Giraith
Huge • Monstrosity • Unaligned
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 147 (14d12 + 56)
Speed 40 ft.
Initiative +1 (11)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 (+6) | 12 (+1) | 18 (+4) | 4 (-3) | 12 (+1) | 9 (-1) |
Skills Perception +4
Damage Resistances acid
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages –
CR 7 (XP 2,900; PB +3)
Bladed Hide. At the start of each of its turns, the giraith deals 5 (1d10) slashing damage to any creature it is grappling or any creature grappling it.
Bloodied - Rampage. When the giraith becomes bloodied, it trashes around. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17 (with disadvantage if the target is prone), each creature in a 15-foot emanation originating from the giraith. Failure: 17 (2d10 + 6) slashing damage. Failure: Half damage.
Standing Leap. The giraith's long jump is up to 40 feet and its high jump is up to 20 feet with or without a running start.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The giraith uses its Neck Swing or Acid Spit. It can make one Tail attack before or after.
Neck Swing. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17, each creature in a 15-foot cone. Failure: 17 (2d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Acid Spit. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 15, each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 60 feet. Failure: 14 (4d6) acid damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9, reach 20 ft. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 18). The giraith can only grapple one creature this way.
BONUS ACTIONS
Fling. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17, one creature grappled by the giraith. Failure: 1d6 bludgeoning per 10 feet thrown and the target is knocked prone. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: The target is thrown up to 30 feet in a direction the giraith chooses and no longer grappled by it.
Giraith
Huge • Monstrosity • Unaligned
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 95 (10d12 + 30)
Speed 40 ft.
Initiative +0 (10)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 11 (+0) | 17 (+3) | 4 (-3) | 12 (+1) | 9 (-1) |
Skills Perception +2
Damage Resistances acid
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages –
CR 4 (XP 1,800; PB +2)
Bladed Hide. At the start of each of its turns, the giraith deals 3 (1d6) slashing damage to any creature it is grappling or any creature grappling it.
Bloodied - Rampage. When the giraith becomes bloodied, it trashes around. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14 (with disadvantage if the target is prone), each creature in a 15-foot emanation originating from the giraith. Failure: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage. Failure: Half damage.
Standing Leap. The giraith's long jump is up to 40 feet and its high jump is up to 20 feet with or without a running start.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The giraith uses its Neck Swing or Acid Spit. It can make one Tail attack before or after.
Neck Swing. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, each creature in a 15-foot cone. Failure: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Acid Spit. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 13, each creature in a 5-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 60 feet. Failure: 7 (2d6) acid damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6, reach 20 ft. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). The giraith can only grapple one creature this way.
BONUS ACTIONS
Fling. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 14, one creature grappled by the giraith. Failure: 1d6 bludgeoning per 10 feet thrown and the target is knocked prone. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: The target is thrown up to 20 feet in a direction the giraith chooses and no longer grappled by it.
Giraith
Huge • Monstrosity • Unaligned
Armor Class 17
Hit Points 195 (17d12 + 85)
Speed 40 ft.
Initiative +1 (11)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 (+7) | 12 (+1) | 20 (+5) | 4 (-3) | 12 (+1) | 9 (-1) |
Skills Perception +5
Damage Resistances acid
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages –
CR 10 (XP 5,900, PB +4)
Bladed Hide. At the start of each of its turns, the giraith deals 7 (2d6) slashing damage to any creature it is grappling or any creature grappling it.
Bloodied - Rampage. When the giraith becomes bloodied, it trashes around. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 19 (with disadvantage if the target is prone), each creature in a 15-foot emanation originating from the giraith. Failure: 26 (3d12 + 7) slashing damage. Failure: Half damage.
Standing Leap. The giraith's long jump is up to 40 feet and its high jump is up to 20 feet with or without a running start.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The giraith uses its Neck Swing or Acid Spit. It can make one Tail attack before or after.
Neck Swing. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 19, each creature in a 15-foot cone. Failure: 29 (4d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage.
Acid Spit. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17, each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 60 feet. Failure: 21 (6d6) acid damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11, reach 20 ft. Hit: 25 (4d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 19). The giraith can only grapple one creature this way.
BONUS ACTIONS
Fling. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 19, one creature grappled by the giraith. Failure: 2d6 bludgeoning per 10 feet thrown and the target is knocked prone. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: The target is thrown up to 30 feet in a direction the giraith chooses and no longer grappled by it.
QUICK REFERENCE
Habitat
- Scarred badlands and rocky canyons where the creature’s leaps give it territorial advantage
- Hot, acidic wastelands or radiated regions
- Desolate hunting grounds near the edges of monster-infested frontiers where it can be the apex predator
Behavior
- Roams long distances, scraping its bladed hide against rocks and terrain to keep them sharp
- Displays violent agitation when hungry, pacing in wide circles and snapping at shadows
- Treats anything moving smaller than itself as prey or a potential threat, often observing before charging
Information (Intelligence Check)
- DC 12 Perception: Scratch marks can be found along rocky or wooden terrain, as sign of passage or territory
- DC 15 Survival: Steep slopes, mountainous hills and other rough terrain are giraith prefered hunting grounds
- DC 18 Animal Handling: Highly aggressive and falls into fits of rampage when it becomes bloodied
Combat
- Uses Neck Swing or Acid Spit to hit the most enemies
- Constantly tries have on traget grappled, if it gets to annoying use Fling to throw it off a cliff or into hazardous terrain
- Use long reach to avoid getting into 5 feet melee and closing when near bloodied assumes position for Rampage
- Uses its high-speed and long leaps to reposition and use terrain to advantage, especially to avoid a grappled target from the group
Loot Ideas
- Bone shards or plates from its bladed hide, used for crafting slashing weapons or bladed armor
- Vials of residual acidic secretion can harvested to creat simple flasks of acid
- Softer underbelly allows to cut into the body and harvest meat for rations or food
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.