Animated Armory

Huge • Swarm of Tiny Constructs • Unaligned

Armor Class 17

Hit Points 75 (10d12 + 10)

Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

Initiative +3 (13)

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
12 (+1)16 (+3)12 (+1)1 (-5)8 (-1)1 (-5)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned

Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 9

Languages -

CR 5 (XP 1,800; PB +3)

Reactive. While the animated armory is not blooded, it can take one reaction on every turn of combat.

Swarm. The animated armory can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny weapon. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Unusual Nature. The animated armory doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The animated armory makes two Strikes attacks.

Strikes. Melee Weapon Attack: +6, reach 5 feet. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) damage, or 10 (2d6 + 3) damage if the swarm is bloodied. Roll a d3 to determine the damage type: 1 for bludgeoning, 2 for piercing, or 3 for slashing damage.

REACTIONS

Riposte. Trigger: The animated armory is hit by a melee attack roll. Response: The animated armory adds 3 to its AC against that attack, possibly causing it to miss. If the attack misses and the swarm is not bloodied, it then makes a Strikes attack against the attacker.

Animated Armory

Huge • Swarm of Tiny Constructs • Unaligned

Armor Class 16

Hit Points 39 (6d12)

Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

Initiative +2 (12)

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
10 (+0)14 (+2)10 (+0)1 (-5)8 (-1)1 (-5)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned

Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 8

Languages -

CR 2 (XP 450; PB +2)

Reactive. While the animated armory is not blooded, it can take one reaction on every turn of combat.

Swarm. The animated armory can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny weapon. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Unusual Nature. The animated armory doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The animated armory makes two Strikes attacks.

Strikes. Melee Weapon Attack: +4, reach 5 feet. Hit: 12 (3d6 + 2) damage, or 5 (1d6 + 2) damage if the swarm is bloodied. Roll a d3 to determine the damage type: 1 for bludgeoning, 2 for piercing, or 3 for slashing damage.

REACTIONS

Riposte. Trigger: The animated armory is hit by a melee attack roll. Response: The animated armory adds 2 to its AC against that attack, possibly causing it to miss. If the attack misses and the swarm is not bloodied, it then makes a Strike attack against the attacker.

Animated Armory

Huge • Swarm of Tiny Constructs • Unaligned

Armor Class 18

Hit Points 119 (14d12 + 28)

Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

Initiative +4 (14)

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
14 (+2)18 (+4)14 (+2)1 (-5)8 (-1)1 (-5)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned

Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages -

CR 8 (XP 3,900; PB +3)

Reactive. While the animated armory is not blooded, it can take one reaction on every turn of combat.

Swarm. The animated armory can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny weapon. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Unusual Nature. The animated armory doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The animated armory makes two Strikes attacks.

Strikes. Melee Weapon Attack: +7, reach 5 feet. Hit: 25 (6d6 + 4) damage, or 14 (3d6 + 4) damage if the swarm is bloodied. Roll a d3 to determine the damage type: 1 for bludgeoning, 2 for piercing, or 3 for slashing damage.

REACTIONS

Riposte. Trigger: The animated armory is hit by a melee attack roll. Response: The animated armory adds 3 to its AC against that attack, possibly causing it to miss. If the attack misses and the swarm is not bloodied, it then makes a Strike attack against the attacker.

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.