TEXT: EN World EN5IDER | A Bookshelf of Monsters
  EN World EN5IDER | A Bookshelf of Monsters
  Monstrous Menagerie
  A bookshelf
  of monsters
   
  writing Artem Serebrennikov
   color art Indi Martin
   
  editing James J. Haeck
   
  layout Eric Life-Putnam
  M
  onstrous 
  Menagerie 
  presents new 
  and fantastic creatures with 
  which Game Masters of all levels 
  of experience can populate their 
  campaign worlds. The creatures 
  found within these pages may 
  be beneficent or malign, horrific 
  or wondrous, but all are sure 
  to astound your players. With 
  this article, you can add some 
  erudite clout to your game with 
  diverse creatures united by the 
  theme of books, writing, and 
  knowledge. 
  
  A Bookshelf of Monsters | EN World EN5IDER
  A Bookshelf of Monsters | EN World EN5IDER
  Bibliognost
  A dusty pile of books suddenly rearranges itself to 
  form a human-like figure, its head a single open 
  tome. Its pages crinkle into the facsimile of a face 
  and eye your actions warily.
   Ghosts of Bibliophiles Past. Biblignosts are the 
  spirits of dead librarians, booksellers, teachers, 
  sages, arcanists, and other intellectuals whose 
  love of the written word was so great that it 
  prevented them from departing to the afterlife. 
  After departing the mortal coil, the souls of such 
  individuals transmigrate into their favorite books. 
  The bibliognost’s “body” is composed of several 
  dozen volumes that, when roused from dormancy, 
  shift themselves into a vaguely humanoid form. 
  These undead creatures haunt places where its 
  beloved books are stored, such libraries, wizards’ 
  studies, and scriptoria, acting as their self-
  appointed overseers and protectors. The learning 
  it has absorbed over the years is unique in many 
  regards, but most of the time a bibliognost is too 
  pedantic and thoughtless to share it with others. 
  However, it can be singularly courteous and 
  welcoming to visitors that can match its erudition 
  or love of books.
   Undead Nature. A bibliognost doesn’t require 
  air, food, drink, or sleep. 
  Bibliognost
  Medium undead, neutral
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28) 
  Speed fly 30 ft. (hover)
   STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
   17 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  22 (+6) 
  17 (+3) 
  11 (+0) 
  Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +6, Int +10, Cha +4
  Skills Arcana +14, History +14, Nature +14, Perception 
  +7, Religion +14
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 17
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, 
  thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from 
  nonmagical attacks 
  Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, 
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained 
  Languages any five; telepathy 60 ft.
  Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
  False Appearance. While the bibliognost remains 
  motionless, it is indistinguishable from a large pile of 
  books.
  Immutable Form. The bibliognost is immune to any 
  spell or effect that would alter its form.
  Innate Spellcasting. The bibliognost’s spellcasting 
  ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18). It can in-
  nately cast the following spells, requiring no material 
  components:
  At will: mage hand
  3/day each: animate objects, telekinesis
  Inscrutable. The bibliognost is immune to any effect 
  that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, 
  as well as any divination spell that it refuses. Wisdom 
  (Insight) checks made to ascertain the bibliognost’s 
  intentions or sincerity have disadvantage. 
  Magic Resistance. The bibliognost has advantage 
  on saving throws against spells and other magical 
  effects.
  Open Game Content
  The game rule information in this article is designated Open Game Content. All of the other material in this article, 
  including maps and illustrations (including illustrations in the public domain), narrative and descriptive 
  text, character and place names, trade dress, “EN Publishing,” “EN World,” “EN5ider,” EN Publishing 
  product and article titles, and EN World and EN Publishing logos, are designated Product Identity.
  EN
  EN
  Publishing
  Publishing
  ™
  Living Spellbooks as Treasure
  Whether a defeated living spellbook (q.v.) is in good 
  enough shape to be used as treasure is entirely up 
  to the GM. PC wizards will probably want to peruse 
  it after the victory, and it would be unfair to deprive 
  them of this joy. The contents of a living spellbook 
  are highly variable and dependent on the individual 
  wizard they belonged to; as a rule of thumb, it con-
  tains all of the spells noted in the statistics block, as 
  well as 2d4 extra spells of each level from 1 to 5, and 
  1d4 extra spells of levels 6 to 7.
  
