A Compendium of Docile Creatures Because a Monster Doesn't Have to Be a Monster

So basically... There was a recent Reddit thread that asked, "what kind of monster is underrepresented in D&D?" And my first thought was, "peaceful ones"! Just look at the Monster Manual. Aside from the intelligent creatures, which have their own purposes and agendas, most monsters live to snack on squishy adventurers. Surely the fantasy world must also have docile magical creatures. Herbivores, herd creatures, cute forest critters, and so forth. They may be magical and they may be dangerous, but they're not out to maul the PCs. Which leads us to... These are a bunch of statblocks that I typed up in an afternoon and evening of inspiration. Anyone is welcome to use, adjust, reflavor as you wish. I don't think I've given them any egregious abilities, but the balance may not be quite perfect. Still, hopefully someone is inspired by one of these!

Thunderbug This creature is based on the Ohmu from Hayao Miyazaki's classic film, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. It's been a long time since I've seen Nausicaa, and these stats are not meant to exactly match the creature's abilities in the film. More importantly, I'd like to capture the sense of mystique and scale of this impossibly enormous and unstoppable being. These creatures resemble titanic larvae, covered with a nearly impenetrable carapace, a myriad of eyes dotting their heads, and countless tentacles extending from their mouth area. Due to their incredible size, they appear slow from a distance, but it is clear up close that they move as fast as any man. They feed passively on nutrients and small plants from the earth that they churn beneath the hundreds of legs that coat their undersides. They take little notice of smaller creatures, content to trundle along on their inexorable march over land, indifferent to the destruction they leave in their wake and the odd, alien plants that grow where they walk. The ancient and primal minds of a thunderbug is difficult for more intelligent creatures to understand. Does it have some deeper, unknowable purpose to its wanderings, or is it no more than a dumb brute? Occasionally, a thunderbug will attempt to make psychic contact with another creature, but its alien mind is often enough to drive that creature insane. Yet the thunderbugs do seem to show kindness at times, healing those who help them. Thunderbug Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 23 (natural armor)

23 (natural armor) Hit Points 437 (25d20 + 175)

437 (25d20 + 175) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 25 (+7) 10 (+0) 25 (+7) 1 (-5) 16 (+3) 2 (-4) Saving Throws Con +13, Wis +9

Con +13, Wis +9 Skills Perception +15

Perception +15 Condition Immunities charmed, frightened

charmed, frightened Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks; psychic

bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks; psychic Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 25

blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 25 Languages —

— Challenge 17 (18,000 XP) Hive Mind. The thunderbug can sense and telepathically communicate with all other thunderbugs within 1 mile of it. It can also sense any insects, spiders, and other invertebrates in the same radius, and knows when any of them are harmed. Destructive Wake. The thunderbug churns up land as it walks, uprooting trees and toppling structures, and turning the path of its travel into difficult terrain. The land where it walks becomes extremely fertile for exotic fungi and plants, but poisonous to crops and livestock. Trample. The thunderbug can move through the spaces of Huge or smaller creatures. A creature in the thunderbug's way when it moves can make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, the creature can use its reaction to move up to its speed out of the thunderbug's way. Otherwise, the creature is trampled under the thunderbug. A trampled creature is prone and can only move by crawling. When a creature is first trampled by the thunderbug or when it ends its turn underneath the thunderbug, it takes 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage. Actions Multiattack. The thunderbug makes three tentacle attacks. It has, within reasonable limits, an unlimited amount of tentacles. Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d12 + 7) bludgeoning damage. If the target is Huge or smaller, the thunderbug can choose to do no damage and grapple the target instead (escape DC 21). The thunderbug's tentacles can freely manipulate grappled creatures in a 20 foot radius around its head (no action required). Empathic Link. The thunderbug attempts to magically establish an empathic link with any or all creatures it has grappled. A grappled creature with an Intelligence score of 4 or more must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the creature learns the general intentions of the thunderbug. On a failed save, the creature takes 18 (4d8) psychic damage. Restorative Link. The thunderbug magically heals any or all creatures it has grappled by 12 (2d8 + 3) hit points each.

