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Monstrous Races

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Whether you’re playing an all-monster party or just want to play a monstrous race in an otherwise normal party, this document presents rules for playing every creature in the Monster Manual, new feats and backgrounds for monstrous characters, analysis of officially published races, highly detailed rules for building your own races, new rules for tiny races, and rules for templates for player characters.

This supplement is for 5th-edition Dungeons and Dragons. Currently DM's Guild only allows community submissions for 5th edition.

What is in this document?

  • 228 playable races (every creature in the Monster Manual, no exceptions!)
  • 116 subraces 
  • 13 templates for Player Characters, including new rules for Lycanthropes and Vampires
  • Design notes discussing how everything in the document was built and suggestions for changing everything to fit your game
  • Rules for Tiny, Large, Huge, and Gargantuan player races
  • 5 new feats
  • 3 new backgrounds
  • Analysis of all of the official published races with suggestions for ways to alter them
  • Extensive Race Builder rules for building your own races, including 2 new races designed from the ground up to show you how it works (Mongrelfolk, and Animated Tomes)
  • Template Builder rules for building your own templates for player characters
  • Includes both the full version of Monstrous Races and the Monstrous Races Compact Edition, a slimmed-down version of the document with a lot of the clutter removed to make it a great reference option on the go

Does that seem like a lot? It is! Are you still not sure? Take a look at the preview, which covers the first 20 pages of the document, including the rules for Tiny creatures and complete racial traits for 7 races.

Featured on KotakuVice, and the D&D Character Lab Podcast, a front-page post on /r/DnD/, and thanks to all of you fine folks, an Adamantine Best Seller on DM's Guild in less than 48 hours!

Thanks to Rob Twohy and his team, Monstrous Races is now available for the Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop!

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Reviews (41)
Discussions (114)
Customer avatar
Jacob K February 13, 2024 6:01 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'm hoping I just missed it in the Published Races, but what is the breakdown for Shifters? I'm interested in porting the shifting ability to a custom race.
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Customer avatar
Tyler K February 14, 2024 10:02 pm UTC
CREATOR
There currently isn't one. I haven't updated Monstrous Races to cover every published race, unfortunately.
Customer avatar
Philip M August 08, 2023 8:59 pm UTC
PURCHASER
This may just be me not fully understanding balance, but how come some of them only gets 2 ASIs (such as the aboleth and angel) instead of 3 while others gets up to 4 ASIs? It certainly looked like the Ankheg didn't get any ASIs at all.
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Customer avatar
Tyler K August 08, 2023 9:07 pm UTC
CREATOR
Check the design notes on the specific race. I tried to keep each race within a certain BP range while trying to reflect their original stats, and for some races that meant fiddling with ASIs.
Customer avatar
Jacob C March 12, 2023 12:54 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hi I was looking at the Bullywog and the Design Notes say it gets a XXX attack but I don’t see one in the actual stat block?

XXX

XXX
Customer avatar
Merlin A December 06, 2022 12:40 pm UTC
PURCHASER
The table in the large book seems wrong for weapon improvements. It seems to treat larger/higher damage weapons as being lower damage. For example, a 1d4 damage weapon becomes 2d10 at gargantuan, but a 1d6 at gargantuan becomes 3d6. While the lower end damage is higher at 3d6, you end up with 3.5 x 3 average (10.5) and 2d10 has 5.5 x 2 average (11). So 2d10 is superior damage. Was the 2d10 supposed to be 2d8 or something?
Customer avatar
Jerry L September 14, 2022 5:23 pm UTC
PURCHASER
New to 5e and happy to stumble upon this. I'm so glad you included a race-builder section in the back. I wasn't happy with the official fairy race from WBtW as presented, but thanks to your handy guidelines I could tweak it a bit more to my liking. For those interested:

Fairy Variant (Using Monstrous Races by Tyler Kamstra)
Creature Type: Fey (0.5 BP), Size: Small - Walking Speed 25 ft. (-1 BP), Ability Score Increases: +2 Dex - Fixed (2 BP), +1 Wis - Fixed (1 BP), Vision and Senses: Darkvision 60 ft. (2 BP), Movement: Flying Speed 30 ft. (4 BP), Languages: Racial Language - Sylvan and Common (0 BP), Proficiency: Perception Skill - Fixed (0.5), Innate Spellcasting: Minor Illusion - Fixed (0.5 BP), Special Ability: Fey Ancestry (0.5 BP)
Total BP: 10

