OVERRUN It's up to you to decide when to check for a lingering

When a creature tries to move through a hostile injury. A creature might sustain a lingering injury under
creature's space, the mover can try to force its way the following circumstances:
through by overrunning the hostile creature. As an When it takes a critical hit
action or a bonus action, the mover makes a Strength When it drops to 0 hit points but isn't killed outright
(Athletics) check contested by the hostile creature's When it fails a death saving throw by 5 or more
Strength (Athletics) check. The creature attempting the
overrun has advantage on this check if it is larger than To determine the nature of the injury, roll on the
the hostile creature, or disadvantage if it is smaller. If Lingering Injuries table. This table assumes a typical
the mover wins the contest, it can move through the humanoid physiology, but you can adapt the results for
hostile creature's space once this turn. creatures with different body types.

SHOVE ASIDE LINGERING INJURIES

With this option, a creature uses the special shove d20 Injury
attack from the Player's Handbook to force a target Lose an Eye. You have disadvantage on Wisdom
to the side, rather than away. The attacker has (Perception) checks that rely on sight and on
disadvantage on its Strength (Athletics) check when it
ranged attack rolls. Magic such as the regenerate
does so. If that check is successful, the attacker moves
spell can restore the lost eye. If you have no eyes
the target 5 feet to a different space within its reach .
left after sustaining this injury, you're blinded.
TUMBLE 2 Lose an Arm or a Hand. You can no longer hold
A creature can try to tumble through a hostile creature's anything with two hands, and you can hold only a
space, ducking and weaving past the opponent. As an single object at a time. Magic such as the regenera te
action or a bonus action, the tumbler makes a Dexterity spell can restore the lost appendage.
(Acrobatics) check contested by the hostile creature's 3 Lose a Foot or Leg. Your speed on foot is halved,
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If the tumbler wins the and you must use a cane or crutch to move unless
contest, it can move through the hostile creature's space you have a peg leg or other prosthesis. You fall
once this turn.
prone after using the Dash action. You have
HITTING COVER disadvantage on Dexterity checks made to balance.
Magic such as the regenerate spell can restore the
When a ranged attack misses a target that has cover,
lost appendage.
you can use this optional rule to determine whether the
4 Limp. Your speed on foot is reduced by 5 feet. You
cover was struck by the attack.
First, determine whether the attack roll would have must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw after
hit the protected target without the cover. If the attack using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall
roll falls within a range low enough to miss the target prone. Magical healing removes the limp.
but high enough to strike the target if there had been 5-7 Internal Injury. Whenever you attempt an action
no cover, the object used for cover is struck. If a creature in combat, you must make a DC 15 Constitution
is providing cover for the missed creature and the saving throw. On a failed save, you lose your action
attack roll exceeds the AC of the covering creature, the and can't use reactions until the start of your next
covering creature is hit. turn. The injury heals if you receive magical healing
or if you spend ten days doing nothing but resting.
CLEAVING THROUGH CREATURES
8-10 Broken Ribs. This has the same effect as Internal
If your player characters regularly fight hordes of lower- Injury above, except that the save DC is 10.
level monsters, consider using this optional rule to help 11-13 Horrible Scar. You are disfigured to the extent that
speed up such fights. the wound can't be easily concealed . You have
When a melee attack reduces an undamaged creature
disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks
to 0 hit points, any excess damage from that attack
and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks .
might carry over to another creature nearby. The
attacker targets another creature within reach and, if Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal
the original attack roll can hit it, applies any remaining and regenerate, removes the scar.
damage to it. If that creature was undamaged and is 14-16 Festering Wound . Your hit point maximum is
likewise reduced to 0 hit points, repeat this process, reduced by 1 every 24 hours the wound persists.
carrying over the remaining damage until there are no If your hit point maximum drops to 0, you die .
valid targets, or until the damage carried over fails to The wound heals if you receive magical healing.
reduce an undamaged creature to 0 hit points. Alternatively, someone can tend to the wound and
make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check once eve ry
INJURIES_ _ __ 24 hours. After ten successes, the wound heals.
Damage normally leaves no lingering effects. This 17-20 Minor Scar. The scar doesn't have any adverse
option introduces the potential for long-term injuries. effect. Magica l healing of 6th level or higher, such
as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.

