Monster Ecology Anthology

/r/dndbehindthescreen Monster Ecology Anthology The collected works of countless creative minds, and years of labor, collected and refined for ease of access to the common dungeon master 1

Ta b l e O f C o n t e n t s O r i g i n a l C o m p i l a t i o n I n t r o d u c t i o n p g.4 A b o l e t h p g.5 A a r a ko c r a p g.7 A n g e l p g.9 A n i m a t e d O bj e c t p g.1 1 A n k h e g p g.1 3 A z e r p g.1 5 B a n s h e e p g.1 7 B a s i l i s k p g.1 8 B e h i r p g.2 0 B e h o l d e r p g.2 3 B l i g h t p g.2 6 B u g b e a r p g.2 7 B u l e t t e p g.3 0 B u l l yw u g p g.3 2 C a m b i o n p g.3 4 C a r r i o n C r aw l e r p g.3 8 C e n t a u r p g.4 0 C h i m e r a p g.4 2 C h u u l p g.4 4 C l o a ke r p g.4 6 C o c k a t r i c e p g.4 9 C o u a t l p g.5 1 C r aw l i n g C l aw p g.5 3 C y c l o p s p g.5 5 D a r k m a n t l e p g.5 7 D e a t h K n i g h t p g.5 9 D e m i l i c h p g.6 0 D e m o n s p g.6 2 D e v i l s p g.6 4 D e v i l: E r i ny e s p g.6 6 D i n o s a u r: A l l o s a u r u s p g.6 7 D i n o s a u r: A n ky l o s a u r p g.7 0 D i n o s a u r: D e i n o ny c h u s p g.7 2 D i n o s a u r: P l e s i o s a u r p g.7 3 D i n o s a u r: P t e r a n o d o n p g.7 6 D i n o s a u r: Tr i c e r a t o p s p g.7 8 D i n o s a u r: Ty r a n n o s a u r u s Re x p g.7 9 D i s p l a c e r B e a s t p g.8 2 D o p p l e g a n g e r p g.8 7 D r a g o n s p g.9 0 D r a g o n s: C h r o m a t i c p g.9 1 D r a g o n s: M e t a l l i c p g.9 2 D r a g o n s: D r a c o l i c h p g.9 4 D r a g o n s: S h a d o w p g.9 9 D r a g o n: B l a c k p g.1 0 2 D r a g o n: B l u e p g.1 0 6 D r a g o n: B r a s s p g.1 0 8 D r a g o n: B r o n z e p g.1 1 0 D r a g o n: C o p p e r p g.1 1 2 D r a g o n: G o l d p g.1 1 4 D r a g o n: G r e e n p g.1 1 6 D r a g o n: Re d p g.1 1 9 D r a g o n: S i l v e r p g.1 2 2 D r a g o n: W h i t e p g.1 2 5 D r a g o n Tu r t l e p g.1 2 7 D r i d e r p g.1 2 9 D r y a d p g.1 3 1 D u e r g a r p g.1 3 3 E l e m e n t a l p g.1 3 5 E l v e s: D r o w p g.1 3 7 E m p y r e a n p g.1 3 9 E r i ny e s p g.1 4 1 E t t e r c a p p g.1 4 5 E t t i n p g.1 4 7 Fa e r i e D r a g o n p g.1 4 9 F l a m e s ku l l p g.1 5 1 F l u m p h p g.1 5 3 F l u m p h p g.1 5 3 Fo m o r i a n p g.1 5 6 Fu n g u s: V i o l e t p g.1 5 8 Fu n g u s: S h r i e ke r p g.1 6 0 Fu n g u s: G a s S p o r e p g.1 6 1 G a l e b D u h r p g.1 6 2 G a r g o y l e p g.1 6 4 G e n i e p g.1 6 6 G h o u l s p g.1 7 0 G h o s t p g.1 7 3 G i a n t: H i l l p g.1 7 5 G i a n t: S t o n e p g.1 7 6 G i b b e r i n g M o u t h e r p g.1 7 8 G i t h p g.1 8 0 G n o l l p g.1 8 3 G n o m e s: D e e p ( S v i r fn e b l i n ) p g.1 8 6 G o b l i n p g.1 8 8 G o l e m p g.1 9 0 G o r g o n p g.1 9 1 G r e l l p g.1 9 3 G r i c k p g.1 9 5 G r i ffo n p g.1 9 7 G r i m l o c k p g.1 9 8 H a g p g.2 0 1 H a l fD r a g o n p g.2 0 3 H a r p y p g.2 0 5 H e l l h o u n d p g.2 0 8 H e l m e d H o r r o r p g.2 1 0 H i p p o g r i ff p g.2 1 2 H o b g o b l i n p g.2 1 3 H o m u n c u l u s p g.2 1 7 H o o k H o r r o r p g.2 1 9 Hy d r a p g.2 2 2 I n t e l l e c t D e v o u r e r p g.2 2 4 I nv i s i b l e S t a l ke r p g.2 2 6 J a c k a l w e r e p g.2 2 8 Ke n ku p g.2 3 0 Ko b o l d p g.2 3 2 K u o -To a p g.2 3 4 K r a ke n p g.2 3 6 L a m i a p g.2 3 9 L i c h p g.2 4 2 L i z a r d fo l k p g.2 4 6 M a g m i n p g.2 4 9 M e d u s a p g.2 5 0 M e r fo l k p g.2 5 2 M e p h i t p g.2 5 4 M i n d F l ay e r ( I l l i t h i d ) p g.2 5 5 M i n o t a u r p g.2 5 7 Ly c a n t h r o p e p g.2 6 0 M a n t i c o r e p g.2 6 2 M i m i c p g.2 6 4 M e r r o w p g.2 6 6 M o d r o n p g.2 6 7 M u m my p g.2 6 8 My c o n i d p g.2 7 1 N a g a p g.2 7 5 N i g h t m a r e p g.2 7 8 N o t h i c p g.2 8 0 O g r e p g.2 8 1 O n i p g.2 8 3 O o z e p g.2 8 4 2

Ta b l e O f C o n t e n t s O r c p g.2 8 5 O t y u g h p g.2 8 7 O w l b e a r p g.2 8 9 P e g a s u s p g.2 9 0 P e r y t o n p g.2 9 2 P i e r c e r p g.2 9 4 P i xy p g.2 9 6 P s e u d o d r a g o n p g.2 9 8 P u r p l e Wo r m p g.3 0 0 Q u a g g o t h p g.3 0 2 R a k s h a s a p g.3 0 4 Re m o r h a z p g.3 0 6 Re v e n a n t p g.3 0 7 Ro c p g.3 0 8 Ro p e r p g.3 1 1 R u s t M o n s t e r p g.3 1 3 S a h u a g i n p g.3 1 5 S a l a m a n d e r p g.3 1 7 S a t y r p g.3 2 0 S c a r e c r o w p g.3 2 1 S h a d o w p g.3 2 2 S h i e l d G u a r d i a n p g.3 2 4 S ke l e t o n p g.3 2 5 S l a a d p g.3 2 7 S p e c t e r p g.3 2 9 S p h i n x p g.3 3 2 S p r i t e p g.3 3 4 S t i r g e p g.3 3 6 S u c c u b u s / I n c u b u s p g.3 3 8 S h a m b l i n g M o u n d p g.3 4 0 Ta r r a s q u e p g.3 4 1 T h r i - K r e e n p g.3 4 3 Tr e a n t p g.3 4 5 Tr o g l o d y t e p g.3 4 7 Tr o l l p g.3 4 8 U m b e r H u l k p g.3 5 1 U n i c o r n p g.3 5 3 Va m p i r e p g.3 5 5 Wa t e r We i r d p g.3 5 7 W i g h t p g.3 5 9 W i l l - O'-W i s p p g.3 6 1 Wr a i t h p g.3 6 2 Wyv e r n p g.3 6 4 Xo r n p g.3 6 6 Ye t i p g.3 6 8 Yu a n -T i p g.3 7 0 Yu g o l o t h p g.3 7 2 Z o m b i e p g.3 7 5 C r e d i t s p g.3 7 6 3

Original Compilation Introduction I love monsters. I think it's the reason I fell in love with D&D. I own 15 Monster Manuals across 5 editions, and all of them are old friends. Where would D&D be without the Beholder or the titular Dragon? I can't imagine a world without Stirge or Jermlaine. This book is book is for storytellers and worldbuilders. It's the result of a heap of passionate people writing lore for the monsters we all know and love. I remember the first Monster Manual from 1st Edition very well. I would stare at the drawing of the Carrion Crawler and marvel at its design and how terrifying it would be to meet one in a dark cavern, dropping down on some poor adventurer's head and dragging him away into the darkness to be eaten. Or how I was pretty sure I was never going to have a Duckbunny or a Giant Beaver in one of my campaigns. Well. The Giant Beaver did appear once. A whole nest of them. I had come up with some crazy reason why they were mutated - the result of some mad wizard's experimentation to stop an incursion of militant druids who were hell-bent on reforesting a grassland. I was 12 at the time, ok? Don't judge me. I would read these books for hours. Wondering how they were created. How they lived and what their societies looked like. Over the years, as I got more and more of the Manuals, I realized that the lore, the very core of the reason why these things existed started to become less and less frequent. The 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual stands as a paragon of monster lore. Fleshy and exciting, they spurred me to create my own lore and twist the established tales. Then came Dragon Magazine. The first Ecology article appeared in Dragon #72 and was the Ecology of the Piercer. It was the start of a great many articles discussing D&D monsters from a naturalists point-of-view. /r/DndBehindTheScreen decided to continue the tradition with this project for the 5th edition of the game, in the hopes that we could emulate-in-spirit the ideas of these early articles, and to add our own fresh ideas to the established lore. These articles are not meant to simply rehash what we already know, but to bring a new perspective, and to perhaps push the lore into new areas that readers might not have considered on their own. I think it was a great success. Our design goals comprised of covering the following: The lifecycle of the creature, including pregnancy and young The organization of the species (e.g., tribes, flocks, lone predators, etc..) Other discussion around whatever might be interesting how a grey ooze digests its food, how a flumph flies, etc. The creature's main habitat and lair preferences. Any other traits, physical, magical, supernatural, etc. What would fighting one of these creatures be like? How about a swarm of them? What creatures does this creature associate or fight well with? What are its enemies? What kind of variants to these creatures could we create? How could they be scaled for various levels of character parties? There are 153 monsters in the 5e Monster Manual. There are also monsters in the Starter Set, Hoard of the Dragon Queen and some in the Player's Handbook. The list also does not have the Miscellaneous Creatures or the NPCs from the Monster Manual, only what we considered to be the core monsters are covered in this book. I would like to thank all the contributors for their amazing ideas and for working so hard on this. In time, it's my hope that this book will allow a new generation of gamers to question the status-quo and to bring their own spin on creatures that we have become familiar with over the past 40+ years of Dungeons & Dragons. -Matt H. aka Famoushippopotamus Project Leader 4

Aboleth "Ants have grand plans. They build elaborate structures over the course of generations. From an ant's perspective, their societies are complex and eternal. They aren't. They're mounds in the sand, and the sea comes to wash them away. The sea is eternal and it washes away their pathetic homes. I am the sea. You are less than ants. Now beg for me to kill you like your friends did." --Molmig the Permanent, an aboleth killing a group of adventurers its favorite way - mentally impelling them to beg for death. Introduction Aboleths are among the most sinister and horrible of all threats to sentient humanoid life. Ancient, immortal, and all-knowing, aboleth are primeval abominations fueled by inhuman arrogance and hate for all other beings. Physiological Observations Aboleths are the oldest sentient life in existence. Their basic body shape resembles an eel, although not even a blind old fool could mistake an aboleth for any natural modern animal. They have no fins beside on their tail and down their back. Behind their head, four muscular tentacles twist and turn. Three huge red eyes - vertically arranged - sit at what would be called their face, above a mass of tentacles. The tentacles pull food into the aboleth's small, slit-like mouth. Along the side of their body, aboleths have huge, gaping holes. These are roughly an analog to nostrils or gills. Aboleths breathe and vocalize through these holes. Aboleth language is enormously complex - it covers a vast range of pitches, clicks, croaks, pops, and sing-song esque vocalizations. Even with a lifetime of training, a humanoid mind is incapable of grasping any but the most basic meaning an aboleth expresses. These holes also produce the aboleth's distinctive slime. This filthy muck turns the water around an aboleth into a thick, soupy mass. The aboleth requires this slime to breathe and to maintain moisture in its brief forays above water. The slime can also infect other creatures, forcing air breathing creatures to breathe water. The aboleth transmits this disease using its tentacles. When one speaks of the dawn of time, they are referring to the first memories of the aboleths. This memory is no myth or folklore passed down - it is a simple fact that every aboleth remembers in perfect clarity. An aboleth has a perfect eidetic memory - it can recall every instant of its entire life in exact detail. These memories stretch back a long time, because once an aboleth reaches adulthood it ceases to age - they are immortal except for violence. But even more significant is that an aboleth's memory is passed down to each generation. Aboleths reproduce asexually. Every few decades, an aboleth retreats to a secure location and lays a clutch of 5- 10 eggs. The aboleth doesn't move from the eggs for any reason until several weeks have passes, at which point it "swallows" the eggs with the holes on the side of its body. After another month or so, the aboleth vomits out fully developed but smaller aboleths - the young are called smiluts. They're only a few feet long at birth, but mentally fully developed and carrying all the memories of their entire familial line. They spend a year or so with their parent - there is no childhood for an aboleth, only a period of protection while they develop physically. Aboleths also possess formidable psionic powers. They can communicate telepathically with all manner of beings and, most terrifying of all; can dominate the minds of lesser beings. They often force other creatures to serve them as thralls. Social Observations Aboleths used to rule a planet-spanning empire. For more than a billion years, they were the unquestioned masters of the world. They were served by advanced constructs they built, but eventually desired slaves capable of a certain degree of independence. The aboleths took fish and altered their form using dark arts and advanced science. They shaped the creatures into a form that mimicked their own. Above the surface, they performed similar experiments on apes, developing the first hominids. They let these species develop, forcing most of them into slavery and watching the others. As their control over their subjects increased, so did their vanity. Until their subjects, in their hopelessness, created religion and brought the gods into being. The gods smote the Aboleth Empire and liberated their worshipers. Now, hundreds of thousands of years later, the Aboleth Empire is not what it was in its heyday. Aboleths lurk in secret in the deep waters of the world. Most are largely solitary, meeting with other aboleths every few decades to further their devious plots. Aboleths, vile and alien though they are, are capable of something resembling friendship among their own, although an aboleth would never come to a friend's aid - if one is unable to protect itself, it does not deserve assistance. A few aboleth cities exist in secret around the world. Architecture with blasphemous geometry - strange stones twisted into impossible shapes. The hierarchy is impossible to comprehend for mortal minds and their governmental systems operate over spans of millennia. And as a rule, aboleths worship no gods - they recognize the very real power of the divine, but feel no need to prostrate themselves before something so much younger than they are. Behavioral Observations The primary drive for aboleths in all things is a deep hatred of mortals and gods. They remember their billion year empire and what was taken from them. Each aboleth constantly burns with a cold, alien bitterness at the injustice they perceive. They will stop at nothing to reclaim their rightful place atop the world, but they plan on a geological time scale - to the aboleths, their displacement was a recent event. It is quite possible they are still in the very early stages of their plans to regain power. This is the way an aboleth thinks. 5

They are immensely cruel and take great pleasure in the suffering of lesser beings. They have an almost artistic passion for the mental domination and enslavement of mortals. Some take this to levels impossible to comprehend - capturing humans from the surface and adorning the walls of their lairs with their still living bodies as a canvass for blasphemous art, forcing mothers to eat their children, and other things simply too hideous to describe. An aboleth's lair will always be in deep, dark water. They will often be surrounded by pathetic, mewling slaves. They cover their homes in magical artifacts and alien art. Intra-Species Observations Aboleths have nothing but hate for all other intelligent life. But they are not fools. They acknowledge and, to a certain degree, even respect the power of gods and mortal heroes. They also understand, however, that those other powers are but a blink in the eye of the aboleths - in time, they too will fade. Aboleths are careful to hide themselves from the world above - secrecy is paramount to protecting their plots. They interact with the world primarily through their thralls. When they do occasionally emerge to the world above, it is in a terrible unveiling of power - a reminder for the mortal world that all they know is only temporary. DM's Toolkit Aboleths are one of my very favorite monsters - they capture Lovecraftian horror more than any other. The key to using them, in my experience, is to make it a slow burn for the PCs - introduce the threat early on, but then hide it away. Drop hints that the aboleth is watching and plotting. Have its servants appear periodically to harass the PCs. And when the time comes for the final battle, make the aboleth as terrifying as possible. Aboleths possess intelligence far beyond mortal minds. They will use every trick in the book and show no mercy. And when the PCs emerge victorious? Remind them that their victory is only temporary and that all of their hopes and dreams will be washed away like anthills on the beach. 6

Aarakocra Introduction Hawks, eagles, falcon, parrots- bah. Let's base the Aarakocra on bearded vultures because (1) 90% of the diet is bone dropped on rocks digested in a stomach with a pH of 1, (2) Lay two eggs but encourage the chicks to fight to the death, (3) dyes its white feathers with blood and iron oxide dust, (4) very territorial. Seriously look this awesome bird up. No one knows exactly how Aarakocra came to this world. They could be exiles from the plane of air, creatures born in high mountain regions, devotees of a long forgotten bird god, or failed experiments in humans or elves learning how to fly. Physiological Observations They are vulture-like in appearance with black and white striped faces, red eyes, and black beaks. While their faces and heads are feather free, the rest of their body is covered in black and white feathers head to toe. It is not uncommon to see Aarakocra dying their feathers with blood, iron oxide dust, or be adorned in red gemstones. Rubies being especially valued. They live in a woven nest and are mated for life. Each season the females lay two eggs, but encourage the chicks to squabble and fight for choice food. Usually one chick gets pushed out of the nest. But such is the way of nature, life, and the winds say the aarakocra. Social Observations These lawful neutral birdmen generally occur in bands of 5- 10 pairs mated for life (+ 1d6 young) in mountains, deep crags, and plains regions that sit next to steep rocky features. 3-5 bands make up an aarakocra flight centered around 1-2 wing-less holy individuals- storm callers. Aarakocra cultivate and encourage predators like giant eagles, drakes, wyverns and large cats to make homes within the flight's range and prey on deer, sheep, ect. The predators take the meat and the aarakocra farm the bones. Therefore aarakocra territories are already remote, but also become wild places difficult for human settlement. An aarakocra's duties are to the storm caller, their mate/chicks, the flight, and independence. They are wary of outsiders and will consistently track movement through their territories. Stormcallers (Warlock class) were pushed out of the nest to die by a more powerful sibling, but survived through sheer force of will, cunning, and sacrifice. While young, these individuals cut off their wings in a last sacrifice to air elemental and spirits. The young stormcaller staves off death, is bonded to an air elemental regaining flight, and gains magical ability. Becoming a stormcaller is a painful, tragic experience and to human eyes it can create aarakocra rulers disposed to cruelty and lack of mercy but not always the case. Behavioral Observations Not too much is known about the exact behavior of these beings. However shepherds have reported establishing light trading with flights. Travelers crossing wastelands or remote areas have been known to be saved by an aarakocra after succumbing to injury. At the same time, caravans and attempted settlement in some of the fertile grasslands near flight have been met with destruction, death, and the periodic storms suspiciously centered over villages. Aarakocra have been known to keep giant eagles as pets or war dogs. And the little bits of lore that come from shepherds and dwarves comment that the birdmen praise rocs as agents of gods and view the phoenix as a symbol of greed, vanity, and trickery. Some sailors report a much crueler populations of seaborne aarakocra that are prone to raiding ships from island bases. Or piloting commandeered ships (sometimes with slaves) and raiding trading vessels and port towns. These attacks don't seem to be preceded by any weather changes, but somehow the raids do seem to occur at the most opportunistic time. This leads some to ask if the aarakocra have learned divination and scrying. Combat: Aarakocra are not afraid to fight, but prefer to do it on their terms which involve maximizing their time in the air. They generally use spears, claws, and even hooked blades to dismount opponents or drag them off cliff faces. They also will drop heavy, arrow shaped stones from above in order to break or destroy more fortified structures. Giant eagles can be used like war dogs. If need be, a Storm Caller might lead a group, bring the might of huge storm systems or powerful air elementals. Intra-species Observations Aarakocra tolerate small human settlements and will trade openly with shepherds for bones, good spears, and gems, especially rubies. Aarakocra come in contact with dwarves in the mountains and trade rare herbs, spices, and tobacco for gems, metal work, and lightweight armor that allows flight. Aarkocra have a hatred of harpies, orcs, and ettins who eat too much of the local wildlife. Aarakocra will hunt the undead, especially those primarily composed of bone. They feel that the magical properties give them strength and communion with the gods. Druid and Ranger PCs will have the easiest time negotiating with aarakocra as they understand their more neutral viewpoints. 7