  EN World EN5IDER | A Bookshelf of Monsters
  EN World EN5IDER | A Bookshelf of Monsters
  Djehuty
  Medium celestial, lawful good
  Armor Class 16
  Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27) 
  Speed 30 ft.
   STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  18 (+4) 
  18 (+4) 
  16 (+3)
  Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +6
  Skills Arcana +8, History +8, Nature +8, Perception +6, 
  Religion +8
  Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 16
  Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, 
  and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  Damage Immunities force, psychic
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed 
  Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Aura of Enlightenment. All creatures of the djehuty’s 
  choosing within 30 feet of it gain advantage on Intel-
  ligence- and Wisdom-based ability checks and saving 
  throws.
  Blessing of Prudence. The djehuty’s AC includes its 
  Wisdom bonus.
  Innate Spellcasting. The djehuty’s spellcasting ability 
  is Wisdom (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the 
  following spells, requiring no material components:
  At will: comprehend languages, detect evil and good, 
  detect magic, detect thoughts
  3/day each: bless, clairvoyance, enhance ability, 
  protection from good and evil, tongues, zone of truth
  1/day each: commune, divination, legend lore
  ACTIONS
  Scepter. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, or 
  6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage if used with both 
  hands, and 5 (2d4) force damage. This weapon attack 
  is magical.
  Gaze of Scrutiny. The djehuty fixes its gaze on a crea-
  ture it can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed 
  on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or 
  take 10 (3d6) radiant damage.
  ACTIONS
  Multiattack. The bibliognost makes a slam attack and 
  uses mind thrust.
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. 
  Mind Thrust. A bibliognost focuses its mind on a 
  creature within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 
  18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is magically 
  haunted with visions and takes 27 (6d8) psychic dam-
  age, or half as much on a success. 
  Mental Assault (Recharge 5–6). The bibliognost 
  magically assaults the minds of creatures in a 30-
  foot cone, overloading them with knowledge. Each 
  creature in that area must make a DC 18 Intelligence 
  saving throw or take 36 (8d8) psychic damage and 
  gain one level of exhaustion. On a successful save, a 
  creature takes half damage and is not exhausted.
  Djehuty
  This otherworldly creature has the body of an 
  athletic human and the head of an ibis. It wears 
  rich priestly vestments and brandishes a long 
  scepter topped with a holy symbol. The creature’s 
  stern face is nonetheless filled with heavenly calm 
  and wisdom.
   Avatars of Learning. Djehutys are celestial 
  beings in the service of deities of knowledge, 
  learning, wisdom, mysticism, divination, arcane 
  magic, and similar domains. They are sent to the 
  mortal realm to impart greater understanding 
  and enlightenment to those deemed worthy by 
  the gods. A djehuty’s presence awakens other 
  creatures to a higher level of awareness, inspires 
  them to look for unusual answers to old lingering 
  questions, and fills their mind with new ideas. 
  Djehutys also appear when great repositories of 
  writing or talented intellectuals are menaced with 
  destruction, acting as their protectors. Nothing 
  draws the ire of these normally tranquil beings 
  more than brazen ignorance, aggressive stupidity, 
  and destruction of knowledge and its adepts. 
  
  A Bookshelf of Monsters | EN World EN5IDER
  A Bookshelf of Monsters | EN World EN5IDER
  Living Spellbook
  An ancient volume hovers in the air, its pages 
  turning on their own volition and glowing with 
  magical sigils.
   Sentient Wizardly Tomes. The origins of the 
  living spellbook are as mysterious and varied as 
  the art of magic itself. Sometimes, upon death, 
  an archmage’s spirit merges with the spellbook 
  and gives it a semblance of life; sometimes, it 
  animates due to a transmutation spell gone awry; 
  sometimes, it does so as a result of a meticulously 
  prepared arcane ritual. 
   Freed and Bound by Magic. The living 
  spellbook takes after its owner in many ways, 
  mimicking his or her personality, speech patterns, 
  mannerisms, and alignment. Some living 
  spellbooks accidentally come into being as twisted 
  mockeries of their wizard owners, murdering 
  them and adopting their identity. Despite having 
  free wills, they feel bound to their places of 
  creation (usually a wizard’s study) and rarely 
  venture far away from them, even if they have 
  rebelled against their masters. 
   Constructed Nature. A living spellbook doesn’t 
  require air, food, drink, or sleep. The magic that 
  animates the living spellbook is dispelled when it 
  drops to 0 hit points, at which point it becomes a 
  regular, inanimate spellbook once again.
  Living Spellbook
  Tiny construct, any alignment
  Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 72 (16d4 + 32) 
  Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)
   STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   6 (–2)  
  14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  20 (+5) 
  16 (+3)  
  7 (–2)
  Saving Throws Str +2, Dex +6, Con +6
  Skills Arcana +9, History +9
  Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 13
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, 
  thunder
  Damage Immunities force, poison, psychic
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, 
  frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
  Languages any five, telepathy 60 ft.
  Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
  Antimagic Susceptibility. The living spellbook is 
  incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. 
  Unlike other animated objects, it is not adversely 
  affected by dispel magic.
  Eschew Materials. The living spellbook requires no 
  material components for spellcasting.
  False Appearance. While the living spellbook remains 
  motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal book.
  Immutable Form. The living spellbook is immune to 
  any spell or effect that would alter its form.
  Magic Resistance. The living spellbook has advantage 
  on saving throws against spells and other magical 
  effects.
  Spellcasting. The living spellbook is a 13th-level spell-
  caster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell 
  save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The living 
  spellbook has the following wizard spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, mage hand, mending, 
  minor illusion, poison spray
  1st level (4 slots): magic missile, ray of sickness, 
  shield, thunderwave
  2nd level (3 slots): mirror image, misty step, 
  scorching ray 
  3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, hypnotic 
  pattern
  4th level (3 slots): banishment, black tentacles, 
  polymorph 
  5th level (2 slots): animate objects, cone of cold
  6th level (1 slot): disintegrate
  7th level (1 slot): arcane sword
  ACTIONS
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 
  
