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Critter Compendium

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Hundreds of Monsters New and Old

The Critter Compendium delivers over 250 pages of monsters both from older editions and completely new to the game for a DM to unleash upon their players. But players too can find new options in this book, such as new creatures to summon, undead to create, beasts to use as familiars, beast companions or to wildshape into, and even some ideas for class options such as Draconic Bloodlines and Warlock pacts based on the monsters presented here. Features of this book include the following:

  • A fully illustrated bestiary featuring 135 entries and 257 individual statblocks, as well as lore to help understand each creature and provide inspiration on how to include it in an adventure.
  • An appendix of 38 beasts and miscellaneous, low Challenge monsters.
  • A section featuring skeletons and zombies that can represent a wide variety of undead creatures from humanoids of various sizes to monsters and dragons and allows both DMs and players options to create such undead from creatures not covered by the Monster Manual entries. This list also ties directly into the abilities of some monsters featured in the bestiary.
  • An appendix of air, earth, fire, and water elementals ranging from Small to Gargantuan size to use as monsters or to summon with spells like conjure minor elementals or higher slot levels of conjure elemental.
  • A list of easy to apply monster templates that can transform a creature’s nature without requiring significant recalculations of its statblock and can be applied on the fly. This includes a template that allows you to turn any creature into a legendary encounter and thereby a suitable boss monster.

To give you an overview of the creatures available in this book, this is the full index of creatures by Challenge Rating:

Creatures by Challenge Rating

Critter Compendium Fantasy Grounds Module now Live, get it here:

/product/216072/Critter-Compendium-Fantasy-Grounds-Module

Critter Compendium FG ModuleRaiders & Dinosaurs

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Reviews (12)
Discussions (31)
Customer avatar
James K June 20, 2022 2:17 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I use this book all the time for new monsters or its How To section. A great resource!
Customer avatar
Peter B June 15, 2021 5:59 am UTC
PURCHASER
Still coming back to this book. My number 1 monster resource of all times. :)
Customer avatar
Greg C April 15, 2020 5:34 pm UTC
I see that the monsters were included in kobold fight club. Can I include them in my dnd combat simulator? Obviously not the full stat blocks, but the list of monsters with a link back to dmsguild for people to buy it?
Customer avatar
Roy S May 27, 2019 10:18 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thank you for such a wonderful resource! This is definitely a resource I go to often when building encounters. One question: shouldn't the Shocker Lizard have darkvision?
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Customer avatar
Isabel B May 30, 2019 1:56 pm UTC
CREATOR
Thank you Roy. When adapting the creatures from earlier editions, I made an effort to not to just take rules and convert them to the newer system but to make them make sense. When I adapted the shocker lizard, I consciously omitted darkvision. At this point, I cannot tell you exactly why anymore, but part of it was definitely the widespread presence of darkvision among creatures and player races that used to be (and arguably still is) so common place that you might as well write the core rules around the function of darkvision and instead give humans and such a "dark-blindness" ability instead. I omit darkvision where it is not integral to the function or nature of a creature because of this.
Customer avatar
Mike V April 18, 2019 7:58 pm UTC
I would buy this in a heartbeat if the monsters were available in Kobold Fight Club. I read you are working on that in 2017. Did you ever finish it? :)
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Customer avatar
Mike V April 18, 2019 8:10 pm UTC
Never mind, I just found it is! Thanks! :) Will buy this!
Customer avatar
Paul L January 16, 2019 4:37 am UTC
PURCHASER
Love the book. Question , on pg 220 monster weapons , the mighty bow under properties it says mighty with an * , i cant seem to find what that means. Can you advise please and thank you
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Customer avatar
Isabel B January 16, 2019 4:54 am UTC
CREATOR
Hi Paul, asterisks mark rules that are explained on the reference page.
Customer avatar
Christopher R October 26, 2018 3:31 am UTC
PURCHASER
Wow, what a great collection of critters. Very nice!

Is it legal to use some of these monsters in an adventure created for the dmsguild? Just thought I would ask.
Customer avatar
Daniel H July 29, 2018 4:35 pm UTC
Hi just a quick question, I've heard mention of this being rules for fantasy grounds? I was of the opinion it was for D&D 5E which is correct?
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Customer avatar
Isabel B July 29, 2018 5:56 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hi Daniel,
Both are true in a way. This page right here is for the pdf and print version of the Critter Compendium for 5th Edition D&D.

Fantasy Grounds is not a different game, it's a virtual tabletop software which you can use to play games like D&D online with other people. The module for Fantasy Grounds also contains 5th edition rules but they are implemented for the fantasy grounds app. Those are sold on a separate store page.
Customer avatar
Cody B July 22, 2018 2:35 am UTC
What is the difference between Standard and Premium Heavyweight? For reference, what would the WotC Monster Manual be considered, premium or standard?
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Customer avatar
Isabel B July 22, 2018 8:50 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hi Cody,
The difference is in color depth. Premium offers a wider range and more vibrant colors. This is hardly noticable or doesn't even make a difference at all in many images. But when it comes to bright reds and purples, premium will show them much more vibrantly.

