A review copy of “Underdark Dwellers: Exiles & Elementals” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.
Designed by: Stormcrow Dreamscapes
The last 10 or so pages of the 5e Monster Manual are filled with NPC statblocks: bandits, scouts, cultists, nobles, guards, etc. Not exactly the most exciting “monsters,” but definitely some of the more common statblocks a DM will use.
Of the 70+ statblocks in Underdark Dwellers: Exiles & Elementals, most are humanoid NPCs. In the Underdark, that includes Drow, Azer, Duergar, and lots of cultists. You won’t be wowed by lots of nasty, impressive monstrosities, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a helpful monster book for Underdark excursions.
The nearly 100-page monster book is blissfully organized by monster grouping (faction, race, or god-worship) versus strictly alphabetical. It’s a smart change that shows off the diversity of a single grouping of allied creatures that could populate a dungeon or area.
The Azer are the shining example, and the best part of the book. Azer resemble dwarves, if dwarves had fire-hair and came from the elemental plane of fire.
Azers are given only a single generic CR 2 statblock in the original Monster Manual. Underdark Dwellers expands their options to six new statblocks, such as the defensive Flameguard, the elemental-summoning Secretkeeper, and the powerful Efreet Slayer.
I particularly like the new Azer-servants and allies. The Flamehound, Firebat, and Blazing Skeleton are all fun and interesting creatures to stock a fiery dungeon.
Other groups include the Yuan-ti inspired Cult of the Scorpion, some underwater Umberlee worshippers and critters, and several new drow statblocks based on followers of Ellistrae and Chaulssin.
Mostly NPCs, these Underdark Dwellers won’t win many points for creativity, but they’re useful to expand your pool of more commonly encountered humanoid foes.
New mephits also offer fun new ideas, like the enlarging Earth Mephit, weakening Death Mephit, and chaotic Faerzress Mephit.
My favorite monsters include the Duergar Wererhino (combine duergar’s enlarge and invisibility with a powerful lycanthrope!), Maskarran Shadow (mid-level rogue + shadow monk + Shadow Strength Drain attack), and Gondsman Clockroach (mechanical insect that climbs walls and sprays acid).
I’m less thrilled about the art and formatting of the book. Most (if not all) of the art in this book is stock art, and many are blown up from lower resolutions to fill more of the page.
While I appreciate having art on every page, this is not the kind of art you necessarily want to show off — to the degree that descriptions are placed at the start of many faction sections, leaving the statblock and the large (often somewhat pixelated) picture to dominate a page. It’s not a good look, and detracts from an otherwise solid, well-themed monster book.
Pros:
- Over 70 Underdark-themed statblocks, from CR 1/4 to CR 12.
- Helpfully organized by faction, race, or god.
- New or expanded cult ideas.
Cons:
- Low resolution stock art.
- Frustrating formatting that splits monster descriptions from statblocks.
The Verdict: NPC variants aren’t the most exciting statblocks, but new Drow, Azer, kobold, mephit, and cultist options from Underdark Dwellers are helpful when stocking an Underdark adventure.
A review copy of “Underdark Dwellers: Exiles & Elementals” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.
RogueWatson 