Theres a plethora of new race options in Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting
Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting is an ambitious and varied 3rd party supplement, now available on D&D Beyond. It comes packed with character options including species to use for your next character. From jellyfish-like reef dwellers to fungal body-hoppers, the options on offer are unlike anything in the official rulebooks, each packed with flavour and some genuinely creative mechanics.
This guide covers all ten species from Heliana’s Guide, breaking down their lore, appearance, and most importantly, how to get the most out of them in your party.
Cnidaran
Appearance
Cnidarans are jellyfish like humanoids who, while vaguely humanoid, are semi translucent and have a fleshy ‘bell’ on the top of their head. Adults become one of two splinter forms, ‘Nematocysts’ – that carry a long, barbed whip-like appendages, and ‘Shimmerskins’ capable of producing dazzling bioluminescent displays across their skin.
Culture
Young Cnidarans spend their first few years drifting alone in the ocean before being admitted back into the communal reef settlement where they are taught the ways of their people and pick their path. They could choose to leave on a journey of exploration, which is where parties could encounter adventuring Cnidaran.
Standout abilities
Nematocyst
The Nematocyst subrace is built for combat. Their Neurotoxin is the highlight, providing a bonus action poison that can paralyse a target on a failed Constitution save available from level 1 and without spending a spell slot. This is one of the stronger status effects in the game and actually isn’t seen that often. The target can’t take any kind of action and hits on them become critical. This can be a useful way to set up an enemy for the rest of the party to follow up with attacks that are twice as impactful.
Shimmerskin
The Shimmerskin is better in social encounters. Their bonus action shimmer grants advantage on all Charisma checks for 10 minutes which is not bad as the party face. Hypnotic Phosphorescence adds some scaling spell progression that starts by granting Minor Illusion up to Charm Person and into Suggestion. These kinds of spells aren’t as directly combat ready as the abilities of the Nematocyst but the game is not all about fighting and these social manipulation abilities can really open opportunities in the roleplaying side of the game.
Recommended classes
Nematocyst Cnidarans could make good Wizards, the building into intelligence is ideal for maximising their spell casting, while buffing to dexterity can help with avoid being hit, ideal for squishy spell casters. This subrace comes packaged with a boost to dexterity and constitution so you have a head start at shoring up the defences of your wizards. An artificer might make use of these same stats for similar reasons.
Shimmerskin Cnidarans are tailor made for Charisma casters as they already have the tools to be the party face, so you may as well double down on charisma for combat too. Bards and Warlocks get the most mileage from the free scaling spell access, extending their social toolkit without spending spell slots.
Cyclopian
Appearance
Cyclopians are single eyed humanoids who, despite their big frame, tend to stand between 5 and 6 feet tall due to their crouched posture. They share a passing resemblance to shadowy monsters called nothics, but they behave far differently.
Culture
Cyclopians call their homes a ‘library’, and that tells you a lot about them. All Cyclopian homes are a monument to accumulated knowledge.
Their irresistible urge to learn leads them to dangerous places, and Cyclopians often embark on a Pilgrimage of Huge Discovery, to bring new knowledge back to their library.
Standout abilities
Cyclopians come with a +2 bonus to Intelligence and +1 to either Dexterity or Wisdom, giving them some flexibility. Knowledge Seeker grants proficiency in two skills from a broad list including arcana, history, investigation, perception, and stealth – a decent selection that lets you patch gaps in most parties.
Savant of Secrets is their most interesting ability, granting a full minute of advantage on Perception, Investigation, and Insight checks. In exploration and information-gathering scenarios this is invaluable, and the only cost is an action and a long rest recharge. Mileage can vary with this, it will be useful in the right campaign, but in a campaign with less of an exploration or puzzle focus it will be forgotten the way a Ranger’s foraging abilities fall to the wayside.
Thought for Food rewards good roleplay with a mechanical payoff – on days where the cyclopian learns something significant they gain advantage on Constitution saving throws until their next long rest. In concentration-heavy builds this quietly functional perk will come up more than you might expect. Their 20-foot climbing speed from Top Shelf adds extra mobility on top of an already well-rounded package.
Overall the abilities lean heavily into a scholarly character, they aren’t combat focussed but do have some utility in the right situation.
Recommended classes
Wizards and Artificers are the obvious choices, benefiting from the Intelligence bonus, the skill proficiencies, and the Constitution advantage for maintaining concentration. Arcane Trickster Rogues also make excellent use of the Intelligence bonus alongside the broad skill coverage.
