Alp

Medium fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 110 (13d8 + 52)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 16 (+3) · DEX 18 (+4) · CON 18 (+4) · INT 14 (+2) · WIS 12 (+1) · CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +4, Cha +7

Skills Deception +10, Perception +7, Stealth +10

Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned, exhaustion, charmed

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17

Languages Common, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.

Challenge 7

Traits

Shapechanger. The Alp can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium beast (usually a bird, cat, dog, or snake), or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size and speed, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Magic Resistance. The Alp has an advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Hat of Power. The Alp wears a distinctive white hat that is the source of its supernatural abilities. If the hat is removed (requiring a successful grapple contest to snatch it), the Alp loses its Magic Resistance and Innate Spellcasting traits until it retrieves the hat.

Innate Spellcasting. The Alp's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

- At will: Invisibility (PHB, p.254), Misty Step (PHB, p.260), Polymorph (self only; PHB, p.266)

- 3/day each: Sleep (PHB, p.276), Suggestion (PHB p.279)

- 1/day each: Dominate Person (PHB p.235), Gaseous Form (self only; PHB, p.244)

Actions

Multiattack. The Alp makes two attacks: one with its Claws and one with its Bite.

Claws (Fiend Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 8 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the Alp, incapacitated, or restrained.

Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the Alp regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Suffocating Embrace. The Alp targets one sleeping creature within 5 feet of it. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is paralyzed and unable to breathe (as if affected by the Hold Person spell; PHB, p.251) for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Moth Swarm (Recharge 5–6). The Alp exhales a swarm of illusory moths and butterflies in a 20-foot radius centered on itself. The area becomes heavily obscured for 1 minute or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses the moths. While the swarm persists, the Alp can use a bonus action to become invisible until it attacks or casts a spell.

Reactions

Swift Escape. When the Alp takes damage, it can use its reaction to turn invisible and move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

### Tactics

The Alp prefers to avoid direct confrontation, relying on stealth, illusions, and its array of supernatural abilities to confuse and outmaneuver opponents. It uses Invisibility and Misty Step to position itself advantageously, often targeting isolated or vulnerable individuals. In combat, it employs its Moth Swarm to obscure the area and become invisible, allowing it to strike unexpectedly or escape if overpowered.

If its hat is taken, the Alp becomes desperate and may offer valuable information or treasure in exchange for its return. Without its hat, it loses significant power, making it more vulnerable to defeat.

If your group has fought every owlbear, orc, and vampire in the Monster Manual, this Eastern-European bestiary throws them into untamed woods where spirits, demons, and beasts still rule. Each creature is lifted from real folklore, then balanced for 5e so GMs can plug-and-play without re-work. The result is a monster list that feels fresh but familiar — powerful D&D monsters with stories, not just stat blocks.

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Eastern Europe is defined by its vast forests, where for centuries people lived in harmony amid endless woodlands and lakes, gathering stories of the strange creatures and trials they encountered along life’s path. These tales were passed down from one generation to the next, cherished like gold for the life-saving wisdom they contained when you faced one of those beings. Whether whispered as a bedtime story or shared around a crackling campfire, those legends have endured through the ages. In this book, we invite adventurers to discover these tales — along with the characters and monsters drawn from the remote corners of Europe.

What’s Inside?

Designed for both players and Game Masters, this guide is packed with all-new creatures and legends that explore their backgrounds, origins, and unique lore.

Every entry opens with a one-page legend: who told the tale, why the creature appears, and how villagers survived. Page two holds the crunchy stuff — complete stat block, lair actions, regional effects, plus hooks.

Need a boss fight? Flip to the sidebar: some fiends, undead monsters, and dragons have an upgraded CR and abilities + 2 version.

“Forest monsters”, “Undead & vampire variants”, “Demons & fiends” — find a monster with the needed CR in seconds.

We designed these monsters with a party of 1–3 players in mind, specifically at levels 7–10.

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⚡ Leshy — CR 12 Fey Guardian

Story snap: the chief spirit of endless pines, singing through misty dawns. Hunters flip their boots left-right to break his tricks.

Mechanics: Variable Size (Tiny to Huge on a bonus action), Guiding Misdirection curse, legendary action to summon a CR 2 beast every round.

Table use: run as a neutral quest giver, or unleash his “Vanishing Woodlands” for a chase through heavily obscured terrain.

Legends describe that the Leshy has the ability to change his size — he can grow as tall as the trees in times of danger or shrink to the size of a drop, hiding under leaves. He can transform into an ordinary person and often pretends to be a passerby. Although he’s not particularly talkative when meeting travelers, he often sings in the forest, whistles, or simply cries like a human. The Leshy moves through the forest with incredible speed, always without a hat, and some stories say he lacks his right ear.

As the main spirit of the forest, all animals and birds obey him without question. He especially likes to take hares and squirrels as his helpers, who carry out his tasks.

The primary duty of this spirit is to protect the forest and all its inhabitants.

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🩸 Alp — CR 7 Shape-Shifting Vampire Demon

Story snap: born from a troubled soul, prowls bedrooms at midnight, spitting swarms of night moths before disappearing.

Mechanics: Hat of Power (steal it to strip his resistances), Suffocating Embrace paralysis, Moth Swarm for instant invisibility.

Table use: perfect horror one-shot.

The Alp can take the form of any animal it desires, but it usually prefers birds, cats, demonic dogs, regular dogs, and snakes. By its nature, the Alp is a powerful demon, and it’s important to mention its abilities: it can become invisible and can fly. Additionally, when threatened or needing to hide, it uses its unique ability to spit nocturnal butterflies and moths from its mouth to conceal itself…

… At one time, there was a practice of singing a special song by the hearth before the last person went to bed at night. Unfortunately, this method is lost to history, as the words, melody, and even the name of the song have vanished; only the memory that such an action was once performed remains. However, we will try to restore a fragment of the magical song.

“By the hearth as embers fade from sight,

We sang a song to bless the night.

Though words and melody are gone astray,

The memory of its warmth will stay.”

Balance & Design Notes

DPR, AC, and HP follow the DMG math; play-tested with 1–3 PCs, lv 7–10, but works in full parties.

“Greater” templates boost legendary resistance instead of straight HP bloat — keeps action economy tight.

Several beasts double as NPCs (Aitvaras, Belun) to fuel role-play over combat.

Highlights & Quibbles

👍 Pros

+ Fresh lore and monsters; no reskinned goblins.

+ Hooks vary from one-shot ideas to campaign arcs.

👎 Cons

– Most creatures are forest-themed.

The Witchwood Bestiary is more than a monster compendium — it’s a portal to the haunted birch groves and misty lakes of Eastern Europe. Drop a Leshy into your next hex crawl, unleash an Alp in the village inn, or turn Baba Yaga’s hut into your campaign’s moving dungeon.

Download the PDF here

Lore

A malevolent vampiric demon known for its shape-shifting abilities and for attacking sleeping victims by sitting on their chest.

We sang a song to bless the night.

The memory of its warmth will stay.

From The Witchwood Bestiary 5E, p. 10 · Fern Flower Press