Create Monster

3rd-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 hour

1 hour Range: 15 feet

15 feet Components: V, S, M (100 gp worth of specialized alchemical equipment that is not consumed, and 25 gp worth of rare alchemy reagents that are)

V, S, M (100 gp worth of specialized alchemical equipment that is not consumed, and 25 gp worth of rare alchemy reagents that are) Duration: Instantaneous

You take two willing, incapacitated or restrained Large or smaller beasts of CR 1/2 or lower and combine them into a single monstrosity. The monster you create has the following traits:

It gains the best ability scores of either beast, and gains the traits and actions of both creatures (the DM has the statistics of both beasts), and the movement of the larger creature; you choose which movement characteristics the monster gets if both beasts are the same size. If certain physical attributes are incompatible, then the DM decides which ones the creature inherits.

Its size is at least one size larger than the smallest creature used to create it, to a maximum of the size of the largest creature used to create it, but no larger than Large, increasing its Hit Dice accordingly (d6 for a Small creature, d8 for a Medium creature, and d10 for a Large creature).

It is CR is 1, its AC is 13 (natural armor), and its proficiency bonus is +2.

It has five Hit Dice, with a hit point maximum in accordance with those Hit Dice, equaling the average value of that die (4 for a d6, 5 for a d8, 6 for a d10) + it’s Constitution modifier for each of those Hit Dice added together.

Physically, it is a hybrid of the two beasts used to create it. For example, combining an owl and a bear will create a monstrosity commonly known as an owlbear.

On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to vocally, visually, or telepathically command the creature if it can hear you, see you, or is in range of your telepathy (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature behaves according to its nature. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until it is no longer possible to do so.

The resulting monstrosity is under your control for 24 hours, after which it stops obeying your commands. To maintain control of the creature for another 24 hours, you must cast this spell on the creature again before the 24 hour period ends. This use of the spell does not create a new monster.

At Higher Levels. When this spell is cast using certain higher level spell slots, its effects can create even more powerful monsters.

Using a spell slot of the 4th level or higher, you can create or reassert control over a CR 2 monster. A CR 2 monster has six hit dice, instead of five.

Using a spell slot of the 5th level or higher, you can create or reassert control over a CR 3 monster. A CR 3 monster has seven hit dice, instead of five, and you can increase one of its ability scores by 2, or two of its ability scores by 1, to a maximum of 20 when you create it.

Owlbear Balancing An owlbear created by this spell cast at 5th level is identical to the owlbear statblock found in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Following the spell's rules produces the same result—this spell is designed that way.