Gobboc
Appearance
Gobbocs are small, bird-like humanoids standing between 2 and 3 feet tall with light bones and a distinctly chickenish look. Their Small size means they slip easily through spaces larger creatures cannot, which fits their hit and run fighting style perfectly.
Culture
Gobboc society is built on the foundational principle of survival over glory. Gobbocs also have a deep spiritual reverence for birds, with larger birds considered holier. Their annual Festival of Brooding, also known as the Eggstravaganza, involves constructing elaborate thrones and sitting on them around a bonfire.
Standout abilities
Gobbocs come with a +2 to Dexterity and +1 to either Charisma or Wisdom.
Coward’s Creed is their standout trait and will be constantly useful After a successful melee attack, the Gobboc can disengage as a bonus action – this means they can attack and retreat every single turn without any action cost. This is the best ability available to the Gobboc and will allow them to attack with more confidence, knowing they can probably get away afterwards and avoid reprisals. Some of the subclasses that cast spells but also get into melee (like Valor Bards or Hexblade Warlocks) seem a good fit here.
Headless Chicken provides a nifty safety net, granting a full movement without provoking opportunity attacks at the exact moment of going down. So you relocate at 0 hit points, which can be the difference between dying in the middle of a melee or getting somewhere a teammate can safely reach to save you
Gallus Domesticus, a self-only Polymorph into a chicken once per long rest, is niche but genuinely functional for scouting and escaping tight spots.
Recommended classes
As mentioned Valor Bards and Hexblade Warlocks will really benefit from the Cowards Creed, being light on their feet and able to attack as often as possible, even without the backup of team members close by, as they can quickly retreat to them after stabbing. With both of these options you would choose the Charisma buff over the Wisdom and double down on that as the spell casting ability.
Golynn
Appearance
Golynns are large, armadillo-like humanoids standing between 7 – 8 feet tall and weighing between 300 and 400 pounds. Their most distinctive features are their wide, shovel-like claws and thick scales that cover their bodies.
Culture
Golynns are nomadic creatures with little interest in the routine of civilized society. They are deeply drawn to rhythms, finding joy in everything from the heartbeat of loved ones to the clanking of a prisoner’s chains underground.
Their constant burrowing brings them into frequent, usually accidental, conflict with surface-dwellers, as they accidentally cause unforeseen damage to structures.
Standout abilities
Golynn’s have strong melee traits with +2 Constitution and +1 Strength. Natural Armour gives an unarmoured AC of 13 + Dexterity modifier, meaning Golynns can function as effective front-liners without any armour investment at early levels. However this natural armor will be supplanted by equipment later as you are likely building into strength based classes (given the natural buff to the stat) and as such wont be investing in dexterity, leaving the natural armor to fall behind over time,
Drill Dervish is the most tactically interesting feature, letting the Golynn knock a creature prone simply as a consequence of burrowing beneath them – no additional action required, just movement. The prone status is strong on its own, but imagine grappling the creature (while its prone) then moving it anywhere on the battlefield with the powerful build ability – this offers some fun tactical options, like moving an enemy into range of friendly attackers.
Recommended classes
Barbarians get great value here – powerful Build enhances grappling, and the inherent constitution stat boost feeds directly into the strong hit points needed to be a frontliner. Fighters can also make use of the strength and constitution boost, it needs both of these stats as a primarily melee class that often takes hits for squishier classes.
A dedicated grappler of any class will find Drill Dervish an excellent tool for stacking conditions, and players looking for a durable, disruptive front line race will find Golynns a good option. So a Fighter is also a good option.
Lotol
Appearance
Lotols are salamanderfolk ranging from 4 to 5 feet tall. In Lotol legend, their ancestor Ablon the Stoney was cursed by the Platinum Dragon to lose his magnificent scales to humble him, and so Lotols remain scaleless, setting them apart from other reptilian species. This lack of scales is central to their cultural identity, and Lotol often react with fascination or superstitious wariness when meeting scaled races like Dragonborn, Lizardfolk, or even Golynns.
Culture
Lotols live in swamps, rivers or lakes and their demeanor matches their style of environment. They rarely rush, finding joy in everything and trust in the currents of fate. Their communities are generally peaceful, though the one thing that will rouse a Lotol to a fight is water – polluted rivers, dammed waterways, and drowned habitats have all sparked confrontations. The only recorded Lotol war saw a force of Lotols deliver an electric shock directly into a black dragon’s lair..
Standout abilities
Lotols have +2 Wisdom and +1 Constitution as standard. It is worth noting that Lotols have no listed creature type, which functions as a sort of passive buff – they are immune to spells and effects that specifically target humanoids, such as hold person and charm person, this might not come up often, but when it does, players will be grateful.
