Just recently, I created 4 new monsters to support ogres. One of the fun ones that I cooked up was a Small elemental called a huggy.
What is a huggy?
A huggy is a small elemental driven by a compulsion to, well… hug things! As it “hugs” creatures, the huggy converts their organic matter into elemental energy which it feeds upon. However, some creatures don’t seem to mind this exchange as it gives the targeted creature elemental powers similar to those of the huggy that’s hugging it.
Huggies are fiercely jealous beings, especially of other huggies. Two huggies in the same area will inevitably get into a fight with each other. And if it’s two huggies of different elemental types, they will attack each other violently.
Many craft Elementalist wizards employ huggies to pair with their more “expendable” creatures, especially dim-witted beasts, ogres, or giants that can last longer with a huggy attached to it than most other creatures. If they can avoid the huggies’ hugs themselves, that is!
Flame Huggy
Small elemental, neutral
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 18 (4d6 +4)
Speed 40 ft.
Abilities Str 7 (-2), Dex 17 (+3), Con 12 (+1), Int 6 (-2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 7 (-2)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Ignan
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Heated Body. A creature that touches the huggy or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage.
Illumination. The huggy sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light in a 40-foot radius.
Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the huggy moves in 1 foot or more of water, it takes 2 (1d4) cold damage.
Actions
Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) fire damage. If the target is a creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until a creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.
Hug. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the huggy attaches to the target. While attached, the huggy doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the huggy’s turns, the target takes 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0, disintegrating into a pile of ashes. In addition, if the target is a Large or smaller creature it bursts into flames and changes into a fire elemental. The target remains this way as long as the huggy is attached. Elementals, undead, and constructs are not affected.
As a fire elemental, the target’s type changes to elemental. It gains damage resistances to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons, damage immunities to fire and poison, as well as condition immunities to exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, and unconscious. The target sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light in a 40-foot radius and the target has a heated body, which causes any creature that touches the target or hits it with a melee attack to take 1d10 fire damage. Also, the target is susceptible to water; for every 5 feet the target moves in 1 foot or more of water, it takes 1d4 cold damage. All of the target’s melee attacks deal an additional 1d6 fire damage.
The huggy can detach itself from the target by spending 5 feet of its movement, at which point the target reverts back to normal.
Rock Huggy
Small elemental, neutral
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 26 (4d6 +12)
Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Abilities Str 16 (+3), Dex 8 (-1), Con 16 (+3), Int 5 (-3), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 5 (-3)
Damage Vulnerabilities thunder
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Terran
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Earth Glide The huggy can burrow through nonmagical unworked earth and stone. While doing so, the huggy doesn’t disturb the material it moves through.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Hug. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the huggy attaches to the target. While attached, the huggy doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the huggy’s turns, the target takes 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0, crumbling into dust. In addition, if the target is a Large or smaller creature, the target turns into an earth elemental. The target remains this way as long as the huggy is attached. Elementals, undead, and constructs are not affected.
As an earth elemental, the target’s type changes to elemental. Its Strength and Constitution score increases by 5 and its Dexterity score decreases by 2. The target gains damage vulnerability to thunder, damage resistances to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons, and damage immunity to poison. The target also gains condition immunities to exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious. In addition, the target gains a burrow speed of 30 feet unless it already has a burrow speed that’s equal or higher. While burrowing, it can pass through nonmagical earth and stone without disturbing the material it moves through.
The huggy can detach itself from the target by spending 5 feet of its movement, at which point the target reverts back to normal.
Water Huggy
Small elemental, neutral
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 18 (4d6 +4)
Speed 30 ft., swim 60 ft.
Abilities Str 14 (+2), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 5 (-3), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 8 (-1)
Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Aquan
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Water Form. The huggy can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Freeze. If the huggy takes cold damage, it partially freezes; its speed is reduced by 20 feet until the end of its next turn
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Hug. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the huggy attaches to the target. While attached, the huggy doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the huggy’s turns, the target takes 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0, dissolving into a puddle of water. In addition, if the target is a Large or smaller creature, it turns into liquid and changes into a water elemental. The target remains this way as long as the huggy is attached. Elementals, undead, and constructs are not affected.
As a water elemental, the target’s type changes to elemental. It gains damage resistance to acid and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons, plus damage immunity to poison, as well as condition immunities to exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious. The target has a water form that allows it to enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there, and it can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. If the creature takes cold damage, it partially freezes; its speed is reduced by 20 feet until the end of its turn. In addition, the target gains a swim speed of 90 feet unless it already has a swim speed that’s equal or higher, and it can breathe underwater.
The huggy can detach itself from the target by spending 5 feet of its movement, at which point the target reverts back to normal.
Wind Huggy
Small elemental, neutral
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 18 (4d6 +4)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
Abilities Str 10 (+0), Dex 20 (+5), Con 12 (+1), Int 6 (-2), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 6 (-2)
Damage Resistances lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Auran
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
Air Form. The huggy can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Hug. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the huggy attaches to the target. While attached, the huggy doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the huggy’s turns, the target takes 2 (1d4) necrotic damage and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0, vaporizing into nothing. In addition, if the target is a Large or smaller creature, its physical form dissipates and it turns into an air elemental. The target remains this way as long as the huggy is attached. Elementals, undead, and constructs are not affected.
As an air elemental, the target’s type changes to elemental and its Dexterity score increases by 5. It gains damage resistance to lightning, thunder, and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons, plus damage immunity to poison, as well as condition immunities to exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious. The target has a wind form that allows it to enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there, and it can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. In addition, the target gains a fly speed of 90 feet (hover) unless it already has a fly speed that’s equal or higher.
The huggy can detach itself from the target by spending 5 feet of its movement, at which point the target reverts back to normal.
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Be sure to check out Keith Amman’s article on elemental tactics, too! It’ll give you a good idea of how to use elementals effectively in combat.
As usual, all of the monsters here are free for you to use in your personal Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition campaigns. Just not commercially!
Art by: unknown.
This is a great idea! Saving it for future use.