Variant Species Rattletails: Because not many live to see the other side of a Rattletail attack, reports of these aarakocra are scant. Sailors and merchants report that some make their home on chains of island where goats can be raised for meat but there is little else that can challenge them. From these islands, they will raid shipping lanes and ports. Worse are Rattletails that have ocean going vessels they will fly from and attack ships nearby. These birdmen are equipped with clay jars of fire to drop from the air. As the ship burns, they will then swoop in knocking sailors off with heavy clubs and enslaving the rest. Should a daring captain instead turn and attack the Rattletail ship, they will find the birdmen chum the water to attract sharks and worse. The birdmen will then leave their own ship and bait an attack. Once most of the crew is on board they will knock them off into the water and burn the other ship. Finally as if their taste for wearing finger and toe bones is not enough, Rattletails will also seek alliances with evil fishmen for added support or shock troops. DM's Toolbox: Two aarakocra males grab one of the PCs and carry them into the air by the legs. With the help of a third, they proceed to shake any gems, trinkets, and jewelry loose to catch in a net. They will drop the PC in a river or tree. Local shepherds are being driven away or killed and their flocks taken by birdmen. Also the weather has seen strong winds that are destroying roofs and tall crops. Rumor has it that high in the mountains a new stormcaller has taken hold and wants to destroy the local town. After witnessing a brave fight the PCs put up against harpies/orcs/ettins, an aarakocra tosses the PCs a crude map that points out a haven and two local dangers. Shattering Sheep! The PCs are caught in a storm of dropped sheep skulls and bones. DEX save or be knocked unconscious by the mass of falling bones. A small band of aarakocra approaches the PCs about helping defend an injured young roc- a holy bird. The PCs will need to stave off attacks by ogres/giants/orcs until the stormcaller arrives. The roc is in pain and may attack the PCs periodically. Pieces of the local mountainous landmark are floating off! Rumors abound that the local aarakocra have gems from the plane of air and are either (a) terraforming to open a gateway or (b) actually fighting off a slaad/undead assault by changing the landscape for max advantage. 8

Angel "I'll heal the faithful and revive those who are worthy. I'll bring destruction upon those who deserve it and I'll carry the ones who oppose God into death. I'll do all this and even more. For God has spoken." --Mikael, one of the twenty-four Solar Introduction A direct emanation of a good God, Angels are the embodiment of His will and their only meaning is to fulfill His orders. But they aren't perfect beings, this blind obedience together with their strong pride can sometimes lead to mistakes and an Angel may also fall into darkness, where he begins to yearn for vengeance toward the God he was serving. Physiological Observations Despite that only a few have received the blessing of seeing the true form of an Angel, all the witnesses agree to one thing: they are beautiful. It isn't known if it's because they are truly beings of considerable appearances or because those who see them are struck by a sense of beauty that comes from the Angels' divine origin. Anyway, they are described as very tall and muscular humanoids, neither male nor female, with large feathery wings, metallic or opalescent skin and gleaming eyes. Although they can sleep, eat, and drink while under cover, they don't need to. Even breathing doesn't appear to be a necessity for them. Social Observations The Angel Hierarchy is structured with rigid castes based solely on how much power their God has granted to them. Ambition isn't common among the Heavens' lower ranks and rebellion has no meaning at all. Everyone understands the importance of his own place and only the more powerful ones may show signs of ambition. However it shouldn't be mistaken as the human form of ambition, rather they crave to fulfill their duties better than anyone else. This behavior may lead to rivalries between the higher ranks and that's why the few Solar keep to themselves, far from the rest of the Hierarchy. Behavioral Observations More often than not Angels appear disguised as the races among which they have descended. But usually only the lower castes lives many years among mortals, dispensing aid, hope, courage and any other quality their God presides. Except for the lowest caste, all of them can see through lies and deception, thus no mortal can escape their judgment, but since the Heavens' ranks are not infinite, the medium and higher ranks are only deployed where there is an absolute necessity. Such a situation may call for a direct intervention using all their might, without any need to maintain a cover. That's why sometimes Angels may appear as emotionless creatures, lead only by their duties, consumed by their own hate toward sinners and unfaithful. Truly, they have emotions like every other conscious being. Variant Species Being created and guarded by divine powers, Angels didn't face the obstacles of evolution, today they are exactly how they were created eons ago. The classic literature tends on classify them into 3 big categories: Devas, the ones who live among mortals. Planetars, the army of God. And the, almost God-like, Solars. Truthfully, the Hierarchy is very fragmented, with every Angel created for a precise purpose. A more archaic classification divided them into seven groups: Archangels, literally "Chief Angels". They are the most powerful ones, destined to lead the Hierarchy in the Final Battle against the Evil. Seraphim, the "Burning Ones". Seraphim are God's bodyguards, they are always near their own God and therefore they shine perpetually in His blinding light. It is said that their wings are indestructible and thus they are often depicted with 6 wings, flying with a pair while they wrap themselves with the other two pairs. Cherubim, the "Blessed Ones". Cherubs are Wardens of relics, holy places and saints. They are armed with flaming or thunderous swords and they have astonishing metamorphic abilities, above average for any other Angel. Thrones, the "Many-Eyed-Ones". Directly under the orders of the Cherubim, Thrones are sentinels, observers, spies. It is said that they also carry the Throne of their God, thus the name. Dominions are the mind of the Hierarchy. They are beings of high intellect who elaborates the strategies to undertake against the Evil and oversee the duties of the other Angels. Some say that they posses orbs who allow them to see through the Thrones' eyes. Virtues are the ones who grant sparks of divine power to mortals. Clerics, paladins and druids are all observed and guided by Virtues. It is said that they may also offer "contracts" to certain beings that were predestined to have the chance to shift the balance in a way or another. Powers are the soldiers of the Hierarchy. They are specialized to fight Fiends, Devils, Demons and all the loathsome beings that Evil may generate. 9

DM's Toolkit Angels aren't only God's tools; they can be valuable to any DM. Did you think that the mighty Pelor shows himself to any human just because this little being was calling for help? Of course not, Pelor has His own business to run (let's put aside the fact that only being near to an almighty entity isn't exactly "safe" and bearable by any poor mortal, without considering the alignment of the deity). Regardless of how your Pantheon is composed you almost certainly need agents for your gods. In the last section, I wrote an example based on the Catholic religion of how you can organize ranks between your winged beings. A few examples with some D&D deities: Angels of Tyr: Armed with longswords, they guide, help and judge paladins and magistrates. They can cast Zone of Truth at will or just perceive every lie passively. Angels of Pelor: Armed with a mace, they shine so bright that you can't glance at them. They are always near clerics, granting them healing miracles and the power to destroy the undead. Angels of Habbakuk: They always carry nets with them and are somewhat translucent. They can talk to animals and calm a sea storm. Angels of Lolth: Their wings were ripped when they fell, but the Dark Mother adopted them and gave to them new wings, made of webs. They guide the hands of assassins and help spreading their new Mother's web of deception through whispers in the right ears. Wait! But Lolth isn't a Good deity! Who cares? I mean, if you think that your God deserve a court of supernatural agents, Angels are a nice choice. As long as your God hasn't an army of fiends, demons or devils, they don't even need to be Fallen Angels (or the Balance will shift!). They are customizable to your God's needs! Don't stick too much with the manuals! You need something? Homebrew it! ;) 10

Animated Object "Boris had just killed a Rust Monster that was guarding King Olister's fortress. With his weapons and armor destroyed, he thought he had no choice but to turn back. Then he found a suit of armor decorating the dungeon. Praising the gods for his good luck, he put on the armor and waved the nearby sword with glee. King Olister would fall before his blade, there was no doubt. When he reached the final chamber, he shouted a challenge to the mad king: Fight me like a man or die a coward! King Olister merely laughed at his challenge. The enraged Boris charged, but the carpet sprung to life, tripping him. Raising his blade to fight his new foe, he gasped when he realized that the sword was no longer in his hand, but floating a few feet away, pointed at him. He desperately tried to jump out of the way of the blade, but the armor locked up and actually moved him into the path of the blade. His head decorated a pike outside King Olister's fortress the following morning." --Boris Learns to not Trust Animated Objects from Big Book of Boris's Blunders Introduction Not to be confused with Mimics, which are monsters grotesquely shaped as man-made objects, Animated Objects are man-made objects brought to life through magic. The nature of the objects or the magic powering them varies from object to object, but they all share certain traits that make it easy to classify them as a single type of monster. Most Animated Objects are unintelligent, with a singular purpose. Unfortunately, their purpose is almost universally harmful. Except for the rare intelligent Animated Objects, they are all unaligned because of their unintelligent nature. Even if their purpose is evil, they only fulfill their purpose because they are forced to, not because they themselves are evil. They also all share a vulnerability to antimagic. Physiological Observations The shape and function of Animated Objects vary from item to item. Three most commonly encountered by explorers are known as Animated Armor, Flying Sword, and Rug of Smothering. However, Animated Objects come in practically every possible form, from the tiniest needles to carriages and ships. All Animated Objects share one physical trait: they can only move parts of the objects that are capable of moving. A statue would make a poor Animated Object because it has no moving parts; it would be wiser to make a statue into a golem of some kind. Animated Armor This form of Animated Object typically appears to be a metal suit of armor, with significant variation in composition and decoration from object to object. It's not uncommon to see Animated Armor with emblems or spikes decorating them. They can also take the shape of other kinds of armor, like leather or scale, but they tend to be less common because they lack durability. Animated Armor doesn't rust naturally, though if it is made of metal it can still be damaged by a Rust Monster or any magical sources of rust. If the design of the Animated Armor does not make it immediately obvious that there is no one wearing it, it can easily be confused for a person. Flying Sword Despite the name, Flying Sword is a classification that encompasses all animated handheld weapons, including swords, axes, clubs, hammers, daggers, and even crossbows. Swords are the most common, but any out-ofplace weapon in a dungeon could potentially be an Animated Object. Like the name implies, these objects can fly, making up for the weapon's general lack of moving parts. Unlike a Dancing weapon, Flying Swords function permanently (until destroyed or disenchanted) but they do not gain the benefits of their wielder like Dancing Weapons do. Like Animated Armor, Flying Swords possess the same immunity to natural rust and the same weakness to Rust Monsters and magical rust. Rug of Smothering This type of Animated Object shares an unfortunate physical similarity to another less sinister magical object, the carpet of flying. Like the carpet, the Rug of Smothering appears to be a rug or carpet, but instead of responding to command words with flight, the Rug of Smothering brings a whole new world of pain. Unlike a carpet of flying, a Rug of Smothering is generally incapable of flight, though there are certain exceptions. Their magical properties make them a natural flame retardant, so while fire can still damage them, they don't burn like cloth typically would. These rugs don't typically possess the ability to fly, though some possess slight levitation capabilities. Other Animated Objects of other categories possess the same physical characteristics as the objects they come from, though some things can be magically amplified. The magic negates most of the objects' natural weaknesses, such as wooden objects don't burn as easily or metal objects don't rust. Objects are animated through either control of the objects' moving parts or can fly through magic propulsion, though the latter is less common. Since they don't have eyes (usually), they see through a magical blindsense that usually extends 60 ft. Beyond that, they are blind. 11

Social Observations Because the overwhelming majority of Animated Objects are unintelligent entities with a singular purpose, there is very little social interaction between Animated Objects. Sometimes they can coordinate to accomplish a group goal, but that is largely up to their creator. The rare intelligent Animated Object usually avoids the unintelligent ones, sticking together in the even rarer instance of multiple intelligent Animated Objects inhabiting the same area. Behavioral Observations An Animated Object's behavior is based entirely on the intentions of its creator. The most common Animated Objects serve a violent purpose, but there are many other kinds that exist for other reasons. Intelligent Animated Objects develop a sense of superiority because of their uniqueness, but they also tend to inexplicably become paranoid, often leading to isolated lives away from anything or anyone else. Inter-Species Observations Animated Objects only interact with other species if it is required by their purpose. Violent Animated Objects interact violently with other species, while helpful Animated Objects aid other species. Intelligent Animated Objects tend to be reclusive, avoiding both unintelligent Animated Objects and other races. While Animated Objects will fulfill their purpose to the best of their abilities, they will not perform any actions not directly associated with fulfilling their purpose. An Animated Object cannot aid an adventurer if its purpose is not to aid people, and they will not harm an adventurer if its purpose is not to harm people. DM's Toolkit Animated Objects are one of the most versatile monsters in the Monster Manual because they can literally be anything. The right amount of creativity can turn a room full of junk into a deathtrap of deadly Animated Objects. Alternatively, Animated Objects can be used as to help the PCs. An animated lamp could guide a lost party through a maze, or an animated rope might help a traveler rappel down a wall. There could be a very lazy wizard who decided to never have to deal with any mundane task again, so he made every single possession he owned into an Animated Object, so the door opens when he wants through, the coffee makes itself, the broom sweeps automatically, etc. There's no limit to the size of an animated object, so an entire ship could be animated, doing away with the need of a crew. A rogue, intelligent animated ship would be a deadly scourge upon the seas. Even more ambitious, there could be an animated city somewhere, maintaining itself while its citizens go about their lives, barely aware that the city is anything special. I'm personally fond of a homebrew spell that transfers a dead person's consciousness into an animated object. Fun times... 12

Ankheg "An Ankheg's chitin makes excellent armour and each individual has quite a bit of it. The problem is in collecting it, mostly because an Ankheg's chitin makes excellent armour and each individual has quite a bit of it." --Old Hunter's Almanac Introduction The Ankheg (gryllotalpa aegisidae, alt. myrmecia aegisidae) is a large insect common to temperate forest and grassland biomes. Many consider the ankheg to be a notorious pest species and when there is an infestation it can wreak havoc to a farm or ranch due to disruption of local soils and predation of domestic animals. Removal of ankhegs from agricultural societies can be difficult as obtaining enough poison to reach a lethal dose for the ankheg is often not a viable solution due to size and the creature's resistance to many poisons' effects. As such, a manual approach is often used. Ankheg resistant to removal have been known to consume or fatally poison unwary extermination contractors. It is not suggested that the inexperienced attempt to remove an infestation. Physiological Observations It is perhaps due to its interactions with humanoids that one of the ankheg's most noted features are its large outer mandibles. Capable of injecting a potent poison these are used to subdue and manipulate prey for mastication with its smaller inner mandibles in addition to warding off unwanted intruders to its territory. Some sub-species of ankheg have been reported capable of launching a poisonous projectile. The mechanism behind this has remained expectedly elusive. The ankheg has a number of very keen senses including low-light capable vision, a keen sense of smell using the antenna on its head, and the ability to sense fine vibrations in the surrounding earth facilitated by a number of fine hairs on the ankheg's feet. Despite their fearsome reputation as voracious hunters of large game the ankheg is omnivorous consuming an extremely varied diet. It is believed that this is primarily to maintain its rather large size for a species of this particular clade. The large size also creates problems for the distribution of oxygen, a known limiting factor for many insects. Their large size suggests that there is something more than just diffusion pushing oxygen through their system. The ankheg's chitinous exoskeleton is the primary reason that they are hunted, besides pest eradication. When properly cured and maintained it can be used as armor plating that can rival other types of heavy armor. Of of the notable properties is that it is one of the few heavy armors that is non-metallic instead relying on chitin for its structural integrity. This has made it a valuable commodity to the right buyer. Successful hunting of ankheg can be quite profitable especially due to the fact that the ankheg has resisted domestication despite a number of disastrous attempts. Behavioral Observations The ankheg is an ambush predator making use of its highly developed senses. In particular, its ability to sense vibrations through earth mean that it doesn't even need to have a line of sight or to be downwind to detect potential prey or hunters. Ankheg make the most of these senses when they are inside their tunnels. Ankheg are prodigious tunnelers making vast networks of them when they find a new territory. Farmland is especially attractive for this activity and can cause problems with the stability of the fields that the tunnels are built under as collapses are common injuring or killing farm animals and farmers alike. The ankheg use these tunnels as a way to store food and protect young from egg into its early instars. These tunnels have also been used as staging grounds from which the ankheg will quickly burrow above ground and attack prey. Exploration of these tunnels without proper equipment is not advised. Social Observations Many ankheg are solitary creatures meeting other ankheg only to mate and perhaps fight over territory but on a couple occasions more complex social interactions have been observed. Of the more solitary varieties, a mating pair may be seen soon after the female has laid her eggs unless she has consumed the male due to a scarcity of resources. In addition several males may be seen in close proximity before mating vying for a female's attention. Rarer are small groups of ankheg working together. This subspecies seem to have a high level of coordination and will perform all sorts of tasks together including building tunnel systems and hunting. They may in fact actually be eusocial like the ant, bee, or naked mole-rat but this has not been confirmed. Evolutionary lineage There is some debate over the evolutionary lineage of this peculiar insect. Due to the price portions of the exoskeleton receive in most markets, comparative analysis of intact specimens remain elusive as most are not collected with scientific enquiry in mind. As a result, there are two competing theories on which clade the ankheg occupies within the Insect class. Some taxonomists lump the ankheg in with the mole cricket (Gryllotalpidae) citing the strikingly similar morphologies, behaviors, and diet. Both feature strong front fore-limbs used for digging and burrowing in earth and loose soils to create tunnels used by both to store eggs and early instar grubs/pupa. In addition, both appear to be omnivorous, making them a pest to both agriculture and animal husbandry, though the ankheg has a notable size advantage in the later regard. There are some notable differences that are marks against this hypothesis such as the lack of wings on the ankheg and the lack of any poison used by the mole cricket. This has led some to believe that there is a different lineage for the ankheg. 13

The number of similarities to the bull ant clade (Myrmecia) has lead to an alternative theory stating the ankheg to be a large member of the bull ant family. Like many in the bull ant's parent clade, Formicidae (the ant family), the ankheg produces a poison which it is able to administer with a fearsome set of mandibles. This, in addition to the solitary nature of a number of ankheg, has lead to its classification in the Myrmecia sub-family. On the Consumption of Ankheg Consuming Ankheg flesh has a number of complications and thus it is generally not recommended. Contamination of the meat from the many poison glands is common during butchering which tends to be a rather kinetic operation. There are, however, a number of accounts of various individuals eating ankheg. A human culinary author named Fredrick the Foodie boiled a (mostly) whole ankheg, convinced the boiling process would produce a clean meat to eat alongside a bucket of drawn butter and a bushel of lemons. Unfortunately, before he was able to render a verdict on the taste, Fredrick's throat closed up, never to open again. Another brave consumer, dwarf Gurdson Ironbelly, slow roasted an ankheg leg over a fire and his last words were: "S'good, like crab, bit nutty..." It is theorized that it tastes like a cross between a shellfish like crab or prawn and crickets, which are known to have a nutty quality to them. DM Toolkit -Darkvision, tremorsense and a keen sense of smell means that any PCs will have a hard time hiding from an ankheg, or sneaking up on them. -Ankhegs become a force to be reckoned with when they are acting as ambush predators. Make sure that you make full use of their burrow speed and propensity to build shaky collapse-prone tunnels to really put the screws to a party. -It's actually quite rare for a thing to fight to the death in real life but clade Arthropoda is not known for its high intelligence. Protecting a kill, its lair, or its brood offer a great incentive in addition to more simple blind, dumb, invertebrate rage. -Speaking of low intelligence, some editions of this creature have such low INT that they are immune to certain mind affecting spells and powers, make sure to make a note of that and be aware that comprehension is often a prerequisite to following an order. Giving a complex order to a thrall does not give it a brain. -In a number of ways the ankheg resemble ants, but are terrifyingly larger. While the typical depiction of the ankheg is a solitary one, turning it into a social animal is an easy step to take. A dungeon that resembles an anthill with larger than life ants has a certain appeal and can be a nice break from a more traditional dungeon. You can use the ankheg's tunnels quite effectively given the right context. -Ankheg armor is also very attractive to Druids for obvious reason. It can pose a nice macguffin for the druid in your party. 14

Azer Fire ravages and destroys, sure... But it also creates. Forests can't live without wildfire, and the planes? The planes would be barren without the Azers. I've seen their cities, ya know. Spent a week trekking up one of their steel spires and saw neither a fiery face nor brass ass. Figured they were too busy building higher on up at the top. But when I did find 'em, and saw what they were crafting? Heh. Well I never seen a Mithral Hippogriff fly before, nor since. Introduction If there is beauty and order in the Plane of Fire, it is the result of the efforts of the Azers. An otherwise chaotic and unforgiving place, the elegant cities and breathtaking spires that rise from the ashes and cinders of the Plane of Fire are unparalleled in other elemental planes. No other race is as dedicated to or as meticulous with their craft as are the Azers, and the works they have wrought stand both the test of effectiveness and the onslaught of time. Physiological Observations The raw spirit of fire which animates these Dwarf-like beings is inextricably linked to the metal that they are composed of, and is imbued into them during their construction. It bursts forth from fissures in their metallic skins, forming fiery hair and beards that surpass even the most distinguished Dwarf's. It is unknown whether Azers were made in the image of Dwarves or vice-versa, as both are more ancient than historical records. Perhaps a shortstatured God simply likes the look. Regardless, the similarities are more than superficial, as both races have an innate affinity with metal, gemstones, and riches. They seem drawn to the plunder of the earth, and their bodies are well suited to the depths and harsh conditions of the mines. Unlike most other elementals, Azers are made, not born. It is this very fact that distinguishes them and grants them unique insight into the nature of construction and metallurgy. Any Azer seems capable of building a new Azer, though the exact requirements for their construction are unknown, and new Azers appear to be constructed on a rare whim rather than by some divine pattern. At best, this occurs once or twice in an Azer's existence. Despite the origins of their existence, however, they are no more a construct than any other living thing, as they are far more than the sum of their parts: A golem or automaton follows the precepts of its construction, but an Azer will always surprise you. They have no need for sleep or sustenance, though they have a literal taste for rare metals. Upon consuming a metal, they melt it down within their internal conflagration and can extrude it from their very fingertips, allowing them to sculpt intricate designs that are far more delicate than any mortal smith could manage. It should be noted that an aversion to quicksilver and gallium is commonplace, perhaps due to these metals' low melting points. Each Azer has a unique metallic husk, but they distinguish each other more by the hue and pattern of their flame than by the cut of their shells. This may be due to the prevalence of body modifications within the Azers. The metal they consume may either be incorporated into their next project or fused with their bodies. Newly-forged Azers tend to be constructed of a bronze-like psychoreactive metal, while ancient Azers may have bodies composed of a wide variety of left-over precious metals. Most Azers retain the Dwarf-like appearance of their birth, but Azers with unusual, even alien, features have been witnessed. Social Observations Azers are a solitary and paradoxically anarchical race. They have no apparent, definite hierarchy, but a strict social contract exists within their conclaves that ensure order. Most Azers are more concerned with their own inventions and creations than with each other, but large projects necessitating the input of dozens or hundreds of Azers are often spontaneously undertaken without so much as a blueprint agreed upon (such a collection is known as a 'Blast of Azers'). For example, the construction of the City of Brass for the Efreeti involved hundreds of thousands of Azers working seemingly independently towards a common goal. This occurred in spite of their lack of telepathy or established leadership. Rather, whatever an individual Azer makes is accepted and expanded upon by most other Azers. No order is enforced by the Azers because they universally self-enforce, and an Azer acting out of line is unheard of. It isn't that the Azers are disorganized; they are so organized they have no need of the usual command structures. Social interactions between Azers usually entails little more than mutual appreciation of the Azers' creations. At its most flattering, an interaction will encompass admiration of a particularly rare metal incorporated into an Azer's husk. This brusqueness is not considered rude by the Azers. They are universally focused upon new creation, rather than wasting time with pleasantries. Somehow their independence has resulted in the mutually-assured construction of massive, gleaming spires and impervious ships to sail the burning seas. Other species attempting to interact with Azers should bring some complex or rare tribute. An artifact or unusual construct may catch an Azer's attention for a time, but those wanting to truly interact with an Azer should engage them on innovative ideas. Azers are happy to iterate repeatedly on an idea for centuries, but a truly new idea will consume and focus them. 15