Similarly, the Oblivious trait grants advantage on Wisdom saving throws against some of the most common status effects in the game, covering spells like fear.. So a Lotol player needs to keep in mind what they are immune to or have advantage against throughout a campaign.
Slippery Skin grants advantage on checks and saves to escape the grappled and restrained conditions, combined with Oblivious, the Lotol is a genuinely difficult species to pin down or control.
Adaptive Polymorphism allows the Lotol to choose two adaptations from a list of five and swap one out each time they level up after a long rest. These are fairly modest, if useful adaptations like dark vision, a swim speed or use of shocking grasp. Not game changers, but add some out of combat flexibility in most cases.
Generally speaking, these feel like fun little traits that largely add a little defence against some conditions in combat, but don’t give much in the way of forward momentum for the fight.
Recommended classes
Druids benefit from both natural stat buffs; constitution for concentration and resilience and the Wisdom for casting spells. Adaptive Polymorphism could create some interesting effects when wild shaped too. It’s worth noting that some adaptations won’t function with wild shape, darkvision won’t work and as you can’t cast spells, the shocking grasp option is out too.
Overall we are really only looking at the natural stat buffs, as the other traits are fairly general. The buffs to constitution and wisdom fit perfectly into the stat requirements for a good Cleric to.
Mycelian
Appearance
Mycelians are fungal organisms that inhabit corpses, growing a web of hyphae through the body to use nerves and muscles. Their appearance is entirely determined by their host – a mycelian could be gnome-sized or golynn-sized depending on whose body they currently pilot. The telltale signs are a pale skin, wounds patched over with threads of fungus, and a rich, musky plant like aroma
Culture
Reuse and recycle is the Mycellians main philosophy. Nothing goes to waste – even a recently vacated corpse. This perspective puts them at odds with most other societies, who tend to have complicated feelings about watching their loved ones get up and walk around a few hours after dying.
Standout abilities
Mycelians have a flexible +2 Constitution and +1 to any ability score, making them adaptable to almost any class. They are classified as both humanoid and plant, which is largely neutral but worth bearing in mind in campaigns where plant-targeting spells appear. Also spells that target a monster (like Hold Monster) will work on a Mycelian.
Symbiotic Assimilation lets the Mycelian choose two racial traits from a list based on their host corpse’s race – options like Relentless Endurance, damage resistances and Powerful Build are all strong picks in the right shell, and the GM has latitude to allow traits outside the list entirely.
Effectively building a bespoke secondary species on top of your class is a level of flexibility no other species in the supplement has and could result in some interesting combinations.
Spore Spray deals 1d8 poison damage on a reaction when hit in melee, scaling to 2d8 at 5th level, and poisons the attacker on a failed save. Free bonus damage and a condition without spending any actions is quietly excellent value in most combat scenarios.
Insporeation (best pun in the supplement by far), gives the Mycelian a percentage-based chance of inhabiting a nearby corpse on death rather than dying outright. Returning from death with an entirely new set of Symbiotic Assimilation traits is quite unique, but beware the memories of the last host are lost, triggering a kind of character reboot, which makes for fun roleplay.
Recommended classes
Symbiotic Assimilation can patch gaps in some classes, but martial classes like Barbarians and Fighters get the most from Relentless Endurance from a half-orc host is particularly powerful on a Barbarian or Fighter already designed to absorb punishment. Muscle Memory can stack to cover skill gaps that a character might have, while Dwarven Resilience from a Dwarf host provides useful poison defences. Mycellians are a bit of a blank slate, with quite general talents, but front line classes enjoy the tankiness of +2 Constitution but spell caster might also make use of it to maintain concentration on spells.
Ombrask
Appearance
Ombrasks are translucent, colourless humanoids who were once members of other races before being lost in the Shadow Plane. They retain the general shape of their former race but have a ghostly appearance. They are naturally mute, and the only way they can speak is by absorbing the psychic remnants of a recently deceased creature nearby, perfectly mimicking that creature’s voice, cadence, and speech patterns to patch together communication.
Culture
The Shadow Plane is a joyless place and extended time there strips away memories, emotions, and eventually the ability to speak from a person. Ombrasks lose their voice first, then gradually their capacity for joy and emotional connection. With time away from the Shadow Plane, some of these sensations can slowly return. Many Ombrasks are motivated by a desire to discover who they used to be, chasing fragments of their old self. Others with a dark past, choose to leave it buried and begin again.
