Emerald Mantis
Large • Beast • Unaligned
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 105 (14d10 + 28)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Initiative +4 (14)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 (+3) | 19 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 2 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 6 (-2) |
Skills Stealth +7
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages -
CR 5 (XP 1,800; PB +3)
Camouflage. The mantis has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in foliage, flowers, or overgrown terrain.
Reactive Wings. The mantis reduces damage taken from falling by 20.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The mantis makes two Claw attacks. If both attacks hit a Large or smaller target, the target is grappled (escape DC 15).
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) piercing damage. This attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
BONUS ACTIONS
Aggressive Leap. The mantis jumps up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Opportunity attacks provoked by this movement are made with disadvantage. If the mantis ends this jump within 5 feet of a hostile creature, it has advantage on the next attack roll it makes against that creature before the end of its turn.
Emerald Mantis
Large • Beast • Unaligned
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 45 (7d10 + 7)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Initiative +3 (13)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 13 (+1) | 2 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 6 (-2) |
Skills Stealth +5
Senses passive Perception 9
Languages -
CR 2 (XP 450; PB +2)
Camouflage. The mantis has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in foliage, flowers, or overgrown terrain.
Reactive Wings. The mantis reduces damage taken from falling by 20.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The mantis makes two Claw attacks. If both attacks hit a Large or smaller target, the target is grappled (escape DC 15).
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. This attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
BONUS ACTIONS
Aggressive Leap. The mantis jumps up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Opportunity attacks provoked by this movement are made with disadvantage. If the mantis ends this jump within 5 feet of a hostile creature, it has advantage on the next attack roll it makes against that creature before the end of its turn.
Emerald Mantis
Large • Beast • Unaligned
Armor Class 17
Hit Points 144 (17d10 + 51)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Initiative +5 (15)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 21 (+5) | 17 (+3) | 2 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 6 (-2) |
Skills Stealth +8
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages -
CR 8 (XP 3,900; PB +3)
Camouflage. The mantis has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made in foliage, flowers, or overgrown terrain.
Reactive Wings. The mantis reduces damage taken from falling by 20.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The mantis makes two Claw attacks. If both attacks hit a Large or smaller target, the target is grappled (escape DC 15).
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8, reach 5 ft. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) piercing damage. This attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
BONUS ACTIONS
Aggressive Leap. The mantis jumps up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Opportunity attacks provoked by this movement are made with disadvantage. If the mantis ends this jump within 5 feet of a hostile creature, it has advantage on the next attack roll it makes against that creature before the end of its 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.