Behavioral Observations Orderly and nearly obsessive, Azers remain focused on their current task unless something gets in their way. About the only thing that can catch an Azer's attention is an interesting puzzle or unusual construction. Even in these cases, only a cursory examination will be performed before the Azer returns to its current priority. What they lack in brilliance they make up for in persistence. Azers are generally ancient and unhurried, and will puzzle out problems and creations by way of experimentation over the course of centuries. They have very strong opinions (borne by weight of experience) about the way machines and metals should be forged and built and will diligently seek to correct the mistakes made by non-Azers. Alloys are particularly delicious to them, and many an Azer will value Bronze or Electrum over pure gold. Similarly, they place more importance in the utility of something rather than in its subjective value. Despite this, the beauty of their constructions is undeniable: the vaulted ceilings and domes of the City of Brass; the curling elegance of the Spire of Creation; even the lava-scarred hull of a Titanium Dreadnought... Each is built with a swooping, twisting beauty that will endure for eons. An Azer might agree to improve an adventurer's axe or imbue a piece of plate-mail, but it will do so because it hasn't faced that particular challenge before. They have little use for currency and are distrustful of long-term agreements (likely stemming from the Efreeti Betrayal), but can forge wonders the planes have never before witnessed, and are thus highly sought as smiths and architects. Azers prevented from experimentation or creation will turn their attention inward: warping their own metallic shells in new and unusual ways. Inter-Species Observations The mutual disdain between Azers and Efreeti is well known and ancient, stemming from the Efreeti betrayal after the construction of the City of Brass. Ironically, the relationship between the Azers and Efreeti is best described as a cold war. Efreeti will pay good money for Azer husks, especially if they're still slightly molten. On the other hand, Azers are generally not immediately hostile towards Efreeti or their Salamander slaves. The presence of nearby Efreeti will cause an Azer to redirect its attention towards the construction of defenses and escape plans. Azer outposts are often harried by Salamanders and Fire Snakes, but are well constructed to rebuff any assault. Modrons have an amicable relationship with Azers. Some mutual spirit of order apparently guides the two races towards peaceful co-creation in the rare planes where they meet. Azers are not especially dismissive of those from the Prime Material Plane, but they are often unimpressed by what a Prime has to offer. Azers don't trade favors, but concrete progress they understand. Solve an Azer's problem and it will solve two of yours. Azers have at times made tenuous alliances with Marids and Dao Genies. This is more the result of mutual hatred of the Efreeti than of any common purpose, and as such tend to be fairly unproductive relationships. Nevertheless, trade between the Dao and the Azers is common, as the Dao covet the gem-encrusted metallic wonders the Azers create. However, Azers are distrustful of Genies and any others who would take slaves, and the one thing an Azer will never forge is shackles. Variant Forms Variant Forms As mentioned, the appearance of Azers is unique to the individual and varies wildly. Extra arms, heads, or even silvery wings can be added by an Azer given time and desire. However, some sub-types are notable: Chained Azers - Not every Azer escaped the Efreeti betrayal unscathed. Twisted by centuries of enslavement and confinement, these unlucky captives have wicked chains fused to their husks as a sign of their servitude. Efreeti keep them as smiths, and Chain devils may acquire these broken beings as shock troops or jailers. These Azers forego the hammers of their free kin, instead whipping opponents with their red-hot chains (See Chain Devil MM pg 72). Reactive Azers - Azers who have consumed large quantities of radioactive metals are extremely dangerous to the living. Some unusual reaction within the fire spirit turns their flames green and enhances the radioactivity of the consumed metals. Creatures within 30 ft. must succeed on CON saves or become permanently sickened (1d4 CON damage). Additionally, spells affecting these Azers must roll per the Wild Magic Surge feature (Sorcerer PHB pg. 103). Cold-Rolled - Extremely rare, these abominations gain life without being imbued with a fire elemental. Wicked and cunning, these failed Azers desperately crave heat and will drain it from anything they can find. Their body and weapons deal cold damage instead of fire, and they gain the Chilling Gaze feature (see Yeti, MM pg. 305) DM's Toolkit Azers are the civil-engineers of the planes. Modrons might keep a planar city's infrastructure functional and clean, but it was probably designed and built by an Azer. Therefore, if you need something steam-punk or modern in an otherwise High Fantasy campaign... Azers are the way to go. Given their non-confrontational nature I don't tend to use them as guardians or combatants, but they can make for interesting low-level planar encounters. They're also the most obvious choice for blacksmiths in the planes. Azers are low CR (2) and I don't like them in groups, so I discourage aggression by having the Azer ruin PC equipment if threatened. That's a nice set of plate mail you have there, be a shame if someone were to melt it down to scrap while you're wearing it... That said they can make excellent rewards, so if a player has grown attached to and named their otherwise nonmagical sword, doing a favor for an Azer can make that sword be ON FIRE. In a good way. They needn't be confined to the Plane of Fire, either. Perhaps some great work has brought them to the Prime and they need help collecting material or protecting their scaffolding. Or maybe it will help PCs get back at that Genie who twisted a wish, or forge them a planar gateway to get them to a new adventure. Or a sorcerer has bargained with an Efreeti to rent some of its Chained Azer Slaves for the construction of his macguffin +5. My variants are not balanced, and may prove more challenging than the normal CR 2. Hopefully these variants expand their usefulness or give you ideas! 16

Banshee Father Reolus glanced at the half-moon shining through the clouds as he climbed down from his horse. "Father, we're so glad you've arrived so soon," stammered the mayor's boy, "It's Ashera. Her horse bucked her off while she was riding by the river and, well--" Just then the night was ripped by a ghastly shriek coming from the river. Reolus checked the silver sword at his hip. "Say no more, boy, I know what I'm dealing with. I'm going to need some earplugs." Physiological Observations Banshees are the undead spirits of humanoids, filled with sufficient rage and anguish to remain on the mortal planes after their death. However, unlike other undead such as revenants or ghosts, these banshees have little unfinished business. Instead, they are tethered our world by their pride and indignation at having died. All banshees were once beautiful in life. Humanoid individuals (usually elves) born with great beauty and powerful wills may use these gifts to enrich the lives of those around them, or to arrogantly manipulate and use others for their own gain. After lives of corruption and pride, it is no wonder that these spirits face their deaths with rage and denial. After death, banshees resemble incorporeal versions of their mortal selves, but with visages grotesquely twisted by rage and anguish. As they age, their memories of their lives fade and their anger grows, blurring and distorting their frames and faces into horrors that are barely recognizable as human. What truly sets banshees apart as creatures to be feared are their horrible wails and cries. Banshees' wails have been known to drive men insane, paralyze them from fright, or even physically age them. On clear nights, these wails can be heard from miles away, warning all in the area of the malevolent presence. Social Observations Spirits that become banshees rarely have close friends or like-minded company at the times of their deaths; else they would not be banshees. However, occasionally circumstances will lead to multiple banshees being created, perhaps from a pair of lovers or group of siblings. In such cases, these banshees show contempt for each other, though not to the extent of their hatred for all else. They will cooperate against any who offend or trespass against them. However, such groups are very rare. The nature of banshees' creation means that they are limited to relatively short distances (only a few miles) near their domains, usually the site of their death, although occasionally their tomb or other final resting place. Behavioral Observations In life, banshees were those who could use their beauty and charm to manipulate and corrupt. With these abilities taken away, banshees now use their hideousness and frightful powers to destroy. It is said by some that banshees' wails are twisted songs of mourning, lamenting their lost lives. Others hold that these wails are screams of anguish and rage. Whatever their cause, all banshees perform these cries frequently. It is perhaps fortunate that banshees are so loud, as it often serves as an unintentional warning to those nearing their domains. Banshees possess the same intelligence they had in life, but it is twisted by malice and anger. Reasoning with banshees is technically possible, but they greatly prefer violently driving intruders away rather than negotiating with them. Inter-species Interactions Banshees resent and envy all living creatures, which serve as reminders of that which they have lost. Banshees can sense life around them, and it fills them with a violent rage. This loathing is sometimes so intense that plant and wildlife near the banshee's domain gradually wither and die, with this decay occurring faster the more powerful the banshee is. Although banshees hate the living, they have been known to permit lesser undead and spirits to live within their domain, provided these inferior entities show proper respect and deference to the banshee (proving that their egos persist, undimmed by rage). However, any living creature attempting the same will likely meet a grisly fate, as banshees usually perceive the very act of being alive as a deep personal insult. This hatred is not entirely one-sided. The destructive and disruptive nature of banshees means that their wails are viewed as omens of death. Furthermore, clergy and other individuals of faith often view banshees as more heinous than other types of undead, because of the often wicked lifestyle that leads to their origin and the blind wrath that controls their behavior. DM's Toolbox Although this entry is written in a generalized way, the nature of banshees allows them to be used in a number of ways. The main points to hit are the malice and the wails. Even then, the wails are also extremely variable. Although they have set effects in the various Monster Manuals, these effects can be changed to create different challenges (such as raw damage, paralysis, aging, etc.) Banshees can be used a number of ways, as well. They work as an end boss in a crypt or tomb filled with other undead, awakened by intruding adventurers. The decay they cause can be part of a mystery surrounding a small village (is it pests? a drought? nope, banshee). They can be used as a living barrier or obstacle, perhaps blocking a bridge or narrow mountain pass. 17

Basilisk "This map is bloody useless" Rodrik swore to himself as he navigated the dark passage. As the rogue rounded a corner he was greeted to a statue illuminated by his torchlight, its face caught in a horrified expression. As Rodrik moved to inspect the curious sight he heard a low hiss behind him. He turned just in time to see a pair of brilliant green eyes flash in the darkness. Introduction Lumbering reptiles of modest size, Basilisks are infamous for their magical gaze that has proven the demise of many an unfortunate adventurer. Hunted for their innate magical properties, feared for their power to instantly end a life, and found in near every climate provided they can find a cave or dig a burrow. Physiological Observations Basilisks are medium sized reptilian monsters that grow anywhere from five to seven feet by adulthood. Far larger specimens have been reported, but research has thus far proved inconclusive. Males are typically larger than females, but adult size is chiefly determined by availability of food. Basilisk coloration varies depending on region and conditions at birth. Most individuals are a range of dull greens, with colors ranging to dark browns, oranges, greys, and even black. Both sexes are covered in spike-like quills that extend from between the scaly plates on their back. Males sometimes sport a single curved horn on their snout, but it wears down with age or is prone to breaking off entirely in battle. As a result basilisk sex is difficult to determine from casual inspection. Basilisks possess an extremely strong jaw and a natural under bite. Their bite force is strong enough to crush both bone and rock. A basilisk's mouth is filled with thick pointed teeth; these constantly wear down or snap off and are in a constant process of regrowing replacements. The creatures are propelled by four pairs of thick squat legs that move in alternating rhyme to avoid stumbling. At the end of each foot are three large clawed toes. A basilisk's tail is thick and protected by layered plates, serving more as a deposit for stores of excess fat rather than providing balance. Social Observations Basilisks are not highly social creatures, typically gathering only in small groups of three to five adults sharing a cave. Adult males are typically solitary hunters and opt to instead dig a burrow large enough for themselves and a potential mate. Larger colonies are not unheard of, and if conditions permit large broods in excess of 20+ adults can inhabit large cave systems. Adults can live to 60+ years of age given their mostly docile nature. Basilisks reach sexual maturity at three years of age and remain sexually fertile for the duration of their lives. Females can lay up to one clutch of eggs a year, doing so only when food is abundant. Males compete in shows of dominance for mating rites, rearing up on their hind two sets of legs and emitting a low earthy growl. Rivals who refuse to back down in these displays will escalate to mating combat, slamming their chests against their opponent until one backs down. The winner quickly mates and in two to three weeks the female lays a clutch of roughly fist sized eggs. She will go on to incubate these with her body for a period of months, becoming increasing violent to all but her mating partner. Mated pairs will remain in close relation until the nest hatches, but quickly lose interest in each other once nestlings hatch. Behavioral Observations Basilisk's primary means of hunting and self defense is their iconic magic gaze. It can invoke a number of effects; with the most common being a powerful petrification spell that instantly turns its victims to solid stone. A hunting basilisk will slowly patrol its territory in search of prey, dispersing its weight across its eight legs in order to move silently over most terrain. When prey is spotted it need only wait until they turn to face it, direct eye contact being needed to trigger the effect of their gaze. Impatient basilisks will sometimes hiss to draw a prey's attention. Once subdued petrified prey may be consumed on the spot, dragged to a more suitable location, or even stored in the hunter's lair for later consumption. A basilisk has the unique advantage of leaving defeated prey preserved as statues for times of scarcity. When live prey is consumed the creature's strong jaws tear off chunks of flesh, easily snapping through bones. These same jaws can even break off hunks of petrified stone, which the basilisk swallows whole. By unknown means basilisks can undo their spells on consumed prey, and contrary to popular belief they do not actually eat rocks. Inter-Species Observations Basilisks will hunt any creature large or small that it believes it can successfully gaze. They instinctively avoid creatures that lack visible eyes, and seem to possess an innate ability to detect magical power in prey, avoiding beings that may be able to resist their spell. They will sometimes work in cohabitation with the undead, being unable to petrify those already dead and feasting on those who enter their chambers. In a similar manner, basilisks have on occasion been used by dragons that use the beasts to guard their lair. A dragon is too powerful a magical being to provoke a basilisk's attack, and the creatures themselves have no interest in the dragon's hoard. This makes them ideal watch dogs and especially proud dragons may collect the statues of petrified adventurers as personal trophies. Basilisks may be captured and raised by skilled or brave individuals. They possess intelligence on a level similar to dogs, but their aggressive temperament makes then near impossible to train. They can prove a very useful companion if a would-be master can find a way to remove the threat of their gaze, at least with regards to himself. 18

B a s i l i s k ey e s a r e a p r i z e d c o m m o d i t y o n t h e a l c h e m i c m a r ke t, b e i n g u s e d fo r p o t e n t s p e l l s o f p e t r i fi c a t i o n a s w e l l a s a h o s t o f o t h e r h i g h e n d m a g i c a l u s e s. H i d e s, b o n e, a n d fa n g s a r e a l s o b e l i e v e d t o h o l d m a g i c a l p r o p e r t i e s a n d c a n fe t c h a h i g h p r i c e. Wo u l d b e h u n t e r s m u s t e i t h e r b e w e l l p r e p a r e d o r e x c e p t i o n a l l y l u c ky w h e n h u n t i n g fo r b a s i l i s k s. Basilisk Variants: Swamp Basilisk: Smaller and more agile in build than their common cousins. These creatures are slightly weaker and may be found in swamps, marshes, or river deltas. Their gaze paralyzes prey rather than petrifies, and they drag their prey below water to drown the helpless victim. Desert Basilisk: Known locally as "Sand Fangs", this rare subspecies that has a radically different diet. It lies in ambush under the desert sands where it emerges to ambush prey with its gaze. It then sucks the fluids from the victim's rocky body using two special fangs on its upper jaw. Once drained of fluids the corpse then breaks down into sand.DM's Toolkit Basilisks are moderately powerful creatures that should present significant challenge to low level parties. Once means of healing their spells becomes available they quickly lose potency alone. They can easily be scaled up for harder combat by adding "greater" or "giant" variants with scales up stat blocks. They can make for tricky minions when used in coordination with allies immune to their gaze. Forcing party members to risk petrification or find creative ways to mitigate a loss of vision. Other uses include using them in traps, adding another element of danger to common obstacles like pit fall traps. They also make an exotic means of execution, having a royal basilisk petrify the guilty at which point the statue is carted away or smashed by an executioner for a bloodless execution. Roleplay Situations: Basilisk prey could remain petrified indefinitely so long as they remain intact. The party could come across a basilisk den and deal with the moral dilemma of reviving statues from centuries ago. How does this affect the victims? Their families may be dead, their county gone, culture shocked time traveler syndrome. One last scenario makes for a good side question in a city. A local artisan is famed for his sculptures. Upon investigation it's revealed he is luring attractive young women to his home under the guise of modeling his next piece. They become the statue when the man's pet basilisk petrifies the victim. 1 9

Behir One of the creatures we've debated regularly is the Behir. While their presence is a menace as any dragon it's not near as... Disruptive I'll say. As they are clearly not natural creatures they do little to harm the environment more than any predator and certainly are a good deterrent to a dragon coming. -- Talgidar Human Druid Introduction Behir are strange magical beasts that inhabit many habitats around the world. While many traits vary in different regions they always pose a real threat to those who stumble upon them. They are strange and strong magical creatures that usually keep to themselves. While they are not as well-known as dragons they are very similar in many ways. Don't ever tell one so as you may be finding the answer to the afterlife very soon after that. Stay far away from them and only take them on in great numbers and on a battlefield of your choosing. It is thought that storm giants of the ancient days created them to fight the dragons in a great war and these claims seem well supported. It is also ponderous as many more varieties of these creatures seem to be found as time goes on leading me to believe it was more than just storm giants. Physiological Observations Behir are huge reptilian beasts that resemble a cross between a crocodile and a centipede. They have very crocodilian heads and maws but sport two backward facing very sharp and straight horns. 6 sets of legs, on very serpentine bodies make them expert climbers. A behir is easily 70 feet long at full size and can rear up the front most legs to stand over 20 feet tall. Their large heads sport many interlocking sharp teeth indicative of a voracious predator. Not only are they large but they can be surprisingly fast. While moving on their legs is a more controlled and slightly winding gait they can out run a human easily on land. They can maintain this speed while climbing even vertical surfaces making them dangerously mobile even in tight spaces. They also can easily climb on a ceiling but at a slower speed and usually used in ambush. While on the ground they can fold their legs in and slither like a snake propelling themselves not only with their large scales like a snake but also pushing with their legs and sliding along. This gives them a frightening speed when not climbing that's hard to outrun for almost any creature. Their mouths of interlocking teeth have very much the same use as a crocodile. They are meant to keep things in more so than chewing or tearing. Behir eat their prey (or chunks of) whole. Their long bodies can also be used to constrict larger prey and feed themselves like many constricting snakes of the world. Their mouth also can expel a dangerous line of magical energy in the form of lightning to dispatch of more troublesome creatures in a fight. This line easily can extend up to 200 feet away but they can't do this constantly as it exhausts their magical energies. Fortunately their energy recharges quickly making prolonged fight disadvantageous for their foes. Behir are preferred ambush predators despite their size. They can move very quietly if they chose to do so and normally like to cling to a wall or ceiling when sneaking up on prey or foes for the ambush. They are cunning in their tactics and very intelligent for a beast. They are not as intelligent as your average human but intelligent enough to form plans, escape routes and even counter measures to situations. Behir can also speak but normally chose not to do so and only in the language of their most hated enemies, the dragons. This seems to lend credence to the theory as they were created as a weapon against dragons some time ago. They will parley or negotiate with more formidable opponents wishing to hunt another day if need be. Typically when almost defeated and with no means of escape will be the only time in which they are the initiators of conversation. They are fierce fighters and not cowardly but will take the opportunity to talk themselves out of a deadly situation if needed. While they are huge predators they are not overly territorial. They go hunting when they need to which is usually once a week. Once their bellies are full they retreat to their lair curl up and hibernate to process their food. They eat a large amount in a day and then usually hibernate for a week making territorial disputes a waste of time unless with a dragon. Their lairs are typically in hard to reach areas that require expert climbing to reach. A common tactic is a hole in the ground that one must crawl on the ceiling of that hole to a cave along the side, or plummet far down to their death. They make their homes hidden and hard to reach as while digesting they are vulnerable. Their homes are little more than bedded areas where they sleep not caring for material possessions and seem to only hunt and hibernate. Recently behir have been found in many climates but the most well-known and common are native to rolling hills, mountains, or grasslands. They make their homes where they can but never in the area of a dragon. Their deep seeded hatred for dragons, again more credence to the weapon theory, makes them never settle for a space near them. They will fight off any dragon trying to make a home anywhere near their cave for miles and will only leave if utterly bested and possibly multiple times. They never make a nest in an already occupied area of a dragon unless they ambush the dragon and kill it. 20