Standout abilities
Ombrasks have a +2 to Dexterity and +1 to an ability score determined by their former race. Their feature is heavily flavour related, making them one of the best roleplay opportunities but mechanically modest species in the supplement.
Trackless grants Stealth proficiency outright – always a welcome addition regardless of class. Fade Away, unlocked at 5th level, gives access to a self cast of Invisibility once per long rest without a spell slot, a high-value utility option that non-casters would not otherwise be able to get.
Voice Thief is the most distinctive feature and comes with a notable constraint – Ombrasks are otherwise mute, meaning they need at least one absorbed creature voice just to communicate with the party. Within that limit, the ability to permanently mimic the voice of any creature that dies within 30 feet is a very flavourful mechanic and rewards creative roleplay but has quite low impact on combat as do the rest of the Ombrasks traits.
Recommended classes
The Dexterity primary stat boost and stealth proficiency point naturally toward Rogues and Rangers. Fade Away at 5th level is particularly valuable for Rogues wanting to vanish in combat without using a spell slot. The mute mechanic is a genuine challenge for social-heavy classes like Bards, but it would be great roleplay to watch an Ombrask slowly re-learn how to play the instruments of their former life.
Oozekin
Appearance
Oozekin are sentient, humanoid shaped oozes. They can be either small or medium and are capable of shifting between the two. Their appearance is malleable by nature, even being able to take the shape of a cube or puddle.
Culture
Oozekin have no culture of their own and instead assimilate into whatever community is willing to accept them as. The grey matter they consume during their larval phase (as typical dungeon dwelling oozes) shapes their personality, memories, and values – meaning an oozekin that formed near a sleeping adventurer might have a wanderlust that can’t be sated, while one that developed in a dragon’s lair might be arrogant and greedy. Some Oozekin even believe themselves to be reincarnations of deceased adventurers whose memories they absorbed through proximity. Despite this identity complexity, Oozekin are generally keen to prove themselves and get along well with others.
Standout abilities
Oozekin has a +2 Constitution and +1 Strength, a solid set of martial stat boosts.
Reshapeable is where the Oozekin gets a bit unusual. Cube form grants the Engulf action, which grapples and restrains a target before dealing automatic acid damage to them at the start of each of their turns, a niche lockdown option for the party to prevent an enemy from fleeing or taking a prisoner. However, generally it could be less applicable as it means you can’t do much else to help your party, so unless you need to take a prisoner, you would be better off avoiding this form.
Puddle Form trades combat utility for scouting, letting the Oozekin squeeze through gaps as small as an inch and move across walls and ceilings, though a gear dropping limitation makes it impractical in scenarios where a fight could break out.
Recommended classes
Barbarians, Paladins and Fighters get the most from the constitution and strength boosts alongside the grappling synergy from Acidic Flesh. The ability to squeeze under doors suits a Rogue, but it doesn’t make great use of the stat boosts.
Opteran
Appearance
Opterans are moth or butterfly themed humanoids who exist in two different forms. In their larval stage they are small, coloured in greens and browns, and built for camouflage and stillness, effectively a giant catapillar. In their adult form, reached through metamorphosis, they grow to Medium size with broad, multicoloured wings and an energetic nature entirely at odds with their quiet larval selves. They also sport six limbs, four legs and two arms.
Culture
Larval opterans can in theory live forever so long as they avoid stress, but only as a larva. Metamorphosis is triggered by emotional or environmental disruption and once it occurs, the adult Opteran has only 2 to 3 years left to live. This creates a fascinating cultural tension: larval opterans are deeply conflict averse, while adults often lose their sense of self-preservation entirely, becoming energetic performers and wanderers who know the clock is ticking. The legendary bard group Wings of a Butterfly were Opterans, their short lived world tour so sought after that some monarchs traded earldoms for tickets.
Standout abilities
The Opteran’s kit is split between larval and adult traits, and it is worth noting that the larval form is arguably the stronger of the two mechanically.
In larval form, String Shot is the standout ability – a crowd control option that restrains a target on a failed Dexterity save for a full minute, with the target needing to spend their entire action to attempt to break free. That action cost makes it harder to shake than most restraint effects.
In adult form, the 20ft flying speed is the main draw. flight is one of the most powerful traits a species can have, and even at 20 feet it provides a lot of benefits. The medium and heavy armour limitation is worth noting making it a problem on strength builds. Radiant Wing, grants advantage on all Charisma checks, rounding out an adult form that suits performers and social characters quite well.
