Unicorn: The Holy Stallion

Lore: Mounts for the Chosen

Proud and noble, with a form like glittering starlight, the magical unicorn is the ally of elves and sylvan folk, even speaking their tongues. While they are very peaceful, that does not make them placid. Those with ill intentions rarely leave a unicorn’s domain alive.

Gods aligned with good placed unicorns on the Material Plane long ago to drive away evil and protect sacred ground, such as magical forests, or sometimes magical artifacts. Should evil seek out one chosen by the gods, said divinities may send a unicorn to protect them.

Nothing can escape a unicorn’s gaze within their sacred glades. A magical calm hangs over the space, and all who reside within it peacefully worship the magical animal. Unicorns wander their homes, ever protective of its denizens.

A unicorn’s ivory horn is a focus of incredible magical power. Despite how widely sought after they are, few would dare participate in the murder of a unicorn for fear of divine retribution.

When darkness threatens the world, the gods may send a unicorn to aide a chosen hero. A paladin riding atop this majestic steed is a mighty warrior indeed, a holy alliance that strikes fear into even the most foul of demons. Should the champion fall from grace, however, the unicorn would disappear, never to be seen again.

This lore is fantastic! There’s so much you could do with it! Maybe the players wander into a unicorn’s glade and have to protect it from some outside evil (or try to kill it for the horn). Perhaps a unicorn could become a long-time ally for them, serving as the party paladin’s noble mount once they prove themselves. With a bit of creativity, you can do some amazing things!

Design: *Yawn* So Majestic…

Yup. That’s just about what I was expecting.

We all already knew how this one would go. It’s a unicorn. A horse with a horn. Magical and beautiful, done to death and boring. Next.

Stats: Cleric but Horse

Interestingly, a unicorn’s lair actions aren’t built on harming its enemies. Rather, it’s about protecting its allies. With such effects as:

• Open flames are extinguished immediately
• Native creatures have advantage on Stealth
• When good-aligned creatures cast healing magic, the spell is automatically made as powerful as can be
• Curse effects are suppressed

Then there’s the unicorn itself. It isn’t a particularly durable monster; its AC is really low, and its HP isn’t much better. Though it is immune to being charmed, paralyzed, or poisoned, so… that’s something, I guess. Magic Resistance definitely helps, though.

Does this make it weak? No. Far from it.

Charge gives the unicorn extra piercing damage if it gets a running start. Oh, and with Magic Weapons, that rush-down is gonna hit like a Thunderous Smite. Those make its basic attacks, those being its hooves and its horn, far more dangerous than they would be without.

Then there’s its spells. Those are:

• At will: detect evil and good, druidcraft, pass without a trace
• 1/day each: calm emotions, dispel evil and good, entangle

That may not sound particularly dangerous. But picture this: the thing you’re fighting can magically convince you not to fight it. Or just wrap you up in vines.

It’s also got Healing Touch. Three times a day, it can heal for a hefty chunk of HP and remove all diseases and poisons afflicting the target. And it can Teleport once a day, making it hard to pin down. This is a tricky enemy, make no mistake.

Finally, we have the Legendary Actions. They are:

• Hooves: take a guess what that does
• Shimmering Shield (costs 2): creates a magical barrier, giving a target creature +2 AC
• Heal Self (costs 3): again: take a guess

Altogether, a unicorn is an incredibly valuable ally. With their extensive list of support spells and abilities, fighting together with one is like teaming up with a super cleric! Fighting against one isn’t quite as exciting, but you can still make it work if you give it some holy allies to slay. Either way, this is a fun encounter!

Placement

This entry is almost incredible. Both the lore and the stats are really good! But man, that design is really weak. If not for that, this could have made the top ten!

With all that in mind, the Unicorn is going to #44 on the Best of the Bestiary!