Social Observations Behir are solitary creatures from birth. They hatch in their egg clutch of 3 to 6 eggs and immediately wonder off in their own directions. They normally find their own secluded caves and areas to nest in and start life instinctually hunting not very different from that of an adult. While they have learning to do, especially at being stealthy, they are still adept at catching pretty due to their speed and cunning even from birth. Of course if all else fails they can simply blast their prey from a distance. Upon hatching they are ready to go and thinking cunning beasts to start. They are small though only reaching about 2 or 3 feet. They grow at a rapid pace reaching full size in only a short decade and living for up to 19 more decades. They do not like to confront creatures larger than themselves making young a rare site for humanoids up until the age of 3. Mating occurs only 2 or 3 times in a Behir's life and usually only after their first 50 years. The female will go into a heat that is only indicated by the desire to mate. She will travel looking for a male and then try and entice the male for a mating arrangement. A female will display a dance in best terms indicating she wishes to mate. She'll stand up with as many front legs in the air as they can and seemingly to violently sway left to right blasting lightning in the air until the male accepts by blasting lightning in the air as well. It seems that they only mate out of convenience or an urge to propagate as the criteria on a mate seem to be inexistent. During this mating time the pair will continually mate until the female produces eggs somewhere nearby and at which part she travels back to her original home. They hunt together and eat together during this period that can last months. The seemingly only benefit is that having a mate allows them to take on larger foes but even that seems rare. Normally disputes between behir are rare as they just keep to themselves and can even overlap territories given their eating schedule, but females will fight over a male. Females work quickly to find a mate since eating on the road is dangerous without decent protection to digest food and a rival makes that journey harder. They also are susceptible to another behir taking over her lair in the absence at which point they will have a rare territory dispute. Usually a newcomer won't take a lair that seems occupied not wanting to fight and rather keep their lives more simple. Intra-Species Observations Above all a behir is predator. Any creature it deems worthy to eat without a high risk of injury it will try and devour. Their large size and cunning tactics make most creatures they encounter an easy fight. They are out for food and will return to their cave only when they've devoured enough to go hibernate again. This can mean many creatures if they are not large enough, typically they eat about 5 cows before retreating to their lairs. If they are lucky 1 giant or other larger creature will suffice. They avoid communities from experience, as communities have more numbers than they can eat but always have a way to gather more than they can handle in a fight. They don't know why more creatures show up but they learn that it will happen when they attack a town or village. When fighting they like to lead with their magical blasts of energy and follow in for the kill. They will eat or swallow hole any downed creature in the fight as it is their main goal of food. They like to constrict a creature to death with the end part of their body and fend off attackers with their mouths and claws until the prey succumbs. Once the constricted prey stops moving they retreat to a safe spot swallow them and re-enter the fray. If they encounter a solitary creature they will bite and rake at the constricted pretty giving it full attention. They are brutally efficient and deadly killers giving no mercy as they only care for their hunger. This makes their calls for mercy when almost defeated hypocritical but they could care less for such values as they value food and little else. Despite their surprising intelligence for the average beast they have no ambitions above any other beast, food, shelter and comfort. Their relationship with dragons changes almost everything in their behavior. They become seething plotting coils of hatred and death. Their drive to eradicate the dragon consumes all behavior only stopping to eat if absolutely necessary as they are singular in their goal. Dragons are not typically bothered by behir as they are rare but aware of the dangers if they do know of one. Behir will plot against a dragon and make swift action to kill it usually by going as far as sneaking into their lair. It's not uncommon for a behir to wait on the ceiling of the dragon's lair for the unsuspecting dragon. They lead with their blasts of magic then drop and the dragon's head and neck constricting their mouths and throats shut to suffocate them. They like to then dig and tear at their wings while constricting and blasting them with abandon when they can. If the dragon survives this initial assault and manages to free themselves they are likely to either be too torn to fight or flee if the behir is successful. If the behir is not then the dragon usually has the upper hand at being far more intelligent and powerful. If the behir doesn't think it has damaged the dragon enough it will flee for the time being until the next opportune moment to strike. This can be a long while later or simply the next time the dragon exit's their home and it the behir was waiting just out of sight to try again. If the behir continually fails or becomes badly damaged enough in a fight that it comes close to death it will instead flee and abandon its lair searching for a home far away from the foul dragon. 21

Variant Species Behir are usually varied by their habitat and are surprisingly adapted to combat dragons of those habitats. Blue Behir - as by name they are blue in hue ranging from brilliant sapphire colors to turquoise. They are the mostly described above as they have a line of lightning as their blast and inhabit the fields, hills, and mountains. They usually encounter red dragons in these habitats. Black Behir - are strange for their habitat but effective. They are black as by their name but inhabit colder regions of the worlds that have snow. Their body temperatures are very high and have a much quicker metabolism then other behir. They spew a line of hot acid that easily melts snow and ice. They usually encounter white dragons. Red Behir - are dangerous and cunning ambush predators of the swamps and flooded forests. While not aquatic they hang around the lower bows of trees waiting for prey to pass underneath. They are devastating with their line of fire that easily ignites the gasses of the swamps to their advantage. They are not well camouflaged but few creatures in the swamp worry about the trees when something could be lurking under the murky waters. They usually encounter Black dragons. White Behir - These behir are very strange in their hiding tactics as they find larger trees and simply cling on to the trunk head down vertically. As they lay very still they grab nearby animals or leap at them from the tree. They are still quite large and to most they are not well hidden on a tree trunk. But to deer (their most common prey) they engulf the whole tree and are nothing more than a background. They have a freezing line for their breath blast that traps foes as it goes in for the kill. They mostly encounter green dragons. Green Behir - These specimen are almost comical in behavior. They have dark green prickly scales and from a distance resemble a cactus. They live in the deserts of the world and scurry behind prey's backs and when it thinks it will be looked at quickly rears up holding its legs out and up to look like arms of a cactus and looking straight up. They normally feed on camels and try to keep to the night for their hunts. They do end up hunting through the day but to less success and move far less preferring shade or dig under the sand waiting to ambush prey. These Behir have a unique breath blast in that it is a gaseous line that when contacted dehydrates the victim quickly. They have little trouble obtaining water as they drink it from prey with their pronounced fangs then feed on the dehydrated corpse whole. They are common enemies to blue dragons. DM's Toolbox Behir are an interesting fight with their capture a member fight the rest tactics and are unlikely allies in a fight against a dragon. Here are a few scenarios you can use them in. Challenging monster fight Challenging Ambush Unlikely ally in the coming fight against a dragon Livestock disappearing down a whole every few weeks. 22

Beholder "Oh please! Do come in! Marvel at the splendors of my abode but take your time you're going to be here for a while. " -- Yintha the Terrible Introduction The Great Mother, whose origins are unknown, created many abominations and the worst among them was her children the Beholders. They are just as evil and intelligent as her but far less chaotic and thus more organized. Seeing the threat even to herself she devoured each and every one of her children aside from her son Gzemind who alone escaped only due to his uncanny affinity for illusionary magic. Gzemind paved the way for many more and is worshiped by Beholders to this day. Since then the Beholder race has multiplied and diversified to an alarming degree. Although long ago and in distant places unknown Beholders are a threat to any and all who encounter them or their web of control. Beware when facing this adversary as they are cunning and dangerous, they surround and protect themselves by many traps and slaves. If you manage to meet one face to face you'll understand the folly of even trying to find them as few ever make it out alive and none unharmed gravely. Due to their belief of superiority a Beholder is afraid of almost no being outside of an old dragon. They know their limitations but do not openly admit them. Despite this attitude they are phobic of losing their teeth. Beholders have been known to go mad over some teeth lost in a fight. Panicking and screaming their dooms. Intelligent and reasoning beings until they lose a tooth. Physiological Observations Beholder while vast and varied have some similar traits to them. Each and all are a floating orb of flesh around 10 feet in diameter with usually a large central eye above sharp ghastly teeth. For most eyestalks are attached to the top of the orb looking all directions. Few would ever consider a beholder anything more than revolting other than themselves. Beholders most notable features are typically the eyes. With they're large central eye and eyestalks, on the top of the orb, they possess site in all directions from them aside from directly beneath themselves. The eyes are also the most dangerous weapons of a beholder. The central eye emits and antimagic cone that extends in front of them and in their main line of sight. This essentially is a zone of no magic and even weapons of brilliant power lie dormant in their gaze. Then each eyestalk can cast a ray of magic every few moments. These rays are dangerous and varied depending on the stalk. Fortunately the eye stalks can only turn 90 degrees so thus most can only look in 1 quadrant of themselves allowing more cunning adversaries to avoid the most devastating rays. Each ray can be found in 1 of 4 quadrants. These quadrants are front, left, right, and behind in relation to how the beholder is facing. Every quadrant extends to 100 feet from the beholder and represents where the eyes can look. There is slight overlaps in quadrants leaving no blind spots at all unless directly beneath the beholder. Beholders have a large mouth and small nasal cavities that make up the rest of the face. The small cavities appear just below and to the sides of the eyes an above the top corners of the seemingly smiling mouth. The mouths are very large with several curved sharp teeth to shred food to bits before eating. All of the Beholder's organs are contained within the lower portion of the spherical body, behind the mouth. They possess lungs, intestines and stomachs that are all tightly packed. They excrete through a tiny hole in the underside and back of the creature. Around all the organs and the skull is a thin bladder filled with a light gas, making them buoyant and giving them the ability to float. The majority of their body internally behind the large central eye is their massive brains. The brains are large and developed further in most areas then any human other than that of motor skills as they only need to worry about eye and mouth movement. Inside of the brain which almost seems to make the brain itself a 2nd skull is the Levitus Magnus. This organ is certainly responsible for the unusual way that beholders fly by controlling the amount of the buoyant gasses produced and stored in the beholder. It is also theorized to be the origin of the antimagic cone and source of the powers of the eye rays. This has been observed a few times as when a slew Beholder still emits and antimagic cone as it grotesquely floats in midair unless this organ is removed. Beholder flight is slow but skilled. They seem to only move at a swift walking speed but entirely in control of their movements. It is theorized that this is practiced since young beholders seem to bob and weave far more clumsily then adults although the exuberance of youth cannot be discounted. A beholder can move in any direction almost effortlessly it seems and by will of the mind. They are usually found closer to the ground and make their lairs underground. Higher altitudes are less comfortable as the gas bladders inflate for altitude in flight making them stretch in size. Beholders are asexual and produce children in clutches of 2 to 4 eggs every century in there millennia of life. They find a high secluded perch and regurgitate the eggs and leave them to their own devices. After a few weeks the rotten revolting smelling leathery eggs produce smaller fully capable beholders that start their life of building their riches on their own. In just 50 years they reach full size and adulthood. 23

Social Observations Beholders can be described in 1 word socially, xenophobic. They hate all other creatures and only tolerate them as dominated slaves for their purposes or designs. This extends even to members of their own race. If you aren't them they hate you is the bottom line. They do exist in a society of social importance. The more material gains the more powerful you are considered in Beholder thinking. Beholders jab and boast about their standing forming rivalries instead of friendships. Beholder communities do exist but community in a loose sense more like hated neighbors who'd kill a common threat. There are social gatherings of beholders that they hold in their lairs. They show off their best and most expensive ornaments (which may include slaves and victims of their flesh to stone rays) to everyone boasting of their power and presence. The other beholders go in sense of superiority that turns into haughty over bearing narcissistic verbal sparring. These are typically held by one member or another almost monthly as gloating and showing off seems to be a Beholder's greatest joy. When another beholder dies the community then races to the deceased's lair to loot and pilfer what they can. They only take a few items but almost always go for the best items. They can only carry so much with their telekinesis eyes. Most beholders pay homage or worship the Great Mother and think themselves' her perfect creation. There are Beholders who instead recognize Gzemind and consider themselves a higher being then even the Great Mother. Intra-Species Observations Beholders are not openly aggressive at first usually when encountering other beings. They prefer subterfuge and subtlety to outright aggression. Typically a beholder will only reveal themselves as part of a scheme and let their minions do the bidding. They are very adept as the puppet master or wizard behind the screen. All other creatures are playthings or ornaments to a Beholder. Many times I have debated which is a more alien and off-putting interaction when speaking with a Beholder or an Illithid. Both hold an alien way of reason are far more self-absorbed then seems even possible and are seemingly on the precipice of murder with each passing moment. Typically a Beholder likes to gloat and show off how great they are and exact immediate and harsh punishment on interruption. Then when they've spoken their agenda they kill, capture or mentally enslave their audience. Usually a beholder has as many as 15 to 20 humanoid dominated slaves tending to their every whim. On top of that they keep every creature they've turned to stone as garish decorations around their homes. If there were any way to revert the process many individuals would be saved in one cavern. Beholders create a network of spies and contacts out of their more cunning and useful slaves. This has been observed to corrupt whole cities with the beholder being the crime boss savoring every moment. Variations Beholders come in many variations and vary in many ways. Each entry bellow details the deviations from the average beholder. Eye Tyrant: This is the usual beholder described as above with Charm Monster, Charm Person, Death, Disintegration, Flesh to Stone, Cause Grievous Wounds, Telekinesis, Sleep, Slow, and Fear rays adorn the 10 eye stalks. They typically carve their lairs out with disintegration rays and favor vertical pathways due to their unique ability to fly. They will usually reach in 10 feet diameter. Elder Orb: These are stronger versions of Eye Tyrants that are around 15 feet in diameter. They are rare but somehow even more dangerous. Eye of the Deep: These are the aquatic variants of Beholders that instead have only 2 eye stalks (Disintegrate and Death) they also have 2 arms ending with crab like pincers extending in-front of them. They are typically 8 feet in diameter and a dark blue or green hue. Beholder Mage: These are Eye Tyrants that have plunged out their central eye to learn a higher level of spell casting. On top of their eye stalk rays they possess the powers of any well trained wizard. Their lairs are treasure troves of knowledge in the arts of magic more so and extravagant libraries. Death Tyrant: Ever wonder what happens to a beholder who embraces undeath as a Lich? You get a Death Tyrant. These are the gigantic skull floating magically with red floating orbs for each of the 11 eyes. They are full capable as they are in life but their rays are all dealing with undeath and necromancy. Their gaze no longer dispels but instead raises the dead. Death Kiss: Beholders afflicted by vampirism are dramatically changed. The eyes stalks become hideous lamprey like appendages that suck blood and they lose their antimagic ray and lose their mouths entirely. They now also emit a dangerous electrical aura around them, a side effect yet unexplained. Eyeball: Small and weird beholders only measure a few inches in diameter. They only have 4 eyestalks (charm person, Charm Monsters, Sleep, and telekinesis) and are popular with some humanoids as very intelligent familiars that may have some of their own agendas. Gauth: These Beholders are strange as they feed on magic for sustenance. The central eye is fused shut by an overgrowing plate over the eye and thus blocks the antimagic cone the eye emits. They only have 6 eyestalks and have Disintegrate, Telekinesis, Death, Drain Magic, Polymorph and Flesh to Stone. They then have 4 feeding tentacles. Gouger: These Beholders are cannibalistic predators. They mostly prey on other Beholders using their antimagic central eye and immunity to other beholder's spells to suppress and then devour their prey. Their eyestalks are used only for sight and are magically useless. They do not float but crawl on 4 legs and can jump with great speed and to great distance. Their tongues are long and hard ending in a sharp point. They will shoot their tongue gouging their prey and reeling them in for a meal. They are large almost 25 feet across and despite their brutish tactics are just as smart. Be wary they prefer Beholder but will eat anything if needed. 24

S p e c t a t o r: T h e s e B e h o l d e r s d o n't v a r y m u c h e x c e p t i n o u t l o o k a n d p e r s o n a l i t y. T h ey v a l u e k n o w l e d g e a b o v e a l l a n d a r e u s u a l l y n e u t r a l i n w h e e l u n l i ke t h e i r e v i l k i n. T h ey h av e b e e n k n o w n t o fr o m fr i e n d s h i p s w i t h h u m a n o i d s fo r m u t u a l b e n e fi t. T h ey a r e s m a l l e r i n s i z e u s u a l l y a r o u n d 6 t o 7 fe e t i n d i a m e t e r. Director: These a r e b e h o l d e r s t h a t p r e fe r t o d o m i n a t e a n i m a l s i n s t e a d o f h u m a n o i d s. T h ey o n l y h av e 6 ey e s t a l k s ( c h a r m a n i m a l, t e l e k i n e s i s, D i s i n t e g r a t e, D e a t h, S l e e p, Flesh to Stone) and 4 clawed appendages. They usuall y r i d e g i a n t r a t s o r w e a s e l s h o o k i n g o n w i t h t h e i r c l aw s. They're normally only found in larger Beholder communities. Caco Beholder: A fairly new discovery and a danger o u s o n e i n d e e d. J u s t a s e v i l b u t h av e d r i ft e d i n t o c h a o s, c l o s e t o i d e a l s a n d m e n t a l i t y o f t h e G r e a t M o t h e r. M u r d e r o u s a n d u n c o o p e r a t i v e t o a ny b e i n g t h ey d w e l l i n t h e l ay e r s o f t h e a b y s s. T h ey a r e 1 0 fe e t a c r o s s a n d i n s t e a d o f ey e s t a l k s t h ey a r e a d o r n e d w i t h c u r v e d u p w a r d s fa c i n g h o r n s. T h e i r c e n t r a l ey e s a r e g r e e n a n d s e e m t o p u l s a t e w i t h e l e c t r i c i t y. They hurl lightning balls from their mouths and will viciously tear apart enemies with their teeth. They are red in hue and float with twice the speed of their kin. Hive Mother: The second most dangerous beholder kin. They are much larger, as much as 30 ft. diameter and have the same eye rays as an eye tyrant. They are far more bloated looking and have the ability to substitute any of their rays for powerful rays of dominance. They instead of enslaving humanoids or animals they enslave and build whole communities of beholders. They are theorized to be the direct spawn of the Great Mother after she purged her first children. Overseer: The most dangerous of all the beholder and are an immediate threat to any creature they plot against. They are gigantic 50 ft. trees of flesh with 3 mouths on the trunk and eyes for leaves. They have an eye ray for each lea f w h i c h c a n b e t h o u s a n d s. T h ey a l s o h av e c o n s i d e r a b l e p s y c h i c p o w e r s a n d h av e b e e n h e a r d o f c r u s h i n g c r e a t u r e s s i m p l y w i t h t h e i r t e l e k i n e s i s. I t's t h o u g h t t h a t G z e m i n d b e c a m e t h e fi r s t O v e r s e e r a n d h a s s i n c e t a u g h t o t h e r s w o r t hy e n o u g h t h e t r a n s fo r m a t i o n. DM's Toolbox As a DM beholders are a fun villain. T h e y a r e p o w e r ful b ein g s o n t h eir o w n b u t m o r e p o w e r ful in their lair and surrounded by their allies. Beholders are also very intelligent and political and can make for a good amount of fun and intrigue. There's many ways to use them, heck why not an evil campaign run as thugs for a Beholder boss? 2 5

Blight "Observant, are you? Pardon, my laugh, but you're not the first to make that claim. Tell you what, leave a hundred gold here and walk a half mile into that dead forest. If you come back, I'll double your hundred; if not, well... I haven't had to double anyone's stake yet." -- Gevian Snarklehood, gnomish tinker at the edge of the Wastewood. Introduction Evil plants with a taste for blood. Blights are a versatile monster that is often overlooked. They are created by an evil that infests a plant (referred to as a Gulthias tree). Legend is that the first Gulthias tree was the byproduct of killing a powerful vampire. Physiological Observations Blights are plants that have been tainted with evil. They have the form of the plant they are corrupted from, but a dead version of that plant. So twig blights look like a small, drying stick; needle blights look like a dead bush; vine blights look like a span of decaying vines. When motionless, they appear as dying plants and are generally unperceivable as different from a mundane version of that plant, but when closely inspected, they have features that are reminiscent of humanoid faces, although most lack speech. Most are bipedal with legs formed by a split trunk. Their color always resembles an unhealthy plant, and is usually brownish, although very occasionally, one will retain green spotting. Social Observations Blights community (infestations) are centered on their respective Gulthias tree. This may be a remnant of the original Gulthias tree spawned by the ancient vampire, or a tree converted by a new and different evil. Sometimes the conversion is deliberate, but sometimes it occurs as a byproduct of a particular event - a powerful evil creature's demise, a powerful evil creature establishing a lair, a breech to one of the lower planes, etc. The blights spawned will be directed by the central Gulthias tree which always has the nefarious goal of corrupting all creation and converting it to an expanse of blight infested jungle with it as the primary plant. The blights will cooperate and achieve a rudimentary hive mind that yields coordination beyond what their Intelligence would suggest is possible. Their culture is dedicated exclusively to their vampiric inclinations. They literally live to kill creatures and drink their blood. They have a very rudimentary individual intelligence, and the few that are capable of speech revel in crude humor associated with killing other sentient creatures and draining their blood that appears to be appreciated by the entirety of the blight population as indicated by the rustling of limbs that implies laughter at the end of the profane jokes. Behavioral Observations Blights will form parties with different blights filling different roles. However, their strategies are not reactive; they do not have the intellect to adjust tactics in response to their opponents. So while they may have a sound overall strategy, if it is not wholly successful, the blights will fail because of their limited tactical abilities. Blights have no sense of self preservation, and they are spiteful, evil creatures completely dedicated to the suffering and death of other sentient creatures. If the choice is inflict damage and die, or survive, blights choose to die while inflicting damage. Destroying the Gulthias tree frees the spawned blights from its influence, and destroys the hive mind, sending the blights on a near mindless rampage almost like mindless undead. Inter-Species Observations Blights will interact in a cooperative way with other blights. A creature that deliberately creates a Gulthias tree exerts influence over the blights centered on that tree, but that influence has limits. A controller might be able to dissuade the blights from overrunning and consuming a village in its path for a short time, but ultimately the blights are going to succumb to their compulsion and destroy the village even if it is under the protection of their master. Beyond those influences, blights attempt to destroy any life they encounter with no negotiations possible. There is nothing they value other than death and destruction to form a basis of exchange and negotiate with, not even their own existence. DM's Toolkit Blights as listed in the Monster Manual come in three forms (CRs 1/8, 1/4, and Ω). This CR range restricts them to lower level minions protecting a stronger central evil force. The Gulthias tree, can be presented as an uber-trap type encounter surrounded by blights as minions. While PCs quickly outgrow blights, the needle blight is particularly suitable for advancement. It has no traits that inherently affect CR, so advancing it is merely a matter of adjusting AC, hps, to hit and damage to coincide with the listing on Dungeon's Masters Guide p.274, and probably adding 1-3 Legendary Resistances to make it more survivable. So need a CR 10 minion of a BBEG: AC17 (natural armor), HPs 198 (36d8+36), to hit +7, Dmg 63 (18d6), Legendary Resistance (1/day) 26