Metamorphosis occurs at 5th level by choice or is forced at 6th level, a mechanically unusual design that effectively gates flight behind a level milestone. However, you do lose the stringshot option, which is a bit of a frustrating trade off.
Recommended classes
In adult form, Charisma casters like Bards, Warlocks and Sorcerers get the most from combining flight with advantage on all Charisma checks. A Bard Opteran in adult form is a neat combination, leaning fully into the vivacious performer archetype the lore seems to describe.
Even before that, a +2 bonus to charisma sets you up nicely for one of these classes, really coming into its own from level 5 as a flyer with even more charisma capability.
Rakin
Appearance
Rakin are small furry humanoids that come in variants based on racoon, opossum and tanuki. Standing between 3-4 feet tall, they almost look like one of these animals standing on their hind quarters, rather than the more anthropomorphic tabaxi.
Culture
Rakin culture was built on pranks, trickery, and a deep connection to chaos. An ideological split eventually divided rakin into two main factions: the Urkin, who followed their curiosity into cities, and the Tanukin, who remained in the forests and considered urban civilisation a sacrilege against natural chaos. The Posskin took a third path, embracing a life of wandering on the road, belonging fully to neither world.
Standout abilities
All rakin share a +2 dexterity buff, darkvision, and a full climbing speed – working well across most builds that don’t rely on strength.
Urkin adds sleight of hand or stealth proficiency plus the use of thieves’ cant. Their standout trait is nimble dodge – when forced into a Dexterity saving throw against an effect they can see, they gain advantage on it as a reaction, then move their full speed without provoking opportunity attacks regardless of the outcome. This also stacks with the evasion feature of a Rogue too, so an Urkin will be a bit more difficult to pin down via area of effect spells that often ask the player to make a Dexterity saving throw. That combination of defensive value and free repositioning on a single reaction will come up a lot in combat.
Posskin bring a natural Bite attack, poison resistance and advantage on disease and poison saves, and the unique Play Dead trait. When reduced to half their maximum hit points, they can use a reaction to convincingly fall dead – enemies will ignore them unless they spend an action investigating. The ability to effectively remove yourself from a fight and reposition is a useful defensive tool that can completely reset a dangerous encounter.
Tanukin offers a scaling illusion spell ability to grant access to minor illusion up through disguise self and into alter self, alongside wild speech for beast communication and proficiency in deception or persuasion. Alter self in particular opens up a wide range of creative problem solving at 5th level and is a versatile utility spell for any class to have access to.
Recommended classes
Urkin are perfectly built for Rogues. The dexterity bonus, skill proficiencies, climbing speed, and nimble dodge combine into one of the strongest roguish species packages available. A stealthy build for Monk and Bard are also worth considering here for similar reasons, but also make better use of the thieves cant (as Rogues already come with this anyway.)
Posskin suit mobile martial builds quite well – classes that want to hit close up and get away can make use of a defensive safety net like Play Dead and even the poison resistance on occasion. Consider again the valor bard and hexblade warlock
Tanukin are a strong choice for Druids, Rangers, and Bards. The illusion spell set pairs nicely with the stealth toolkit, while Druids get the Wisdom bonus, beast communication, and a thematic connection to the natural world that fits the Tanukin’s forest-dwelling aesthetic really well.
Conclusion
Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting offers a diverse roster of playable species. Where many books offer variations on familiar fantasy archetypes, Heliana’s leans into some weird and wonderful options. I doubt most people would buy the supplement and predict seeing a fungal body hopper, a paralysing jellyfish warrior, or a sentient ooze that transforms into a gelatinous cube.
While there aren’t many bad options in the bunch, there are a few that stand out as having traits likely that are more universally useful or create a unique interaction not often seen through other character options.
Cyclopians are well positioned to be great Wizards, they have the correct stat buffs to support well casting and other features that will open up more opportunities for an intelligence based character, like the short term advantage on perception, investigation and insight checks. Gobbocks offer a lot to a hit and run melee fighter, with built- in ways to keep out of danger and even avoid a KO once per battle.
Meanwhile others seem less intuitive and a bit unwieldy. The Opteran transforms partway through your journey with them, gaining flight, but losing another useful lock down ability, which feels a bit less like progression and more like a lateral movement, despite going up levels. The Lotol just don’t offer to much in the way of utility apart from being a little harder to pin down in battle, which is fine but as a creature option they don’t really progress your gameplan.
Overall its a bit of a mixed bag, but at the very least there are quite a few options for unorthodox characters, dso if you are tired of the usual euro-fantasy favorites like elf or dwarf, you will probably find something that feels fresh in Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting.
