Monster Design: the Behemoth
We set out to design the behemoth because we had never created a boss monster before. An interesting problem to be sure; a boss monster is more than a big stat block with legendary actions. A boss monster is an experience, a defining feature of a campaign, something you spend sessions tracking before a huge fight. Or, you know, it’s a pretty fun one shot. Either way, one only needs to look at the Curse of Strahd module to understand just how campaign-defining a boss monster can be. Now I know my limits - I can’t make Strahd. I can, however, make a pretty sweet boss monster.
The behemoth, named after the biblical beast, is an unstoppable force of nature. It’s the ultimate apex predator. This concept intrigued me; there’s no reasoning with the behemoth, and there’s no subterfuge. There’s only simple destruction and hunger. I picture a group of adventurers coming across an empty town, with only a large path of footprints to tell the story that took place. That’s the kind of scenario a good boss monster creates!
The behemoth is amphibious, so it stops at nothing, crossing both sea and land without discrimination. While it could use its enormous size to trample its prey, it is much more interested in snatching them up in its many tentacles and having itself a tasty snack. This is all tied together with its regenerative ability, which allows it to regain hit points when it kills a creature that it swallows.
That brings me to minions! Minions can really spice up a boss encounter and help to eliminate some of the problems that arise from the action economy. Legendary actions help, but can only shore up so much! So - enter feastbringers. These helpful critters herald the coming of the behemoth, enlarging its prey and grappling it to provide their master with even greater sustenance!
When we tested an encounter with the behemoth and the feastbringers, it was a ton of fun to say the least. Between the behemoth snatching cattle and townsfolk, the feastbringers creating enormous player characters, and the constantly swinging hit points of the big guy itself, the whole encounter felt extremely dynamic. It doesn’t take a lot to make something feel unique in 5e, especially when it comes to monsters. Give them a good gimmick and go to town!
Unfortunately, we were less able to test the ambience that the behemoth can create. However, I am convinced that it could make for an utterly fascinating series of sessions - if you or your playgroup get a chance to do so, leave us a comment and tell us how it goes!
-Trent the Sewerman