P.T. LaMarck’s Cryptid Codex Brings American Folklore to 5e
A 5e monster book drawn from the legends of all 50 states.
Dice Dungeons has launched P.T. LaMarck’s Cryptid Codex, a new monster compendium for Dungeons & Dragons 5e that transforms American folklore into living, breathing encounters for the tabletop. The campaign is already fully funded, surpassing its funding goal in less than 24 hours. The book is framed as the recovered journal of P.T. LaMarck, a cryptid hunter whose field notes document the strange and the terrifying across all 50 U.S. states.
Built for the 2024 5e ruleset, P.T. LaMarck’s Cryptid Codex contains over 60 new monsters - one from each U.S. state - inspired by regional myths and tall tales. Familiar names like the Jersey Devil, Mothman, and Chupacabra appear alongside lesser-known legends such as Sinkhole Sam from Kansas and The Beast of Bladenboro from North Carolina. Each entry combines narrative flavor, 5e stat blocks, lore, and optional harvestable loot so players can investigate, hunt, and even craft magic items from what they encounter.
The tone strikes a balance between eerie and wondrous. While many entries embrace the darker side of folklore, the book avoids excessive horror, keeping its focus on mystery, exploration, and discovery. Game Masters can easily integrate the creatures into existing campaigns or build entire adventures around regional myths.
Visually, the book adopts a distinctive field journal aesthetic. Each page is designed to feel hand-drawn and weathered. The art direction blends pencil and charcoal sketches with red highlights to evoke urgency and danger.
“We wanted it to feel authentic,” says Jarrett Butler, co-founder of Dice Dungeons. “Like you’re flipping through the notebook of someone who’s seen too much. Every drawing, note, and smudge has a story behind it. We didn’t want to just make a monster book... we wanted it to feel lived in.”
P.T. LaMarck’s Cryptid Codex was selected as a Project We Love by Kickstarter and is featured in the platform’s Witchstarter showcase for October, which highlights magical and mysterious projects. The campaign also includes early-bird rewards such as a Cryptid Moon D20, and a free downloadable preview for players to try at their own tables.
The project is live now through November 20, 2025, with both hardcover and digital editions available.