  EN World EN5IDER | A Bookshelf of Monsters
  EN World EN5IDER | A Bookshelf of Monsters
  Titivullus
  What seemed to be an elderly book peddler turns 
  into a 4-foot tall creature with scaly green skin, 
  sharp claws, small horns, and an impish grin. It is 
  hunched by a heavy bundle of massive tomes.
   Diabolical Distractors. Titivulli are low-ranked 
  devils charged with distracting writers and 
  copyists of sacred texts, stealing or corrupting 
  pious writings, and spreading heretical 
  manuscripts that lead the weaker-willed into 
  temptation. The mere presence of a titivullus 
  makes one error-prone, forgetful, and unfocused, 
  and thus easier to sway from the path of 
  righteousness. It lurks around places of learning 
  and slowly taints the writing produced and 
  contained in such locales.
   Smugglers of Blasphemous Writings. A 
  titivullus always carries around a heavy bundle 
  of magical books of writing containing hidden 
  sacrilegious messages and infernal curses. It 
  often masquerades as a child, a hunched old man 
  or woman, or a Small humanoid, peddling its 
  writings (or even giving them away for free) to 
  further the agenda of Hell. Cowardly but cruel, 
  the titivullus fights viciously when unmasked, 
  using its innate spellcasting abilities to strike from 
  hiding and engage in misdirection. 
  Titivullus
  Small fiend (devil), lawful evil
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 58 (13d6 + 13) 
  Speed 30 ft.
   STR  
  DEX  
  CON  
  INT  
  WIS  
  CHA 
   8 (–1)  
  16 (+3)  13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  13 (+1)  18 (+4)
  Saving Throws Con +3
  Skills Arcana +6, Deception +6, Sleight of Hand +5, 
  Stealth +5
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, 
  and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t 
  silvered
  Damage Immunities fire, poison
  Condition Immunities poisoned
  Languages Common, Infernal, any two others; telepa-
  thy 120 ft.
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
  Aura of Distraction. All non-evil creatures within 
  30 feet of the titivullus have disadvantage on Intel-
  ligence- and Wisdom-based ability checks and saving 
  throws, as well as disadvantage on Constitution 
  saving throws made to maintain concentration.
  Book Bundle. The titivullus’ bundle normally contains 
  thirteen books. It magically replenishes the supply 
  after finishing a long rest, and its books burn to 
  cinders when it dies. 
  Cursed Books. A book, scroll, or other piece of writing 
  from the titivullus’ bundle that is in the possession 
  of another creature creates an aura of distraction 
  within 30 feet of the object. It does not radiate magic 
  and loses its power when the titivullus dies. A dispel 
  magic spell cast on the object also ends the effect. 
  Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the 
  titivullus’ darkvision.
  Innate Spellcasting. The titivullus spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The ink devil 
  can cast the following spells, requiring no material 
  components:
  At will: arcanist’s magic aura, comprehend languages, 
  detect magic, alter self, illusory script, invisibility
  3/day each: dissonant whispers, misty step
  1/day each: glyph of warding, major image, tongues 
  Magic Resistance. The titivullus has advantage on sav-
  ing throws against spells and other magical effects.
  ACTIONS
  Multiattack. A titivullus makes two melee or ranged 
  attacks in any combination.
  Zapping Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage and 
  9 (2d8) lightning damage, and the target can’t take 
  reactions until the start of its next turn.
  Book Toss. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 
  20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning dam-
  age and 10 (3d6) fire damage.
  REACTIONS
  Misdirection. The titivullus distracts its attacker and 
  adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would 
  hit it. To do so, the titivullus must see the attacker. 
   
  e
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/EN World EN5ider/EN5ider 109 - Bookshelf Monsters.pdf