Bloodied & Bruised – Candlekeep Mysteries

New Combat Actions for the Creatures in Candlekeep Mysteries

The bugbear chief nurses a gushing wound in her side before issuing an order of retreat to her allies. A bright light forms around the angel’s dying body, blinding everyone near it as it passes on from the world of the living. With blood streaming down its torso, an enraged hill giant slams its fists into the ground and causes the earth around it to quake. 

Bloodied & Bruised is a series providing new combat actions for the creatures in the 5e roster. When pushed to their limits in combat, these monsters, critters, fiends, and foes gain new abilities that aid them in battle, or perhaps spell their doom depending on the circumstances. Bloodied & Bruised takes inspiration from the "bloodied" condition from 4e, making entirely new combat actions that can completely change the nature of a fight.

In addition, Bloodied & Bruised also introduces several "death throes" to the game, marking the demise of certain creatures with a grand explosion, heavy fall, or other unique effect to make the slaying of a great monster a truly unique experience.

Examples of Bloodied Actions

Bak Mei
When bloodied at 51 HP, Bak Mei has the following features.

• Ability Recharge: Legendary Actions. When first bloodied, Bak Mei regains all expended uses of his legendary actions.
• New Ability: Battle Presence. While bloodied, Bak Mei can take three reactions each round.
• Strength: Improved Deflect Missiles. While bloodied, if Bak Mei catches the missile fired at him, he can use a reaction to make a ranged attack with the weapon or piece of ammunition he just caught. That attack has the following details: Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.
• Trigger Ability: Cornered. When first bloodied, Bak Mei can make a melee attack against a creature within range as a reaction.

Canopic Golem
When bloodied at 126 HP, the canopic golem has the following features.

• Frailty: Malfunction. While bloodied, the golem doesn’t work as optimally. Its speed is lowered by 5 feet (to a minimum of 10 feet) and it cannot take reactions.
• New Ability: Battle Presence. While bloodied, the golem can take two reactions each round.
• New Ability: Spell Returner. While bloodied, if the golem is targeted with a spell that would force it to make a saving throw, it can use a reaction to direct the spell back to the caster. The caster must make the saving throw, suffering the effects of the spell on a failed save. Regardless of if the caster failed the save or not, the caster can take no more actions on its turn as it is rattled by arcane force. If the spell requires concentration, the golem concentrates on the effect, not the caster.
• Death Throes: Arcane Boom. A small arcane explosion happens as the golem falls to the ground. Each creature in a 10-foot radius of the golem when it expires takes 12 (5d4) force damage.

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