World Builder Blog

Yes, the Monster Manual is huge. Yes, there are tons of monsters both good and evil to choose from. I love the book but it’s missing some of my favorite allies for player characters. After all the sacred tome of beasts isn’t just an arsenal for the dungeon master. It’s a worldbuilding tool, meant to inspire and provide enemies, allies, and power players for your campaign.

I miss archons. If you’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons for a time, you know what I’m talking about. I don’t mean the elemental variety of fourth edition either (though they were also cool). I’m talking about the lantern, the hound, and the trumpet varieties of celestial archon.

So behold the celestials below!

Archons

Archons are lawful good celestial beings from Mount Celestial. Their appearances vary greatly but all share a passion for righteous justice and championing the cause of good.

Fiend Foes. From birth archons consider all fiends their sworn enemies. It is in their very nature to seek out and destroy these evil beings. Archon armies battle fiend battalions in tight, disciplined ranks. Mortals who summon an archon should make sure they have not summoned any fiends for aid in the past. Archons consider any who treat with such evil to be part of the problem.

Righteous Motivators. Most archons do not directly involve themselves in mortal affairs. Instead they prefer the more indirect approach of encouraging mortals to make choices in favor of good and to cast off the temptations of evil. Archons only use their might when they are forced to do so against mortal foes.

Opposers of Tyranny. Archons abhor those with power who oppress others. Though they rarely meddle in the affairs of mortals, archons can be convinced to aid the cause of replacing a corrupt leader with a just one. Archons will not support a cause of violent rebellion as it puts innocent lives at risk. A careful, calculated overthrow of a tyrant without rioting is the only sort they support.

Lantern Archons

Lantern archons appear as flying orbs of brilliant, heavenly light. Their light is a comfort to creatures with good souls and uncomfortably harsh for creatures with evil souls. A lantern archon’s light is only extinguished when the creature dies.

Curious and Fast. Lantern archons are quick and nimble. They use their speed to be the first into a room or to round a corner to see what lies ahead. They ask many polite questions of their companions, often trying to understand the motivations behind a creature’s actions (especially if that creature is a mortal). This is all done in kindness. Lantern archons want to better understand new people, especially those who might be worthy of their help.

First of the Archons. All archons begin life in a lantern incarnation. As such lantern archons are the most numerous and weakest of the archons. As shining balls of light, they can only physically manipulate their environment through sheer force of will. While a lantern archon’s will is strong, it is not enough to be of great help in physical tasks. Lantern archons which demonstrate a loyal zeal for accomplishing good eventually evolve into greater beings.

Lantern Archon

Small celestial, lawful good

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Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points  28 (8d6)

Speed  0 ft., fly 60 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
2 (-4)	16 (+3)	10 (+0)	6 (-2)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)

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Saving Throws  Dex +6, Con +2, Wis +3

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities lightning, radiant

Conditions Immunities exhaustion, petrified

Skills Perception +3

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 13

Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.

Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Aura of Menace. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot-radius of the archon must make a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw at the start of its turn. Creatures who fail have disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon with an attack. Creatures who save or break the effect are immune to the archon’s Aura of Menace for 24 hours.

Illumination. The blazing wraith sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light in an additional 30 feet.

Innate Spellcasitng. The archon’s spellcasting ability modifier is Charisma (spell save DC 11). It can innately cast the following spells.

At will: detect evil and good

1/day: aid, continual flame, protection from evil and good

Actions

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Light Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) radiant damage.

Hound Archons

Hound archons are muscular humanoids with noble canine heads. They are disciplined soldiers in battle skilled with their swords as well as they are with their natural weapons.

Merciful Warriors. With the exception of fiends hound archons dislike killing and prefer to incapacitate or disarm mortal foes whenever possible. The greatest and most merciful warriors amongst hound archons often become paladins. The hound archon heroes lead armies of celestials into battle against fiends sometimes on the back of a copper dragon ally.

Secret Sentinels. Hound archons often guard sacred areas in unassuming canine forms using their Shapechanger ability. Appearing as a pack of stray dogs or a lone wolf gives archons a cover they can maintain for years while guarding holy ground.

Hound Archon

Medium celestial, lawful good

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Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points  66 (10d8 + 30)

Speed  30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)

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Saving Throws  Dex +3, Con +6, Wis +5

Damage Resistances radiant, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities lightning

Conditions Immunities exhaustion, petrified

Skills Athletics +7, Perception +5

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 15

Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

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Aura of Menace. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot-radius of the archon must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw at the start of its turn. Creatures who fail have disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon with an attack. Creatures who save or break the effect are immune to the archon’s Aura of Menace for 24 hours.

Innate Spellcasitng. The archon’s spellcasting ability modifier is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells.

At will: detect evil and good, misty step

3/day: aid, continual flame, protection from evil and good

1/day: teleport

Keen Smell. The archon has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

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

Magic Weapons. The archon’s weapon attacks are magical.

Shapechanger. The archon can use its action to polymorph into a dog, wolf, or back to its true form which is celestial. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is carrying is also transformed, but cannot be used while the archon is in dog or wolf form. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Actions

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Multiattack. The archon makes two attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Trumpet Archon

The winged, green-skinned trumpet archons are one of the most powerful of their ilk. Trumpet archons serve as the elite warriors and vanguard of divine armies, messengers for greater celestials, and generals of other archon soldiers in battle.

Messengers to Mortals. When a good-aligned divine being has a message to send to mortals, trumpet archons are the ones delivering the message. Their visits do not stop at the Material Plane. Trumpet archons are sent all over the multiverse, even as far as the Nine Hells or the Abyss to deliver declarations of war.

Trumpet Wielders. All trumpet archons carry the instrument of their namesake which is created when an archon evolves into a trumpet archon. This magic instrument works only in the hands of the trumpet archon for whom it was created. These instruments are often decorated with the standard of the trumpet archon’s patron deity.

Trumpet Archon

Medium celestial, lawful good

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Armor Class 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points  142 (15d8 + 75)

Speed  40 ft., fly 90 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
22 (+6)	16 (+3)	20 (+5)	12 (+1)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)

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Saving Throws  Dex +7, Con +9, Wis +9

Damage Resistances radiant, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities lightning

Conditions Immunities exhaustion, petrified

Skills Athletics +10, Insight +8, Perception +8

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 15

Languages all, telepathy 60 ft.

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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Aura of Menace. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot-radius of the archon must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw at the start of its turn. Creatures who fail have disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon with an attack. Creatures who save or break the effect are immune to the archon’s Aura of Menace for 24 hours.

Innate Spellcasitng. The archon’s spellcasting ability modifier is Charisma (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells.

At will: continual flame, detect evil and good, misty step, message, protection from evil and good

3/day: teleport

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

Magic Weapons. The archon’s weapon attacks are magical.

Trumpet Transformation. The archon can instantly turn its trumpet into a greatsword and vice versa.

Actions

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Multiattack. The archon makes two attacks.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.

Trumpet. The archon plays paralyzingly beautiful and clear music on its trumpet. All hostile creatures within 100 feet of the archon must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. A creature who fails this saving throw can repeat it on the end of its turn ending the paralyzed condition on a success.

PDF!

It’s time for some more PDFs. I’ve added the archons to the full Exploration Age bestiary as well as given them their own PDF. Check it out in the link below or feel free to head on over to the Free Game Resources section of this site to grab it whenever you like along with tons of other D&D fifth edition rules modules, backgrounds, spells, magic items, and more.

EA Bestiary

Archons

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