The Unbalanced Ledger

← Back to Bestiary

👁 Read Only by Frazer 👁 6 views

Small Construct, Lawful Evil

Armor Class 13 (reinforced leather cover)

Hit Points 18 (4d6+4)

Speed 20 ft. fly 30 ft.

STR 8 (-1)

DEX 16 (+3)

CON 12 (+1)

INT 14 (+2)

WIS 12 (+1)

CHA 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Dex +5

Skills Perception +3, Investigation +4

Damage Vulnerabilities fire

Damage Resistances bludgeoning; piercing; slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned, prone

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Common, Infernal

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Audit Trail. When a creature touches the ledger or starts its turn within 5 feet of it, the ledger can record that creature's name, if it knows the name. A creature whose name is recorded has disadvantage on its first saving throw against the ledger's abilities. The ledger can hold up to six names.

Paper-Thin Escape. The ledger can move through the space of another creature as if it were difficult terrain. It cannot end its movement there. Opportunity attacks against it are made with disadvantage.

Binding Account. A creature whose name is recorded cannot willingly move more than 60 feet from the ledger unless it succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a success, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Actions

Ink-Slashed Corner. Melee weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage. If the target is a creature whose name is recorded in the ledger, it must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or have its speed reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.

Red-Ink Amendment. Ranged weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) psychic damage. The ledger hurls a streak of accusatory red ink. If the target's name is recorded, it cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.

Issue Citation (1/Day). The ledger opens to a blank page and writes a target's name in glowing ink. One creature the ledger can see within 30 feet must make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 2d6 psychic damage and is frightened of the ledger until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and isn't frightened. If the target has already been recorded, it has disadvantage on this saving throw.

Bonus Actions

Turn the Page. The ledger magically flips to a new page and moves up to half its flying speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Reactions

Objection!. When a creature the ledger has recorded misses it with an attack, the ledger forces that creature to make a DC 12 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d4 psychic damage and the ledger moves up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

Environment Urban, Underdark

📷 Export as Image

Share your monster as a beautiful PNG image styled like classic D&D sourcebooks.

📥 Download PNG

Includes: Full stat block, monster image (if selected), CR badge, and QuickMonster branding.

Resolution: High-quality PNG at 2x scale for crisp display on any device.

"Your signature is legible. Your innocence is not." — Veyra Quill, final marginal note

Lore & Description

Appearance

The Unbalanced Ledger is a squat, iron-cornered book bound in cracked burgundy leather. Its pages are yellow as old teeth, its brass clasp resembles a staring eye, and thin quills protrude from its spine like insect legs. Red ink crawls across its pages by itself, forming names, dates, debts, and terse notes such as "unpaid," "deferred," or "soul contested." When it attacks, its pages snap like razors and its ink drips upward into the air.

Behavior & Origins

The ledger was created by Veyra Quill, a deceased royal tax assessor who sold her soul to an infernal auditor in exchange for perfect records. When Veyra died, the book inherited her office and continued auditing everyone who touched it. It does not understand forgiveness, charity, or clerical errors; every kindness is an unreported liability, and every crime is an outstanding balance. The party's names appear in its pages because the book claims they owe a debt to the abandoned customs house of Greyhook, a place that burned down eighty years ago. The ledger wants the party to deliver payment to the sealed vault beneath Greyhook before it marks their souls as forfeit.

Running The Unbalanced Ledger

Tactics

The ledger opens by recording the nearest creature and using Issue Citation against the most dangerous-looking character. It keeps moving through allies and furniture, using Red-Ink Amendment from range while Binding Account prevents victims from escaping. When bloodied, it retreats toward its hidden filing cabinet or attempts to bargain by offering to erase one name in exchange for a promised payment; it fights to the death if anyone tries to burn its pages.

DM Tips

Telegraph its danger with pages that already contain the characters' names, written in fresh red ink, and with local records showing impossible debts.
Give the ledger a precise, officious voice; it speaks in numbered clauses and loudly declares violations such as "unauthorized evasion" or "failure to present soul."
For a weaker party, remove Binding Account and reduce Issue Citation to 1d6 psychic damage; for a stronger party, let it record up to eight names and give it two uses of Issue Citation per day.
A character who spends an action arguing a convincing legal objection, succeeding on a DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Investigation) check, can erase their own name until the end of the next round.

Loot

Red Quill of Revision — A cold iron quill that can alter one mundane written detail each day, though the new wording must remain technically truthful.
Greyhook Assessment — A stamped page listing the party's alleged debt and naming the ruined customs house of Greyhook, where an infernal vault may still be sealed.
Brass Eye Clasp — The ledger's clasp continues to blink faintly when pointed toward a creature that has broken a promise.

♻ Remix This Monster

Make it yours — one tap creates your own variant of The Unbalanced Ledger.

Free — no account needed.

Monster Image

Generation Info

Original prompt:
"CR 1/2: A tax ledger that audits the souls of those who touch it. It keeps a list, and the party is on it."

Created: Oct 27, 2026
Modified: Oct 27, 2026

Find more: Construct monsters CR 0-4 Construct Monsters for a level 2 party 🎲 Random monster