Brimstone Salamander
Tiny • Dragon • Unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 7 (2d4 + 2)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Initiative +1 (11)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (-4) | 12 (+1) | 12 (+1) | 2 (-4) | 8 (-1) | 4 (-3) |
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages understands Draconic but can’t speak
CR 1/8 (XP 25; PB +2)
Familiar. The salamander can serve another creature as familiar.
Fire Eater. The salamander can spend 5 minutes of time to consume a portion of an open flame not larger than a 5-foot cube.
Magma Body. The salamander sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius and generates a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).
Spider Climb. The salamander can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
ACTIONS
Fiery Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3, reach 5 ft. Hit: 2 (1d4) fire damage. A flammable object hit by this attack starts burning if it isn't being worn or carried.
Absorb Heat (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The salamander absorbs surrounding excessive heat, granting resistance to fire damage to creatures it shares a space. When it does so, the salamander must spend its action on subsequent turns to continue this ability or lose the effect. The effect lasts for a maximum of 1 minute.
Brimstone Salamander
Tiny • Dragon • Unaligned
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 2 (1d4)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Initiative +0 (10)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (-4) | 11 (+0) | 11 (+0) | 2 (-4) | 8 (-1) | 4 (-3) |
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages understands Draconic but can’t speak
CR 0 (XP 10; PB +2)
Familiar. The salamander can serve another creature as familiar.
Magma Body. The salamander sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius and generates a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).
Spider Climb. The salamander can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
ACTIONS
Fiery Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2, reach 5 ft. Hit: 1 fire damage.
Brimstone Salamander
Tiny • Dragon • Unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 22 (5d4 + 10)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Initiative +2 (12)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (-4) | 14 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 2 (-4) | 8 (-1) | 4 (-3) |
Damage Immunities fire
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages understands Draconic but can’t speak
CR 1/2 (XP 100, PB +2)
Familiar. The salamander can serve another creature as familiar.
Fire Eater. The salamander can spend 5 minutes of time to consume a portion of an open flame not larger than a 5-foot cube.
Magma Body. The salamander sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius and generates a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius).
Spider Climb. The salamander can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
ACTIONS
Fiery Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) fire damage. A flammable object hit by this attack starts burning if it isn't being worn or carried.
Absorb Heat (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The salamander absorbs surrounding excessive heat, granting resistance to fire damage to creatures it shares a space. When it does so, the salamander must spend its action on subsequent turns to continue this ability or lose the effect. The effect lasts for a maximum of 1 minute.
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.