Hezrous Hezrou Lore Nature DC 10: While the creatures smell foul enough as is, certain hezrous have the ability to magically aerosolize their spilt blood weaponizing it into a cloud of noxious gas that only grows more potent as they suffer further injuries. Religion DC 15: The froggish demons known as "hezrous" are among the most prized as footsoldiers within abyssal armies, due to their rare predilection toward following commands, though this capacity does not seem to extend to remembering those orders for more than a few seconds, nor to being particularly discriminating as to who those orders came from. Religion DC 20: Demonic commanders often seek out aberrant hezrou incapable of telepathy to train as their lieutenants, deafening them prior to battle to further prevent them from coming under enemy influence. Hezrou Tactics Hezrou tactics are largely dependent on initiative order, as whoever goes directly before them has the opportunity to override any previous commands. Hezrous are thus nearly always deployed under the supervision of greater demons, who focus their efforts on killing any creature that manages to wrest command of the hezrous from them. Hezrou Goon Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 17 (2d8 + 8) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 4 (-3) 9 (-1) 13 (+1) Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning Damage Immunities Poison Condition Immunities Poisoned Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft. Challenge M5 (360 XP) Lickspittle. The hezrou follows the most recent verbal command it received since the beginning of its last turn. If the command was given by a non-demon, the hezrou may make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw to negate this effect until the beginning of its next turn. Minion. If the creature takes damage from an attack or as the result of a failed saving throw, its hit points are reduced to 0. If the creature takes damage from another effect, it dies if the damage equals or exceeds its hit point maximum, otherwise it takes no damage. Actions Frenzied Snaps (Group Attack). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 piercing damage. If three or more hezrou contributed to this attack, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or fall prone and take an additional 4 piercing damage.
H e z r o u To a d y Large fie nd (de mo n), c haotic evil A r m o r Cla s s 1 6 ( N a t u r al Ar m o r ) Hit P oin t s 1 1 5 ( 1 1 d 1 0 + 5 5 ) S p e e d 3 0 ft. STR D E X C O N IN T WIS C H A 1 9 ( + 4 ) 1 7 ( + 3 ) 2 0 ( + 5 ) 5 ( - 3 ) 1 2 ( + 1 ) 1 3 ( + 1 ) S a vin g T h r o w s S T R + 7, C O N + 8, WIS + 4 D a m a g e R e sis t a n c e s C old, Fir e, Lig h t nin g; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing Fro m N o n m a gic al At t a c k s D a m a g e Im m u nitie s P ois o n C o n ditio n Im m u nitie s P ois o n e d S e n s e s D a r k visio n 1 2 0 ft., P a s siv e P e r c e p tio n 1 1 L a n g u a g e s Ab y s s al, T ele p a t h y 1 2 0 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Lickspittle. The hezrou follows the m o s t r e c e n t v e r b al c o m m a n d it r e c eiv e d sin c e t h e b e gin nin g o f its last turn. If the command was given by a non-demon, the hezrou may make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw to negate this effect until the beginning of its next turn. Magic Resistance. The hezrou has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Actions Multiattack. The hezrou makes three attacks, one of which may be with its Shrouding Snap. Shrouding Snap. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage. If this attack reduces a creature to 0 hit points, the hezrou may use its reaction to belch forth a cloud of Magical Darkness in a 10 foot radius around itself that lasts for a minute. Gloomletter Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage, or 13 (2d8 + 4) necrotic damage if the hezrou is in Magical Darkness. Reactions Sickening Ichor. As a reaction when the hezrou takes any piercing or slashing damage, it magically causes a noxious gas to boil out of its spilt blood. Each creature within 10 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned until the end of its next turn. If the hezrou has fewer than 69 hit points, a creature that fails this save must use its reaction to move half its speed directly away from the hezrou. HLAHS2SDDCSLCDcloMsaeAMCoCft1oapGithGcsaOifRStacEauIfcm
Art Credits Hezrou by Brent Hollowell The Part Where I Shill My Patreon 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 1000 already there, indexed in a big PDF along with formats for Foundry and 5eTools. Also check out my website and instagram, where my wife and I make handmade dice and dice bags, and where I post free books as I get them polished up. I'm trying to get a new free book like this out every other month or so. If you've got any monsters you'd like to see statted up by me, leave me a comment over in the permanent thread in r/bettermonsters and I'll put something together for you. Supported By Aaron Rosenberg AHorseWithNoName Alex Bogart Alex Gillies Alex O'Donnell Alex O'Hanlon Alisha Herbitter Allis Anders Ivarsson Andrew Cheeseman Benji Morris Bernhard Fritz Blueberryperson Bradley Webb Brandon Malofsky David Jose Delport Breckland Ex Nihilo Flipp Fletcher Herring George Hughes GramPositive Harrison Phillips Helltroll Hoswell Jack O'Keefe Jacob Gist Jake Serna James Hawthorne James McBride Johnathan Chavez Joseph Donley Josh Huston Justin King Kelsii Weber Kyle Cove Lascifrass Lawrence Courtrelle Luke Wheeler Malacandrian Marc Adelman Matt Herbert Matt Pierce Matthew Cullen Matthew S Mauricio Garcia Maximilian Bizjak Mehul Gupta Michael Taylor Mike Nicolan Milo Baraclough Mitch Whitehead Moritz Hackl Nathan Johnson Nathanial Schnebly Niall Nick I Niki S ObsessiveModelmaker Ondřej Kříž Oscar Mangandid Patrick Phoenix Daniels Primarily Daniel Rae Judd Rici Robert Martin Robin Bjälmsjö Robin Roberts Ronan Battistoni Rowan RuggerFoodie Sandy Hogg SardScroll saternoutlaw Saz Shadowfield Shane Sharelle D Larsen Sheila Dietrich Simen Lande Simon Bell simon Jørgensen Simon Weller SirApetus Sylphreni Tanner F Moen The Coffee Bean GM Victor Navone Vince Margaretich Walter Downard William Dixon Zach Kozel