Gabbrox This one is from my own imagination. I thought, wouldn't it be cool to have a herd animal with the magical ability to turn to stone as a defense mechanism? They could do that thing elephants do, where the adults form a ring around the juveniles---only in this case, the adults can form a literal wall! Imagine PCs wandering into a calmly grazing herd of these creatures, only for a predator to spook them. Suddenly the party is trapped in a maze of stone! Or they come across a strange field of boulders, which to their surprise suddenly come to life! As the name implies, they look like oxen, but other details of their appearance are up to the DM. Gabbrox Large monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

15 (natural armor) Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30)

85 (10d10 + 30) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) Senses passive Perception 11

passive Perception 11 Languages —

— Challenge 2 (450 XP) Charge. If the gabbrox moves at least 20 feet in a straight line toward a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Stampede (1/rest). For 1 minute, the gabbrox can dash as a bonus action on its turn. Actions Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. Petrify (1/day). The gabbrox turns to stone for up to one hour to defend itself. While petrified, the gabbrox is indistinguishable from an oddly-shaped boulder, is immobile, and can take no actions except to return to its natural form. Its AC becomes 20, it becomes immune to psychic damage and any effects that require Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throws, and it has resistance to all other damage. If the gabbrox is reduced to 0 hit points while in this form, it crumbles to rock dust. Young Gabbrox Medium monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

15 (natural armor) Hit Points 30 (6d8 + 12)

30 (6d8 + 12) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) Senses passive Perception 11

passive Perception 11 Languages —

— Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Stampede (1/rest). For 1 minute, the young gabbrox can dash as a bonus action on its turn. Actions Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Harden (1/day). The young gabbrox hardens its hide to become stone-like for up to one hour. Its AC becomes 18, its speed is halved, and it gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. I also imagine adult gabbrox being able to climb on top of already petrified herd members, forming an even taller wall of stone, and perhaps even forming a ceiling. What if players get trapped inside a gabbrox barrier with a dangerous predator? Do they kill the peaceful herbivores to escape?

Skreevil Imagine a skunk, but with six elongated legs, an exaggerated snout, and protruding incisors like a beaver's. That's a skreevil. They're small, omnivorous scavengers, and don't attack unless they are cornered---but usually they don't have to, for their powerful stench provides more than enough defense. Skreevil Small monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 12

12 Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 4)

18 (4d6 + 4) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 2 (-4) 11 (+0) 7 (-2) Skills Perception +4

Perception +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages —

— Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Stench. The skreevil emits a powerful stench that can be smelled from up to 30 feet away. Any creature attempting to move within 15 feet of the skreevil must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature cannot willingly approach the skreevil until the end of its next turn. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it is also poisoned for 1 minute. Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: + 4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, or become afflicted with the same Stench as the skreevil (the target is immune to its own stench). The stench lasts 1d4 days or until removed by an effect that cures disease. Say a family of these things stole a noblewoman's expensive ring or necklace, and the players have to get it back. Note that there is no acquired immunity to skreevil stench on a successful saving throw---it's just as bad each time as it was the first time. Or imagine a town is infested. The horrible smell emanating from the sewers is making everyone sick, but they simply can't figure out where it's coming from. Meanwhile, hunting down the critters is infuriating because not only do they smell, they keep running away as long as an escape route is available. Maybe they've only infested the town because something else drove them out of their natural forest habitat. Paver Mole In a world where mimics have adapted to imitate treasure chests, why not have other species that know how to take advantage of adventurers? Using their shovel-like claws, the paver mole constructs crude paths through the forest to lure adventurers to danger. After all, adventurers are notoriously good at dealing with nasty monsters. If adventurers kill all the predators, then there will be nothing left to eat the paver mole. Maybe curious adventurers will wander down this strange path that's not on their map. Or perhaps the left turn they were expecting came a mile sooner than they thought it would. Paver Mole Medium beast, unaligned Armor Class 11

11 Hit Points 49 (6d8 + 12)

49 (6d8 + 12) Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 4 (-3) 13 (+1) 6 (-2) Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11

darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages —

— Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Pave Path. The paver mole can construct a 5-foot wide road at the rate of 50 feet per minute (about 3/5 mile per hour). The path is easy to spot and smooth enough for wagons, but is clearly crudely made. Actions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Perhaps some kingdoms have learned to tame these curious beasts and use them to lay the foundations of highways. If the PCs can acquire one as a pet, maybe they can use it to set an ambush.

