Cannibal
Small or Medium • Humanoid • Any Alignment
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +3 (13)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 15 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3, Survival +3
Gear greataxe, hide, javelin
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common
CR 3 (XP 700; PB +2)
Fearless. The cannibal has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Pack Tactics. The cannibal has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the cannibal's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The cannibal makes two attacks, using Greataxe or Javelin in any combination. It can replace one of these attacks with a use of Grab and Bite.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5, reach 5 ft or range 30/120 ft. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Grab and Bite. Strength Saving Throw: DC 13, one creature within 5 feet of the cannibal that it can see. Failure: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the target becomes grappled (escape DC 13). Further, the target’s hit dice maximum is reduced by 1. The target dies if this reduces its hit dice maximum to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
REACTIONS
Cannibalism. Trigger: The cannibal reduces a creature to 0 hit points. Response: The cannibal uses its Grab and Bite against the target.
Cannibal
Small or Medium • Humanoid • Any Alignment
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 4)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +2 (12)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3, Survival +3
Gear greataxe, hide, javelin
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Common
CR 1/2 (XP 100; PB +2)
Fearless. The cannibal has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Pack Tactics. The cannibal has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the cannibal's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) slashing damage.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4, reach 5 ft or range 30/120 ft. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Grab and Bite. Strength Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature within 5 feet of the cannibal that it can see. Failure: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the target becomes grappled (escape DC 12). Further, the target’s hit dice maximum is reduced by 1. The target dies if this reduces its hit dice maximum to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
REACTIONS
Cannibalism. Trigger: The cannibal reduces a creature to 0 hit points. Response: The cannibal uses its Grab and Bite against the target.
Cannibal
Small or Medium • Humanoid • Any Alignment
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +4 (14)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 18 (+4) | 17 (+3) | 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +7
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +4, Survival +4
Gear greataxe, hide, javelin
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Common
CR 6 (XP 2,300; PB +3)
Fearless. The cannibal has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Pack Tactics. The cannibal has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the cannibal's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The cannibal makes two attacks, using Greataxe or Javelin in any combination. It can replace one of these attacks with a use of Grab and Bite.
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) slashing damage.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7, reach 5 ft or range 30/120 ft. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Grab and Bite. Strength Saving Throw: DC 15, one creature within 5 feet of the cannibal that it can see. Failure: 11 (3d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target becomes grappled (escape DC 15). Further, the target’s hit dice maximum is reduced by 1. The target dies if this reduces its hit dice maximum to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
REACTIONS
Cannibalism. Trigger: The cannibal reduces a creature to 0 hit points. Response: The cannibal uses its Grab and Bite against the target.
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.