It would be ridiculous to try and out-do what Sean K. Reynolds has already brilliantly done for D&D 3.5 in The New Argonauts so at the start of every one of these posts I’m going to 1) thank him for making that supplement (thank you Sean!) and 2) tell you to go download it (it’s free–give it 5 stars because damn). This blog series is not intended to be a reproduction of that product, only a conversion update. Go get it.

Post 1: What You Need To Play

Master Page for D&D 5E Ancient Greece/Monster List

Nemean Lion

Large beast, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 45 (6d10+12)
Speed 50 ft.

Skills Acrobatics +5, Perception +3, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning; piercing, slashing from magical weapons
Damage Immunities piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Senses passive Perception 13
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Ageless. The lion cannot suffer from frailty of old age, die from old age, or be aged magically.
Keen Smell. The lion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Pounce. If the lion moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the lion can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
Running Leap. With a 10-foot running start, the lion can long jump up to 25 feet.

ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage and if the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14).
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage.

This creature looks like a particularly ferocious lion. The son of Typhon and Echidna, its skin was invulnerable to weapons. Heracles choked it to death in a grapple.

An Intelligence (History) check reveals the following information: 9—The lion of Nemea was a ferocious monster invulnerable to weapons. 14—The creature’s invulnerability was due to its thick skin and Heracles was able to choke it to death (which didn’t have to break the skin and thus found its weakness).