Mimet Everything about this little critter is adorable. Its wide, innocent eyes, its big bushy tail, its chubby little cheeks and tiny paws... Not to mention the way its nose twitches and the curious way it tilts its head and crawls up to your shoulder. And then makes off with all your stuff. The mimet quite literally charms travelers with its cute looks and mesmerizing gaze, then ransacks their packs for food and small shiny objects. It resembles a squirrel, but has a large leaf-like plume protruding from its head that helps it hide in trees. Mimet Tiny fey, unaligned Armor Class 13

13 Hit Points 7 (3d4)

7 (3d4) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 5 (-3) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 5 (-3) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) Skills Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7

Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Sylvan

Sylvan Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Twitchy. The mimet has advantage on initiative rolls and cannot be surprised. Actions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. Charming Gaze. The mimet turns its gaze on a creature within 20 feet of it, which must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by the mimet for 1 hour. A charmed creature is unable to interfere with anything the mimet does, and simply watches the mimet with glee and amusement. A charmed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of every minute, ending the effect on a success. The effect also ends if the creature takes any damage or the mimet does anything harmful to it. If the effect ends for a creature, it is immune to the charming gaze of this mimet for 24 hours. The Mimictopus These intelligent octopuses take their mundane counterparts' camouflage ability to the extreme. Not only can they change their coloring, they also have a limited ability to mold the shape of their bodies, twisting tentacles into arms and legs and forming their soft craniums into a facsimile of a human head. They use their abilities sometimes to intimidate, sometimes to hide, and according to some sailors, sometimes to trick as well. Either way, there's no denying the craftiness of these cephalopods. Mimictopus Medium beast, unaligned Armor Class 13

13 Hit Points 18 (4d8)

18 (4d8) Speed 5 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 15 (+2) Skills Deception +6, Perception +2, Stealth +5

Deception +6, Perception +2, Stealth +5 Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 12

darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages —

— Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Amphibious. The mimictopus can breathe air and water. Actions Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the mimictopus can't use its tentacles on another target. Mimic. The mimictopus disguises itself in one of the following forms, or reverts to its natural octopus form: fisherman with spear, reef shark, or driftwood. A DC 13 Investigation check reveals the nature of the disguise. At the DM's discretion, the mimictopus may know other disguises. Ink Cloud (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). A 5-foot radius cloud of ink extends all around the mimictopus if it is underwater. The area is heavily obscured for 1 minute, though a significant current can disperse the ink. After releasing the ink, the mimictopus can use the Dash action as a bonus action.

Lephrena These peculiar creatures resemble an oversized rabbit crossed with a jellyfish. Their translucent skin undulates weirdly and shimmers with iridescent purples and teals. Their "ears" are long, flat appendages that extend from their head, drape all the way down their backs, and drag behind them on the ground. Rather than feet, they have an amorphous underbelly ringed around by a jellyfish-like skirt. They have no visible eyes, but their bodies spark and crackle with electricity that they use to sense their surroundings and defend themselves. After the last three pages of low-CR creatures, I figure it's time for something stronger, weirder, and more magical. I imagine these things living in small communities and eating flowers and seeds. When threatened, they use their Chain Lightning feature to trap predators in a net of electricity. Their jelly-like skin resists bludgeoning or piercing attacks, and may be valuable to wizards and inventors as a conducting material. Lephrena Large monstrosity, unaligned Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

13 (natural armor) Hit Points 142 (15d10 + 60)

142 (15d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 3 (-4) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) Skills Perception +8

Perception +8 Damage Immunities lightning

lightning Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing

bludgeoning, piercing Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 18

blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 18 Languages —

— Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Earthbound. The lephrena cannot jump or overcome elevation differences of greater than 5 feet. Electrosense. The lephrena can sense the location of all sources of electricity and all creatures with a nervous system within 120 feet of it. Electrified Body. When a creature within 5 feet of the lephrena touches it or hits it with a melee attack, that creature takes 7 (2d6) lightning damage. Short Circuit. When the lephrena starts its turn with half or more of its body submerged in water, it takes 44 (8d10) lightning damage, which bypasses its immunity. All creatures in contact with the same body of water and within 15 feet of the lephrena must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking the same damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Actions Multiattack. The lephrena makes two ear attacks. Ear. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage and 10 (3d6) lightning damage. Chain Lightning (1/rest). The lephrena forms a continuous arc of lightning from itself to another lephrena within 30 feet. The arc's area of effect is a 5-foot wide line directly between the two lephrena. It lasts for 1 minute or until either lephrena is incapacitated or more than 30 feet away from the other one. A creature that starts its turn in the arc's area of effect or passes through it for the first time on a turn must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.