On March 21, 2023, Hit Point Press—creators of Humblewood, Animated Spells, and the JIGS franchises—launched BIG BADS, a two volume collection of the “biggest, baddest bosses, monsters and more for 5e DnD.” The books allow for Dungeons & Dragons players to build a campaign or one-shot around more than 25 fully fleshed-out villains, their motivations, their minions, plus more than 100 monsters and magic items to enhance their story.
The two books are available in a variety of ways, from PDF downloads to standard covers, with foil deluxe covers and box sets also being in play. Contents are broken down as such:
Book 1 Contents
- 250+ pages
- 25+ Boss Monsters
- Full Backstories, Tactics, and Stat Blocks
- Dozens of New Magic Items and Minions
- Character Options, Including a Background, Feats, and Equipment
- 90+ Adventure Hooks
- Big Bad Bureau boss monster files
- Big Bads Campaign Frames for Inspiration
- A Guide to the Big Bad Bureau – A New Organization for Players to Join
- and Battle maps!
Artwork by Josiah Cameron
Book 2 Contents
- 100+ New Creatures
- A Wide Variety of CRs and Creature Types
- 100+ New Magic Items
- All Types and Rarities
- Clearly Organized for Easy Reference
- Covers creations from all of Hit Point Press’s history
- Random roll tables to help you choose the perfect item for any situation
Artwork by Dave Greco
Perhaps most excitingly, these two volumes feature a TON of brand new artwork, with more than 25 Magic: The Gathering artists contributing (and their artwork featured in this article; MTG artists marked in bold with Scryfall links to their cards where relevant):
Alex Stone, Alexander Ngo, Alyse Stewart, Ameera Sheikh, Andrea Bruce, Andrew Mar, Anna Christensen, Anna (Newt) Doušová, Anthony Scott Waters, April Solomon, Ashly Lovett, Avery Howett, Axel Sauerwald, Barbara Lucas, Brian Scott Walters, Brittany Pezillo, Chuck Lukacs, Daria Shestakova, Dave Greco, Derek Murphy, Dimitrios Pantazis, Dominique Ramsey, Eleonor Piteria, Elliot Bouriot, Elliot Lang, Faith Schaffer, Federico Piatti, Felipe Escobar, Felix Klaer, Felix Miall, George Bennett, Gina Matarazzo, Hannah Comstock, Henrik Rosenberg, Holly Lucero, Ilse Gort, Izaak Rodriguez, Jack Kozita, Jarel Threat, Jason Engle, Jason Rainville, Jeff Miracola, Jen C Marshall, Jenn Ravenna, Jessica Desjardin, Joe Slucher, Joel Holtzman, Jonathan Fernandes Juanieve, Jordan Richer, Josiah Cameron, Julia Metzger, Justin Chan, Kathleen O’Hara, Kayla Cline, Kelley Harris, Kim Sokol, Kristina Gehrmann, Kurt Jakobi, Lauren Walsh, Lexxy Douglass, Livia Prima, Marby Kwong, Mariah Tekulve, Marija Tiurina, Mariya Sviridova, Mark Behm, Mark Zug, Matt Harris, Mike Bakker, Mythir, Nataly Zhuk, Nicholas DeLuca, Patricia Kelen Takahashi, Rajaa Al-Subairi, Ralph Horsley, Randy Vargas, Rhoan Collins, , Riley Easter, Russell Werges, Sally Thordarson, Sam Mameli, Samantha Rustle, Sara Katch, Sean A. Murray, Shafer Brown, Shauna-Lee Foster, Shel Khan, Sidharth Chaturvedi, Sovereign, Steve Argyle, Svetoslav Petrov, Thabiso Mhlaba, Theo Surette, Tyler Walpole, Victoria Jefferies, Will Kirkby, & Yoshi Yoshitani
Artwork by Jarel Threat
A bevy of stretch goals and rewards have already been unlocked, from a vinyl record with “music to be bosses to” to a ton of unpainted miniatures of creatures and bad guys you’ll encounter within the pages. As of the writing of this article, the campaign has crossed the halfway mark and is well past funding goal, but with exciting stretch goals like an MP3 soundtrack and more brand new stories, there is still a lot to reach for.
The future of the Big Bads is in your hands, and the campaign ends on April 20. 2023. Reward tiers are going fast; become a backer today!
Artwork by Julia Metzger
Donny Caltrider (he/him) is a Senior Writer at Hipsters of Coast writing about all things related to the art of Magic: The Gathering and the larger imaginative realism genre. He has an M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University and enjoys telling stories about art, objects, and the intersection of fantasy with real-life. When he’s not writing for Hipsters or working with artists, you can find him traveling with his wife, petting his two cats, and watching the Baltimore Orioles.