Give Low-Level Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Legendary Actions

A new Dungeons & Dragons supplement provides DMs with various Legendary Action options for low-level monsters. Legendary actions are one of the more innovative mechanics of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, as they help to balance the "action economy" in battles without adding superfluous extra monsters. However, Dungeons & Dragons designers have mostly limited Legendary Actions to high CR monsters like dragons or liches, mostly because it helps those monsters serve as capstones or memorable bosses for a campaign. However, not every campaign advances to the point where they can fight a Legendary monster, which is a shame because Legendary Actions allow for much more dynamic battles.

To help correct this, Christopher Walz, Alex Clippinger, and Christian Eichhorn recently published two supplements that provide Legendary Actions for the low-CR monsters in Dungeons & Dragons. Legendary Bestiary and Legendary Bestiary Expanded provides optional Legendary Actions for every CR 1-3 monster in every major sourcebook. These Legendary Actions turn mundane monsters into dangerous ones, giving players the ability to turn any low-level monster into a "boss" version without significantly changing their base statblock.

One thing I like about both Legendary Bestiary supplements is that the Legendary Actions are custom-made for each monster. A Goblin Boss's Legendary Actions are geared towards command and wiliness, while a knight is more about inspiring himself and others in combat. I also appreciate that the majority of these Legendary Actions aren't just "free" attacks - many are much more creative than the ones found in official monster statblocks, although that's a necessity to prevent a low-level Legendary monster from becoming too overpowered.

The Legendary Bestiary and Legendary Bestiary: Expanded are must-have supplements for any DM that is planning their own campaign. These supplements instantly expand a DM's repertoire and can surprise even veteran players that know the Monster Manual cover to cover.

The Legendary Bestiary and Legendary Bestiary: Expanded can be purchased either individually or in a discounted bundle for $7.90.