CHAPTER 9 I DUNGEON MASTER'S WORKSHOP

 Instead of using the effect described in the table, you On a failed save, the affectedereature or group flees
can put the responsibility of representing a character's by the most expeditious route. If escape is impossible,
lingering injury in the hands of the player. Roll on the the creature or group surrenders. If a creature or group
Lingering Injuries table as usual, but instead of suffering that surrenders is attacked by its conquerors, the battle
the effect described for that resu lt, that character gains might resume, and it's unlikely that further attempts to
a new flaw with the same name. It's up to the player to flee or surrender will be made.
express the lingering injury during play, just like any A failed saving throw isn't always to the adventurers'
other flaw, with the potential to gain inspiration when benefit. For exa mple, an ogre that flees from combat
the injury affects the character in a meaningful way. might put the rest of the dungeon on alert or run off with
treasure that the characters had hoped to plunder.
MASSIVE DAMAGE
This optional rule makes it easier for a creature to be CREATING A MONSTER
felled by massive damage. The Monster Manual contains hundreds of ready-to-play
When a creature takes damage from a single source monSters, but it doesn't include every monster that you
equal to or greater than half its hit point maximum, it can imagine. Part of the D&D experience is the simple
must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw joy of creating new monsters and customizing existing
or suffer a random effect determined by a roll on the ones, if for no other reason than to surprise and delight
System Shock table. For example, a creature that has a your players with something they've never faced before.
hit point maximum of 30 must make that Constitution The first step in the process is coming up with the
save if it takes 15 damage or more from a single source. concept for your monster. What makes it unique? Where
does it live? What role do you want it to serve in your
SYSTEM SHOCK adventure, your campaign, or your world? What does
dlO Effect it look like? Does it have any weird abilities? Once you
The creature drops to 0 hit points . have the answers to these questions, you can start
2-3 The creature drops to 0 hit points but is stable. figuring out how to represent your monster in the game.
4-5 The creature is stunned until the end of its next turn .
MODIFYING A MONSTER
6-7 The creature can't take reactions and has
disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until Once you have an idea for a monster, you'll need
the end of its next turn. statistics to represent it. The first question you should
8-10 The creature can't take reactions unti l the end of its
ask yourself is: Can I use statistics that already exist?
A stat block in the Monster Manual might make a
next turn.
good starting point for your monster. Imagine, for
example, that you want to create an intelligent a rboreal
MORALE predator that hunts elves. There is no such monster
Some combatants might run away when a fight turns in the Monster Manual, but the quaggoth is a savage
against them. You can use this optional rule to help humanoid predator with a climbing speed. You could
determine when monsters and NPCs flee. borrow the quaggoth stat block for your new monster,
A creature might flee under any of the following changing nothing but the creature's name. You can also
circumstances: make minor tweaks, such as replacing the quaggoth's
language, Undercommon, with one that's more
• The creature is surprised.
appropriate, such as Elvish or Sylvan.
The creature is reduced to half its hit points or fewer
Need a fiery phoenix? Take the giant eagle or roc, give
for the first time in the battle.
it immunity to fire, and allow it to deal fire damage with
The creature has no way to harm the opposing side
its attacks. Need a flying monkey? Consider a baboon
on its turn.
with wings and a flying speed. Almost any monster you
A group of creatures might flee under any of the can imagine can be built using one that already exists.
following circumstances: Adapting a stat block is far less time-consuming than
All the creatures in the group are surprised. creating one from scratch, and there are changes you
The group's leader is reduced to 0 hit points, can make to an existing monster that have no effect
incapacitated, taken prisoner, or removed from battle. on its challenge rating, such as swapping languages,
• The group is reduced to half its original size with no changing its alignment, or adding special senses.
losses on the opposing side. However, once you change the creature's offensive or
defensive ability, such as its hit points or damage, its
To determine whether a creature or group of challenge rating might need to change, as shown later.
creatures flees, make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw
for the creature or the group's leader. If the opposition S W ITC HING WEAPONS
is overwhelming, the saving throw is made with If a monster wields a manufactured weapon, you can
disadvantage, or you can decide that the save fails replace that weapon with a different one. For example,
automatically. If a group's leader can't make the saving you could replace a hobgoblin's longsword with a
throw for whatever reason, have the creature in the halberd. Don't forget to change the damage and the
group with the next highest Charisma score make the attack's reach where appropriate. Also be aware of the
saving throw instead.

CHAPTER 9 I DUNGEON MASTER'S WORKSHOP

273