Blights

Blight Lore
Nature DC 10: True to their name, blights are
accursed flora, birthed in blood and corrupted toward
evil ends by foul magics.
Though often created in defense of natural places, the
ill intent that pervades their being inevitably spreads to the
lands where they root, often doing more harm in the long
term than whatever danger they were meant to repel.
On top of that, those magics of death by which they are
animated leave them dry and malnourished even in
times of plenty, and blights are often found to be
the ignition point of particularly ruinous forest fires.
Nature DC 15: Though remarkably ambulatory for
plants, considered against nonplant creatures their
movements seem sluggish, in part because they
leech tiny exploratory roots into the earth with
each step.
While doing so makes it quite difficult to move
them against their will, snapping those tiny
tendrils by uprooting them causes significant
damage and distress to the blight.
Leaf Blight Tactics
Leaf blights shuffle mindlessly directly toward
the nearest non-plant creature they can sense,
attacking with their Razorleaf Flurry as they approach. They Bloodbriar
take no special effort to stay near each other for their Tomasz Jedruszek
Scatterdrift Spawning, but use it at each opportunity.
If there are no nonplant creatures remaining in the range
of their blindsight, they stop moving and take no actions.
Blightbirth
Splinter Blight Tactics 4th-level transmutation
Splinter blights fight much as leaf blights do, but wait until a Casting Time: 1 action
creature comes within range of their Splinter Volley to reveal Range: Touch
themselves. If they begin their turn within 5 feet of two or Components: V, S, M (A fresh, size Medium or larger corpse)
more enemies, they use their Splinterblast. Duration: 8 hours (concentration)
They always use their Chain Burst whenever available if You shove a fistfull of earth through the chest of the corpse
within 5 feet of at least one enemy, regardless of any allies used as a material component and tendrilous vines begin to
that would be hit. sprout from its wounds, tearing forth as newborn blights into
the nearest unoccupied spaces. Choose one of the following
Twig Blight Tactics for what are created:
Twig blights attempt to ambush using their False Two Vine Blights.
Appearance, typically revealing themselves only if they can Three Needle Blights
attack that turn, or at least reach enemies by dashing. Five Twig Blights
If enemies seem to be moving toward them, however Ten Splinter Blights
slowly, twig blights continue hiding with their False The created blights are friendly to you for the spell's
Appearance even after combat is joined. Once they begin duration. If the corpse used as a material component for the
fighting, they seperate into squads of 3-5, prioritizing any spell was humanoid, the created blights act on your initiative
enemy that can produce fire. obey your verbal commands for the spell's duration, and
remain non-hostile toward you after the spell ends unless
Amber Blight Tactics provoked.
Amber blights attack in groups of 3-5, each group selecting a If you don't issue any commands to them, they defend
different target and trying to Attach one blight to it each themselves from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no
round. With that achieved, remaining amber blights will use actions.
their Trap Blood in anticipation of their Amber Cursebond. Spell Lists. Druid, Ranger
Leaf Blight
Small plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 7 (2d6)
Speed 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
5 (-3) 13 (+1) 10 (+0) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 9
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge M1 (40 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a pile of
dead leaves.
Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is
knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or
as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points
are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from
another effect, it dies if the damage equals or
exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes
no damage.
Actions
Razorleaf Flurry (Group Attack). Melee or Ranged
Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30
ft., one target. Hit: 1 slashing damage.
Reactions
Scatterdrift Spawning. When two or more leaf
blights within 30 feet of each other take any non-
fire damage, each of them can collapse into a drift
of leaves, forming a new Leaf Blight in an
unoccupied space within 30 feet of each of them.
Splinter Blight
Small plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 9
Languages understands Common but can't speak
Challenge M3 (140 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a splintered
branch.
Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is
knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or
as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points
are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from
another effect, it dies if the damage equals or
exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes
no damage.
Actions
Slivered Claws (Group Attack). Melee Weapon
Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3
piercing damage.
If this attack misses a creature wearing heavy
armor, one of the blights that contributed to it dies.
Splinter Volley (Group Attack). Ranged Weapon
Attack: +3 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 2
piercing damage.
Splinterblast. The blight creaks and groans, then
bursts, spraying splinters in a 5 foot radius.
The blight dies, and each creature in the the area
must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw
or take 3 piercing damage.
Reactions
Chain Burst. When the blight is dealt any damage by
a friendly creature or killed by its Slivered Claws, it
can use its Splinterblast before falling unconscious.
Murasa Sproutling
Svetlin Velinov
Twig Blight Amber Blight
Small plant, neutral evil Small plant, neutral evil

Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor) Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3) Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
Speed 20 ft. Speed 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)

Damage Vulnerabilities Fire Damage Vulnerabilities Fire

Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 9
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge M6 (285 XP)
Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 9
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Challenge M9 (500 XP)

False Appearance. While the blight remains False Appearance. While the blight remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead motionless, it is indistinguishable from a gnarled
shrub. amber deposit.

Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is
knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or
as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points
are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from
another effect, it dies if the damage equals or
exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes
no damage.
Shallow Roots. If the blight is forced to move or is
knocked prone, it dies.
Minion. If the blight takes damage from an attack or
as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points
are reduced to 0. If the blight takes damage from
another effect, it dies if the damage equals or
exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes
no damage.

Actions Actions
Snaptwig Shoots (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Resinous Clutches (Group Attack). Melee Weapon
Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5
piercing damage. bludgeoning damage.

If three or more blights contributed to this attack,
the target is grappled (escape DC 12).
Whenever a creature grappled in this way takes an
action, it takes 2 piercing damage, then can
attempt to escape (no action required).
If three or more blights contributed to this attack,
one of them becomes Attached to the target
(remove DC 14), and remains Attached even when
dead until it is removed or dealt any fire damage.
A creature subtracts 1 from its attack rolls and
Dexterity saving throws for each blight Attached to
it in this way.
Trap Blood. The blight collects and seals a drop of
blood from a creature within 5 feet that doesn't
have all of its hit points, preserving it.

Reactions
Amber Cursebond. When a creature the blight can
see within 30 feet whose blood it has collected
makes a saving throw against a spell or magical
effect, the blight can become Petrified.
If it does, the creature gains disadvantage on the
triggering saving throw.
Needle Blight Tactics
As with other blights, needle blights attempt to ambush with
their False Appearance, ideally initiating combat when their
foes are roughly 50 feet away.
Needle blights fight evasively, staying near the edge of the
first range increment of their Barbed Needles and retreating
to cover after attacking each turn, trying to lure pursuers into
the path of other, slower blights that have not yet revealed
themselves.
They prefer to attack any creature that does not yet have
Design Intent: Lob Blight. As the tree blight's Lob
Blight ability requires a willing target, it is not
intended to count as forced movement for the
purposes of any blight's Root Bound or Shallow
Roots traits.
Blights
Conceptopolis

their needles embedded in it, afterwards attacking whichever

enemy is closest.
Vine Blight Tactics
Vine blights wait as long as possible to reveal themselves; if
possible they will attack first with their Constricting
Embrace, but if an opportunity seems unlikely they
will dash toward an enemy and use their
Tanglegrowth to prevent its escape.
Once close to an enemy, they attack with
their Constricting Embrace until it is grappled,
then use their Bloodquest Rootlets until it fails
its saving throw, then back to their Constricting
Embrace until it or its enemy is killed.
Thicket Blight Tactics
Thicket blights act loosely as commanders
of groups of blights, hanging back somewhere
with good lines of sight for triggering their
Blightpollen Alarm as they attack with
their Blooming Darts.
If enemies close to melee with them,
they use their Thorny Thrash, then back
up and continue firing Blooming Darts,
even if doing so would provoke opportunity
attacks.
Tree Blight Tactics
Tree blights often initiate combat by throwing
a blight minion variant or other slow-moving
ally using their Lob Blight Ability, then
continue using that until all such allies are
locked into melee before wading in and
attacking directly.
They typically attack first with their Grasping
Roots, then follow up by repeatedly hitting the
same target with their Blood-Blackened Branch
until it is freed or knocked unconscious before
moving on to another target.
They use their Toppling Vengeance against
the most injured enemy they can reach,
particularly those who are restrained or
unconscious.