Bugbear The easiest way to find a bugbear, is to let it find you. --Hobgoblin proverb Introduction Among the goblinoid races, bugbears are often thought to be the least civilized. These massive, hulking yet incredibly stealthy brutes prowl the countryside on the borders of civilization, mercilessly killing and eating anyone weaker than themselves. Despite their brutal nature, however, bugbears are quite intelligent and cunning. Completely carnivorous and borderline cannibalistic, bugbears are feared even among other goblinoids, as they have no qualms with eating their smaller cousins. Sharing not the hobgoblin love for open battle and conquest, bugbears concern themselves primarily with their own survival, and rarely wage open war against other creatures, preferring to ambush travelers or raid defenseless farms, disappearing as quickly and silently as they came. Bugbears are egoistic creatures and are as often encountered alone as in company of other goblinoids. Physiological Observations How boogiebears 're made? Y'see, when a very ugly bear and a very ugly hobgobbin love each other very much... Borden, human peasant and 'boogiebear expert' Bugbears are almost universally incredibly tall and muscular, the smallest of them being the size of an average human, and the largest being 6 or 7 feet tall. In some ways, they simply resemble bigger hobgoblins: They stand upright, they have sharp, triangular ears, and have rather big teeth as well. However, they also sport numerous bearlike features, such as claw-like nails (Who aren't quite large enough to effectively be used in combat), a bear-like nose and a coat of shaggy fur covering most of the body, barring the face. The fur is thickest and darkest around the face, and the color of the fur usually matches the creatures' skin colour, ranging from pale yellow (for bugbears living underground or in cold regions) to dark orange (For those living in warmer, more sunny climates). Despite their rather large size, bugbears are very agile and above all, incredibly stealthy. The perfect combination of brawn and subtlety, bugbears are capable of one moment sneaking silently up on an unsuspecting foe, and crushing them to pulp in the next. Unsurprisingly, bugbears are incredibly talented hunters. Bugbears typically wear sparse (or no) clothing stolen from smaller humanoids, which they do not tend to wash. They do, however, make sure to keep their fur relatively clean by bathing in rivers or lakes occasionally, but not more than practically necessary. As such, bugbears tend to smell a lot, their clothes even more so. Bugbears tend to care little for looks and appearance, but some of them do occasionally groom the mane of fur surrounding their faces, giving the illusion of bugbears having hair and beards. In reality, the two are one big mane. Both genders have the same amount of facial hair, and there is little difference between male and female bugbears, though the females tend to be slightly larger. As such, other humanoids (including other goblins) usually have a hard time discerning a bugbear's gender. Social Observations Most scholars would laugh at the very notion of bugbear society; in some academic circles, they're considered less organized and civilized than orcs. And indeed, the goal in life for the average bugbear is quite simple: To survive, to eat well every day, to acquire themselves a hoard of treasure, and to satiate their bloodthirsty love for hunting and fighting. Naturally, those goals are all attainable through the bugbear lifestyle of raiding, hunting and pillaging any and all weaker than themselves. Bugbears feel no real connection to family or kin. They rarely form tribes, and are just as likely to kill each other as to join forces. Bugbears care very little for other bugbears, or indeed, other creatures than themselves, but since they can see the value of working together, they are not beyond teaming up with other goblinoids. Groups of bugbears form small hunting parties not unlike wolf packs, and several of these groups often fight other groups over territory or treasure. Gender means very little to a bugbears role in the group: Regardless of gender, the fiercest bugbear, the chief, leads the pack, eats first and takes the largest part of the treasure, and the remaining ones fight over the scraps left behind. If lone bugbears encounter goblins, they will usually rise to leader positions through brute force and enslave their smaller brethren. Bugbears often serve as mercenaries in hobgoblin armies, provided they are paid well in coin, food and drink. A bugbear's ultimate allegiance is to itself, however, and they do not entertain any desire to die in combat. As such, when its life is on the line, a bugbear will usually flee a battle, gladly abandoning its allies for its own sake. When a bugbear is encountered alone, this is usually what happened. The only beings that bugbears show a nugget of deeply felt respect are their deities, mostly Hruggek. Though bugbears have a small pantheon of deities, all of whom are lesser gods or demigods from the lower planes, Hruggek is by far the most popular and the mightiest, bossing the other gods around. He appears as a humongous bugbear of 12 feet, with an equally humongous two-handed Morningstar. It is said that he prowls the lower planes, killing and eating anything in his path, be it demon, devil or otherwise. His home is said to be in the plane of Acheron (Some sources suggest the plane of Pandemonium), where he allegedly lives in a great cave filled with talking, dismembered heads, called Hruggekolohk. Sometimes the other bugbear gods hunt with (or rather under) Hruggek, but it does not happen often as they generally try to stay out of his way. Hruggek represents all that a bugbear wishes to become: A powerful and strong hunter and warrior, feared by all the other beings in the region, eating what or who he wants, taking what he wants and dominating his neighbors. Hruggek is usually invoked when bugbears battle against others of their own kin or other humanoids, whether over territory or for other reasons. 27

Another very venerated bugbear god is Grankhul, the god of hunting, senses and surprise, and the second-most powerful. While Hruggek is seen as the symbol of the bugbears' physical strength and fortitude, it is said that Grankhul was the one who taught them to be stealthy and agile, and to ambush their prey rather than giving them a fair fight. Bugbears see hunting and stalking as a ritual act to Grankhul, and whether the goal is hunting for food or raiding for treasure, Bugbears view and refer to both as a Hunt and invoke Grankhul for success. Skiggaret, the bugbear demigod of Fear and messenger of Hruggek, and Stalker, the vengeful bugbear god of death, also receive moderate veneration among the bugbears. They are also believed to have a god of fertility. Bugbear clerics (Usually called Godspeakers or Warshamans) are rare, as bugbear religion is far from organized and bugbears tend to be uncharismatic creatures unwilling to study or work. However, occasionally one of the gods finds a worthy champion with a silver tongue and a strong spirit, and such a creature can usually attract a very large group of followers with its powerful magic and inspire great religious fervor. As such, whenever great hordes of bugbears assemble and go to war, usually a cabal of Bugbear clerics uniting under a common cause leads them. Behavioral Observations Aside from their love of carnage and treasure, bugbears enjoy the simple pleasures of life, such as eating, sleeping, mating and hunting, and they view themselves and other intelligent beings as natural parts of the food chain, of which they usually consider themselves on top. Just like bears, bugbears get the urge to mate annually, in spring and summer. This will cause the males in the group to fight amongst themselves to impress the females, after which the winner must fight and defeat the female in order to earn the right to mate. Sometimes it's the other way around, with the females fighting over the males. Oftentimes, when many bugbears are gathered at the same place in the mating season, what appears as a great battle between rival groups may just be a mating ritual. Bugbears are pregnant for about as long as a human, and carry one child at a time. Children stay with their mothers, learning to hunt and fight, until reaching adulthood at about 12 years of age, after which they strike out on their own, the mother no longer wanting anything to do with them. Bugbears seem to have lifespans slightly shorter than humans, but despite their desire for survival, few die of old age. The average lifespan for a bugbear is around 20 to 30 years, but if it isn't killed, it is assumed it could live up to around 70 years. Some civilized humanoids have spitefully likened bugbears to lowly predators with humanlike intelligence, which might actually be quite true. However, bugbears do not take insult at this. They are carnivorous creatures and natural hunters, and they live according to what their instincts and impulses tell them. As such, assuming you could get into a philosophical debate with a bugbear (which it is capable of if it feels like it, which it rarely does), it would argue that its lifestyle is only natural, and liken itself to an apex predator, the civilized world being its prey. A bugbear sees no distinction between hunting a deer for food or burning down a village for treasure, weapons and armor (and eating the inhabitants). Morality, a bugbear would argue, is an abstract and frankly unnatural concept. To bugbears, there is no Good or Evil: There is only prey, predators and the Hunt. Bugbears generally do not craft much (Aside from primitive, wooden weapons such as bows), as they believe that just as their prey provides them with food, they are also supposed to provide them with weapons and armor if the bugbear is strong enough to take it. They generally feel that hard work is for lesser creatures than themselves (such as goblins and hobgoblins). They are capable of making a number of basic traps, primarily through using rope to make net traps, but prefer to stalk and kill their prey personally. Generally, the goal of a bugbear is to enjoy life to the fullest, which usually involves making it miserable for all other creatures it encounters. Inter-Species Observations Since bugbears have a tendency to kill everything they meet, rather than negotiate, they rarely ally with other creatures unless they serve a more valuable purpose than food. Even when they are not in the killing mood, the egoistic and mistrusting nature of the bugbears tends to make relations with other creatures sour at best. They sometimes find hire in civilized societies as bodyguards or mercenaries, which they excel at as long as they are paid handsomely in food and coin, but their loyalty is shallow; a higher bidder or the threat of death will cause a bugbear to change sides on a whim for its own good. When bugbears do work together with creatures other than themselves, it is usually with other goblinoids. Goblins: Individual bugbears find great delight in oppressing their smaller brethren into their service. Goblins subjected to the rule of a bugbear work tirelessly to delight their new chief, or the latter might choose to eat them. Bugbears find goblins useful for providing them with armaments and for assisting it in hunts and raids, but does not care in the slightest for its underlings. Bugbears treat goblins like dirt, bullying them mercilessly into submission and killing any who shows signs of rebellion. Hobgoblins: Bugbears see hobgoblins as weak, and inferior to themselves, but are quite aware that their organization and tactical skill makes them formidable foes. Bugbears find that assisting their lesser kin in waging their many wars can make them a decent living, but they demand a great amount of loot and food in exchange, and do not take orders well, preferring to be in charge themselves if possible. Bugbears serve as scouts and shock troops for hobgoblins, often being on the front lines ready to break the enemy line apart. However, just as with any other creatures, a bugbear will likely abandon its smaller employers if it gets into a potentially life-threatening situation. 28

Barghests: Bugbears do not take well to the dominating nature of these creatures, yet they fear them due to their considerable power. Nonetheless, bugbears will rarely find themselves subject to the leadership of a barghest, believing it to be a demon sent by the gods of the lesser goblinoids to bully them, and encountering one means bad luck and ill fortune. As such, the more pious of bugbears will likely attack a barghest on sight. Orcs: Bugbears respect orcs for their great physical prowess, but only in the same way as the lion respects the tiger. Orcs are enemies and competitors, and the two species rarely, if ever, get along at all. Orcs and bugbears are almost never encountered close to one another for longer periods of time, as one side will eventually annihilate the other. Others: Unless the creatures unfortunate enough to have bugbears as their neighbors are strong in numbers and have enough gold and food to hire the bugbears for their armies, the bugbears will attack them indiscriminately. Unlike goblins, they find that humans and dwarves make poor underlings, and that elves and orcs rarely wish to pay them as much as hobgoblins will (Or more commonly that they outright refuse to work with them at all). The usual bugbear response to an encounter with any non-goblinoids is to steal, stalk and slay. DM's Toolkit Didn't see that one coming did you? Laughing, sadistic DM playing bugbears right. Bugbears are the perfect creatures for ambushing the players with brute force when they're the least prepared for it. Incredibly strong and incredibly stealthy, a team of bugbears ambushing the PC's dead at night while they're sleeping without their armor on is sure to scare the living hell out of them if done right, and likely cause them to flee without most of their belongings. The fact that these creatures usually hunt in packs and that one of them is likely stronger than the others makes them even more terrifying. A bugbear sneaks like a cat, takes hits like a tank and gives hits like a truck. With both its Brute and Surprise Attack abilities, a Morningstar hit from an ambushing bugbear is going to hurt. A lot. A Morningstar hit from five ambushing bugbears and one ambushing bugbear chief is going to cause a world of pain. And after the ambush, the bugbears will still be able to hold their ground very well in open melee against a weakened and terrified party. Simply using bugbears as stand-in big brutes like ogres or orcs is doing these monsters a huge disservice, for the true and terrifying strength of the bugbears lie in their ability to deliver really hard-hitting ambush blows, giving them a rather big edge in the following melee combat where they continue to hit hard. And remember, bugbears always try to escape with their lives. If the party manages to overpower the bugbears, they will in nearly all cases flee and come back another time for revenge, possibly with the aid of goblins. If bugbears have goblins under their service, they will likely send them in to serve as distractions and meatshields, wearing the PC's down and chipping away at their HP before the bugbears finally close in for the kill, leaping from the shadows where they've been waiting the whole time. The best way to use bugbears is when the PC's are not expecting them, and as such, they should be used sparingly. Do not send the PC's out to clear out a lair of bugbears, in fact, don't even mention their existence at all; send them to clear out a lair of some other monsters and, out of the blue, let the bugbears ambush them on the road or in the forest to catch them completely with their pants down. If the PC's are investigating a goblin camp led by a bugbear and the bugbear hears them coming, he won't openly challenge them and mindlessly hit at them until he dies or they die; he'll hide, wait and judge his potential for winning. If the PC's seem to be overpowering his goblins and are too much of a match for him, he likely won't even try to fight them and flee, never letting the PC's know he was there at all, or he might try to catch one of them alone or ambush them later in their travels. In any case, bugbears are -not- just another type of rank-and-file dumb monster that charges at the PCs and hits until it dies. Bugbears are survivors, hunters and extremely tactical creatures, who will always try to flee and come back for vengeance, better prepared. Bugbears generally shouldn't be used often (unless they're actually part of an organized army), but only once in a while to scare the shit out of your players and let them feel how it is to be hunted, rather than being the hunter. 29

Bulette Mayor Hillbottom's stroll through the fairgrounds was being rudely interrupted. "Mister Mayor, you have to call it off!" The Mayor turned, sighing, "Not again..." "Fanny Stoutman had two cows go missing just yesterday." "She should keep better track of her livestock - we all know that." "But Mister Mayor - the sinkholes, the upturned trees!" The Mayor patted Garth on the shoulder. "Garth, you're worried about a little hubbub miles away. The County Fair is not a place where such things happen, and I'm not shutting it down. It is a tradition. A timehonored tradition of feasting, games, dancing..." "No! No dancing! That would -" Thocka-thocka-thock-thock. A dozen clog-shod children cavorted on the main stage. Garth went white. "Well, it's a bit late for that. Try to enjoy yourself." The Mayor gently moved the wide-eyed halfling off to one side to continue his stroll. Thocka-thocka-thock-thock. Poor Garth, the Mayor thought. That's what comes of a halfling going on too many adventures. Monsters on the brain. Thocka-thocka-thock-thock. Then the earth split, and Mayor Hillbottom screamed. Introduction The Bulette, or 'land shark', is a ravenous, solitary, burrowing predator that sows sudden carnage wherever it roams. While their reputation for destruction is well known, a detailed study of the creatures has for centuries been stymied by one simple aspect of their nature: Only a fraction of a Bulette's life - a few horrible and bloody moments of feeding every few days - occurs above ground. In recent years however, our organization has undertaken a coordinated effort to develop the most comprehensive report to date on this legendary beast. Our findings and methodology follow, but while there is much to say about the Bulette, an initial summary requires only three words: Dangerous, underground and hungry. Physical Form The adult Bulette measures up to 20 feet long and weighs several tons - reports have been recorded of singular Bulettes surpassing even these terrifying proportions. Under a thick, bony carapace and equally thick leathery hide lie reams of pure muscle that seem designed for unceasing burrowing and feeding. The Bulette sports massive jaws wide enough to consume cattle and horses in a single bite, and four three-toed feet ending in scooped claws that excel at digging. Like many other terrestrial creatures they must breathe clean air - but by sporting an incredible lung capacity, they are able to spend the bulk of their time burrowing beneath the ground, surfacing only briefly every day or so to take a single breath through a nostril hidden behind the plates at the top of their back. Though the Bulette is reptilian in appearance, posthumous dissection by our scholars [Ed: With much gratitude to multiple adventuring parties for the donation of the remains] point to a warm-blooded nature (much like the common Armadillo) and to the birthing of live offspring rather than egg lying. Life Cycle Bulettes live a mostly solitary life, and have been observed to roam a 'territory' up to 30 miles wide. They feed on meat of nearly any sort and seem to have a particular taste for the flesh of halflings and horses, and a particular distaste for dwarves and elves. The underground nature of their life cycle makes their exact lifespan impossible to calculate. However, in the welldocumented case of the village of Brantenburg, the same Bulette was observed for a dozen years before the entire surviving population opted to relocate, at which point contact with the creature was lost. Long term observation of several Bulette territories also suggests they spend at least four months in some sort of inactive state far below ground - perhaps hibernating or reproducing - before returning to their more typical hunting patterns. We classify the Bulette as an apex predator: the only thing that routinely kills a Bulette is another Bulette. Where one Bulette is a silent hunter, two engaged in mating rituals is apocalyptic. In a flurry of slashing claws and snapping jaws, the male Bulette proves his worth to the female through intense combat that leaves a swath of destruction across miles of countryside or - in some unfortunate cases - nearby villages. Once the female is sufficiently impressed, she engages the male in mating after which her overwhelming feeding instincts once again take over and she invariably consumes the wounded and exhausted male. Tactics and Habits The unrelenting viciousness of Bulettes created a problem for researchers hoping to observe them in the wild. We were able to overcome this obstacle through careful use of scrying, Scholar Vincini's heated-air balloons and mundane flight magics and conducted a number of lengthy observations of Bulettes on the hunt. Intelligence is one of the Bulette's few weaknesses, and as a result their hunting strategies are limited to pursuing and then brutally consuming prey. That said, even the most cunning foe has found the Bulette's natural hunting instincts to be sufficiently deadly and many a trophy hunter has met their end seeking to 'outwit' a Bulette. When hungry (which is almost always) the Bulette will roam underground close to the surface. A finely tuned tremorsense allows the Bulette to detect movement on the surface and close in on its prey, erupting from belowground with jaws wide. If the initial attack proves insufficient to kill or consume the target, the Bulette is capable of relentless aboveground pursuit - making powerful leaps of ten yards or more to crush, slash and tear their victim to pieces upon landing. Typically, a Bulette focuses on a single, lone victim at a time. After making a kill, it circles underground to track the remaining prey and choose its next target, repeating the kill process until all prey has been consumed or its hunger is sated. Though many stories recount what could be considered malign intelligence (e.g. eating a caravan's horses first and circling the disabled wagons for hours before finally killing the passengers) in practice this behavior was only observed infrequently. 30

Mysteries Remain Above ground, Bulettes are capable of surprising quickness and mighty leaps enabled by their powerful and wellmuscled legs. But this cannot explain their truly incredible speed while burrowing underground. In fact, it is estimated that Bulettes can burrow even faster than they can run! This fact, in conjunction with observation, leads us to one of two conclusions: Either Bulettes possess some undiscovered burrowing technique (perhaps swallowing and rapidly passing some amount of earth?) or there is magic at work. We have observed that natives of the Elemental Plane of Earth possess the amazing ability to move through earth like water. Could it be that the Bulette species descended from native Elemental stock? Still, there is ample evidence of Bulette burrowing uprooting trees and disturbing the earth, so this mode of transit is at least somewhat physical in nature. The pre-eminent theory relates to a peculiar gland found within the Bulette's throat, which secretes a fluid that some Wizards and Alchemists claim capable of transmuting earth to mud. This theory is supported by excavations of Bulette burrows revealing muddy underground channels and may explain their ability to move underground as though swimming - because in fact they do! DM Toolkit There is so much we could say about the Bulette. It is a D&D original: One of the first monsters created specifically for the game way back in 1st edition alongside the likes of the Owlbear and Rust Monster. It's been in every edition since and it remains an awesome monster for a DM's toolkit. Tips for running a Bulette encounter: Foreshadow! A distant rumbling, passing by upturned trees and sinkholes, reports by locals - as Spielberg can tell you, it pays to build some tension for an Act before the beast appears. Hit and Run. The Bulette shouldn't appear and then fight to the death. Have it head back underground after the initial assault and give the PCs a chance to plan/worry/pee their pants before it returns for another pass. Use the Leap! Even if it's contrived or just for show, a Bulette leaping through the air is a thing of beauty. Bulette Plot/Story Ideas: Jaws/The Great White Whale - There's a singular Bulette out there that's smarter, bigger and more deadly than any seen before. It's preying on a community desperate for heroes to stop it, but it has shown the cunning to evade traps and set ambushes of its own. It has even attracted famous monster hunters from far and wide - who don't like competition. Tremors - Ever wondered where Bulettes go to have their babies? They just decided to do it in your village. Dune - A guerilla/terrorist force is luring Bulettes to their enemies using magical 'thump-thumps' that attract the beasts from many miles away. Rumor has it they may have even tamed the beasts to ride atop them into battle! 31

