Monsters Compendium (5e): The Witchwood Bestiary from Europe

August 10, 2025 Sergiusz Junczyc

Format: 8.5 x 11, 104 pp., PDF & Hardcover/Paperback

System: 5e compatible (homebrew)

Contents: 41 forest monsters + 12 “Greater” forms, all with full stat blocks, lore & adventure hooks

CR Spread: 1/8–21

LINK TO THE BOOK

If your table has seen every owlbear and common vampire, push the game into misty birch groves and haunted wetlands. The Witchwood Bestiary is a focused 5e homebrew bestiary of European spirits, demons, beasts and undead—41 unique creatures and 12 upgradeable Greater forms, presented as drop‑in dnd monsters with balanced stat blocks and story‑first lore. Designed for quick use by GMs, it’s a practical addition to any collection of dnd 5e books and ideal for tables that want fresh dnd monsters with immediate play value.

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.

Topline features

Ready‑run 5e stat blocks for every monster—no conversion required.
One‑page legends paired with crunchy stat blocks on the opposite page for fast scanning.
Monsters by CR, clearly marked (CR 1/8–21), so you can pick appropriate encounters in seconds.
Lair actions, regional effects and optional templates that deepen encounters and support campaign design.
Built for parties around 1–3 PCs (levels 7–10) but easy to scale for any group.

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.

⚡ 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.

🩸 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. [Order Now!]

MONSTER LIST:

Aitvaras — a spirit appearing as a fiery serpent or dragon (occasionally a black crow, heron, rooster, or cat), believed to bring wealth, especially money, milk, and honey.
Alkonost — a paradise bird with the face and arms of a woman and an enchanting voice.
Alp — an undead creature similar to a vampire, capable of withstanding sunlight. It feeds on blood without severely harming its victims.
Antsybol — a demon residing in swamps, often ranked high among other swamp-dwelling entities.
Aral — a forest spirit taking the form of an old man, inhabiting dense, impenetrable forests. Aral guards forest dwellings, helping or harming people based on their attitude toward him and his forest.
Azdaha — a serpent-like dragon with multiple heads that dwells in lakes and deep waters.
Baba Yaga — an old sorceress living in the forest who exists simultaneously in two worlds, thus having one skeletal leg. Her forest hut serves as a portal, allowing travel to the afterlife.
Balamuten — a water-dwelling humanoid with a bloated face, goose-like skin, and a large belly, inhabiting large lakes and abducting women he desires.
Barzduks — small underground-dwelling humanoids, similar to gnomes, who keep bread and beer beneath trees.
Belun — a field spirit appearing as a white-bearded old man who generously rewards anyone willing to wipe his nose with gold.
Beskud — a lesser-known type of vampire, voluntarily cursed and distinguished by cat-like eyes.
Blud — a forest spirit that causes travelers to lose their way, luring them into swamps or dense thickets.
Bog Iron — a metallic giant inhabiting swamps or marshy forests, fiercely protecting its territory from intruders.
Bog Kikimora — an evil female spirit from Slavic mythology, calling travelers with screams to lure them into inescapable swamps.
Boginki — terrifying natural demons resembling grotesque old women.
Boli-Head — a clumsy, large-headed forest spirit inhabiting berry-rich areas. It tricks travelers into letting it jump onto their necks, attempting to strangle or frighten them.
Brukolak — an undead revenant, someone who died unnaturally, was cursed, committed grievous sins, or was improperly buried, returning as a blood-drinking corpse.
Bukavac — a six-legged monster with slimy skin, a huge mouth, a long tail, and massive, twisted deer antlers.
Double-Souled — people born with two souls (or two hearts), one human and one demonic, granting them demonic traits.
Gaiun — a protective forest spirit who maintains order; all animals and birds obey and serve him.
Kasny — small vampiric creatures of undefined appearance, attacking travelers in swarms.
Khokhlik — a small mischievous imp or demon.
Kolovertysh — a dog-like creature with enormous cheeks, serving witches.
Kostomakh — skeletal revenants, rising from graves where only bones remain.
Lamia — a monster with a serpent’s body and a dog’s head.
Leshy — a woodland spirit and lord of animals, often depicted wearing animal skins or having animal features such as horns or hooves.
Leyin — a deer-like demon inhabiting European forests, luring travelers into dense woods before attacking.
Maahisy — subterranean dwarf-like shapeshifters, skilled blacksmiths and weavers, owners of magical animals, and possessing grotesque appearances.
Metsavaimd — shapeshifting forest spirits who can turn into animals or appear in human or hybrid forms, caring for injured and sick animals.
Nachzehrer — a corpse that consumes itself in the grave, spreading deadly diseases (notably plague) and draining life force from the living.
Nare — strikingly beautiful mermaids with fish tails who lure travelers to drown them mercilessly.
Pohjakonna — a northern dragon with a bull’s body, frog-like legs, and a long serpent tail.
Toadalaka — a shapeshifter appearing as a toad or frog.
Upyr — restless undead beings who prey on human flesh and blood.
Utopets — malicious water-dwelling undead originating from criminals or sinners who drowned.
Vanapagan — malevolent but not particularly intelligent giants living in caves and underground.
Vilktaki — werewolves closely resembling Western European werewolves; they either inherit the condition at birth or acquire it through a witch’s curse.
Vuzhalka — a serpent-girl, daughter of the serpent king.
Yag Mort — a gigantic forest monster as tall as a pine tree, resembling a wild beast capable of killing instantly with a single blow.
Yeratniks — cursed sorcerers condemned to return after death as harmful undead, attacking humans and often killing their kind; solitary creatures.
Zhiburinis — a terrifying forest demon appearing as a fiery skeleton or a glowing humanoid figure.