I have also considered making it an 11 BP Race (similar to the WBtW Fairy) by tacking on another 1 BP trait or 2 worth 0.5 BP each. Especially since a lot of official races/subraces aside from the WBtW Fairy have between 10.5 to...See more
Customer avatar
James M February 20, 2022 4:55 am UTC
A cool companion to this book would be classes that go with each race. Similar to the 3rd edition Savage Races book each monstrous race has 3-5 class levels they have to go through before they can select an adventuring class. It would help eliminate some of the weird immersion issues that crop up trying to shove so much into just a race. I realize that's an immense amount of work for EVERY race but perhaps a handful of the most popular/compatible races would be great. Have you ever thought about something like this? It would make for a good balance mechanic as well, no "monster" will ever master a humanoid art due to their inherent power without skimping them on their flavored and appropriate powers.
Customer avatar
Brad L February 19, 2022 2:41 am UTC
PURCHASER
I don't know if you're still updating this, but I noticed something with the Gibbering Mouther. Its design notes mention its aberrant ground ability (complete with costing 2 BP), but it doesn't seem to actually be listed in its abilities.
Customer avatar
Lucifer F December 01, 2021 9:30 am UTC
PURCHASER
I was just looking as giant owl as I there's a person wanting to play a halfing Knight and ride a giant owl, but I saw the stats were only a +1 where as most official races gets 1 +1 stay and another +2 stat, would you mind clarifying the reasoning why some races in your book don't follow this guide?
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Customer avatar
Tyler K December 01, 2021 6:59 pm UTC
CREATOR
Check the design notes on each race, and the race builder rules appendix. I go into detail on all of my design decisions, and I encourage you to make adjustments wherever you like to suit your preferences.
Customer avatar
Julius M October 24, 2021 6:48 am UTC
PURCHASER
Any clarifications on how Petrifying Gaze should work?

Is it by design that only incapacitated creatures are pretty much the only ones you can petrify as the target has otherwise 6 turns (5 if it surprised on the first) to just use it's reaction to become immune and thus end the effect?
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Customer avatar
Tyler K October 25, 2021 4:23 pm UTC
CREATOR
The ability for creatures to avert their eyes as a Reaction is taken directly from the Basilisk and the Medusa's Petrifying Gaze abilities, but it looks like I made a mistake in handling that mechanic while also limiting usage to once per rest. My intent was that the usage would only be consumed if you were able to successfully start the effect, so essentially you can't waste your 1/rest usage until something decides not to avert its eyes.

I'm updating the last paragraph of the trait to this:
A creature that is not surprised may avert its eyes from you as a reaction when it first sees you or at the beginning of its turn, which makes it immune to this ability and prevents you from targeting the creature with your petrifying gaze. If it does so, it cannot see you until the beginning of its next turn.
Customer avatar
Aaron T October 18, 2021 5:11 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hi wonderful read so far, and I don't know if I missed it or not but for Cloakers, going over to Design Notes it talks how they have Moan and Phantasms as abilities? But when looking at their traits, it has no mention of them at all. Other than that everything seems in order I've read so far.
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Customer avatar
Tyler K October 25, 2021 5:17 pm UTC
CREATOR
Looks like I forgot to put that in! I'll get that fixed.
Customer avatar
Alorix T September 15, 2021 12:59 am UTC
PURCHASER
People Need to understand....this is 228 playable races and 116 subraces! INCLUDING How they were designed and HOW to RP them. This was SO MUCH WORK! And it is in my top 5 favorite Homebrew creations ever!
Customer avatar
Dylan B April 29, 2021 1:36 am UTC
PURCHASER
I bought this twice and dont have access to download or view it
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Customer avatar
Tyler K April 29, 2021 4:02 am UTC
CREATOR
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. Try contacting the DMsGuild customer service folks. They should be able to help. Unfortunately there's nothing that I can do on my end.
Customer avatar
Jacob M April 16, 2021 2:16 am UTC
PURCHASER
Have you considered making a physical book? there is just so much here its amazing, and the fact that there are no other books on the market anywhere close to this convinces me it would be a major hit. Id gladly spend $50-$60 for a hardback copy. Also have you considered the metallic dragons ability to polymorph into humanoids? maybe allow them to do that but only during a short or long rest so no on the fly transformations. while human they gain benefit of hands and armor but loose dragon racial traits. atleast copper and silver dragons since their whole thing is being social with humanoids. Plus the silver dragon had some points left over. if its too much too add to the base race maybe itd make a great feat.
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Customer avatar
Tyler K April 16, 2021 1:58 pm UTC
CREATOR
A physical book would be interesting, but I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. In the mean time, I have friends who have gotten copies printed and spiral-bound at copy stores.

