Using Monsters from Tome of Beasts in Curse of Strahd

[Ender]

This article gives some good ideas for those who have Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press. There are a number of interesting and unique monsters that fit well in Barovia and can be substituted into Curse of Strahd with ease.

[Jester of the FoS]

Awesome.

I backed the Kickstarter and have two monsters in the book. So I certainly encourage it's use.

[Joël of the FoS]

I do not have the book but find these subtitutions interesting.

What is the basic idea behind mylings, beggar ghouls, and the drowned maiden?

Joël

[Ender]

The Beggar Ghoul is a CR 1/2 variant of the standard Ghoul that gains some benefits from attacking in numbers. The Myling is a CR 2 undead that is the ghostly remnant of someone left unburied. If it grapples you, it can begin to pull you underground and you may begin to suffocate. The Drowned Maiden is a CR 5 undead who (surprise) drowned. Her long, wet hair acts as three separate limbs that can attack you, grapple, and reel you in. Her kiss deals strength damage and she can innately cast Disguise Self and Silence.

[Zilfer]

The Beggar Ghoul is a CR 1/2 variant of the standard Ghoul that gains some benefits from attacking in numbers. The Myling is a CR 2 undead that is the ghostly remnant of someone left unburied. If it grapples you, it can begin to pull you underground and you may begin to suffocate. The Drowned Maiden is a CR 5 undead who (surprise) drowned. Her long, wet hair acts as three separate limbs that can attack you, grapple, and reel you in. Her kiss deals strength damage and she can innately cast Disguise Self and Silence.

In my CoS the character's failed to save the Vistani Girl Arabelle and the Vistani cursed Vallaki basically to drown themselves trying not to be thristy since one of their town folk drowned their daughter. I'm wondering if I could follow this up with Arabelle turning into a Drowned Maiden. Think that might turn out well?

[Ender]

In my CoS the character's failed to save the Vistani Girl Arabelle and the Vistani cursed Vallaki basically to drown themselves trying not to be thristy since one of their town folk drowned their daughter. I'm wondering if I could follow this up with Arabelle turning into a Drowned Maiden. Think that might turn out well?

Ooh, I like that!

[Zilfer]

In my CoS the character's failed to save the Vistani Girl Arabelle and the Vistani cursed Vallaki basically to drown themselves trying not to be thristy since one of their town folk drowned their daughter. I'm wondering if I could follow this up with Arabelle turning into a Drowned Maiden. Think that might turn out well?

Ooh, I like that!

I ended up ordering a physical copy of the book since it seems like a fairly decent addition to my 5e collection. I'll probably get a good amount of use out of it anyways since I'm planning on running another 5e some other time.

[Ender]

I have found the book highly useful. Kobold Press always has a good sense of design balance and they managed to stay consistent with that while still adding unique abilities to the monsters in the book. Everything is really flavorful. It helps me flesh out my campaigns without resorting to the same-old monsters or just reskinning something.