Bullywug "Bullywugs? They are just a part of the cost of doing business around the Mire of Dead Men. The good news is, being cowardly, if you add a couple extra guards to your caravan, they will mostly leave you alone... mostly" -- Melnom Allcare, Neverwinter shipper. Introduction Brutish frogmen who view themselves as the rulers of the swamps. They have a distorted morality, code of honor, and etiquette. They tax (raid) the areas around the swamps they inhabit. They have no concern for developing or maintaining their environment, and seek only to exploit what is easily attainable. Bullywugs lack the ability or inclination to develop industry or even care for equipment. Any sort of improved item (weapon, armor, etc.) that they acquire will degenerate from improper care rapidly in the swamp environment. Physiological Observations Bullywugs are amphibian humanoids resembling large bipedal frogs. They have bulbous eyes and a large maw prominently lined with teeth. Their skin is smooth and generally mottled in various shades of green. Their skin also is always moist giving it a slimy appearance. They almost always wear deteriorating light armor and carry spears or other simple weapons. Many bullywugs will wear a totem necklace with charms of anything they perceive as having any value, but which most observers would regard as trash. Social Observations While many races have advanced in their view of male/female relationships, bullywugs are wholly male dominated. Females produce eggs and care for young. Bullywugs do not engage in sexual activities except for reproductive purposes, so there is no value placed on females as prostitutes, concubines, or other traditional sex roles. Bullywug homes are just subsurface ruts, so there is no value for females as homemakers. And bullywug social interactions are reserved for males only, so there is no value in females as social companions. Occasionally, a female emerges with qualities that make her proficient in combat, but bullywugs view these females as aberrations and they are typically expelled from the community. Communities vary on the process males go through to transition from the role of young to adult. In some, it is merely a state awarded upon observation of physical maturity, but others have complicated rituals and/or tasks that must be completed to assume adult membership. Bullywugs form communities with rather simple social structures. There will be a single dominant bullywug that all other members of the community obey without question. The leader is not expected to be consistent, gracious, concerned for the safety of the community, nor have any of the other responsibilities that other races generally place on leadership. The leader is free to indulge his whims and is expected to do so. The community obeys out of fear and also because each bullywug enjoys the fantasy that at some future point he will capture the leadership position and be able to enjoy the same benefits. Bullywug communities vary widely in their traditions and culture because of the wide variation in the leaders' inclinations. Some communities have a leader who is a selfstyled prophet and develop elaborate pseudo-religious rituals. Some have a leader who is a self-proclaimed general, and will develop complex martial orders. Regardless, no social structure survives the transition to a new leader, who will invariably implement a culture suited to his own whims. Bullywug communities are sometimes vassal states of more powerful entities, but bullywugs don't make good vassals. They always require more resources to maintain discipline than they produce in return for the effort. Behavioral Observations Bullywugs operate in two modes - either completely obsequious or completely dominant. The idea of equality is not a part of their makeup. In every interaction, they are either the dominant participant dictating terms or the lesser participant obeying the whims of the dominator. Bullywugs will not attack unless they are confident they have the superior force. But if they do, they attack mercilessly. Bullywugs have a distorted and unpredictable sense of value. They often fixate on a trinket of no value - a shell or shiny rock - and perceive it as highly valuable. Almost never will their senses of value align with the wider world. Very occasionally, a female bullywug will escape the confines of the bullywug swamp and emerge to be an adventurer. Bullywugs are carnivores, but their preferred diet is fish and insects. Occasionally they will gorge on larger prey. Inter-Species Observations Bullywug interactions with other races are generally difficult. Bullywugs don't have the mentality to negotiate as equal partners. So outside entities must establish a clear position of superiority at which point bullywugs will comply with be completely submissive. However, this behavior will endure only as long as the position of superiority is maintained. Usually, the utility provided by the bullywugs is not worth the cost of maintaining the dominant position. Bullywugs can communicate with frogs and other swamp amphibians. They will often incorporate giant frogs into their defenses, and because of their communications with the swamp fauna, it is very difficult to surprise bullywugs in a swamp environment. In the particular case of lizardfolk, bullywugs are mortal enemies. They have competed for the same territories for generations and developed a deep, racial loathing of each other. 32

DM's Toolkit Historically, there was some variation in bullywugs presented. However, 5th Ed has only a single statblock. It is a CR 1/4, so PCs outgrow it as a challenge fairly early. The bullywugs' aquatic nature can make for some interesting escape/chase underwater encounters on to level 3 or 4, but that is the limit of bullywugs as challenges for PCs. Advancing bullywugs is possible, since they are humanoid. They present a decent platform for adding expected improvements. Bullywugs make for interesting roleplaying encounters as the bullywug tries to figure out if it is the dominant or submissive. And even after the roles are established, bullywugs complete commitment to one role or the other often makes for an interesting social encounter for players who are used to negotiating as presumed equals. 33

Cambion "Of course. All those mortal women swooning over gallant pit fiends. All those golden-hearted succubi blushing as men kiss their burning hands. My darling, let me tell you a secret: devils don't love." --Lorcan, half-devil son of the succubus Invadiah, formerly the most powerful erinyes of the Nine Hells "No matter how often I asked her, my mother only spoke of him once: lavender-skinned, alluring but marred by selfinflicted scars, hair like fresh cut mahogany, deep orange eyes that smoldered like dying embers, with a fiery temper and cruel streak to match. I am lucky a penchant for piercings was the only habit I inherited." --Aurelian Shackleborn, tiefling paladin of Sharess Introduction Just as all humans are at least somewhat dissimilar, so too are cambions varied and unique. In truth, there is but one criterion that binds them together as a species: they are the spawn of a mortal and a fiend. Their infernal blood inevitably draws them to one conclusion: they are better than us, and want to ensure that we know it. Whether they choose to live their lives on the Prime Material Plane, or leave to enter the service of some demonic lord, each cambion feels a destiny stronger than most, and one can be assured that whatever path these half-fiends choose, the lives of many will be changed in their wake. Physiological Observations The red-skinned, bat-winged, reptilian-tailed, horned humanoid with which you are probably familiar with represents but a small subset of the greater cambion population. Their individuality is matched only by the many designations of humans; certainly far more subraces of cambions exist than those of dwarves or elves. The expression of their genes is as complex as any species. A cambion may be nearly indistinguishable from other members of its mortal half, or just as likely they may appear to be entirely demonic. Two cambion siblings might seemingly be of completely different races, their infernal blood manifesting in unique ways. Generally, they can be grouped and identified according to their fiendish forebear, not unlike tieflings before the ascension of Asmodeus to godhood. The following is a list of fiends known to be able to produce cambion offspring: Tanar'ri (Demons) Balor Balor-spawn are the cambions told of in old stories and legends. Skin like a vibrant ruby, diminutive horns outlined by obsidian hair, large, leathery wings, and a nonprehensile tail. Shapely, well built, undeniably attractive, these cambions are very active in the affairs of mortals, easily influencing, ruling, and manipulating them. More than any of their cousins, save perhaps the child of a pit fiend, these half-tanar'ri possess an unworldly ambition. It would be wise not to cross one. Glabrezu Glabrezu The abyssal child of a glabrezu is a large, hulking figure. With spined shoulders, furry, digitigrade legs, and occasionally an extra set of vestigial arms, these horned humanoids are light of skin, with markings similar to their demonic parent. Marilith It was once postulated that the yuan-ti were descended from humans who worshipped and pledged themselves to the service of mariliths, eventually interbreeding with them. Such an idea was slowly proven incorrect as we learned more of the yuan-ti history, but the connection is easily made once one has viewed a marilith-born cambion. Occasionally indistinguishable from a yuan-ti pureblood, they may possess many similar physical traits; serpentine eyes, pointed teeth, and even scaly skin, though these scales usually manifest on the lower half of the body. That is where the similarities end, however, as their fierce, warlike tendencies contradict the usual function of yuan-ti purebloods as spies. Though rare, some do inherit the six arms of their mother, making them nearly unmatched combatants. Nalfeshnee What grave misfortune has befallen the poor target of a nalfeshnee's desire. The corpulent, wretched spawn of such an undoubtedly nonconsensual union are hideous, cannibalistic gluttons possessed of porcine features and habits. Often bearing tusks rather than horns, and wings even more undersized than their demonic parent's, these bloated beings enjoy nothing more than the indiscriminate consumption of flesh and the visceral satisfaction that comes from eating a creature alive. Succubus/Incubus Easily the most common cambions are those born of a mortal man and a succubus. Cambion daughters of succubi are known as "alu-fiends," or "alu-demons," but there is functionally no difference between them and their male counterparts. Children born to either sex of these demonic tempters can be indistinguishable from tieflings and many are capable of passing as humans. Invariably promiscuous, they are generally attractive, even beautiful by human standards, if not for a few demonic traits, commonly sharp, pointy teeth, diminutive, batlike wings, and less commonly cloven, hooved, unguligrade feet. Yochlol The only form in which yochlol can mate with a mortal is that of a female drow. As such, a cambion birthed from this creature appears as any other drow, though they are often chosen by Lolth to become powerful priestesses and agents. 34

Baatezu (Devils) Barbazu (Bearded Devil) One of the more humanoid of the baatezu, the bearded devil gifts its children light purple skin, pointed ears, powerful claws, a statuesque physique, and a thick, powerful tail. Tendrils grow from their lower jaw, similar, but longer than tieflings with the blood of the Lord of Nessus. Not particularly bright, they make fierce warriors and respond violently to perceived slights. Kyton (Chain Devil) Were it not for the occasional unnaturally coloured skin and eponymous chains worn by the kyton, they would appear nearly precisely human. So too, their cambion offspring can be hard to identify as such. Extremely well built, such half-baatezu individuals find a natural proclivity toward self-mutilation, scar-tattoos, and piercings. Kyton-spawn are cruel and sadistic, enjoying both inflicting and receiving pain. Beyond these not entirely unique behaviors, they can be indistinguishable from other mortals. Erinyes The child of a mortal, particularly human, and an erinyes would be the most difficult cambion to notice, were it not for the large, majestic wings protruding from its back. Usually red or black, these alone are rarely enough to realize the heritage of such a creature. Possessed of an otherworldly beauty, the spawn of erinyes are almost always tall, fair, shapely, and universally aloof, viewing lesser races with disdain, but not caring enough to express it. The nearly vacant, seemingly lost visage of these halffiends, silhouetted by beautiful, black hair, draws the eyes of most mortals with whom they interact. Woe to those who fall in love the spawn of an erinyes, for the only thing worse than their indifference is their attention. Pit Fiend Similar to the progeny of a balor, a cambion born to a pit fiend exhibits many of the traits that first come to mind when thinking of evil outsiders. Red-skinned, though not smooth like their balor born counterparts, patches of platelike scales often appear on the shoulders and legs of these normally digitigrade, clawed humanoids. Thick, black horns, sharp, powerful fangs, and bright, glowing red eyes adorn the strong-jawed head of these half-fiends. Some inherit powerful, leathery wings capable of wrapping around their entire body, and a long, prehensile tail. Yugoloths Arcanaloth Cambion children of the arcanaloth are unusual, but not unheard of. They often possess a more bestial form than other half-fiends, with back and shoulder fur, long, bushy tails, powerful canine teeth, hound's feet, long faces, and bright, yellow eyes being among the most common expressions of their outsider parentage. Nycaloth These cambions are some of the most similar to their fiendish heritage. Nycaloth spawn tend to be large, greenskinned, and brutish. Often fat, but unmistakably strong, their arms and shoulders may be adorned with spines. Rarely, they exhibit an extra set of arms. Ultroloth Ultroloth Rarest of the yugoloth cambions, children of an ultroloth and a mortal have a strange, alien allure to them. They are slender, but muscular, with skin tones ranging shades of grey, blue and green-grey being the most common. Tall heads and ovoid eyes are complimented by abnormally small facial features. Night Hag One method of hag reproduction involves the snatching and devouring of a human infant. Not all hags are produced this way. Cambions born of the unholy union between a night hag and a male mortal are always female. The father usually does not survive this ordeal. They appear as normal members of their father's race, save for a few subtle differences. They might have abnormally pale skin, blue or black hair that seems to be made of shadow, heterodichromatic eyes of unnatural colour, or a slight hypnotic effect to their voice. Rarely raised by their mothers, night hag-spawn are often left at the doorstep of some unsuspecting couple. Upon reaching puberty, the night hag may visit her daughter, and over the course of thirteen magical rituals, transform her unsuspecting progeny into a spitting image of the horror that gave her life. If the hag cannot locate her child, or if the rituals are interrupted, the cambion may continue living as any other mortal, though her hag blood will always call to her. Rakshasa The most distinguishing feature of those descended from a rakshasa is the inverted hands. Beyond that, they appear not unlike the shifters of Eberron. Their facial features may include the yellow, slit eyes of cat, a cleft-palate and snout-like nose, pointed, curved feline ears, sharp fangs, broad nose bridges, and even a thin coat of fur across their entire body. Their feline traits are as varied as any rakshasa, usually resembling a cat of the material plane, commonly a tiger, lion, panther, or cougar. 35

Social Observations Cambions are as socially varied as any other individual mortal. How they view each other is equally as unique. Generally, they recognize the power of another cambion, but are always wary. Rarely are cambions found to be in league with one another. They might feel a twisted sense of kinship with siblings or other cambions of the same infernal lineage, or they might as equally likely dread and hate them, seeing each other as competition for favor in the eyes of their evil lords, competition that needs to be eliminated. Loners at heart, they never truly have a home on either the prime material or outer planes, and are never fully accepted by either group. Cambions do not form societies with each other and do not have any sort of culture to unite them. They are usually found trying to subjugate and rule whichever settlement into which they are born, often succeeding. Rarely will they accept any form of mortal vassalship. Those who choose to leave the material plane usually seek out their progenitor and enter its service, often becoming key agents in the fiend's machinations. Cambions are of particular value as they have a much easier time of navigating planar travel than outsiders, and are immune to banishment, being natives of the material plane. They acquire influence more easily than full-blooded fiends, and tend to be favored by their infernal parent over other subjects. In particular, the demon lord Graz'zt has many of his children in his employ. They generally look similar, inheriting their father's beauty, grace, ebony skin, cloven hooves, and six-fingered hands. One notable exception is his daughter, Thraxxia, who, despite being born to the demon prince of sin and a human woman, appears as an alu-fiend. Behavioral Observations There is truly but one unifying behavioral trait present in all cambions: a desire to rule. No matter from which fiend it claims its infernal blood, the ambition of a cambion can only be matched by humans and outsiders. Small wonder that most of them are born to a human parent. Their innate abilities put them leagues ahead of their contemporaries from an early age. Those who are raised among mortals exhibit wickedness, cruelty, ruthlessness, and perversion. They instantly establish a favorable power dynamic between them and their peers, often leading gangs of miscreants as children, growing up to lead gangs of thugs or full on uprisings and revolts as adults. Those raised in the outer planes grow up knowing only power, as that is the path to survival in those dark, twisted lands. Cambions are not devoid of feeling, however, and several align themselves with the ideals of goodness. Those raised by good-aligned mortals are naturally the most likely to reject their fiendish nature. Being so devoid of acceptance, they approach their tasks with maximum effort in an attempt to prove that they are worthy of the ego they possess. Interspecies Observations Cambions almost universally view themselves as above other races, especially that of their mortal half. This does not mean that they necessarily discriminate or exhibit behavior in this manner, but they are prejudiced and hold this belief to be true. Good-aligned half-fiends may experience a dilettante effect, finding it easier to get along, at least on the surface, with any race more easily than most, depending on just how demonic their appearance is. Their natural emotional isolation makes them highly effective at forming quick, loose bonds with those they meet, and easily rise to positions of leadership among strangers. They are not dissimilar from tieflings in this manner, as most other species are unable to differentiate between them. 36

D M ' s To o lkit C a m bio n s s h o uld b e a s fle s h e d o u t a n d c o m ple x a s y o u r pla y e r c h a r a c t e r s. T h e y'v e h a d a r o u g h g o o f it, t h e y d e s e r v e s o m e t hin g. They can fit into any sort of c a m p aig n, w h e t h e r a s a min o r villain, a n a g e n t t o a n im p o r t a n t N P C, even as a quest-giver. When inserting a cambion into your world, ask yourself the same questions your players should know about their characters. Where did they come from? How did they get here? What are my cambion's goals, and how do the y pla n t o a c hie v e t h e m ? W h o w a s t h eir m o r t al p a r e n t ? W h o w a s t h eir fie n dis h p a r e n t ? A r e eit h e r aliv e ? W h a t r ole d o e s t h e fie n d pla y in y o u r w o rld ? A r e t h e y im p o r t a n t a n d / o r c e n t r al t o t h e plo t ? C h o o s e a s p e cific r a c e o f fie n d a n d le t t h a t g uid e y o u in c r e a tin g t h e c a m bio n's a p p e a r a n c e. How active are fiends in your setting? Subsequently, how rare does that make c a m bio n s ? A r e t h e r e e n o u g h t o e n c o u r a g e y o u t o o p e n t h e m u p a s a pla y e r r a c e, u sin g m o difie d tie flin g r ule s o r s o m e t hin g o f y o u r o w n d e sig n ? M o r e t h a n j u s t a c o m b a t e n c o u n t e r o r o b s t a cle fo r t h e pla y e r s t o o v e r c o m e, c r e a t e a livin g, b r e a t hin g e n tit y in y o u r w o rld; c a m bio n s c a n e a sily b e m o v e r s a n d s h a k e r s. Some ideas for c am b i o n d ri ve n st o ry ar c s : A p olitic al u p risin g is o r c h e s t r a t e d b y a c a m bio n fr o m b e hin d t h e s c e n e s, w e a k e nin g a r ule r w h o s u p p o r t s t h e t e m ple o f o n e o f t h e c a m bio n's lord's enemies. The party is sent to retrieve a scroll containin g t h e t r u e n a m e o f a d e c o y B B E G d e m o n, t h e c a m bio n u s e s t his k n o wle d g e fo r p e r s o n al g ain a n d b e c o m e s t h e r e al B B E G. A cambion has assassinate d a hig h - r a n kin g m e m b e r o f t h e c h u r c h o f o n e o f t h e p a r t y m e m b e r s. T h e y m u s t t r a c k t his c r e a t u r e d o w n t o c a p t u r e o r kill it. ( T h a n k y o u S e p ulc h r a v e ) A n e u t r al o r g o o d - alig n e d c a m bio n is t h e k e y t o d e fe a tin g his d e m o nic fa t h e r w h o t h r e a t e n s t h e r e alm. H e w a n t s n o p a r t o f it. A cambion quest giver mislead s t h e p a r t y in t o fr e ein g a d e vil b o u n d b y h oly m e a n s. G e t c r e a tiv e wit h y o u r c a m bio n's b a c k g r o u n d. 3 7

