Monster Monday - Best Day Ever!

Today, I have a very special Monster Monday for you. Well, me. The PDF of Tome of Horrors for 5E was released late last week to the backers of Rappan Athuk. Well, in that ToH, there is (for the first time) a monster that I created. I mean, in the Undying Orbs Omnibus, I had a monster (leopard grippli) but that was self-published.

The Hsagrath is a construct that lives only to inflict pain. It does not want to kill, instead keeping its victims alive to torture for as long as it can.

I don't have a comparison history for these things, as they are new to 5E. But, they (like a few other monsters in ToH5e) can fill a fun niche in a dungeon.

When using a creature like the hsagrath, I would foreshadow with it. It was once a demon's weapon, so place it in a room with a few demonic tapestries.

A hsagrath was gifted to a human torturer in Rappan Athuk. Only the skeleton of the torturer remains, but his magical chain waits coiled in the corner of his torture room. It wants a new toy to torture, but it waits patiently. When adventurers do come, it hopes to separate the last one leaving the room from its friends (with the hidden portcullis in the doorway.) Then it will enjoy ripping flesh again.

When its demon master was banished back to hell, the hsagrath fell to the ground inert. Knowing any who can banish its master is too powerful. After they left, it slunk its way to a forest glade. Now it tortures deer, turkey and anything else that enters its glade. A local druid asks for help finding what keeps hurting his woodland friends.

A chain demon has filled a small area of Mord Mar with chains to capture playthings. A hsagrath has been captured in this trap. The chain devil is curious about this thing, and brings it to the Great Bazaar. It begins attacking everything within reach. The chain demon, knowing it will be blamed and killed for this, so it begs the party to stop it, even promising them a favor if they do.

Find the 5E Tome of Horrors here! I love FGG's DM stuff, and they have brought their books to the next level for 5E! (The pic above was taken from the pre-release PDF. It is owned by Frog God Games