Rules Reminder: For no-save damage effects such

as Lob Blight , minions are killed only if the damage
exceeds their maximum hit points; otherwise, they
take no damage.
Needle Blight
Medium plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 7 (-2) 8 (-1) 3 (-4)
Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 9
Languages understands Common but can't speak
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a spiny
stump.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving
throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone,
the blight loses 9 (2d8) hit points.
Actions
Longspine Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing
damage.
Barbed Needles. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit,
range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1)
piercing damage and the needles become
embedded in the target (remove DC 11).
Until the needles are removed, the target's speed is
reduced by 5 and it takes 1 piercing damage
whenever it takes an action.
Reactions
Prickly Retort. When the blight is hit with a melee
attack, it can deal 3 piercing damage to the
attacker.
If the triggering attack was an unarmed attack or
one with a natural weapon, the attacker takes an
additional 2 piercing damage.
Vine Blight
Medium plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 71 (11d8 + 22)
Speed 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 5 (-3) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)
Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 10
Languages Common
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a tangle of
vines.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving
throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone,
the blight loses 9 (2d8) hit points.
Actions
Constricting Embrace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to
hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2)
bludgeoning damage and the blight enters the
target's space and grapples it (escape DC 12).
While it has a creature grappled in this way, the
blight and the grappled creature are each
restrained.
Bloodquest Rootlets. Threadlike roots grow out from
the blight, forcing a creature grappled by it to
succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or
have the roots enter its wounds.
Until the grapple ends or the creature receives any
magical healing, at the beginning of each of its
turns the creature loses 5 (2d4) hit points and the
blight regains an equal amount of hit points.
Bonus Actions
Tanglegrowth (Recharges when the blight regains hit
points). A burst of growth roils out from the blight,
carpeting the area in a 15 foot radius in dense roots
and vines.
The area is difficult terrain for nonplant creatures,
and a creature that enters a space in the area for the
first time in a turn must succeed on a DC 12
Strength saving throw or fall prone.
Thicket Blight
Large plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 13 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 105 (14d10 + 28)
Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3)
Skills Perception +4, Survival +4
Damage Vulnerabilities Fire
Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 14
Languages Common
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a tangle of
brambles.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving
throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone,
the blight loses 11 (2d10) hit points.
Bramble-Armor. A creature that hits the blight with a
melee attack for the first time on a turn takes 3
piercing damage.
Whenever the blight takes 10 or more fire or
slashing damage from a single source, the damage
dealt by this trait is reduced by 1 until it completes
a long rest.
Actions
Multiattack. The blight makes two attacks with its
Blooming Dart, one of which it can replace with a
use of its Thorny Thrash.
Blooming Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
range 40 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing
plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Thorny Thrash. The blight shudders and thrashes,
forcing each creature within 5 feet of it to succeed
on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or take 7 (2d6)
slashing damage and be pushed 5 feet away, or take
half as much damage on a success.
Reactions
Blightpollen Alarm. When a creature the blight can
see deals any fire damage, the blight can release an
agitating pollen in a 60 foot radius.
Each plant creature in the area gains advantage on
the first attack it makes against that creature in the
next minute.
Tree Blight
Huge plant, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 161 (14d12 + 70)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 5 (-3) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)
Damage Vulnerabilities Fire; Slashing
Condition Immunities Blinded, Deafened
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Druidic
Challenge 7 (3,900 XP)
False Appearance. While the blight remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead tree.
Root-Bound. The blight has advantage on saving
throws to resist being moved or knocked prone.
Whenever it is forced to move or is knocked prone,
the blight loses 13 (2d12) hit points.
Actions
Multiattack. The blight makes two attacks, each of
which it can replace with a use of its Lob Blight.
Blood-Blackened Branch. Melee Weapon Attack: +4
to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6)
bludgeoning damage and the target is pushed 5
feet away.
A grappled creature is not pushed and instead takes
an additional 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage.
Grasping Roots. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit,
reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: The target is grappled
(escape DC 15) by the root, which has its own hit
points and can be destroyed (AC 15, 6 HP).
A creature grappled in this way takes 10 (3d6)
bludgeoning damage at the beginning of each of its
turns.
Lob Blight. The blight flings a willing Medium or
smaller creature within 10 feet up to 40 feet to an
unoccupied space the blight can see.
The flung creature takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning
damage, does not fall prone, and can immediately
use its reaction to make a melee attack.
Reactions
Toppling Vengeance. When the blight drops to 0 hit
points, it can fall onto a creature within 15 feet
before dying.
The creature must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity
saving throw or fall prone and be restrained under
the blight's corpse (escape DC 17), or move to the
nearest unoccupied space on a success.
Art Credits You Found the Free Books!
Bloodbriar by Tomasz Jedruszek
Murasa Sproutling by Svetlin Velinov
Blights by Conceptopolis
Bisk, Goblin King by Rae Elderidge

I've Got a Subreddit! The Part Where I Shill My Patreon

Want more monsters like this? Come check
out r/bettermonsters, where I post all my
work. Don't see something there? Drop a
request and I'll usually get it to you
within a day if I've got something on
hand, and I'll shoot you a
message when it's
ready if not.
Want to support the creation of content like this? I post new
monsters with lore and tactics to my patreon five times a
week, joining the more than 1700 already there, indexed in a
big PDF along with formats for Foundry and
5eTools.