Sometimes you acquire a kobold companion or wolf pet and you want it to stay with you forever and ever. Other times, you meet a worthy adversary and you know you’ll meet them again—and when you do, they’ll be more powerful than ever.

Just as a monster can be an elite monster or a horde monster, it can be—or become—a heroic monster. A heroic monster has the capability for advancement.

With the heroic monster system, monsters gain capabilities that let them continue to participate meaningfully in the game as the party gains levels, acting as allies, pets, enemies, druidic wild shapes—or full characters.

When a monster improves, it gains monster levels. A monster with levels is called a heroic monster.

• Pets and companions which stay relevant as a character gains levels.

• Recurring foes and villains which level up as the party does.

• Allies and NPCs who continue to offer valuable assistance throughout the campaign.

• Simply leveling up existing monsters as one-time foes.

• Increasing the potency of a favorite wildshape or polymorph form.

How Do Heroic Monsters Work?

Each monster level added to a creature increases its hit points, and hit dice. Every 2 levels its Challenge Rating increases, and it gains a 1d6 First Blood die. And at every 4 levels, the monster’s proficiency bonus and armor class increase, and it gains a heroic feature.

Heroic monsters also have a minimum of 2 saving throw proficiencies.

First Blood Dice

First Blood dice, which increase by 1d6 every 2 levels (to a maximum of 10d6 at 20th level) allow a creature to do additional damage once per turn.

Heroic Features

Heroic Features, gained every 4 levels, include things like AC bonuses, faster movement, special senses, combat maneuvers and spells, and more.

As well as rules for creating and leveling-up heroic monsters, Monstrous Menagerie II contains stat blocks for nearly 20 example heroic monsters ready for use in your game, from dogs and wolves to champion warhorses, allied fighters clerics, and wizards, and even a skeleton lieutenant and its nightmare steed.

Bear Companion  Base Challenge 1

Heroic Large beast    

AC 11 (natural armor)

HP 34 (4d10 + 12) plus 10 per level; bloodied half

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Initiative Dex +0 (10), Insight +1 (11), Perception +1 plus PB

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 6 (–2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)

Proficiency +2 plus ¼ monster level; Maneuver DC 12 plus PB

Saving Throws Str +4 plus PB, Con +3 plus PB

Skills Perception +1 plus PB

Senses passive Perception 11 plus PB

Languages —

Keen Smell. The bear has advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell.

HEROIC FEATURES

Level 1: First Blood. The first time the bear deals damage with an attack on a turn, it deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage per two monster levels (rounded down).

Level 4: Rage (1/Day). As a bonus action, the bear can go into a rage for 1 minute. The rage ends early if the bear is incapacitated. While in a rage, the bear has advantage on saving throws.

Level 8: Thick Hide. While in a rage, the bear has resistance against nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. Additionally, the bear gains a second use of Rage each day. 

Level 10: Dire Rage. While in a rage, the bear is Huge, and it can make a claws attack as a bonus action. Additionally, the bear gains a third use of Rage each day. 

ACTIONS

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 plus PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 plus PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 12 plus PB). Until this grapple ends, the bear can’t attack a different target with its claws.