Carrion Crawler Most'a yah's stroll on up in here, complainin' bout sneak creatures an' talkin' bout how you's would rather die starin' a damn monster in the eyes than stabbed in the back. Know what that tells me 'bout you lot? Yah never found yourselves face to face with a carrion crawler, cause if there's one thing I know fer sure, it's that the only thing worse'n getting caught an' eaten by one from the rear, would be havin' to stare at the creature's face an' know there ain't a damn thing ya can do about it. -- Sir Irwin, Knight of the Norfort Council, speaking at the annual Fighter's Guild Assembly. Introduction A characteristic of the best adventurers is that they do not fear death; indeed, they throw themselves eagerly into danger. The valiant ones are content in knowing they will die saving innocents, a noble exit from this life, and the smarter ones know that death is not necessarily the ultimate end people make it out to be. But it is not the concept of dying to a carrion crawler that puts fear into would-be champions of the world. Fear of this monstrosity comes from knowing what will happen to the body after, and not knowing how long the potential victim will have to stand witness, paralyzed, as their body is continuously molested by the corrupted touch of the carrion crawler's tentacles, and their body slowly fed into the creature's terrifying maw... Physiological Observations Carrion Crawlers could be described to children as that thing you're afraid is hiding in the dark, and half of those children would envision a semi-accurate depiction of the creature. The stuff of the nightmares, carrion crawlers resemble giant slugs with many legs, all of which end in spikes which allow it to crawl vertically along surfaces to get the drop on wayward prey. The carrion crawler's eyes protrude from the top of its head, a trait which allows more opening room for its mouth to devour any kind of dead flesh it manages to come into possession of. Perhaps the most iconic, and deadly, physical trait of the creature, though, is the many tentacles coming from under its jaws, all of which secrete an extremely powerful paralytic agent which it uses to immobilize any living creatures foolish enough to come within its reach before consuming them. Most accounts describe the creatures as primarily green, though some witness have claimed different colour variations in carrion crawlers depending on environment. It seems that some have adapted to blend into their background more, allowing more ease in getting prey within their tentacle's reach. Females have been observed to be significantly larger than males, even having more paralyzing tentacles. It is theorized that this is because the mothers must immediately fend off attacks from their young upon birth, as their natural instincts take seconds to develop and they all instantly begin assaulting the nearest potential food sources Social Observations Carrion Crawlers can be called many things. Social is not one of them. They attempt to paralyze and consume any and all living things they encounter, including members of their own species, whom they will eagerly attack if no other source of meat is readily detectable in the immediate vicinity. However it is important to note that they do seem to prefer the flesh of other species', therefore it is not recommended to try to lure two of them against each other in the hopes of distracting them and escaping. Because of this innate hostility, it is unknown whether carrion crawlers are even consciously aware of their breeding processes. Some researchers believe that when a male carrion crawler attacks a female, his body will switch its usual paralyzing venom with an inseminating agent, much the same way a humanoid male's body directs urine or sperm out of the genitals. Then, due to the lack of its main combat tactic, and faced with the female's superior size and strength, the male dies in the ensuing fight. His corpse is then consumed. After a successful kill, carrion crawlers emit a particular pheromone only detectable by members of their own species. While the purpose of this seems to be to assert dominance over an area or prey, it has the unfortunate sideeffect of attracting all other carrion crawlers in a one mile radius to the location it is emanating from. This also happens upon death, and as such, adventurers should be cautioned to act quickly as soon as there is any kind of casualty in a fight with a carrion crawler, lest they be rapidly overwhelmed. Behavioral Observations They are not intelligent. They are not cunning. They are simply driven. Carrion Crawlers have one thing, and one thing only, on their minds at any given time: eating. The only time they can be considered relatively less dangerous than usual is when they are in the process of eating a fresh kill (Whether it's their own or if they simply killed whatever was there first is inconsequential). In these circumstances, they are wholly concentrated on their meals. That being said, they should still be given a wide berth, as they will immediately lash out at anything that disturbs them during their meal, and it should be noted that they do not have to be looking directly at a potential victim for their paralyzing tentacles to score a hit. They are instinctively drawn to any kind of dead meat, sometimes detecting it from miles around. Though they generally prefer to stay underground, where it is easier for them to catch prey, sufficient amounts of dead bodies have been known to coax large numbers of carrion crawlers to the surface. Examples of this phenomenon include the aftermath of large battles between kingdoms and the ritual group suicides of some fringe religious cults. 38

C h i l d b i r t h i s a n i n t e r e s t i n g p r o c e s s fo r c a r r i o n c r aw l e r s. While still largely a mystery, researchers believe that futu r e m o t h e r s a r e l a r g e l y u n aw a r e o f t h e i r p r e g n a n cy u n t i l s h o r t l y b e fo r e i t s e n d, a b o u t 3 m o n t h s a ft e r c o n c e p t i o n. At t h i s p o i n t, i t i s b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e m o t h e r - t o - b e i s o v e r c o m e w i t h a p o w e r fu l m a t e r n a l i n s t i n c t a n d i m m e d i a t e l y s e e k s o u t a ny k i n d o f d e a d fl e s h w i t h m o r e d e s p e r a t i o n t h a n u s u a l, w i t h i n t h e r e m a i n s o f w h i c h s h e w i l l g i v e b i r t h t o r o u g h l y 6 0 c a r r i o n c r aw l e r l a r v a e a t a t i m e. I f n o b o d y c a n b e fo u n d, t h e b r o o d i s s i m p l y b o r n w h e r e v e r t h e m o t h e r h a p p e n s t o b e. I t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t o n o t e t h a t i m m e d i a t e l y a ft e r c h i l d b i r t h i s t h e o n l y c i r c u m s t a n c e a ny c a r r i o n c r aw l e r h a s b e e n o b s e r v e d t o l e av e b e h i n d a p o t e n t i a l m e a l o f a ny k i n d, a s t h ey w i l l u s u a l l y fi g h t o v e r fo o d t o t h e i r d y i n g b r e a t h. T h e l a r v a e q u i c k l y c o n s u m e w h a t e v e r fl e s h t h ey a r e b o r n i n t o, o r t h e i r m o t h e r ( s h o u l d t h ey b e b o r n n e a r h e r w i t h n o d e a d b o d i e s t o i m m e d i a t e l y g e t t h e i r a t t e n t i o n ), a n d t h e n i m m e d i a t e l y t u r n o n e a c h o t h e r. O f t h e o r i g i n a l 6 0 n e w b o r n s, o n l y 5 w i l l s u r v i v e, o n av e r a g e. Inter-Species Observatio n A s k i n g a c a r r i o n c r aw l e r t o d i ffe r e n t i a t e b e t w e e n s p e c i e s w o u l d b e l i ke p r e s e n t i n g a s t a r v i n g d w a r f w i t h a l e g o f m u t t o n, a p o r k c h o p, a n d a Tb o n e s t e a k a n d a s k i n g h i m w h i c h h e w o u l d r a t h e r h o l d a c o nv e r s a t i o n w i t h. Ev e r y t h i n g i s fo o d. Ev e r y l i v i n g s p e c i e s i s fo o d. T h e r e a r e n o e x c e p t i o n s. DM's To o lb o x C a r rio n C r a wle r's d o n't h a v e t h e c u n nin g t o b e t h e m ain fo e s o f a n y sit u a tio n, n o r a r e t h e y c o m m o n e n o u g h t o b e r a n d o mly e n c o u n t e r e d w hile s t r ollin g fr o m p oin t A t o p oin t B. T h e y a r e, however, useful for creating those Oh Fuck This Just Went From Bad To SO Much Worse situations. For example: A fortified city has been under siege, which the PC's have just broken. But now carrion crawlers have showed up, attracted by the bodies. Even worse: pregnant ones. The city is now under another, more accidental siege, as no other nation wants to wade into the birthing slaughterfields of the crawlers. Upon retrieving the magical McGuffin from the deep underground lair of Badguy McEvil, the y e m e r g e fr o m t h e b o s s' c h a m b e r t o fin d a c a r rio n c r a wle r fe a s tin g o n o n e o f t h e minio n s t h e y kille d o n t h e w a y in. A n a t u r e c h e c k will r e v e al t h a t b y n o w, t h e p h e r o m o n e s h a v e b e e n r ele a s e d. M o r e c a r rio n c r a wle r s a r e o n t h eir w a y, a n d t his o n e is s till blo c kin g t h eir w a y o u t. They also make for good pit c r e a t u r e s. D o e s y o u r e vil wiz a r d h a v e a t r a p d o o r t o d r o p y o u r P C's in ? T h r o w in a c a r rio n c r a wle r! H ell, t h r o w in t w o! 3 9

Centaur Swift-Stride of Starkbacks galloped up to the top of the hill where the forest broke out to open farmland. Smoke rose from the clutch of houses, the filthy two legs just stirring from their dens. They had been here for generations now, cutting at the trees, cutting away at his home. Grand Broodmare Sunmane of Dryadspeak spoke of solitude, of remaining far away from the business of these axe wielders, these tree burners, these filthy savages! SwiftStride clopped forward, fully coming out of the treeline, with teams from twenty Harras' of their land. He raised his bow, a gift passed down and blessed anew by the forest, a flint tipped arrow glinting in the new dawns light. It will be a red one, and the blood will flow thick before this warpath is ended, he thought, as he let the arrow fly. Introduction Centaurs are a noble and ancient race, coming into creation some say even before the elves. They were there when the first Dryads danced through the groves, at the stirring of the first Treants. They are allies of the forests, and those who seek to protect them, their home. They will defend them fiercely, and hate all those who would seek to take their ancient lands from them, whether this be open rolling grasslands, or ancient dark forests. Some have forgotten this proud people, but they are not one to be taken lightly. Physiological Observations Centaurs can simply be seen as horses with the torsos head and arms of a humanoid, replacing their head and neck. This is quite a crude observation, and one should never compare a centaur to a horse. It will not end well. Depending on their land and heritage they may appear to have the top halfs of elves, men, even dwarves. Some say even darker variants from some of the more brutish races exists, though this is only hearsay. They have the same variety of coats as horses do. Besides armour and ceremonial trapping they rarely garb themselves in clothes. They will adorn their hair and bodies with jewellery which usually reflects the land they are from. Some of the cultures will tattoo themselves with their deeds and heritage, or apply woad and war paint during times of conflict. Social Observations Centaurs are family creatures. They will raise their young as mating couples and will usually mate for life. Families will gather into tribes and clans, known as Herds, a Stable, or a Harras, depending on their culture. These words have been taken by other sentient races for discussing horses, another point of contention for these old and noble people. They usually speak languages of the woods, with common being a language only known by a few. It is sometimes looked down upon to learn the languages of two legs. These Herds are ruled over by democratic councils, with an elected head to make final decisions. Centaurs believe in discussion and debate, and will hold councils to decide on actions to be taken for any group. The young naturally rebel against this, but they are more often than not brought into line by sense of duty to the herd, or by stern punishment from the strongest stallions in the tribe. They worship a variety of gods, once again dependant on where they are. All their gods will have strong ties to the earth, natural forces, and wildness. They have no set alignment. Above all Centaurs are a diverse people. Behavioral Observations Centaurs will engage in long conversation and debate for the sheer enjoyment of it. Alongside martial prowess, the ability to debate and philosophize are greatly prized. They will usually eat and drink as a whole herd, another way in which they socialize, debate, and tell grand tales and legends. They are swift to anger over certain things, but are usually calm on most topics. Both females and males will hunt and gather, fight and talk. They will either live under the stars, on in homes sung with magic from the land around them, such as trees, or caves. They migratory, usually travelling their lands in yearly cycles, returning to well-known and long used sites of their herd. They have main religious or ancestral days and nights of remembrance and celebration. Inter-Species Observations Centaurs can be allies or enemies to anyone. As long as you do not insult them, threaten their way of life or land, and have a similar alignment or god, they will be friendly to you. The young will often be standoffish or insultive, but this usually passes with age and wisdom. They sometimes regularly trade with nearby settlements, though this will usually be done in a neutral location. You'll rarely see a centaur trotting down a cobbled street. They prefer their own lands, and are naturally distrustful of such places, such scars on the land as some Centaurs see them. As already mentioned, they get on quite well with creatures of the forest, elves, and other sentient beings of and from the land. If a Harras goes to war it will usually end when either they are wiped out, or their enemies are vanquished. War is something not chosen lightly, and centaurs rarely if ever war amongst themselves. When it is chosen herds from far and wide will usually come to the aid of a Harras on the bloody path. Despite their love of debate and negotiation, it is very hard to barter for peace with centaurs when they have chosen war. 40

DM's Toolkit Centaurs can and should be used in great variety. From the singular titans of Greek mythology, to the roaming clans seen in more modern fiction. The singular ones can be done by boosting the stats of the base centaur, and can make great damsel in distress quest bosses. Centaurs don't have to just be man-horses. Why not use orcs, dwarves? How about half dragon half ogre centaurs!!!! You could use the same base stats but with a new and interesting coat of paint. They also offer a perfect chance to have a prickle NPC, one given over to long flowery speeches also. Perfect for having fun with your players. They can also be used in adventures that don't necessarily need a bloody ending. What if your heroes are required to sit in on a Centaurs debate on whether they should trade with a town of elves? Just remember they are smart, they are prickly, and when riled to war they are bloodthirsty. 41

Chimera "It was like looking at something out of a nightmare. They tell you stories of three headed beasts swooping down and stealing horses and cattle, but it just sounds like a story to scare children. But then you hear it growl...and you remember why people tell those stories in the first place..." --Shaw Marsdon, Farmer, and survivor of a chimera attack Introduction The Chimera is a creature that is steeped in legend. It is a fierce, territorial predator that prefers to toy with its prey and draw out the pain of others when it has the opportunity. The chimera has the pride of its lion head, the greed of its dragon head and the tenacity of its goat head, making it a deadly foe for even the bravest of adventurers. Physiological Observations The chimera is a very large beast, standing at about ten feet high at the shoulder and weighing almost 70 stones. The average chimera will have the hindquarters of a goat, while the front half of its body resembles an oversized lion. Its tail is thick and scaly, sharing the same color scales as the dragon head, and also has thick leathery wings which the chimera uses for flight. The most noteworthy feature of the chimera are its three heads. The standard chimera will have the head of a dragon, a goat, and a lion, but the order of the heads will vary from chimera to chimera. The sex of a chimera can be easily told by looking at the lion head, which will have a mane in male chimeras or will not if it is female. A female chimera will also have smaller horns on the goat head. Another important physical identifier for a chimera is the color of its dragon scales. Like true dragons, the color of scales will dictate what type of breath weapon the chimera can have. While red is the most common head for chimeras, there have been reports of creatures with the scales of any of the chromatic dragons. There are rumors that metallic dragon scales have also appeared in chimeras, but this ecologist has found no substantive evidence suggesting that this has ever occurred. A common misbelief about chimeras is that only the dragon head can make use of its breath weapon. This has been found to be false, all of the heads of the chimera are capable of using its breath weapon, though only one can use it at a time. This means that a chimera can theoretically use its breath weapon on anything within its scope of vision. The correction of this misinformation could save the lives of adventuring parties that meet one of these creatures in the future. Social Observations Current research by ecologists suggest that the placement of the heads of the chimera directly affects how the chimera interacts socially. Up until recently chimeras were believed to be solitary creatures, staking out ten mile territory as their own and defending it. It was thought that the only interaction between chimeras would occur when they mated, at which point the male and female would then return to their own territory. While this is true for dragoncentric and lion-centric chimeras, it is not true for the goatcentric chimera. Chimeras with their goat head in the middle will actually seek out members of its own species, creating what is known as a drove of chimera. These groups may have as many as ten chimeras within them, but rarely exceed four due to large numbers driving off local game. Droves of chimera tend to become increasingly bold compared to others of their kind, some even have been known to raid entire villages for their cattle and even occasionally their citizens. Chimera hatchlings will stay with their mothers for approximately sixteen weeks. In these first sixteen weeks the color of the hatchlings scales can shift multiple times, and by the end of their growing period their body will settle on a dragon head and their breath weapon will fully develop. These young chimeras will then leave to either seek out territory of their own, or find their own drove that they will be able to join. Behavioral Observations Chimera behavior is heavily dictated by the central head. While chimeras gain certain traits from all of their heads, the one in the center will control the most of the chimera's personality. A dragon-centric chimera will be heavily motivated by the same gold lust as its dragon counterpart. These chimeras have been known to steal shiny metallic objects and horde them in their caves, though they clearly lack the understanding of precious metals that dragons themselves possess. Lion-centric chimeras tend to be the most aggressive of the species. They are known for seeking out larger than average prey, as well as viewing other monsters within their territories as rivals. These chimeras have been known to attack gorgons, hippogriffs, griffons, manticores, and in rare cases, even young dragons. Lion-centric chimeras remember the rivals that they fight, even after years of not fighting. These chimeras have been known to find enemies who have defeated them in the past and kill them to establish that they are the alpha of their territories. The goat-centric chimera is the most stubborn of all of the chimeras. Even when not supported by a drove, a goatcentric chimera will choose to fight to the death instead of run away. They are kill or be killed and will attack with little consideration for their own body, only stopping when their opponent is dead. much more real. 42

All chimeras prefer to toy with their food rather than just going for a kill. They like to swoop down on their prey, crippling them with horns, teeth or breath weapons, then leaving the target to bleed. In some cases chimera have been known to let their prey limp away for hours or even days just to savor its death. Most chimeras are also willing to flee if the prey is too strong for them. They will leave to lick their wounds and survive to hunt again. Inter-Species Observations Chimeras are cruel, dangerous hunters and in most cases their only interactions with other species is when they try to kill them. These beasts are capable of understanding draconic however, and tend to defer to dragons as the alpha predator of a territory as long as the chimera remains well fed. Some evil wizards have actually used chimeras as guardians by supplying them with enough food and gold to satiate their greed. DM's Toolkit Chimeras are more than just monsters on a random encounter board. They are fierce, territorial predators who are willing to flee and regroup to let a party think they are safe. These monsters make for great enemies for low to midlevel campaign when you need an encounter to really feel dangerous. Don't forget, we have myths about this thing for a reason. Chimeras are terrifying image that should be steeped in contradicting legends about its bizarre creation. It can really provide you an opportunity to dive into some lore and help make your campaign feel even that much more real. 43

Chuul Soveliss knelt in the gray mud of the cavern floor and frowned. The tracks were unmistakable: four pairs of broad, segmented feet, each step deeper at the toes than at the heel, followed by the broad wallow of the tail. "Chuul," he said softly. His eye fell on a small splatter of blood, a place where the monster's steps hesitated for a moment before continuing. Likely the creature had paused at this spot to shift the villager from one claw to the other. Ahead of him a great black lake stretched off into the darkness, cold and still as death itself. Water dripped somewhere in the unseen reaches of the cave, a single drop every ten heartbeats. The chuul's tracks continued into the icy water. "The lake?" rumbled Tordek. The dwarf stood with his feet planted wide, eyeing the water with distaste. "Yes," said Soveliss. The elf straightened and brushed the mud from his hands. "It went in, but it did not come out. I think it knows that we followed it here." "Damn," said Tordek. He looked at the lake again and shook his head. "I hate the water." Introduction A horrible mix of a large lobster-like aberration, insect and serpent the Chuul are carnivorous lurkers who partially submerge themselves to surprise their prey. The many tentacles protruding from their mouths are capable of causing paralysis with only a single touch, thus leaving ample opportunity for their powerful claws to strike. These creatures are relics in that they were created during the primeval ages when aboleths ruled a vast empire spanning the oceans of the world. The Chuul survived the crumbling of these empires still carrying the will of their aboleth creators: in collecting humanoids, gathering treasures, amassing magic and consolidating power. Although they were cast adrift with the rise of gods and the end of the aboleth rule these compulsions remained. Physiological Observations: Chuul were perfectly obedient creatures created by the aboleths to circumvent their only weakness, being bound to the water. They would collect sentient creatures and magic. By design the Chuul were made to endure the ages of the world, growing in size as the eons passed, commonly reaching 650 pounds and 8ft long. Carrying on this mentality and guarding ruins of the aboleths empire tirelessly, they still linger silently observing these old commands. Chuul can be found in aquatic lairs in a variety of watery habitats. Although they prefer swamps, jungle lakes, temperate marshes, and underground bodies of water, some individuals would purposely seek out sewer tunnels or coastline shipwrecks in order to provide themselves with a more accessible source of food. They were also known to use rivers, and even oceans, in order to travel to new locales. Chuuls could be found living as solitary creatures, in pairs, or in small groups of 3-5, which were known as pods. A pod would purposely seek out a body of still water that was large enough to support the entire group. Some Chuul, particularly older ones, create lairs by digging up lake bottoms and building rudimentary structures from trees and stones. Social Observations: Oviparous creatures, adult Chuul produce clusters of slimy yellow-green eggs from which hatchlings emerge. An adult Chuul can lay such egg sacs only rarely, and so would viciously protect them, as would any fellow pod members. If a Chuul with hatchlings found itself in a food-poor environment, it would attempt to collect humanoid prisoners alive and bring them to their hatchlings in the nest. Seemingly counterintuitive to their aforementioned protective care towards their young, Chuuls were known to attach their egg sacs to the underside of ships, boats, and rafts in an attempt to increase their distribution to new lands. A Chuul lair consisted of circular rooms that are interconnected by tunnels made just large enough for the biggest member of the resident pod to squeeze through. One of the aforementioned rooms would always be a trophy room, as Chuuls were born hoarders. After making a humanoid kill, a Chuul would keep aside something from the victim as a trophy, whether shiny armor, a piece of jewelry, or even a well-crafted saddle. If the victim was not carrying anything of interest, then the Chuul would settle for displaying their skull in their trophy room. Despite their monstrous appearance, Chuuls are actually more intelligent than they seem, often setting traps and ambushes for their prey. Although they are still far from civilized; lacking any sort of culture, ability to make tools, or settlements. However, they share a racial memory, which they possess from the moment they hatch. This allowed a Chuul to clearly recall events experienced by previous generation, but this became less and less vivid the further back it went. Chuuls tend to be rather prone to mutations, with magical experimentation, planar rifts, and polluted water affecting and altering them far more easily than other creatures, leading to gigantic and/or poisonous individuals. However, it was only under the experimentation of aberrant magic-users that such mutations reached truly terrifying proportions. Such tinkering was done with the aim of fully unlocking the Chuuls' psychic potential and thus create formidable minions that were not only physically powerful, but possessed potent mental powers as well. Chuul could find themselves aligned with Mind Flayers if it allowed them to consume more humanoids or further their innate drive to slay explorers. They are also capable of sensing magic at a distance thus proving themselves useful to Mind Flayers. If a Chuul were to ever come in contact with an aboleth their long standing psychic bonds would immediately cause them to assume their old roles. Such Chuul would redirect their compulsions to the service of the aboleths' sinister purposes. 44