1. Beholder
2. Death Tyrant
3. Mind Flayer
4. Dragon Turtle
5. Tarrasque
6. Mummy/Mummy Lord
7. Nagas (all three of ’em)
8. Green Dragons
9. Red Dragons
10. Blue Dragons
11. Black Dragons
12. White Dragons
13. Silver Dragons
14. Couatl
15. Behir
16. Aboleth
17. Sea Hag
18. Slaadi (all six of ’em)
19. Lamia
20. Bronze Dragons
21. Brass Dragons
22. Copper Dragons
23. Gold Dragons
24. Chuul
25. Kuo-Toa
26. Gibbering Mouther
27. Kraken
28. Intellect Devourer
29. Thri-Kreen
30. Shadow
31. Chimera
32. Sphinxes
33. Death Knight
34. Fomorian
35. Bone Devil
36. Dracolich
37. Faerie Dragon
38. Gelatinous Cube
39. Lich
40. Treant
41. Peryton
42. Troglodyte
43. Remorhaz
44. Unicorn <—————–
45. Orcs (all four of ’em)
46. Magmin
47. Shield Guardian
48. Kobold
49. Kenku
50. Hobgoblins
51. Night Hag
52. Green Hag
53. Black Pudding
54. Ankheg
55. Hook Horror
56. Succubus/Incubus
57. Oni
58. Purple Worm
59. Storm Giant
60. Hill Giant
61. Empyrean
62. Efreeti
63. Grimlock
64. Umber Hulk
65. Minotaur
66. Dao
67. Cloud Giant
68. Manticore
69. Scarecrow
70. Drow (all four of ’em)
71. Shadow Demon
72. Modrons (all five of ’em)
73. Marilith
74. Drider
75. Aarackockra
76. Azer
77. Demilich
78. Spectator
79. Gray Ooze
80. Ochre Jelly
81. Hydra
82. Rakshasa
83. Marid
84. Salamander
85. Harpy
86. Werejackal
87. Otyugh
88. Satyr
89. Half-Dragon
90. Cambion
91. Fire Giant
92. Nothic
93. Pixie
94. Animated Armor
95. Roper
96. Banshee
97. Basilisk
98. Yochlol
99. Bulette
100. Cloaker
101. Darkmantle
102. Doppelganger
103. Revenant
104. Ghoul and Ghast
105. Sahuagin (all three)
106. Ettin
107. Sprite
108. Medusa
109. Pit Fiend
110. Erinyes
111. Chain Devil
112. Bearded Devil
113. Barbed Devil
114. Spined Devil
115. Ice Devil
116. Mimic
117. Djinni
118. Troll
119. Merrow
120. Nalfeshnee
121. Glabrezu
122. Chasme
123. Grell
124. Barlgura
125. Horned Devil
126. Balor
127. Skeletons
128. Shadow Dragon
129. Myconids (all four of ’em)
130. Piercer
131. Werebear
132. Lizardfolk
133. Vrock
134. Dretch
135. Pseudodragon
136. Gnolls (all three)
137. Goristro
138. Hezrou
139. Manes
140. Quaggoth
141. Frost Giant
142. Weretiger
143. Werewolf
144. Duergar
145. Quasit
146. Dryad
147. Shambling Mound
148. Flumph
149. Goblin
150. Nightmare
151. Rust Monster
152. Wereboar
153. Wererat
154. Githyanki
155. Owlbear
156. Planetar
157. Imp
158. Ogres/Half-ogres
159. Roc
160. Clay Golem
161. Flameskull
162. Displacer Beast
163. Carrion Crawler
164. Githzerai
165. Grick
166. Invisible Stalker
167. Rug of Smothering
168. Bugbear Chief
169. Bugbear
170. Flesh Golem
171. Vine Blight
172. Twig Blight
173. Needle Blight
174. Mephits (all six of ’em)
175. Bullywug
176. Hellhound
177. Ettercap
178. Gas Spore
179. Cockatrice
180. Lemure
181. Homonculus
182. Merfolk
183. Solar
184. Deva
185. Gorgon
186. Hippogriff
187. Griffon
188. Cyclops
189. Centaur
190. Ghost
191. Pegasus
192. Fire Elemental
193. Water Elemental
194. Air Elemental
195. Stone Giant
196. Deep Gnome
197. Dinosaurs (All six of them)
198. Stirge
199. Specter
200. Iron Golem
201. Stone Golem
202. Earth Elemental
203. Galeb Duhr
204. Helmed Horror
205. Flying Sword
206. Crawling Claw
207. Violet Fungus
208. Shrieker
209. Gargoyle