— Challenge: 8 (3,900 XP) Shapechanger.

The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a cave entrance or back into its true form.

False Appearance (Cave Form Only).

While motionless, the mimic is indistinguishable from a natural cave mouth or rocky crevice. Its long, prehensile tongue sits at the back of the "cave," perfectly mimicking the silhouette of a trapped or wounded adventurer.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) acid damage.

Wailing Lure (Recharge 5–6). Same as the CR 4 version, but the DC is 15, and it can be heard up to 300 feet away.

Snap Shut (1/Day, Cave Form Only). When a creature enters the mimic’s cave-like interior, the mimic can use its reaction to violently snap its maw shut. The triggering creature and any other creatures inside the 15-foot deep interior must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw.

Failure: A creature takes 45 (10d8) bludgeoning (crunch) damage, is trapped inside the mimic, and is knocked prone.

Success: Half damage, and the creature successfully scrambles outside the mouth before it closes.