Skornak
Large • Giant • Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 37 (5d10 + 10)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative -2 (8)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 (+3) | 7 (-2) | 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 13 (+1) | 14 (+2) |
Skills Deception +4, Insight +3, Investigation +3, Persuasion +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Giant, Undercommon, Thieves’ Cant
CR 1 (XP 200; PB +2)
Treasure Sense. The skornak knows if an object is worth more than 100 gp when it sees the object. It doesn’t learn anything apart from that about the object.
ACTIONS
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is knocked prone.
Spellcasting. The skornak casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 12):
At will: detect magic, identify
BONUS ACTIONS
Flatten. The skornak jumps into the space of a creature. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 13, one prone Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of the skornak. Failure: 10 (2d6 + 3) and the target becomes restrained until the skornak stands up. Success: Half damage and the creature is pushed 5 feet into an adjacent unoccupied space. Failure or Success: The skornak is knocked prone and can’t stand up until the start of its next turn.
Skornak
Large • Giant • Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class 10
Hit Points 13 (2d10 + 2)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative -2 (8)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 (+1) | 7 (-2) | 12 (+1) | 11 (+0) | 11 (+0) | 12 (+1) |
Skills Deception +3, Insight +2, Investigation +2, Persuasion +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Giant, Undercommon, Thieves’ Cant
CR 1/8 (XP 25; PB +2)
Treasure Sense. The skornak knows if an object is worth more than 100 gp when it sees the object. It doesn’t learn anything apart from that about the object.
ACTIONS
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3, reach 5 ft. Hit: 2 bludgeoning damage, and the target is knocked prone.
Spellcasting. The skornak casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 11):
1/day: detect magic, identify
BONUS ACTIONS
Flatten. The skornak jumps into the space of a creature. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 11, one prone Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of the skornak. Failure: 3 (1d4 + 1) and the target becomes restrained until the skornak stands up. Success: Half damage and the creature is pushed 5 feet into an adjacent unoccupied space. Failure or Success: The skornak is knocked prone and can’t stand up until the start of its next turn.
Skornak
Large • Giant • Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative -2 (8)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 7 (-2) | 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) |
Saving Throws Int +4, WIs +4, Cha +5
Skills Deception +5, Insight +4, Investigation +4, Persuasion +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Giant, Undercommon, Thieves’ Cant
CR 4 (XP 1,100; PB +2)
Treasure Sense. The skornak knows if an object is worth more than 100 gp when it sees the object. It doesn’t learn anything apart from that about the object.
ACTIONS
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the target is knocked prone.
Spellcasting. The skornak casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13):
At will: detect magic, identify, locate object
BONUS ACTIONS
Flatten. The skornak jumps into the space of a creature. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, one prone Large or smaller creature within 5 feet of the skornak. Failure: 15 (2d10 + 4) and the target becomes restrained until the skornak stands up. Success: Half damage and the creature is pushed 5 feet into an adjacent unoccupied space. Failure or Success: The skornak is knocked prone and can’t stand up until the start of its next turn.
QUICK REFERENCE
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.