Arcane Thief
Small or Medium • Humanoid • Any Alignment
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 27 (6d8)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +3 (13)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 11 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 12 (+1) | 12 (+1) |
Skills Deception +3, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +5
Gear dagger, leather
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Thieves’ Cant
CR 1 (XP 200; PB +2)
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The thief makes two Dagger attacks. It can replace one of these attacks with a use of Spellcasting.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The thief casts one of the following spells, using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 11, +3 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: fire bolt, mage hand (invisible), minor illusion, shocking grasp
1/day: charm person, disguise self, invisibility
BONUS ACTIONS
Cunning Action. The thief takes the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Stealthy Mage Hand. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 11, one creature within 30 feet of the thief. Failure: The thief can steal a tiny object from the target without the target noticing it. Success: The target notices the thief trying to steal the object and can prevent it.
REACTIONS
Hijack Spell (1/Day). Trigger: A creature within 30 feet of the thief that it can see casts a spell of level 3 or lower. Response: The thief decides the targets of that spell or decides the area or point the spell is targeting. The new selection must be viable and possible for the original spellcaster to target.
Arcane Thief
Small or Medium • Humanoid • Any Alignment
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 9 (2d8)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative +1 (11)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 11 (+0) | 11 (+0) | 10 (+0) |
Skills Deception +2, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +3
Gear dagger, leather
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Thieves’ Cant
CR 1/8 (XP 25; PB +2)
ACTIONS
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The thief casts one of the following spells, using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 10, +2 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: fire bolt, mage hand (invisible), minor illusion, shocking grasp
1/day: charm person, disguise self
BONUS ACTIONS
Cunning Action. The thief takes the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Stealthy Mage Hand. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 10, one creature within 30 feet of the thief. Failure: The thief can steal a tiny object from the target without the target noticing it. Success: The target notices the thief trying to steal the object and can prevent it.
Arcane Thief
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 15 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) |
Skills Deception +4, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +6
Gear dagger, leather
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Thieves’ Cant
CR 4 (XP 1,100; PB +2)
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The thief makes two Dagger attacks and uses its Spellcasting once.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The thief casts one of the following spells, using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: fire bolt, mage hand (invisible), minor illusion, shocking grasp
2/day: charm person, disguise self, invisibility
BONUS ACTIONS
Cunning Action. The thief takes the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Stealthy Mage Hand. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature within 30 feet of the thief. Failure: The thief can steal a tiny object from the target without the target noticing it. Success: The target notices the thief trying to steal the object and can prevent it.
REACTIONS
Hijack Spell (2/Day). Trigger: A creature within 30 feet of the thief that it can see casts a spell of level 4 or lower. Response: The thief decides the targets of that spell or decides the area or point the spell is targeting. The new selection must be viable and possible for the original spellcaster to 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.