Large monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +3
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 12 (+1) | 20 (+5) | 11 (+0) | 14 (+2) | 8 (-1) |
Skills Athletics +8, Stealth +7
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands Common and the languages of its creator, but can’t speak
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Resonant Connection. If the banderhobb has even a tiny piece of a creature or an object in its possession, such as a lock of hair or a splinter of wood, it knows the most direct route to that creature or object if it is within 1 mile of the banderhobb.
Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the banderhobb can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
ACTIONS
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (5d6 + 5) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15) if it is a Large or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the banderhobb can’t use its bite attack or tongue attack on another target.
- Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature.
Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target is pulled to a space within 5 feet of the banderhobb, which can use a bonus action to make a bite attack against the target. - Swallow. The banderhobb makes a bite attack against a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the creature is swallowed, and the grapple ends. The swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the banderhobb, and it takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of the banderhobb’s turns. A creature reduced to 0 hit points in this way stops taking the necrotic damage and becomes stable. The banderhobb can have only one creature swallowed at a time. While the banderhobb isn’t incapacitated, it can regurgitate
the creature at any time {no action required) in a space within 5 feet of it. The creature exits prone. If the banderhobb dies, it likewise regurgitates a swallowed creature. - Shadow Step. The banderhobb magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space of dim light or darkness that it can see. Before or after teleporting, it can make a bite or tongue attack.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A banderhobb is a monstrous creature that resembles a giant, bipedal toad with scrawny limbs, long claws, and a massive mouth full of serrated teeth. It has a serpentine tongue that can lash out and grab its prey, dragging it into its gaping maw. A banderhobb’s eyes are large and bulbous, but they appear blank and empty, as if devoid of any emotion or intelligence. A banderhobb’s skin is dark and leathery, blending in with the shadows that it uses to stalk its victims. A banderhobb is not a natural creature, but a product of vile magic that fuses shadow and flesh into a temporary servant for its creator. A banderhobb can understand the languages of its creator, but it cannot speak. It has a resonant connection to any creature or object that it possesses a piece of, such as a lock of hair or a splinter of wood, and can track them down within a mile.
COMBAT
A banderhobb is a stealthy and ruthless hunter that prefers to ambush its prey from the darkness. It can use its shadowy magic to teleport short distances, appearing and disappearing in dim light or darkness. It can also hide as a bonus action while in such conditions, making it hard to spot or target. A banderhobb’s main weapons are its bite and tongue attacks. Its bite can inflict serious damage and even swallow smaller creatures whole, while its tongue can grapple and restrain larger foes, pulling them closer to its mouth. A banderhobb’s stomach is an extra-dimensional space that can hold multiple creatures at once. Those who are swallowed by a banderhobb find themselves in a strange chamber that is much larger than the creature itself, where they face a grotesque and distorted face that covers half of the wall. The face has a hole in the middle that leads to the true stomach, where digestion occurs. A banderhobb’s stomach can be escaped by cutting through its flesh from the inside, but this must be done quickly before the acid dissolves the intruders.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A banderhobb does not have a natural habitat or society, as it is an artificial creation that only exists for a limited time. A banderhobb is usually summoned by a powerful spellcaster who wants to use it as a thug, a thief, or a kidnapper. A banderhobb obeys the commands of its creator without question or hesitation, as it has no will or personality of its own. A banderhobb’s lifespan is determined by the magic that animates it, which can vary from days to months depending on the skill and resources of its creator. A banderhobb does not need to eat or sleep, but it does so out of habit or instinct. A banderhobb does not care about anything other than completing its assigned mission, and it does not feel any emotion or pain. A banderhobb does not interact with other creatures unless they are its targets or obstacles, in which case it attacks them with ruthless efficiency. A banderhobb does not have any allies or enemies, except for those designated by its creator.
ECOLOGY
A banderhobb has no natural role in the ecology of any world, as it is an aberration that disrupts the balance of life and death. A banderhobb consumes living creatures not for sustenance, but for sport or spite. It does not digest what it swallows, but stores them in its stomach until they are dissolved by acid or released by magic. A banderhobb does not reproduce or evolve, but remains stagnant and static until its magic fades away. A banderhobb leaves no trace of its existence behind, except for the corpses of its victims and the nightmares of its survivors. A banderhobb is an enemy of all living things, and a threat to the natural order of any world it invades.