“Quests From The Infinite Staircase” is the latest adventure anthology for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. The tome includes six classic adventures updated to the modern ruleset, and remastered monster stats – all of which are perfect for your next campaign.
New DnD monsters in “Quests From the Infinite Staircase”
From ageless aberrations to witch queens, the latest 5e sourcebook provides tons of encounters that can inspire your next game scenario. Here are some of the best monsters in Quests From The Infinite Staircase, and why you should use them for your homebrew setting!
New DnD monsters: Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing is a Druid’s nightmare
One of the newest creatures to come with “Quests” is a freaky Plant creature named “Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing” that lures adventurers in the most disturbing way possible.
It does this by morphing its lure into a deceptively adorable woodland critter, inviting predators and would-be petters back to its main body.
The statblock even comes with a table containing some forms this lure can take. So if an exploration segment gets a bit uneventful, throw a Wolf-in-Sheep’s-Clothing in there and watch how your players react!
New DnD monsters: The Barkburr
Give your players and important NPCs a memorable death by turning them into a literal tree with Barkburrs, nature’s latest horror!
These knots of magic bark are hostile Plants that poison their targets with sap that can “lignify” a creature, transforming them into a forest’s newest resident. Sick of the tired old “petrify” mechanic? Barkburrs have your back!
This mechanic is also perfect for whodunnit situations. Perhaps a local druid has been accused of turning the village chief’s daughter into bark because of a logging dispute, and the party needs to prove his innocence to get vital info on a quest.
New DnD monsters: Leprechauns are delightful party NPCs
Ever feel like your adventure needed a dash of whimsy to distract from all the death and political strife? Look no further than the Quests From The Infinite Staircase’s Leprechaun!
These small Fey creatures can be huge nuisances to the party or an essential part of the team. Not only do Leprechauns get Expertise on all artisan’s tools, but they can also fight, cast spells, and bestow the Gift of Luck to anyone they deem worthy!
They’re also quite cunning, so both the DM and the players can have loads of fun with this particular statblock.
New DnD monsters: Memory Webs are perfect DnD plot devices
They say memories make up a person, but what happens when those get stolen from you?
Introducing “Memory Webs”, a living web that literally feeds on their prey’s memories. Spun by Ettercaps and other delightfully oversized arachnids, these aberrations can eat a creature’s recollections long after they’ve died.
When slain, a Memory Web discharges the memories it consumed in a “telepathic deluge”, and nearby creatures absorb parts of these memories into their psyche.
While this is thematically on-point, Memory Webs can be used for events that drive your plot forward. Imagine the party receiving visions of a dead treasure hunter’s maps after killing a Web, leading them to long-forgotten ruins they couldn’t have found otherwise. Or the memories of a village guard who witnessed a Barkburr lignifying the chief’s daughter?
New DnD monsters:Use Combat Robots in your next steampunk game
Incorporating steampunk elements into your DnD game can get complicated (see: Artificers). While this is true, 5e’s latest entry gives you a mighty statblock for a particularly hard bossfight you may have planned.
The Combat Robot has everything you could ever want in a mechanical foe: Multiattack, laser beams, grenades, a weakness to lightning. Plus, it can use its Bonus Action to avoid getting swarmed, making it more than a metallic damage sponge.
New DnD monsters: Froghemoth Elder is a mind-bending eldritch antagonist
Nothing builds up anticipation for a boss like Regional Effects, and the Froghemoth Elder has some of the best in the game.
Investigate alien plant growths in the nearby swamp; encounter weird fauna with vestigial tentacles growing out of their back; explain why the frogs are drawing strange, large patterns with bioluminescent slime. These are all the ways a Fraghemoth can elevate your Lovecraftian campaign. And they’re no pushovers too.
Prone saves, multi-tentacle attacks and Hypnotic Visions all make these oversized toads as hard to take down as they are to comprehend. Looking for a fresh new BBEG for your high-level horror campaign? The Froghemoth Elder might be the one!
New DnD monsters: Nafas is the ultimate genie
Last on our list is Nafas, the Elemental Genie.
We had to include the strongest being in the book on our list because Nafas ranks among the strongest creatures in Dungeons and Dragons right now.
Besides being able to cast Wish without any adverse effects, the Infinite Staircase’s custodian can attack thrice AND force DC 22 Strength saves every turn, deny vision, roll saves with Advantage, and use 5 Legendary Saves per day.
It isn’t far-fetched to say that Nafas possesses godlike power. A noble genie like that could’ve played a big role in your homebrew world’s creation. Or better yet, it’s impending doom.
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