D M ' s To o lkit : C h u ul a r e t y pic ally limit e d t o t h eir e n vir o n m e n t a n d r ely o n t h eir a bilit y t o im p o s e a d v a n c e d h u n tin g t a c tic s t o a m b u s h t h eir p r e y. Y o u w a n t t o e m b r a c e t h e s e t a c tic s a n d s h o w h o w p o t e n t t h e s e h u n t e r s a r e. Ty pic ally, C h u ul will b e s t r o n g p h y sic al c o m b a t a n t s w h o fig h t b y g r a b bin g a n d pie r cin g t h eir t a r g e t wit h t h eir e n o r m o u s cla w s. After the unfortunate victim was trapped within the strong grip of a Chuul's pincer, it was either simply crushed or brought towards the creature's mouth tentacles, which grasp and exude a paralytic secretion. A Chuul would normally try to always have one claw free during combat, so that it could deal with any other opponents that might try to interfere. If facing a large number of foes, it would drop a paralyzed or dead victim before moving onto the next attacker. Much like a number of other aberrant creatures, Chuuls can have psychic abilities. However, it is unusual for a young Chuul to have access to such powers, instead they would gradually become able to exude psychic static as they aged. Older and larger creatures are able to emit a psychic moan that weakened resistance to psychic attacks and use a psychic lure to draw victims towards it. Chuuls are also able to see perfectly well in the dark, are very alert, and have an innate immunity to poisons. They can act as sentries to a Mind Flayer colony, guardians of ancient treasure or ruins containing rich history, or take a more hive mind approach under the servitude of a returning aboleth. Using their susceptibility to mutations, Chuuls can also become larger foes armed with a number of Psionic abilities under the influence of your BBEG. 4 5

Cloaker Dealing with Aberrations: An Adventurer's Introduction to Alienology Chapter 5: Trust Nothing - A guide Cloakers Introduction The cloaker (Magical name Tenebra Complexor), is an extremely uncommon aberration generally believed to have originated in the Far Realms. Although a growing number of ecologists and alienists are beginning to suspect that cloakers may be related in some manner to mimics, possibly a descended species. This seems unlikely given the life cycle of the cloaker (see Social Observations below for more). For more information on mimics, the author recommends Wolfdream's entry in this tome. What their motivations for leaving the Far Realms was is unknown, but they currently reside deep underground in a unique city, organized under cloaker lords and other powerful subspecies. While they usually appear to have ulterior motives known only to them, they do often work as mercenaries. Because of their highly reclusive nature, the majority of the observations about them and their nature is related to when they were found on a job related to spying or assassinating a humanoid, and the contents of this entry reflect that. Like many aberrations from the Far Realms, they are intelligent, possibly even highly intelligent and maybe sapient. However, their way of thinking and communicating is completely foreign to non-aberrations, and usually only powerful alienists and magic users are able to communicate with them. Members of the cloaker lord and shadowcloak elder groups appear able, though reluctant, to use undercommon. Physiological Observations Cloakers are named due to their resemblance to common cloaks, a fact which they seem willing to exploit when they are hunting, often hiding themselves among cloaks, coats, and blankets. This ability makes them excellent spies and assassins. They can be differentiated from real cloaks primarily by the mouth in the middle of their form (hereafter referred to as 'the belly'). This mouth also has two red spots near it, which act as eyes. There are also a number of "black buttons" on the opposite side of cloaker's form, which are additional eyes. While it is the fashion of humans of Amn to have buttons on the outside of the cloak, the button-eyes of the cloaker can be distinguished from real buttons by being almond shaped. It is highly advised, however, to not get close enough to a suspected cloaker to distinguish genuine buttons from the button-eyes of a cloaker. Cloakers also have claws on two of the corners of their form and a mace-like tail, which helps create a relative 'up' for their form. When acting as a spy or assassin they will hide these appendages, so the reader should not assume they just need to look for a tail. If you believe that you have a cloaker near you, DO NOT approach the suspect. Their intelligence means that they may realize you are onto them and attack you. It is recommended to strike the suspects with a blunt weapon, preferably one with reach or range. While striking the suspect with a full spear may be the most advantageous (keeping the creature away from you), it can also destroy someone's cloak if you are wrong. Additional indications of a cloaker on the premises include feelings of paranoia and fear as a result of its constant vocalizations (see Behavioral Observations for more) or apathy and lethargy. If residents have begun to demonstrate apathy and lethargy, the cloaker is preparing to attack, and it is EXTREMELY important that you find and kill it, or at least remove the residents from the area. Social Observations Note: For additional information on Cloaker Lords and Shadowcloak Elders, see the Known and Suspected SubSpecies and Relations section below. Cloakers are often organized into societies led by Cloaker Lords. These range from small raiding parties to at least one massive and complex city, Rringlor Noroth in the Marching Mountains in Calimshan. The inhabitants of Rringlor Noroth are extremely aggressive to non-cloakers, and as such, there has only ever been one humanoid to enter it and be able to report on the experience, the sorcerer Stitchlipped. He reported that the city is lead by a group of 12 cloaker lords that seem to maintain a form of control over the whole of the city. The individuals have self control and full initiative unless directed by one of the leaders of the city. When needing to make decisions the 12 join their bodies into a sphere of living shadowstuff that he dubbed the "Conclave of Shadows". He speculates that during this phase they merge their minds to find an amicable solution. Cloaker Lord's are generally the rulers of cloaker societies, as they seem able to naturally dominate lesser cloakers (as well as non-sentient aberrations), in a way possibly similar to ant queens. The comparison to ant queens may be extremely apt, as the only known way for cloakers to reproduce is through a form of asexual division by cloaker lords, which produces a cloud of 1-6 cloakers. There is growing speculation that cloaker lords are what cloakers become after a number of years as a number of cloakers have been found in the Plane of Shadow which seem to be somewhere in between being a cloaker and cloaker lord. The relationship between cloaker, cloaker lords, and shadowcloak elders creates a way to understand the cloaker life cycle: a cloaker is born through asexual reproduction from a cloaker lord, the cloaker grows up and eventually matures. It finds a way to the Plane of Shadow. There is speculated to be a location of some sort, perhaps an armed camp or a town, that they finalize their maturity. During their time in this armed camp they develop a startling magical power and develop their sway over the younger members of the species. 46

How cloaker lords become shadowcloak elders is unknown, but it is speculated that it involves another trip to the Plane of Shadows, or perhaps the Far Realms. However the transformation happens, they return immensely powerful. Cloaker lords have not been observed to take orders from shadowcloak elders, or for them to interact at all. Additionally, no shadowcloak elders were seen in Rringlor Noroth. This has led to some speculation that shadowcloak elders are actually an alternate adult form of a cloaker, which is also able to create offspring, and leads another, hidden, cloaker society. What kind of relationship these two societies may have is unknown. Behavioral Observations Due to their appearance, cloakers are often hired to spy and assassinate targets, doing so by blending in to any place humanoids leave clothes, coats, blankets, and cloaks. When hunting or scavenging they are known to hide themselves any place dark and cramped. Numerous reports have had unlucky adventurers being attacked by cloakers found in naturally shadowed recesses of caves, high in trees, under rocks, and the like. Cloakers vocalize almost constantly using a low, almost sub-auditory sound. Exposure to this sound causes mild paranoia, but after longer periods of time causes the subject to become numbed to the sound, and exhaust reflexes related to self preservation. A lord of Waterdeep was exposed to the effects of a cloaker's auditory attack for months, during which time he eventually stopped eating, and died of a mixture of dehydration, malnutrition, and suffocation when he simply stopped breathing. Additional levels of this vocalization induce fear, nausea and weakness, and mild paralysis. It is generally reported that cloakers can manipulate shadows, however, this author believes that that is an old wives tale. It is perhaps that the unusual movements of the creature are the source of the myth. Inter-Species Observations They are often seen to be in rivalrous positions with other intelligent aberrations and underdark dwellers, and have been known to be willing to work as mercenaries with various creatures. These relationships are normally tense and unpredictable, which usually involves an evil-aligned creature. Since cloakers do not have much use for money or jewels, the relationship is often built upon an exchange of services, with the other creature doing some unknown work in the cloaker city. Exercise caution in allying yourself with cloakers though: while several individuals who have worked with cloakers have reported an amicable relationship, others have gone into the cloaker city and never been seen again. Attempting to avoid paying their debt to the cloakers has resulted in the Green Steel mercenary band being stalked and systemically killed by cloakers and their slaves. Their relationship with aboleths is tense, but both sides seem content to avoid each other, since their natural homes prevent any significant contact. Although there is speculation that sea cloakers (see Known and Suspected SubSpecies for more) may be the result of a large scale conflict between aboleths and cloakers, which the cloakers won. As may be expected, any contact between cloakers and beholders will tend to end with violence. However, at present, there are no records of beholders or cloakers actually seeking each other out. This relationship is not shared with deepspawn, who cloakers are usually seen either attempting to exterminate or enslave. Some speculate that the slave deepspawn were captured as newborns by raiding parties. As far as can be told, cloakers appear to be at war with illithids. Exactly what the cloaker's goals are in attacking illithids is unknown, since the cloakers do not actually secure territory when they win battles. The illithids also do not appear to have a clear cut goal in their side of the conflict, having never made a direct attack on Rringlor Noroth, and often ignoring nearby bands of cloakers. Despite existing in very different parts of the food chain, the cloakers are known to be fierce and hated enemies of Deep Dragons. Derro seem to be treated as a sort of pest: killed only when nearby, ignored otherwise. Rringlor Noroth was said to have had numerous derro living in places too open for cloakers to live in, but this community was slowly culled, and it is believed at present there are no more derro in Rringlor Noroth. Their relationship with the drow and duergar are complex, sometimes seeming friendly, and other times combative. This may be tied to the alien thought processes of the cloakers, the chaotic nature of the drow, or the xenophobia of all three. Regardless, they have been observed on various occasions combating mutual enemies, cohabitating, and engaging in large scale battle against each other, and various attempts at subterfuge and assassination. In absence of other food in the Underdark, cloakers have been observed to prey on the native gnomes and dwarves that stray too far from their settlements. Cloakers do not seem to be strictly antagonistic to either species, their relationship may be seen as more similar to that of a human and a deer: indifference until the human is hungry. Known and Suspected Sub-Species Cloaker Lord: The size of a cloak of a large humanoid such as an ogre. When furled out, cloaker lord's take on a batlike appearance, but otherwise very similar in description to a cloaker, having a mouth in the centrally located belly, flanked by two red eyes, and with a number of black buttoneyes on the other side of the mouth, a club-like tail, and bone claws on the corners. Resplendent Cloaker: How, or if, the Resplendent Cloaker is related to cloakers is unknown, as are many aspects of the creature. It is a symbiote which obtains nourishment from healing its host, but also has a dazzling aura. It is believed to sense impending doom, which has led to most specimens to be killed, preventing study. Speculated to be the cloaker equivalent of doctors, or an atypical form of vampirism. Sea Cloaker: An aquatic aberration native to, and mainly inhabiting, the sunken city of Simorgya, which mean minimal study has been done, but the numerous similarities between them and cloakers has led many ecologists to speculate on a relationship. For additional information on this species, the author recommends Vandermar's The Deep Ones: Aquatic Aberrations. 47

Shadow Cloaker: A parasite, they are sometimes used by underdark mercenaries, because their life draining effect can be used on anyone the host touches. What the main line of cloakers gets from this is unknown. They can be distinguished from regular cloakers because they appear as moving shadow, even in the light, which weakens them. All attempts at communicating with them have failed. Shadowcloak Elder: These individuals look less like cloaks than massive, shadowborn flying rays. They have large mouths full of teeth, gold claws, and red eyes. These individuals are highly intelligent and able to coordinate the attacks of cloakers, liking to send the cloaker followers in to attack while they stay off to the side and use magic. They are highly skilled in magic, able to manipulate shadow, and shift to the plane of the shadow at will. Undead Cloaker: An exceedingly rare, possibly extinct, subspecies that may be the result of negative energy effects on shadow cloakers. Like their possible source, they are parasites, but they drain the life force of the host, or whoever the host is touching. They appear as rotting cloaks or flesh. The last confirmed undead cloaker was being used by the Archmage Arklem Greeth before becoming a lich. 48

Cockatrice Author: Helga Halfdragon, Associate Professor of Magical Biology, College of Cliffport in conjunction with Marigold Bucklebrandy, Adjunct Professor of Bioloigcal Alchemy, Imperial College, Goldencourt. Special regards, Ithyrion Starbreeze, Redbrand Heldenhammer(late), Torbald Gyldaderathyn(late), Reb and Jeb Dinklutz, Aeronicles the Incinerator(late), Ysgrid Swiftstride(crippled). Entry: Cockatrice. Date: 1176 TL, 4329 DR. Introduction Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. - text from an unknown tome The cockatrice is a hideous, venomous creature, standing about waist-high to an average human or elf. It has a poisonous bite or peck that will, if untreated, turn the victim into stone. The cockatrice has the head of a rooster, the body of a lizard or serpent, and dragon-like or bat-like wings. The cockatrice is extremely aggressive to creatures larger than itself, pecking and biting in a frenzy in order to petrify it and make its escape. The cockatrice shares many traits with other magical creatures, notably the basilisk, which indicates common evolutionary ancestry. Physiological Observations It was like half-lizard, half-chicken, and half bat! No, it was more like half chicken-lizard, half dragon! I'd say more of a half dragon-chicken, half bat-serpent. -overheard at a tavern in Kynsdale The cockatrice appears to be a hybrid animal- mixing bird, lizard, bat, and dragon. However, the opposite is true. The cockatrice seems to be the modern relative of a precursor species that may have become a variety of magical bird, serpent, or dragon-like creatures, such as the basilisk, hydra, wyvern, non-celestial couatl, and maybe even the mighty dragon (though any dragon you ask would find the theory preposterous). It generally appears like a diseased chicken with bat wings, with scattered patches of feathers, quills, scales, or bare skin. The cockatrice's most notable feature is its ability to turn creatures into stone. Though it helps a bit in hunting, it likely evolved as a defense mechanism against larger creatures. The cockatrice secretes a magical venom from its mouth, which quickly evaporates into a sticky mist that coats the beak. Contact with blood or other body fluids quickly causes a magical petrification effect, turning the victim into stone. This effect varies in potency between subspecies and individuals, with some scratches causing near instant petrification and others causing a very painful, stone-like scab to form which will slowly turn the surrounding flesh into rock. Since the venom is designed to evaporate quickly, it loses potency quickly. Without the cockatrice's constant breathing and reapplication it will soon dissipate into the air. This also makes the venom extremely difficult for alchemists to study. Because the magical venom evaporates so quickly, it will appear in a cloud around the cockatrice's head when using magical detection. It will seem to emit in the breath, beak, and in eye ducts. This may be the origin of myths of a cockatrice needing to breathe on its victims to turn them to stone, or staring at them like a basilisk. This seems to be a sort of evolutionary defense to throw off magic-detecting predators, making it hard for them to pinpoint the exact nature or origin of the cockatrice's magical ability. Behavioral and Social Observations Whatever you do, if you see a cockatrice and it don't see you yet, DON'T make eye contact. Naw, you ain't gonna turn into stone, that's a basilisk. But if you let it see you, it'll attack, and then you got trouble. Just let it go on its wee little way. Now, iffen you DO see a basilisk... -Ithyrion Starbreeze, elf ranger Cockatrices, despite their monstrous appearance, leave fairly mundane lives, hunting in underbrush and shallow streams for frogs, rats, fish, and bugs, or foraging for nuts, berries, and seeds. If not disturbed by larger creatures they would likely seem a very peaceful creature. However, another trademark of the cockatrice is its bad temper and aggression. At the sight of anything larger than itself a cockatrice will fly into a murderous frenzy, pecking and flapping its wings in a violent whirlwind of feathers and scales. Most larger creatures are scared off by the sudden outburst. Others are not so easily intimidated. Rangers and trackers learn that finding a lot of dead cockatrices typically means owlbear territory. Cockatrice legends say they are born when a male rooster lays an egg and it is incubated under a toad or snake. This simply isn't true- there are male and female cockatrices with little sexual dimorphism. When cockatrices nest the parents will usually bring petrified toads, rats, or snakes back for the chicks when the eggs hatch or are about to hatch. This may be the birth of the legend. Cockatrices aren't particularly territorial but they do develop a pecking order in groups. If a group of cockatrices are feeding together, the constant squawking, pecking, and fighting is enough to drive away most prey in the area, making cockatrice gatherings fairly rare unless food is abundant. Cockatrices prefer being active at night or in lowlight situations. Inter-species Observations It was the darndest thing, Jeb. I swear it was just standing there, with the chickens. Didn't touch a single one. Sure messed up the duck pond though. What a mess... -Reb Dinklutz, farmer. Cockatrices are a rather dangerous pest animal. Farming towns and settlements that attract rats and other prey seem particularly prone to cockatrice invasions. They will begin at the outskirts of a town or at the tree line of forests, coming into town at night, feeding on smaller farm animals and petrifying the larger ones. Once a large animal is successfully petrified the cockatrice will usually flee the area before it wakes up. Some farmers have begun to create scare-cockatrices, stone statues placed onto property to fool the cockatrice into fleeing the area. It has been met with mixed success. 49

Cockatrices seem to share some sort of bond with the common domesticated chicken, occasionally sneaking into farm coops to forage with the flocks. The chickens don't seem to mind their presence, largely ignoring the deadly predator among them, and the cockatrice will not attack them and seem to defer to whoever is the head chicken of the flock. Domesticated ducks, turkeys, geese, and other fowl are not so lucky; a cockatrice will hunt, kill, and eat them as they would any other prey. Biologists are unsure why this is. Variant species No, it wasn't a basilisk, it was a cockatrice! A huge one, the size of Nurgluz over there! Yes, I know he's a half-giant, that's why I picked him! -Rosie Mayweather, dire cockatrice survivor. A Cockatrice's danger seems to increase with size. The Lesser Cockatrice is about the size of a large chicken and its venom, while painful, usually doesn't cause petrification in full grown humans or stouter halflings, and will instead cause a large bruise that is particularly rock-like. Their irate nature makes domestication incredibly difficult, though it's not uncommon to see the occasional brave or foolish goblinoid or hedge-witch attempt to have a flock of lesser cockatrice. The Common Cockatrice is the one we are most used to seeing, and stands about waist high to an average human or elf. It is also the most aggressive of the varieties. They are fairly common across most climates, and their coat camouflage will change based on their environment, dark grey for forest, sand for desert, etc. Some cockatrices in humid jungle environments sport vibrant and colorful plumage and quills, presumably for mating displays. This does not make it look prettier, and on the contrary makes them appear somehow even more gaudy and hideous. The Dire Cockatrice is thankfully rare and is truly dangerous. Less aggressive than its smaller counterpart but more intelligent and deadly. The size of a tall human or elf, it is uncharacteristically patient and rather stealthy, stalking large prey through thick undergrowth or foraging for fruit and nuts. Though there are no documented cases of a dire cockatrice hunting humans or human like races, it is not unlikely. As one anonymous researcher put it, There may be no documented cases because all the ones documenting them were eaten. You just went and MADE a new cockatrice? Probably not a good idea... -Chiss Kratt, human adventurer. Because of their relative ecological abundance and the curious innate alchemical nature of their venom, cockatrices are favorites for magical experimentation. Although both the College of Cliffport magic school and Imperial College of Arcane Study strictly forbid the use of inhumane magical experimentation for ethical reasons, throughout history and among less civilized circles the cockatrice has been a frequent test-subject. As such, there are a variety of subspecies that are, to a certain extent, magically engineered. Stronger venom, flame breath, multiple heads... the cockatrice seems to take well to a variety of magical tampering. Add this to the fact that the Cockatrice is a very old species with a lot of genetic variation and it becomes difficult to determine which species are natural and which have been tampered with, whether by mortal, god, or extra-planar entity. The authors would also like to point out that owning a cockatrice at any size, subspecies, or temperament is considered illegal in many countries and is widely considered a very, very, very bad idea. Historical and Cultural Significance Lord Baldwin the Bastard, his mind like a snake, Lord Kenny of Highport, the villainous rake, Lady Miri the Wise, who spreads both her legs, Earl Brighton the Third, head bald as an egg, The Council of Four, Oh! so brave and so true, A cockatrice den, and their victim is you! --Political ballad during the Third Succession Crisis. Their loud squawking, grotesque appearance, nocturnal activity, and magical nature make cockatrices particularly good bogeymen stories, sounding much more dangerous than they might actually be. Calling something a cockatrice may be a reference to either a small thing that is more dangerous than it appears, such as a small snake with a very venomous bite, or the opposite: a large danger that sounds scarier to the uniformed than it might actually be. This double-meaning is used by bards to great degree, especially in contemporary political songs. The Cockatrice occasionally appears on heraldry, its aggression and tenacity seen as positive traits to particularly warlike or ambitious individuals. Lord Godwin the Tenacious notably made it his house symbol, but after his embarrassing defeat at the Battle of Goblin's Hollow where he was tricked into attacking his own army's shadow it has since lost popularity. Cockatrices are also used in occasional Alchemical advertisements. As cockatrice venom is particularly difficult to harvest, it implies a certain level of mastery, although of course there's no guarantee that the particular store may actually possess it. DM's Toolbox - Better Than Rats A cockatrice makes a decent low-level encounter, the obvious challenge being the two Con saves against petrification. Being petrified sucks, and maybe the only thing worse is having someone ELSE in your party be petrified. I feel like it's a good 1st level encounter, and more interesting that dire rats or a rat swarm. It can be fun to play on the mystery- what are the strange noises at night and what has been turning the town's animals into stone, albeit temporarily? Scaling for higher levels is pretty easy too. More HP, harder DC on the Con save, larger size description, and you're in business. Making them more intelligent and less predictable makes a bigger challenge. You could have pack hunting cockatrices, fire-breathing genetically modified ones, or truly monstrous dinosaur sized ones. 50