The WotC Monster Manual was probably printed in a very different process, so i can't say exactly, but I would guess it would be closer to Premium in terms of color depth.
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Customer avatar
Cody B April 03, 2019 12:32 am UTC
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Customer avatar
Isabel B April 04, 2019 4:39 am UTC
CREATOR
Hey Cody,
your last reply only shows up as an empty post to me. If you had a followup question or anything else to say, im afraid you'll haveto repost it.
Customer avatar
Cody B July 22, 2018 2:35 am UTC
What is the difference between Standard and Premium Heavyweight? For reference, what would the WotC Monster Manual be considered, premium or standard?
Customer avatar
Matthew C April 07, 2018 11:34 am UTC
PURCHASER
Im a bit new to DMS-Guild and newer to buying a bunch of 3rd party stuff, It says that the Fantasy Grounds version of this has more monsters and more appendix's etc. Now does that version not have a printable copy? OR??? ( dont play fantasy grounds either ) Sorry for stupid question if it it is such!!! I plan on buying, but i'd like to get more creatures if I can ( Plan on printing for the table )
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Customer avatar
Isabel B April 07, 2018 1:33 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hi Matthew sorry for the confusion.

Both versions have the same number of monster stablocks. The perceived difference comes in because I didnt mention the number of statblocks in the Appendices for zombies and skeletons, elementals and monster templates. So the Fantasy Grounds module does not include any monsters that aren't in the PDF.
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Customer avatar
Matthew C April 07, 2018 6:55 pm UTC
PURCHASER
1. Good to know thank you, you earned my canadian dollars lol. 2. The speed of your reply is EXTREMELY EXTREMELY prompt, convenient and most of all shows how focused you are on this :) Buying Dinosaurs as well my Moon Druid will make use of it I think in the jungles of Chult!!!!! Keep up the good work! :D
Customer avatar
Merrick J March 25, 2018 6:39 pm UTC
any idea when the kobold fight club will be done?
Customer avatar
Atanas P February 10, 2018 10:07 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Here it is - the first post is kinda foundational for the setting, the second is filled with my own ideas for monster but you will see also several familiar faces! https://weirdershit.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/the-broken-world/
https://weirdershit.wordpress.com/2018/02/10/mutant-manual-abnormal-life-and-unlife-from-the-broken-world/
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Customer avatar
Atanas P February 12, 2018 4:20 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Feedback will be greatly appreciated!
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Customer avatar
Isabel B February 12, 2018 4:37 pm UTC
CREATOR
I like how the monsters are represented here. They fit really well into the theme of the fallen world. It was a very good read.
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Customer avatar
Atanas P February 12, 2018 8:20 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Thank you very much! It was a challenge to converse such good lore in the case of the cosmic dragons. For the other monsters, that of my design, I haven't made stat blocks. I have never designed crunch before. So, in case of monsters, what advice would you give me?
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Customer avatar
Isabel B February 13, 2018 1:41 am UTC
CREATOR
If you want to make your own monsters, first off think about what makes them unique. Build their abilities around that. When writing abilities look at how they are written in the monster manual as well as check on the rules in the Players Handbook that they interact with, it helps writing rules that are consistent and make sense. I often see people making the mistake of wording their rules in a way that it doesn't make sense in the context of the game's ruleset.

You should definitely make an attempt at reading and understanding whatz the DMG says about creating monsters, especially how CR is calculated it can get a bit convoluted with resistances immunities, and special abilties that allow the monster to deal or avoid damage.
Customer avatar
Atanas P February 07, 2018 10:38 pm UTC
PURCHASER
This overdelivers in a big way! Awesome ideas. And many of my favourites from 4E return! I have a question - I'm developing a homebrew setting and publish lore on my blog. May I use some monsters (cosmic dragons and primal lycnathropes) as fixtures. I make sure it is mentioned where they originate from?
Reply
Customer avatar
Isabel B February 08, 2018 3:51 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hi Atanas,

You're welcome to incorporate any of these monsters in your setting's lore. I don't (and I don't think I could if I wanted to) claim ownership of any of the creatures I created for this book. Only the statblocks I would have to ask you not to post publically.

I'd be happy to see your blog post though!
Reply
Customer avatar
Atanas P February 08, 2018 9:43 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I intended to include only tweaked lore, anyway. Thank you very much!
Customer avatar
Kyle B January 08, 2018 1:25 am UTC
PURCHASER
Was the Graft section removed from the book? I checked the demon section and appendix but can't find it.
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Customer avatar
Isabel B January 08, 2018 6:09 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hi Kyle,
It's still in, but it's not in the Demons section (never has been), but in the Obyrith section, right after the entry for the Sibiriex (which is the monster that can actually use it)
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Customer avatar
Jon-Paul A December 01, 2018 10:43 am UTC
PURCHASER
My current campaign is using Obyriths. Is there much lore in this product about them?
Customer avatar
Imogen C October 08, 2017 2:02 pm UTC
PURCHASER
great book just a few minor issues and its mainly creatures by enviroment so far only came accross 2 errors here but giant seal and sea leopard are categorised as cr 1/2 but everywere else there down as cr 1 also are zombie beastfolk small and medium supposed to both be cr 1/4?
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Customer avatar
Isabel B October 08, 2017 7:20 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hi Imgoen,

Thanks for thze heads-up. Both seals are meant to be CR 1, the mistake snuck in in the by-environment tables somehow.
And yes both zombies are meant to be CR 1/4 even though the small version is a bit weaker. Mathematically they would be more of a high-end CR 1/8 but Undead Fortitude can make them tough to crack so I went with the next higher tier.
Reply
Customer avatar
Imogen C October 12, 2017 10:13 pm UTC
PURCHASER
ah ok there are other errors with the cr ratings in the enviroment tables but i forgot to note them down just to let you know
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File Last Updated:
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This title was added to our catalog on May 07, 2017.