Dragons already push the limits on BP, so it's hard to add more traits for them. But if you want to try it in your game, I strongly encourage you to do so. Check my design notes in the Dragon race entry, and consider other options like the Doppelganger for reference.
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Customer avatar
Maria H October 11, 2021 12:08 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hey, I bought this book for that purpose (to print a copy for my kiddo's birthday) but there is a problem with the permissions in doing so. How do we get in contact to work that out?
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Customer avatar
Tyler K October 11, 2021 4:11 pm UTC
CREATOR
Sorry, I honestly don't know. Is the PDF file not allowing you to print it? I don't know what would be causing that, but it might be something that DMsGuild/DriveThruRPG imposes. Maybe try contacting customer support?
Customer avatar
David K December 24, 2020 12:13 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hi there, got the pdf awhile ago and just had a three questions I wanted to ask, one about an error and two clarifications. I noticed under the Death Knight's Hellfire Orb entry it says to make a reflex saving throw, it should be Dexterity for the save? Second, are the various natural weapons like claws and intended to only get a modifier added to attack/damage rolls if you take Natural Weapon Master? Last question, with the various monsters with Regeneration its supposed to be only a single Hit Die you can spend per turn?
Reply
Customer avatar
Tyler K December 28, 2020 4:03 pm UTC
CREATOR
Hellfire Orb is definitely an error. Thanks for spotting that.

Natural weapons apply your Strength modifier by default just like any other melee weapon attack attack.

Regeneration says "As a bonus action, you may spend a Hit Die to recover hit points." The phrase "a hit die" was intentional: you can only spend one hit die per turn.
Customer avatar
Joseph M December 11, 2020 10:10 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi there, I love this book, probably the best racial options pdf out there. Just wanted to ask, should there be any restrictions over how many templates can be applied to one character? Could I make a skeleton-vampire-half-dragon-werewolf? I can't see any mention of that in the book. Thanks!
Reply
Customer avatar
Tyler K December 11, 2020 11:23 pm UTC
CREATOR
I intentionally did not write any sort of numerical limitation on how many templates can be applied. Templates have built-in restrictions on which creatures can have that template, but beyond that it's whatever the DM will allow.

You could no have a skeleton vampire because the skeleton and vampire templates both require that the base creature be a living creature, and skeletons and vampires are both undead. You could, however, have a half-dragon werewolf who then becomes either a skeleton or a vampire provided that our DM would welcome such a character in their game.
Customer avatar
Jonathan D December 08, 2020 4:15 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi Tyler,
I bought this product a while ago and really used it at almost every game, building interesting npcs with this and i loved it very much. I was wondering how exactly did you determined that an ability was 1 BP, 2 BP ect. I searched everywhere but couldnt find the answer maybe it was right under my nose! Thanks a lot again for this wonderful product.
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Customer avatar
Tyler K December 08, 2020 5:40 pm UTC
CREATOR
I never actually explained that process in the book, so you didn't miss anything.

I started from the idea that +1 to one ability score would by 1 point, and I based everything else around that number. The point values of various traits were determined based on that core decision. Traits which I felt were more impactful get higher scores, and traits which were less impactful get lower scores. I also write a lot about character optimization (check out RPGBOT.net), so I feel like I've got a solid grasp on the game and the design workings of character options.

I'm actually really frustrated that I rated some of the traits as low as 0.25 BP because it's really annoying to calculate those values, but at the same time the small number scale makes it easy to assemble a race quickly. When I published Monstrous Races there were 3 or 4 other homebrew race building systems that used similar point systems, and one of them used a 100-point system that made sense from a design perspective, but building...See more
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File Last Updated:
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This title was added to our catalog on January 02, 2018.